she liked soon enough.
As Harmonia set everything down, he searched for a distraction. He settled for talking about Daphne, hoping perhaps it would help maintain the “nothing romantic” atmosphere and help him out at the same time.
“Do you like hunting?” he asked.
“Artemis took me a few times. I don’t really like it.”
“Daphne used to like it a great deal. I’d like to take her. Do you think she’d like that?”
Harmonia focused on her plate for a few moments as she dished out some vegetables. “I don’t know. Her views on hunting may have changed.”
He didn’t follow her. He took a bite of mashed potatoes and that stopped his next question for a moment. “These are amazing.”
Harmonia seemed surprised. “Oh, thank you. I cook for myself a lot.”
“I can tell.” He tried the chicken, which had a sweet, bacony flavor in its glaze. “Wow. I’m impressed.”
She just smiled and blushed again.
He smiled too. He had to admit, whatever the context, he liked making women blush. He found it very becoming and thought it implied a strength of feeling, something else he liked in a woman. He stopped smiling. He needed to slow down. The last thing he needed was to start sweet-talking Harmonia.
“But why do you think she might not like hunting anymore?”
“She spent centuries as a tree,” Harmonia said in a tone that implied she was amazed he hadn’t considered this. “I think her feelings toward nature may have changed.”
“Oh.” She had a good point. “You might be right. Maybe I should tell her I want to spend some time with her and ask her what she’d like to do.”
“That sounds like a better idea.”
Harmonia seemed calm, aside from her blushes, but she probably wasn’t enjoying the conversation. Or was he being conceited? Was he only imagining she’d be more than happy for them to stop talking about Daphne? That she wanted something more to happen beyond talking tonight? He had to admit the idea had popped back into his mind when he noticed that her breasts looked fantastic, even though the neckline of her dress was very modest.
He focused on his food. Why had he agreed to have dinner? He was frustrated about Daphne, which was making him horny. That made this the worst time to be anywhere near Harmonia. Part of his mind wondered if Aphrodite still had it out for him.
A knock at the back door made him sure she still was, no matter how many times she’d tried to apologize.
Daphne stood there looking through the small window at him and Harmonia having dinner and drinking wine.
Harmonia had the good manners to pale and look at him apologetically. “Sorry.”
“You couldn’t have known. It’s fine.”
He answered the door casually, trying to look pleased instead of nervous. “Hi. Come on in.”
“I seem to be interrupting something,” Daphne said. She looked at Harmonia pointedly.
“We’re just having dinner. That’s all,” Apollo said.
“So, she won’t mind if I do this?” Daphne pulled Apollo close and kissed him full on the mouth.
Apollo kissed her back. She tasted sweet and felt wonderful, but something wasn’t right. He pulled back. “I don’t think this is what you came here for.”
Daphne looked between the two of them. “No. I came to give you an answer.”
“Maybe we should go in the other room.”
“It won’t take long.”
Harmonia stood up. “I’ll go.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Daphne said. “I came to tell you I love Hypnos. That isn’t going to change. I wanted you to know. He wants me to keep thinking about it, but I don’t see the point. No one could change how I feel about him.”
“Then why did you kiss me just now? To be hurtful and cause someone else pain? You don’t want me, but you’re still going to get jealous?”
“Well, maybe not jealous, but how about angry? You’re supposedly waiting for me to make up my mind, but you’re finding ways to pass the time.”
Apollo knew how it looked, but he also knew he
As Harmonia set everything down, he searched for a distraction. He settled for talking about Daphne, hoping perhaps it would help maintain the “nothing romantic” atmosphere and help him out at the same time.
“Do you like hunting?” he asked.
“Artemis took me a few times. I don’t really like it.”
“Daphne used to like it a great deal. I’d like to take her. Do you think she’d like that?”
Harmonia focused on her plate for a few moments as she dished out some vegetables. “I don’t know. Her views on hunting may have changed.”
He didn’t follow her. He took a bite of mashed potatoes and that stopped his next question for a moment. “These are amazing.”
Harmonia seemed surprised. “Oh, thank you. I cook for myself a lot.”
“I can tell.” He tried the chicken, which had a sweet, bacony flavor in its glaze. “Wow. I’m impressed.”
She just smiled and blushed again.
He smiled too. He had to admit, whatever the context, he liked making women blush. He found it very becoming and thought it implied a strength of feeling, something else he liked in a woman. He stopped smiling. He needed to slow down. The last thing he needed was to start sweet-talking Harmonia.
“But why do you think she might not like hunting anymore?”
“She spent centuries as a tree,” Harmonia said in a tone that implied she was amazed he hadn’t considered this. “I think her feelings toward nature may have changed.”
“Oh.” She had a good point. “You might be right. Maybe I should tell her I want to spend some time with her and ask her what she’d like to do.”
“That sounds like a better idea.”
Harmonia seemed calm, aside from her blushes, but she probably wasn’t enjoying the conversation. Or was he being conceited? Was he only imagining she’d be more than happy for them to stop talking about Daphne? That she wanted something more to happen beyond talking tonight? He had to admit the idea had popped back into his mind when he noticed that her breasts looked fantastic, even though the neckline of her dress was very modest.
He focused on his food. Why had he agreed to have dinner? He was frustrated about Daphne, which was making him horny. That made this the worst time to be anywhere near Harmonia. Part of his mind wondered if Aphrodite still had it out for him.
A knock at the back door made him sure she still was, no matter how many times she’d tried to apologize.
Daphne stood there looking through the small window at him and Harmonia having dinner and drinking wine.
Harmonia had the good manners to pale and look at him apologetically. “Sorry.”
“You couldn’t have known. It’s fine.”
He answered the door casually, trying to look pleased instead of nervous. “Hi. Come on in.”
“I seem to be interrupting something,” Daphne said. She looked at Harmonia pointedly.
“We’re just having dinner. That’s all,” Apollo said.
“So, she won’t mind if I do this?” Daphne pulled Apollo close and kissed him full on the mouth.
Apollo kissed her back. She tasted sweet and felt wonderful, but something wasn’t right. He pulled back. “I don’t think this is what you came here for.”
Daphne looked between the two of them. “No. I came to give you an answer.”
“Maybe we should go in the other room.”
“It won’t take long.”
Harmonia stood up. “I’ll go.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Daphne said. “I came to tell you I love Hypnos. That isn’t going to change. I wanted you to know. He wants me to keep thinking about it, but I don’t see the point. No one could change how I feel about him.”
“Then why did you kiss me just now? To be hurtful and cause someone else pain? You don’t want me, but you’re still going to get jealous?”
“Well, maybe not jealous, but how about angry? You’re supposedly waiting for me to make up my mind, but you’re finding ways to pass the time.”
Apollo knew how it looked, but he also knew he
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