"Without passion, man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark.

--Henri Fredric Amiel.
____________________________________

301,302,303..

"Hera?"

My lashes rose automatically, as if compelled to appease the bearer of the voice and broke my reluctant resolve at pretending, that counting seconds was anything more than a hideous endeavour at avoiding his penetrating gaze.

"I am waiting Ethan. Can you please stop staring at me and get to the reason behind this rendezvous?"

"I would, if you stopped arranging the chair beside you, caressing the table cloth, strapping and unstrapping your heels, checking out your nails, tucking your hair behind your ear, going through your bag, and oh, biting your lip.", I tried not to wince at his remark. I'd been doing all those things, I suppose. But then again, I couldn't really find anything to say to him. He was supposed to do the talking.

"Those are a glorious set of lips, Hera. Stop biting them before I do it for you. "

My jaw twitched.

"Was that supposed to scare me?"

People really did underestimate me.

Just to prove that I held the reins, I did exactly what he'd asked me not to, and blinked innocently.

"This is me, Ethan, tempting you. And telling you, that I can do whatever the hell I want, and you can't do a bloody thing about it. Shame. Isn't it? Now get to the point. I happen to have missed a lecture for this talk you wish to have with me."

He looked at me from across the table, with hard, unblinking eyes, before suddenly leaping over to grab my arm, and dragging me across to the washroom. I yelped, and hit him with every thing I could grab, but to no avail. Once inside, he locked the door shut, before pushing me against the dressing mirror adjacent to it.

"Fuck.", I gasped, as his body pressed hard against mine, and inhaled deeply.

"Shit! Don't cuss, sweetheart. Please, don't. It's already hard enough to have you pinned against me and not being able to have my way with you."

The fact that he wasn't planing to do anything with me, should've filled me with thrill and comfort, but instead, a sudden pang of disappointment which shocked the living hell out of me, jolted through my core.

" Why???", I wanted to cry out, but instead just dug my nails into his shoulder to express my frustration.

"Hera, Oh, Hera! Why dost thou tempt me so? If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, churches had been chaples, and poor men's cottage prince's palaces."

I sucked in a breath.

No! Dear, sweet Lord, no! Please tell me he didn't just quote Shakespeare!

He leaned in and tucked my chin upwards to meet his gaze.

"Make no mistake of my undertakings, beautiful. I desire you. And I shall have you. But, instead of forcing myself on you, I'll make you want to come to me. Or with me. Or on me. Whatever pleases you, my darling ."

"Dream on.", I dared, even as my trembling voice pretty much gave away my intent. He chuckled, and closed those heavenly lips onto my throat, as his hand caressed the nape of my neck before wringing my lose hair tightly around his fist and pulling my head backwards to give his mouth an easier access to my neck.

Stop! I wanted to call out to him to cease his blissful assault, but my hands had a mind of their own as they went through his soft, silky, long tresses and forced his head down upon me with a ferocity. I really wanted myself 'to want' him to stop. In the name of God, I truly did, but I damn well couldn't! It felt so good to have someone this close to me, that I found myself sinking into a gratifying abyss, and wrestling with my furious conscience over ill-founded grounds of reason. "I'll stop him in a moment.", I tried to bribe my profanity muttering alter ego, though she and I both knew that a weaker resolve was never made.

That carnal mouth of my celestial captor traded places with my ear where he gave a gentle nibble, before sucking it into his mouth. Holy shit! I melted, literally, and he had to scoop me over, after which he gently guided my legs around his waist and resumed his previous endeavour of killing me with sweet torture.

My lips parted in silent invitation, as he lifted his head, and held my gaze captive.
The back of his palm slightly grazed my cheek, before the pad of his thumb traced the outline of my lips. His nose rubbed against mine, and I ever so slightly inclined my mouth towards his, praying all the while, that he doesn't remember that I had any role in initiating this intimacy that I craved. But apparently he did. His fingers that'd been tracing the edge of my mouth, returned to its center, where he placed his lips atop those feather-like digits. Ah, sweet, sweet, torture. Both of us sighed at the contact, and our breaths mingled.

"Kiss me", I all but wanted to beg, but the heaven forsaken, son of a blasted angel, had another plans for me.

"I'll let you go now, love.", he removed his hand and politely murmured against my lips, which shuddered instinctively and cursed me for not reaching out.

Once I was composed enough to breathe without seeming like a trembling mess, I opened my eyes, which instantly met his glazing ones, filled with desire, mirth and every bit of self satisfaction he could muster. "I'm afraid you might run out of your breath at this rate."

I went still. My breath actually got struck in my throat as I paled in front of my companion. Weakness. I'd just displayed weakness. Heavens, no! This wasn't me. I never lost control over myself. Ever. I'm sure my neurons were having a fit, but I couldn't care less about my body right now. It was what had gotten me in this mess to begin with. Shit! Fuck! Fuck! Shit! Damn! My limited vocabulary of slangs ran out as I cursed my seditious body for submitting to the whims of this treacherous angel-like being.

"Hera? God Hera, I was just kidding. Jesus girl, you look like you've seen a ghost." He pulled me against him and pushed my head into the hollow of his neck, as he pattted my head affectionately. "Breathe, love. Breathe. I am here. And I'm really really sorry."

My body still shook against his, but I pushed him back. Or tried to. For he wouldn't let me out of the confines of his arms.

"Wo ho, what do we have here?", called out, or more like hooted, a feminine voice I'd come to hate. "You've been in this school for what, two minutes? And already find it hard to keep your legs closed?" Her witchy laugh resonated around the room, and I closed my eyes tightly. How I would've loved to hit something, right fucking now!

"Rebecca. What are you doing here?", Ethan growled around the same time, as another voice shouted-

"What's the meaning of this, Moore? What the fuck did you give me?"

Ah, Chirst! I looked heaven wards in anticipation of some divine intervention, and while I couldn't see any thing, I'm pretty sure I heard God doubling over in laughter. Yup, that's right. Whose aid was I to beseech, when his children were roaming about, slaying us petty mortals. I sent the invisible almighty my best 'thanks-for-fucking-me-up-smile' and turned towards the bearer of the voice which had been heard last.

"Theo, my darling." I fashed all my shining twenty eight teeth at him. "You are just what I needed."