by Tina Folsom
“It doesn’t sound simple.”
“That’s because you think only of yourself. Put your own ego aside and—”
“My ego?” Triton snapped. “This isn’t about my ego.”
“It’s always been about your ego, about how many women you can bed, how many innocents you can seduce, how much more desirable you are than your brother.”
Triton didn’t like hearing the truth from his father’s mouth. It stung. And his father wasn’t done with the lecture.
“You’ll never grow as a man if you can’t put your own needs aside and really look at somebody else and find out what they want. Every man has to learn it sooner or later, otherwise, he’ll never find his home.”
“Nonsense, I know exactly where my home is.”
“Do you, son? Home is not a place, Triton, it’s a state of mind. And only when you realize that, will you find the path leading there. In the meantime you’re just a lost ship ignoring the beacon to guide you there.”
“And what do I do to find that beacon?”
Poseidon winked. “I’d say you’ve already found it—and if I may use your own words: she’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever held in your arms.”
“Sophia?”
“Yes, she’ll guide you home, but first you have to give her what she needs.”
“And the storm?”
“Forget about the storm. Only think of her.”
Triton sighed. Thinking of her was easy, because it came natural to him. Forgetting about the storm was the hard part.
“And, son?”
Triton looked up.
“Do what your heart tells you to do.”
And with a splash, his father dove back into the ocean. The water swallowed him up, and he was gone.
Follow his heart? If he followed his heart like his father advised him, he would go to Sophia now, take her into his arms and make love to her all night. And every night thereafter. But then all he would get was her body, when what he really wanted was her heart, her mind, and her trust. No, his sexual urges would have to be subdued.
“Hermes,” he called out into the night. “Hermes, meet me at the house. We need to talk.”
Twenty-Three
Sophia didn’t want to wake up. For once, she just wanted to bury herself in bed and pretend the outside world didn’t exist. Her night hadn’t gone well. She’d heard Triton sneak out of the house in the middle of the night, and when he’d come back hours later, she’d heard more than one voice, but the voices were too muffled to recognize whether they were male or female. Had he brought a woman back to his room?
The thought that he was in his room with another woman, touching and kissing her, hurt. But could she really blame him? Like a cock tease she’d fired him up, made him horny so he’d had to go and find an outlet somewhere else. She’d made it clear to him last night that she didn’t trust him and that she wasn’t ready for whatever was between them. Well, he’d obviously taken the hint and found somebody else who wasn’t as difficult as she was. Somebody who’d instantly hopped into bed with him.
And with that, Triton had already proven to her that the bit of attraction that was between them was only superficial. She’d asked for more time, and he’d gone and found another woman to satisfy his urges.
Sophia swung her legs out of bed and headed for the bathroom. But her morning routine was rudely interrupted just as she finished brushing her teeth. The shower was dry. No matter how much she turned the knob, no water came out of the showerhead.
What the hell had the contractor messed up now?
She tightened the belt around her bathrobe and stomped out into the hallway and into chaos.
“Careful!” a male voice called out from the stairs and made Sophia stop dead in her tracks.
“Coming through. Give me those two-by-fours,” an authoritative voice ordered.
Sophia knew most of the workers that her contractor employed, but none of these guys sounded familiar. What was going on in her house?
“Where’s the nail gun?”
“Ask Greg.”
It felt like the house was swarming with people. She’d already heard at least four or five different voices coming from the stairs and from the floor below, and at best Charlie had three or four people working for him at any time.
“Charlie? Where are you?” she called out.
More footsteps on the stairs, more figures to go with the sounds.
“Sorry, Miss Baker,” Charlie’s voice finally reached her as he approached. “You can’t blame me for this. It’s not my fault.” The defensiveness in Charlie’s tone was undeniable.
“What’s going on? Who are all these people?”
“Well, they’re not mine. That’s for—”
“I can explain,” Triton interrupted. He appeared behind Charlie. “Just a minute, Sophia. Charlie, there are two guys in the lobby, who’re ready to paint. Put them to work.” Without another word, Charlie allowed himself to be dismissed. That was new, Sophia thought.
“It’s dusty out here, why don’t we talk in your room?” Triton asked.
“My room?” Did she really want to be alone with him again? Only half-dressed and in her bedroom? Bad idea. Extremely bad idea.
“We can talk here,” she insisted.
“Sophia, you’ve been very stressed out in the last few days. So I’ve decided to take the worry off you and take over the management of the renovations and—”
“What?” she gasped. Had he said he was taking over?
“You’re officially on vacation as of right now.”
“But, you can’t do that. It’s my—”
Triton cut her protest off in its infancy. “Hear me out, Sophia. You’ve shown me over the last few days exactly how you want this place to turn out. I know what you’re looking for. You want the bedrooms airy, but at the same time cozy. I know how you envision the bathrooms, how you want the reception to look, what curtains go where, what linens go with which paint. You don’t have to do it all yourself. You need to rest, otherwise you’ll be a wreck by the time opening day comes around.”
Sophia’s protest was automatic. This was her baby, and she would do it her way. “I didn’t hire you for this. And who are all these people? What are they doing here?”
“Those are my friends. They're making sure we stay on schedule. Charlie is behind with his work; we both know that.”
“But I can’t pay for all these extra people. Don’t you get that?”
Triton took a step closer and engulfed her in his drugging scent. This was exactly what she’d wanted to avoid. “I do get it. That’s why I’m doing this. All these people owe me favors. I’m calling them in. They’re working for free, Sophia, so that you can open the B&B on time.”
“But—”
His finger on her lips stopped her protest. She closed her eyes, trying to steady her thundering heart.
“You,” he emphasized, “will get dressed and go down into the garden, lie down in the lounge chair and listen to the book on tape I got you. I’ll bring you breakfast. And whenever you need something, you’ll call me, and I’ll get it for you. You won’t concern yourself with any little hiccups that happen in the house. That’s what I’m here for.”
She shook her head, not believing her own ears. He wanted to take on all this work for her? “Why are you doing this? You know it’s way more work than what I’m paying you for.”
“You’ve only just gotten out of the hospital, and you still need your rest. Let me do this for you, please.”
“When did you organize all this?”
“Last night. I couldn’t sleep.”
Sophia swallowed. Did this mean he hadn’t brought a woman back with him last night? “I heard voices last night.”
“I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to wake you, but I had a friend help me figure out who we could get to do which job. Sorry if we were—”
Her heart leapt. There was no other woman. “No. No, that’s quite all right. You didn’t wake me. I coul
dn’t sleep.”
Triton cleared his throat. “About last night—”
Sophia held her hand up to stop him, but he simply took it into his.
“I’m sorry,” Triton said, “I should have never taken such liberties. You won’t have anything else to fear from me, I promise you. Nothing will happen that you don’t want. I will be on my best behavior and won’t force myself on you again. So please let me make it up to you by managing the renovations for you.”
He wouldn’t force himself on her anymore? As if he had forced himself on her in the first place. Hadn’t she been the one who’d responded to him with such wanton behavior? Sophia had allowed him to take liberties, had invited it. But she didn’t say anything, because she didn’t want to have to admit that she was the one lusting after him. He was just a man, he couldn’t help himself. She was a woman. And weren’t women less susceptible to the powers of the flesh? Clearly, she was an exception in that respect.
“Thank you.”
“Is that a thank you yes or a thank you no?” he asked, the smile evident in his tone.
“It’s a yes.”
“I’m glad.” He released her hand. “Now, I’ll get your breakfast ready. It’ll be waiting in the garden for you by the time you’re dressed.”
Triton turned and walked away.
She didn’t deserve this. In her mind, she’d accused him of bringing a woman back to his bedroom. And what was he doing? He took all this work upon himself so that she could rest and relax for a while.
And Triton’s promise was good. By the time Sophia made it down to the garden, her breakfast was waiting for her, together with a CD player, headphones, and an audio book. He’d put a large umbrella up to provide shade from the summer sun and even put a bottle of suntan lotion next to her lounge chair. An extra pillow for her neck and a couple of towels completed her little vacation spot.
Triton’s thoughtfulness touched her. Whenever she called for him, he came and brought her whatever she wanted. But he never lingered. In fact, he barely spent any time with her at all, other than when he needed to confer with her about the renovations. Then his questions were focused, and the conversations kept short.
In the evenings, over dinner, they spent more time together. He would update her on the progress made during the day, and after dinner, show her the actual work, have her touch the surfaces, feel the smoothness of the finishes and confirm that everything was done well. She wouldn’t have to worry about shoddy workmanship.
By the third day, she’d fallen into a comfortable rhythm, and the progress in the house was astounding. She had to admit that without Triton and his many friends, she would have never gotten this far in such a short time. If everything continued like this, she’d be able to open the B&B on time.
For the first time since the accident, Sophia felt a sense of relief fill her. There was only one thing missing to make her happy: the feel of Triton’s touch.
***
Michael followed the worker when he left Sophia’s house. The wind from the ocean had started to pick up, but he appreciated the breeze. He’d waited around all day and listened in on conversations, trying to find somebody among the many workers he could convince to help him out.
His own skills when it came to electrical work were amateurish at best, and for what he had in mind, he needed a professional in need of extra money. Thanks to the frantic activity in the house, Michael had been able to sneak in while Triton and Sophia were in the garden. Unfortunately, rigging the ceiling fan in her bedroom so it would land on her in the middle of the night was more difficult than he’d thought. He needed to hire somebody, who knew what he was doing.
He’d managed to screw with the plumbing in Sophia’s bathroom, but he wasn’t sure if what he’d planned would work. There was nothing wrong with having a few different irons in the fire.
But Selective Home Healthcare, the third company he’d checked out, hadn’t been the one Sophia had hired, which left only Executive Home Healthcare. Even though he’d gone back to the place where his ex, Carol, worked as a receptionist, every time he’d tried to enter, she’d been there. He’d been casing the joint most of the day for two days now, but she didn’t even leave for lunch and instead ate at her desk. Getting any information from the company was a bust.
So, he had to come up with something else. He figured if he went back to his original plan of getting rid of Sophia, it would surely put an end to her relationship with Triton. If that wasn’t getting two birds with one stone!
Michael followed the construction worker who’d just left the house around the next corner before he approached him.
“Greg,” he called out to him, having overheard his name earlier.
The man turned. “Yeah?”
“I wanted to talk to you about a job I need done.”
Greg’s face lit up. “A job?”
“Yeah, if you’re up for it. Why don’t we have a drink and talk about it?”
Twenty-Four
As the workers left for the day one by one, Triton wandered into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He wanted to cook Sophia a nice dinner. After four days of not making any attempts at touching her, he was feeling like an addict fighting the symptoms of withdrawal. Tonight, he would make her a nice dinner and turn the charm back on. Nothing heavy though, he promised himself. He wouldn’t try anything too radical, maybe touch her hand, but nothing else, no kiss. Otherwise she might pull back again.
“Greg, before you go,” he heard Sophia’s voice call to one of the workers in the hallway.
“Yes, Miss Baker?”
“I heard the other day that your wife is unemployed right now.”
Triton felt Greg’s hesitation when he responded. “Yes?”
“I was wondering if you could ask her to come and see me tomorrow. I might have a job for her.”
Triton stopped in his perusal of the contents of the fridge. A job? What kind of job? Was she going to replace him? Shock coursed through his system.
“A job?” Greg asked, his voice full of surprise.
“Yes, we’ll be opening the B&B soon, and I’ll need to hire a housekeeper and cook.”
Relief washed over Triton. Sophia didn’t want him gone. He still had a chance.
“I’ll send her first thing in the morning,” Greg’s voice echoed through the house.
“Good night,” Sophia chirped.
A moment later, the front door closed, and Sophia appeared in the door to the kitchen.
“Do I have time for a shower before dinner?” she asked, looking in his direction.
A shower, so she smelled all flowery and sweet when she sat opposite him at dinner? Could he handle that? Probably not. “Sure, I’ll whip us up some dinner in the meantime. Anything specific you want?”
She shook her head. “Surprise me.”
Triton swallowed. Surprises he had plenty. Would it surprise her to know that he had a hard-on just staring at her in her shorts and t-shirt? His eyes followed her as she sashayed out into the hallway. Was he imagining it, or was she moving her sweet ass more provocatively today? Or was he getting more desperate?
He shook his head and turned back to the fridge. It was better if he concentrated on dinner and not on the perfectly round cheeks of her well-proportioned bottom, or those sleek legs that seemed to go on forever. Why did she have to wear shorts around the house? Was she taunting him?
Triton decided to prepare a large salad. He’d noticed how Sophia devoured anything green. Once she was done with her shower, he’d toss some seafood on the grill and she’d be happy.
In one of the cupboards he found a bottle of wine. Red with seafood? Well, it didn’t matter. He wanted her to relax with a glass of wine, and he couldn’t find any white wine anywhere. It was time to go shopping again. Tomorrow then.
A sound at the window made him snap his head. A low hanging tree branch had slapped against the house. With a concerned look, Triton peered outside into the dark. The wind was kicking up. Earlier
in the day, he’d seen the surf rise. It wasn’t a good sign. The storm wasn’t far now. In two or three days it would come ashore and whip the city into submission.
Triton shuddered at the thought of the destruction this would bring to Charleston and other places up and down the coast. The loss of life, the devastation. And there was nothing he could do about it. Without his powers, he was helpless. It wasn’t a feeling he was familiar with. If he didn’t make progress with Sophia soon, innocent people would have to pay for his mistake. For the first time in his life, he felt true regret at what he’d done. Mortals would have to die, and why? Because Triton couldn’t pass up a hot piece of ass and had to anger Zeus.
Somehow he’d have to come clean. What if he explained his situation to Sophia? Would she believe his fantastic story? Would she allow herself to develop feelings for him if she knew what was at stake? Would she give him a fighting chance?
A scream coming from upstairs made him drop the salad bowl to the floor.
Sophia—she was screaming at the top of her lungs. The sound went right through his entire body.
Triton had never moved faster on dry land than when he ran up the stairs now, taking three steps at a time. He stormed into the bedroom and found it empty. Her screams were coming from the bathroom.
Without hesitation he pushed the door handle down, but the door was locked. “Sophia?”
“Triton! Help me!” Her voice sounded terrified.
He stepped back from the door, and a moment later kicked his foot against the lock. Two kicks, and the flimsy door broke open. A wall of hot steam greeted him. He could barely see through the thick foggy mess.
The rattling of the shower door alerted him to Sophia’s whereabouts. “I’m here.”
Triton rushed to the shower and yanked at the glass door. At first it wouldn’t open, but he gave it another forceful pull and it jerked open. He blindly reached into the shower, feeling the hot water assault him.