by C. M. Owens
Whoa. Talk about beating someone with a damn stick. Shit. I knew he was going to be mad, but sheesh.
"I'm sorry," I mumble.
He takes a deep breath, and the icy tone returns to his lips.
"Go back to bed," he breathes.
"Not unless you come with me," I lightly protest.
He doesn't say anything right away. He pulls another bottle of liquor from the cabinet and pours a glass. He stalks past me to flop on the couch without so much as acknowledging my words.
He flips on the news before finally ending the silent torture of my suspended request.
"I'll be sleeping in the guestroom tonight. Go to bed," he mutters chillingly.
My heart almost sinks into my stomach. I feel my chest becoming so heavy that it's hard to inhale. He completely ignores my fractured composure as he flips through the various news channels.
"You don't want to be with me anymore?" I whimper.
"Go to bed, Adisia. Not everything can go your way. I don't walk to talk about this tonight. I'm not leaving you, I'm just fucking pissed. I don't want to say anything I'll regret," he grumbles.
I step in between him and the television to rebel against his commanding tone. He glares into my eyes, and I can see the swirls of fury.
"I'm not walking away. This has been torture for me. If you want this to be over, then let it be. I can go be with Persia," I say as I force back the tears.
He grimaces lightly, and then his stone face returns.
"Stop. Just stop. You fucked up. Quit trying to make me fold by making me feel guilty. I haven't done anything wrong, so it's not going to work. I have a right to be mad right now. Your safety is all that matters to me, and you blatantly disregarded all of my attempts to keep you alive. I don't give a fuck how you feel right now, you're not going any-damn-where, and I'd like to see you try to force me to let you."
I know he's talking about my threat to Deacon. I told him I could force him to let me go, and he only ceded to me in order to be able to keep an eye on me. That chicken sold me out.
"So Deacon told you everything," I gripe.
"He didn't have to. I knew he wouldn't have gone along with any such thing, but I was too mad to think about your stubborn persistence at first. I figured it out on the way home," he growls.
He takes a deep breath as he tries to control his anger.
"Go to bed," he orders lightly.
"No," I protest again.
He stands up and walks over to me. I'm forced to look up to stare into his eyes - his incredibly angry, pained, and terrified eyes.
He's been a mess. I can tell by the way he's looking at me that he's been a complete wreck. He's using his anger to mask his fear.
"Please, don't be mad at me," I murmur pitifully.
"Please, go to bed."
I swallow hard against the knot in my throat, and I start moving my hands up his arms once again. His hands pull me into his body, and I can feel the week's worth of built up frustration antagonizing the pleading hormones inside.
His lips almost touch mine, but then he rips free from the contact and storms into the guestroom. The door slams behind him, and the top of it unhinges from the doorframe.
So close.
I hear the news broadcasting from inside the room, and I sink to the couch in dismay. How do I make this better?
I smirk deviously as I rush into the bedroom and pull out the red corset ensemble. Aphrodite used sex as a weapon. I hate to stoop to such a level, but desperate times call for seductive measures.
I slowly glide the fishnet stockings over my smooth legs, and then I quickly pull on the black stilettos that scream sex-appeal. I tug on a black satin robe and rush into the bathroom to fix my hair, brush my teeth, and apply my makeup.
I smirk as I return to the crumbling door and pry it free. He doesn't even look up as he scolds me once more.
"Adisia, go away. Just let it rest for tonight."
Mmm. He's shirtless now.
Once again, I step into his view, and his eyes catch sight of the robe. He knows I'm hiding something tantalizing underneath, and his eyes reprimand me instantly.
"Don't. I'm not going to give into this," he huffs.
My devilish grin emerges as I let one side of the robe fall off my shoulder and swing around my waist.
"Stop, Adisia," he almost begs.
My wicked grin grows as the other side falls free, completely revealing the daring, seductive garment that has been hiding beneath.
His eyes widen and then narrow with disapproval. I stalk toward his bed with the goddess persona I've completely dove into. He swallows harder as I slowly stretch my leg across his body and sit astride him. His body stiffens as my weight presses against his lap, and I can hear him groaning as he fights the urge to take me.
"Adisia, you can't do this. It's not fair," he crackles out.
"I never claimed to fight fair," I seduce as the green eyes threaten his wavering strength all the more.
I bend to kiss his bare chest, and he squirms beneath my lips pressing softly against him. I smile as I drag my lower lip down his abdomen and back up chest and then kiss his shoulder lightly.
He grips my hips firmly, and I'm worried he's about to throw me off him. His eyes glare into mine, and then he flips me to be under him on the bed as his lips devour mine.
His hips grind against me, and the overwhelming throbbing sensation is almost painful. His hand slides up my leg, over the stocking, until it reaches the bare skin exposed at the top of my thigh.
"Damn you," he murmurs against my lips.
His reluctant submission is my undoing, and I respond by gripping him tighter against me and thrusting my hips up to bash against his. He grips me harder, and I can feel his breath swarming inside my mouth, filling me with all the more desire. Aphrodite applauds my successful seduction as the bed creaks beneath us.
"You make it impossible for someone to stay mad. You realize that, don't you?" Devin says with exaggerated irritation.
I smirk triumphantly as I feel the badly damaged guest bed that has taken the full brunt of the angry sex we just thoroughly reveled in.
"Yes, but it's fun to make up," I tease seductively.
He tries to stifle a grin, but to no avail. He rolls his eyes as he pulls me into his arms, and I can feel how immensely the ice has melted away from his touch.
"I love you, Adisia. Promise me you won't take this sort of risk again," he almost pleads.
My eyes soften and lose their seductive edge when I see how truly sincere he is.
"I promise. I understand a little better now. I love you, too."
His lips cover mine, and then the news catches his attention, pulling him away from me.
"A number of people died today during an explosion that rattled the city of San Diego. Police are investigating the possibility of a ruptured gas line, while others speculate the possibility of a terrorist attack. Dean Stables in on site now-"
Devin cuts off the television and dials a number on his phone. My breath is rasp as I listen in.
“They're in California. They must have tracked us there somehow," he barks before the person even says hello.
"So they're in New York and in California. How are they scouring so much at once?" Deacon asks.
"I don't know, but we need to show extreme caution. They've modified the news on their own. I don't know what's going on right now," Devin says with an air of frustration.
"How's Adisia? You weren't too hard on her, were you?" Deacon mumbles.
Devin rolls his eyes as the bed creaks again before dropping a shattered piece of wood to the floor, forcing me to stifle my laugh.
"No. She didn't give me the opportunity," he huffs.
Deacon starts laughing, and I shine a smug smirk.
"What did you expect from an Aphrodite?" he chuckles.
Devin lets a small laugh escape, and then wipes the smile from his face.
"Get some sleep. We've got work to do later," Devin says wit
h a heavy tone.
"No problem," Deacon responds seriously.
An unexplainable smirk spreads to Devin's face as he continues with a bit of a teasing tone.
"Could you hand the phone to Camara?"
"Bloody prying psychic. Yeah," Deacon grumbles.
I clamp my hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh, and Devin's grin spreads bigger.
"Hey, Devin," Camara murmurs with a touch of embarrassment.
"Can you come here in the morning?" he asks while holding his humor at bay.
"Yeah. No problem," she quickly responds.
He hangs up while snickering slightly.
"That was just cruel," I chuckle out.
He shrugs as he kisses me and pulls me under his perfectly divine body. His eyes dance with seduction as he teases me.
"No. Wearing that ridiculously sexy attire when I'm working incredibly hard to be mad at you is cruel."
I blush slightly under his adoring eyes, and my lips move back to find his.
"I didn't wear it for very long," I seduce through the kiss.
He pulls back and laughs a little as he tosses the ripped pieces of the once enticing corset to the ground.
"I'll buy you a new one," he tempts.
I smile lightly as he pulls me to him, and the flames erupt around us as the passion reignites.
"I hope you're not sleepy," I dare.
He smirks deviously.
"Not in the least."
The passion wins us over, and the outside world ceases to exist for the moment. But then I draw back slightly as the question that has been plaguing my mind springs from my mouth.
"Is your heir mandated? I mean, are there only sons of Poseidon, or can there be daughters as well?” I ask nervously.
I see a smile spread over his face when he realizes my reason for asking. He kisses me softly while removing a stray piece of hair from my face.
"You're planning ahead. Does that mean you want kids?" he asks with an excited flare.
I blush instantly when I realize what a complete freak I sound like. I can't sound like the loon planning a family a couple weeks into a relationship.
"I was just asking. I only learned about the mandated genders earlier," I stumble out.
He smiles gently as he pulls the back of my hand to his lips and trails his kisses up to my wrist.
"Oh. So you're not asking if we can have children together?" he teases.
I roll my eyes at myself. Why did I just blurt that out?
"I… um… well… I meant," I babble.
He smirks and sits up to stare down at me. He pulls me into his lap and kisses my forehead.
"I actually have a female cousin from my Poseidon side, so there is no mandate stating all heirs of Poseidon have to be male. I'll able to have a daughter with you one day, if that's what you're asking."
My eyes fall prey to his dissolving gaze. I squirm uncomfortably under the indescribable look he's giving me.
"Please don't think I'm crazy. I wasn't saying I want or expect children anytime soon, especially not with all of this other crazy stuff going on."
His smile grows, and I realize the accidental confession I've just shared with him. My cheeks instantly burn brighter.
"But you're planning on spending your life with me and having children with me in the future," he says softly.
Holy crap. I just keep digging a hole with my ridiculous inability to find a clever way out of this madness.
"I didn't mean to… oh, I sound like a psycho right now. I give up," I gasp while throwing my head in my hands to cover my face.
He laughs at me as he kisses me on top of the head. He shifts me back onto the bed as he climbs out from under me.
"Did I scare you off?" I ask mildly as he walks out of the room.
I hear him laughing lightly from his bedroom, and I stand up to pull on the black satin robe. I follow his lead with embarrassment etching its way into my face with more definition.
"Don't laugh at me," I pout, sounding a little childish.
I turn the corner to see him digging around in his bag, and I sit down on the new bed we've yet to christen.
"I'm not laughing at you, baby," he snickers out.
"Don't patronize me either," I huff.
He laughs a little louder as he pulls out a gift wrapped box. It's about the size of a shoe box, and the gallant ribbons drip elegantly. His laughter slowly fades as he walks over and hands it to me.
"I got you something while I was away," he says with a humorless, endearing smile.
"Why did you get me a present?"
His eyes stare into mine as they freely pour out sincerity.
"Because I missed you. Open it," he prompts with an adorable grin.
I smile giddily as I slowly untie the decadent bow. He kisses me on the head as I continue to unravel the lavish wrapping.
I open the lid to find a beautiful jade jewelry box. I also find a pair of diamond earrings glistening through a transparent container.
"Wow. I can't take these. This is way too much," I gush.
He smiles as he pulls out something I've missed. There's a necklace in the shape of a wavy heart. The platinum marvel slides against my neck as he fastens it onto me.
"Devin, this is ridiculous. I can't wear stuff this expensive," I mumble.
He smiles as he brushes my hair away to kiss my shoulder.
"You're my everything. I can buy you some jewelry if I want to. Look in the mirror at how beautiful you are, and try on the earrings," he prompts while lying back on the bed.
I smile a girly grin as I walk over to the mirror. I put the earrings on and stare at the girl wearing the expensive jewels. The necklace settles against my chest and I'm fascinated by how incredible he is to me.
"I love it," I breathe.
"Good," he says with a heart-melting smile.
I start to climb back onto the bed, but he holds his hand up.
“You might want to put that in your new jewelry box. I'd hate for something to break or get lost before you get to wear them out in public," he says gently while rubbing my side.
I smile as I move away from the bed - the bed he hasn't even mentioned.
"How do you like the new bed?" I ask gently as I walk back over to the dresser where I left the jade box.
"It feels sturdy, but I question its sustainability against your seductive wrath," he jokes.
I giggle lightly as I open the new jewelry box, and I gasp as I look inside it. I pull out a large, princess cut diamond ring. I examine it closely to see green and blue sapphires made into the band. I stare at it quizzically for a moment before I realize what it is. I gasp even louder when I do.
I hold it up as I whirl around to see Devin on one knee in front of me. His nervous eyes match his tone as he speaks.
"I've walked through centuries without even realizing five years had passed, but these past eight days without you have felt like a millennium. I realized I can't be without you, and I don't want to ever lose you. I know this is sudden, and possibly crazy, but I don't want to waste time, even if we have an eternity of it. I love you, Adisia. Will you please be my wife?" he asks so genuinely.
Tears have been building up the entire time he's been proposing, and now they're slowly starting to slide down my cheeks. I swallow hard against the gigantic knot that has almost closed up my throat, and I cough out the only words I can speak.
"Yes. I will."
Tears stream more freely from my eyes, and he flashes up from the ground to cup my face in his hands before his lips envelope mine. His hands slowly move down my body, and he pulls me tighter into a more devoted embrace.
I can't believe this. We barely know each other, and we're getting married. I love him too much to have it any other way.
Chapter 13
Intuition
Thunder roars across the sky as the lightning streaks down to disintegrate all in its path. Persia is taking on an army by herself in the suburb streets that are more accustomed to a docil
e night.
A woman flips wildly through the air, and that's all there is surrounding her - women. She has no power over them, and her lightning is failing her as she weakens from the strain she's being forced to exert.
The jet black hair of one swirls freely through the wind as she traps Persia with the deadly vines that have come to life and ripped through the streets. Persia screams out her strangled cry as the girl smiles her eerie grin.
"No Aphrodite stays alive," she hisses the blond beauty who is gasping for air..
Persia collapses to the ground, and I start screaming myself awake. I sit straight up, and Devin's arms close around me as he soothes me.
"Hey, baby. Calm down. It was just a dream. You're okay," he coos while holding me to his chest and stroking my hair affectionately.
Tears burn against my face as I try to catch a breath from the air evading my lungs.
"Persia… Look for her… Please…" I gasp incoherently.
"I can't see her. She's been underground for a while though. She's probably blocking out everyone,” he soothes.
I shake my head and leap up from the bed. I start jerking clothes free from the closet and flashing into them.
"No. She's dying. I can feel it. I saw it. We have to go now," I cry.
"Adisia, it was probably just a dream. Where did you see her?"
I swallow hard as more tears pour down with ferocity.
"My parents' house. A black-haired girl swore no Aphrodite would live."
He grabs his pants from the floor and pulls them on. Then he rips a shirt from the closet and slides into it as he grabs his phone.
"What’s wrong?" Kry says to the late night phone call.
"We've got to get to Adisia's parents' house. Call everyone else. We're leaving now."
The elevator dings, and I flash to it with my shoes clutched in my hand. Devin buttons his shirt as I pull on my shoes on the way down to the lobby.
"My cars are just down the street," he says briskly when the doors open and he takes my hand.