Acheron

It wasn't until she reached his stomach that she pulled back. His entire torso was bare except for a small patch of hair that ran from his navel down to the thicker patch at the center of his body. She buried her hand there, letting the coarse hair tease her fingers. Unlike the hair on his head, these were prickly and as she ran her hand through them, his cock began to harden.

Artemis touched him cautiously. She was fascinated by the part of him that was so different from her own body. At first she was able to move it at will, but before long he was so hard and stiff that all she could do was run her hand down the length of him and make his cock dance in response to her touch.

How odd…

Even stranger was the moisture that leaked from the tip. She glanced up to make sure he was still unconscious. Reassured, she bit her lip, then crawled closer. Her heart hammering in fear and curiosity, she dipped her head down for a taste.

Artemis groaned deep in her throat. There was nothing scary about this. Truly, nothing scary about Acheron in the least. Smiling, she pulled back to cup him in her hand.

He slept on, oblivious to the fact she was exploring him.

She moved back up his body to kiss those lips that had haunted her dreams these days past. She couldn't stand it anymore…

"Wake for me, Acheron."

Acheron was in a daze as he tried to focus his thoughts. But all he could see was Artemis. She was leaning over him, her green eyes scorching him with their heat.

"You take my breath away," he whispered.

She smiled ever so sweetly before she nipped his chin with her teeth.

He was already hard and aching for a taste of her. Was this a dream? His head was so foggy that he couldn't tell. There was a haze over everything.

"Show your love to me," she breathed in his ear.

He wanted to and with her on him like this he couldn't remember his objections to it. Turning his face into hers, he kissed her deeply. He'd never wanted to make love to anyone before, but right now he wanted inside her with a madness so unexpected that it tore through him and left him weak.

His head spi

Artemis gasped at the sensation of his tongue stroking her. Her stomach contracted sharply with each delectable lick. And to her amazement, she actually came from it.

Gasping, she clutched his head to her and shook as wave after wave of pleasure swept through her. She'd had no idea that he could do this.

He growled unexpectedly, before he lowered himself down her body. He nudged her thighs apart to stare at her with a hunger so raw it sent a shiver over her.

"Touch me, Acheron. Show me what you can do."

He ran one long finger down her, making her shudder in response. An instant later he buried his mouth against her. She cried out as his tongue tormented her. It was unbearably pleasurable.

And she wanted more.

For the first time, he slid a finger inside her while he tasted her. The intrusion was startling at the same time it was incredibly pleasing. When he slid another finger inside, she tensed.

"What are you doing?"

He met her gaze before delivering another exquisite lick. "I'm getting your body ready for me so that I won't hurt you when I enter you." He pulled back. "Have you changed your mind?"

She shook her head. "I want you, Acheron."

He kissed his way slowly up her body while he continued to tease her with his hand.

Artemis clutched him as another orgasm tore through her. The moment it started, Acheron slid himself deep inside her body. He moved so quickly and smoothly that instead of hurting her, it increased her orgasm to a blinding level.

Her head lolled back and forth on the pillow as she tried to make sense of this. But there was no sense to it. And when Acheron started to slowly and deeply thrust against her, she moaned in ecstasy.

Acheron lost himself to the contented sighs Artemis made that matched his strokes. She held him in a way no one ever had before…

As if he meant something to her.

Tears pricked at the back of his eyes as he drove himself even deeper into her. No longer drunk, he was in bliss. All he could see was her beautiful face.

Her eyes darkened an instant before she brushed the hair back from his neck and sank her teeth into him. The moment she did, she came again.

The sensation of her drinking from him while her body clutched his drove him over the edge. Unable to stand it, he too came in a blinding wave of ecstasy.

He collapsed on top of her while she fed. Between his orgasm and blood loss, he was weak and sated. She rolled him over onto his back so that she could drink even more.

At the moment Acheron would have given her anything she asked of him. Even his life.

Artemis pulled back as her leg touched something wet on the bed. Glancing down, she saw her blood mixed with his seed on her mattress. The reality of what she'd just done slammed into her with a force so sharp it shattered all her happiness.

She was virgin no more.

If Apollo or the others found out…

She'd be ruined. Ridiculed. Humiliated.

What had she done?

You've been defiled by a human whore…

His eyes half-hooded, Acheron reached for her. She pulled back as her heart slammed against her breast. This was terrible. Awful. Terrified over what she'd allowed him to do, she left the bed, feeling sick.

Acheron followed her. "Artemis?"

"Don't touch me!" she snarled as he tried to hold her. She pushed him back.

"Did I hurt you?"

The concern in his voice left a ragged hole in her heart. But it was nothing compared to the shame and fear she felt. "You've ruined me."

In that moment she hated him for what they'd done. How dare he make her want him like this. Make her forget who she was and why her virginity was so important.

Dear gods, what had she done?

She wanted to kill him and yet she couldn't. How could she hate him so badly and still crave him?

"Why did you touch me?"

He looked stu

"I didn't ask you to kiss me in my temple," she accused. "I'd never known a kiss before. And then you touched me…" She slapped him hard for the affront.

Acheron staggered back in shock as his cheek burned. Before he could recover himself, Artemis attacked him, slapping and punching. When that didn't seem to satisfy her, she flung him against the far wall and held him there with her god's powers.

I will protect you…

Her words rang in his ears as he stared down at her, waiting for her to finally kill him. Truthfully he'd rather be dead than feel the splintering in his heart over what she was doing.

She'd lied.

Suddenly, he slammed to the floor. That same invisible force rolled him over and held him against the marble as Artemis approached him with a feral glare. "So help me, you ever breathe a word of this to a single soul and I will see you killed so painfully that your screams for mercy will resonate throughout eternity."

Those words brought tears to his eyes as they reminded him of so many others who'd hated him because they craved being with him. How many dignitaries and nobles had come to him and then cursed him the moment after he'd pleasured them?

They lived in fear of a whore ruining their precious reputations. They'd kicked him from their beds or knocked him to the ground, cursing him for their own lust as if he'd wanted it.

Why had he ever thought for one moment that Artemis would be any different?

In the end, he was what he was.

Nothing.

"Do you hear me?" Artemis snarled in his face.

"I hear you."

"I'll rip your tongue out."

He had to force himself not to laugh at a threat he'd cut his teeth on. But he knew the truth. His tongue had more value than anything else since it gave them the most pleasure. "Your will is my will, akra."