Chapter 92

Forever was not enough time with Paige. Her laugh, her smile, her kisses and her touch filled every part of me. I couldn’t think about how I almost lost her. How I was almost the one to end her life. Never again.

I caressed her arm as she lay on her stomach on my waterbed.

“You know, this is like so retro 80s,” she said with a yawn.

“Is it?” I ran my hands down her lats, working out the knots I found there. All of me couldn’t wait until she was moaning my name as I slid in and out of her.

“Yeah.” Her breath hitched as I hit a tender spot.

“There are many benefits to a waterbed,” I said. “Its warmth and liquid can speed relaxation, relieve tension, and soothe sore muscles. Enhances sleep and—”

“You sound like an infomercial.” She giggled.

“No one can get a bed like mine.” I moved my hands down her back and she let out a soft moan.

“How so?”

“Well, I’ve got a very sexy naked woman in it for one.” I nipped at the top of her ass, and she squealed. “And for another, it’s the size of two king beds and it has the god of the sea.”

“Mmm...I like that part most of all.”

I chuckled and massaged her thighs. She had gone through so much to not only save herself, but the rest of us as well. And she was mine. Sure, I had promised to share her with the others, but tonight and tomorrow until dusk, she was with me, and I intended to be as selfish and stingy as I could.

Now, I would make love to her all night. We would watch the stars over the ocean and have breakfast in bed. I would discover all the ways she liked to be kissed. How to give her multiple orgasms.

A soft snore broke me out of my reverie.

“Paige?” I whispered and pressed a kiss to her lower back.

Her breathing stayed regular, and I pulled the blanket over her. I eased off the bed, turned the light off, and slipped out of the door.

Hephaestus stopped in the hallway; his eyebrow arched. “I thought you two would be in there longer than thirty minutes. Everything okay?”

There was I time when I would’ve taken offense to what he said. That I would have charged him. Bloodied his face and bruised and broken him. But life was too precious to allow my emotions to sweep me away. That was part of the control of water that I realized had been part of the problem when I had tried to teach Paige. Part of me had been angry at Hephaestus for being one of her lovers, at myself for not hoarding time with her when I had had the chance...everything.

“Nope, she’s fine.” I clapped a hand on his back. “She’s sleeping so let’s move this to the kitchen. Want a beer?”

The shock on his face almost made me laugh. “Sure.”

In the kitchen, I handed him a beer and took one for myself. “I’m sorry for judging you. For siding with my brother all these centuries.”

Hephaestus took a swig of his beer and shrugged. “I’m used to it.”

“I want you to know that I trust you with Paige.” I narrowed my eyes. “But if you hurt her, I will not hesitate to obliterate you.”

He held up his beer bottle in a mock salute. “Same.”

And I knew that he truly meant it.

“Cheers.” I held up my beer and he clinked glasses with me.

“What’s going on?” Dion shuffled into the kitchen. “Drinking without me?”

“Paige is sleeping,” Hephaestus snapped.

“Understandable.” Dion nodded, grabbing a beer for himself out of the fridge. “She used a shit-ton of magic today, saving our asses.”

We sat at the table and Hermes drifted over.

“So who is Paige with now?” Hermes’ mischievous grin had me snagging his arm as he tried to fly past.

“Leave her alone, she’s sleeping.”

He looked forlornly down the hallway but then nodded. “All right.” He grabbed a beer and joined us. “How about we play poker for who gets to be with her tomorrow night?”

“Shouldn’t that be her choice?” I asked.

“Oh don’t wash away my gamble.” Hermes rubbed his hands together, bringing a deck of cards between them. “You don’t count as you took today and she’s out cold. Tough for you.”

I laughed. “I will have many days with Paige now and in the future.”

“We’ll see.”

I handed Hermes a beer and looked at Dion and Hephaestus. “You two going to bet odds against the god of luck and gamblers?”

“It’ll pass the time.” Dion drank his beer. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

* * *

Paige Laughter trickled in through my slumber. I pushed up in Poseidon’s bed, feeling like I had slept way longer than I should have. My stomach rumbled, telling me that whatever time it was, it was time to eat. I raked a hand through my hair and walked to the kitchen.

There, I found my men playing poker and drinking. Dozens of bottles lined the counters. Sunlight filtered through the gaping hole overhead.

“Morning, sunshine.” Dion lifted his bottle to me.

“Have you all been up all night?” I leaned against the counter.

“Yup. So far Hephaestus has thirty-two nights in a row with Hermes splitting the difference and having the days and the next eight years to himself with you.”

“Oh?” I shook my head. “And what about Poseidon?”

“Guess he’ll have to wait his turn.” Dion scratched his chin.

“I don’t have a say in this?” I asked in a light tone.

“Pull up a chair and we’ll deal you in,” Hermes tapped an empty spot next to him.

“No thanks. I already know Hermes’ a gambling god.” I sat down on the barstool.

“Hungry? I can make you waffles with bacon or sausage?”

“Why not both?” I smiled.

An hour later, my stomach was stuffed, and I helped the guys clean up the kitchen.

Hermes kissed my cheek. “Gotta run.”

“Wait,” I grabbed his hand. “Where are you going?”

“It’s a surprise. See you at dusk.” He vanished.

“Heph and me have errands to run too.” Dion hugged me, then kissed me until I felt drunk.

“You’ll like the surprise.” Heph cupped my face and kissed me long and hard, part of me thinking he was showing off for Poseidon and the other half didn’t care. His lips were warm and inviting.

It was just me and Poseidon in the kitchen.

“What do you want to do today?” he asked.

“Anything.” I wound my arms around his neck, looking up into his gorgeous face. “As long as I’m with you.”

“Hold on then,” he said, and the kitchen vanished.

We were treading water in a turquoise ocean with a dark red surfboard between us. An of all four elements was etched in a circle at the top.

“I don’t know how to surf.”

Poseidon grinned. “This is your first surfing lesson. Hop on.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” He helped me slide onto the board on my stomach. “Now feel the waves, your balance.”

“When do I stand up?”

He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “We have plenty of time to learn this. Just enjoy. Relax.”

All of the air I’d been holding onto rushed out of me. He was right. Too long I had spent time trying to stay alive, trying to learn the elemental magics, and not enough time enjoying myself and the gods.

I closed my eyes. There was no fear of Zeus or anything coming after us. I didn’t even fear sharks anymore. Poseidon and the others would keep me safe, and I would do the same for them.

“How does that feel?” Poseidon asked, trailing a hand down my arm.

“Amazing.” I opened my eyes.

We spent hours out on the water, moving from lying down on the board to getting in an elbows and knees position.

“There’s something off with your posture,” Poseidon said behind me as he held the back of the board.

“What?” I looked over my shoulder at him.

“I’m not sure.” He frowned, a serious look in his gaze. “I think we need to practice this in the waterbed. And without clothes, yes that would help me see what the problem is.”

I waggled my ass and he cursed.

“Keep that up and we’ll go right now.”

I laughed, sitting up and splashing him with water. The surfboard flipped over. I was dunked underwater, and Poseidon swam to me, taking me in his arms and kissing me.

We broke the surface and I clung to him, never wanting to let go. Never wanted this day to end. But the sun already hung low in the sky.

“As much as I want to keep you with me, the others will be waiting.” He brushed a light kiss across my lips, promising more.

“No teleporting. First one to shore gets to be on top.” I dove into the water, swimming as hard and fast for shore as I could.

Poseidon passed me, a tail splashing me in his wake.

“Hey, no fair. You shifted into a merman.” I swam harder.

By the time I got to the beach, my breathing was labored. I wanted to fall on the sand and not move for at least an hour.

But Hermes came running up to me and put a wooden stick in my hand that was tied to a string.

“What?”

“A kite for you.” Hermes had a duplicate stick in his hand.

I glanced up at the sky to find a white dragon kite flapping next to a phoenix. “Wow, these are amazing.”

“Picked them up from my trip to Indonesia this morning.”

“You’re kidding. Nope, you’re not.” I shook my head. “Next time I would like to go with you.”

“Of course. Just dump fish boy and I’ll snatch you right up.”

“I heard that,” Poseidon said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me.

Twenty minutes later, the scent of something delicious cooking had me handing my kite to Poseidon who stuffed the stick into the ground.

“What is that smell?” I asked, taking Poseidon’s hand and then Hermes as we walked along the beach a few feet to a crackling fire.

“Dion and Hephaestus made a luau for everyone,” Hermes answered.

We joined the other two gods at the fire. A pig roasted on the spit and my mouth watered. The ocean’s waves rolled while seagulls cawed overhead.

Hermes kept the birds back with a force field, but they still glided as close as they could. Didn’t blame them.

“Here.” Dion handed me a glass of wine. “From my vintage.”

“Thanks.” I took a sip, and it was rich and sweet.

“Hey, are we late?” Emily shouted as she and Daniel marched over the sand. “I brought salad and corn on the cob.”

“And she only trusted me with plates and silverware.” Daniel shook all the gods’ hands.

I hugged Emily and Daniel. “I’m so glad to see you both.”

“Well, it’s our last night in Greece.” She hugged me back hard. “Our plane leaves tomorrow night. I feel like I have hardly seen you.”

“Me too. Maybe we can catch up tomorrow over brunch?” I asked.

She leaned back, looking at me before a knowing look came into her eyes. “You’re not coming back, are you?”

“No.” I looked over at my four gods, my loves, my hearts. “I belong here, with them.”

“All four?” she choked on the words.

“Is that a problem?” I crossed my arms, daring her to give me some lame moral speech.

“Not at all.” She grinned. “Daniel is all the man I can handle, so if you can handle four hunks, I say go for it.”

I looped my arm through hers and we joined the others at the fire. We ate and joked and laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe. Later we had s’mores for dessert and drank some more.

At some point, Emily and Daniel told us goodbye and left. While I snuggled on a blanket sandwiched between my men as the breeze off the ocean swept over us.

My eyes drifted closed even though I wanted to stay awake and freeze this moment forever.

“Dion, Heph, Hermes, Poseidon,” I said. “Thank you. I love you, all of you.” My heart hammered in my chest at what they’d say.

“They’re asleep,” Heph whispered in my ear. “But I love you too and I know they do as well.” He kissed the side of my neck, his hands moved to my breast. “You can tell them each in the morning, for now, I want to make you come until you pass out from me fucking you.”

The heat in his words had me biting my lip to keep from screaming in ecstasy as he slid warm fingers into me. I was already wet and ready. We made love until just before dawn and like he promised, I passed out from coming so many damn times.

And I knew that this was just the beginning of my life with these four gods who had given me so much and taught me how to live and love.

The End.