His eyes narrowed. "You can't be serious right now."
Sage shrugged. She didn't have anything to do for the next few days, and she'd just found out she was a supposedly mythical creature, and so was he. Did he think she wanted to twiddle her thumbs at home when there were satyrs in Georgia suffering from a curse where she, a nymph, was the only cure? Not on her watch. She was a problem solver. A go-getter. A help-people-out-er. A curious-about-satyr-sex-seeker. And there was never a puzzle she couldn't put together.
If she weren't mistaken, his disappointment had stemmed not only because he'd realized she was what he needed and couldn't have, but he'd wanted her. There'd been heat in his eyes when she caught him watching her dance. A catch in his breath. "I am serious."
"Gods," he whispered to himself. "You're stubborn and possibly insane."
"You wouldn't be the first to think so." When he didn't make a move to leave or comment, she crossed her arms. Shit, I'm still naked. "I should put on some clothes—unless..."
"I'm going to regret asking this." His nostrils flared. "Unless what?"
She gestured at herself. "You sure you don't want to sample any of this?"
A tic started in his jaw, and he turned around and walked away.
Too much, Sage. Too much. You're harassing the man. She chased after him, not even bothering with her clothes, belongings, or the candles. It was supposed to rain tonight, but at least her bag was waterproof. She wasn't about to let a satyr disappear into the night. She might not get to play in the way she wanted, but she still had a lot of questions.
The only reasonable explanation was she'd been sent to torment him. Had Hermes done this to test him—to see what Pan's curse would do? Adonis would never forgive the god for such a thing, either god if Hermes were behind this latest debacle. At the same time, if not for his lack of arousal, he would have succumbed to her seduction. He'd have taken her right there inside that circle of candles. Lost his chance at becoming human again forever by sleeping with a nymph mere days before the Satyr Moon.
And he would have enjoyed it. Gods, he'd been enraptured with her beauty and seductive movements at first, before he'd gotten freaked out by the implications of what she was and how that affected him. Still, her curiosity and lack of fear intrigued him. There had to be something wrong with her though if she had real interest in him, and that issue might be her incessant chatter. Sage said whatever came to mind without thinking about it and was shockingly forward. Weren't humans of this era supposed to be more concerned about harassment and consent and what not?
She confused him more with every breath she took. Truthfully, his annoyance stemmed from the fact that his dick was cursed in more ways than one, and the more wanton she acted, the more pissed he got that his body wouldn't behave as it should.
She wants me, not caring about my past, and I can't do anything about it.
Pausing, he sighed and then started walking again. He'd thought retreat was the best way to make it clear he wasn't interested, but he could hear her hurrying to catch up with his long strides. He bet she hadn't even put the candles out or grabbed her dress. A muffled expletive affirmed that thought. She was chasing him barefoot in the dark—so much for the earth not harming her. Foolish girl. As a wood nymph, she couldn't be far into her powers or she would have little trouble navigating her element in the dark. Adonis stopped abruptly, gritting his teeth when she crashed into his back with a grunt.
Sage clung to his hips as she steadied herself, breasts pressing against his flesh. He hissed in a breath. The pleasant sensations of a woman's touch felt strange without anything stirring his more primitive appetite. A phantom tickle that refused to bloom into physical stimulation.
"Gather your belongings. Put those candles out. I'll wait." He couldn't have her burning down the trees that kept the world away from his sad little home. He also needed her to dress herself. The longer he stared at all that skin she'd laid out for him, the more aggravated he became. Staring at a feast, hungry with no appetite. Godsdammit.
"You won't leave?" Skepticism colored her question.
She was the worst best thing to happen to him in a long time. He wanted to leave, but if he assumed correctly, the curse would be back in full force without her. If she stayed near until he could find Hermes or get into town on Halloween, he wouldn't have to worry about hurting anyone and losing control until he found someone he could have sex with.
"I won't." He didn't turn around, but after a moment of hesitation, she went back in the direction of her candle circle. Adonis rubbed his face. Why him? It had taken nearly destroying his twin's chance at happiness and then Hermes helping him rehabilitate himself to get the last of Dionysus' influence out of his system. He was thinking clearly for the first time since his immortality and wished he could atone for the way he'd acted in the past. Ariston still refused to speak to him…
Adonis didn't blame his twin for his anger. It was deserved, and if they'd been in different shoes, he'd have reacted the same way. What would Sage say about what he'd nearly done? Would she want him when she found out he was no better than trash in a gutter?
Scowling, he chastised himself for caring. Rejection couldn't sting the emotionally numb.
"You did wait." Surprised, Sage's voice didn't hide her delight as she returned, attired in her thin dress and flip flops and carting a large bag. "Are we going to your lair? Do you have orgies there in the name
