Love's Immortal Pantheon: Hephaestus Lays Down the Law

Excerpt:
Even though he could sense her standing in front of his desk, he continued working on the drawings until he was finished. It didn’t take all that long, and yet he could hear her sighing heavily, shifting from foot to foot. For him, it didn’t matter if she was put out by not instantly gaining his notice. Aphrodite expected to be the center of attention wherever she was. She would continue to be in his mission to bring her to admit her love for him, although maybe not in the way she expected.
He found it interesting that, no matter how impatient she was to gain his attention, she didn’t interrupt him while working. After he completed what he needed to and packaged the drawings with a personal letter for the Queen, he looked up at his wife and her current lover.
“Aphrodite.”
“Hello Heph. Hard at work I see.”
“Always, darling.”
“Yes, I know.” The beauty looked disgruntled and briefly he thought maybe this was her problem with him. His dedication to work and fulfilling his obligations as a Greek god in a sensible manner did take up a great deal of his time. Especially if there was a war going on and new weapons were needed. It could be one of the reasons why she acted out and did outrageous things to gain his attention. Until now, he hadn’t thought of their problem in this way. She had as many, if not more obligations as a goddess, but he would definitely delve more deeply into the concept before he finished doing everything he could to bring her back into his life.
“Tell me, wife, how was your day? You bestow copious amounts of love and beauty all over the fine citizens of Greece?”
“Actually, I spent today with this delightful man.”
“Boy. If you spent the day fucking him, then he’s nothing but a pretty boy.”
“Oh.”
“You can’t be surprised, Phria. I’ve met enough of your playthings to be able to figure out what you lust after.”
“Well, yes, um…”
“Don’t know what to say? That’s all right. I suggest you tell your current partner to leave my forge before I lose my temper, and mar his perfect body.”
When she still didn’t do anything other than look at him with her mouth inelegantly opened, something she’d never knowingly do, he figured he was on the right track to victory. He’d stepped away from his usual pat responses to her extra marital activities. It may have been mean to threaten the callow youth, but it actually felt pretty good when he saw the fear on his flawless face.
Hephaestus looked closely at the scrawny but pretty boy. For him there was no understanding why she would want someone that looked feminine and girlish, not when she could have him, a real man, riding between her thighs. This man’s cock was most likely no bigger than his largest finger, a little bit of nothing. It couldn’t possibly satisfy her desires.
Under his focused gaze, Hephaestus saw her lover start to shake in his skin, and was even more disgusted. Surely she didn’t think someone like this was appealing.
In the end, all it took to get the other guy to leave was for him to stand up, collect his stick, and begin walking around his desk.
“Stop, don’t hurt me. I’m leaving!”
The lack of a backbone was revolting, he thought as he watched the young man run from the forge. He couldn’t stop himself from, for the first time, voicing his disappointment in her actions.
“You sell yourself short by taking someone like that into your body.”
“Now Heph, you know me.”
“I thought I did, but what I just saw from that boy looked more like a complete lack of respect for you. You’re a smart woman, and that means you know you deserve better than that weak-kneed youth.”
“Really? And I suppose you’re the ideal person for me.”
“Maybe, but it doesn’t matter what I think, it’s for you to figure out.”
“Aren’t you in a deep and thoughtful mood,” she stated with a hint of confusion in her voice.
“No, no more than usual. I care for you, Phria, and don’t see any sign of you loving yourself in these actions.”
“Of course I love myself. I’m the Goddess of Love and Beauty. Everyone wants me and wants to be me. There is no one more loved or able to love than me.”
There was no kind or gentle answer he could offer in response to her claim, so he kept his mouth shut.
“I take it you want to apologize for the mess your fucking around caused me?”
“What mess? I had sex with someone else while you were hard at work. No harm, no foul.”
“There is, but we’ll discuss the details later,” he whispered as he moved to stand in front of her. Hephaestus stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his legs spread wide for balance and the big stick he used for walking hanging from his fist. The stance was chosen to ensure she understood he was not happy with what she’d done. For the first time ever, he was putting himself in position to not just be a participant in their marriage, but the one in charge. “Shall we go into the other room and relax with a glass of ambrosia?”
“Are you going to bathe first?” An adorable wrinkle spread across her nose.
“Why, are you bothered by someone who spends their time working?” It was obvious she was, but he didn’t care. This was who he was, a man who enjoyed physical labor, and she either accepted him, or not.
“No, but you’re all sweaty.”
“So what? I’ve labored hard today and am not ashamed for doing that. However, right now I want to sit down with my wife and unwind. Besides, I have a surprise for you and don’t want to miss your expression upon seeing it.”
“A surprise? For me? Really? How exciting!” Aphrodite clapped her hands and started dancing with excitement.