Charmed by Apollo

Prologue

A few months ago…

“Are you sure this is going to work, Persephone?” Geri Andersen nodded at the tall figure coming their way as they stood on the corner of Seventy-second Street and Broadway on the Upper West Side.

“Relax, Geri,” Persephone said in an assuring tone. “I’m a goddess. Glamouring is one of my powers.”

True, Persephone was, indeed, the powerful, near-immortal goddess of the spring, but the scope of this particular spell seemed immense. After all, how does one make the Underworld look normal to an ordinary mortal?

They watched as Adonis Lopez crossed the street, and heads turned to admire the man who looked like he stepped out of a streetwear ad. His dark skin stood out against the crisp white shirt that hugged his frame, accentuated by the snug fit of his black jeans. Like most New Yorkers, statement sneakers adorned his feet, but the glint of a gold chain around his neck added a touch of luxury to his ensemble, drawing the gaze of passersby. Even the older woman, navigating her walker along the crowded sidewalk, couldn’t help but steal a glance at the captivating figure crossing her path.

“Hey, ladies!” Adonis greeted as he came closer, bounding over to them to give them air kisses. “P, you are stunning as always.” He gave Persephone’s outfit—a bright yellow sundress—an approving look. “And, Geri, er…you look like, er, you?”

Geri rolled her eyes. “Right.” Fashionista, she was not, especially in her ripped jeans, white T-shirt, and black leather jacket. Having been raised outside Anchorage, Alaska, by a bunch of literal wolves—shifters, that is—she never did have a sense or interest in fashion. Of course, when one had to rip through a lot of clothing when shifting between forms, it was tiring having to replace nice, expensive stuff.

“So, where’re we off to?” He placed an arm around both of them, and Geri had to use all her might not to shrug it off. Her preternatural sense of smell was already sensitive, and today, Adonis had seemingly bathed in his favorite cologne.

Persephone glanced at Geri in that the silent communication they’d learned, having spent so much time together over the last year.

What should I tell him?Persephone said as her eyes grew wide.

This was your bright idea, Geri replied with a twist of her lips.

Fine, Persephone said with a cluck of her tongue. “Uh, we’re going to…Jersey.”

Adonis placed a hand over the clearly defined lines of his pecs under his tight shirt. “Excuse me? Jersey? I came all the way from the Bronx just so we could go to Jersey?” His tone sounded like he said they were going to the depths of hell, which perhaps, in some cultures, might be true as the Underworld was considered a place of the dead. “Who goes there anyway?”

“Spoken like a true New Yorker,” Geri snickered. “Have you been anywhere outside the five boroughs?”

“Once. To Connecticut.” Adonis shuddered. “A harrowing tale for another time. But tell me again, why Jersey?”

“Don’t you remember?” Geri interjected. “Persephone was hired by that fancy billionaire philanthropist to organize a street fair in their town.”

“Oh yeah. How’s that been going for ya, P? Is the boss giving you any trouble?”

“Er, no, it’s been great. He’s, uh, fine. It’s all fine.”

Geri could see that Persephone was uncomfortable, but she couldn’t quite tell whether it was because she was lying to Adonis about who her “boss” really was or because things weren’t fine. After all, she had more or less run away to the depths of the Underworld and was under the protection of Hades, the god of the dead himself, to escape her mother.

While that might have seemed a tad dramatic, considering that Persephone was nearly ten thousand years old, Geri could understand. While she herself loved Demeter and was grateful for her support this past year, describing the goddess of the harvest as overbearing was an understatement. She guarded Persephone like a mother hen with her chicks, but if that mother hen had been injected with steroids after doing a couple of lines of cocaine. Needless to say, Geri did not blame Persephone one bit for taking the opportunity to escape her mother’s watchful eye, and it certainly didn’t hurt that the god who offered her sanctuary was handsome, not to mention the sexual attraction between Hades and Persephone had sizzled the moment they met.

Demeter had told her everything, of course—her version anyway—that Hades had come and kidnapped Persephone. As her friend, Geri had been concerned, but knowing Demeter’s flair for dramatics, she’d kept her cool until she heard from Persephone herself via text that she was safe but just not ready to talk about what happened.

Geri was still waiting,but she was willing to give her friend some space. She had been surprised when Persephone showed up this morning, inviting her and Adonis to some street party she had organized down in the Underworld. Geri was intrigued at the idea of visiting the Underworld; as a wolf shifter, she was well aware of other supernatural creatures in the world and beyond—other animal shifters, vampires, witches, warlocks, and of course, the gods and goddesses. While shifters and gods rarely mixed—she and Demeter and Persephone being exceptions—they did know of the other’s existence. Her kind, of course, knew all the major gods and, in the early days, even worshiped or worked with them. Some even say shifters were descended from the gods themselves or created by gods to aid them, but no one had really confirmed that story, at least not to the shifter population.

Adonis, however, was fully human and thus had no idea of the existence of supernatural or divine beings in the world, nor that his two best friends were, in fact, a shifter and a goddess. That’s why Persephone had come up with the idea of glamouring Adonis so he could visit the Underworld without revealing themselves and their secret to him.

“Well, I can’t wait to meet him.” Adonis clapped his hands together. “How are we getting there? Did you rent a car, or did your boss send one? When are we leaving? “

“Er, uh, yeah. And we’re leaving right now.” Persephone waved her hand in front of Adonis, who then promptly rolled his eyes backward and went limp.

“Fuck!” Geri lunged forward and caught him before he hit the floor. “Dammit, Persephone!” She easily lifted him up and slung him over one shoulder. “Give me a warning next time?”

“Pshaw.” The goddess waved a hand at her. “You’re a wolf shifter. I knew you could handle him.”

Geri smirked at her. As a wolf shifter, she not only possessed the senses of a wolf but also superhuman strength and healing. “Ugh, alright. Let’s go then.”

She offered her hand to Geri. “Alright, let’s go.”

And in the blink of an eye, the ground underneath Geri’s feet disappeared. Her alarm bells rang, as her keen senses and animal instinct detected something wasn’t quite right. However, in a split second, she was on solid ground again. Still, there was a buzzing in the air, a strange energy that told her they were in another place.

“We’re here,” Persephone declared.

“This isn’t at all what I thought of when you said we were going to the Underworld,” Geri said as she glanced around. Plants from the Upperworld surrounded them, and she instantly recognized them as the plants and blooms Persephone loved. “Did you make this garden?”

“Yeah, this is just one part,” Persephone explained. “It’s around the castle area. C’mon, let’s go?—”

“Uh, hello?” She cocked her head to the motionless body slung over her shoulder. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Oh, right!” Persephone chuckled. “Hold him up, and I’ll wake him.”

Geri slid Adonis off her shoulder, then propped him upright. “Okay, ready.”

The goddess snapped her fingers, and Adonis opened his eyes. “What do you mean right—huh?”

He blinked and glanced around him. “What—how?”

“What’s wrong?” Persephone cocked her head to the side innocently.

He opened his mouth and shut it again. “Are we”—he glanced around—“in Jersey?”

“Yes,” Persephone replied nervously. “This is it. This is Jersey, alright.”

“But, how…how did we get here?” He turned to Geri. “Did you drive?”

“Uh, yeah…?”

Persephone hooked her hand through his arm. “You’re so silly. You fell asleep in the back of the car before we went through the Lincoln Tunnel.”

“I did?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh. Did I snore?”

“Of course not,” Persephone assured him. “You slept like an angel.”

Adonis laughed. “Of course I did.”

“C’mon, let me show you guys around.”

The sound of laughter and chatter filled the air as the souls bustled about, setting up stalls and decorating each row with a distinctive theme, creating an inviting scene of colors and activities. To their left, a row of stalls unfolded, brightly painted signs adorned with playful fonts and whimsical illustrations advertised a variety of games. Farther ahead, another row boasted a lively and colorful display reminiscent of a lively marketplace. Banners fluttered in the breeze, showcasing an array of exotic goods and delicacies from distant lands.

“This is stunning, P,” Adonis said.

“Yeah, the souls—er, people here are really excited about the street party. They said they’ve never had anything like this in millen—er, years,” Persephone said. “Well, I should get going, but you guys should take a gander. Explore and stuff.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Geri said.

“Yeah, we came here to spend time with you,” Adonis said.

“Aww, you guys.” Persephone hugged them. “Well, there are a few more things I need to do around here.”

Persephone guided them to the courtyard and gestured toward the arrangement of furniture scattered throughout the space. Wooden benches and intricately carved chairs were positioned haphazardly, their placement more suited for solitary contemplation than communal gatherings.

“Let’s rearrange these,” Persephone suggested. “We want people to be able to move around freely but also have comfortable spaces to rest and enjoy the festivities.”

Adonis and Geri nodded in agreement, rolling up their sleeves and setting to work with a shared sense of purpose. Together, they began to shift the furniture, each piece finding its new place in the courtyard like a puzzle coming together to form a cohesive picture.

“This all looks great,” Persephone said when she came back.

“Where’s your host, by the way?” Adonis inquired. “I’ve yet to meet this generous sponsor of yours.”

“He’ll be by soon.” Persephone glanced around them. “I think…oh!”

Geri narrowed her gaze toward where Persephone was squinting. There was someone standing by the palace entrance that had caught the goddess of spring’s eye, but he was too far away, even for her own enhanced senses.

Persephone waved the person over, and in a shimmer of light, a figure materialized in front of them. While Geri would not normally be caught off guard, she stumbled back as her personal space was invaded.

“Hey, P! Great work on the street fair and the garden. Thanks for inviting me!”

Geri grumbled as she quickly found her balance. However, the ground seemed to shift under her feet again as her gaze crashed into bright blue eyes. Blue eyes that were found on a devastatingly handsome face. While she was no stranger to good-looking males, the man before her was on a different level altogether. Tall and lean, he embodied the epitome of masculine beauty, with chiseled features that seemed sculpted from the very essence of sunlight itself. His golden locks cascaded in waves of luminescence, shimmering like molten gold under the celestial gaze. His eyes, gleamed with wisdom and insight, but at the same time, there was mirth and amusement behind them.

“Hey, Apollo! Perfect timing.” Persephone’s voice interrupted her ogling, and Geri quickly averted her gaze before the stranger caught her.

Ah, so this was another god—Apollo, apparently, the god of the sun.

“We could use an extra hand. How about you team up with Geri to set up the lights?”

The handsome man turned his gaze to Geri, his blue eyes perusing her curiously. “Sure, I can handle lights. But, uh, don’t you have some divine minions for this kind of thing?”

“I can do just fine on my own, thanks,” Geri said brusquely. Did he think she didn’t know how to put lights up just because she was a girl?

Persephone chuckled lightly, which Geri knew was her way of diffusing the tension. With her sunshiny and sweet vibes, it really was easy for her to just smile and make everything go away. “Great! Apollo, you’ll see, working with Geri is a breeze. Just follow her lead.”

“Sure, lights it is,” the god replied. “Though, isn’t this a bit low-key for the goddess of spring? Where’s the grandeur?”

“We don’t need grandeur,” Geri interjected. She didn’t know why, but she was annoyed that he didn’t address her directly. “We need things to work.”

“So…” Blue eyes once again turned to her, finally acknowledging her presence. This time,though, they were more than curious. His gaze swept over her before locking eyes with her. Geri felt her throat go dry under the scrutiny.

“Geri, huh?” His firm lips curled up into a smile, and he cocked his head to the side. “You’re not a soul. Or a human, for that matter. What are you?”

Ignoring his question, she pointed to the pile of lights on the ground. “We need to get these up all around the courtyard so we can make it brighter here.”

“Hmm.” Apollo scratched at his chin. “Are you a nymph? But then again, most nymphs don’t leave their immediate area. I’ve known a lot of nymphs in my time.”

“We should have the bigger lamps up there.” She pointed to the line of trees at the edge. “We’ll need a ladder.”

Apollo snapped his fingers. “Ah, a siren, maybe?” He shook his head. “You certainly don’t sound like one. You know, I once went out with a siren, but she cut the date short because her song wouldn’t work on me. I think she just wanted to test if it would work on a god.”

She walked over to the lion’s head fountain affixed to the south wall. “We’ll need something here too. Maybe we can have one of those standing lamp posts.”

“A lamia? Nah.” He clucked his tongue. “Not scaley enough.”

She spun around to face him. “Look, I don’t really want to hear about your love life right now. I just wanna get these damned lights up,” she snapped. “If you can’t lend me a hand, then at least stay out of my way.”

Apollo snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the lights magically went into place, just as Geri had described them. He smirked at her. “There you go, Geri. Just as you envisioned.”

Geri huffed. “Fine, but you could’ve mentioned that trick earlier. Would’ve saved us both the hassle.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” His eyes twinkled with amusement, which only irritated her more. “Besides, I wanted to see if we could manually pull off some divine brilliance.”

Persephone shot her an apologetic look, and Geri blew out a breath. “Alright, Apollo, I have to admit you did a decent job.”

“Decent? I’ll take it. You know, divine light manipulation is an art, and I’m a maestro.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a small smile. “You’re insufferable, but I suppose I should thank you for the divine touch.”

Apollo bowed dramatically, “You’re welcome, maestro of the lights. You know who to call whenever you need a touch of divine brilliance.”

“Hey, where’s Adonis?” Persephone said, glancing around.

Geri rolled her eyes. “Typical. I swear, he’s like a golden retriever sometimes when he spots something interesting. Probably saw some hot guy and decided to give chase.”

Persephone frowned. “We can’t just let him wander around the Underworld under a glamour. Something might happen to him.”

Not familiar with such spells, Geri didn’t know what could happen but trusted her friend was right. “Why don’t you go look for him? I’ll keep a watch over things here.”

“And I’ll keep a watch on you,” Apollo said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Did this guy ever stop?

“Er, okay, let me do that,” Persephone said. “I’ll be back soon.”

Once Persephone was out of earshot, Geri turned to Apollo. “Okay, well, thanks for the help. I guess I’ll see you around.”

“See you around—hey!” She started walking away, but he caught up and blocked her path. “I’m supposed to be keeping watch on you.”

“Persephone’s not here. You don’t have to do that.”

“I’m not doing it because of her.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why then, pray tell, are you doing it?”

He paused. “Why not? I don’t have anything else to do. Besides, I was pretty useful.” He leaned forward. “I bet I can be useful in other ways. So…use me.”

Normally, cheesy pickup lines like that didn’t work on Geri. Actually, they never did. But somehow, the god before managed to make it…well, sexy and endearing at the same time. And seeing how insanely hot he was, her imagination went wild.

Geri groaned inwardly. It had been way too long since she got laid. Maybe if he was interested…

She let out an exasperated breath, pushing those thoughts aside. He was not only Persephone’s friend, but he was also a god. Besides, maybe he wasn’t being flirty and it was just his nature to be cheerful and teasing.

“So, does your silence mean you’re considering it?” he asked hopefully.

Her lips pursed. “Just don’t get in my way, okay?”

“Great! What’s next?”

Geri looked around them. Though the flowers and the lights definitely made a difference, everything else was still left in disarray—tools, half-filled pots, and branches and clippings were strewn about. There was also no place for anyone to just sit down and relax. “We should clean this place up,” she said.

He gave her a salute. “I’m on it.”

As Geri worked on picking up the tools and pots, Apollo found a rake and began to gather up the discarded leaves and branches. Though she did her best to ignore him, her gaze kept straying to the sun god.

But who could blame her? As he raked across the yard, the muscles on his shoulders bunched up and strained through his thin T-shirt. The fabric also stretched over a flat stomach that gave a hint of a six-pack. Apollo wasn’t overly muscled like the shifter men she grew up with or was used to; he was more long and lean, but still, he was difficult to ignore.

“Oh my, who knew gods also sweated?”

Apparently, Geri wasn’t the only one ogling Apollo, as her sensitive hearing picked up the whispers from the two female souls a few feet behind her.

“Seriously, he’s so hot.” The other woman gave a whistle. “I’d take that for a ride.”

“You’re dead, Sarah. We both are. He’d never go for either of us. Lord Hades would probably be furious if he did.”

Sarah snorted. “I’m happy being dead, but for someone like that…”

“Well, you have heard the rumors, right?”

“What rumors?”

“That he can revive the dead.”

“What?” Sarah gasped. “No.”

“Oh yeah, there were some whispers going around. I was interested in knowing more when I first arrived here—I mean, who wouldn’t be in our situation? But then, you know, after a while, I came to love it here. and like, why would I even want to go back to the land of the living?” She snorted.

“Yeah, true.” Sarah giggled. “Maybe Apollo can revive my dead sex life, though.”

As the two women went into fits of laughter, Geri tuned her ears out and mentally rolled her eyes. But she supposed she wasn’t any better, objectifying him like that.

Yeah, I should really stop that.

“Hey, Geri, I’m all done cleaning up the leaves and stuff.” Apollo popped up behind her. “What’s next?”

Geri turned around and groaned inwardly. He was much closer than she thought, and she got a whiff of his scent, mixed with sweat. It was masculine, potent, and sent a deep primal stirring in her. His shirt now had a V of perspiration from the neckline all the way down to his stomach, pointing down like a big arrowhead straight to his crotch.

And she wanted to follow it.

Shit.

She cleared her throat. “Um, we should move the furniture back.” When they first began working on the courtyard, she and Apollo had placed all the lounge chairs and benches to the side so they wouldn’t be in the way.

“Alright, I can definitely do that.” The slow grin that spread across his face made her insides all warm.

“Great.” Swallowing a gulp, she marched over to the heavy stone bench she had propped up against the wall. She bent down to grab the bottom part.

“Whoa, what are you doing? You’re going to hurt yourself.” Apollo rushed over to her side. “Here, let me?—”

Picking it up with one hand, she lifted it with a short grunt and hoisted it over her shoulder. “Let you what?” she asked, nonchalant.

Blue orbs turned into the size of saucers. “You’re…you’re…”

“Strong?”

His mouth hung open. “A shifter.”

“Yeah.” Sidestepping him, she walked over to a large tree and placed the bench there.

“What kind?”

Placing the stone bench on the ground, she planted her hands on her hips and turned back to him. She hesitated, then said, “Wolf. Do you have a problem with that?” She was, of course, used to the casual and sometimes not-so-casual misogyny she encountered over the years when people discovered she wasn’t a helpless, damsel-in-distress type.

“Problem?” His blond brows knitted together. “Why would I have a problem with that?” His expression was something she had never seen before—pure awe. “I think it’s amazing you’re a shifter and that you’re strong.” He flashed her a brilliant smile. “You’re a cool chick, Geri.”

Her stomach did a little flip-flop, and for some reason, she couldn’t stop looking at the deep dimple on the left side of his cheek. It marred the symmetry of his classically handsome face, but for some reason, she thought it made him look even more striking.

Damn it! Stop thinking of him that way!

“I should ah, go and get something from the linen closet.” She wasn’t sure what, but she just had to get away from him.

Quickly, she scampered into the castle, toward the entryway leading in from the courtyard. Persephone had told her where the other supplies were located—first door on the right after the—“There it is.” She spied the lone wooden door in the hallway and hurried inside.

“Why do they call this a linen closet? It looks more like a storage room.”

“What the—” She spun around, nearly colliding into Apollo. “What are you doing here? Are you following me?”

“Well, I am supposed to keep an eye on you and help.” He scratched his head. “Besides, you didn’t tell me what to do.”

Oh, I can tell you what to do.

She huffed. “There’s really not much more to do.” Walking toward a shelf filled with tools, she crossed her arms. “You can go now…like, do whatever it is gods do.”

“We do pretty much whatever,” he said with a chuckle. “Now c’mon, tell me what else I can do? Do you want me to put up decorations? Help with the booths? Maybe wrestle a minotaur or two?”

“None of that is necessary.”

“Hey, now.” He strode over to her. “Did I do something wrong? I feel like I offended you somehow, but I don’t know how.”

“You didn’t.”

“I think I did,” he countered. “You’ve been prickly this entire time.”

“I hardly know you.”

“So, get to know me.” He leaned in closer. “Am I that terrible? Does my breath stink? Or do I have B.O.?”

None of that was true, especially the last one. To her wolf senses, he was delicious—intoxicating and potent and difficult to ignore.

“Stay out of my way, okay?” She pushed past him, accidentally brushing her shoulders against him. Big mistake because she got a whiff of him again, the heady scent sending all kinds of signals to her brain. A strange, primal need—an urge from deep inside, tugged at her chest.

“Hey”—his hand reached out to grab her forearm—“just tell me what I did wrong.”

Existing? Being so damned sexy? With a feral growl, she yanked her arm away, but instead of running off, she pushed him against the wall. “Gods, you talk too much. Don’t you ever shut up?”

“I’ve been told it’s my most charming—mmm!”

Unable to help herself, she pressed her mouth to his. He froze for just half a second before he pulled back.

“Wait…are you sure…Geri…”

“It’s just sex,” she stated. “Don’t worry, I promise not to be a stage five clinger or anything.” That wasn’t her style, after all.

“Oh, well then…”

He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for another kiss. This time, he was the aggressor, his mouth moving over hers urgently, devouring her—and she loved every second of it. His lips slanted over hers as his tongue licked at the seam of her mouth, urging them to open. Once they did, his tongue snaked into her mouth.

Oh…

He tasted like sunshine after a rainy day, sweet and warm and luxurious. This close, she got an even deeper whiff of his amazing scent. A deep growl reverberated from her chest and desire shot straight to her core.

Too many clothes. Desperation clawed at her, wanting to feel his naked skin against her. So she grabbed the neckline of his shirt and tore it down.

“Whoa!” he exclaimed against her mouth. “Wow. Did you?—”

She nipped at his lower lip. “Less talking.” Reaching done, she fumbled at the fly of his jeans, opening them, and then pushing them down. She gasped as her hand felt the significant bulge growing under the fabric of his briefs.

He thrust his hips at her. Taking that as a positive sign, she eased the fabric of his underwear down, wrapping her hand around his thick, hard cock as it sprang out. It was warm in her palm, and it gave a small twitch when she tightened her grip around it. Lifting her head, she stared at him as she began to move her hand.

He let out a low moan. “Yes…faster.”

There was something intoxicating at watching his face twist in pleasure as she stroked his cock—he was a god, after all, but she, quite literally, held the power in her hands. She focused her attention on his expression as she moved her hand faster, tightening her grasp as she pushed him closer to the edge.

“F-fuck, baby,” he said with a savage groan, then pulled her hands away. “I don’t wanna come yet.”

“No, we wouldn’t want that.” She smirked at him.

“Let me make you feel good.” He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer for another kiss. As their lips met once again, he moved a hand into the waistband of her jeans, deftly unzipping the front and slipping into her panties. “Soaked already.” A finger traced over her slit, pushing her lips apart. When it grazed over her clit, she shuddered and pushed her hips toward him.

“Hmm.” He moved his mouth away from hers, then traced it along her jawline, then lower to her neck. She moved her head back, and he licked at the sensitive skin under her ear, just as he pushed a finger into her.

“Oh, oh, fuck.” She bucked against him, pushing more of his finger into her. He obliged and slipped a second finger in. When his mouth closed around her throat and began to suck at the skin, her knees buckled. She braced herself against him as her orgasm washed over her.

Holy shit.

She’d never come so fast before. Did he use some kind of magic spell? And if that was what his fingers were like, well…

“Inside me. Now,” she panted. “Please.”

He grinned at her. “Well, since you said please…”

Grabbing her shoulders, he switched places with her so that her back was against the wall. She shimmied out of her jeans and panties, then kicked them aside. Lifting her up, he used the wall to support her, then wrapped her legs around his hips. He reached down between them to fist his cock and slowly guide it into her.

She held her breath as the tip of him fit snugly against her. Slowly, he lowered her down, inch by inch, on his cock. Thankfully, that orgasm had made her slick enough so that she slid down smoothly. Still, once he was seated in her, she still had to adjust to the feeling of being so full.

“You okay?” he breathed.

“Uh…” She took a deep breath and relaxed her body. She buried her face in his neck, getting a full whiff of that masculine scent of his. The intoxicating aroma was unlike anything she’d smelled before, and she had the most curious urge to sink her teeth into that spot between his neck and shoulder. She thought how nice it would look, her mark there, so everyone would see?—

“Geri?”

She shook her head from her trance. “Yeah…I mean, you can go ahead and…”

“Okay.” He slipped his hands under her buttocks to support her, then gave a tentative thrust. She gripped his shoulders for support, her fingers digging into his firm muscles.

“Go on.”

With a grunt, he pushed her back and then began to slide in and out of her. With each motion, he moved a little faster and pushed harder. She met his rhythm perfectly until they were both at an urgent, nearly neck-breaking pace. The movements, the friction, and his cock hitting her at just the right angle made her body pulse, the pressure building up to the inevitable. Her nerve endings were ablaze, the pleasure licking at her like little flames of fire, teasing her until she wanted to just combust.

“More,” she urged, rocking her hips at him. “I need…”

“Go ahead and come,” he encouraged between thrusts. “Let go. I’m here.”

Something about his voice broke something in her—and she let go. She cried out as her body shuddered violently, and she clung to him as her orgasm took over her body. He continued to thrust into her, riding out her orgasm with her, whispering dirty words to her.

“That’s it, come on my cock, baby,” he rasped against her ear. “That pretty pussy of yours is gripping me so tight. I wanna…Oh fuck, I’m gonna come soon.”

His cock pulsed inside her as he continued to thrust away. When his movements became erratic, she squeezed around him, eliciting a low groan. His cock pulsed, then filled her with his warm, sticky come. She wrapped her legs tighter around him as he grunted through his own orgasm, before finally letting go of her ass and bracing his hands against the wall.

“Oh, baby,” he murmured against her ear. “That was…something else.”

“Uh-huh.” Clearing her throat, she unhooked her legs from around his waist. Thank God for the wall was behind her because her legs—and perhaps her entire body—had turned to jelly. Glancing around, she found her discarded jeans and panties on the floor. “Excuse me…”

“What—oh, right.” He took a step back as she bent down to pick up her clothes.

As she began to redress, the lust and frenzy slowly drained from her brain, as well as the atmosphere around them, only to be replaced by awkwardness.

“So, that was?—”

“I’ll leave first,” she interrupted. “That way, no one will suspect anything.”

“Suspect?” he echoed.

“Yeah.” She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to put it in some semblance of order.

“Don’t you, like, wanna talk about this?” His brows slashed downward.

“About what?”

“This.” He waved his hand between the two of them. “And the fact that we?—”

“Fucked?”

“Yes, but?—”

“We don’t have to talk about it. It was sex,” she said with a shrug, though a knot formed in her stomach. “Sex between two consenting adults.” Clearing her throat, she turned toward the door. “Wait a few minutes before leaving, okay?” Without waiting for his answer, she scampered out the door and down the hallway, trying to put as much distance away from him as possible. Instead of heading toward the courtyard, she went the opposite direction, going farther into the castle.

She burst out into an open foyer, where various palace servants rushed by, perhaps too busy with their work to notice her. Still, she couldn’t help but feel self-conscious as if they all knew what she had done.

Which was fuck Apollo, God of the Sun.

She would have thought it was a dream or hallucination, but her thighs were still uncomfortably sticky from his come.

Her heart continued to hammer in her chest as she made her way toward the large door that she hoped was the exit. The sex, she had to admit, was out of this world.

But she couldn’t let it happen again.

It was a one-time thing.

Surely, Apollo felt the same way. The spark of lust between them had been temporary, an itch that needed to be scratched. Besides, she bet he slept with a lot of girls. After all, he’d been alive for thousands of years, and yet, he hadn’t taken a wife.

The thought of him with another sent a curious stab of jealousy in her chest.

Absurd.

Shaking her head, she made her way out the door, which thankfully did lead to the outside of the palace and straight into the street where most of the stalls and booths were set up. After wandering around for a bit, she decided the coast had to be clear and made her way back to the courtyard. To her relief, she found Persephone and Adonis right back where they started.

“… but I couldn’t find her,” Adonis said as she drew closer.

“Couldn’t find who?” she asked.

“Geri!” Adonis screamed. “You’re back! Where have you been?”

She shrugged. “Just around. How about you? You left us in the middle of setting up those lights.”

The human male rolled his eyes. “I’ve been up since too-fucking–early o’clock, helping you guys with the garden. I needed some sustenance. But—” Narrowing his gaze at her, he cocked his head to the side. “You seem…different.”

“Different? How?”

He tapped a finger to his chin. “Hmm…I don’t know, girl, but you have that ‘just fucked glow.’”

Motherfucker. Maybe the sonofabitch was part shifter.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Geri tried her best to sound calm. “Hey, are we done with work now? Can we please go and check out this amazing street party? I’m ready to get smashed on some ouzo!”

Persephone laughed. “I agree! C’mon, guys!”

Apollo took a sip of his wine, looking over the rim of the glass at the sea of people across the ballroom, scanning the luxuriously decorated hall for a certain someone.

Or rather, shifter.

Geri Andersen.

The woman who’d been haunting his every erotic daydream for the last few weeks. The same woman who seemed to ignore his very existence.

Fuck my life.

He couldn’t stop thinking about her, not since that mind-blowing encounter in the linen closet. The sex had been phenomenal and had rocked him to the core.

But afterwards…

He tilted the glass and knocked it back, finishing the entire thing. “Another one please, D.”

“On it,” said Dionysus, the god of wine-making, as he tipped his porcelain carafe over Apollo’s wine glass, filling it with dark red liquid. “This is such a cool reception. And Hades! I can’t believe he got married!” He whistled. “I definitely did not see that coming.”

Apollo looked over at the happy couple, Hades and Persephone. Part of him was elated for his friend, of course. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was Hades. In the time Apollo knew him, the broody god of the underworld had been somewhat of a recluse, a loner. And now, there was a definite change in him, and it was never more obvious than whenever he looked at his bride. There was a light in his eyes that was hard to miss.

“Whoa, who’s she?” Dionysus said.

“Who?”

“Her. The maid of honor.”

Apollo’s gaze slid toward where Dionysus was pointing. Sure enough, the elusive shifter sat down at the head table with the bride and groom and other important members of the bridal party. The neckline of her burgundy gown dipped slightly, drawing the eye to her graceful neck and delicate collarbones, and the deep, jewel-like shade added a rosy flush to her cheeks, accentuating her natural beauty. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and he could imagine his fingers in the soft tendrils, the silky texture against his skin.

“She’s hot,” Dionysus said with a low whistle. “Maybe I should go over there and?—”

Irritation rose in him. “Thanks for the drink, D.” Apollo shoved his wine glass at the other god, then began to walk over to the head table. However, he stopped midway and then circled around to approach the table from behind so as not to alert her to his presence.

Geri had somehow managed to elude him this entire time. At first, he thought nothing of it, since, as best man, he had to stand up with Hades at the altar, and as maid of honor, Geri stayed with Persephone up until she walked down the aisle. He’d been tempted to seek her out, but he had his duties to the groom, after all. He tried to catch her eye during the ceremony, but she kept her gaze on the couple. Then, right after the ceremony, she began to act like he didn’t exist at all, and he knew she was avoiding him.

He shouldn’t have been annoyed that she just left their encounter. He’d had plenty of one-night stands, after all. Most men in his position would have been glad to have some no-strings fun, right?

But something about the way she had just left him irked at him. Sure, she had stated that it was just sex, and he agreed, but still, the fact that she pretended he didn’t even exist pissed him off.

Apollo considered just appearing next to her, but he wanted to catch her off guard, not give her a heart attack. So, he approached her from behind, walking slowly. Thankfully, she was busy scrolling on her phone when he said, “Hey, maid of honor.”

Her shoulders stiffened, and then slowly, she lifted her head. “Hey.” There was no trace of emotion on her face. But she also didn’t try to move away, which he counted as a win on his side.

“So, how’s it going?” He sat on the empty chair next to her.

“It’s good.” She took a sip of her wine. “And you?”

She seemed unbothered, which, in truth, annoyed him. Like their time together was nothing but a second thought to her. Had she moved on already? Been with someone else?

He pushed those thoughts aside. Despite how it made him feel, he had no ownership over her. She was free to sleep with anyone she wanted, as was he. He should just leave her alone and walk away now.

But instead, he placed an arm over the back of her chair. “I’m great. Just fine.”

“Hey, everyone’s here!” The handsome youth—Adonis, if he recalled correctly—called as he whipped his phone out. He was apparently the “flower boy” and sat on the other side of the bride and groom. “Let’s take a selfie! C’mon, scooch in!”

Geri leaned in toward the couple, and so Apollo did the same, which meant his head was right by the wolf shifter’s shoulder.

“Come in closer. My arms aren’t that long,” Adonis said.

And so, Apollo did, effectively crowding Geri between himself and the couple. From this close, he could practically feel the warmth coming from her cheeks as he drew closer. He felt her stiffen, then relax.

“Okay, looks great,” Adonis declared.

Apollo moved away from Geri before she could say anything. “Enjoying the reception?”

“I guess,” she said with a shrug, then picked up her phone.

“You know, back in my day, we didn’t have those phones to distract us.”

She lifted a dark eyebrow at him. “Good for you, grandpa.”

He should have been insulted, but he burst out laughing instead. “Good one, Ger.” He lifted his hands in defeat. “Okay, that was terribly judgmental and condescending. I apologize.”

That made her eyebrow lift even higher. “You do?”

“Yeah, when I know I’m wrong. And I’m not one of those people who don’t understand how time works.” He’d seen a millennia of progress in the world, after all. “See?” He fished out his own phone from his pocket. “I have one too.”

“And who do gods call, exactly?”

“Don’t you know, no one calls anymore?” He grinned at her. “We all text nowadays, grandma.”

That earned him the faintest hint of a smile, just a tiny tug of the corner of her mouth.

One more win for my side.

“What are you looking at, by the way? Scrolling through Instagram? Watching funny videos on TikTok?”

“Ugh, no. Why would I waste my time on that?” She pulled up her screen and showed it to him. “If you must know, I’m rewatching a favorite movie.”

“Which one?”

“Midnight Garden.”

Apollo had heard of the award-winning film that had been released a few years ago. It was a heavy biopic and had gotten a lot of praise from audiences and even the hardest-to-please critic, as well as won most of the major award shows. “Oh really? I didn’t think you’d be the type to watch that.”

“Is that so?” Geri’s tone shifted. “What, you don’t think a girl like me could be into serious stuff?”

Oh fuck. He had once again put his foot in his mouth. “N-no, not at all.” Damn it. “Sorry, I just thought you’d be into action flicks.”

“I do like action movies,” she said. “Actually, I like all kinds of movies.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yup. I even have a subscription to an app where I can watch an unlimited amount of movies at the theater. It’s how I spend most of my days off.”

“By yourself?”

“Yup,” she said, popping her Ps.

“Well, if you ever need any company, I’d be happy to join.” Then, just to show her that he wasn’t such a ‘grandpa,’ he added something he’d heard the other day. “We can Netflix and chill.”

Geri’s eyes grew wide. “E-excuse me?”

“Yeah.” After all, it was much cozier to watch a movie at home than in some theater with other people around. “I’ll even bring the popcorn.”

Once again, the corner of her mouth quirked up. “I?—”

“Pardon me.” A servant came up to them, interrupting Geri. “Ms. Andersen, you said that I was to bring you any concerns about the reception.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“We’ve run out of chairs for some of the guests,” the servant said. “And I’m afraid we don’t have any spare ones.”

“What’s wrong?” Persephone asked, leaning toward them.

The servant repeated her words. “I’m afraid we’ve used all the available seating, my queen.”

Persephone placed a hand over her chest. “Oh dear. Let me?—”

“No, no, it’s your big day.” Geri stood up. “I’ll take care of it.”

“I know where the extra chairs are.” Apollo offered. “They’re in the linen closet.” He recalled seeing stacks of folding chairs there.

“Really?” Persephone’s gaze narrowed at him. “How?”

Geri sent him a pointed look. “C’mon and help me get those chairs,” she said through gritted teeth. “We’ll be right back.” She hooked her arm through Apollo’s and began to drag him away. He wasn’t surprised at all, and if she was a bit rough, he didn’t really mind too much.

“Hey, where’s the fire?” he joked as they went down the long hallway that led to the storage closet. “I might get the impression that you can’t wait to get me alone.”

She stopped in her tracks and let his arm go. “Whatever.”

As she hurried ahead, he followed her. “Wait—wait!” She had suddenly moved so fast, she was like a blur. Thankfully, he knew the location of the storage room—the room, the same one they had their first quickie in—so he dashed toward it. When he opened the door and stepped inside, she was there, her back turned to him. “Geri? Are you okay?”

“You do understand this is what ‘Netflix and chill’ means, right?” she said, keeping her back to him.

“What?”

“Netflix and chill. Like hooking up.”

Ah, so “Netflix and Chill” did not involve any Netflix nor chilling.

“Er, of course, I do.” Then it dawned on him what he had intimated earlier. “Geri, I?—”

“Okay, just so we’re clear.” Before he knew it, the she-wolf grabbed him by his coat lapels and walked him back toward a wall.

“What—oh.”

Fuck. Women who went after what they wanted had always been his weakness. And damn it, Geri seemed to tick all his boxes. But still…“Are you sure about this?”

Her eyes darkened with desire as she leaned over to rub her nose against his cheek—a move so erotic his cock twitched. “Yes. You do want this, right?”

“Uh-huh. Yes.” Closing his eyes, he allowed her to continue to nuzzle him. Her lips ran down his cheek, then traced up along his jaw, then to his ear. She buried her nose under her ear, taking in a long, deep breath. He heard the faintest rumble, like a low growl and realized it was coming from her.

“Geri? Did you just?—”

Her lips covered his before he could ask, and her hands began to attack his clothes. Not wanting to risk a repeat of the last time and ruin this tux, he helped her by shrugging off his coat and unbuttoning his shirt. Her eager hands pushed it off him, then roamed over his shoulders and chest.

“Like what you see?” he teased.

She didn’t seem to hear him as her eyes gleamed as she continued to touch him. Leaning forward, she once again buried her face into his neck and inhaled. Meanwhile, he lifted the voluminous skirts of her gown and traced his hands up her thighs until he reached her panties. Yanking them aside, he pushed a finger inside her already-wet pussy. Aww, jeez. He hadn’t even touched her yet, and she was soaked. She really did want to fuck him that badly.

She moaned against his neck and thrust her hips against his fingers. He obliged, pushing another one in her, stroking her tight, wet heat until she was mewling and panting against him. His cock strained against his pants, wanting to be let out, but he wanted to make her come first—among other things.

“Oh…fuck.” Her body shuddered, her pussy clasping around his fingers as she came, flooding his fingers with more of her wetness. He held her against him, allowing the wave of pleasure to pass.

“Now,” she demanded. “I need you?—”

“Don’t you worry.” He kissed her temple as he withdrew his fingers from her. “We’ll get there. But first…” Flipping their positions around, he pressed her up against the wall. “There’s something I want to do.” Something he’d been dreaming about since that first time in this very room.

“What—what are you doing? Apollo!” she protested as he got down to his knees and lifted her skirts. “We don’t have time?—”

“We’ll make time. Here, hold this.” He handed her a handful of her skirts. “Now, don’t interrupt me, or we’ll never finish.”

“Finish?”

“Uh-huh.” Easing her panties down, he pulled them off and tossed them over his shoulder. “Just lie back and enjoy the ride.” Her bare pussy glistened with her wetness, and he licked his lips in anticipation, then dove in. First, he licked up her slit, teasing her with the tip of his tongue. When she began to squirm, he moved higher, finding her clit and teasing it with slow, deliberate strokes.

“Apollo!” Her fingers dug into his hair.

Fuck, she was even more delicious than he’d dreamed of. He ate her out with gusto, laying the flat side of his tongue against her folds so he could savor as much of her juices as he could. Her moans and cries were like electric shocks to his cock, and the more she enjoyed herself, the harder he became. Reaching down, he unzipped his fly and fisted his cock, stroking it up and down for some temporary relief.

He thrust his tongue into her, fucking her juicy little pussy. She quivered around him with each thrust, rolling her hips against him as she came. Fuck, he didn’t want this to end. His hand gripped his cock tighter, pushing him just near the edge. He nearly lost it as she flooded his mouth, but he managed to hang on. However, he wasn’t wasting any more time as he pulled away from her, lifted her up, then planted her on his cock.

She let out a surprised squeal, which quickly turned into moans of pleasure as he thrust into her. He was mindless now, the world around him disappearing as he sank into her over and over again. Well, almost, because he could have sworn he heard the door opening. He supposed he should have stopped. Hell, with his powers, he could transport them somewhere else. But, he was so consumed with pleasure that he didn’t care. Instead, he shifted Geri so whoever it was didn’t see her. He didn’t give a fuck if some palace servant saw them fucking; there was no way he was going to stop now.

The sound of the door slamming shut told him that whoever it was had gotten the message, and he redoubled his efforts to make Geri come again. It didn’t take long, and soon her pussy was pulsing around him, squeezing him. He held his breath as long as he could, waiting for her pleasure to pass as he continued to thrust into her.

“Fuck, oh fuck, Apollo…you have to…I can’t…come inside me now.”

He let out a guttural groan and let go. The pressure building at the base of his spine exploded, and he swore his vision turned blank for a brief second as he came. She gripped him tight again, milking every drop of come from his balls.

When his pleasure passed, he continued to hold her against the wall, reveling in the feel of her skin against his, the smell of her perfume and sweat in his nostrils, and the rise and fall of her chest against his. It seemed like they were joined forever, but then his cock softened and slipped out of her, and he let out a long, deep sigh as every muscle in him loosened.

Geri, too, relaxed against him for the briefest second before she placed her hands on his shoulder and gave a gentle push. This time, however, he held her tighter. “Just a sec.”

“But—”

“I just need a moment. Please.” Her body went still. Lifting his head, he leaned back to look at her. She honestly looked incredibly lovely, with her hair mussed up, cheeks all flushed, lips swollen. For a brief moment, when their gazes met, he felt a different kind of connection. It tugged at his chest and sent warm sensations down to his gut. Her pretty gray eyes looked soft and yielding—until they didn’t.

An indifferent mask slipped over her face. “Can you let go now? My back is starting to kill me.”

“Of course.” He helped unhook her legs from around him and set them down. “You know, we’re going to have to do this in a bed sometime,” he said, snapping his fingers, and his clothes fell into place.

She snorted and pushed her skirt down, then quickly sidestepped him. “This can’t happen again.”

He whipped around. “Is that so? So, you think this is a mistake?” His chest tightened for some reason, not wanting to hear the answer.

She froze in the middle of fixing her updo. Slowly, she faced him. “I didn’t say that. Only that we can’t do this again.”

The tension in his chest eased somewhat, but he still didn’t like what he heard. There was something between them—what, he didn’t know, nor could he put a name to it. He only knew that in his entire near-immortal life, he had never met anyone like Geri or felt such a connection with.

“I wasn’t the one who started it,” he pointed out.

“Well, that was on me, I guess.” She shrugged. “It’ll never happen again. This is just an itch we needed to scratch.”

“Uh-huh.” He grinned at her. “I’ve heard that before.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I mean it, this time. This”—she motioned between them—“will never happen again.”

Her body language did not escape his notice—closed off, refusing to meet his eyes, her spine all rigid. He hated to say it, but she looked like she could bolt at any moment.

Though hunting was Apollo’s twin sister Artemis’s area of expertise, Apollo himself had participated in such sport, so he knew what a trapped animal looked like. And from his experience, apex predators abhorred feeling cornered.

And so, he knew he had to change tactics.

“Alright then, if that’s how you feel.” He approached her slowly, invading her personal space but not touching her. “But you can’t deny the sex was phenomenal, and I want to explore what’s going on between us.”

“Going on between us?” She huffed. “There is nothing between us.”

“You keep telling yourself that, Geri.” He leaned forward, his mouth near her ear. “But you can’t stay away from me, and I can’t stay away from you.” He felt the draw to her the moment they met—and it wasn’t just about the sex. “So, let me just say, if you ever want to see me again, all you have to do is say my name.” And using his godly powers, he made it so that if she called him, he would hear it. “Say my name, ask for me, and I’ll be there.” Now that the ball was in her court, he did something that went against his instincts—he walked away from her.

As he closed the door behind him, Apollo doubted himself for a moment, then shook his head. Chasing women never did him any good, as his less-than-spotless record could attest. He wanted her, yes, but he also had to be sure she wanted him for real, and that she did so of her free will.

His jaw hardened, thinking of the last time he had tried to pursue a woman. It wasn’t his fault, what had happened, but still…

He pushed away thoughts of the past and focused on the future. Geri would eventually call for him; it might take a while, but he could wait. He had all the time in the world.