Medusa's Desire (The Fate of Eros #1) (The Fate of Eros Series) (12 page)

Medusa lay back down. She needed her rest if she were going to fight off Perseus.

*** *** ***

She awoke to the sound of nothing. Her sisters were breathing heavily, but something felt wrong. She stood and readied herself. Her body tensed as the feeling of someone watching her shivered up her spine.

A man appeared out of thin air in front of her. His muscular back was facing towards her. He held a mirror shield in one hand and with the other placed the invisibility helmet in a sack hanging from his hip. The bag was too small to fit such a large object, but it slid in anyway. Medusa knew the endless wallet was the only thing that could carry an infinite load, but was small enough to fit in a pocket. Athena had given him all the tools he needed to kill her.

She waited for him to draw his sword. She would not kill another unarmed man. He pulled it out quickly and pointed it at her throat, close enough to slice her neck if he swung it forward another inch.

She met his gaze in the mirror and for the first time in her life, found herself changed by a reflection. Her heart melted. He had a strong jaw and brown eyes that were set in determination. His curly dark hair was covered in sweat. The hard muscles of his body were tensed.

She knew she was about to die, but instead of trembling in fear or attacking Perseus, she licked her lips. This was the kind of man she would have loved to seduce when she had been beautiful. Just to gaze at his glorious features for a moment ruined her heart for anyone else. For the first time in her life, she mourned the idea that she could never marry. At least he was a pretty sight to die to.

It took a moment for her to register the surprise on his face. She was shocked that he hadn't turned to stone yet. Instead, he looked as if he had seen a ghost. Various emotions flickered inside his irises: confusion, fear, and even guilt.

She didn't understand what was wrong until she gazed a little closer. His lover must have followed him inside. She stood right behind him.

She had pale skin and rosy cheeks. Her eyelids were lowered lustily and her eyes bright. She was naked and the beauty of her body rivaled that of Aphrodite. She had round breasts and pink nipples. Her hips and thighs were curvy and her body luscious. She was pregnant and stroking her belly.

Her face became sad and her pouty lips plumped. Why had he brought such an innocent creature with him here? Did he care to protect her? Not to mention, there was something about her appearance that was familiar. Medusa had to understand why.

Perseus continued to stare. The sword he pointed at her throat trembled. She didn't scream for her sisters. She was tired of being alive and wished to get death over with. Athena would send another man to kill her if it wasn't this one. Now was the time to move on from this phase of her existence.

For the second time that day, a reflection changed her life. She realized that the woman she was looking at in the mirror wasn't just anyone-it was her, how she had looked like back when she was human. It had been so long since she had seen herself that she hadn't recognized the truth immediately. She was more beautiful than she recalled, like a flower against the gray horror of the underworld. She looked delicate as she stroked her belly.

She looked down at her hands to see whether the curse had been broken-maybe true love had fixed everything. But they still had the same claws and coarse skin. That's why Perseus hadn't turned into stone. Her reflection didn't picture her accurately. It showed the world how she had once been when she was human, rather than how she appeared now. It was a nice gift to feel pretty one last time before she died.

Medusa was ready. She swallowed. "Well, are you going to kill me or not?" She raised one eyebrow at Perseus.

He was breathing hard. She watched his pecs move up and down rapidly. "I can't do it."

Her fists tightened. Was this Athena's idea of another trick? "Why not?"

He swallowed. "Because I never expected you to look so beautiful."

Medusa's heart stopped. She had never expected to be called beautiful again. She was unsure of what to say.

Perseus dropped his sword. It clattered to the floor. He raised his arm and mirror shield as a sign of surrender. He began to turn around.

"No," she shouted.

He froze.

She turned to her sisters and saw them stir in their sleep. They were going to wake and regardless of Perseus' good intentions, they'd kill him. She closed her eyes as she thought of the strange things Stheno and Euryale had done to the body parts of the statues they'd created. She couldn't allow them to have Perseus. He was too precious to be defiled in such a way. She didn't move until they were breathing heavily again.

"You can't look at me," Medusa whispered. "If you stare into my eyes, you'll turn to stone. What you saw in the mirror was just an illusion of who I once was."

She intended her words to drive him away, but secretly wished he'd stay a little longer.

He met her eyes again through the mirror. He used his free arm to caress her reflection. Medusa's knees grew weak.

"You really are prettier than Athena is," Perseus said. "No wonder she is jealous."

Medusa felt faint. Was he really this foolish? Why wasn't he listening to her? "My mother was the one who started that rumor, not me."

"It's true, though, which is why it offended Athena so much." Perseus blushed. "If it's all right, I'd like to touch you. It's difficult not to want to stroke your warm skin."

Her cheeks grew hot as her body reacted instantly.
Yes, yes! Please touch me all over and make love to me!
But she couldn't say that. The two of them could never form a relationship. If he had seen the monster in the mirror instead of her human form, he wouldn't have hesitated in decapitating her.

Her eyes met the floor sadly. "If you touch me, you'll feel my scales. You won't like it."

"I know what you are and I'm not afraid of touching you," Perseus said. "I can see your heart in your eyes. You're different from all the other women I've been with. I can see strength and intelligence from enduring what you have suffered."

"But my sisters are here-they could wake any-time. They'll kill you if they find you."

"We'll be quiet," Perseus insisted.

"You're defying the gods, you know. My life was destroyed under their wrath and I wouldn't want the same to happen to you. Think about your family or anyone that you love. They separated mine and tormented us."

"My mother has already been stolen from me," Perseus replied. "There is nothing left for them to take. I'm not afraid."

"You're a fool."

"The truth is, I've never been able to see so clearly. There are so many rumors out there about your cruelty; I never expected to find someone so human."

Medusa gestured at all the walls and the horrified expressions on the statues' faces. "Do you really think a human could do all of this? Humans are the ones who meet me and die."

"The gods lied to me about who you really are and even you believe their falsehood. They abuse anyone who stands in the way of their desires. If I were to kill you, I'd be murdering an innocent person. It goes against all that I stand for."

Medusa crossed her arms. "But how do you expect to be able to touch me? If you turn around, you'll be stone, not to mention that I have poisonous snakes living on my head that will bite you."

"I'm not worried about the snakes." He reached one arm behind him and Medusa panicked as several snakes lurched forward. She expected them to sink their fangs into Perseus as they had bitten and killed that girl long ago, but instead they wrapped themselves around his hand and tickled his skin with their tongues. He laughed and her eyes widened. Medusa's hair snakes didn't even like
her
that much.

"How did you know they wouldn't harm you?"

Perseus smiled. "I am good at reading people and animals. They only attack when they're frightened. They know I'm not a threat."

Medusa tapped her fingers. "That's one problem down, but there's still one left."

Perseus raised an eyebrow. "Do you doubt my ability to solve the impossible? It's what I'm good at, you'll see." He pulled the Helm of Darkness out of the endless wallet and handed it back to her over his shoulder. "Wear this. It will make you invisible. You can't hurt me if I can't see you."

She remembered once believing the same lie and turning a young woman into stone, but she placed the helmet on her head and shoved the snakes inside anyway. She felt no different, but was relieved that the snakes couldn't bite anyone but her, trapped as they were. She felt vulnerable, like he'd turn around, still see her, and perish. For so long, she had avoided touches and gazes. If this didn't work, it would be too painful for her to bear.

Medusa's heart pounded as Perseus' feet swiveled in her direction. She looked away as he approached. He reached forward like a blind man, his face alight with affection.

She tiptoed away from him. "This isn't going to work out."

He paused and she realized that he was trying to figure out the direction her voice was coming from. He lunged for her, his soft skin coming into contact with hers. It burned where he touched and made her stomach flutter. She shoved him before he could react to her dragon-like flesh. She expected him to either run or fight.

He moaned instead. "You feel amazing. Please let me stroke you once again. I've never felt anything like you."

He wrapped his arms around her body and pressed their cheeks together. He was muscular, but he felt so soft and fragile. She could crush his bones if she squeezed him too hard. She moaned as he caressed her up and down.

He stroked her belly and the baby inside her leaped at his touch. She flinched and rubbed her stomach. This child seemed as shocked by his touch as she was, but was calming down because of it.

"So you are pregnant," he whispered. "I heard rumors about you being raped by Poseidon, but didn't realize a child was involved."

"Yes." Medusa hung her head. If her lizard skin didn't drive him away, then surely a baby would.

"Your belly is smaller than it was in the mirror," he said and wrapped his arms around her again. "It means I can still be on top."

She blushed as she realized what he was saying.

"Sorry, was that too forward?" he asked.

"No." She was surprised she was okay with it. She always expected to be frightened by any man's touch because of her rape.

"We'll take it as slowly as you want," he reassured her.

She looked down at his lips. They were so near and his breath was warm. He lifted her chin. She parted her lips. Her heart sped up as she realized he was about to kiss her.

Her mouth was one of the few soft parts of her body left-along with her womanhood. She had never kissed a man before, even back when she was human. She was surprised by how plump his mouth was and how sensitive hers felt against his. The world around them turned to lava as their lips set their bodies on fire.

Perseus' tongue entered her mouth and the shock of something so soft inside her brushing against him made him fervent. His lips grew hungry as their tongues wrestled. Heat and tightness pooled in Medusa's abdomen as she grew wet with anticipation. She was far from a pretty virgin, but he made her feel like one.

He picked her up and lowered her to the ground, deeper inside the cave. Her mouth missed his the moment the two of them lost contact. He laid himself gently on top of her, positioning his body between her legs, but he was careful not to press down on her slightly swollen belly. She could barely restrain herself from ripping off his robe and forcing him to enter her.

He grabbed her by the face, which rested on its side, staring at the wall. Until that moment, she had been avoiding his gaze, frightened that he could still be turned to stone.

"Look at me," he ordered. His words were so powerful and trembled with so much emotion that she had to obey them. "I know it's been a long time since you've met the gaze of anyone without death, but there's no reason to fear it now. I want you to see the adoration I hold in my eyes as I make love to you. I need you to know that you are beautiful, so you never believe anyone again who tells you otherwise."

His brown eyes swirled with affection as they stared at her behind their long lashes. Tears ran down Medusa's cheeks.

He looked concerned when he heard her sniffle. "Are you crying? Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head, her throat so choked she could hardly speak. "No, you've made me happier than anyone else ever has."

Their mouths melted together once again; their bodies turned into puddles of passion. She could feel him growing hard on top of her. Could she really be arousing this man? She looked like a beast, while he was handsome and had such a good heart.

He pulled away and growled in frustration, ripping off the robe he wore. Medusa gasped as she glanced down at a muscular physique that could have only come from hard work.

He grabbed her arms roughly. He looked pained. "Why aren't you touching me?"

She had gotten so used to the desert, her sisters, the underworld, and the undead. In comparison, he looked like a god. She felt unworthy of touching such a creature, especially with her callused hands. She remembered the mirror she had buried without a shovel. Her fingers were not made for stroking-they were made for war. What if they chaffed the parts of him she was looking forward to touching most?

"Your shyness is tormenting me." He grabbed her hands. "Please forgive me."

He forced her palm against the tip of his erection. He groaned and bucked his hips as soon as she touched him. She rubbed up and down slowly, impressed by his large size. He dug his nails into her skin, desperate for more.

She grabbed his thick shoulders and ran her palms down his muscular chest. She stroked his flat abs and rubbed the back of his hard thighs as well. When her fingers landed near his erection again, she gripped it gently, making sure he only experienced pleasure.

Perseus squeezed her breasts and took her nipples into his mouth. Medusa couldn't imagine what they felt like to him, but at that moment, she didn't care. He made her feel as soft and sensitive as any other woman was. His tongue was warm and his fingers nimble as they reached down and stroked between her legs. She bucked with pleasure. He had the hands and mouth of a man who had been with lots of women: he was gifted and he knew what he was doing.