6. The Deal

Chapter six

The Deal

T he run out of the maze and up through the house is a blur. He’s moving so fast, I have to cling to him, my arms around his neck, holding on for dear life.

It’s a big, white house - palatial. More like a hotel, really, with a lobby and multiple lifts. We enter one.

In the quiet of the lift, with no elevator music, my head clears. All I can hear is the pounding of my heart, and the steady thump of his. It feels nice to be held. I feel small in his arms, and he’s emanating heat. My head is resting near his neck. He smells incredible, that smoky scent muskier up close.

I shouldn’t feel safe with him, but I do. It’s not just because he saved me from an assault, either. It’s how gently he holds me.

“I didn’t get your name,” I say, lifting my head.

His bull’s head is still shocking when he turns his gaze towards me. “Taurus,” he says.

I reach a hand up to his face, and he lets me this time. His cheek is warm, and the fur on his face is soft. His gaze is fixed on mine. I run my hands along his neck, where the fur blends into a man’s skin. Goosebumps form where my fingers trace, both along the animal and human flesh.

It’s not a mask. My head feels light. I might be in shock. I don’t know what’s going on, but everything feels hyper-real.

The elevator doors open, distracting me from inspecting his face. We’re not going to the top floor. We’re only a few floors up, in a large, open-plan apartment.

The room is mostly white, modern and new.

A big picture window looks out over the maze. He walks me over to it, still in his arms, and I can see every part of the maze, and the people in it.

Some of them have reached the center, where a string quartet plays. Food is laid out on long tables, and there are dining tables, a dancefloor, and some couches. Some of them have gotten distracted on the way and never made it. Almost all of them are locked in an embrace. Some are outright fucking.

My breath catches, and my nipples pebble. My gaze swings to the genie girl I met earlier. Her neck is being kissed, and a man has his hands down her pants. Her eyes are rolled back in pleasure. What would it be like to enjoy a pleasure like that?

I swallow and can’t look at my host. But that leaves me looking out the window. “I thought the party would get you in the mood,” he says. “But perhaps I was wrong. You may leave, if you wish.”

He puts me down, and I’m grateful that my shaky legs hold me up. He walks away from me, into the kitchen, and I’m hypnotized by his muscular buttocks until he walks behind the kitchen counter.

My eyes return to the bacchanal in the maze. What else am I going to do, inspect the furniture?

As a medical professional, I’ve seen a lot of bodies. And I’ve watched porn before. But this is new. Not even my most daring girlfriends have been to an orgy.

It’s surreal to think I was down there moments ago. It’s hard not to have visions of being taken by the minotaur. Would I make faces like that woman? Would I be experiencing that much pleasure?

I hunt for Kent Andrews, and see a couple of women have found him. He’s still on the floor, and they’re tending to his bloody nose. He has his hand on one of their asses. Anger rises in me. “I can’t believe Kent Andrews is such an asshole,” I say. It helps ground me.

When Taurus is back beside me, he has two steaming cups of cocoa in his hands, and he has pants on. They sit as low on his hips as the last pair. I rip my eyes away from his body politely.

The cocoa smells delicious. I take it gratefully and drink. Holy crap. It’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted. It’s exquisitely creamy, and I groan. Real melted chocolate is melting on my tongue, with whipped cream mixed into it. “Wow,” I say.

He smiles at that. “I appreciate the finer things.” His smile fades quickly. “I apologize for Kent,” he says. “I wanted to show you that you could have anything in my world. He was not supposed to…” he stops and growls, and his fist tightens around his mug as he drinks.

I watch, fascinated, as his bull’s lips purse like a man’s.

“What are you?” I breathe out.

He quirks a self-conscious smile and tells me. I forget the orgy below us, as he explains. “I’m a god - the zodiac god Taurus. Once every two hundred years, we are made flesh, to claim a virgin’s maidenhood as sacrifice.”

I decide to stay silent in response to that. I mean, the man has a bull’s head, so my disbelief is already fully suspended.

“Many applied. But you are the one I chose,” he concludes.

I have SO many questions, but one pushes its way to the surface. “Why?” I gesture below me to the women in the maze. “There are many beautiful women in the world who would take your money. Why would you choose me?”

“Your eyes were kind. You seemed real. And you look like a woman who enjoys life,” he says. His lips curl into a smile again. Something warm curls in my belly, and it’s not just the hot chocolate. The way he’s looking at me right now is hotter than any orgy. He looks like he wants to eat me. I wonder which part.

But he doesn’t reach out to touch me, and I’m grateful for it. After Kent, I need time to process. It’s absurd that I’m being paid money to lose my unwanted virginity to someone I find attractive.

“And… there is also a part of the story I left out,” he says. My stomach tightens, waiting for the penny to drop. “We are allowed to manifest for this one night, but if our sacrifice allows it, we may visit for all of her lifetime. And if we breed with her, then we may stay for our children’s lifetimes. As I have said, I love the finer things. And I love this world. If I were to impregnate you tonight, I would have a greater chance of staying, to live a life with you, and with our children. So, I also chose you because you seem like you will make a good mother.”

I drop my cocoa.

With lighting reflexes, he’s standing in front of me, his hand underneath where it slipped from my fingers. Impressive. But then, I suppose he is a god.

He looks at me with concern in his eyes. “I understand. It’s too much,” he says, straightening. “You may choose to leave now - I won’t stop you. But know you are a rare jewel, Kate.”

He turns to walk away from me, and I put a hand on his arm before my brain can intervene.

For a moment, I stand staring at him, my mind whirring.

I haven’t seriously thought of starting a family in years. But if I did, wouldn’t it be with a man like this, who chooses me, and wants to be with me without hesitation? And let’s not forget that body.

Sure, he barely knows me. But the words, the offer, the chocolate, those abs… I can’t let him walk away without knowing more. I take my cup back out of his hands and take another sip. I close my eyes as the flavor hits my tongue.

Good lord, if orgasms with him are anything like this, I can’t wait to have my first.

“I’m still thinking,” I say. “But I like where you were going with that jewel thing.” His eyes light up.