Page 43 of Desired By Eros

His jaw tightened. He stretched, rolling his shoulders, testing for anything beyond the lingering soreness. It was almost absurd how close he had come to serious injury—or worse. He had spent centuries unbothered by pain, by the threat of death. But now? Now, every scrape and bruise reminded him that he was vulnerable in a way he hadn’t ever been.

Water swirled around him as he ran a hand through his damp hair, lost in thought. Something about all of this didn’t sit right. Psyche’s behavior. The attack. His own helplessness.

The steam barely rose from the water, and Eros sighed, realizing it was time to get out. He reached for a towel and noticed he hadn’t brought any clothes into the bathroom, so he wrapped the towel around his waist and went to grab his bag. But he froze when he heard Psyche’s voice.

“I made lunch,” she called out.

Brown-green eyes were wide and fixed on him for a moment before he spoke, “Just getting clothes,” he said and ducked back into the bathroom with a small laugh, amused by her reaction.

As he rifled through his bag for something to wear, he couldn’t help but feel pleased. Psyche was finally reacting to him—really reacting. There was no mistaking it, and it made something warm stir inside him. He enjoyed seeing her vulnerable, even if she didn’t quite understand it herself.

Moments later he emerged, dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and sat at the table. “That smells good.”

She placed a bowl in front of him with a slight smile. “It’s chicken noodle,” she said.

“I’m not sick,” he quipped with a raised eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes but didn’t respond, instead sitting across from him as they dug into their meals. The tension in the room wasn’t lost on Eros. An awkwardness lingered in the air,something that hadn’t been there before today. He decided to wait, letting her take the lead when she was ready to talk about what was bothering her.

But after a few quiet moments, he broke the silence. “Did you tell your boss that you left the site?”

She nodded but kept her gaze on her food. “I emailed him. Told him I wasn’t feeling well.” She paused, then added, “I didn’t give all the details. Didn’t want to deal with explaining everything.”

Eros nodded, understanding. He wasn’t sure what was up with her, but he could sense something heavy lingering beneath the surface. She seemed lost in her thoughts, and he didn’t want to push.

“You’re feeling better?” she asked after a moment, her voice quiet.

“Yes, the bath helped. I hardly feel anything now.”

“Oh, good,” she said, but her eyes seemed to linger on him. “So, I guess you’re still able to heal even if you don’t have all your powers anymore?”

“No,” he said simply. “I lost my powers, so that’s not possible anymore.”

Psyche bit her lip, her face paling as her eyes filled with tears. Without another word, tears spilled down her cheeks, and the sight broke something inside him. He stood up, moving to her side without hesitation.

He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, his hands steady and soothing. “Why are you crying, Psyche?”

“I don’t know,” she said softly, her voice trembling. “I feel so confused right now.”

He nodded, taking her hand and leading her to the couch. They sat down, but before he could say anything, she climbed into his lap, wrapping her arms around him. Eros instinctivelyheld her close, his hands running gently along her back as he tried to calm her.

“It was really scary earlier,” she said after a moment, her voice muffled against his shirt. The words seemed to unlock something in her, and the tears came harder, her whole body shaking as she cried. “But even before that…I was feeling weird.”

“I noticed,” he said quietly.

She pulled back slightly, looking up at him with wide, surprised eyes. “You did?”

“Yes, Psyche. It’s pretty easy to see when you’re uncomfortable.”

“Oh. Right,” she murmured, her gaze falling as she rested her head against his shoulder again.

She took a deep breath, sitting back slightly but still within the circle of his arms. “The chest pain I was feeling earlier,” she began hesitantly, “it started when I saw you and Marge talking earlier.”

He tilted his head. “Okay.”

She bit her lip and continued, “Then it happened again when I saw Marge later. I went to the doctor, who, of course, didn’t find anything. Then I talked to a friend, and she said…” Psyche hesitated, her cheeks flushing. “She said I’m feeling jealous.”

Eros barked out a laugh, catching her completely off guard. Her eyes narrowed, and she glared at him. “Don’t laugh at me!” she snapped, her voice sharp and indignant.

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