The Goddess Ch. 03

It was difficult to focus on the other lute players, as she continued to steal glances at Alexarius across the room. She knew that her face showed she was in distress. She also knew that he was aware he had affected her. He was constantly smiling at her when she looked his way, scorching her golden-brown skin. His eyes roamed her body, making her feel flushed and hot. Their telepathic conversations rendered everything else around her irrelevant. All at once, the lamps seemed too bright and the room was unbearably warm. She pulled at the front of her dress and fanned the back of her neck.

At last, the man with no instrument stood and walked to the middle of the room. Alexarius stood with him, surprising Sofia. He was going to perform again? Alexarius began the notes of a piece than honored Apollo. Sofia had heard it before, and it was gorgeous. The other man took a breath and began to sing. Sofia was absolutely delighted. It was so nice to hear a song! The man's voice was deep and velvety, and with Alexarius's accompaniment, the piece was perfect.

When all was said and done Sofia stood to her feet and clapped for all the men. The other priestesses quickly followed suit. "Thank you all for your performances. I especially enjoyed them," Sofia said warmly. It was the first time she showed pleasantry towards the general group. She started to go over to each man and give him her hand.

Alexarius was receiving a compliment from a lesser priestess and looked to see Sofia near him. He smiled wickedly and glided over to her like a predator. He knew that she wanted him. Sofia presented her hand, something that seemed so trivial after last week and her own revelations. "Dear God," she whispered as softly as she could when he took it in his.

"'Dear God' indeed," he replied.

_________

Alexarius was certain that he would be moving on. Sofia was fond of him. This much he knew. His performance certainly wouldn't hurt his case either. The intrigue that simmered between them that night was palpable. He saw the way his piece affected her. The looks they shared communicated everything her touch told him a week before. He wished that they could've spent a few clandestine moments together afterwards, but the priestesses had whisked her away.

He'd spent majority of the week experimenting with scalar patterns and thinking of her. She had not asked for him and he was certain it was because he was supposed to be devoting his time to practice. Other than Demosthenes, he had scarcely seen anyone. At night he fitfully thought of their encounter and how she would react to his improvised piece. Seeing those worries disappear with the look in her eyes was sweet catharsis.

"How many of us do you think they will eliminate this time?" the second lute player said, startling Alexarius out of his thoughts.

"Perhaps two. Three seems to me an ideal number to move forward. Those will most likely take the final test, and from them a consort will be chosen," Demosthenes hypothesized.

"All of you lads performed exceptionally well," Alexarius said to the group. They all murmured their thanks in return.

"Do you believed she liked it?" the third lute player asked.

"She complimented all of us, so I imagine she did," Alexarius pointed out.

He began to wonder if the other men wanted this as much as he did. They seemed to be uninterested in being chosen as consort. Their efforts were alive and well, but their passion was not. Alexarius could somewhat understand. Sofia had failed to be warm and personable with the other men. While her beauty was ethereal, Alexarius could see how she might seem cold.

"Do you all hope to be chosen?" Alexarius posed.

"Of course. She is beautiful, and it would be an immense honor. To serve a goddess is to perform the highest duty," the first lute player said.

"She is rather impersonal, but she is a sight to behold nonetheless. I have never seen a creature like her," the third lute player remarked.

"I would hope that if I were chosen, then she would warm up to me over time," Demosthenes said. "Although I have noticed that she has spoken to Alexarius."

Alexarius was caught by surprise. He never discussed the interactions he had with Sofia with anyone. He didn't believe that the other men noticed.

"We have spoken a few times. It has mostly been by my own efforts," he said vaguely. No one needed to know the details of their encounters. That was between the two of them.

"Do you believe she favors you?" Demosthenes said.

"It is possible," Alexarius shrugged.

_________

The priestesses allowed Sofia to rest after the concert was over. They would deliberate and decide who would take their journey back down the mountain the next day. Sofia was grateful for her time to reflect. She was still shaken by the thought that Alexarius would be her consort. It was a sign from the gods. She felt in every part of herself that he was the one. He looked at her in a way that was impossible to ignore. He so clearly wanted to speak with her, embrace her and ravish her. Sofia knew that he was an intelligent, well-read man. He was thoughtful and witty. Not to mention incredibly sexy. She would have given anything to have felt his touch once again.

After a while of tossing and turning Sofia decided to take a walk. Stepping out of her room she looked down the hall to the sleeping men and then to the garden in the center of the temple. She carefully walked outside and headed to her grove of olive trees. She had been raising them for a while and took great pride in the fruit they produced. The moon was bright, and the sky was clear of clouds, allowing for the grove to be somewhat illuminated. She ran her hand over the bark of a tree and sighed heavily.

"Might I join you in your midnight escapades?" a voice said. Sofia jumped and turned around to find Alexarius standing behind her.

"Why are you here?" she asked. She was still trying to calm herself after being scared by him.

"I could not sleep. I saw you leave the temple and wanted to speak with you," he said evenly.

Sofia rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "And who is to say that I would want to speak with you?"

"You have done it before. Why not continue? We were unable to speak to one another after the concert," he said. Sofia knew she couldn't have spoken to him then even if she tried. He never intimidated her more than he had after the concert. His confidence scared her.

"Yes, well, I did not want to speak to the worst performer tonight," she said cheekily as she moved further into the small grove.

Alexarius dramatically grasped his chest. "I believe you have broken my heart," he moaned.

Sofia laughed and faced him head on. "What is it that you wanted to discuss?" she asked. This meeting was so risqué. She knew that it was wrong to be with him after nightfall and without the knowledge of anyone else. It made her feel a bit naughty and speak more casually as a result.

"I wish to know if you enjoyed yourself at the concert," he said, moving closer to her. She sat on the ground and leaned against a tree, motioning for him to join her.

"I did," she replied candidly, "the lute performances almost all ran together, but yours and that of Demosthenes were quite beautiful." She rested her head on her knees and looked at him.

"I saw that you were moved by my piece," he said confidently. Sofia nodded.

"It was moving. I have never heard someone play so beautifully. Not to mention you stared at me rather intently the entire time," she laughed.

"I looked at you because I was performing it for you," he said, flashing a dazzling smile.

"Well I must say that I was impressed," she replied sweetly. They were so close. Alexarius reached over and took her hand in his. Sofia did not move to stop him, allowing that boundary to be broken. In the past she was always the one to touch him first.

"You are so very beautiful," he said absentmindedly. A line had been crossed. Sofia was intrigued, however, and decided to go with it.

"As are you," she replied softly. His thumb began to gently stroke her hand. Although they had not known each other long, they already enjoyed a certain amount of intimacy. He gazed into her eyes, halting her breath. He moved her hand and pressed her palm to his face.

"You must know how you affect me. Tonight, I looked into your eyes and without words you told me that you do," he said quietly. Sofia's breath hitched. She knew that there was a reason he looked at her that way.

"I...well then you must know how you affect me," she said.

"I know that you are fond of me," he said, "as I am fond of you." He took his free hand and touched her face, trailing down to her neck.

She reached up and tentatively ran her hand through his loosely curly hair. Both were waiting on the other to break first. Sofia decided it was going to be her.

"I am fond of you," she started, "I feel everything when you touch me, when you look at me, when you speak to me."

He kissed the top of her forehead without warning. Sofia threw caution to the wind.

"Please kiss me again," she said.

Alexarius leaned down and lavished kisses on her neck. Sofia moaned and braced herself on his arms, relishing this gorgeous man's attention. He kissed up her neck and pulled back to look her in her eyes. "May I kiss your lips?" he asked.

Sofia hesitated for a moment. Was this acceptable? They had already broken so many rules. However, she knew he was her chosen one. He was hers, and she was his. "You are my consort. I feel it. I know they will choose you," she said slowly. Alexarius needed no other words of affirmation. He took her face and placed his lips on hers. Sofia instinctively kissed him back. Adrenaline coursed through her. She shook in his arms.

He separated from her, his breath still warm on her lips. "Do not shake, my Sofia," he said. The deep baritone of his voice caused her to shiver once again. Hearing him call her by her real name, something that only he knew, drew her to him once again. She leaned in for another kiss. He pulled her into his lap, and she became painfully aware that her cunt was pressed against him. Alexarius gently slipped his tongue into her mouth and she clumsily did the same. He chuckled at her inexperience. Sofia wished she could take off her sleeping garment and allow him to explore her body. His hands were incessantly fondling her ample curves as she straddled him.

"You are wet for me," he whispered, nipping at her ear. She shifted and felt a cool breeze against her mound. All the heavy petting had gotten to her.

"I am," she agreed. She made no attempt to move her cunt from his lap and reached to continue kissing him. In that moment, she felt his hardness, and ground herself on it slightly. He groaned into her mouth, eliciting a smile.

_________

Sofia was torturing him. Alexarius knew it was unwise to follow her into her olive grove, but he couldn't help himself. She looked so enticing slipping out of the temple, he just had to speak with her. So much had been simmering between them since their episode almost two weeks prior, and now it had bubbled over into her situating her wet cunt on his lap. Her body felt splendid in his hands, even covered with her clothes. Her nipples were rock hard and called to him. It took everything within his power to not reach underneath her dress and bring her to orgasm. Her movements were that of a virgin, someone who had never been kissed before. But she was so eager and enthusiastic.

Alexarius knew if they kept kissing and touching, things would progress. The smell of her arousal was making him dizzy, but he still had the wherewithal to stop before something happened. "Sofia. We must stop," he said.

"Why?" she asked breathlessly.

"Because if we keep going, I am afraid I will touch you. I will not dare defile a goddess, much less an unmarried woman, any further," he said.

"Will you defile me once you are named my consort?" she teased. Alexarius tilted his head back and sighed heavily. He laughed at her tone, but took her words seriously.

"I give you my word that I will," he said. He knew that they were both still incredibly aroused and were doomed to go to bed that night sexually frustrated. A thrill went through him at the thought of her touching herself once she returned to her room. He placed his finger on the middle of her breastbone. "We will have to wait. You deserve more than a romp in an olive grove. We should return to the temple at once."

Sofia began to affectionately kiss up and down his neck, testing his resolve. She was damn near irresistible. Alexarius was relieved, but disappointed when she pulled away. Sofia smoothed out her dress as he stood. He reached down and helped her up off the ground. Alexarius stroked her chin as she tucked a piece of his hair behind his ear, the two of them enjoying the ability to touch one another without obstacle.

"I would give anything to keep you to myself for the night," Alexarius told her sweetly. He ran his thumb over her full lips, marveling how they were both brown and pink. He stroked her braid, wondering if she had done it herself or if the priestesses readied her for bed. He wished that he could have placed his fingers on her cunt and given her a bit of pleasure to take with her.

Sofia blushed and dropped her head as she smiled. Alexarius found it endearing that she was so affected by his words. "I would stay with you if I could," she said. She pulled his hair playfully and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. The couple then turned and walked to the temple, careful not to make too much noise.

At Sofia's room, Alexarius resisted the urge to follow her inside. She said he was her consort, but officially, he was not. He did not want to disrespect her by entering her sacred chamber. They looked at one another silently, knowing that sweet words of parting were too risky inside the temple. Someone could be awoken by the sounds of a conversation. She was watching him as if she wanted to devour him but was embarrassed to do so. Her sage eyes sent a rush of blood to his cock. Her heaving breasts, their proximity, her breath hanging in the air, they all pulled him to her until she was flush against his own chest.

Alexarius rested his hand on the small of her back and searched her gaze. Sofia rubbed his shoulders and cupped his face in her hands. They came together in a sweet tangle of tongues, Alexarius's hand grazing over his goddess's nipple. He felt the beautiful girl stifle a moan and expose her neck to him for more kisses, which he happily obliged. He moved close to her ear and murmured, "Will you touch yourself for me?"

Sofia shoved him back from her playfully with a smile and an eye-roll. She pulled away until only their fingers were linked. She threw one last look at him, pulled back the gauzy sheet at the entrance to her room and disappeared inside. Turning on his heels, Alexarius crept back to the sleeping men, away from the woman who was responsible for the uncomfortable situation between his legs.