Radiant Sin(45)

She sighs dramatically. “You’ve being very responsible right now and I don’t like it.”

“I like this.” I give her a squeeze and kiss her bare shoulder. “Be very good today and I’ll reward you tonight.” The Minotaur’s appearance last night all but ensured midnight wanderings are off the table. We needed the cameras to go, but without any recordings to hold people accountable, there’s no guarantee that someone wandering the halls at night won’t suffer an unfortunate “accident.” It’s not worth the risk.

We’ll have to find a different way. I try very hard not to be pleased with the fact that Cassandra and I will be essentially trapped in our room from nightcap to breakfast.

“I’m never good. You should reward me anyway.” She gives one last wiggle against me and then disentangles herself from my arms. I almost tug her back, but I’m the one who put a stop to things and I can’t very well walk back on it now.

Except, as she climbs out of bed and pads to the bathroom door, my mouth actually waters. Gods, this woman. I trace every curve, drinking in the sight of her. She’s perfect. Utterly perfect. I want to map her skin with my hands and mouth, to learn exactly what she likes and what drives her wild. Last night was only the beginning.

As I watch, her skin blushes a charming pink. “You’re staring.”

“I said I wanted to look my fill.” Gods help me, I actually lick my lips. “This is a good start.”

Cassandra blushes harder. “Order me to go take a shower and get ready, or I’m going to come back to bed and—”

“Go take a shower and get ready.” I inject a bit of snap into my voice and am rewarded when she blushes even more. “No playing with that greedy little clit, either. While we’re here, your orgasms are mine and mine alone.”

Her mouth works as if she wants to argue, but she gives a jerky nod instead. “Better keep me satisfied, then.”

“Oh, Cassandra.” I rake my gaze over her. “I plan on it.”

She hesitates one moment more and then turns, giving me another spectacular view of her ass, and goes into the bathroom. I slump down onto the bed and curse myself for my timing. My responsibility to Olympus has to outweigh any personal pleasure or happiness I might try to seek. Especially considering that it will be short-lived with this woman.

I cannot allow myself to be derailed.

I need to get up and moving, but as the shower turns on, I can’t stop myself from stroking my cock. I don’t tease the way Cassandra did last night. No, I jack myself almost harshly, a slideshow of her flashing behind my eyes.

The way it felt to be cradled between her thighs, sinking into her wet heat.

Her sweet little moans that she didn’t try to hide.

Her taste.

I yank my hand away from my cock before I can come. I’m not normally a masochist, but if I’m denying her orgasms, it’s incredibly unfair to not hold myself to the same rule.

My phone rings and the moment I see the name flashing across my screen, the desire leaves my body. I still take a few seconds to compose myself before answering. “Apollo here.”

“Can you talk freely?”

I eye the bathroom door. The shower is still running. Judging from yesterday’s timetable, it will be a good hour before Cassandra emerges. “Yes.”

“Update me.” It’s not surprising that Zeus wants to be kept in the loop, but he could have given me at least twenty-four hours before he started calling.

“I haven’t had much time to gather information.”

“Indulge me.” His tone brooks no argument.

I bite down a sigh. “All I have are theories and the guest list. Minos and his people are here, of course. Six members of the Thirteen, including myself, Hephaestus, Artemis, Hermes, Dionysus, and Aphrodite. Then there’s Pan, Adonis, Charon, Eurydice, and Atalanta. Information seems conflicting on if Hermes brought a plus-one or not, but if she did, I haven’t seen them.”

“Godsdamn it, Eris.” He speaks so softly, I choose not to respond. That statement wasn’t meant for me, after all, but for Zeus’s sister—formerly Eris, before she took the title of Aphrodite. Zeus doesn’t let Aphrodite’s presence here distract him for long. “And your theories?”

“Cassandra thinks it might be a matchmaking attempt. Everyone invited is publicly single—or was until recently.” I don’t know what’s going on with Aphrodite and Adonis. They seem to be in one of those on-again, off-again relationships, but they’re never messy in public. Sometimes they’re pictured together for weeks or months at a time and then they seem to be moving in different circles, only to gravitate back toward each other. Even before she took the title of Aphrodite, though, she had to know her brother would never agree to her marrying Adonis. He comes from a legacy family, but they’re far enough down the food chain that they won’t see a new member of the Thirteen in this generation at least, if ever again.

“I didn’t ask what Cassandra thinks. I ask what you think.”

I have to fight not to bristle at how dismissive of her theories he is. I might think there’s another component to this party, but that doesn’t mean Cassandra is wrong. Minos seems far too smart to only have one plan. He arrived in Olympus supposedly so his sons could compete to become Ares but didn’t miss a beat when they failed to do so, pivoting to leverage his information about a supposed enemy to ensure his place in the city.