Kofi was relieved, but his body wasn’t impressed. His cock was hard and he could feel his nipples rubbing against his shirt. He groaned, massaging his back, pretending that was the issue. All he knew was that Osaki’s toned body was against him and it made his dick swell.
“Futatabi, ” Kofi whispered with a small smile.
Chapter Three
Osaki sat alone in one of the guestrooms in the house Ciro shared with Carter. He curled his legs under him, straightened his spine and stared out of the window on the other side at the pouring rain. There was a strange feeling he got when it rained—as if the water was coming from him. It was a great sensation, just foreign.
Adrestia popped in and out of thin air and he reached for his sword. When he saw who it was, he unclasped his fingers from around the hilt and stood. “You have to give me a warning before you just appear,” Osaki admonished.
“I tried. Your mind was busy.”
“I am sorry.”
“Do not worry about it.” Adrestia climbed onto the bed.
“What’s in your hand?”
She giggled. “Potato chips. They are really quite delicious.”
“I know they are. They’re also bad for you and should be consumed in moderation.”
“My uncle is God of the Underworld. I think I am safe from cholesterol.”
Osaki eyed her ruefully before grabbing some clothes from a nearby chair. He quickly entered the bathroom, changed and returned. After folding his kimono and placing it on the chest at the foot of the bed, he turned to the mirror. Everything about what he saw made him antsy. He was dressed in everyday human clothes without his katana. Apparently, he couldn’t bring it with him on their boys’ night out. It made sense, but that meant Osaki could only depend on the Shiver lance that he hadn’t fully learned how to control yet. Half the time during training it would disappear before he was ready for it, then he’d always wind up at the wrong end of Ciro’s blade.
He frowned at the thought.
To clear his mind, he shook his head in the mirror, more than just a little irritated with himself. Why he’d let Kofi talk him into wearing regular clothing was beyond him. Dressed as one of them in a pair of blue jeans, a graphic shirt Kofi had insisted on him wearing, along with a black jacket, Osaki felt uncomfortable. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to get used to that way of dressing. The outfit was so confining.
“Do you date?”
Osaki spun around to look at the goddess. For a moment, he swore he was hearing things, but the impetuous look she was giving him told him otherwise. “Um…” was all Osaki could manage. Not many things caught him off guard but that query had.
“You know? As in, go out with women, men… Have a nice meal, talk, kiss—maybe make—”
“I know what dating is!” Osaki held up a hand. “And no.”
“What are you into? Aphrodite has not told me much about your love line.”
“That is because there is not much to tell.” Osaki changed his shirt and put on his jacket again. This line of questioning was beginning to make him jittery. “As for what I am into—I love the hardness of a man’s body.”
“I could set you up with—”
“No—thank you. I see how these set-ups end.”
Adrestia shrugged. “Now you are merely being dramatic. We are gods! We know better than the humans in most things.”
“Not in love.”
“You may have a point there, my dear Shiver. But I still think if you gave Aphrodite and me a chance…”
“You are the Goddess of Misery. You do not set people up in a good way.”
She smirked at him.
“Besides,” Osaki continued, “I am quite capable of finding a lover. I am just not interested at this present time.”
“What about a dating website? I hear those things are all the rage with the humans these days.”
“A dating website?”
Adrestia smirked. “It is this place called the Internet where you fill out a form with all your personal information and others do the same. Then they search the database and if they like what you wrote, they contact you.”
“A website—and what do I put when they ask for an age? Or better yet, what do I put when they ask what I do? I am fairly certain there is not a field for a retired dead Samurai turned Shiver.”
“You are no fun.” Adrestia shoved more junk food into her mouth. The sound of her teeth crunching into it was loud in the suddenly silent room. “Okay—but if you change your mind… You look great, by the way. I am so addicted to these things.”
Osaki turned to look at her. She beamed at him beautifully and popped more chips into her mouth.
He couldn’t help laughing. “I miss my own clothes.”
“Osaki, you cannot keep walking around invisible to most people and you cannot go around dressed like a samurai.”
“Why not?” Osaki wanted to know. “I am a samurai.”
“That is completely beside the point.” Adrestia grabbed another chip before dropping the bag on the bed and scooting off the edge. She walked up behind him and met his eyes in the mirror. “If you want to blend in here, you cannot look samurai. No one dresses like that anymore.”
“But…”
“Osaki, you have a body underneath that kimono—a sexy, toned body. If you wish to find a good man, you will need to show it. A kimono does nothing for your figure. And by the way, we should take you shopping.”
Osaki frowned. He wouldn’t be caught dead in some store exchanging currency for fabric. “How did you get out of this club night thing?” He changed the subject.
She reached around his shoulders and tugged the jacket flaps in place then patted him on the back. “I have a war I am fighting beside my father. And this goddess does not dance.”
Osaki turned and kissed her forehead. “I should go. I have to meet Carter at the club.”
“Just Carter?”
“Well, Ciro is with your father now. I supposed you are the one who will relieve him. Then he will come home, change and get there.”
“I think that is my cue. Have fun tonight, Shiver. You have earned it.”
Osaki nodded and she disappeared. Once more, he turned to peer at himself in the mirror. He didn’t recognize the man he saw. His eyes looked weary, his hair seemed to be tied back too tightly, so he removed the tie and flung it on the bed. When he met his eyes in the mirror once more, there was some semblance of himself there. Feeling a tad better, he shoved his fingers through his hair and vanished.
Outside in the darkness, he watched as the line went down the street. People seemed to flock to the place—gay, straight, bi—everyone wanted in. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there but he had to pull himself from the thoughts swirling in his head when he saw Carter walk up to the door and speak with the bouncer. The two men bumped fists and Carter vanished inside.
I’m not ready for this.
Osaki tugged at the neck of the shirt, inhaled and peeled himself from the darkness. After jogging across the street, he gave the bouncer his name and was allowed in. The dance floor was already crowded and for the first few seconds, he could feel everyone’s fear. They swarmed him, threatening to overwhelm his own thoughts and worries—another reaction to the Shiver powers he inherited after Aerios was sentenced. Ciro said with time he’d learn to block them out, control them. Grinding his teeth, he waited until the horrors had passed before easing his way through gyrating bodies, all the while looking for Carter. Osaki didn’t see humanity’s need to congregate in an enclosed space with loud music. Still, as a part of the new family he’d been adopted into, he went with them and most of the time he had to admit that he had fun.
Bypassing the bar, he found Ciro with Carter in the VIP area Kofi had booked.
“Glad you made it.” Ciro lounged in the luxurious seat. “Thought you changed your mind.”
“And you look good,” Carter added, hugging Osaki.
Osaki flopped onto a sofa across from them an
d smiled. “I almost did—change my mind, that is. Adrestia thought it would be good for me to get out… Right after she ate every pack of potato chips in your house.”
Carter moaned but Ciro only laughed.
“Do you want some juice?” Ciro asked, rising. “I know you do not drink.”
“Not yet,” Osaki replied, twisting to look out through the glass.
The music changed without missing a beat. Everyone on the dance floor shoved their hands in the air as they merely switched the furor of their dancing. They bopped up and down to the music. Osaki wasn’t sure if he could call that dancing but it seemed to be doing the trick. Hercules had told him to blend more with humans—learn their music, their cultures—and the demigod had been right. If it was one thing that hadn’t changed through all the decades he’d been alive, it was that humans loved music. He even recognized the song.
As he continued staring through the glass, an uneasy feeling rippled through him. He could sense something in the air but he wasn’t sure what that something was or why it was so irritating. He’d gone on patrols with Sisqo and hadn’t found anything but a few stragglers and Greek god wannabes.
Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as Ciro pulled his husband, Carter, into his arms. Osaki couldn’t help staring for Ciro—a powerful Shiver in his own right—was gentle with Carter, holding him tenderly with a hand to the back of the neck and one wrapped around his hips. Osaki tried remembering the last time he’d felt that way about anyone—handled anyone with that much tenderness. He remembered then and it broke his heart.
He returned his attention to the dancing through the glass and wasn’t sure how long he sat that way in the same position, body twisted in his seat when he heard the music invade the room then go low again. He looked around to see Kofi entering with a wide grin on his handsome face.
“Sorry I’m late,” Kofi said, pouring himself a drink from the private bar then falling onto the seat beside Osaki. “I had a whale of a time trying to get out of the office today then got home to a broken pipe. Plumbing can be useful but when it goes bad—pain in the ass.” Kofi reached in and hugged Osaki.
Osaki returned the affection then quickly pulled away as a shiver surged through him. He smiled. “Well, you are here now.”
“What’d I miss?”
“Nothing much.”
“How was patrol?”
Osaki shrugged. “It was patrol. Sisqo had to leave right after. His father called.”
Kofi nodded, sipping on whatever it was he had in his glass. It was a dark liquid so Osaki inhaled—rum and Coke. As Kofi bopped his head to the music, Osaki found himself staring at Ciro and Carter again. The music had changed and now they were kissing while swaying slowly. He inhaled and pushed to his feet. “I am going to call it a night,” Osaki said.
“You can’t be tired, Shiver,” Kofi teased, a smirk on his lips. “Besides, I just got here! What’s your excuse for an early night?”
I want to kiss you.
But Osaki said nothing aloud. He merely smiled. “I have no one to dance with, Kofi. It is not a party without someone to dance with.”
“I’m sure all you have to do is ask someone. There are plenty of people here.”
Osaki tilted his head at the concept of asking a stranger to dance. He was out of practice. Still, he hugged Kofi and approached the married couple. “I am returning to Olympus,” Osaki explained. “I need to speak with Hercules before he jets off to wherever he’s been jetting off to of late.”
Ciro grinned. “He has a lady friend… But you did not hear that from me.”
“Well, it’s about time,” Carter spoke up. “That whole being burned in his own clothes thing—so a million years ago.”
Osaki laughed softly. “You have a good night.” He glanced over his shoulder at Kofi and offered a wave. “And, Ciro, we need to have a word when you get a free moment.”
“How about now?” Ciro asked.
“No. Now is not the time nor is this the place. When you do have a moment, just call.”
“Okay.”
Exiting the room, Osaki made his way through the writhing bodies. A few times someone grabbed his ass. Other times they merely smiled at him, tried dancing with him, until finally he was outside. Fresh air wrapped around him and he instantly felt better. A few steps farther and the smell of tobacco permeated the air. Osaki frowned, quickening his steps until he was sure that the darkness had swallowed him—then he vanished.
Chapter Four
Kofi finished his errands and made his way home. He stripped off his shirt, tossed it over the back of a chair then grabbed a beer from the fridge. When he was walking by the shirt over the chair, he couldn’t help thinking how crazy that would drive his mother. Nothing bothered her more than not putting dirty laundry in the hamper. Still, he left it there, climbed the stairs then let himself out through the glass door to the balcony off his bedroom. The cool, early evening air washed over his skin and he felt the overwhelming urge to stay in for the rest of the night. He couldn’t do that. He had a date. Why he’d asked her out escaped him. She was beautiful, with a body most women would kill to have and most men would kill to touch. But as Kofi stood on the balcony, he just couldn’t feel attracted to her.
The thoughts flowing through his head moved so fast he was dizzy. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone then dialed his brother, and walked back into his bedroom while the phone rang. He set the beer on the side table before going through his closet, trying to find an outfit for later that night.
“Carter Olabasu-Pyktis’ pants?”
Kofi had to laugh. “Hey, Ciro. I already know you’re in my brother’s pants. Thank you very much for that mental image.”
Ciro purred.
Kofi chuckled. “Is he around?”
“Yeah, hold on a sec.” There was a shuffle on the other side of the line, followed by a knock. “Baby? Your brother is on the phone.”
“Um…” was Carter’s muffled reply. “Hold on.”
After the sound of a toilet flushing then water running, Carter was on the line. “Hey, Kof. How’s it going?”
“I—I have a date tonight.”
“A date, eh?” Carter asked.
“Tell him to wear perfume!” Ciro hollered from the background.
Kofi laughed.
“You tell your husband to go zap something!” Kofi replied.
Carter groaned. “You two are going to give me gray hairs. But he’s right, you know.”
“I know that. I just… I don’t feel like going tonight.”
“Why don’t you order something and stay in?”
Kofi held up a shirt in front of himself and looked in the mirror. “It’s the first date. Isn’t that a little stalker-ish to have the first date at my place?”
“That is true…”
“It’s not that I don’t want to go out.” Kofi hung the shirt back up in his walk-in closet and skimmed the others until he found a baby blue dress shirt. “I don’t want to be around her.”
“Then why did you ask her out?”
“I don’t know. If seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“Well that’s not a reason to ask anyone out.”
“I know.”
They fell silent for a moment. Kofi tried focusing on the task at hand but he just couldn’t shake the feeling he had inside. It wasn’t right for him to be going out with this woman. He wasn’t remotely attracted to her. The truth was, when she smiled at him, Kofi felt nothing. When Osaki smiled at him…
“What are you wearing tonight?” Carter interrupted the thought.
Kofi’s heart raced so hard, he winced in pain. “I shouldn’t go. I don’t want to give her false hope. What kind of ass would I be to do that?”
“You’d be a bigger ass to stand her up,” Carter replied. “And what would you be if you canceled on her? People go on one-night dates then break it off all the time. Just go, have a pleasant conversation then go home again.”
“Ugh.
”
“Kofi, what is going on with you?” Carter questioned. “I remember that night we were at the club when I met Ciro. You were acting strange then too. You’re never the one to put off a date with a pretty girl.”
“I—”
“Don’t know,” Carter cut in. “Yeah, yeah. Look, maybe you need this vacation more than both of us thought.”
“Maybe. I have to go. I still need to pick a shirt.”
“When in doubt, black.”
Kofi chuckled. “Thanks, Carter. Go back to your man.”
“We were heading to see Koi.”
“In the Hall of Winds?”
“Yeah. You’re going to be okay, right?”
Kofi took a breath. “Yeah. I love you.”
“Love you.”
“Before I forget, Christophe invited me to his match tomorrow night. I got some extra tickets. Think any of the gang want in?”
“He’s still doing mixed martial arts? I thought he stopped since his mom got sick.”
Kofi shook his head. “No. I think it’s something that is keeping him grounded and from falling too deeply into depression.”
“Well, as long as he doesn’t get hit on the head too many times.”
“Right.” Kofi chuckled. “Anyway, I have to go.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Carter, you’re an old lady. Stop worrying.”
Kofi ended the conversation before Carter could ask any more questions. Even though he wasn’t feeling the date, he took a shower, shaved and got dressed. Then he stared at himself in the mirror but couldn’t meet his reflection’s eyes. With a quick slash of aftershave, he ignored the burn and grabbed his cell phone off the charger. He had to go. Canceling now would be a bad thing.
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