She nodded solemnly. “And Gaia is my mother. Although she isn’t a god. She’s a primordial deity.”
He didn’t bother to restrain his snort. He had to be dreaming.
“I’m happy to pinch you if you think it would help. But I get to pick where I pinch.” Lia dropped her gaze to his ass, then lifted her eyes and offered a bright smile. She gestured to a straight-backed chair.
Ben sat down hard enough to bite his tongue. Thanks to the pain he experienced, he knew he wasn’t dreaming. “Okay, I’m willing to go on a little faith here. Maybe you should start at the top.”
“In my first or second incarnation, a deity named Pierus challenged Zeus, claiming his nine daughters were superior to the Muses. While my sisters and I inspire the world to good things, Pierus and his offspring represent all the bad juju out in the world. His bitches come with names like Greed, Strife, Doom, Disease…you get the idea. It appears my challenge might be with Hunger.” She stood to pace behind her desk. “Zeus got pissed at Pierus, and transformed his children into magpies for all eternity. But the evil bastard still manages to rise up every thousand years or so to challenge us.”
Thousands of years? “How old are you?”
“Twenty-four.” She moved around the desk and leaned her hip on the edge. “In this lifetime. If you counted up the entire number of years I’ve been alive, my age is closer to six-thousand and twenty-four. No wait. Is it eight-thousand? I’ve sucked at math in every lifetime.”
Okay, that little fact freaked him the fuck out. Unable to deal with it, he filed the detail for exploration later. “Tell me more about this challenge.”
“Okay, but you have to know, until recently, no mortals in this millennia ever knew of our existence. Only three other men even have a clue at this point. You’re kind of a rare breed.”
She propped a hand on her hip, pulling her T-shirt taut over her breasts. Ben dropped his gaze to the luscious display and swallowed hard to move past the need to cup his palms around them.
Lia cleared her throat. “Um, just for now, eyes up. But this attraction you feel might be part of the challenge.”
“Don’t you feel it?”
“The connection? Yeah. When you touched my wrist, I had a premonition that we are meant to be together.”
“You too? I saw us in a darkened room with…I don’t know, maybe crows flying around us.”
She tipped her head to the side and pressed a finger to her lips. “That’s new. I’ve never shared foresight with anyone before. One more nail in your coffin.” She winked at him, followed the motion with a chuckle.
Her quiet laugh swirled through him, twisting like an auger along his body. Everything from his waist down drew tight, went hard. However, his brain heard coffin. “I’m not going to die thanks to this challenge, am I?”
“You won’t. Not if we beat Pierus. Unfortunately, we have to play to win.” Lia hopped up on the desk, swinging her legs. She held up her hand, closed her eyes and lifted her face. Almost like she was speaking to someone in her mind.
Ben studied her casual posture, her easy confidence. For a six-or-eight-thousand and something year-old, she was dead sexy. Oh, Lord. What was he thinking? Or better, which head was he thinking with? Even if his attraction to her was a result of his unknowing involvement in this challenge, he didn’t mind giving in to it.
She popped her eyes wide, the blue tint intense and glittering. “Auntie is almost done. We should go back out.”
She spread her legs to leap off her perch on the desk just as Ben jumped from his chair and toward her, ending up nestled between her thighs. Going with his gut, he planted one hand alongside her hip, and cupped the back of her head with the other.
Holding her gaze, he touched his mouth to hers. Soft, ripe, lush. He stilled his lips on hers, eyes open, holding her gaze. The scent of sweet citrus and bergamot rose from her flesh and filled his head.
Her eyes drifted shut and she opened her mouth under his. His eyelids rolled closed as she slipped the tip of her tongue between his teeth. He chased her back to explore the depths of her mouth. Lifting the hand from the desk, he pressed the small of her back, scooting her closer. His stance between her legs was a perfect fit. Under his hands, her body trembled, an answer to the quaking of his.
Pressure from her hands on his chest increased, until she eased him back. Her eyes darted over his face, dropping to his mouth as he swept his tongue out and over his lips, collected the taste of her there.
His breath rushed in and out. “God, what you do to me.”
“It’s the prophecy.” Her soft breath bathed his cheek. “A kiss will seal the partnership. You’re in now, whether you want to be or not, buster.”
She pulled one corner of her lower lip between her teeth, and he nearly groaned with sudden need.
Pressing her fingers to his mouth, she spoke in a low, husky tone. “She’s ready. We need to get out there.”
“Rain check?” he asked
She nodded without saying anything, but he read doubt in her expression.
“Lia, I know we’ve just met, but my attraction to you is real. Despite the weird circumstances.”
“I know. I’ll explain everything to you soon. But for now, we need to get out there and make this night as normal as possible for the rest of the people in the club.”
“I’ll help.” His words rushed out.
“I’m grateful,” she replied.
Shoulders squared, she moved ahead of him through the narrow hallway toward the bar. He left his hand on the small of her back, enjoying the warmth coursing up his arm. As they entered the front half of the club, all of the other customers were back where they’d been before pandemonium had broken out. Paul was in position on the stage, Marco and his other friends were back in their chairs, facing the comedian.
“Go back to your stool,” Lia directed.
As he complied, she stopped to speak to Mnemosyne. They both turned their backs to him, so there was no opportunity to read their lips. The two women hugged, then the atmosphere compressed around his chest as Mnemosyne vanished. Well, that was still weird as fuck.
Lia ducked under the gate. As she moved past the other bartender, the other woman wobbled in place. Lia steadied her with a hand between her shoulder blades, and then proceeded toward him.
“You ready?” A dimple popped out on Lia’s left cheek when she smiled at him.
“As I’ll ever be.”
She reached out and soothed a finger over the crease between his brows. “Do you ever smile?”
“There hasn’t been much cause to in my life.”
“You know I’m kind of taking that as a challenge. Now I’m determined to see a true grin on your face.” He lifted the corners of his lips but stopped short when she laughed at him. “That’s the most insincere attempt at a smile I’ve ever seen. But don’t worry. I’ll get you there.”
Something shifted in his gut. He knew where he’d really like to get her.
On top of him on a bouncy bed, his cock buried to the hilt within her.
She laughed at him again. “Yeah, I see where that statement took you. But can you hold that thought? I need to release these fine folks from the time-out I have them in.”
It didn’t matter that she’d laughed. Or that she knew he’d give anything to make love to her. The only thing that mattered was that she seemed wide open to the idea.
With a snap of her fingers, noise rose in the club again, and the world righted itself on its axis.
Chapter 3
“Where is the mortal now?”
Lia shrank against the back of her chair, fighting a yawn and a cringe. It was late—no, early in the morning—but Zeus had called a meeting for all the Muses and Mars due to the incident at The Greek Chorus. Freaking Mel, Lia’s overly dramatic twin, had shown up in her pajamas. Not dressed any better for a meeting at Olympus Enterprises, Lia straightened her T-shirt and crossed her arms over her chest. She still wore the clothes she’d had on at the club. Un
fortunately, her outfit wasn’t in danger of being retired in the hall of shame. She simply hadn’t been home from the club.
“I’m sorry, Zeus, I don’t know where he is.” Lia gripped her elbows. “He left with his friends shortly after Mnemosyne finished erasing their memories of Pierus’s exhibition.” She’d been a little hurt by his disappearance without a word of good-bye. Especially after they’d sealed the prophecy with a kiss.
But Ben hadn’t known about that aspect. Uncertainty filled her. Pierus had controlled Paul, so maybe Ben had been under the jackhole’s influence as well. Could it be that Pierus had handpicked the one guy he knew wouldn’t be capable of helping her? Once Ben knew what he really faced, maybe he wouldn’t be so willing to help. She hadn’t sensed anything off about him, and his kiss—-oh goddess. His kiss had stirred something deep within her.
“Did you at least get his name?” Polly asked, interrupting Lia’s thoughts. With a pen poised over a pad of paper, Polly’s look was expectant. “I can probably trace him.” Who better to track someone down than the Muse of Sacred Hymns? Although in this existence, her job was investigative reporter.
“Bennett Jordan,” Lia answered. Just saying his name caused desire to swoosh through her belly. The attraction to him had been instant, from the first time he’d glanced at her with those icy blue eyes.
Mars crossed his muscle bound arms on the table, the bulging biceps straining the sleeves of his white dress shirt. “My team is already attempting to trace him. No offense, Polly, but they’ll be faster.”
For the past two hundred years, Olympus had been run as a corporation. Zeus was CEO. Mars, his first vice president, was director of corporate security, a department that included IT and guarded employee privacy. And when a multinational company was run by immortals in a mortal world, secrecy was vitally important.
Mars picked up his phone. His thumbs flew over the keyboard, typing as fast as a teenager.
Zeus pushed away from the credenza he’d been leaning on and took off at a slow pace, trudging from one side of the elaborate boardroom to the other. Remaining silent, while her father paced and thought, could well be the death of her. The idea made Lia wonder if her sudden demise would bring Pierus’s challenge to an abrupt end. Maybe they’d be better equipped in their next re-birth cycle to defeat the egotistic deity.
She nudged the thought into Clio’s head, a silent side-bar conversation.
The Muse of History narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “Why would you even think that?”
In Lia’s head, Clio’s gently chastising tone was evident. Lia defended herself. “It’s a valid question.”
A sharp pinch accompanied her sister’s mental answer. “It’s an asinine question. Put that thought out of your head or I’m telling Gaia.”
“But if I’m gone, the magpie, Hunger, won’t have anyone to swap with. She’ll never transform, rendering the challenge null.”
This time, Clio’s hard jab actually hurt.
Lia rubbed the back of her neck, where the pinch had had the greatest effect, and shut down the link with the now scowling Clio. She resumed watching her father pace.
Mars thumped the table with his fist. “Got him.” He swiped his hand over the keyboard on a nearby workstation. On the wall opposite him, a large monitor blinked to life.
Lia swiveled her chair to view the display. Her breath caught in her throat and her stomach flip-flopped at the bigger-than-life-sized image of Ben on the screen.
She’d found him extremely attractive last night, but in the light of day the man was magnetic. His lean features, the sardonic look in his eyes, his slightly off-center nose. He was, in Lia’s opinion, a better physical representation of male beauty than Adonis. The sexy scruff on his chin and jaws was peppered with gray and threads of sliver gleamed in his light brown hair. Even though it was only the photo, Lia felt like his eyes bored right into her soul.
“Ooh, he’s older. But so, so pretty,” Aerie whispered.
Aerie’s eyes shifted rapidly from side-to-side. Lia could tell the Muse of Love was already planning nuptials between her and Ben. Once Lia defeated her challenger.
“I’m totally using him as inspiration in my next book.” This from Calliope. Her oldest sister wrote romance novels. Again, it was an appropriate occupation for the Muse of Poetry. All of her sisters were employed in fields where they could provide the most inspiration.
The only person Lia wanted Ben to inspire was her. Sure as hades, Lia hated the thought of thousands of Callie’s readers drooling over him. “I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Well, it’s not like I’d name the character Ben,” Callie sniped at her.
“Daughters!” Zeus wandered over to stand next to Lia as the screen alongside of Ben’s image began populating with the dossier Mars’s team had assembled with impressive speed.
“A botanist by training,” Mars recited. “He runs the Delphi Organic Food Co-op and Farmer’s Market. Single…” Mars paused. When Lia glanced at him, he’d cocked an eyebrow her direction. “…parents deceased, both from natural causes. Cares for his younger sister, Emma Jordan.” A picture of a delicate looking blonde filled the upper right quadrant of the display. She had pretty blue eyes, nearly the same mesmerizing shade as Ben’s. Mars grunted. “The sister has been hearing impaired since birth.”
“That explains how Ben knows lip-reading. I was so flustered by Pierus’s audacity last night, I’m afraid I channeled Nia when I broadcasted a message to the girls.”
The Muse in question sent her a WTF look. “Channeled me?”
“Yeah, I spoke the words quietly, like you do. So my mouth moved.”
“I don’t do that anymore,” Nia protested.
“Yeah you do.” Terri wasn’t just the Muse of Music. She also inspired dialects. Unuttered vocalizations fell under her duties as well.
“Fine, I do. But Ben definitely read your lips? Or is he clairaudient like Thomas?” Nia asked. When she’d faced Mayhem, Thomas had heard Nia’s nudges as if she’d spoken aloud. It was the first time any of the Muses had experienced that kind of communication.
“No, not clairaudient. But gifted still.” Beyond his kissing talent, which was one for Lia’s record books. “But…he grabbed my wrist before all hell broke loose, and I had a premonition with him in it. I don’t know how, but he managed to share the vision. Not clearly. He only got snapshots of the entire video, but enough that I know it matched my experience. He was right there with me.”
Mars jerked his head toward Zeus. “Is Pierus playing with them?”
“Doubtful.” Zeus dropped into the chair next to Lia and huffed out a labored breath. “We’ve seen with the three previous challenges that the mortal meant to meet the danger with them comes equipped with a special sensitivity to your specific nudges. Thomas can’t hear anyone else’s nudges, Ian can only communicate with Polly or Sybil.” He waved his hand toward Clio and shut his eyes. “We all know how Clio’s nudges effect Jax.”
“Zeus!” Bright red flashed into Clio’s creamy complexion. Her nudges stimulated a certain part of Jax’s anatomy, certainly not the head they were directed toward. Lia knew how embarrassing it had been for Clio to ask Gaia about Jax’s bodily condition. And every Muse knew Gaia kept nothing from Zeus. In all their lifetimes, they’d never been able to play one parent off another.
Pinning his gaze on Clio, Zeus relayed something silently to her sister. The sudden blush on her cheeks faded. He continued, “If Ben Jordan shares Lia’s gift of foresight then I am inclined to believe he is meant for her.”
For the time being, that was as close as Lia would get to a seal of approval for Ben’s participation in the challenge.
Zeus continued. “I do not like how brazen Pierus has become. For him to possess a mortal to deliver his message was a bold and calculated move. Any thoughts on this?” He cast a glance around the table.
After rising from his chair, Mars took up Zeus’s pacing. “He is once again splitting the focus, to keep
Lia off balance. Making her fight on two fronts. First against Hunger and second, to keep our existence a secret from mortals. I don’t like it.”
“Mnemosyne told me she’d stay on call for me, to help erase memories of Pierus’s tricks from mortal recollection, but I don’t think that will fully stop it. It was difficult to put an audience of fifty into a thrall by myself until Auntie arrived to fix things.” It was draining to just think about the amount of energy it had taken to hold people in place and try to explain to Ben his role in the coming drama. She couldn’t imagine doing that on a daily basis until she beat Hunger.
“Mars, can you spare anyone from Security as a special detail for Lia for the duration?” Zeus’s voice sounded faded, tired, drawing concerned glances from each and every Muse at the table.
Mars paused from his pacing. “None that have the ability to cast a thrall.” He moved to Zeus’s side and laid a hand on the god’s shoulder.
“Pick your two best partisans, along with Lia’s original protector. Bring them to me this afternoon and I will bestow the extra abilities on them.” Zeus was the only immortal capable of giving the gift of suspended animation.
Mars nodded, but didn’t move away from his position at Zeus’s side.
Lia noticed the pale blue glow between Mars’s palm and her dad’s body. Zeus straightened his spine and sat up as Mars pumped extra energy into his king with the light touch.
The ongoing challenges were taking a toll on Zeus. While Pierus was striving to complete a hostile takeover of Olympus, he was somehow depleting her father’s energy. Was it because he’d been doling out extra gifts to mortals and immortals alike to keep the Muses safe? Gaia had badgered him into consulting Asclepius, the father of modern medicine, in the midst of Polly’s challenge.
Zeus had dismissed the concerns of his consort and his daughters, but seeing his strength diminishing with each subsequent trial frightened Lia. Even if all nine Muses won their challenges, they might still lose. Facing eternity as a magpie wasn’t nearly as terrifying as facing eternity without her father.
Hunger: Goddesses of Delphi Page 3