Electric Idol (Dark Olympus 2)

“What they believe matters less than the perception we present.” Did his lips just touch my skin? I can’t be sure. All I know is that I’m fighting back shivers.

“It will never work. It’s hardly even a plan.”

“You’re arguing simply to argue and you know it. You’re more than capable of handling Persephone and the rest of your sisters in whatever way you see fit.” He shifts, his arm rubbing against my breasts ever so slightly. “Besides, your sisters wouldn’t do anything to put you in danger, so they’ll play along until they have a chance to talk to you face-to-face.”

He’s not wrong. I hate that he’s not wrong. I consider this for a long moment, running through scenarios. “You’re proposing going public on my social media.” It makes sense. With a single picture, we can announce our relationship and get ahead of any repercussions from Aphrodite. This only works if all of Olympus buys our love story, and for that to happen, all of Olympus needs to know it’s happening.

“Yes. Mine is sadly neglected.”

It might be neglected, but he has nearly as large a platform as I do. It’s good to be Aphrodite’s son with the face of a god and a mysterious personality to match. But he’s right. If one of us were to announce our relationship to the world, it would be me.

I open my eyes. I’m going through with this. I’ve already committed. Now it’s simply a matter of doing it right. “Okay. Give me a few.”

Eros watches with something akin to amusement as I climb out of bed and move around his room, turning on some lights and turning off others. I use my phone to shoot a few test shots of him, and then curse him inwardly for being so photogenic that every photo looks like it should be in some magazine about millionaire playboys on their off-time.

It takes moving the lamp on the nightstand onto the bed to get the light I’m looking for. It’s not perfect, but it’s close enough. And really, no one expects perfect for the kind of shot we’re creating.

I drag forth what little courage I have left and crawl back into bed with Eros. He smooths my hair off to one side and tugs the strap of my tank top down a little so my shoulder is bare. I almost yank it back up, but we’re going for intimate and a little sexy, so it works.

I angle my phone and snap a few photos, trying not to jump when he kisses the spot where my shoulder meets my neck. “Stop that.”

“Got to make it good for the camera.”

I flip through the pictures. “You’re taking advantage and you know it. That’s a terrible angle to see your face.”

Eros tugs me even closer to him, and then his hand cups my jaw, turning my face to his. “Get the camera ready,” he murmurs, his gaze on my lips.

I shouldn’t. It’s a terrible idea. The absolute worst. But I check the angle of my phone and then turn back to him. I only intend for it to be a quick kiss and snap a few pictures as soon as his lips touch mine.

Eros isn’t content with that. He nips my bottom lip, sharp enough to draw a gasp from me, and he promptly takes advantage of the opening to slip his tongue into my mouth. He tastes like the peppermint toothpaste I used in the bathroom, and he kisses me like this is just the opening battle in what he expects to be a long war.

I melt. There’s no other word for it. I drop my phone and dig my hands into his curly hair, allowing him to deepen the kiss even as a small voice in the back of my mind calls me seven different kinds of a fool.

If he pushed things or went too fast, then maybe reason would have intruded and put a stop to this foolishness, but Eros seems content to simply kiss me until we are both breathing hard and I’m shaking. His cock is a long length against my hip, so hard that I have to fight myself to avoid reaching for him.

When he finally lifts his head and stares down at me with eyes gone dark from desire, he looks almost as shocked as I feel. The expression shifts away almost instantly, replaced by fierce determination. He eases back slowly enough that I have to bite my bottom lip to remind myself that this is fake, that I most certainly cannot reach for him and drag him on top of me to finish what that kiss started. It’s only when he’s a precarious six inches away that he speaks. “Your words say one thing, but that kiss says something else entirely, Psyche. Sex is still up for negotiation and you know it.”