Skin of a Goddess (Goddess Ascension Book 1)

by Victoria C. Johnson

  “What the fuck kind of business is it of yours?” I ask, jerking my arm out of his hand, almost falling in the process. Tact, my ass!

  He growls low and hard. “What did you think I meant when I said we’d be talking later?”

  “Um, that we might talk? If I cared to?” Was that me and my smart mouth?

  “I meant that I had an interest. You will value that interest or insult me. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to do that,” he says with forced calm.

  I point my finger at his chest. “You listen here! You don’t own me, and we haven’t even talked before. I can do whatever and whomever I wish for as long as I’m here and unattached, you got that? Now, get out of my face!”

  I walk away in a huff, which I’m sure would have been more impressive if I didn’t stumble quite poorly along the way. I catch up to Apate, who gives me a sympathetic smile, a full glass of wine, and a group of yummy shifters to flirt with. Oh, what would I do without friends?

  Chapter 3

  Hunter

  All right, to be fair, I’ve always had a slightly impulsive personality. A bit obsessive, even. Okay, a lot obsessive. I get fixated, I claim, I enjoy, and then move on. Being a prince, even the youngest, comes with certain advantages. I always get what I want. I’m a dragon, plus I’m an obsessive freak. Of course I get what I want when I want it.

  Well, that and the family is a bit indulgent. I guess they think of me as a loner, and they do what they can to make me happy. I don’t like being around the court and all those people. I’m a terrible diplomat. Last time I was forced to go to court I trampled over the tail of some stupid dragon who was blocking my way to the buffet. I mean, really, who comes between someone and éclairs? So, the family doesn’t mind that I don’t come around too much. I like my cave, treasure, and solitude.

  I just need to remind myself that people can’t be treasure. No matter how sparkly and delectable they seem, they are not possessions. Even though I do love shiny things. It’s a common dragon trait. Besides, this one shines more than the finest gold. So many colors!

  The first time I saw her I knew she was special. Who couldn’t see that? She’s a fucking goddess. It doesn’t take Christopher Columbus to know I’m in totally uncharted territory as the youngest prince from a long line, and the family embarrassment. Still, she’s so shiny I can easily forget all that. I can easily tell myself I’m fucking awesome and deserve her. Nay, am owed her. She’s been long overdue, really.

  We were in a group to go horseback riding together. I came in a little late for the convention, so I hadn’t spotted her before that. Anyway, there she was talking to some little blonde, and all I could do was stare. Her hair was a perfect mixture of ruby, gold, and rich brown. Her eyes glowed like warm amber, large and looking up through her hair seductively, her lips perfectly full and deep red. The most amazing thing by far would be her skin. It’s gold. Not tan, not brown, but burnt gold.

  I know I’m sounding like a love-struck sissy, but I’m a collector of treasure. I’ll be damned if she isn’t a gem, especially when she fell. Now, I shouldn’t look back on the moment with pleasure, but her skin darkened and became molten, liquid gold in color. I bet if I got a closer look I’d have seen specks of gold in it. Or if I’d touched it (cue moan) gold dust would have been left on my fingers.

  “Fuck.” I drop my head on the table with a definite thud.

  “It’s a good thing you have a hard head,” Julian, sitting across from me, says with easy amusement.

  I met him when he came as a representative with his family to court. We both suck as diplomats, so it was an instant alliance. His family was proud that he was able to get the “grumpy” prince to hang around with him. My family was glad I didn’t beat the shit out of him when he bothered talking to me. A win-win for all. We’ve stayed in touch ever since.

  “Thinking about the girl?” he asks with curiosity.

  I guess I can’t fault him that. I’ve never been much of a relationship guy. When the girl starts talking, I begin planning my escape. Though it’s not just girls, it’s people in general … most of the time.

  “Her skin is gold,” I say defensively.

  “Sure, I’m quite certain all dragon shifters would react the same way. In fact, there’s a griffin here. They like treasure almost as much as you all do. Maybe I’ll ask him if she has any effect,” Julian says clinically.

  I growl at him. “It’s not like she needs any help getting attention.”

  I can’t help but glare in the direction where she appears to be holding court. Sure, she’s with a few of her goddess friends, not that that’s much of a comfort, but there’s also about a dozen men on the outskirts of the group. They’re obviously waiting for her to just glance their way so they can bask in her glory. Hell, the guy all over her has done more than simply watch her.

  “Calm down. It was bad enough when you smoked from their little kiss,” Julian says.

  “Little kiss? There was definitely tongue,” I rumble. If anyone is tasting those ruby lips, it should be me.

  “Oh, man, I forget you’ve never been to the siren kingdom. Just trust me, that was nothing, especially for someone like her,” Julian says.

  I’m instantly in his face. “Someone like her?”

  “Hunter, she is the goddess of seduction,” Julian finally says with some annoyance.

  “It’s persuasion, not seduction,” I deny faithfully.

  “Right.”

  “Think she noticed when the steam came out?” I ask, suddenly worried. I wouldn’t want her to start to fear me.

  “No way, she seemed pretty busy with what she was doing,” Julian says, oh-so helpfully. “Besides, since when do you feel that pesky emotion others like to call shame?”

  “Best not to start bad habits now,” I agree. “Still, I guess I overreacted a bit.”

  “A bit.” Julian snorts, and we both take a moment to look down at the table, where a nice hunk of wood happens to be missing, coincidentally about the size of my hand. That was the moment Julian decided to drag me from the room to cool it. Luckily, no matter how angry I’ve ever been at him, I’ve never actually been mad enough to hit him. Though if he continues to push me …

  “I’m a dragon,” I say defensively.

  “Yeah, testosterone overdrive with a steroid complex,” Julian grumbles.

  I ignore him to think about the slight but meaningful contact Peitho, whom I secretly call Goldie in my mind, and I have had. I did try to help her when she fell, but that pretty boy wolf bastard got in my way and stole my shine. Literally. She even let him touch her! I can’t help but growl just from the memory. Still, later, when we were eating, she did try to influence my mind. I’m not sure what she was doing, but I’m quite certain she wouldn’t have tried if she didn’t care. A little.

  Then, I caught her staring at me earlier in the meeting. I mean, really staring. So much that I looked down to make sure everything was in order, which it was. I’m not used to being looked at like that. She looked at me like … I’m hot. The way girls look at Julian. With all his merman mojo going on, he’s like a playboy to them.

  I’m usually looked at in fear because I’m not a tiny guy, or with interest by my kind, as a way to get some political power. Sometimes even with disgust, since I’m the royal grump of the family. Not like she looked at me. Peitho even paid special attention to my scar. Although it didn’t seem to bother her … since she proceeded to lick her lips. I barely manage to suppress a shudder from the memory. She also seemed to like my arms; I flex them a little at the thought. Maybe I should start weightlifting.

  All of it put together was enough to give me the courage to talk to her. Even if it was in my head, so others wouldn’t be privy to my possible humiliation. It didn’t go as badly as it could have. She didn’t cower away or look disgusted at my interest. In fact, she seemed a little pissed that I entered her mind. She even yelled at me. It was damn sexy.

  “Earth to Hunter?” Julian says in a token bored and exa
sperated voice.

  “Eh?” I ask.

  “You’re like a puppy, wanting to mark your territory, and with the attention span of a gnat. I asked if you’re staying here for karaoke.” Julian sighs.

  He really is kind of moody.

  “Oh, yeah, I’ll, um, probably socialize a bit more,” I tell him, then look from our table of two to the area around us, and the solid five-foot radius that no one has dared cross.

  I mean, a couple of girls look moonily at Julian, but they don’t have the balls to come say anything. Which is just as well, since it would only annoy my friend. Julian is a bit shy with the ladies, and their unintelligent flattering of his merman genes does nothing for him.

  “You’re really turning into a creepy stalker, you know that?” Julian asks me.

  I glance over where Peitho seems to be getting hammered on the good ole nectar of the gods. Would it kill her to wear a bit more? I mean, sure, she looks great, but we’re in public after all. Now, if we were in private, just me and her? She could wear as little as possible. But right now? What would be wrong with a nice sweater?

  “I might need another beer.” I say gloomily.

  “Oh, great, there’s the sister and her shadow.” Julian sighs, watching as Eve and her good friend Addy saunter over.

  “Brother, the point of the convention is to talk to others, not just the people you already know. No offense, Hunter.” Eve spares me a glance.

  He glares at her before nodding significantly at Addy.

  The person in question chirps up with, “But we’re talking to people we don’t know too, not just each other.”

  “I could introduce you to some friends I have here. I even know some of the goddesses,” Eve tells him a bit desperately.

  I perk up at that. “Which ones do you know?”

  Eve looks at me, and it’s obvious her wheels are turning. “Um, well, I know Enyo, Ana, Apate … you know.”

  “That’s it?” I feel decidedly suspicious.

  “Eve, silly, you’re forgetting our bestest goddess friend! Peitho is so the life of the party at the siren kingdom.” Addy grins as she grabs another tequila shot from a passing waiter.

  Eve gives her a sharp stab in the ribs, courtesy of her elbow.

  “Funny, you forgot to mention that,” I say with a raised brow.

  She shrugs uneasily. “Didn’t seem important.”

  “Have you met her before too?” I ask Julian.

  He raises a brow at me. “Heh? Me? Surely you jest. I spend as much time away from court as possible. I mean, I’ve heard talk of her from the others. She’s kind of a celebrity to us.”

  “You didn’t think to tell me?”

  “What would be the point? I’ve only heard about her crazy partying ways. She really fits in back home. That’s basically what we’ve all heard about her and all of her goddess friends.”

  I grumble. “That’s not necessarily true. I’ve heard other stories about some of the crazier ones. Like Enyo, or that mad one, Lyssie?”

  “That’s Lyssa, and if you think those are the only crazy ones in the bunch, then you have another thing coming. They’re all totally bonkers, and who can blame them? They’ve lived forever and never get in trouble,” Julian points out.

  Eve perks up with, “To be fair, they have gotten in trouble before! I mean, they’ve totally had mobs after them, almost burned at the stake, etc.”

  “Not to mention jail time,” Addy adds.

  “How can they be held in jail? Can’t they do a little zap to human minds and sashay out of there?” I ask, perplexed.

  Addy laughs a little and says, “Not mortal jail, silly. Immortal jail! They’ve totally been held there before. Sometimes all together, sometimes apart, but all of them have served time. I think the last offense was drunken teleporting. They’re usually bailed out pretty early. I don’t think any of them have spent any significant time there. A few years … or a decade, tops.”

  I look at Julian meaningfully.

  “Don’t give me that look, Hunter. I’m still trying to get over the fact that you used the word ‘sashay’ in everyday conversation.”

  “Where the hell is their jail?” I finally ask.

  “The Underworld holds the immortal jail. They also made a good amount of friends there and did some real estate shopping, so it wasn’t a total loss. Since that, they’ve made friends with the guards. There are rumors that they’re going to have to be kept in the overflow facility in Olympus if they ever get incarcerated again. Maximum security,” Addy says in a confiding whisper.

  “Addy, shut up!” Eve groans. “I’m sure they didn’t expect us to tell everyone about that.”

  Julian and I raise brows at each other as they bicker.

  “Peitho can’t be that bad. She’s not violent like those other ones seem to be,” I protest.

  Addy starts giggling drunkenly, hiccups soon joining in. “If you think she isn’t violent, then you obviously don’t know her well. She might be a sexy persuasion goddess, but she’s also gone through how many wars? She’s a fighter just like all of the other ones, even if she doesn’t have extra fighting powers. From what I hear, she’s been knee-deep in shit from more than one war, especially that Helen of Troy business.”

  I groan. “What have I gotten myself into?”

  “Nothing, so far. You should just forget about her,” Eve suggests.

  Easy for her to say. My single-mindedness won’t turn off that easily.

  “I mean, the odds aren’t looking so good anyway. Better to cut your losses now.”

  I just frown at that, unable to form words from the momentary shock. Like Peitho really has a choice in the matter, at this point. I’m attracted to her, she’s a prime piece of treasure, and I’m a royal dragon. Both of us are caught up in my dragon side, and neither of us really has a hope of getting out.

  Julian sighs again. “You’ve talked about him to her, have you? What do you think? Does he have a chance? Or better yet, what does she think?”

  Eve looks quite frozen on the spot. “Oh, um,” she sputters, “you know Peitho. She’s a lot of fun and stuff. She’s like the life of the party, any party. But, she’s not really girlfriend material.”

  “What does that even mean?” I can’t help but whine-growl. Everyone always says that. Usually it means they’re just not interested.

  “Peitho is the goddess of seduction, persuasion, and all that. It’s not a title for nothing. She lives up to it, you know?” Eve asks. “Plus, she bats for both teams. Don’t know if that bothers you.”

  “I already knew that. When immortals reach a certain age, things like that don’t really matter as much.” I shrug. “The gods and goddesses have always been open about that sort of thing.”

  Julian gives me a look. “Do you speak from experience?”

  “No. Besides, if I ever reach the kind of age that we’re talking about, I’m fairly certain boobs won’t have lost their intrigue. I’m just saying, I’m Switzerland here—no judgment. Love is love and all that. Doesn’t hurt me any. You fall in love with a soul, not a gender,” I say.

  “Suppose you’re right. Still, I thought you had, like, major conservative views on those things. Granted, I agree with what you just said. I’m from the siren kingdom, after all. We’re all peace, love, and hippiness,” Julian says.

  “I don’t care about her past … much.”

  “I just want you to understand that when we say she has a past, I mean she has a past,” Eve says.

  I look at the goddess in question and her group of admirers. “Oh, I know. Not being a relationship person doesn’t mean she isn’t open to hanging out. I’m not saying I want to marry her. Just, you know …”

  “He’s infatuated with her and all that gold skin,” Julian adds in a bored voice.

  “Can’t blame you, girl’s smokin’ hot,” Addy agrees, all of us ignoring that comment for a moment.

  “Are you forgetting you’re a dragon? You don’t do ‘girlfriends.’ It’s all or
nothing,” Eve points out desperately.

  That’s sort of true. If a dragon sleeps with someone, they’re handfasted for six months. Usually, it isn’t really enforced. For dragons, procreation only happens between soul mates. If six months of trying goes on without a baby, then it’s a no-go, and you move on. If there is a baby, then the marriage is complete.

  If the two decide not to be monogamous for the six-month period, which happens nowadays, though it isn’t really supposed to, and the woman becomes pregnant, she contacts the males she was with. With our senses, it’s easy to determine which male planted the seed. No doubt it’s good news for both parties. There are no “unplanned” pregnancies. Every child is a gift, and the father knows he’s the woman’s soul mate. This results in a marriage, and every marriage is strictly monogamous.

  “We could give it a good swing and see if anything happens,” I say desperately.

  “Boy is sooo obsessed.” Addy laughs without malice. “Look, if you want, I’ll talk to her about you, but at the moment, she seems to find you annoying and creepy. I can give it a try, though!”

  “Addy.” Eve groans.

  I keep my face carefully blank, though I’m disappointed.

  “For diplomats, you two really suck.” Julian observes Addy and Eve with bored commentary. “God, keep her away from the booze from now on.”

  Eve sends her brother an annoyed glare.

  “I guess that answers my question. No one likes someone who’s annoying and creepy,” I say with some disappointment, but no less resignation.

  “Oh, wait, she did say she wants to fuck you. Something about drizzling chocolate down you like a happy trail, with a maraschino cherry finish,” Addy adds cheerfully. Then she whispers conspiratorially, “I think she wants to put the cherry on your Poseidon’s trident, if you know what I mean.”

  I can feel my mouth literally drop open. “What?”

  “And lick your scar on down to your mouth, where goddess only knows what she’ll do. Literally.” Addy laughs at her own joke.

  I look over at Julian with a blank expression. I can’t help the sudden and strong feeling of shock. I can honestly say I’ve never had a girl talk about lapping chocolate off of me from anywhere … let alone done it. They expect more of a rough tumble from a big dragon. Though some chocolate with my own little Goldie sure does sound good. Especially with that maraschino cherry finish.