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Working for the Goddess Ch. 01

By: SunValleyRat



First time posting! Hope you like it!

This might have a longer build toward the action than other stories, but I hope to get some mileage out of it all. It may start out a little grim, but I promise good times and the occasional chapter of wall-to-wall sex.

All characters are over 18 and all sex is consensual, even with all the crazy magic going on. Don't overthink it.

*****

Evan woke up to a lot of pain. He lay in dry grass in a foreign land on a cool night, his shirt torn and his pants tangled around his knees and his jacket gone. His face, wet with his own blood, hurt like hell. His ribs hurt. His stomach felt like one big bruise. Greater pain both burned and ached in lower parts. He shivered, realizing with a gasping breath that half his body was drenched with beer.

His knuckles hurt, too. He'd given as good as he got, at least for the first few seconds, but a four on one fight was more than anyone could ask of him. His enemies didn't even know about the health problems that made such a strain so dangerous even beyond the injuries they inflicted. Still, he'd fought back—for all the good it did.

Fighting both the shiver and the aches in so many places in his body, Evan pulled out the bottle they'd stuck in him. He managed to pull his jeans up to his hips. He wondered if he would die out here alone, so far from home on what should have just been a fun, end of summer college trip for some extra units and a little bit of life experience. It would have been just that, had there been a different crowd of classmates on the trip.

Twenty-one years old, pushing through college with the same uncertain future as everyone else and the same widening pit of debt—perhaps worse for him than some, given his lack of familial support. He'd thought about becoming a teacher, but even the few exposures he'd gotten to working in public schools through his preparatory classes told him that wasn't going to make him happy in the long run. He didn't know what he wanted to do for a career. Now that looked like it wouldn't ever matter, anyway.

They'd beaten him, taunted him and worse. The insults they flung at him were largely off the mark, but that hardly made any difference. "Homo" and "homo-lover" meant more or less the same thing to those guys. It didn't matter that Evan wasn't gay himself; he'd stuck up for others who were. That, apparently, was more than enough.

Evan tended not to complain about things. He focused on the positives. He'd led an active, mostly stable life. He had many friends and, despite what the doctors predicted, had always felt fairly healthy. He got to see Greece before he died, somewhere out in a field outside of Athens.

"Guess I'm gonna miss the flight tomorrow," he mumbled as he struggled with his clothes. He didn't quite get his pants secured around his waist, let alone manage to rise, before he blacked out again.

*****

"You brought me out here for this?"

"Apollo, you must help him."

"Hunh?" Evan mumbled. He tried to open his eyes. They didn't cooperate.

"This is the one you want?" asked a disbelieving male voice. "Zeus gives you permission and you decide on...this one?"

"Yes," said a woman. "He fights for me. He fights for love."

"Doesn't look like he did a very good job of it. Your tastes have changed."

Someone knelt beside Evan. He finally managed to open his eyes. He saw a woman with strawberry blonde hair in a white dress, kneeling over him with concern. Hurt and disoriented or not, he couldn't help but be enthralled by her beauty. He realized someone else was kneeling over him, too—a man with golden skin and a perfect physique under a white tunic.

"He has a strong heart," she said.

"He has exactly the opposite of that."

"The muscle is weak. The heart is strong, or we wouldn't be here. You owe me this favor," said the blonde to the golden man. "Don't leave the job half-finished. He deserves more than a slapdash effort. You know what I mean."

"Oh, fine! He'll be in the peak of health when he wakes. Will that satisfy you?"

"I don't want him dwelling on this, either," she pressed. "Help him get past that part, too."

"Then it will be done," sighed the golden man. "When he wakes, he'll be fit enough to run marathons. He won't know a moment of disease in his life."

"Good. I don't want that getting in the way."

"Wait, wha...?" Evan mumbled, but then faded out once again.

*****

He awoke again without pain. He wasn't cold anymore, nor was the ground so hard. He heard a slow, steady beep from some machine. Evan's eyes fluttered open to reveal the inside of a hospital room.

The lights were dim, but not so dim that he couldn't see. It fit with his experiences in hospital rooms. The writing on the signs on the walls confirmed his location. He couldn't read the letters, but after a week in the country he could at least recognize Greek when he saw it.

He didn't recognized the only other occupant in the room, who sat in the chair beside his bed. The muscular, hard-faced man with the dark-stubbled scalp was a complete stranger. His black shirt and dark pants gave little clues to his identity, either. "You are awake," he said with a gravelly, harsh voice—yet not with hostility.

"Yeah," Evan nodded, inhaling deeply and then letting it out. He tried to stretch a little, but found that difficult for his left arm what with the IVs attached to him. Then he sat up a little and managed to look at himself. "I thought I was really hurt." 

"You were mortally wounded," said the other man. "My half-brother saw to your recovery."

Evan let that process. He looked the other man in the eye, although he had to exercise some nerve to keep his gaze. Something about the stranger seemed larger than life. Evan didn't understand how he could know that...but he knew. He knew this was more than an ordinary man. And then he remembered the others. "I remember someone with golden skin, but I thought I was dreaming."

"No dream. That was Apollo. I am Ares."

Evan swallowed hard. The man didn't glow. He didn't shimmer with magic, he wasn't wreathed in flames and there was no incredible entrance music or ominous rumble...but Evan realized the man wasn't fooling around at all.

Ares reached behind his back to pull out two curved, nasty daggers. "You are no warrior."

The beeping of the machine picked up to match Evan's heart rate He didn't break eye contact with the god standing over him, casually frightening though the man was. Maybe if Ares made the slightest effort to scare Evan he would panic, but he could muster the courage for a neutral conversation, at least. "No," Evan admitted.

"But you have heart."

Evan made a bit of a scowl. "I had a heart attack in football tryouts," he said. "Kind of limited my options for being a warrior. Or a lot of other things."

"And what will you do now?"

"Not let 'em get away with it, that's for sure," Evan answered readily, and then paused. He wondered if this was a test of some sort. "I don't plan to cover anything up from the police," he explained, "but if that doesn't get anywhere...I don't know. Not take all four on at once again. But I'm not letting it go." 

The faintest hint of a grin appeared on the god's lips. "My brother's touch has remedied your injuries, and your heart. Your courage is all your own. Without that, I'd never have agreed to this." He flipped the daggers in his hands and offered them to Evan. "Hold these firmly."

Not knowing where this would go, Evan accepted the daggers. Then he yelped as Ares slapped his hands down onto the blades, impaling himself through each palm and grabbing tightly onto Evan's hands to keep his fists clenched tight around the handles. The god managed this with little more than a grunt of pain, while Evan felt like he might jump out of his own skin.

"Woah!" Evan blurted. "What're you doing? Oh my god, your hands!"

Ares forced Evan to keep a tight grip around the daggers long enough for his blood to flow, and then yanked his hands free. At that, Evan dropped the blades and looked at his stained hands and wrists in shock. Ares calmly retrieved his weapons and tucked them back under his belt.

"This is my payment for a debt to another," said Ares. "I lay no obligations upon you. Someone else wants you. But should battle comes upon you again, know that you will not find yourself lacking in skill or ability."

Still shocked, Evan couldn't quite form words to say fast enough to stop Ares from walking out before he was gone. Evan looked down at his hands again and found the blood quickly disappearing, like water evaporating under time-lapse video.

By the time another body appeared in the doorway, it was all gone. The blankets weren't even stained. "Are you awake?" asked the man with a thick accent. "I am the nurse. How do you feel?"

Evan blinked, unsure of how to answer. Ironically, the truth seemed convenient enough. "I feel great."

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Evan. Evan Callaghan."

*****

"The police found your wallet nearby. Your insurance card noted a heart condition, but we never found any sign of it," said the doctor. His English was accented like everyone else's but more precise than most. He stood next to Evan's bed beside a local detective and a lady from the US Embassy who both arrived in the morning. "Do you think your doctor might have made a mistake?"

In truth, Evan didn't think there was a mistake at all. But he couldn't really tell anyone why without ending up in the psych ward or whatever they called it in Greece. "I guess it's possible," Evan shrugged.

"Well. I think when you get home to America, you should find a new doctor and have a full physical. This is not something you want to get wrong. But as I said, you seem to be healing wonderfully. You have only been here for a day and night, and yet..." He gestured to Evan with open hands. Evan's wounds amounted to little more than ugly bruises and scrapes. Even the swelling around his eye was mostly gone. "We must keep you one more night for observation, but then I think you can go."

"Thank you, doctor," Evan said with a smile. "I really appreciate it."

With the doctor's exit, Evan's other visitors stepped up closer. The American was a black woman, somewhere in her mid-forties with a kind face. The Greek man with her wore a suit and a somber expression. "Mr. Callaghan," said the detective, "we have checked up on the names you gave us. They all have, erm..." he looked to the woman beside him. "Ms. Simmons?"

"An alibi," she explained. "More than just each other. Those guys were all packed and ready to get on the flight yesterday morning and they had plenty of witnesses saying they were in a restaurant when you were attacked. Including your Professor Winston. "

"I'm not sure what to say about that," Evan frowned. "It's not like they wore masks. Doug Peters, Frank McAlister...all of them."

"Oh, I believe you," said the detective. "Your teacher was not helpful, which says much. I bet these boys paid for their alibis. They seem to have plenty of money, no? But my country does not have so much money just now. My boss says he cannot charge them with so little to go on."

"Or deal with extradition," chimed in Ms. Simmons. "Like you said, they come from money. They'll get lawyered up fast and it will get ugly. You can't take them to an American court for this, either. They have to be extradited here, and you'd have to be here as part of the case. It would get very expensive for you very fast."

"I do not want to let them get away with this," the detective went on. "These men all belong in prison. They broke our laws and hurt a guest in our country. If your teacher helped them, he is guilty, too. But if we cannot prove them guilty, then you will go through even more trouble for nothing."

"Yeah," Evan sighed. "Yeah, I understand. Don't beat yourself up over it," he added, and then winced. "Okay, I didn't mean that as a joke. Sorry. Bad turn of phrase."

It was ugly, and should have been truly demoralizing, but Evan didn't feel all that bad. He felt none of the trauma that he knew should likely follow such a crime. Instead, his mind kept coming back to the strangers that visited him before.

He generally lived his life looking forward rather than backward, anyway.

"On the bright side," said Ms. Simmons, "we can get you home. Your hotel still had your luggage and passport. I've spoken with the airline, and I think we can swing you a trip home at no extra cost. They've been very understanding. In the meantime, Professor Winston wasn't very helpful with your emergency contact information, but I'm sure you have some people you want to call. Do you know the numbers? I know your phone was smashed, but if you need help getting hold of family...?"

"Not family," Evan shook his head. "I've got people. Just not family. But yeah, calling home is good."

*****

He awoke in the middle of the night, surprised that he'd fallen asleep at all. He wasn't tired. Several times, he'd gotten up to walk around. The doctor approved the removal of his IV sometime before he fell asleep, given that it was only a precaution against dehydration in the first place. He'd spent much of the evening either watching television—all in Greek, of course, so he hardly understood a word of it—or on the phone with friends back home.

Some gushed over his situation. Others seethed and vowed to get back at his attackers. If anything, it seemed much harder on faraway loved ones than it was on him. Evan wasn't about to let it go, of course. He was angry, but he knew he should be angrier, and humiliated, and afraid. He'd been the victim of a horrible assault. Instead, he felt calm, like he had already processed all of this.

He didn't think he was calm enough to fall asleep, but waking up in the darkened hospital room proved him wrong there. Evan let out a yawn, stretched, and then realized he wasn't alone.

"You've been waiting for me," she said. She sat in one of the chairs by the window near his bed. Her long and slightly curled strawberry blonde hair seemed to almost reflect the mild light in the room. Her face took his breath away, as did her body. She wore the sort of white dress he normally only saw in cheesy movies about Greek mythology, but it certainly looked great on her. Then again, she could probably make a mu-mu look good.

"I was hoping...?" Evan joked with a bit of a shrug. He sat up in his bed, thinking he must look like a complete mess in front of her. It was a hospital room, after all. They'd cleaned him up when he came in, but that wasn't remotely the same as taking a shower. He couldn't even brush his hair.

He saw amusement, endless confidence and even mild affection in her smile. A man could die for a smile like that, he thought.

"You're a smart one, Evan. That's one of the things I like about you. And you know who I am, too, don't you? You're not trying to guess which goddess or whether to use the Greek name or the Roman?"

"No," Evan answered, shaking his head. "I know the mythology. Read it as a kid. You're Aphrodite."

"Yep."

He blinked. "You sound different than the others."

"I'm more of a people person than they are," she winked. "I roam around in the mortal world now and again. It keeps me hip. Although this is a bit more of a stretch than I can normally get away with."

"You saved me on that hill, didn't you?" Evan asked.

"Yes. Well, honestly, Apollo is the real healer, but I wouldn't have let you die out there. That little incident happened not far from one of my old shrines. The archaeologists don't even know it's there. I knew what was happening to you, and I knew why. But without Apollo's help, you'd have wound up here in this hospital for a week or two and had all sorts of emotional trouble to sort through along with all the physical stuff."

"Thank you," he said. "If nothing else, I'm glad you're here so I can say that."

"Aw, so humble. Thoughtful. Sweet. And I can read every one of those deliciously dirty thoughts that are running around in the back of your mind while you look at me, too," she grinned, and then laughed as he blushed. "Oh, don't worry about it. I get that from everyone. From you, it's perfectly welcome. Let your imagination run free. I won't be insulted.

"It's better if you let your guard down, to be honest. I'd like to speak plainly with you. Maybe even a little dirty," she added slyly, "if you don't mind."

That made him tilt his head a bit. "This is surreal."

"Isn't it?"

He just laughed. She was exactly the sort of woman who was so beautiful and composed that she could intimidate most guys, but he felt surprisingly at ease with her. Perhaps that was some effect she had, or perhaps it was because he wasn't getting his hopes up, anyway. He could ever reach that high.

"Mmm, you're right about that, but you're also wrong," she said, reading his mind once more. Evan blinked. Aphrodite paid no heed to his surprise. "I'm not here to jump you. Honestly, you'd die. Happily, I'll grant, but you're a mortal and I'm a goddess. It's not like the old days. We're too removed now. You wouldn't last further than second base. Don't dwell on it, darling. But I do like you. I like you a lot."

She rose from her chair to slowly stroll around the foot of his bed as she spoke. "You're Evan Callaghan, twenty-one and not a virgin or anything, but you've been ill-used by love. Your first sort-of girlfriend was a three-week drama-fest when you were sixteen, and your first kiss came only a few weeks before that. And that was a pity kiss," she teased. "But you did better after that. You had a six-month run with Tricia just after graduation, lost your virginity at nineteen in exactly the sort of awkward but adorable scenario one might expect, and then she broke up with you for a big, hunky football player...or so you think. Actually, she broke up with you because she didn't know what she wanted. She regretted that, too. Between you and me, you're better off without her."

Evan's eyes were wide as she told him all about his love life. He knew he shouldn't be surprised, but it was as if she could reach right into his internal monologue and re-tell it for him.

"You've had a lot of crushes. A lot of almosts and maybe-somedays and two after-party hook-ups that didn't lead to anything steady. But one of the things I like about you, Evan, is that you can handle rejection. You don't pull that shit where you're "nice" to a girl and then get upset when she won't put out. Never resented a girl for not going out with you. And you're still friends with some of those crushes even now. You know how to suck it up and move on."

With that, she moved on, coming closer to his side. "The other thing that I like about you so much is that you stick up for love. Those punks on your class trip out here beat you up because you're in a club to support gays and lesbians and all that. They got upset because you shut them down when they were talking shit about some guys holding hands. They didn't like that.

"Nobody else heard. You didn't know the guys they were mocking. You weren't trying to impress anyone with your courage. You just saw two people who were happy together and didn't deserve to be shit on."

Evan slowly nodded. "Yeah," he mumbled, the gravity of that act only now catching up to him. That one moment led to weeks of harassment followed by a beating in a foreign country. "Yeah, that's about it. Haven't decided exactly what I'm gonna do about that yet."

"Take revenge, obviously," the goddess scoffed, "but let's put that aside and talk about us. There's a reason I went to all this trouble. Why I called in debts from Apollo and Ares, and why I'm here now. I need someone to do a job for me, Evan. It's long-term and it requires full commitment. I need someone with a good heart and a good attitude. Someone I actually like. And I like you, Evan. I already know you'll accept. But I want to have the conversation anyway, because consent is important to me. I want you to know that."


Working for the Goddess Ch. 01



He found that to be an odd way to broach whatever subject she had in mind. "What's the job? I'm not going to start any wars over women, am I?"

She grinned again. He loved that grin. "Let's not even go there. Talk about revisionist history," she added with her eyes rolling. "No wars. I've grown out of that sort of thing. This is far more basic, and far more fun.

"I'm a love goddess, Evan. And not just holding hands by the moonlight love, either. I'm a goddess of erotic love. The really fun stuff," she said, a playful purr slipping into her voice. "The only fun I have now is with other gods and such, and while that's fun and all it lacks a certain variety. I can't go around seducing mortals anymore, because we old gods have become so removed that it would kill them, and that's no good. But I miss the vibe. I miss the pleasure. I miss fulfilling someone's needs and feeling their pleasures along with my own. I get it from both partners, you see. Both sides of the fun. Only for the longest time, I haven't felt that at all. I need an agent. A conduit. Someone that I can connect to so I can get back to business."

Aphrodite's eyes met with his. "I need you to fuck for me, Evan," she said seriously. "I need someone to carry the lust, seduction and passion that makes me who I am into the world. I need a mortal to live the life of hedonism and sex that I miss, who can spread the joy and the thrills that I'm meant to create."

As breathtaking as she was to look at, and despite his natural longing to please her, his mind still worked just fine. "You want me to be that guy? Didn't we just go over my mediocre love life? Or lack thereof?"

"Yes. I want you, Evan. I want someone with a good heart and a good attitude, and it's not like you're a virgin or a goon. Turn me down and you'll still find love on your own someday soon.

"But how would you like the full blessings of the goddess of love?" She moved a little closer. The purr crept back into her voice. "Sex appeal. Animal magnetism. Perfect instincts. An ability to brush aside inhibitions like you won't believe, and more than enough prowess to back it up. And all I will ever ask of you...is that you enjoy it to its fullest."

Their eyes remained locked as her words hung in the air. Evan's heart thumped in his chest. His breath grew heavy. And though he'd developed a hard-on early in their conversation, Evan now felt very conscious of just how stiff his cock had grown under his thin hospital blankets.

She noticed that, too. Her lips spread in a kinky grin. "I'm guessing you're interested."

"What's the catch?" he asked.

"More than one catch," she admitted.

"You can't become famous. Zeus generally forbids this level of involvement with mortals anymore. I've convinced him to let me have an exception as long as it's not a spectacle. You won't be able to have children, either. That was one of his conditions. We can't create a line of people like you. On the bright side, between that and Apollo's blessing, you'll never have to worry about that pesky safe sex stuff. Your lovers won't even think twice about it, either. Put it out of your mind.

"But the real catch is that you don't get to do this for a while and then retire. This is a lifelong commitment, Evan. No settling down into an ordinary day job with a wife and a white picket fence. You will find lasting love, I promise you, but it'll be part of all this. But I can't see the rest of your hopes and dreams like I can see your love life. I don't know if you want quiet stability. My enchantments will ensure you don't leave a trail of broken hearts or jealous lovers, but even with that...I am calling you to a life of adventure, Evan," she said with gentle seriousness. "With all the bumps and bruises that entails. Damn the rules. Damn the social standards. I need you to follow your desires, even when it's naughty or scandalous. Especially when it's like that. Put your trust in me and go for it.

"And you'll have haters. Believe me. You will have lovers beyond anything you ever hoped to find, but you will have haters. This won't always be safe."

"I've already got haters," Evan said.

"You do. And I love you for it," she grinned.

His heart soared. How could it not, hearing that from her? "Scandalous, huh?"

"Well, I don't want you creeping after teenage girls or anything sick," Aphrodite explained, rolling her eyes. "And don't expect mind control. It's no good to me if there's no decision to give in to the urge. You'll get rejected once in a while, but you'll probably see that coming. Just trust your instincts. You'll find that they're better than you'd ever imagine."

Her eyes watched his closely. Evan realized that he wasn't the only one whose breath seemed a bit heavy. "So," she asked, "any other questions?"

She was right. How could he say no? "When do we start?"

Aphrodite's smile shined even brighter than before. "You'll do it?"

"What? You said you knew I would," Evan chuckled. His ease with her still surprised him. As blown away as he was by her raw beauty and sexuality, he never felt tongue-tied or intimidated. Perhaps it was just another part of her charms. He already felt like she was a trusted, intimate friend.

"Sure, but there's knowing and then there's knowing. You'll do it?"

"Yes. I can't believe I'm the guy you want for this, but how could I say no?"

"You are, Evan," she assured him. "I don't want someone arrogant or cocky. I want someone who will appreciate this from the beginning and grow into the role. I want you, Evan."

Aphrodite leaned in. The mere caress of her hair as it dangled onto his skin meant as much to him as any affectionate touch he'd ever felt, but then her face came in closer. "We start now," she breathed across his lips, "like this," and then she kissed him.

The incredible rush she caused throughout his body left him with no doubt whatsoever that having sex with her would kill him. His heart never pounded harder or faster. His skin never felt so sensitive, nor had he ever tasted anything as exquisite as her lips and her tongue across his. One of her hands slid downward along his chest, deftly moving under his thin hospital blanket and then under his gown to slightly caress his impossibly hard cock.

He thought he would come in that very second, but he didn't. Something else incredible happened then: he grew. Evan never pulled out a measuring stick to check his size before, but he knew he was a little above average. As Aphrodite touched him, he became much more than that, and much more sensitive to boot. Yet while he felt himself on the edge of orgasm from the very first brush of her fingertips, it didn't happen. She had his body completely under her control.

It only lasted a few moments, but it felt like an eternity. Then she escalated. Aphrodite's kiss withdrew. She winked at him when his eyes fluttered open. "One last step. Don't feel bad about how quick this is. You're only mortal."

Evan wasn't sure what she could be talking about, but Aphrodite swept away the blanket from his waist to reveal his newly-enhanced cock in her hand. Every stroke had his whole body shaking as if he were in orgasm but for the lack of semen pumping from his tool.

He had one last look at her incredible face before she turned, bending over his cock, and took it into her mouth. The warm, wet affection was more than he could bear. He came almost immediately, shuddering with every pump, and lost consciousness well before his climax was finished.

*****

Evan's eyes snapped open to find his room lit up by the sun outside his window. He looked down at himself in the bed to find the blankets perfectly arranged over him. He felt like a million bucks.

Looking around and listening, Evan could hear voices out in the hallway as ordinary business carried on in the hospital. He found a glass of water within easy reach on the nightstand, along with a simple note bearing a hand-drawn heart. It read: "On the Job Training starts now. Lesson One: How to Solve Problems With Your Cock. Go to into the bar at the Athens Orion Hotel. Order a drink. The rest will come naturally. Have fun. -A"

He folded up the note and tucked it next to his wallet on the little nightstand. Then he heard the knock at his door.

"Mister Callaghan?" asked a woman's voice, the accent even thicker this time than the others he'd spoken to. "Are you awake?"

"Yes?" Evan looked up. "Come in."

The nurse turned out to be dour, somewhat heavyset and old enough to be Evan's grandmother. Thoughts of scandalous fun immediately vanished, but at least Evan could laugh at himself inside for that.

"How are you today?" she asked, clearly having rehearsed this. "Are you ready to leave?"

*****

Someone from the embassy did him the favor of collecting his luggage from the hostel and bringing it over, along with voucher information to arrange his flight home. The hospital staff even let him into one of the rooms with its own shower stall to let him clean up. That gave him a good chance to really look himself over, though, which led to a new surprise: he wasn't just healthy. He looked better than he ever had in his life. He found new muscles and no flab, along with a distinct lack of body hair and a face so smooth he wondered if he'd ever grow a beard again. No one seemed to have noticed the changes. Evan decided not to point them out. He needed to get out of the hospital and get on with his life.

By the time he was ready to go—and then through with the not inconsiderable hospital paperwork, plus the call to the airline—it was already lunchtime. That was the first time he had to think seriously about money. He had a part-time office support job and some minor scholarships, but this trip was a major expense, taken only to help squeeze in the extra college units without having to extend another whole semester before graduating. He'd saved for months to cover the costs and now he was here beyond his original plans.

He couldn't get on a flight until tomorrow afternoon. That meant he'd need a place to sleep tonight, along with meals and other travel expenses never accounted for in the budget that he'd already maxed out...and here Aphrodite wanted him to go to a bar in a five-star hotel.

He honestly felt a bit surprised that they even let him in, but it wasn't as if every American with money wore designer labels. The staff in the spacious, gorgeous lobby accepted him without a second thought, putting his bags in a coat check closet and showing him to the bar at his request. At the front desk and while walking into the bar, Evan thought he'd caught the eye of more than one attractive woman, but he didn't want to dwell on that just yet. He had bigger problems, like how much even this one drink was about to cost.

The bar itself wasn't crowded. Evan ambled up and waited for the bartender to turn around. He realized then that he wasn't even sure what he wanted, but he was fairly certain that all of the bottles on the shelf behind the bar would cost a pretty penny. He glanced around for a drink menu, first on the bar itself and then at the nearby tables. That was when he saw her—blonde and gorgeous, wearing a blue sun dress that showed off her curves. She looked to be in her late thirties or perhaps a little older, with a troubled expression as she looked at her phone.

Frustrated by something she saw, she looked away from her phone and soon met Evan's gaze. Old habits immediately took hold; he liked looking at pretty women as much as any guy, but he didn't want to leave her feeling uncomfortable. Evan casually but immediately turned his eyes back toward the bartender, hoping reflexively that she wouldn't have thought he was staring.

"Kalispera," Evan smiled to the bartender in his best travel-guide Greek. "Do you speak English?"

"Eh, little," said the man. It was about what Evan had hoped; a bartender in a place like this probably dealt with people from all over the world. "Drink?"

"Yes. Do you have a list?" Evan asked. That seemed a bit too much to ask. "Uh, menu?" Evan tried, gesturing with his hands. "Is there a menu? A list?"

"Are you American?" asked a woman's voice beside him. This time, he heard no accent—or, rather, he heard about the same accent he had himself. Evan turned his head to find the blonde now standing beside him. She flashed him a friendly, helpful smile. "First time here?"

"Yeah, actually," Evan nodded. "Wish I'd brushed up on the language a bit more rather than playing the 'ugly American' like this."

"I know how that is. Let me buy you a drink?"

Evan kept his cool, though he let a little of his surprise show naturally. "Sure, thanks. Just a beer. I'm Evan, by the way."

"Breanne," the blonde smiled. She turned to the bartender and made the order in Greek, then gestured to Evan to join her at her small table. "I don't often get to show off my tourist-speak very often," she joked.

"Nice of you to come to my rescue. Thanks."

"Sure. It's nice to meet another American here, actually."

"Are you here alone?"

"Yes and no. Long story," she shrugged. "You?"

"At this point, yeah," Evan sighed. He caught the glint in her eye as she looked him up and down. Rather than feeling shy or flustered, Evan took it as a good sign. He returned an easy smile and made plenty of eye contact. "I came here with a university class and got hung up by some unexpected trouble. Now I'm stuck with a little time to kill."

"Were you staying here?" she asked. "Seems a bit swanky for a college class. Undergrad?"

"Does it show?" he grinned.

"If you told me you were in grad school, I'd believe it. You don't carry yourself like a freshman or anything," she teased mildly. "You don't sound like one, either."

He took that as a good sign. "No, I was in a much more affordable hostel on the other side of the city until things got derailed. I came over here figuring the language barrier might be a little easier at a place like this."

"What happened? Oh, efharisto," she said to the bartender as he brought them their drinks.

"To make a long story short, I got mugged the night we were supposed to leave and I wound up in the hospital. I'm okay, but they rung my bell pretty good and that put me in the hospital overnight. By the time I woke up and got things sorted out, I'd missed my flight. And then there was the police report, and the embassy, and the hospital checking me out...I only got cut loose this morning. I was supposed to head home two days ago."

"That's terrible! I've been here three times and I've never even heard of anything like that."

"I wouldn't take this as a bad sign for tourism," Evan shrugged. "Crime happens everywhere, right?"

"You seem to be taking it well," she observed. "Most people I know would still be beside themselves over it."

"Well, I was lucky in that the cops found my wallet and my passport was safely with my luggage at the hostel, so I just lost some cash. I'm not really hurt. I've got a flight home again—just gotta wait until tomorrow. All in all, I think I should just count myself lucky." He caught the small shake of her head. "Does it seem that strange?"

Breanne chuckled a little. "I'm not used to people who take adversity in stride like you."

He noted the tone of approval in her voice. "Do you?"

"I try, but sometimes it's an uphill battle." They both noted the buzz of her vibrating phone, still sitting on the table by her drink. "Case in point," she sighed, picking it up to tap at it without actually looking. "Sorry. My own travel drama there."

"What's going on?"

"Nothing I want to trouble you with," Breanne shook her head.

"Well, you bought me the drink," Evan gestured. "The least I can do is lend a sympathetic ear."

"How do I know you'll be sympathetic?"

"Because you bought me the drink," Evan grinned. "That earns far more of my loyalty than I owe to whoever just sent you that text."

Breanne laughed, almost in spite of herself. "Loyalty, huh?"

He held his hands up amiably. "I won't pry."

Her phone buzzed again, and she let out another sigh. Then her eyes turned up toward Evan's once more. She seemed contemplative...and hungry for what she saw. "I'm here with my fiancée," she said finally, "except I'm not sure if he's still going to be my fiancée at this point. We're due to be married soon. This trip was supposed to be part business for him and part pre-honeymoon for us, but I found out yesterday that he's had a couple of pre-bachelor parties that have gone way out of bounds for us. As in, 'all the way' out of bounds. He misfired some pictures from his phone straight into mine."

"Wow, I'm sorry to hear that," Evan said with sincerity. "That has to be awful."

"I left him at the villa he was staying at and got a hotel room for the night. Then I came here, because I figured he'd already checked here and so he'd figure I wasn't staying here. So far it looks like I'm right about that. I just needed some space to get over the shock and anger and figure out what I want to do."

"I take it that's him texting you?"

"Pretty much. He's going between pleading and being indignant. He was born pretty well-off and now he's a big-shot corporate executive, so he's not used to being called out for his bullshit or not getting what he wants." She paused. "And he doesn't take adversity well. Something I've been thinking about while I've been sitting here."

"Seems like a bad trait for a corporate executive," noted Evan.

Breanne's shoulders sank a little. "I don't know. I'm being negative right now because I'm angry at him, but I have good reason to be angry at him. To be honest, the infidelity isn't nearly as bad as the lying. I just..." Her voice trailed off then, but the thoughtful look in her eyes remained. "I don't know why I'm telling all this to a stranger."

"We barely even know each other, and if either one of us decides we're never gonna meet again, that's pretty much that," Evan shrugged. "So why not? It sounds like you haven't had anyone to talk to about this."

"I haven't," Breanne conceded. "I haven't called family or friends because I don't know if this is something we need to work out privately or if I should just let it all out and call the whole thing off. I love him. I wouldn't be engaged otherwise. But now I don't know how much else he's been hiding from me. If he'd said, 'Hey, there's a bachelor party and I think it's going to get pretty wild,' at least we could've talked about it. I'm not a prude. I'd like to get wild once in a while, too. But that's just another reason I'm irritated, and now this...I don't know."

Her phone buzzed once more. She kept her eyes on Evan. "I'm not answering him because I haven't made up my mind yet. There's a lot of good there. I mean, I agreed to marry the guy. So I can't decide if I'm overreacting or not."

"I dunno, sounds like a pretty serious breach of trust," Evan shrugged. "Does he know he could've talked this out with you in the first place?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. I just...You know the other thing that I keep worrying about? All along, I thought I'd found the man of my dreams, and that the problems were just, you know, ordinary problems. Every relationship has them." She paused, reluctant to share this much at first, but after another moment of looking at Evan, she said, "I'm afraid I won't find anyone else who can make me happy like he has."

"I can understand why you might feel that way, but you shouldn't, and I think you know that," Evan said tactfully. "You're charming. You're obviously intelligent. It sure seems like you can take care of yourself. And you're gorgeous. I know it can be hard to find the right person, but at the same time, you could certainly have your pick of the litter. I'm not going to defend your fiancée, because he really screwed up...but it seems pretty obvious that he knows he screwed up the best thing that ever happened to him."




Working for the Goddess Ch. 01



Breanne's lips curled into a half-smirk as she looked at him, both amused and seeming a little daring. "My pick of the litter, hm?"

Evan gave her the sort of smoldering grin he didn't quite realize he had in him. "A woman like you could have any man she wants."

The phone buzzed again. Breanne completely ignored it, locked in their hungry stare. "Can you prove that?" she asked.

*****

As soon as the elevator doors closed and Breanne looked up at Evan, he kissed her fiercely, pushing her back against the wall. Breanne matched him, clutching at the back of his neck with one hand while tugging on his belt at the hip with the other. The sensation of her lips sliding across his while her breasts pushed against his chest thrilled him. He found himself grinding into her, giving the older blonde her first sense of just what he was packing out of sight. Breanne gasped as their kiss broke, clinging to him and in fact encouraging the fully-clothed grind until the elevator bell rang.

Evan eased off. Breanne took in a deep breath, letting it out just as the elevator doors opened. An older couple waited at the door, then waved them on as they realized the elevator was going in the wrong direction. Evan turned back to Breanne as the doors closed once more. "Only two more floors," he remarked.

"Mm-hmm," Breanne nodded. "But you've got good instincts." He tilted his head a bit, wondering if she meant more than simple approval of their first kiss. "I like it just like that." She took his hand and squeezed it firmly. "Don't give me a second to reconsider this," she advised.

They walked to her room hand in hand. Evan was a perfect gentleman with her while there was a chance of anyone seeing them together. As soon as they had the door closed and locked, however, Breanne found herself pushed up against it in another urgent, feverish embrace.

While Evan had on occasion come on strong with girls once he saw the right signs, he'd never been this forward or this sure of himself. As Breanne suggested, he gave her no time to think this through. She couldn't speak, because her mouth was joined with his in a kiss, nor could she go anywhere.

In truth, it wasn't just a matter of his embrace. Breanne felt her legs, indeed her whole body, tremble with a need so strong that she didn't think she could walk very far if she tried. This strong, undeniably sexy young man had her more turned on than she'd been in a long time, or maybe ever. He'd even had her feeling hot just talking to her in the bar. Now she was all but feverish. She didn't dwell on any attempt to compare it to previous experiences. She just rode the wave of arousal and enjoyed the warm touch of his hands, moaning with delight as they moved from her back down her hips to stroke her ass. Thankfully, he got the cue right; rather than moving on from there, Evan's hands stayed low and grabbed freely at her flesh for a long, lustful moment.

Without breaking off from her lips and without even thinking, Evan lifted her up by her ass. Breanne clung to him, arms wrapped around his shoulders and now her legs sweeping around his hips. As if he already knew the layout of the suite with his eyes closed, Evan turned and brought her to the bed. His partner was still completely lost in his kiss until he settled her back onto the king-sized bed; when they finally broke off, he saw dazzled eyes and her chest rising and falling heavily.

Their eyes never broke contact as Evan lifted one foot to remove his shoe and sock, then the other. Breanne's shoes were easier to kick off, but she had her mind on other matters. Her eyes went to his belt, which she reached out to unfasten while he slipped off his shirt and tossed it aside. Evan soon found his pants unfastened and unzipped. He then saw for the first time the reaction a woman had to his enhanced endowments as Breanne's eyes went wide at the long, thick member that she freed from his boxer briefs.

"Oh my god," she breathed. One of her hands ran up his tight abs like she needed him for balance despite sitting on the bed. Her other hand slowly came around his shaft and slid across and around it as if checking to see that it was real. He liked her smooth, soft hands along his hard shaft, but he liked what came next better. With one hand still enticingly wrapped around his cock, Breanne bent forward and tilted her head up to look at his eyes again. Her mouth opened to welcome his head and the rest into her mouth with her tongue providing a warm, wet, not-quite-red carpet.

Evan let out a moan of pleasure and his eyes fluttered closed. He realized as the heavenly sensations of Breanne's blowjob overtook him that she made similarly blissful noises. When he opened his eyes again, he found Breanne fully focused on taking his cock as deeply into her mouth as she could—probably deeper than she should have been able to, in all truth—and whimpering as if each penetration of her mouth and throat felt as good for her as it did for him.

His impressions were correct. Breanne slowly, deliberately but hungrily sucked his cock, riding high on sensations of bliss that had never come from this act before. She didn't question it, nor would she think about it later. She simply gave in to the feeling, half-expecting she might find herself coming just by giving this blowjob. Ripples of pleasure ran through her body, focusing on her cunt where she sat. Some small part of her brain reasoned that she was just moving back and forth where she sat and that the mattress was rubbing against her pussy as she moved, but it didn't matter. Breanne just gave in to her urge to suck him off and felt her excitement double when his hands gently fell to either side of her head and his hips began to move with her.

He didn't push hard, not wanting to hurt her or get too rough, but the pair wordlessly agreed that they could not resist these urges. Breanne made herself a vessel for Evan as he fucked her mouth to their mutual delight.

"Oh god, yes," Evan grunted. Seconds turned into minutes. Pleasure built, but he didn't want it to reach orgasm—at least, not yet. As good as this felt, and as much as his body yearned to release his load into Breanne's throat and as much as he was certain she wanted that, too, he didn't know his limits yet. Evan's hand on Breanne's head gently indicated that she should ease off, until finally she pulled back from him with a broad, naughty smile.

"I can't believe how good that feels," Breanne said shamelessly. She still had one hand on his cock. She could hardly bear to let it go. "I could do that all day."

"I want more than that," Evan said, his hands sliding from her head to slip off the straps of her dress at her shoulders.

"You can have that, too," Breanne told him. "We'll have plenty of time. You're staying here with me tonight."

He leaned down to kiss her again. His hands roamed along the top of her chest until they came to her breasts. He didn't go for a grope right away, but instead caressed the sides and tops of her ample chest. Once again, he heard nothing but approval in her breath. This, too, turned her on wildly. Though Evan didn't want to rush things, he soon gave her breasts a firm but affectionate squeeze.

Again, she responded with approval. He apparently could do no wrong. "More," she whimpered, and his groping became more forward. She grasped his cock and almost unconsciously stroked it as they kissed, until finally Evan pushed her onto her back and all but tore her dress off. Breanne moved to help him, soon laying before him in just her lacy black bra and panties.

Part of him wanted to savor the sight. Breanne's curves and her lace offered up an image fit for high-class porn. But as much as he wanted to look, he wanted to touch more, and to taste. He could tell she didn't need any more warming up for the main event, but he had more that he wanted to do. Evan shucked his pants the rest of the way off, leaving him completely naked before her, and then he bent over to slip her panties off.

He caught her scent immediately. Her panties were good and wet already, just like the flesh they'd covered. Evan's hands slipped up along the insides of her thighs to part them, allowing him full access to the needful lips that awaited under a soft patch of blonde hair. His first licks were light, giving her a chance to adjust before his tongue and mouth began delivering a full, attentive dose of oral ecstasy.

Then it was Breanne's turn to hold his head in her hands and encourage him to give her more and more. Breanne moaned loudly when his tongue swirled around her clit, lightly at first and then with full, shameless focus. She panted and pleaded when his fingers joined in, stroking her lips to get them fully wet before penetrating her folds. It took him no time at all to find her g-spot, which he attended to like a master.

Breanne's eyes went wide. She begged him to keep going when she could speak, but often her words were punctuated by moans of blissful surrender. Evan obeyed, licking and finger-fucking her while enjoying the touch of her legs against his shoulders, his sides and, once or twice, the squeeze of her thighs around his head. He maintained his assault until he felt her begin to tighten around his index and middle fingers. Breanne's whole body began to tense underneath him. Rather than intensify his pace of strokes and licks, he held steady, knowing the inevitability of it would make it that much better when her to a climax that thundered through her body.

His continued ministrations as she came extended her orgasm, pushing her on and on through further ecstasy until the spasms abated. Even then, Evan kissed her pussy with tenderness and care, romancing her sex every step of the way.

"Oh god," she whimpered. "Oh god. Fuck...Evan, you're amazing. Where did you...oh wow. Thank you."

Evan wiped off his mouth and then rose up, once again drinking in the sight of her. Breanne now offered up a picture of shameless, wanton beauty, wearing only her bra with her thoroughly wet pussy offered to him like a prize. "You're welcome," he grinned. "You need a minute?" he asked, but he already knew the answer.

"I need you," she responded breathlessly. She pushed herself up only long enough to unclasp and remove her bra, revealing her full, beautiful breasts. "I need that cock. Fuck me, Evan."

He moved in above her, eager to give her exactly what she wanted. She surprised him when she reached up to draw him in for a kiss, figuring she wouldn't want to taste herself on his lips, but that just seemed to excite her more. The sensation of his cock sliding up along the wet flesh between her legs was too much for her to maintain the kiss, though, forcing her to shudder in anticipation.

Penetrating her with his cock, Evan found her eyes looking up into his once again. Her whole body was a luxury: full breasts, smooth flesh, a slick, tight, welcoming cunt. Evan pushed in slowly to savor their first moments of coupling. Though he wondered if he'd fit all the way, Breanne accepted his full length right to the base and let out a note of approval as his hips bucked just a little to rub up against her, stimulating more of the flesh around her hole. It wasn't a conscious move on his part, nor did it take any particular effort, but when he found she liked it he knew he'd make it a habit in his strokes.

Fully sheathed within her, Evan kissed Breanne once more. He slid only halfway out before obeying the urge to reverse and slowly piston forward again, but soon his lust overtook him and he picked up the pace. Breanne embraced him and cooed helplessly, giving in for a good, long fuck.

It wasn't long before he had her coming again. Everything worked in his favor: technique, length and girth, energy and stamina. Evan felt her tighten around his cock while her body stiffened, spasmed and relaxed again, but he kept fucking her the whole time. He couldn't stop. Nor did he want to. Breanne only hung on and enjoyed the ride, loving every second of it. "Oh god, fuck me, Evan," she nearly wept. "I need this so bad...fuck me all you want."

Long minutes passed before Evan felt his first orgasm building. Hearing the breathless notes from his partner, he decided not to delay it, and instead fucked her even harder and faster. The warning sensations in his groin and his cock coincided with Breanne's renewed moans, giving rise to the hope that they'd get off together. "Look at me," Evan beckoned as he continued impaling her with his cock. "Look at me."

Breanne's eyes fluttered open again. "Ahhh," she whined, and kept his gaze when they both went over the edge. "Oh god! Nnnh! Evan!"

He let loose a torrent of fluid inside her, a simultaneous relief and triumphant ecstasy for them both as they grunted and pulsed and came. Evan was still pumping semen when his lips fell upon hers again, drawing her into a possessive kiss while he claimed her and injected her.

"So good," Breanne sighed. "You feel so good... nnh. Mmmh," she moaned as his hips moved and his cock pulled out and pushed in again. Then her eyes opened once more, this time in disbelief at the continued sensations of their union. "More?" she asked.

Evan was surprised, too, but he obeyed his urges. She felt too good to stop. The realization that he could keep fucking like this was too good to let go to waste, either. He didn't want to take his partner for granted, though. "Can you?" he asked. "Do you want more?"

"Oh baby, you don't even have to ask," she said as her hands clutched at his ass and she pulled on him to make her point clear.

*****

A long time later, Breanne lay slightly on her side with Evan both over her and still inside her. She purred with satisfaction and affection. "I almost feel like I could lay here forever," she murmured.

"Pretty sure we'd have to move to pay the bill for the room, at least," Evan replied with a sensuous kiss on her neck. Though he was still blown away at bedding such a hottie, his own performance had been a thrill in and of itself. Aphrodite hadn't just made him an amazing lover; she'd done something to make the whole situation beyond ordinary. Rather than just having great sex, Evan and Breanne shared the kind of night that people only dreamt about with sex.

They lasted for hours. He never went soft, nor did she go dry. He'd gotten Breanne off repeatedly, coming twice more and never needed more than a few seconds to rest. It all just felt too good to stop, so he kept on going until now. Breanne, too, never had any problem keeping up with him...or, at least, was never anything but fully receptive. She'd run out of any energy at all an hour ago, but was perfectly glad to lie back and let herself be taken. 

Nor did she question any of it. Breanne sighed and turned her head in appreciation of his nuzzling, but said nothing else right away. Then she said, "Evan, this was incredible and you're wonderful. Part of me does just want it to go on."

He continued to trail soft kisses along the side of her neck and under her ear. "But we've both got lives to get back to in the morning, right? I understand. You're not breaking my heart here, don't worry. I might be a possessive lay," he said, musing that he'd never known that about himself until now, "but I'm not a possessive person."

"I really like that about you," she said. Her voice took on a note of vulnerability—different than the one she'd given while he was actively fucking her. "You've done so much for me already, but...would you help me with something?"

"Anything. You name it. And you're pretty amazing yourself."

"I need to call Richard."

"That's his name? You didn't mention it."

"I didn't want to share too much at first. Now I feel like I could share everything with you. That's kind of why I'm asking."

Evan blinked. "You can if you want, but if you're also going to ask me to step out...?"

"No. No, not at all. That's what...this might seem weird, but...would you stay here with me while I call? Like this, right now?" Her hand drifted to her crotch, where Evan was still possessively, fully embedded within her. "I'm not sure how to say this, but...I don't want to call him up playing the weak and heartbroken jilted woman. I kinda feel like I won the lottery tonight with you," she said, grinning a bit. "That's where I want to call him from. Cloud Nine. And if we're over, then we're over."

"Do you want to be over with him?"

"I'll know when I talk to him."

"You think you can hold a conversation with him while we're, uh...?"

"Fucking?" she smiled. "You can say it that way, Evan. I think we're ready to speak plainly now. And as long as you're really slow and gentle, then yes, I think I can. And if I screw it up by moaning or whatever, well, that's what Richard gets for cheating on me."

Evan disengaged from her with a kiss, glanced around the floor of the darkened room and eventually found her purse. When he returned, he set it beside her and waited for her to fish out her phone. Then she looked back up at him, grinning wickedly, and accepted his embrace and more importantly his cock with a low, lustful moan. She was still so wet, so tight...Evan wasn't really sure when he'd have enough of her. Or if there was such a thing.

"Oh, wow," Breanne purred, "anyone ever tell you how amazing your cock is? And the rest of you?"

"What else do you want me to do?" Evan asked.

"This isn't too much already?" she teased.

"Hey, I'm the guy who got to have sex with you all afternoon and evening. Talk about winning the lottery. I'll do anything you want. Just ask."

Breanne smiled, then sighed as one of his hands slid affectionately over her breast. "That," she said. "Do that. Play with me a little. Just...don't interrupt, but don't let me forget you're there."

She twisted backward a bit, looking over her shoulder to draw Evan in for one more kiss, and then snuggled into his possessive, gently fucking embrace to make her call.

Given their closeness, Evan could hear both sides of the conversation perfectly well. "Breanne?" a man's voice answered. "Where are you? Are you alright?"

Breanne paused as Evan's dick slid deeper in her, slowly enough that it didn't throw her off, but it chased away any fear immediately. "I'm fine, Richard," she said when she was sure she wouldn't gasp. "I'm at a hotel. I'm fine."

"Jesus, didn't you get any of my messages or my calls?"

"Yeah, I got 'em all, and I didn't answer because I needed some space. I'm a grown woman, Richard."

"I know that. I know. I'm sorry. I just...you walked out and then wouldn't talk to me and I freaked out a little and kept imagining something bad happening to you."

Breanne rolled a bit to sink further into Evan's embrace, welcoming the hand on her breast. "No. Nothing bad at all. Listen. We need to talk."

"I know, I know," Richard agreed urgently. "Where can I find you?"

"No. Over the phone. Now."

"C'mon, Breanne, we need to be face to face. Let's meet and we'll talk this over and everything will be fine, okay? I'll apologize. I mean, I'm apologizing now, but it's not the same as if I could see you. We'll talk and everything will be fine, okay, baby?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm some starry-eyed girl, Richard!" she snapped. "I'm not with you to be your trophy wife and I'm not some gold-digger. I'm not putting up with double standards!"

"Baby, you're overreacting."

"Am I?" she asked.

"Yes! Look, just tell me where you are and I'll come see you and we'll talk this out, okay?"

"Okay. Fine. I'll tell you where I am. Hold on and I'll show you." With that, she hung up the phone, and then groaned loudly as Evan gave her a long, deep thrust. "Ooooh, god, your timing is so perfect."

"Glad to know I'm playing this the way you want me."

"Yeah, you are," she trembled, and then turned her head to look back at him. "You'll really do anything I want?"




Working for the Goddess Ch. 01



"I'm all yours. What do you need?"

She pushed back against him, getting him to roll over onto his back and then straddling him at the waist. Breanne's wet lips rubbed along Evan's cock while he enjoyed the view of her full naked form. She held up her phone. "I want to send him photo proof. He needs a shock."

"You want me to take your picture?" he blinked.

"Chest down, if you can catch it. Mostly I want him to see your cock inside me. Can you do that? Are you willing? He'll recognize me when he sees me. He needs to know things are a two-way street for me. Either we're both faithful or we're both fucking other people. I want him to face that."

Evan grinned, too taken by the dirty thrill of it all and Breanne's confident, self-assured demeanor to say no. He took the phone from her as she took his cock in her hand, guiding it up into her and then enjoying it for a few brief moments while Evan readied the picture. "Mmmh...maybe we should wait until you come," she teased.

It took him a couple of tries, but she didn't mind at all. He showed her each shot in turn, until finally she slowed down and he got a nice picture that included everything from her breasts down to his shaft quite clearly embedded within her. The flash on her phone worked quite well.

Then she took the phone from him. "This will set him straight," she said, typing while she slowly bucked away on Evan's hips. He rested his hands on her thighs while she tapped instructions and a message into the screen. A few seconds later, she let the phone drop and lay atop Evan, treating him to the feeling of her breasts against his chest and kissing him while she intensified their grind.

The phone buzzed again. She let it keep going for a few seconds, grunting and clearly savoring Evan before she picked it up. "Enjoy yourself," she whispered into his ear as she answered. "You get that?" she asked into the phone.

"Breanne, what the hell is this?" Richard exploded. "What the hell are you doing?"

Evan's hands slipped over her ass. This time, he fucked her with a little more self-indulgence. The guy on the other end of the line became a relatively abstract problem. Evan lay between a luxurious bed and an even more luxurious blonde. Who was he to pass up his opportunities?

"Proving a...ah..point, Richard," she said. Her voice wavered and shook with Evan's attention to her body. His hands spread around her naked ass while he fucked her as if he owned her. "You want me to...uh, forgive, oh, you? This is...how it feels."

"Oh my god, are you telling me you're with someone right now?" Richard hissed. For the first time, Evan actually wondered where the guy was. Maybe he wasn't entirely alone.

"Question is...can you...forgive me?" Breanne asked without the slightest hint of contrition.

"Breanne...Breanne, who are you with?"

"Doesn't—unh—matter to—you," she managed. "He's amazing. All you need to know. Your party girls looked pretty good, too, so I thought I'd...treat myself."

"Baby, you can't be serious."

"I'll take more pictures if you need proof," Breanne said, coming to a bit of a halt in her own motions. "You want the TV on in the background to show the time?"

"No! Don't hang up! Just don't hang up! Are you...are you using condoms?"

"Does it look like it? I don't make you use condoms." Now she had completely stopped in her rocking motions. Evan knew better than to push things. He simply lay still and watched her.

"Yeah," answered the voice on the phone, "but we're...I mean...Breanne, did he come inside you?"

Breanne got a strange look on her face. "Richard," she said, "are you hurt, or are you turned on?"

He paused. His voice held none of his earlier self-assurance or indignation. "Baby, I don't want to lose you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm not mad at you. I guess I have this coming. I didn't want to hurt you."

"Richard, answer my question," she said. "Are you turned on knowing that I'm fucking another guy?"

"I don't...I don't want to lose you."

"You haven't lost me yet, Richard. But you lied to me. That's what made me mad. That more than the cheating. So don't lie to me now. Do you think this is hot?"

"...it is if you come back to me."

Breanne snorted, and then laughed. "Okay," she said when she could manage it, "that's a good answer."

"You're not mad?" he ventured.

"I'm pissed, you moron!" she retorted, but she was still smiling. "I'm revenge-fucking a college kid right now! And yes, he's hot and he's hung and it's amazing." She paused, looking at Evan thoughtfully. "And I'm completely entitled to it after what you put me through."

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry. I love you so much."

"Tell me that again when I see you tomorrow," she told him. "Probably not 'til afternoon. I think I'm gonna be up late. I'm turning off the phone now. Goodnight, honey," she added, and then cut the connection, hit another button and then tossed the phone off into the darkness of the doorway to their room. She looked at Evan with obvious amusement. "I guess we're swingers now?" she mused.

"That was not what I expected," Evan admitted.

"Well. He knows better than to feel inadequate or anything, but that was...wow. Thank you," she smiled down at her lover of the moment. "For everything."

"Anything else I can do for you?" he asked suggestively.

Breanne's mouth spread into a crooked grin. She returned to her earlier embrace in Evan's arms. "I think I'm gonna need you to leave some marks on me."

More is written, and will go up soon. Hope you come back for more. Comments welcome!



Working for the Goddess Ch. 02



Thank you for returning! As always, all characters are over 18, and all sex is consensual.




He awoke to find Breanne showered, dressed and sucking on his cock. Evan felt a small pang of longing as the implications of the first two details became clear. The seductive pleasures she lavished upon him with her mouth and that look in her eyes made that both better and worse. She broke off for a moment just to tell him, "I've never loved doing this before now," with a saucy wink, and then returned to the deed.

"I haven't had much experience myself," he admitted. "You could drive me out of my mind."

"I'd like that," she said after she pulled off again, but this time she just sat on the bed and stroked him fondly. "But I promised I'd be someplace soon."

Evan glanced at the clock to find it was already late in the morning. He considered his words, and his feelings. "I think my better angels are winning out over my selfish side," he said, "but it's not easy."

"Should I stop?" she teased.

"You're incredible. You gave me the best night of my life, and I'd really like for it to go on. But I think you need to do what's right for you, and only you know what that is."

Breanne looked at him affectionately. "You're not an ordinary college kid," she said. Her hand never left his cock. "You were an amazing help to me last night. You took good care of me. Will you let me return the favor?"

"Sure," Evan shrugged.

"I remember what it's like to be a college student. Perpetually broke and all that. You mentioned last night that this trip was a big stretch for you. I'd like to make your trip home easier. I don't know if you caught on or not, but I'm pretty well off. Richard isn't the only executive in the mix here."

"You don't have to do that."

Breanne grinned wickedly. "I don't have to do this, either," she said, bending over to take him into her mouth again for a few more intense, expert strokes, "but I like doing it. And I'm not paying you for last night, either. I'm helping a friend."

Any objections born of chivalry was overwhelmed by her touch and her gaze. Her affection and her sincerity were too much for him to refuse, too. "Okay. Thank you."

"Good. I already made some arrangements, since I wasn't going to take no for an answer, anyway," she winked. "Go down to the front desk when you leave, give them the room number and tell them you need a driver for the airport. They'll take care of the rest. Anything you need from the restaurants or the shops, just put it on the room. Don't be shy about it, either."

She crawled up beside him on the bed then, giving him a physical reminder of just how luscious her body was as she kissed him. "And I want to know how to get hold of you again in the future," she added, "just in case I'm not through with you."

Only a minute or two and another long kiss later, Breanne left. Evan watched her go—which was why he saw Aphrodite step out from behind the door almost as soon as Breanne closed it.

"I did a good job with you," she declared with a broad, lustful grin. Her eyes roamed his naked body shamelessly. "That was great."

Evan recovered from his surprise quickly. "Yeah, it was," he agreed. "That was unbelievable." He got up from the bed to reach for his pants, or at least his boxers.

"No, no, don't get dressed," Aphrodite said. "I like you like this. And so do you."

He slowed down to consider it, and then realized how much he really did like the open desire in her eyes and her grin. Modesty and self-conscious habits fell away. She liked him naked. So did his previous company. He accepted, then and there, that he should just enjoy that. Evan stood up and stepped a little closer, though Aphrodite warned him not to come too close with just a subtle tilt of her head.

"I like to look," she said, "but we have to be careful about touching, remember?"

"Right. Sorry," he shrugged.

"Don't be. I just had you. All night long, and that little bit just now," Aphrodite smiled. "That's the connection, remember? That's the conduit. Every woman you fuck is also me. Every time you make love, you're also making love to me. Every time you make a woman come, you make me come. And I feel you, too, Evan," she added. "I'm a woman, but I feel your male pleasure, too. Everything you experience." She made the slightest gesture toward his erect cock. "I get to feel everything you feel." Her voice dropped a bit. "I'm sorry if it's a little one-sided, but for me it's complete intimacy."

"That explains why you put such a priority on picking someone you like," he considered. "Seemed like a reasonable concern regardless, but that puts it into perspective."

Aphrodite nodded. "Don't go out of your way looking for surrogates," she advised. "Just go with your own desires and your own inclinations. I like it wild and crazy, but I like plenty of vanilla, too. If you're turned on and she's turned on, I guarantee you I am, too. That's what I want out of it all. And yes, I really like you, Evan. A lot. Never question whether you have my approval. Here," she said, tossing him a small, golden orb that she produced from seemingly nowhere. "Eat this."

He caught it in his hands. "An apple?" he asked. "Wait. Is this the same...?"

"No, that one's Norse. I got it from Idunn. Whole different angle," she smiled. "It'll keep you young and help you live longer."

"Wait, Norse gods? How many others are there?"

"A bunch. Not all the ones you've heard of in mythology, but most. We're all pretty distant now. Most of us really got our asses kicked by this whole monotheism fad, but it's not like we're dead. Just can't be as flashy as we used to."

"That's something I wondered about," he said. "You want me to be your agent, but you don't expect me to worship you, do you? You haven't said anything about that."

"I'm not after that. The world works differently now. And you worship me in all the ways I want, anyway. There's no core to that, by the way. Eat the whole thing. You must be hungry."

He couldn't argue that. Evan was famished. He took the first bite, finding that while it tasted like a natural apple, it was the most delicious apple he'd ever tasted. "Wow," he said, swallowing the first bite. "How much longer will I live?'

"Much longer than ordinary mortals, but not forever." She sat on the long dresser on the opposite wall. "So. About last night," she said while Evan ate. "It was incredible for me, and I know you had the time of your life...but it could've been better."

Evan looked up at her, noting her playful tone. He swallowed the next bit of apple. "You have critical feedback?" he grinned back.

"I do. Obviously I directed you toward her, but normally it won't work like that. The magic I've worked on you generally runs on automatic. I just thought starting you off like this would get a few points across better than me just telling you."

"You said it was 'solving problems with my cock?'"

"And you did. You found a place to stay. Someone to stay with. Cleared up a few other little inconveniences for your trip home, too. The point to all this, Evan, is that you can do this all the time. You will do this all the time," she breathed, her voice heavy with promise. "You don't have to go home if you don't want to. You could linger and just fuck your way through Europe if you wanted. You'd leave a trail of happy women in your wake. I know you want to get home, but this is exactly the sort of thing you can expect from here on out."

"Is that what you want? I've got classes and a job to get back to. Friends and such."

"Friends are important, sure, but the rest? You work for me now, Evan," she said with a bit of a wicked grin. "I want your full devotion. If you can work that other little job and take those classes while doing that, I guess that's up to you. I think you'll get tired of that before too long. This is your career now. Sex and seduction and fun. You're always on this job. I wanted you to see that the job will take care of you, too."

"I gotta pay the bills somehow. Unless you want me to start charging for this."

"Silly man. You think I have a problem with prostitution? No, that's not what just happened here, like Breanne said. She's rich, you're not, she wants to help you out. But you can expect that to happen a lot from now on, unless you plan on avoiding rich women, and I don't know why you'd want to do that. As for you and Breanne specifically...well, first off, you worked way harder for that than you needed to," she chided with a gentle, amused grin.

Evan blinked as he was about to take another bite. "I talked to her for like five minutes! Ten, tops! And then we were all over each other in the elevator!"

"Your cue was when she said she had to get over her fiancée, and your line was, 'Y'know, I've heard the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else,' and that would've done it."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously! She dropped a couple of obvious hints on you, which you might've picked up on but you were still thinking like the humble, ordinary Evan Callaghan of last week. You're the new and improved Evan Callaghan. I like you sweet and humble and caring, but you're built to fuck now," Aphrodite said, "and women know it. You knew she wanted you with the way she was looking. That's what I mean about those instincts. You get a look like that? Heed it. You think a woman wants you to romance her or listen or hold her down and pound her with that cock? You're right. Don't second-guess yourself.

"Which brings me to another thing: you could've kept her, you know," she said, with a little less humor but a little more gentleness. "She dropped those hints, too. And I know you wanted to."

Evan considered her suggestion carefully. "I thought I was just supposed to, y'know, give her a night to get some perspective or something. Like maybe I was here to put pressure on her husband or unlock whatever other kinks they had?"

Aphrodite laughed openly, but not unkindly. "No, Evan," she said, "I'm not sending you out to fix other peoples' love lives! Oh, sure, you can work at that if you want, but this is much more self-indulgent than that. You're not some pornographic guardian angel." She gave him a long, adoring look. "You fucked her like you owned her, and she loved that. It's exactly how she wants it. You listened to her, you obviously cared about her, and you hit all the right notes in every physical way."

"So it's okay for me to just take women away from their men?"

"I know you don't see her as an object, and again, it's not mind control. It's her choice. You can't beat yourself up for being attractive or a good lover. Don't you dare. That's exactly how I want you. Don't give yourself any handicaps. Don't try to allow for a fair competition. You're not cheating at a game. As far as I'm concerned, any advantages you've gained from me are advantages you have earned.

"And that's the other thing I wanted you to see with this. Breanne's not twice your age, but that was a serious age difference there. Your economic and class differences were even bigger. And none of that made any difference to her. She wanted you. She let down every guard for you. And she would've stayed with you if you asked. She'll undoubtedly call you someday, because I know just how good you were for her.

"I didn't send you to her to fix her relationship. I wanted you to have a hook-up like that because I wanted you to see for yourself that nobody is out of your league. Don't be intimidated by wealth. Don't be put off by age or social circles or their kinks or whether you're hip enough or not. Don't even worry about them being put off by jealousy of your other liaisons. Any of it. I want you to follow your desires and take big risks and have fun. Okay?"

He listened, then nodded, and couldn't help but smile. "Okay. I'll remember that." Then he paused. "You would've been okay with me starting a serious relationship there? This soon?"

"You're bound to have more than a few at a time," she winked. "Like I said, we'll get to that when the time comes. You don't need to rush into love, but you sure don't need to hold back from it, either."

"But still live like...?"

"I'm the goddess of erotic love, and you're my agent, Evan. The rules work differently for you because I say so."

"Anything else I should know?"

"You absolutely should've come in her throat with that first blowjob," Aphrodite told him without the slightest hesitation. "You know that now, right? You know how potent you are? You know how much she loved having you in her mouth?"

"Yeah," he nodded, chuckling a bit at her blunt terms. "Yeah, I know that now."

"Good. Like I said, what I want is variety. And frequent satisfaction," she said, hopping off of the dresser. "I can't stay long. Usually can't, really. And you have a long journey home ahead of you."

"I'm always happy to see you," Evan quipped playfully.

"I know," she said, stepping in close. "I always see you. And I always feel you." Her lips came to his cheek, while her fingers lightly stroked his erect cock just once. He shuddered intensely, as overwhelmed by this as if he were deep in passionate intercourse, but then it quickly and steadily faded. "Might want to do something about this thing before you wind up on a long plane ride," she said, winking at him again as she withdrew toward the door.

He didn't actually see her walk through it, nor open or close the door, but he blinked as another shudder ran through him and then she was gone. He looked around the room. His only clothes were the ones he'd worn yesterday. His bags were all still down in coat check. And he was all finished with the apple.

"Shower," he told himself. "Shower. Food. Right. Priorities."

*****

Marianna closed the door to the suite behind her and checked it off on her route as finished. She brushed a lock of her long, dark hair out of her pretty face before looking on to the next room. The suites were all much bigger here than the lower floors, but it wasn't as if the tasks were difficult. Just more to do in each room.

Sick calls and other concerns left the manager shuffling people around today, which was why she was in the upper suites by herself for now. "I know you will go slowly. It's fine. Things are mixed up today," he had assured the young maid. "Just do what you can up there and I will send help later. It makes the guests happy to see someone on the job."

She wouldn't be on the job for much longer. The manager had apparently already forgotten that she put in her notice the other day. Soon, she'd be behind a desk making twice her current wage, and not having to wear this uniform skirt and blouse every day. Everything was already signed. She just had to run out the rest of her hours here...and hope the boredom didn't kill her.

Marianna glanced around the hall at the other doors. Many of them had "do not disturb" tags up, making her job a little easier. At this point, she was sure she'd be done well before anyone expected, let alone before anyone else came up to help. Working alone was fine by her, as it got her away from her older, gossipy co-workers. If anything, she'd prefer something to delay her up here. If she had to hear how being a maid wasn't "good enough" for her one more time today...

She knocked on the next door and announced herself. She heard nothing, knocked again just for good measure, and then looked at her list. The occupants were due to leave today, and perhaps already had. She ran her keycard through the lock and stepped inside to take a look.

As soon as she walked in, she could feel the traces of steam from the bathroom just to her right, but it wasn't uncomfortable. She heard no water running inside. Half the lights were still on, along with natural illumination coming through the thin white curtains on the glass balcony door. The bed was a complete shambles, with more than one telling wet spot on the comforter and the sheets. With an amused smirk, Marianna immediately wondered whether this was a honeymoon or an affair. She liked the other idea better. It gave her more to imagine. Someone had a very good time in here last night. She wished she could have this sort of fun once in a while.

Figuring she'd want to air out the room, Marianna walked to the other end of the room to open the balcony. With that done, she turned, and then she saw the pants, shirt and shoes lying on the floor. She froze in her tracks, and then the bathroom door opened and he stepped out.

He was completely naked, tall and fit, rubbing his short hair with a towel. He was also completely, unignorably erect.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Marianna blurted out in her native Greek. She held up her hands apologetically, and was unsurprised when the naked, beautiful young man seemed just as surprised and apologetic as she, though she didn't understand his language. Rather than use the towel to cover himself, though, he dropped it without thinking. Marianna didn't think twice about that, either; she couldn't stop looking at him with wide eyes.

He spoke more. She didn't understand English, but she recognized it, along with his tone and gestures. It took her a moment to look into his eyes rather than over his body, but she found nothing there to alarm her. This was just awkward. Nothing threatening. He wasn't angry, either. "Um. You are in front of the door," she tried, still in Greek, pointing behind him.

"Oh!" he realized, and then smiled. He seemed to apologize again, and then moved to the side. He didn't step into the bathroom, though, or pick up the towel.

Marianna came closer, glancing at the door once or twice, but mostly looking at him. Her initial shock wore off quickly. This would certainly stay with her today. Nothing boring about the rest of her shift. Not with this to think about.

"I am sorry," he managed in Greek, though with an obvious American accent.

"You speak Greek?" she asked.

He shrugged, gestured to his attractive chest, and said, "Tourist." He struggled to remember more words. "Ah...leaving. Today."

Marianna nodded in understanding, slowly edging toward the door, and therefore him. Her eyes lifted to his once more and saw him now looking her up and down, too. His embarrassed grin became a little less embarrassed and a little more humorous and friendly. She realized he wasn't going to make a complaint about her, which was good. He obviously wasn't going to attack her, either...which almost made her a little disappointed.

That was a strange thought, she realized, now standing right in front of him. Strange, but sincere.

"I thought," she said, unconsciously stalling, "I thought the room was empty." The man shook his head and shrugged. She then pointed to the "do not disturb" card still hanging on the inside door handle. Then he nodded in understanding, and stood and waited.

Marianna took the card down, pulled on the handle, and then placed it on the outside of the door. She turned back to him, hesitating, giving his body one last look up and down before their gaze met...

...and held.

The kindness and humor didn't leave his eyes so much as it faded into something else. Something much more compelling. Marianna licked her lips without thinking, just like she didn't think too hard about the way she had leered at him for the last several minutes.

Then he stepped closer, reached for the door, and closed it. Without looking away, Marianna's hand rose to throw the deadbolt.

He moved in close enough to kiss her with hot, lustful lips. His arms came around her, first just at her shoulders, then roaming a bit as her hands did the same. She let out gasps of excitement as his kiss devoured her and his erect cock gently stabbed at her belly, though it quickly slipped upward as they moved closer together. Submissive notes crept into her breath as one of his hands slipped into her hair, with his fingers spread wide throughout her locks. Dark fantasies she'd never even considered pursuing before now echoed throughout her mind. Fantasies were all well and good. This was reality...wasn't it?




Working for the Goddess Ch. 02



Their lips slowly parted. She looked up at him wide-eyed and breathless, wondering just how close this would get to her fantasies. She'd already committed with the deadbolt, but something in his gaze had assured her that if she pulled away, he'd let her. And then, with a word, he assured her that she wouldn't want any such thing.

"Knees," he said.

Marianna's legs buckled of their own accord, though the slight, meaningful but painless pressure of his hand on the back of her head helped. The pretty young maid sank to her knees before the naked stranger. She bowed her head, finding his magnificent cock pointing up toward her mouth, and knew she couldn't refuse this. Her lips parted only slightly as they came to his flesh, widening as he pushed up a warm mouth that would only welcome him if he made her.

He pushed down on her head. She welcomed that, too.

Soon, his hips bucked and his breath became heavy with moans as he fucked her mouth. Marianna held onto him with one hand at his thigh and another at his tight ass, her emotions and her body both soaring into arousal. Held in place and whimpering with pleasure as his cock head pushed along her tongue and the roof of her mouth toward the back of her throat, then backward and in again, Marianna focused on the full, unreal pleasures of this penetration that spread throughout her body and left her own sex throbbing. She reached down between her legs while the man worked her, finding herself so sensitive and ready that she was almost afraid to touch herself too much too soon. He paused just long enough to accommodate her while she pushed her panties halfway down her thighs to allow herself full access.

Their carnal act built until her nameless lover began to moan, and then Marianna's fingers went to work on herself. With only a brief flurry of movement, she set herself off, causing white flashes of light behind her eyelids as pleasure overtook her. Though oblivious to her dominating partner's cues while she came, she felt the overpowering urge to swallow in tandem with the throbs of her body, which allowed her to accommodate the bursts of thick fluid that now flooded her mouth and throat.

It tasted delicious. Heavenly. Wonderful. Fully enraptured by her body's reactions, she gave no thought to the hows or whys of it all. She surrendered and enjoyed, and found her head free to bob up and down and encourage more generosity from the member within her mouth.

When it abated, she looked up into the eyes of the man who'd given her such pleasure, his cock still partly welcomed into her mouth. He, too, was breathing heavy, but his eyes were alive with further desire. He reached down to her, guiding her up by her shoulders and even supporting her on wobbly legs kept together by the white lace of her panties, and gently kissed her lips and then her neck.

She, too, was still on fire. "Please," she managed. "Please."

He all but lifted her up, bringing her to the bed and laying her down on her side. Marianna's thighs were together but bent upward at the hip as she lay, such that her wet and needful slit was exposed to him and immediately alive with the sensation of his cock sliding past. She let out a moan of delight before he then shifted back once, just long enough to line up, still so stiff and strong that he didn't need to use his hands.

Marianna let out a cry of joy as she felt herself filled. The thrill of being used by this stranger with his firm but gentle hands and shameless desire had her completely enthralled. She distantly felt him work her panties down her thighs, over her knees and eventually off of her feet, but mostly she just felt full and wonderful for it. His pace held steady while he managed this, and then he paused deep inside her only once to lean forward, take a new position that allowed him to slip one hand into her blouse and hold her breast possessively before the fucking resumed.

Just as he had done when he took her mouth, her lover didn't let her participate. She couldn't buck her hips back at his much, nor could she kiss him, nor caress him. All she could do was lay there and enjoy it, and so she did that wholeheartedly.

She built steadily toward another climax, this one deeper and wetter than the first. Marianna had never gotten to that level of satisfaction through penetration alone, but her partner mercilessly drove her to it. Once more, she found herself stiffening and then shaking, only this time she could cry out as she came. He kept right on fucking her, just as she begged him to in her own language. It wasn't until her orgasm began to subside that she heard him grunt and moan and felt his thrusts change as he went over the edge. If anything, that only enhanced her feelings of satisfaction.

He allowed her to lie underneath him for several minutes, still warmly inside of her as they both came down from those heights. He knew when to slowly withdraw and get up, and even helped her regain her balance. Their eyes met briefly again as she wordlessly excused herself to the bathroom. He acknowledged her with a smile and nothing more.

Minutes later, straightened out enough to make her departure, Marianna stepped out and found him sitting on the bed. He offered up the white lace of her panties with a slightly embarrassed, slightly amused smile.

Marianna laughed. "Thank you," she said, reaching out to him for balance as she bent over to put them back on. He held her steady, his eyes warm and friendly once more. She saw no threat. He wouldn't make any sort of complaint. He was here to fulfill a fantasy, nothing more.

She leaned halfway into his lap for a last, deep, grateful kiss before she said goodbye and then left him in the room.

As the door shut, Evan lay back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. He'd planned on having more time to kill in the hotel restaurant and such before having to leave. Now things would be a little tighter. He certainly couldn't complain.

He felt incredible: potent, capable, momentarily satisfied. The afterglow of sex was still strong with him. Yet beyond all of that, Evan felt a deep, profound sense of fulfilled purpose, from the moment his cock first went inside her until now, laying on the bed alone. He'd felt this before, with Breanne, but that had been tied up with concerns about her relationship, the directions things might take and his many unanswered questions. He still didn't have all of those answers, but this brief incident went a long way to putting things into a thrilling, promising perspective.

"Thank you," he said into the empty room.