We all bunched in a bit, and I put my hand around Mandy’s back, while merely settling for Kaya’s shoulder brushing against mine. As painfully aware of that touch as I was, I could also tell it’d hit Kaya even harder, as our auras combined and our powers started to act like circling purring kittens. It was almost to the level of making me hard on the spot, the instant jump in potency to our sexual tension and chemical attraction was as electrifying as it was shallow due to her power. I did stir a bit, and I’d say my respiration and heartbeat took a slight incline, but nothing too obvious.

  Our normal chemical attraction had already been pretty high as it was, on the other shallow level of physical attraction and pheromones. Just to be clear. Her power was like a sensual caress on my body, and I imagine mine was like a dominating touch on hers.

  Her dark gray eyes went even wider, as she looked up at me in shocked desire, a mix of surprise and smoldering heat that she took a moment to shutter from view, and I was feeling a little mesmerized myself. Her eyes were stunningly beautiful up close, dark gray and expressively deep, and so very alluring. I was tempted to put an arm around her and pull her even tighter against me, but I had more self-control than to give into that. She wasn’t mine, not yet.

  Regardless, she did give me a light helpless smile, as if to say what are you going to do, we’re both hot as hell. It was both demure in action yet bold in message.

  Vicki smiled, “Perfect, here we go,” and she teleported us in a flashing bubble of golden light.

  She put us right behind some velvet hanging ropes, just the wrong sides of them, and there were several people staring. I could tell by the way they were looking at each of us for some clue, that they were trying to figure out which of us was a god or goddess. They’d probably be shocked to find out all six of us were.

  Natasha giggled, “Subtle, Vicki.”

  Vicki waved that away, “This dock is like a mile long, and there’s people everywhere.”

  I stepped forward and around Vicki, and I undid the rope clip and gestured them all into the queue of people. They all kissed my cheek and patted my stomach as they walked by, and with a daring look in her eyes Kaya did the same in a playful way. I didn’t comment on it, but I did pin her with an interested stare for a long moment that I know for a fact hit her libido hard.

  Hey, she totally started it.

  I was also getting the impression she was as surprised as I was with her boldness, that it was out of character for her to flirt with a man so brazenly. Or at least, that it had been out of character for her to be sensually daring before she’d gotten her power. Perhaps the dark desires to be dominated and used in bed weren’t the only dark instincts that getting her power had released.

  I mean, maybe I was reading into it too much, but I didn’t think so, and Nyx had been said to have been as great a seductress of men as Aphrodite. That men literally couldn’t resist taking her like an animal when she aimed her dark allure and seductiveness at them.

  Part of that myth was probably hyperbole, but the principal behind it, her being extremely sensual and seductive, might be the kernel of truth. Just like her sexual proclivity was the kernel of truth in the forced to take her like an animal part. The look in her eyes was like she was daring me to take her, telling me that I could have the myriad pleasures of her great beauty and lusciously perfect body, if I but dared to step forward and grasp her to me. The surprise at her own actions and doubts that lingered there too however, was a mixed message and cancelled out that implied and non-verbal consent.

  Anyway, it looked like they’d just started to board the ship, so the walk forward was both slow and steady as we boarded the huge yacht. There were a lot of older couples, but some people our age and in between as well, I supposed it was the ballroom dancing part that’d separated the men from the boys that way.

  We boarded the ship and were led by crew at certain points to go in a certain direction, just in case the velvet ropes were too confusing for some, I supposed. We were led to a large ballroom that had to be the whole center level of the top three levels of the ship. I mean, there were windows on all four walls overlooking an ocean view, so it was definitely that. All the tables were on one end of the room, and there was an eight-person orchestra playing at the other end on a small dais, the rest of the place, about two thirds of it, was dance floor.

  There were four six person tables, a much larger number of four and two person tables. Apparently, we had a six-person table reserved, as there was a folded name plate with the name Johnson stenciled in flawless calligraphy.

  It was either fate or my ladies’ plotting, and I totally knew it was the latter, that I ended up sitting directly next to Kaya. She was on my right, while Natasha was on my left. I knew what they were doing, and I actually approved. It was hard for a guy to get to know a woman, when several other women were around and dominating the small talk. Even a bold and confident man like myself could get lost in that shuffle, with an overabundance of estrogen in the room.

  I hadn’t forgotten I’d pulled the others aside one by one in the beginning, to form our emotional bonds and one on one relationships to get past that issue. And the message was clear, I needed to sweep her off her feet and show her who I really was tonight, instead of just being background guy like I’d been last night. In my defense, she’d kept giving me nervous looks last night, and I hadn’t wanted to push my company on her if she was afraid of me. Now that I knew that hadn’t been it, I was totally on board with sweeping this ripely sexy, understatedly lush, and young exotically beautiful goddess off her feet. The dress she had on was made for her, she was all elegant beauty and stunning allure, the fragile and exotic beauty of her face evoking potent emotions to protect and care for her even though we were strangers, while her body evoked the desire to ravish and take my pleasure.

  Both of those shallowly engendered yet conflicted drives, had a potent effect on my libido. I imagined not all that different than a woman felt when I delivered the dueling sensations of demanding and cherishing in my lovemaking.

  The others were still around of course, but Natasha on my left and Mandy on her right had both turned to engage in a quiet conversation with Vicki and Amelia, very obviously ignoring us. To the point even Kaya gave me a knowing smirk, knowing we’d both been set up.

  “So, have you had time to go over our spell book?”

  Kaya nodded, “I did, and thanks for that. She’d left off more than just that one spell to detect compulsion, and the deeper explanations and primer of how to design and build wards will come in handy to make my own self-tailored ones, not to mention the basics in forming our own spells. There were quite a few spells that she gave me that you don’t seem to have though, I’m planning to compile them and text them to Natasha, so she can disseminate to the rest of you and your families.”

  “That sounds good, if you have any questions, we’re here for you too. A lot of trial and error goes into new spells and the learning curve can be high. We still consult with Brenna and her coven for instance.”

  She smiled lightly, a wicked glint in her eyes, “You want to make magic with me?” Her tone had been innocently warm, but her stormy gray eyes had been beyond smoldering invitation.

  I chuckled confidently in a low tone to hit her libido as hard as she just hit mine, because her eyes were talking about a different type of magic than witchcraft.

  “That sounds divine, and like I said, sometimes it can take a lot of experimentation to fully explore all potentials and possibilities.”

  She bit her lip, her eyes both smoldering and shocked at herself more than me, again giving me the clue that she was learning more about herself this night as a dark goddess. There was a bold seductress hiding beneath her demure elegance that needed to be ravished, and that seemed to frighten her a little bit, those desires overpowering her in our close proximity. So, I released her from my gaze and took a sip of wine to break the sexual tension, and she joined me.

  I said, “I’ve always found magic more useful in my day-to-day life outside of the general powers, it’s far more useful for those with a destructive mantel. Though, I suppose snagging the remote from across a room can be useful.”

  She giggled, “Guilty. I never have to grope for a towel with my eyes closed either, but other than that you’re probably right. Our power is offensive for the most part, and telekinesis is neutral at best, can be either.”

  “That gave me an interesting mental picture.”

  She snorted in dismissal to that, then seemed to change her mind and smiled lightly, but didn’t comment back on my rather salacious statement, that I’d pictured her naked groping for a towel.

  “Friends and family?”

  She bit her lip, “Mom is kind of happy for me. I mean, she’s always been overprotective, so she’s happy to know there’s only seven people on the planet that can kill me.”

  “Eight actually. The goddess of light, Hemera reborn, keeps to herself. None of us even know who she is. She can shapeshift and conceal her power from us, like Nate could.”

  She blushed.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  She giggled, “It’s silly, but she’s our child in Greek myth.”

  “Oh, right. We have a few of those running around, I think. According to the legends.”

  She winked, “Anyway, my father didn’t reject me, but he’s clearly nervous around me now. He’s always been formal and strict, so I hope he gets over it.”

  I nodded, “He obviously did something right,” while looking into her eyes again, “So he can’t be all bad.”

  She smiled, “He’s not, and I haven’t really seen my younger brother and two sisters, so I don’t know how they’ll react. They’re in boarding school while my dad is in Washington on assignment, and they don’t accept visitors except a specific day once a month. I only went with them because I was on break and old and mature enough not to cause a scandal.”

  I winked, “I think you probably have it in you.”

  She mock gasped, “That’s very churlish of you to suggest, sir,” while her eyes secretly agreed with me. Maybe not four days ago, but she was a dark goddess now, and she’d at least scandalized herself.

  I smiled, “My apologies, it was rude to point out such truths.”

  She laughed at that, “You’re as incorrigible as Natasha, aren’t you?”

  I nodded, “Maybe not about her favorite subject, but I can be, yes.”

  She asked, “What about your family?”

  I sighed, “I haven’t seen them in twenty-two years, Nate wouldn’t allow it. If I wasn’t at his side I was at a mansion and confined to the property with orders not to contact or communicate with anyone. I suppose I should reach out, but I haven’t yet. Starting my own family, new family, and being there for them is my highest priority right now. Things are too uncertain with our enemy out there to go off on a hare or get distracted right now.”

  She touched my arm, and the immediately jump in sexual tension had us both looking away and drinking more wine, as her hand caressed down my arm and then returned to her own lap.

  She said, “That’s terrible, I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.”

  “I get why you didn’t, and you trying to save the women I care for so deeply endeared you to me far more than anything else you could’ve done, even in an attack.”

  She blushed, “Deeply?”

  I smiled, “You definitely have my attention, Kaya. I don’t mean what’s going on with our powers either. Your heart and ambition are as pure as anyone I’ve ever met, and I’ve been looking forward to getting to know you. The more I get to know you, the more I’m sure your outer beauty is merely a reflection of the inner, and just as magnificent.”

  She shook her head with colored cheeks, “I’m… not all that.”

  I snorted in dismissal, “No one who thinks they are, are.”

  She giggled, “That’s not fair, you left me no avenue to refute your praise.”

  I winked, to let her know that was the plan, which made her giggle again.

  Her lips twitched, “It’s a cultural thing. We really don’t accept compliments well.”

  I chuckled, “Then I apologize in advance for all the social discomfort I’m going to cause you in the future.”

  She giggled, “See, totally incorrigible. Besides, you’re the amazing one, to forgive my naïve trespasses. Good intentions or not. You’re also different than I was… imagining.”

  “Different good?”

  She nodded, “Far more… relaxed and thoughtfully kind. You can be intense too, around the eyes, but I expected you to be more… domineering in personality.”

  I smiled, “What we get up to behind closed doors isn’t the full summation of our beings or lives. Except maybe for Mandy.”

  Mandy giggled and turned to wink at us in agreement.

  She looked uncertain, so I explained, “I’m also not above a little teasing, Mandy is the most complicated person at the table in truth. Her mantel of wisdom makes her that way. She’s far more than the sweetly vivacious airhead she appears to be, and we wouldn’t dare make any major decisions without her advice.”

  Kaya nodded thoughtfully, “We don’t do much teasing in Japan, either.”

  I shook my head in mock sorrow, “I’m so sorry. Between the playful but never cruel teasing and the irrefutable compliments, you’re in for an interesting time with us.”

  She snickered, “A part of me is enjoying it, when I think a week ago, I’d have thought you rude if measured against my culture.”

  I said, “I can also be somewhat overprotective, if the occasion calls for it.”

  She smiled lightly, “That I believe, and can totally relate to.”

  Well, that was interesting.

  The food started to come out, so the conversation paused. All of us had gotten the steak, though there’d been a fish or chicken option too. The waiters also refilled our wine glasses before silently retreating.

  We continued to chat and get to know each other through dinner. She was definitely an ambassador in the making. Whenever something may have been offensive by her culture, she gave me a confused look to draw out a deeper explanation instead of taking offense. She’d called me thoughtfully kind and considerate toward others, but in truth she had me beat that way hands down. She was accommodating and sweet, like Amelia, and just a little bolder. A few more sexual innuendos snuck into the conversation as well, telling me that her mind was as affected by our intense sexual tension and chemical attraction as mine was.

  She truly was breathtaking.

  The band started to play a little louder as the end of the meal grew nigh. Not too loud for concentration, but loud enough to drive emotion and be noticed, toward the end of the meal. Several couples got up to dance, so I stood and held my hand out.

  “Dance, Kaya?”

  There was a return challenge in her eyes as she put her hand into mine, the heat in her eyes immediately going molten hot as I pulled her to her feet. It was my first time holding her hand, or for any kind of extended contact more than a casual brush of our bodies, and it was twice as potent as before. The instant electric tension and mutual need as our powers flirted far more outrageously than our eyes were.

  The look on her face was pure demure enjoyment, but the look in her eyes was beyond smoldering as I escorted her onto the dance floor. Our close proximity and the intimacy of it, as I put my right hand on the small of her waist, and held her hand with my left, while her hand went on my shoulder, was honestly incredibly intense. She looked both nervous and bold in that moment, daring to face the smoldering fire between us boldly, rather than backing down and out of the dance.

  She truly was magnificent as we started to dance.

  “You’re gracefully light on your feet, Kaya.”

  She giggled, “Now you’re just doing it on purpose, but I think that’s thanks to your firm lead and guiding hand.”

  I laughed, “Not really, I wouldn’t use compliments to tease you, only honesty delivered ones. You’re a very graceful and elegant woman, but I’ll take credit for it if you want,” I added teasingly at the end.

  She sighed, “Your tongue is far too flexible and sweet, and your wit too keen. You backed me into a corner again.”

  I grinned, and my lips twitched, at the low hanging fruit, but for once I took the high road, and didn’t mention how she hadn’t yet experienced the full capability of my sweet tongue just yet.

  Still, as the naughtier side of her dark lustful thoughts caught up to what she just said, she blushed a lovely rose color.

  On a more practical and unrelated note, I realized during that dance having a family of six would be more balanced. At the moment Natasha was dancing with Amelia, while Vicki led Mandy around the dance floor. With six we’d have three intimate couples as a possibility for one on one getting to know you time that we could rotate, instead of a couple and a threesome. That would count both out of bed for intimacy, and in bed for intimacy.

  Kaya was pure sensual grace in my arms, astoundingly elegant and sensually tempting in her movements, and whenever her body brushed against mine it was pure foreplay for both of us. We both shamelessly enjoyed the effect of our power, but also warily respected it and kept our heads. I mean, if she’d kissed me in that moment, I don’t think I’d be capable of backing off until I’d thoroughly debauched and used her body for my pleasure. She was… enthralling. A slight exaggeration maybe, but the heat and electricity bouncing between us was far more intense than anything I’d ever felt before.

  She blushed, “You look like you might just devour me at any moment.”

  “That didn’t sound like a complaint.”

  She said a little breathily, “It wasn’t,” her eyes bright and needy, lustful and hopeful, swept away and surrendering. But I knew it was our power doing it, and as tempting as she was it’d be too much like picking up a drunk girl three sheets to the wind. If I took her, I didn’t want her to regret it in the morning when she was alone, and the sun was shining in her dorm room window.

  It also wasn’t total, I could see the fear of it in her eyes. Not of me, she didn’t fear me at all. I’d swept her off her feet and caught her interest as I put her at her ease with me. That I wasn’t just all dark lust and I cared about the women in my life.