Narcissus gaped at me.
“Now, put your little pervy pecker away,” I growled and let a hint of my lioness come through. “Or I will rip it off.”
Narcissus shoved his dick back into his pants.
I got up and headed back to the stream; my relaxed mood completely ruined. I dove into the deep center of the stream and swam ahead quickly. Like an Olympic swimmer, I shot through the water, barely noting that I passed under the stone bridge and was coming up along the other side of the room. I was nearly back to the main pool when Narcissus caught up with me.
“Vervain.” He grabbed my shoulder.
I jerked away from him.
“I'm so sorry.” Narcissus backed away and stood in the shallows nearby with both hands lifted placatingly.
I moved to the other side of the stream and stood there glaring at him. “That was not okay, Narcissus.”
“I know. I can't apologize enough.” His face was as red as mine and it had nothing to do with the heat. “My only defense is that it never occurred to me that you wouldn't want me. I suppose that is arrogant, but that's how my life has always been. I see a woman I want, and I have sex with her. I truly thought you'd be interested. My deepest apologies for the assumption; I behaved like a scoundrel, a libertine. I have never been so embarrassed. Surely, that is penance enough? You most thoroughly put me in my place.”
“Try asking a woman before you touch her next time,” I huffed.
“You're right, of course,” he said contritely. “Again; I'm used to women wanting me.” He laughed mirthlessly and shook his head. “You're the first woman to refuse, and you did it in a way that will ensure I never forget. I will definitely be more careful in my approach next time.”
“Looks aren't everything, Narcissus,” I said. “You shouldn't rely so heavily on yours. It seems as if they've only gotten you into trouble.” I waved a hand around us.
Narcissus grimaced. “Truer words have never been spoken. Living here has been akin to the tortures of Tartarus. I have never been so damn lonely.”
“I get that it's been rough for you.” I sighed. “Let's just forget about it. Hopefully, soon, we'll all be out of here and you can find someone single to be with.”
“You don't know how excited I am about that.” He grinned. “The thought of being free again is almost too good to be true. I can't dare to hope too much yet.”
Well, I could understand that.
“I can't imagine what it would be like to be trapped here for so long,” I offered as an olive branch. It would be better to have Narcissus' goodwill while we were imprisoned in his home. “And then for your only companions to slowly die in front of you. That had to have been horrible; seeing them starve while you could do nothing to help them.”
Narcissus swallowed roughly. “I used to make love to the women. I thought it would be nice to give us both some pleasure before they died. But that only made it harder. I got attached and then would have to watch them starve. So, I haven't touched another person in over two hundred years. I give in to the need for contact every few centuries, I just can't control myself, but beyond that, I abstain. And then you appeared; a goddess who wouldn't die. But I see now that it was wrong of me to try to seduce you.”
“It's okay,” I said lamely. “As I said; it's forgotten. Let's just get back to my husbands.”
“The pool is right through there.” He gestured down the stream.
I swam ahead and tried not to feel uncomfortable about Narcissus bringing up the rear.
Chapter Twelve
Narcissus stayed a polite distance away from me after we returned to the pool. Once I was out of that misty tunnel, I felt much better, and I started enjoying my swim. Trevor and Kirill continued with their charming boyish behavior and even got me to join in. I went down the slide a few times, and they even catapulted me off their broad shoulders. It was actually a lot of fun. I loved being able to focus on Trevor and Kirill without having to worry about dividing my time with my other men.
I love my husbands and my boyfriend but there are times when it gets to be a bit much. I didn't just need my space on occasion, I also needed some time in smaller groups and one-on-one. We did try to go out on dates with just one or two of them joining me, but there was always the moment when it was over and we'd have to return to the others. There, in the Mirror, it was just us until Odin and Re convinced Nemesis to get us out. I didn't have any doubt that Odin would convince her; he'd do whatever it took to get the Goddess of Revenge to call off the curse. I just wasn't sure how long that might take.
But I intended to make the most of every minute.
If only I could have a drink. The hunger bothered me but not nearly as much as the thirst. Swimming had turned into torture after awhile. Especially after all that exertion. I was so thirsty that I nearly took a sip from the pool.
“I can't deal with this anymore,” Trevor said as we lounged on the grass. “I need some water.”
“Me too.” I was grateful that he was the one to say it. “I may be able to survive dehydration, but the bits in between recovery are not fun.”
“Da,” Kirill said. “It's vorth ze risk. If Nemesis undoes ze curse, it von't matter anyway.”
“Good point,” Trevor said eagerly.
Frankly, my thirst raged loudly enough to compel me
