Page 49 of Gilded Gods

He inches backward. His dark, intense eyes are laser-focused on me. “You look like Ophelia again.”

“I usually do by the end of the night.” I climb into the limo beside him, and we drive home seconds later. “How was your first night?”

Apollo inspects my face as if searching for traces of Mistress O. “It was great,” he deadpans. “Best night of my life. I got to hang out with Connie and have quality male bonding time.”

“You could have stayed downstairs with me for a little longer.” I grab my late-night snack from the bar and bottled water. Peeling back the chocolate bar wrapper, I ask, “Are the books in order?”

He swipes a hand across his jaw. “I need more time with them. I got very little done with your boyfriend hovering over my shoulder.”

I take a few bites of the chocolate and wash it down with water. “I’ll talk to him, okay? Constantine isn’t used to sharing me with anyone. And he’s kinda protective.”

“I can see that,” he shoots back. “He threatened to cut off my balls if I touched you.”

“Well, it won’t come to that.” I fold the foil over the half-eaten candy bar and offer it to Apollo. “Want some?”

He pushes out his hand. “No, I better not. Ares has me on a low-sugar diet.”

“Are you diabetic?”

He shakes his head. “My brother is obsessive about health. He’s into herbal supplements and organic everything. If he even sees sugar or carbs, he flips out on us. ”

I toss my hair over my shoulder and stroke my fingers through the ends. “He must love what I eat.”

Apollo’s shoulders raise a few inches. “He’d never say anything to you. My brother likes you too much. He’s still in the honeymoon phase and trying to impress you.”

“If he says anything to me about food, I’ll kick his ass.”

He tips his head back and laughs. “I’d love to see that. You’re the only woman who’s ever put him in his place.”

“That’s the only reason he’s pursuing me,” I say, confident that I’m only a conquest. “A guy like Ares would never be into someone like me.”

“You undervalue yourself, Mistress.” He moves closer to me on the bench, and I’m suddenly too aware of how good he smells. “Instead of asking yourself why Ares would be into you, you should ask why you would be into him. I love my brother, but you’re way out of his league. Not the other way around.”

My heart pounds so hard I can hear the thumping in my ears. I find it challenging to look at Apollo. I never once thought of myself as worthy of a guy like him.

Or his brothers.

“Do you think that?” I mutter after my heart calms to an average rate. “That I’m too good for Ares?”

He bobs his head. “You have more to offer Ares than he could ever give you.”

I feel stupid for associating looks with worth. But as a young girl, my friends and classmates emphasized beauty more.

They saw me as the fat girl.

So, I saw myself that way too.

I’m learning more about myself from the Demetriou brothers in a few weeks than in my twenty-three years.

Apollo leans over, a strange expression casting a dark cloud over his gorgeous face. “How do you do that every night? Become someone else.”

I’m stunned by his question. No one has ever asked me about my work. I sacrifice relationships to keep this part of my life private–the only part I love. I cut off whatever friends I had left when I became Mistress O, and dating is out of the question.

“I like it,” I admit. “It’s the only thing I have left now that my mom is gone. When I’m Mistress O, no one looks at my body like I’m disgusting. They’re not judging me. I can be myself when I’m there. I don’t want to take off the mask and go home some nights. That’s why I can’t lose Olympus. I’ll do anything to get my share.”

Apollo startles me by closing the distance between us. “You can be whoever you want. But I prefer Ophelia.”

The warmth of his breath rolls across my lips, sparking a wild desire in me. I’m practically panting, waiting for him to make a move.

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