Chapter Twelve
Aphrodite? Do we know an Aphrodite? Marty was momentarily stunned. His mind had been on cake and being with his mate. He thought Ares would feel better if he had some sugary goodness inside of him. It always worked for him. But now Ares wanted to talk about someone who had a fancy name. Marty didn’t think he knew the person personally and couldn’t see why they were important.
Aphrodite is one of the most beautiful goddesses in the Greek Pantheon. She’s the Goddess of Love and Desire, I think.
How do you know that? You’re a raccoon. I didn’t know that.
You would’ve done if you’d listened to your cousin Ronny more often when you were growing up. He loved ancient mythology, and the Greek Pantheon was one of his favorites. He would talk about it for hours. According to the stories our mate mentioned, Aphrodite and he had an affair that went on for a very long time, even after Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus.
Heph…who?
Heff-fee-stus, Hephaestus. He’s the God of Volcanoes, Metallurgy, and Forges, and all sorts of things like that.
Wow. That sounds like a powerful god. I wonder…
“Hey, hey.” Ares’ hand tightened on his, pulling Marty out of his musing. “Have I upset you by mentioning her? Did you want me to leave?”
“No!” Marty shook his head, trying to clear his brain. “My raccoon was just updating me on who Aphrodite was because I’d never heard of her. But apparently, my cousin, Ronny…” He put his free hand up, stopping himself. “Sorry, you don’t need to hear about him. Anyway, so you had a long time affair with one of the most beautiful goddesses in existence, is that right?”
“Yes.”
“And she was married during that time to…to… some guy’s name I can’t pronounce, but she was still having an affair with you?”
“Hephaestus, and yes. He found out because the Sun God Helios saw us together. Hephaestus made this net out of tiny gold threads, captured me and Aphrodite in the web together and dragged us, still naked, in front of the other Olympians to embarrass us.”
“Hmm, that’s a conundrum. You see, I don’t agree with cheating by anyone, but then you weren’t cheating because you weren’t the one who was married. Aphrodite was. Didn’t she want to see you anymore after that scene on Olympus?”
Ares shook his head, and he did look sad.
“Well, her loss is my gain,” Marty said firmly. “That’s all I can say about that. She might be the most beautiful goddess in existence, but did she ever make you carrot cake with cream cheese icing, and artistically arranged walnuts?”
“No, she never did.” Ares’ lips were twitching. “Incidentally, Hephaestus is happy now, too. He and his mate, Landyn, are living in Montana, and they even have a child on the way.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful news.” Marty grinned widely. “We must send them a gift when the baby arrives. Won’t that be fun?”
Ares didn’t look so sure. “Hephaestus is one of the few gods who has a genuine reason to hate me.”
But Marty wasn’t having any of that defeatist talk. “You’d be amazed at how effective a gift can be, especially when they have a new baby. I bet that man with the name I can’t pronounce doesn’t even think about Aphrodite anymore – not now that he has his mate. He and his mate will love the gift, you’ll see. Now, shall we have cake, or have you got more lovers from the ancient past you want to drag up in your effort to be honest and transparent with me?”
“None in the past couple of hundred years, at least.” Ares’ lips were definitely twitching upward now.
“There you go. Not important, then. Anyone you were with before I was born doesn’t count in my head. True?”
“That sounds good. Thank you. I should probably mention that I do have numerous children, too. But again, all born so far back in history that wouldn’t count, either, right? Nobody is going to be popping in and calling me daddy.”
“Well before I was born, so yep, that doesn’t count, either. I don’t have any children.” Marty curled his finger around Ares’ pinky finger as they cut the cake together. “My very few and definitely blah sexy times have been nothing to go into raptures about, but apparently with mates it’s supposed to be amazing, isn’t it? That’s if you’re interested in that sort of thing, of course.”
“Hmm, I definitely could be. In fact, being totally honest, if I could find a way to have sex with you and eat this cake at the same time, I’d do it.” Ares was wearing a full smile now, and Marty shivered under the heat in his eyes.
“Challenge accepted, for another time, though. When we’re more used to each other. For now…ta-da!” Marty pulled a big slice free of the cake, balancing it on the knife. “Look at that beauty. It makes you want to just smush your face into it, doesn’t it?”
“It makes me want to smush my face into something.” Ares waggled his eyebrows as a dessert plate appeared in his free hand. He held it under the cake slice. “Let’s get this eaten and see where the rest of the afternoon takes us.”
/~/~/~/~/
“Are you going to claim me, or is this just a trial run to see if you like it?” Marty hopped from one foot to the other. He was naked, standing by the bed where Ares was sprawled out in his full naked splendor. If Marty wasn’t so concerned, he’d be drooling, but he owed it to his raccoon to make sure of Ares’ intentions before he joined him on the bed. His raccoon was itching to get his teeth out.
“You are not a trial run.” Ares held out his hand. “You, my wonderfully unique mate, are the real deal. My real deal, if you’ll have me. If your animal side has any reservations…”
“No doubts on this end. Geronimo.” Marty leaped on the bed, his arms spread wide, his cock bouncing against his abs just before he landed on the mattress. He managed to miss most of Ares when he landed, although he winced as his cock hit the mattress at an angle. “Darn it.” Marty rolled to his side, cupping his dick. “That went so much better in my head.”
“Here, let me look.” Ares curled around his back, gently moving Marty’s hands away, and holding Marty’s cock in his own firm hand. “Nothing broken. This part of you still seems eager to spend time with me.”
“It is. We are. I am.” Marty half turned, pushing out his lips. “Kiss me,” he said as he lifted his head. Of course, the words came out smooshed. Apparently, lips were necessary for clear speech, but Ares was a god, and he seemed to understand the actions if not the words.
Emitting a deep groan that covered Marty’s body like a blanket, slapping his cells into the on position, Ares didn’t hesitate. The god tasted of power and magic, with a hint of desperation, all mixed in with carrot cake. He truly wants me.
Marty had always thrown himself into everything he’d ever done in his life, and being with Ares was no exception. What he lacked in experience, he made up for with enthusiasm, and there was so much of Ares to explore.
His lips were being consumed, and Marty was all for it, but simply because his mouth was busy didn’t mean his hands should be flapping around with nothing to do. Ares wasn’t bulky, he was just tall, and everything else was in proportion.
Sleek lines mapped out abs that Marty was desperate to poke. Are they truly as firm as they look? But poking was probably not a sexy move. The nipples, though... Marty wished he had his mouth free in that moment because he wanted to tickle those flat disks with his tongue to see what would happen.
Legs. Yes, a lot of people had them, but Marty had never had such strong or long lines of legs under his fingers. He rubbed one hand up and down as much of Ares’ leg as he could reach. He might have rubbed the other one, too, but he realized he was rubbing his cock up against that one – it all felt so delicious.
“I could live on your lips forever.” Ares must’ve finally guessed Marty needed to breathe, although Marty hadn’t realized he was getting lightheaded. “Your skin…so warm. So giving.”
Giving? Marty wanted to discuss that, but as Ares’ hands were roaming all over his body, he decided to stick a pin in that idea, and get back to it…later.
“Lie back,” Ares urged, his low voice a caress all of its own. “Let me see what makes you moan.”
All I’m missing is the grapes, Marty thought, remembering what his raccoon had said about being pampered just a few hours before. He lay back, spreading his arms and legs, still enamored by the idea of being on a mattress at all.
Ares didn’t leave him musing over having a mattress against his back for long. Moving over him, his hands alternating between soft tickles and firm strokes across Marty’s skin, it was as if Ares was mapping Marty’s body, looking for his hot spots.
Closing his eyes, Marty leaned into the hands as they moved. His nipples beaded from just a single whoosh of Ares’ breath. He discovered his torso loved being stroked, and his hips bounced seeking more touches as Ares bypassed them on his way down Marty’s legs.
You can just keep doing that, Marty thought dreamily as Ares moved down his ankles and then started back up his legs again.
Marty’s whole body shivered as Ares’ mouth joined the mapping process. A tongue ran over his knee, and then lips sucked up marks on the inside of Marty’s thigh. Marty flailed his hand around, looking for Ares’ head with his eyes still closed. When he found it, a sense of connection rang through Marty’s soul. This is a man who wants to care for me.
“Roll over, my mate,” Ares said, his husky tones impossibly deeper.
Flinging himself onto his belly, Marty rested his head on his hands, spreading his legs, and then, realizing his dick was in the way, he reached down, pushing his cock and balls out between his thighs. “Like this?”
“So sexy.” The words might have been a growl, but Marty didn’t think that was possible because Ares wasn’t a shifter, but oh…
“Do that again.” Nibbles down his spine made Marty shiver. When Ares spread his butt cheeks, massaging the muscles there, Marty groaned. When Marty felt a brush of air from Ares’ mouth blowing across his hole, he squealed and then groaned because that air wasn’t the main event, but he quickly learned Ares had a very talented tongue.
“I just found out I love ass play, yes!” Pressing his shoulders down on the mattress, Marty lifted his butt up spreading his legs as wide as they would go. There were two big hands holding his butt cheeks apart, and Ares’ mouth was over his hole, his tongue probing into Marty’s most intimate place, sending Marty’s arousal through the roof.
“Oh, gods, oh, gods.” Marty wiggled from side to side, his ass desperate for the attention Ares was delivering. He felt a wash of magic over his skin, and then Ares’ fingers were in his hole, stretching him, opening him up. Marty could hear the slurp of lube and saliva as those fingers moved inside of him.
“More. More.” Marty was panting so hard he was seeing stars behind his eyelids. “Put your cock in there. Fill me up!”
There was a shuffle on the mattress, and then Marty felt the blunt head of Ares’ cock against his hole. “Yes. Yes. Do it. Do it.” Marty’s skin didn’t fit. He felt as though he wouldn’t be whole until Ares filled his hole and while the process seemed excruciatingly slow, Ares was easing his cock into Marty’s hole.
Marty blew out once…twice…and then again as he felt his body adjust to Ares’ girth. Moaning, he rocked in small increments – Ares’ hands on his hips stopped him going far, but Marty had never believed feeling someone slowly split him open could feel so empowering.
“Made for me,” Ares groaned. “Your body just takes me in and oooh…so good.”
“Move!” Marty yelled. His whole body was trembling, his balls were tight, and he knew just a brush of Ares’s finger against his shaft would tip him over the edge of the orgasm cliff.
Ares could follow directions. Marty’s hands gripped the covers, his body rocking harder and faster as Ares found his rhythm. His ears filled with the sound of skin slapping skin, and his jaw clenched as he reached for and strove for the orgasm that was just out of reach. Ares started to grunt in time with his thrusts, but it wasn’t until he heard Ares yell, “I take Marty as my mate,” to whoever was listening, Marty fell over the orgasm cliff, his body flooded with endorphins and all that good stuff, and not a touch of Ares’ hand on his dick.
“My gods, my gods, oh, my fucking gods.” Marty was wrecked, his face sweaty, his hands aching from the way he’d been gripping his mattress so hard.
But before he had the time to catch his breath, there was another whoosh of magic and Marty was suddenly sitting on Ares’ lap, still impaled with his cock. “Bite me,” Ares said, his eyes flashing as though reflecting lightning. “Claim me as yours.”
Oh yes, we’re ready for this. Lurching forward, Marty opened his mouth, letting his raccoon guide his way. Seconds later, he felt the snap in his soul and the taste of his mate on his tongue. The claim was made.
As soon as Marty’s teeth were free from Ares’ neck, his mate hooked his arms under Marty’s knees, and he found himself flat on his back again. “Ready for round two?”
Brushing some sweat-soaked hair off his face, Marty could only nod as Ares started moving again.