Zeus (The God Chronicles) (12 page)

I stood by the elevator for a second longer and then went to the couch. I was feeling anxious. When he’d invited me over, I was excited to see where he lived. Now that I was here, all I could think of was how many other girls had been invited up. It wasn’t that he hadn’t proven himself trustworthy—we’d spent loads of time together and he’d never pushed me too far or asked for something he shouldn’t have. The uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach wouldn’t go away, though.

“You okay?” He sat by me, bowl in hand. “You look a little sick.”

“I’m fine,” I said, clearing my throat. “A little nervous over the movie is all.”

“Aw, are you scared?” The baby voice almost made me find him less attractive.

“No!” I grabbed a throw pillow and did exactly what its name implied, hitting him in the face.

“Hey!” He threw it back at me but I ducked, managing to only get tagged in the shoulder.

I picked it up again to chuck back, but was tackled by a wall of muscle. I vaguely noticed the popcorn on the coffee table, the pillow tossed across the room, before Zeus’s eyes held me captive.

My back sank slowly into the couch as our combined weight pressed into it. Zeus held himself carefully over me, but every inch of my body was touching his. There was an uncomfortable twist
ing in my stomach. His eyes said so much, asked for much more than I’d ever been ready for.

Slowly, he took each of my hands in his and raised them above my head. My racing heart joined in the dance the rest of my nerves had started, blocking everything else from my mind. His head lowered, eyes focusing on mine, while his hot breath caressed my face. Goose bumps erupted across my skin and I squirmed under him, trying to free my hands. The grip he had on me tightened, and I gave up, waiting for him to make his move.

His breath continued to warm my skin after he broke eye contact and rubbed his jaw against mine. I gave a shudder of pleasure when he finally, softly licked under my ear and placed a soft kiss there. He blew warm air into my ear and then slowly rubbed his stubble across my lips, scratching them slightly. A moan escaped my throat as his lips found mine, and he released my hands, sliding his down my arms. They continued down my sides, barely grazing the sides of my chest, until they rested on my hips. I pressed myself against him, reveling in the feel of his body against mine. There was something about his abs and V cut that made my brain go fuzzy, giving my hands a mind of their own. All the while, he kissed me like he never would again. Lips smashing into mine, he gripped me tighter and moaned.

My skin tingled like I was catching fire, hands moving to his chest where they fisted in his shirt. I knew we were getting into dangerous territory, but I couldn’t seem to care at the moment.

One of his hands slid down my leg, squeezing my thigh. I became acutely aware of the other hand slowly creeping to the button on my pants. One of his fingers slipped inside the top of my jeans.

“Why don’t we watch the movie now?” I said, breaking the kiss, I pushed him away while I tried to wiggle out from underneath him. The ensuing sensations made the warning bells sound even louder.

“We don’t have to,” he said, holding me in place, rubbing his jaw along mine again.

“But I want to,” I said, trying to ward off temptation. My entire body was screaming at me to shut up and let him have his way.

“You sure?” He finally pulled himself away a little, examining my face.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” I said, pushing myself out from under him.

“Okay,” he said, sitting up. “If that’s what you want.” He sounded surprisingly indifferent.

“It is,” I said strongly. My mind was made up, but my body was marinating in disappointment.

He got up and put the disc in the player. I shook my head while his back was turned, unable to even look at him. That had been a close one. Relief and dissatisfaction battled inside me.

I sat wide eyed as the credits started to roll, hugging my knees to my chest. Zeus laughed, one arm around my shoulders.

“If I’d known it would scare you that bad. . . I would have insisted we watch it anyway,” he chortled.

“Jerk,” I said, slapping his arm. “I’m going to have nightmares for weeks.”

“I’ll protect you. Promise.” He pulled me onto his lap and kissed me softly. “I have a sitting area in my room where we can watch the Strip if you want. Maybe it will help you wind down and forget about the movie.”

I was hesitant to answer, my mind flashing back to our pre-movie activities. The movie had distracted me, but simply sitting on his lap now was making me feel things I shouldn’t. I was curious to see his room, though, so I agreed.

Taking my hand, he pulled me off the couch and led me over to the silver
-handled double doors on the left side of the room.

“After you,” he said, opening one of them.

The lights weren’t on, but I could instantly tell everything followed the color scheme of the rest of the house—the glow from the Strip filled the room. There was a large, king size bed in the center of the room, pushed up against the far wall. The comforter was gray, matching the metal rods which twisted together to form the headboard. The black pillows looked absolutely heavenly. Two closed doors, which I thought were probably a closet and bathroom, were on the left wall. The right was a continuation of the giant window. Precisely as he’d said, there were two arm chairs and a small round table set up next to the window, much like his office on the ground floor.

“What do you think?”

I turned, not realizing I’d walked into the room, leaving him by the door.

“It’s very nice,” I said truthfully. “It feels
 . . . relaxing.” I smiled softly.

“It is.” He pushed himself away from the wall he’d been leaning on. Walking over to me, he grabbed my hand. “And it’s got one heck of a view.”

We walked to the window and took a seat. I could feel the nervous energy growing in my stomach again. Every sexy thing I’d ever heard of or seen in a movie was running through my mind like a freight train.

Silence filled the room for a long while as we stared out the window. Zeus seemed perfectly content to sit there all night, but I could hardly stand being this close to a bed with him.

“I should probably go home,” I finally said, standing up.

Without saying a word, he stood up and came over to me. Pulling me into his embrace, he placed a gentle kiss against my lips.

“Why don’t you stay here tonight?” he whispered.

“I’m a virgin!” I practically shouted, then covered my mouth in horror. Zeus’s eyebrows had risen so far they were in danger of disappearing into his hairline.

“Sorry!” I said in dismay. “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. I’m going to go.” Moving to escape his arms, I looked down at the floor in embarrassment. 

“No you don’t,” he said, tightening his grip on me. “Why’d you say that?”

“I’m so sorry,” I said again, my cheeks flaming so brightly I could feel the heat radiating from them. “I don’t know. I thought you wanted to . . . you know . . .”

“I did.” I flinched at his brutal honesty.

“I can’t,” I whispered. “I’m so, so sorry, Zeus. I just can’t.” I wanted to, but I couldn’t tell him, not with his bed right next to us. It was too much for me to handle.

“It’s fine,” he said, surprising me again. “I won’t do anything you’re not ready for.”

“It’s not that I’m not ready,” I said uncomfortably. “I simply want to wait—until I’m married.” I cringed as I said it, hearing what my parents had said so many times.

“Okay,” he said. “Why till marriage?”

“Well, as much as I don’t want to be like my parents, that’s what they did. And I can tell it made them stronger as a couple. Don’t get me wrong,” I said hurriedly. “I’m sure there are couples who did it before they were married and they’re just as strong, but this is something I always knew I’d follow my parents’ example in.” I grimaced in embarrassment. This was not the conversation I’d imagined having.

“Alright. That’s fine. I totally understand.” He nodded his head and smiled at me. “I still think you should stay here tonight, though. We’re both really tired, and I think it would be a bad idea to drive.”

“I can take a cab,” I interjected.

“Nope, you’ll sleep here in my bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“I can’t take your bed from you!”

“Sure you can,” he purred. “All you’ll have to do is say the word, and I can come lay with you.” His eyes gleamed as he rubbed his hands down my arms.

“No thanks,” I squeaked.

“If you say so,” he chuckled. “Call if you need anything—anything at all.” He kissed me and then winked as he headed back to the living room.

The door closed quietly behind him, and I turned to his bed. His understanding amazed me. I thought he would try and talk me into it. I mean, we had been dating for a while now. I’d been more shocked he hadn’t tried anything until now.

How many girls had slept in this bed? I really was tired and knew I couldn’t fight over who got the couch—I would lose. I realized it didn’t matter who else had been in his bed. I was not a one night stand, and it wasn’t like the sheets had never been washed. If Zeus respected me enough to let me do things at my own pace, then I could trust him enough to sleep in his bed. Leaving my clothes on, I climbed in between the covers and slipped into a peaceful slumber.

Fingers ran softly through my hair, and I sighed contentedly as soft kisses were placed on my forehead. It was so warm and comfortable—I didn’t want to move ever again. I’d be content if this dream went on forever.

“I love you, so much,” the velvety voice whispered in my mind.

A small smile crept onto my face, a reaction to the kisses being placed on my cheeks now.

“You mean everything to me,” the voice picked up again. Was it Zeus? It must be. “I can’t believe I spent all that time without you, not realizing what I was missing. It’s like I was blind, unable to see what was waiting for me. If I’d known
 . . . maybe it would’ve been worse, waiting for you.”

The softest of kisses fell on my lips, like the whispering of angels.

“I love you, Karly—from now until the end of time.”

The warmth around me dissipated slightly as I slipped from this dream into the next.

Chapter Thirteen

Seeing Zeus naked was not something I felt adequately prepared for. However, the temptation to walk into the bathroom and get in the shower with him was beating strongly against my brain. I imagined that it would be lik
e
 . . .
 
seeing the sun for the first time—a total life changing experience. Whatever happened after that was sure to be life altering as well.

Plucking up what little self control I had left, I slid from his bed and quietly left the room, leaving him there. Naked.

There was a wonderful smell filling the house and I focused on that, using it to distract me from the handsome man in the shower. My nose brought me to the kitchen, where I found French toast keeping warm in the oven. I turned and spotted fruit and syrup on the table, as well as a vase full of fresh flowers. 

Everything looked delicious. I smiled as I poured myself some orange juice and pulled a chair over to the window. Settling into my seat and taking a sip of my drink, I decided to wait for Zeus so I could properly thank him for his hard work.

The warm morning light washed over me in the silence and I closed my eyes, breathing in the peace of the room and the relief I felt in knowing he wasn’t going to push me to sleep with him. Part of me was still wary, but I felt much better. Remembering last night’s dream helped with my uneasiness. The things he’d said were perfect. Maybe someday he would say them to me for real. Smiling softly, I recalled his soft kisses and the smoothness of his voice. Lightly running my fingers over my mouth, the shadow of his kiss still lingered. Is it possible he actually came in? A warm flush filled my cheeks at the thought. If every day of my life could be like that dream, I'd die a happy woman.

Suddenly, the elevator doors opened and a woman in a very low cut, dark-purple dress barreled into the room. Her red hair, pinned up elegantly,
revealed black gauges in her ears. She was a beautiful person, until you looked into her eyes. All I could see there was hate and anger, directed at me.

“Well, well, well,” she said, stopping behind the couch, crossing her arms, and frowning at me. “What do we have here? Another little tramp?”

My mouth popped open at her rudeness. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t talk to me,” she snapped. “You are nothing. You will never be worth anything.”

“Who do you think you are?!” My face was flushing and I fought the urge to jump up and throw something at her.

“Where is Zeus?” she demanded, ignoring my question.

“No, who are you?” I shot back, rising from my chair.

“Listen you little slut,” she hissed. “Tell me where my no good ex-husband is or you’ll be sorry!”

I snapped my mouth shut, stung as if I’d been slapped in the face, and pointed to the bedroom. Without a word, she turned and threw the doors open, storming through them.

“What the?” I heard Zeus yell as the bathroom door burst open.

“Honey, I’m home!” the woman sneered. “Miss me?”

“What are you doing here?” Zeus growled.

I quietly crossed the room to listen better.

“What, you’re not happy to see me?” I could hear the pout in her voice.

“If it were up to me you’d be hanging off a cliff somewhere,” he shot back.

“That’s too bad. I wouldn’t be able to tell you the message Kronos sent.”

I gasped. If she was working with his uncle then she must be nuts.

“He proposes a bargain,” she began again.

“I don’t do bargains,” he snapped. “If he wants to take what I have, he’ll have to do it over my dead body!” The shower door slammed shut and I flinched at the sound.

“That can be arranged, honey,” she hissed.

“Leave, now,” he demanded. “You have no right to be here.”

“That’s a pretty one out there. What number is she? Three thousand?” She jeered

“You leave Karly out of this!”

“Oh, it has a name. How cute! You must like her more than all your other whores.”

“Leave!” he bellowed.

I flinched at a crashing sound, like a vase thrown against the wall, and the woman stormed back into the room. She stopped to glare at me, opening her mouth to speak, when Zeus emerged from his room with only pants on, his hair dripping wet.

“I said leave.” His voice was dangerously low, sending chills down my arms. I hoped I wasn’t about to see what happened if she didn’t listen.

She turned her glare on him for a moment and then turned back to me. With a huff, she got on the elevator and left.

“You were married?” I demanded as soon as the doors shut.

“Damn it,” he sighed, closing his eyes and massaging the bridge of his nose. “You weren’t supposed to find out like that.”

“Was I supposed to find out at all?” My fingernails were biting into my palms, but the revelation hurt more than anything.

“Of course you were. I was just waiting for the right moment,” he said, exasperated.

“I think the right moment should have been around the first time we went out!” I said in dismay. “How could you not tell me something like that?”

“I don’t love her,” he argued back, taking a step toward me. “I never did. She’s crazy—you saw for yourself!”

“It doesn’t matter! You still didn’t tell me about her! If it wasn’t that big of a deal, why did you keep it from me?”

“It’s complicated,” he yelled. “I didn’t want you to leave me over something like this! That’s why I didn’t tell you!”

“Stop yelling at me!” I shouted back.

“I can’t do this,” he growled. “She’s gotten me all riled up, and I can’t talk
now.” He turned and went back into his room, closing the door behind him.

Scowling and trying to push down the tears forming, I pushed the button for the elevator and left, not knowing exactly what had happened.

Once out of the private room, which hid the way to his home, I headed to a restaurant next to the casino. I wasn’t hungry any more, but for the first time since I’d arrived in Vegas, I wanted a drink. Unfortunately, the shop hadn’t opened yet, and all the bars were still closed.

I sat down at one of the tables outside the dark eatery. If Zeus had told me from the beginning he’d been married, I would’ve been fine with that. I’d be fine now if he’d talked to me about it, instead of yelling. A small part of me whispered I had possibly overreacted also.

“Karly, right?” I groaned silently as I recognized the voice of the red-haired woman.

“Can I help you?” I said in my most polite voice, looking over my shoulder at her.

“No, but I can help you.” She passed by and settled into the seat across from me.

I really didn’t want to talk to her, but I didn’t think she’d leave until she said her piece.

“He doesn’t really want you,” she started. “He says he loves you, buys you things, and makes you feel like you’re in heaven. It’s all a lie. You’ll get dropped as soon as you put out. I should know. I was married to him for years. He cheated on me. A lot. I never left him. I thought we were supposed to be together forever. Until he left me! After all the time I’d spent devoted to him, he left me in the dust.”

The warning lights were going off in my head, indicating she wasn’t sharing the whole story.

“What’s your name?” I said cautiously.

“Hera.” She smiled at me.

“Right.” I balled my hands into fists and stood up. “I’m not stupid. You think because his name is Zeus, you can tell me your name is Hera? And you expect me to believe that? You really are crazy.”

“Don’t call me that!” she hissed, the she-devil display from the penthouse returning.

“For your information, Zeus has never told me he loves me. He doesn’t shower me with gifts, and he’s never pushed me to sleep with him,” I spat back. “And I have a hard time believing you had nothing to do with your divorce, especially if you’re in league with his uncle. Why don’t you do us both a favor and get lost?”

I turned and stormed away, adrenaline rushing through my veins. I hadn’t spoken to her for more than three minutes and already I knew she was manipulative beyond belief.
Clearly, she hadn’t thought this attack through. What were the odds Zeus had actually been married to someone named Hera? It sounded like a bad joke parents would play on kids they’d forced into an arranged marriage.

When I walked out the doors of the resort and onto the Strip, dark clouds hovered in the sky, the smell of rain heavy in the air. I flagged down a cab and, climbing into the backseat, gave him directions then rested my head in my hands.

I should have gone back to Zeus, I knew that. We needed to talk, but he’d seemed so upset and said he couldn’t talk about it. Maybe if I let him come to me, we could make things right again. All I knew was I didn’t want our relationship to be over. Hopefully, he felt the same way.

All too soon, the cab pulled into my complex, and I slowly got out, thanking the driver as I paid him. Lost in my own bubble of tumultuous thoughts, I ascended the stairs and headed in the direction of my door.