Page 22 of Perfectly Matching Again

“You can play that card, but the Goddess of Love is rarely wrong in her assessments, unless it’s about the men in her life. Then she tends to reach for the lowest hanging fruit, forgetting that it’s always the one to rot first as well.”

Erato tried unsuccessfully to cover her laughter, then let it go, throwing her head back and enjoying this moment of quiet, shared intimacy and the spice of humor between them.

Of course, then she had to go and say something stupid. Par for the course for her lately.

“Poseidon is very fond of you, though, so that makes us even in the affection from the Olympians department.”

The smile was whipped clean off Demeter’s face.

“Poseidon wants a wife who will indulge his every whim, fix his mistakes and cater to his weaponized incompetence, all the while believing that he is the greatest gift the titans have givenEarth. And while I realize that everyone sees me as somewhat motherly and matronly because I take care of them all?—”

Erato simply laid a finger on Demeter’s lips, effectively stopping the flow of angry words.

“I do not.”

Under her fingertip, the lips moved with a question.

“What?”

Erato trailed her fingertip back and forth, caressing the soft mouth.

“I don’t think you are motherly or matronly.”

Demeter’s eyes, the ones just a second ago consumed by rage, softened and the ballroom fell away. Poseidon, Hera, Sabine and Dite and everyone around them vanished under the light of the gentle eyes that watched her with something akin to awe. With something that had never been directed her way.

Erato thought Hermes might’ve lent her his wings.

Her fingers dipped lower, grasping Demeter’s chin, opening the tender mouth, and then she covered it with her own. Right there, in front of the Gods and people. In front of enemies and friends. A gasp was her answer, she could’ve sworn Demeter froze in her arms. As Erato was about to lift her face and let go, start apologizing, start explaining where her foolhardy bravery came from, Demeter’s fingers dove into the short hair at the base of her neck and pulled her closer, gripped hard and slanted her mouth just so, deepening the kiss.

And now the gasps were coming from all around them, except Erato didn’t care. The most beautiful woman in the world was kissing her, nay, devouring her in front of the whole world and wasn’t that a reason to…

“Muse, endeavour to take your hands off my sister?”

Hera’s voice was low but the note of anger within it was signaled loud and clear even as Erato and Demeter separated under the icy silver gaze.

“Muse, I thought you joked when you were together…”

Poseidon’s train of conversation got derailed by the sheer steel in Demeter’s eyes as she rounded on him and her sister.

“How dare you?”

Hera closed her mouth. Poseidon opened his. Big mistake.

“Shut up. How dare either of you make a laughingstock out of me?”

“You were doing so well on your own, little sister, just then, trying to swallow the muse whole. Unless she needed resuscitation and you were offering a mouth to mouth, I see no need to have made such a spectacle of yourself.”

Erato could see smoke coming out of Demeter’s ears. The gaskets were officially blown and any second now?—

“I don’t know… I rather enjoyed the show…” The unmistakable drawl, accompanied by the immediate drop in temperature, signaled that a certain Goddess was back. Indeed, Nemesis leaned against a column, possibly even a Corinthian one, giving the entire scene in front of her what could only be described as an improper look. “The muse is hot and Demeter? Well, I think I am discovering a decidedly voyeuristic predilection within myself.”

Hera’s glare turned deadly. Erato licked her dry lips and grabbed a glass of something fizzy off a poor server’s tray. The man disappeared with such haste, Erato found it truly wise. Commendable even. Men were rarely this smart. As if to prove it, Poseidon spoke up.

“But Demeter, you said you will never date again, because sure if you are to do so, I am the first and last on your dance card?—”

“Oh, do shut up!”

Hera and Demeter’s outburst ensured silence reigned. Nemesis smirked. Sabine smiled. Erato sipped her drink and pretended like not only she wasn’t there, she also wasn’t soimpossibly turned on by Demeter’s show of her godly prowess. She was getting decidedly uncomfortable in her underwear.

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