Mark of Kóri | III ✓ [ SAMPLE ]

chapter 3

WE TOOK A portal to Olympus —emerging directly in one of Apollo's many living rooms.

They all resembled each other, with few subtle differences to tell them apart. A change in position of a sofa or lounger; the presence or absence of a bookcase and coffee table; the hue of the curtains or the pattern of decorative wallpaper. I moved to run a hand along the luxurious velvet of the room's particular cream lounger.

My mind went back in time to a few months before, to that illicit dream and the thoughts which had followed. To the scenario I had then played out in my head.

Apollo was now aware of it and had attempted to bring it to fruition, but our efforts so far had been almost suspiciously thwarted —as if deliberately by some force as strong as Fate. I was tempted to complain, though curiously enough being made to wait for him to be the one to touch me was not infuriating. It left me with things to which to look forward.

In the distance, fireworks went off.

I wondered for a moment if the Olympian New Year's Celebration was truly all that lacking. Many of the other minor gods resided up here, so it certainly was not about a small pool of guests. Perhaps Apollo had simply made excuses to be with me, instead.

My gaze was then snagged by Apollo's sudden gaping shirt. "It's hot," he stated as he also pulled off his tie and shoes. The expression on my face likely resembled dumb awe as the god of light raked a hand through his short loose waves and held my gaze in an iron grip. "Besides —it is nothing that you have not seen before."

Oh gods, it certainly was.

I had indeed had the opportunity to take in Apollo's bare midsection in the past, but now I embraced it wholly. Without touch, I mapped out the muscles on his abdomen and how they moved, underneath that beautifully tanned and freckled skin. I almost reached out without realising —almost gave myself away.

...How would they move if I were atop him?

I cleared my throat and fought to stifle the bold flame that dared to flicker in the pit of my stomach. My gown began to feel constricting.