Page 54 of Desired By Eros

I’m still me, no matter where I am.

Of course, she had to make two deviations—one was in addition to her face routine, she had put on some makeup, and instead of her usual comfortable clothes, she put on an emerald green, off-the-shoulder dress, and a pair of low heels. With one last glance at herself in the full-length mirror, she stepped outside.

“Eros?”

“Yes, Psy—” He was seated on a footstool, one sock pulled up halfway when she walked in. “You look…” Slowly, he got up and padded toward her. “Gorgeous.”

“Th-thank you.” The faintest hint of heat crept up her cheeks. “You look nice too.” Of course he looked great in anything he wore, but this was the first time she’d seen him all dressed up so formally. The charcoal gray suit fitted him perfectly and made his eyes appear even more silvery.

“I try.” He flashed her that mischievous grin. “Are you ready? Let me put on my shoes, and we can head downstairs.”

“Take your time.”

Once he finished, they headed downstairs. The doors to the expansive balcony had been opened up, extending the dining and living area all the way outside. Tables had been set up, and the guests were already arriving.

Psyche girded herself for the onslaught of the evening—most things would be new to her. Her routine helped, and she already had all her tools and coping mechanisms.

One step at a time. Stick to the plan. You’ll be?—

“You’ll be okay.”

“What?” She blinked. Was he able to read her mind? “What did you just say?”

“I can feel your anxiety,” he said. “But you know what to do. You’ve got this.”

Oh, Eros…

“Psyche!” her mother waved to them, her father next to her.

They made their way to the main table in the center, where her parents sat with another couple who was around their age. “Come and meet our friends, Senator Williams and his wife. Senator, Irene, this is our daughter, Psyche, and her date for the evening, Eros.”

“Hello.” Her voice didn’t sound too flat to her ears. “How do you do, Senator? Mrs. Williams?”

“Lovely to meet you, young lady,” the senator said. “We’ve heard all about you. Your parents are so proud.”

These tricky social situations never failed to trip her up. Unsure how to respond to such compliments, her mouth felt as if it was filled with thick molasses, and her tongue was unable to move. Dread snaked into her chest like an unwanted intruder as she braced herself for the awkward silence, followed by pitying looks these situations usually brought on.

“Senator, it’s nice to meet you,” Eros said smoothly. “I’ve heard great things about your recent vote on the climate bill.” He turned to Mrs. Williams. “And Mrs. Williams, I saw the pictures from the art show you co-curated at the Met. I must say, the choices you made were very bold.”

The Senator’s wife’s face practically glowed. “Really? And what did you think of the inclusion of the up-and-coming graffiti artists from Los Angeles?”

“Again, I would never dare, but you know, street art is all the rage in Europe…”

Her stress level went down a notch as Eros deftly managed the conversation. While that anxiety never truly wentaway, between her coping mechanisms and Eros’s intervention whenever things got too hairy for her limited social skills, the evening went much smoother than she’d anticipated. Eros didn’t seem to mind, either. In fact, he was in his element, charming guests left and right, and people naturally flocked to him. It became almost too overwhelming, but she did not want to interrupt him, especially since he was having a good time, so she excused herself to go to the bathroom and take a breather.

“Everything okay, Psyche?” Her mother was waiting for her just outside the guest bathroom. “Maybe you can go lie down? We can delay your father’s speech and the blowing out of the candles.”

“I’m fine, Mom. Thank you for checking in. I don’t want to delay the program.” When it came to parties, her mother ran a tight ship. “Are we about to start?”

“Yes, but there’s no hurry. You know how boring these things can be, and I’ve listened to your father practice his speech the entire week. Nothing new there,” she said wryly. “We can take a few minutes.”

She took a few calming breaths, grounding herself as the oxygen flowed into her lungs. “Alright, I’m ready.”

Following her mother, they headed out into the party area where the program had already begun. Her father was in the center, microphone in hand, already starting his speech by thanking and mentioning all the important people in the room.

“Doesn’t he ever get tired of saying the same things over and over again?” she asked her mother. “And don’t you get tired of listening to him?

“Not really.” Her lips spread into a smile; her eyes fixed on her husband. “I mean, yes, I get tired of the content, but not listening to him speak. There’s just something about the way he stands, the sound of his voice, that confidence he exudes…he’s the same man I fell in love with years ago, the one my wolf choseas myanami ekarde.”Her hand clutched at her chest. “The pain of the mating bond was worth it.”

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