Page 17 of Desired By Eros

When she met Eros by the car, he looked up from his phone and gestured for her to hop in. “I found a cafe nearby. It was recommended—good reviews.”

The drive was short, and when they stepped inside the small cafe, Psyche was delighted to see a menu filled with wholesome options. Fresh fruits, hearty oatmeal, and organic teas dominated the offerings, a refreshing change from the heavy diner fare she’d expected.

“This place is great,” she said as she scanned the menu.

“Told you.”

She rolled her eyes at him, unable to hide her amused smile. After grabbing their food from the counter, they found a table by the window and dug into their breakfast.

“So.” He leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee as Psyche savored her avocado toast and herbal tea. “How are you feeling? First day jitters, or are you ready to go?”

“Really good. I don’t know. I just have a good feeling about today. Like, everything’s falling into place.”

“That’s great to hear.”

“Thank you, by the way. For helping me with all this. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Eros gave her a wry smile. “It’s good to feel useful for a change.”

That earned a laugh from Psyche. “Useful? You? The god of love? I thought you were always useful.”

He shrugged. “Not always, and definitely not now. But hey, I’m glad to help. And…I think you’re going to do great.”

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the usual sharpness in their banter faded. Things felt different—more relaxed, even warm. Psyche caught herself smiling back at him, a genuine, easy smile she hadn’t expected to offer.

“Well,” she said, glancing at her watch, “I should probably get going soon. Don’t want to be late on my first day.”

Eros grinned. “Yeah, can’t have that. Let’s finish up and get you there.”

“So, are you really planning to stick around here instead of going back to Anchorage?”

“Yeah, I figured I’d hang out. You know, enjoy the scenery, annoy you when I get bored.”

“You could at least try to be helpful instead of annoying.”

“Helpful? Oh, I’m plenty helpful in…certain areas,” Eros replied with a grin.

Psyche tilted her head. “Well, that’s good. I mean, helping people is important.”

Eros shook his head and laughed under his breath. “You’re something else, Psyche.”

She ignored the comment, her curiosity refocusing. “So, whatareyou going to do with all this free time?”

“Probably explore,” he said with a shrug. “See the sights, hike around, maybe stumble upon some dramatic revelation about the meaning of life. You know, the usual.”

Psyche considered that for a moment. “You could explore with those two women you were talking to yesterday.”

Eros turned to her, his brows raised. “Why do you say that?”

“Well,” she said matter-of-factly, “it’s nice to explore with others, right? Makes it more fun.”

Eros gave her a look before chuckling. “Sure. Fun.”

They finished their breakfast and headed back to the site. As Eros pulled up, he put the car in park and turned to Psyche. “I’ll be returning the car, and then I’m off to explore. But I’ll check in with you later. If you’re up for it, we can grab dinner. But we’ll have to fly.”

Psyche groaned dramatically. “Ugh, really?”

Eros burst out laughing at her reaction, shaking his head. “It’s the fastest way to get around here, you know. Plus, it’s a bit fun.”

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