Page 35 of Loved By Aphrodite

She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, still laughing. “That’s rich. You’re the god of fire and forge, and they think you’d settle for a goat and a pizza oven.” She giggled again, her mood lighter since she woke up.

Things were good between them now, better than they’d been in centuries, but there was still a restlessness inside her, alingering unease that she couldn’t quite shake. She took a breath and decided to just go for it.

“Um, so, about the other night,” she began, “did you like what happened?”

“Are you serious?” he scoffed. “Judging by how hard we both came, I think it’s safe to say we had agreattime.”

She laughed nervously and was glad she wasn’t facing him because she didn’t think she’d have the nerve to talk about what happened with them. “Okay, fair. But…” She bit her lip, debating if she should continue.

Then, with a shrug, she decided to plunge ahead. “It’s just, you know how love is my thing, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, part of love is intimacy and sex. It’s how people connect, how they bond, and how they…feel better about things. So, if I’m feeling out of sorts, one way we could fix that is by having sex.”

“So now you’re ‘love-splaining’ to me?”

“Damn right,” she shot back without missing a beat. “I’m an expert, and it’s one area I know more about than you. So, I’m going to flex, thank you very much.”

His laughter was warm and genuine, rolling through the room and filling the space between them. Her unease began to melt away, and she felt all warm inside, basking in the sound of his laugh and the easy way they fit together now.

She sighed deeply, drawing his arm around her until he was flush on her back. His solid warmth pressed against her, the soothing cadence of his breath on her spine.

“Aphrodite,” he said with an edge of tension that made her pulse quicken.

“I need this,” she murmured, her fingers tightening around his hand as if she could anchor herself in his presence.

“This isn’t a good idea.”

She tilted her head slightly, a playful smile curving her lips despite the vulnerability she felt. “I’ve never had to work this hard to get a man, you know.”

He didn’t respond immediately, and she thought she’d pushed too far, scared him off. Her chest tightened, regret starting to creep in.

But then, his other hand moved, gently brushing her hair aside. The touch was light, almost hesitant, as if he were testing a boundary neither of them had acknowledged until now. His breath was warm on her neck, sending a shiver down her spine that she couldn’t suppress.

“Careful,” he said softly, low and rough, like gravel smoothed by fire.

She swallowed hard, her teasing facade crumbling under the intensity of his nearness. “Or what?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

He didn’t answer, but the air between them felt charged, as if the unspoken words were too heavy to voice. Instead, he stayed there, his presence overwhelming in a way that left her breathless, her body humming with an anticipation she couldn’t deny.

“Careful?” she repeated, tilting her head at him. “Why should we be careful?”

“Because this…us, whatever we’re doing—it’s not just casual. Not for me.”

She blinked, surprised by his honesty. “It’s not casual for me either,” she admitted, her voice soft. “But we’ve been skirting around each other for millennia, Hephaestus. Why were we even doing that? What were we so afraid of?”

“History, expectations, the fact that we were thrown together by Zeus instead of choosing each other. Take your pick.”

She sighed, her fingers grasping his as she closed the small gap between them. “Okay, fine. That’s all true. But that was then,and this is now. Why can’t we just…enjoy each other? Why can’t we figure out what this is without overthinking it?”

“You’re really good at this whole ‘cutting through the noise’ thing, aren’t you?”

She smirked. “I’m literally the goddess of love, darling. It’s kind of my job.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Fair point.”

“And besides,” she continued, “I don’t want to waste any more time being afraid of what this could be. If it’s good, and it feels really good, why not let ourselves have it?”

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