Page 20 of Gilded Gods

ARES

I’m hooked on Ophelia.I’ve never met a woman like her. She says whatever is on her mind and doesn’t give a single fuck.

It’s sexy.

“What the hell are you smiling about?” Apollo exits the Jack-and-Jill bathroom between our bedrooms, a towel wrapped around his waist. “And why are you in my room?”

I already know what my brother is going to say. Ophelia is a complication we don’t need, not when we’re so close to getting everything we want.

“We need to talk about Ophelia.” I lay back on his mattress, staring at the ceiling. “She gave me the worst blue balls before she pointed a gun at my head and kicked me out of her bedroom. I think I’m in love.”

“No, you’re not,” Apollo grunts. “But at least that explains why you kept me up all night jerking off to porn. The walls are notthatthick in this house, Ares.”

“No fucking shit. I heard you banging on the wall, but I just turned up the volume on my computer and tuned you out. I’m surprised I have any skin left on my dick.” I wink to piss him off. “Think Ophelia will kiss it all better?”

Apollo slips into a pair of boxer briefs and shakes his head. “Fucking idiot. What did you do to Ophelia last night? I know you were in her room.”

“She let me lick her pussy before she got all weird.” I grab my semi-hard dick and sigh. “Fuck, Apollo. You don’t get it.”

He flips through the hangers in his closet with his back to me. “Has it occurred to you that women don’t like being assaulted in their bedroom in the middle of the night?”

“I didn’t assault her. She was into it.” I close my eyes and envision her wet pussy and the smell of her juices on my lips long after I left her. “Her pussy was gushing on the barrel of her gun. All for me.”

He stops buttoning his dress shirt and gives me a stern look. “Please tell me you didn’t reenact your gun fantasy with her.”

I raise my hands and shrug. “Okay, then I won’t tell you.”

“Fucking idiot,” he says for the second time, one of his favorite nicknames for me.

To his credit, I do a lot of dumb shit. Pursuing our new stepsister probably ranks in the top ten for me.

Maybe even the top five.

“I don’t approve of you going after her.” Apollo steps into a pair of black slacks, one eyebrow raised. “Stay away from Ophelia. We can’t finish what we started if you don’t get your shit together.”

“I don’t see why we can’t fuck over Belenandfuckhis daughter. He was ready to disown her yesterday. It doesn’t seem like there’s any love lost between them.”

Apollo looks at himself in the mirror after he dresses in a black suit jacket and fixes the lapels. He reminds me of a banker, clean-cut and polished. My brother is fancy and only wears custom suits.

I wore a suit yesterday because Mom wanted us to make a good impression. She didn’t want Belen to think I was a thug with all my ink. So I did what my mother wanted. That woman always wins. We wouldn’t be closer to getting our revenge if not for her.

Usually, I prefer loose clothing I can wear to the gym. And if I’m going out, jeans and a tee. Atlas is a mix of Apollo and me. Sometimes, he’ll dress up to make his twin happy. But when he does, he pairs suits with sneakers and graphic tees.

“Stick to the plan, Ares.” My brother shuts the closet door and sprays cologne onto his wrist, working it into his skin. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t keep Ophelia close because we will need her help. But I know how you are with women.”

I sit up and stretch out my arms, rolling my eyes at my brother. “Speak for yourself. You’re no saint. Wait until she finds out about the freaky shit you like.”

Apollo stands before me, teeth gritted at the mention of his affliction. He never talks about it, but I know it bothers him.

“Once you fuck her, that’s it. You won’t want her anymore. And if you reject Ophelia when she’s already so self-conscious, we’ll never get her back on our side. So consider yourself lucky she kicked you out. It was the best thing for both of you.”

Maybe he’s right. But fuck, I want to play with her.

ChapterTwelve

ARES

Mom insistedwe eat breakfast as a family. It’s weird sitting here with Belen and Ophelia like they’re one of us. Laughing and smiling like this is all normal. Passing plates of eggs and fruit as if we do this every day.

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