Page 47 of Desired By Eros

“Whoa, if that’s not a confidence booster then I don’t know what is.”

Her laugh made him grin, and he flipped her on her back. “Hi.”

She smiled and then kissed him. “Hey.”

He kissed her again, and a flood of emotions surged through him—deep, unspoken feelings that wrapped around him like a tide, pulling him farther into her orbit.

“Again?” she asked, pushing her hair back away from her face.

“Yes, this is the longest I’ve gone without sex. And I’m going to take it out on you,” he wriggled his eyebrows at her.

She giggled, “Poor Eros.”

“What did you say earlier? Sex lowers blood pressure, reduces stress?” he said against her neck. Her soft moan made him smile. “I’m still so stressed out from earlier, so I need your help.”

“Mmm, okay, can’t say no to that,” she said and kissed him.

Eros found himself settling into a rhythm with Psyche. She spent her days at the dig site, immersed in her work, while he kept himself occupied nearby, always aware of when she’d return.Their evenings, however, were something else. They’d talk, eat, and inevitably end up tangled in each other, the quiet of the wilderness around them amplifying every laugh, every touch.

It wasn’t like anything he’d experienced before. With Psyche, everything felt…simple. She didn’t play games, didn’t hold back when she wanted something, and that included him. Eros enjoyed the balance of it—the trust she showed in him and the way she let herself go when they were having sex. It was different, in a way that intrigued him, a connection that didn’t need much overthinking. Whatever this was between them, it worked for now, and he found he didn’t mind the change of pace.

Later that month, Eros was walking to Psyche’s cabin with a cooler in hand when he spotted someone standing in front of the door, staring at their phone. As he got closer, he recognized Bob, the dig site manager. Eros’s shoulders tensed, his body going rigid. He didn’t like seeing Bob here—something about his presence set him on edge.

“Hi,” Bob greeted, slipping his phone into his pocket.

“What are you doing here?” he asked curtly.

Bob blinked but answered easily, “Oh, I was just taking a walk and getting some air before Amber’s birthday party. You and Psyche will be going, right?”

“I’ll have to check with her.” He didn’t offer more.

“Okay then,” Bob said, shifting awkwardly. “Hopefully we’ll see you two there.”

He watched Bob walk off, not moving until the man had rounded the corner and disappeared from view. As much as he wanted to brush the encounter off, he found himself mulling over Bob’s question. Psyche hadn’t mentioned the party. If she didn’t want to go, fine, but he realized she hadn’t been socializing much with her coworkers at all lately. Maybe she’d enjoy the change of pace—or maybe she wouldn’t, but he figured it was worth checking in with her.

Satisfied the area was clear, Eros stepped into the cabin and found Psyche on the couch, a book balanced in her lap.

She glanced up at him, her brow lifting. “Where’ve you been?”

“Oh, I went fishing,” he said, holding up the cooler with a smug grin.

Her eyes lit up as she closed her book and stood. “Oh wow! What’d you catch? Is there a lot?”

“Of course, there’s a lot,” he bragged, setting the cooler down and opening it to reveal the contents. “It’s trout.”

Psyche peered into the cooler and whistled. “Wow, that’s gonna be real yummy.”

“Do you know how to clean and cook fish?”

Her nose wrinkled immediately, and she stepped back. “Oh no, I can’t touch raw fish! Yuck, yuck, yuck!” She shuddered and started drumming her fingers against the edge of the cooler, as if just looking at it was enough to set her off.

Eros chuckled, shaking his head. “Okay, you don’t have to do it. We can grill it out back.”

“Okay,” she said quickly, relief clear in her voice as she hovered near him while he began cleaning and prepping the fish for the grill. She watched him work, her curiosity warring with her disgust. “I just…I can’t stand the way the raw fish feels,” she admitted, shivering again at the thought.

He smirked. “You’re watching me do it, though. Doesn’t that bother you?”

“It’s different,” she said, shrugging and stepping back just slightly. “I’m not the one touching it.”

---