Part of me wants to argue. My parents are incredibly happy and stable without needing to be polyamorous. A lot of people are. But I can’t argue because Eris is right. “Last night…”
“It fit.” She gives a soft smile. “I don’t even like him most of the time, but I can’t pretend that it didn’t feel like you and I suddenly balanced each other out in a way that I’ve never felt before.”
That’s exactly it. It felt balanced. There’s something deeply ironic about Theseus potentially being the stabilizing glue that holds us together. I swallow hard. “And Pandora?”
“I like her. A lot.” That softness on her face becomes more pronounced. “If there’s a way we can make it work with the four of us, I would very much like to. I know that sounds naive considering our current climate and the fact that both Theseus and I might be dead before too long, but—”
“You won’t die.” I refuse to let it happen.
This morning, I was still reeling from being in bed with Theseus and Eris, but it was downright lovely in the kitchen with the four of us, Pandora and Theseus bickering in the way only longtime friends can, Eris relaxed and indulgent, and me… I could be at home there. It felt almost wrong to want that in the moment, but maybe that was because it clashed with what I thought I should have.
“I want it, too. Him with us.” I take a deep breath. “But three days to make it happen? That’s an impossible task.”
“Maybe.” She pushes one of the containers over to me. “Eat something and let’s talk. We might come up with something brilliant.”
“You have a lot of faith in us.” I take the container and start to eat. Strangely enough, I’m not even remotely surprised to find Pandora has divined Eris’s favorite restaurant and ordered the takeout from there. It might be a manipulation tactic, but I don’t think so. She obviously cares for Eris as much as Eris cares for her.
Eris taps her fork against the side of her container. “What if we tie him to my bed and fuck him until he can’t think of anything but us?”
A surge of heat goes through my body at the thought. I like what I’ve shared with Theseus when it’s just the two of us, but I like what we shared with the three of us, too. I clear my throat. “That might work, but only until he recovers his senses.” We share a look and I surprise myself by laughing. “Eris, we can’t keep him chained to our bed indefinitely.”
“Pity.” Her smile. “I like that. Our bed.” She lifts her drink. “Let’s make it the truth.”
Two days ago, I never could have guessed that I’d be here, contemplating a future with the woman I loved and lost and the completely unsuitable man that I’ve teetered right over the edge of falling for. Now, I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
I touch my drink to hers. “Deal.”
32
APHRODITE
I wish I could say I have a plan to bring my husband around. I don’t. I have the possibility of a plan, but that’s hardly the same thing. Everything rides on me—on us—being able to convince him that he’s best suited to switch sides against the man he thinks saved him. Some good fucking and a little bit of infatuation isn’t going to be enough to combat that. I don’t know what will be enough…
But Pandora will know.
Her knowledge isn’t what has my heart racing as Achilles drives us into my parking garage and pulls up in front of the elevator door, though. He turns, bracing one arm across the back of the passenger seat so he can look at me. “Two of my people will do a quick walk-through of your place and then you can go up.”
“That’s not necessary.”
He doesn’t blink. “We’ve been through this. Your sister put me in charge of your security and—”
“And you take it very seriously, which I deeply appreciate.” It takes more effort than I want to admit to keep my tone light and my frustration nowhere in evidence. Achilles is doing his job, and as loath as I am to admit it, he’s quite good at it. Holding it against him just because his presence is necessary is shitty.
I’m not sure I care, though.
“There is no one in my apartment. The security in this building is top-notch.” And if Pandora beat me here, I don’t want Achilles’s people to scare the shit out of her. I reach for the door. “Thank you for today, but I’m leaving now.”
“Aphrodite.” He waits for me to look at him. “If you don’t want us to sweep the place first, then I’m going up with you now.”
“But—”
“Those are your only options. If you don’t pick, I’m going to pick for you.” He speaks just as reasonably as I do, which is why it takes my tired brain a few seconds to catch up.
I narrow my eyes. I know exactly what he’ll pick, and I don’t like it one bit. “I don’t know why my sister puts up with you,” I snarl.
“My charm and good looks,” he fires right back. “Plus, I’m tall enough to reach the high shelf without her having to climb up onto the counter.”
Helen is not that short. “And here I thought it was because you’re so good in bed.”
He grins. “A gentleman never kisses and tells.”
Gods, but I like him even when he’s being stubborn. I do see what my sister likes about him. I prefer my partners with a little less…everything…but Achilles does have a certain charm about him. When he’s not being a pain in the ass. “You may accompany me up to my apartment to assure yourself that there are no boogeymen hiding under my bed.”
He glances at the other two guards in the car. “Stay here.” He doesn’t speak again until we’re in the elevator heading up, but then he turns to me with an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. “We’re being overprotective, but it’s for a good reason. You can’t trust anyone, Aphrodite. Not when anyone and everyone could be an enemy.”
My stomach drops out. “I’m aware of the risk.”
“Then stop fighting and let me do my job.” A weighted pause. “For your sister’s sake.”
Damn it, but he’s got a trump card with that and he knows it. No matter how little I like the extra security, I would have agreed to it because Helen insisted. I would have agreed regardless—I’m not a fool, and I was just attacked yesterday—but I would have put up more of a fight if someone else suggested their security team.
I sigh. “You’re in the elevator, aren’t you? I’m not going to wait for you to leave and then take off on my own.”
“You know, I wasn’t worried about you doing exactly that until you said something.” He grins. “But Patroclus was worried about it, so he suggested I leave two of my team watching the exits.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I roll my eyes, even as my chest gives a little pang. Achilles and Patroclus are nothing like my actual brothers—they’re not cold and reserved like Perseus or naive and idealistic like Hercules—but in the last two months they’ve both fallen into a strange sort of fraternal role that I enjoy despite myself.
It doesn’t hurt that they look at my sister like the sun rises and sets with her.
It takes Achilles a few minutes to do a thorough sweep of the place and even as he walks to the door, he’s got a look on his face like he’s not happy. “I’d feel better if you had someone in here with you.”
“No.” I smile as I say it, though. “I promise to let your people know if plans change and I need to leave.”
He shakes his head. “I guess that’s what they call compromise.”
“Never heard of her.”
He grins. “Me either. But we’ll make it work.” He opens the door. “See you tomorrow, Aphrodite.”
“See you tomorrow.” I don’t bother to point out that he has much more important things to do than play babysitter for me. He’s not my personal detail because there’s no one else capable of doing it; he’s here because it makes Helen feel better. I can’t fault him for that.
I’ve only had time enough to pick a bottle of wine and pull down two glasses when my door opens and Pandora walks through. I pause, drinking in the sight of her. “Did you dress up for me?”
She looks down at herself, dressed in another body-con dress similar to the one from the other night. It’s black, cut low on her breasts and high on her thighs, and it hugs her generous body like a second skin.