by Tina Folsom
Triton had found the nightclub by doing what he did best: following pretty women. Even though the two beauties he’d been tailing had instantly met up with two men inside the club, he hadn’t been disappointed. There was lots of great faire available for him to choose from.
At first, he’d noticed the redhead. What a stunner! He’d immediately made a beeline for her. But when her friend had spilled her drink, he’d instantly zoomed in on her and changed direction. Sophia. She wasn’t as beautiful as her friend, but there was something intriguing about her. The instant he’d seen her green eyes, he’d found himself looking into the depths of an ocean he’d never seen before. And he’d recognized the fire in her, a fire whose flames he wanted to stoke higher.
The way his body had responded to her had almost frightened him away, yet he’d stayed. He’d been ready to throw her into one of the booths that lined the small club and fuck her senseless. Instead, he’d taken the melting ice cube and devoured it, letting her know of his intentions. He would have liked to follow the drops of melted ice that ran down between her perfect tits and lick them up. But he knew enough about America to know that he would have to be more discreet in public. Later, when he was alone with her, he’d follow that delicious path.
Getting Sophia and her friend drinks from the bar gave him the opportunity to cool down his heated body and bring his raging hard-on under control. And besides, it was kind to bring a woman drinks, and even kinder to bring one to her friend, who he wasn’t even remotely interested in anymore. According to the terms of his sentence, she had to fall in love with him because of his kindness and selflessness. He could do both. It couldn’t be all that hard.
The bartender placed two drinks in front of him. Triton paid him.
“Which one are you gonna …?” the man asked, making a shoving movement with his hand.
“There’s really only one choice.” Triton grinned, thinking of the endless possibilities ahead of him.
The bartender responded with a knowing smirk. “Should be easy, Francesca is a sure thing, if you ask—”
“Not her. Her friend,” Triton corrected him. He had no interest in the redhead. The quiet beauty of Sophia was what intrigued him.
The bartender gave him an incredulous look. “Her? Yeah, good luck with her.”
Upon Triton’s inquisitive stare, the bartender continued, “I’ve only seen her in here a few times, and she’s never left with any of the guys who tried to pick her up. She’s a prude. Doubt she’ll even give you her phone number.”
Triton chuckled. What would he do with a phone number? “Watch and learn.”
With a nod to the bartender, he took the drinks and headed back to the table where the dark haired woman who made his heart race and his cock throb was waiting for him. So what if she was a little harder to get than the redhead? It would be all worth his time. Once she was panting in his arms, screaming out his name in ecstasy and professing her love for him, it wouldn’t matter anymore.
The music was at a low simmer as he approached them. They were talking intensely to each other, their heads almost colliding. He could tell they were discussing him. Obviously he’d made quite an impression.
Triton chuckled to himself and took a few steps closer, but the women had still not noticed him.
“...seems to be infatuated with you.” He caught the redhead’s words.
Sophia gave a dismissive gesture with her hand. “He’s just a himbo.”
Himbo? What was she talking about?
“Come on, you’re telling me you’re not going to fall in love with that dish? Please!” The redhead wore her disbelief on her sleeve.
“Fall in love? Are you crazy? You should know me better than that. The man has shallow written all over his body.”
Shallow? Triton snorted. It looked like he had his work cut out for himself. Did she really think he didn't have two brain cells to rub together? If that was the case, he was up for the challenge. Even though he didn't have time to waste on a woman who would be too difficult to convince of his charms, he wanted to try—for whatever inexplicable reason.
Triton planted a broad smile on his face as he set the two fancy drinks in front of the women. “Here you go, ladies, two piña coladas.”
The two instantly stopped their conversation. Sophia even blushed.
Triton searched his memory for an intelligent subject to show off his brains. He recalled a sign he’d seen for a tourist attraction in the city and, considering that history was one of his strong sides, he decided to impress her with his knowledge.
“Fort Sumter seems to be quite a draw for tourists here. Have you been?”
Sophia raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by his choice of topic. Good, if he could keep her on her toes, he had a chance.
Several hours and hundreds of years of history later, Triton felt like patting himself on the back. He had engaged Sofia and her friend Francesca in one history discussion after another and found that both of them were well educated.
Sophia had laughed heartily at his clever jokes—which he’d kept out of the gutter for once. Every time she’d laughed, he’d felt a strange sense of warmth spread in his chest. The woman had a way of infecting him with her open smile that made his entire body sizzle with excitement.
He’d even managed to put his hand on her arm on occasion, and she hadn’t pushed him away. Clearly, she’d loosened up and realized that her first assessment of him was incorrect. If he’d known that some intelligent conversation could get a woman turned on, frankly, he would have tried this route before.
As Triton stood outside the club and hailed a cab, he knew he had to make a move now.
When the taxi finally stopped, Francesca hugged her friend. “Goodnight, sweetie.” Then she turned to him and stretched out her hand. “It was nice meeting you, Trent. Would you mind walking Sophia home? She only lives a few blocks from here.”
Her smile was conspiratorial, and Triton nodded eagerly. Perfect, she had just handed him Sophia on a platter.
Next to him, Sophia let out a quick breath. “That's really not necessary. I know the area quite well.” Triton noticed the looks she exchanged with her friend, looks which told him she was less than pleased with Francesca right now.
But he couldn't allow this golden opportunity to slip through his fingers. “Please allow me, Sophia. I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I allowed a woman to walk home on her own in the middle of the night. I'd feel much better if I was allowed to escort you to your door and make sure you got home safely.”
There was a moment where his heart almost stopped when he feared Sophia would refuse him. Her frown suggested as much, but then she grudgingly nodded. “Fine.”
As soon as Francesca disappeared with the taxi, Triton fell in step with Sophia as they walked along a quiet street.
Outside in the fresh air, he was more aware of Sophia’s scent which engulfed him immediately. He filled his lungs with her delectable scent and felt a strange yearning go through his body. There was something about this woman that drew him to her. Even though she was merely a mortal, no goddess on Olympus had ever had a similar effect on him. And certainly none of the mortal women he’d been with had ever stirred him like she did. Maybe this forced exile wasn't quite as bad as he’d thought.
“We’re here,” he suddenly heard Sophia proclaim.
What? Had he been walking next to her like a silent log for blocks and blocks, daydreaming like some stupid kid? “Already?”
“Yes, as Francesca said, it's only a couple of blocks.”
Triton looked around the neighborhood. One side of the street was lined with large historical homes, while the other side was framed by water. When he turned back to Sophia, she was already unlocking the door of a large mansion.
He launched into action. “Sophia, I—”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Goodnight, Trent, thanks for walking me home.”
“Wait. Aren't you going to invite me in?” Hadn’t he done enough to convince h
er that he wasn't just a pretty face? Surely, she just needed a little hint from him that he wouldn't decline an invitation.
“No.” Her reply was blunt, something he wasn't used to.
“But I thought we had a really nice evening.”
“We did, but the evening is over.” If that wasn't a cold brush-off, he didn't know what was.
Triton took a step closer and put his hand on her arm. Lowering his voice, he implored her, “I don't want the evening to be over.” He wanted her in his arms, wanted to feel those sweet lips on his skin. More than anything, he needed to feel her close to him. There was something that drew him to her, and the thought of leaving her, even for a night, seemed foreign.
He felt her suck in a breath before she removed his hand. The loss affected him physically. There was something in her eyes, a flicker of—could it be?—regret, before she spoke.
“Listen, Trent. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea tonight. I had fun, I really did. But—” She paused and exhaled. “—you’re not the kind of man I’m looking for. A fling is the last things I need right—”
“I don’t want a fling,” he interrupted.
The look she gave him told him she didn’t believe him. “I need someone reliable, someone I can depend on. And we both know that you’re not that guy. Good night.”
Then she turned swiftly and disappeared in the house, shutting the door behind her.
Sophia had brushed him off? She’d let him stand there like some stupid schoolboy? Who did she think she was? Someone special? Did she consider herself superior to him? She thought he wasn’t reliable? That she couldn’t depend on him? How would she know? She hadn’t even given him a chance. Did she think just because she could make his cock throb with desperate need, she could treat him with such disdain?
Hadn’t he just spent hours engaging her and her friend in scholarly conversation? Had he not proven to her that he was more than just a pretty face? And that was the thanks he got for it, leaving him out in the cold—actually, warm and humid night—without as much as a goodnight kiss?
Fine, if she didn't want him, there were plenty of other women in the city, and he would prove it to her and himself that he could make any one of these women fall in love with him. He didn't need Sophia.
Triton’s hand instinctively went to his crotch. He was still as hard as a boulder, and the zipper of those damn jeans bit into his swollen flesh. How could she have this effect on him? He swore he could still smell her, and he didn’t like it one bit. He was in charge and not that woman.
By the gods, one of these days she would get her just reward for angering a god.
Chapter Five
Sophia let the heavy entrance door of her home—and soon to be Bed and Breakfast—fall shut behind her.
Not inviting Trent in had been the hardest thing she'd done in a long time. The man affected her. Not only was he good looking, but he also appeared smart and well educated. However, she’d noticed that he was only too aware of his charms, and men like that were dangerous. There was a certain arrogance about him that scared her.
And then of course, there was the way her body reacted to his. Every time he'd casually touched her, she'd been aflame. If she had allowed him to kiss her, she would have tumbled into bed with him without considering the consequences. And the consequences would have been severe: she would have fallen for another pretty face that would leave her devastated after a few weeks or months. She'd never been able to guard her heart. She would have invested herself in this relationship and neglected everything else. Disappointment would have followed.
No, she couldn't deal with this right now. As much as she wanted to feel his arms around her, he wasn't the right man for her. She needed somebody solid, stable, and not somebody who made her heart pound with just a look or a touch. Things like that burned out quickly. Lust wasn’t a good basis for a relationship.
She wasn't like Francesca who could indulge in one night stands and come out in one piece on the other side. Sometimes she wished she was a little bit more like her friend. If she was, she would have felt a man’s warmth and passion tonight—something that had eluded her in the last six months while she’d cared for Eleni in the final stage of her cancer.
Her thoughts about Eleni catapulted her back into reality and brought back the pain and recent loss she'd had to deal with. Sophia hadn’t wanted her aunt to spend the last months of her life in a hospital, so she’d decided to nurse her at home. All of Sophia’s energy and time had been spent on making things more comfortable for Eleni.
During those months, she’d put her own life on hold. She hadn’t minded. She was young and had her entire life ahead of her. And she loved her aunt and owed her so much. A lesser woman wouldn’t have given up her own dreams in order to raise her orphaned niece and nephew.
Sophia pushed back her rising tears and sighed as she flipped the light switch. The bulb in the foyer flickered, then burned out with a short hiss.
“Great!”
As she stumbled around in the dark, she could only hope the contractors hadn’t left their tools lying around willy-nilly like the day before. Stretching her arms out in front of her, she felt for any obstacle as she put one foot in front of the other. After a couple of steps, she reached the sweeping staircase leading to the upper floors and gripped the smooth mahogany handrail.
Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she slowly walked up the stairs. The dim light coming through the small window over the entrance door helped her reach the second floor landing without any problems.
She ran her hand along the wall to her right and found the light switch. A moment later, the lights in the hallway came on.
Sophia looked around. The place was a serious disaster zone. Instead of going out tonight, she would have been better off taking stock of what still needed to be done.
The entire second floor housed the public rooms of the home: the sitting rooms, which were as large as ballrooms, the dining room, reception area, and kitchen with a large pantry behind. At present, many of the walls were down to the studs to repair some of the dry rot that had accumulated over the years.
Once the renovations were complete on this floor, the guest rooms and baths would be upgraded. Everything was supposed to be finished within six weeks. However, looking around, Sophia had serious doubts as to the contractor’s promises. If he and his crew didn’t pick up their pace considerably in the next week, the opening date for the B&B would have to be pushed back.
And that would cause a major problem. The height of tourist season was approaching, and she already had firm bookings for most of the guest rooms with more coming in daily. Delaying the opening wouldn’t be an option, especially since she needed the money to make her next mortgage payment.
Sophia sighed and let herself fall onto the couch in the reception area, creating a dust cloud in her wake. Had she taken on too much with the renovations and the B&B? When it came down to it, she had no experience in hospitality. But giving up the home wasn’t an option. She’d grown up here together with her aunt and her cousin after the death of their parents, and having to sell it would tear her heart out.
After Eleni had thrown Michael out of the house and told him never to come back, it had been just the two of them until her death. No, she’d hold onto her home for as long as she could.
She’d rather share it with paying guests than give it to a new owner altogether. At least she could live in part of the house. After the renovations were complete, she would move into a large studio on one side of the third floor. In the meantime, she slept in one of the only two completed guest rooms.
Sophia closed her eyes for a moment, trying to block out the mountains of work still ahead of her. If she wanted to get a head start for tomorrow, she should really do some paperwork. She lifted herself out of the dusty couch when she heard the old Grandfather clock in the hallway chime the hour. It was late. Maybe paperwork wasn’t such a good idea after all. It was time for bed.
After breezing t
hrough a shortened version of her nightly bathroom ritual, she slipped under the sheets. The soft material caressed her bare legs, reigniting the sensations she’d felt on the dance floor. She wondered what it would feel like to have Trent’s hands touch her bare skin, travel up her legs and explore her. Her mind’s mere suggestion made her wet. She inhaled deeply, remembering his scent. He’d smelled of beach and ocean. Something so familiar. She’d always loved the ocean. Whenever she needed to get through tough problems, she’d run out to the shore, bathed her feet in the waves and stared into its depths.
Something out there always called to her.
As she twisted underneath the sheets, the fabric moving against her body felt like the waves of the ocean and lulled her into sleep.
***
A grating sound reached Sophia’s consciousness and pulled her out of her dreams. She sat up in bed, engulfed in darkness. The digital clock on her nightstand blinked three seventeen. She’d barely slept a couple of hours.
There was the noise again. Now that she was awake, there was no way she’d be able to go to sleep again unless she could shut the darn sound off—if she found out what it was.
With a frustrated huff, she swung her legs out of bed. Not bothering to look for shoes, she walked barefoot across the room and spied out the door into the hallway. The sound grew louder.
She flicked the light switch, but nothing happened. It had been working fine before she’d gone to bed. Sophia cursed the contractor under her breath. It wouldn’t be the first time that some of the new electrical wiring shorted out because the sub-contractor hadn’t bothered to upgrade to sufficient amps in the fuse box. Well, there was a bill she wasn’t going to pay until the guy remedied the situation. At least she had some leverage. Money talked.
The wooden floorboards felt rough underneath her feet as she inched forward toward the sound. The moonlight coming through one of the open bedroom doors provided some guidance. The dust seemed to dance in the dim light as her movements whirled it up. She wondered if she’d ever get rid of the dirt in the house. It seemed to have slipped into every crevice in every room.