At first, he waited – some more, another several days, for her to summon him, to hear his name on her lips.

As if he hadn't known she was too proud for that.

Well, it was high time to pay her a little visit and test that pride, see how long it would last once he got his hands on her for real.

He was a god, with his powers he could tease her into madness, bring her to the edge there was no way back from — although, sensing how aroused she was when he was near, he was pretty confident he wouldn't need to resort to his powers for that.

She was in the middle of the woods that night, camping, sitting by the fire.

He didn't materialize physically, just lurked around, a corner of his mouth rising in a grin when he saw her sense him; the way her shoulders tensed, the way she sneakily rose to her feet, head turning to the side, looking around, unsure where he was.

"I know you're there."

"I know you do," he said, materializing right behind her. "It always amazed me, how come a mortal could do that."

"I have many skills," she said, her voice sleek and sharp like a blade, calm, even though he could feel her breath quickening, a little shiver running her through when he touched her hips.

"Oh, I do know that, as well." He let his hands roam over her waist, feeling her muscles turn rock-hard under his touch. "It's just a shame you're not putting them to a good use anymore..."

"To the contrary, I'm just about to start now," she said, drawing in a breath when his hands slid up her sides.

"You mean, you reconsidered my offer and reached the right decision this time?"

"I did…"

"Did you, now?" He nuzzled the back of her head, couldn't help himself.

"Not right for you… but right for me," she said, lightly rubbing her head against his face; and he creased his brows, shocked and somewhat embarrassed by how hard it made him. And moved his hips back a notch, because she definitely didn't need to know that.

"Have you ever familiarized yourself with an art of a compromise?"

"I'm not any good at that, I'm afraid," she said, breathless when he reached for her hair, revealing the nape of her neck.

"Well, neither am I…" he purred, his fingertips grazing the soft flesh, covering it in goosebumps.

"What do you suggest we do, then?"

It was then, when the sultriness of her voice sent a pleasant wave all over him, that he realized, that it wasn't just him playing her, that it was her trying to turn the tables on him, again.

He smirked inwardly; good, two could play that game. Though, when she pressed herself against him, her hand gripping his thigh, he decided he might need to use his powers, after all; to cool off. How the hell she was able to rile him up like that before they even did anything — he had no idea, but it took him a bit off guard. He was very familiar with what desire felt like, but this — this was — gods, he needed to calm down. Whatever was going on with him, it would've been a strategical error to let her know she had such effect on him. It was him who was supposed to hold the reigns and bring her down to her knees, not the other way round.

"Well, in that case, I think we should try to reach a place that would keep us both satisfied," he breathed into her ear, slipping a hand down over her abdomen and pressing her into him, enjoying how it cut her breath off.

"And what's in it for me?" she asked huskily.

"Me," he whispered close to her ear, brushing his knuckle against her chin, pressing his other hand to her stomach, relishing how feverish her breath was.

"That's not a very exclusive offer, though, is it?" she said, turning around, her brow and the corner of her mouth going up, the words knocking him out of his shoes.

"And just how exclusive are we talking about?" he asked, his eyes roaming down her face, stopping at her lips. If it was hard to control himself before, now that he saw her face, he understood it was only going to get worse from here.

"No offense, but… I don't think you can offer the level of exclusivity that would satisfy me."

"You… are one of a kind, you know that?" He bit down a grin; she was playing him so beautifully that he couldn't help loving it.

"That's why I don't settle for less than I desire…" she said smoothly.

It was maddening, the way she licked her lips, her lashes fluttering when she looked him straight in the eye; gods, those eyes. "And what would that be?"

The blue pools of her eyes narrowed a little, her lips parting. "You," she whispered, her eyes never leaving his.

"Here I am," he said, trying to sound unaffected.

"All of you… your body…" She ran her hand down the side of his face, down his upper arm. "Your soul…" she trailed off, casting her eyes down, then gazing up at him again, her hand slipping inside his vest, making him draw in a sharp breath, "your heart…" She pressed her palm flat against his chest. "And the rest of your life…"

"No one's ever had any of it," he said, stunned, unsettled somehow, and suddenly very conscious of how fast his heart was beating, and that she felt it, too. Damn, she was good, he had to hand it to her.

"That's what makes it worth my while," she took a breath in, her fingers trailing up his chest, towards his neck, her face so close, their noses brushing. "I love going places no one's been before..."

He closed his eyes, forcing his heartbeat to slow down to normal and trying to desensitize his skin a bit. "How about we start from the top of the list?" He slid his hands up her sides, his thumbs stroking around the sides of her breasts. "My body, was it?"

"I'm sorry, I don't sleep with just anyone," she whispered against his mouth, gasping when he grabbed her hips. He didn't know what it was, the blatant insolence or the way her voice vibrated, or both and everything else, but the way he wanted her – if he took her now, he might've fucked her to death.

"Trust me, I'll make it worth your while…" he breathed into her ear, loving how her breath kept hitching in her throat, how furiously her heart was pounding. "It's all true, what you heard about me… I'll make you feel things you've never dreamed of…"

"You would be surprised by what I dream of…"

"I'm more than happy to listen."

"No offense, but I don't share it with just anyone," she whispered, briefly pressing her mouth against his upper lip, then brushing the spot lightly with a tip of her tongue — gods, what a damn good tease she was, like every little move was precisely calculated, to make him lose his mind, drive him fucking insane.

"You're so moist I can smell it," he uttered throatily, breathless, his fingers sinking into the flesh of her hips; gods, powers or not, he was a hair-width away from losing it.

She reached up to put a hand on his cheek, her thumb brushing the stubble of his chin, one of her fingers reaching some spot under his ear, making a shiver run him through — gods, what the hell was she— "I'm afraid that's all I can give you for now," she whispered, the throaty purr of her voice, the way she looked at him — it should've driven him mad, past the point of no return.

He had no idea how he made it to stay collected — or, for that matter, how he managed to find a voice in his throat when, brushing his knuckles along her jawline, he said, doing his best to sound casual, "well, till next time, then," and, flashing her a little grin, snapped his fingers and vanished.

He didn't sleep with her that night, nor the night after; not for another what could've been a week, maybe two.

But when it finally came to it, neither was he sure what the score was, nor did he give any shit about it. He just knew he had to have her, or he would've gone insane.

Even if it was her who was winning.

Yet somehow, strangely — it didn't bother him at all.