“He looks like crap…or is that ‘shit’? I get the two confused.”
Maxim laughed and tapped him on the chest with the back of his fist. “It’s the same thing. You got it right. I’ll let Kallon know that our boy is going down the crapper. We’ll figure out some way to haul his ass out of there.”
“Crap, crapper, shit, shitter. Ah! I get it now. Very clever.” He was happy to hear Maxim’s hearty laughter and not have it directed at him this time.
“You’ll get this in no time, buddy. I always thought you were smart, Caelius. You know I only teased you because I like you, right?”
“Oh, yes. I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’re my friend, Maxim. I know that you mean me no harm.”
Snorting, Maxim turned his attention back to the dashboard and wrapped his hands around the leather steering wheel. He had the same look on his face when presented with a plateful of bacon.
“Dude, I’ve always been surprised that you haven’t beaten me with a baseball bat while I slept. I thank you for that. Now, are you going to let me drive this bad boy, or what?”
“Definitely. Despite the horror that was evident in your eyes, you allowed me to drive yours while I learned. It’s the least I can do. I must admit that I fully understand your trepidation now. Sitting on the passenger side makes me feel helpless to the outcome.”
Nodding in understanding, Maxim turned the ignition and grinned.
“Damn. This is one fine car. Listen to that purr. That’s enough to make your dick stand up. Fuckin’ A.” Caelius jabbed him with an elbow.
“Perhaps I should name my car ‘the beast,’ too. The car’s name represents a very sleek and powerful animal, so it would be very appropriate. In fact, I’m positive I could personally live up to the nickname as well.” Caelius chuckled at the immediate growled response he was expecting.
“Fuck no! Don’t make me get out and scratch your car, Caelius.”
“Ah, but then you’d have to take cooking classes with me, Maxim.”
Snorting, Maxim glanced over and Caelius could tell he was fighting a smile.
“Shut the fuck up, asshole. You won’t catch me in a cooking class. Our brethren would never let me hear the end of it. I don’t know how you stand the teasing.”
“Ah, but you have it all wrong, Maxim. I haven’t been teased for some time now. What you don’t understand is that a cooking class is full of females. If anything, the others will become quite jealous of you. Why do you think I rotate which warrior I ask to drive me there? I’m always ten minutes early and wait for all my classmates to walk past the warrior before I get out of their vehicle. Sometimes I don’t need fists to punch a guy in the gut.”
The fake anger melted from Maxim’s face, and he slumped back in the seat. “Well, hell. I never thought about that. I didn’t punish you. I fucking rewarded you. You’re hiding your brilliance very well, my young friend. I’ll have to keep that in mind.”
Snorting, Caelius gestured to the window. “You do that. Now, let’s take this for a spin. Oh, and Maxim?”
“Yes, amici?”
“You hurt my car and I’ll kick your fucking ass. Feel me?”
Maxim’s bellowing laughter could be heard above the roar of the engine as they sped from the parking lot.
Chapter 2
There she was. Caelius felt his heartbeat kick up a notch. He’d just rounded the corner of the building and caught sight of her moving gracefully down the sidewalk. It was more of a delicate glide and she appeared to float on a cloud. Her lovely dark-brown hair shone with reddish highlights just as the setting sun caught and held the radiance. She wore her hair up in a ponytail today. It only emphasized her long, delicate neck and perfect ears.
Caelius whispered her name and let it roll deliciously off his tongue—Rhia Brennan. He’d only learned it by chance last week from the talkative Mrs. Parnell. This ethereal beauty was usually already in the classroom when he arrived, so this exact moment was an added treat. He’d never gotten the pleasure of watching her walk for this length of time. Gods! Her ass was a delightful thing to behold.
Rhia had the voluptuous build of the early-era Hollywood starlets he’d discovered in his study of Earth. For many hours he’d drooled over Mae West until he’d discovered Jane Russell. Rhia had the same smoldering eyes, wide hips, and large breasts that made his mind lose track of time. It wasn’t just her looks that had caught his eye. He’d seen her helping the elderly classmates when the instructor was busy. She was patient and always left them with a smile on their faces. Just the way she carried herself touched something deep inside his chest. She was graceful, assured, and observant, all qualities he found attractive in a female. She was the whole package.
To keep from tripping over his own feet, Caelius stopped, leaned up against the building, and continued to enjoy her forward progress. He smiled when realizing they’d worn the same colors today. The bottom of her light gray T-shirt fell just below the waistband of her black jeans and emphasized the well-rounded derriere and curvy hips. She had long legs, and he knew the top of her head would line up perfectly below his chin. He had no doubt her generous breasts would feel like pillows against his chest. Just the thought made his skin shiver.
Caelius frowned when several other students moved into his line of sight and blocked the object of his fantasies. He jerked at the sharp sound of a car horn and promptly scraped his elbow along the stone wall. Cursing, he flipped his gaze to the street and groaned. Red ball cap, short beard, decent attempt at muscle growth, and a scowl. Yep, it was the “MILF” asshole from last week. Just knowing that this human thought of Rhia in that manner immediately set his anger loose. The jackass now sat in a blue truck with overly large tires and was steadily glaring daggers in his direction. Fuck. He didn’t have time for this shit.
Pushing away from the wall, Caelius made long strides down the sidewalk. He heard the dickhead’s vehicle trailing alongside him and fought from running over and kicking a good-sized dent in the side. Ignoring the ridiculous thought, he focused on reaching Rhia before she could get inside. He wanted to open the door and experience one of her breathtaking smiles. He sighed in relief when a skinny blonde darted around her and caused her to pause just long enough for him to catch up. Reaching out, he caught the door handle and startled when the horn sounded again. Growling, he swiveled around and glared at the idiot behind the wheel.
“What the hell is your problem?”
“Hey, foreigner. You want to quit checking out my girlfriend’s ass, or do I need to knock some sense into you?”
Eyes widening, Caelius glanced back and was surprised to see that Rhia was still standing by the doorway. His gut lurched at the thought that she now belonged to this male. Relief swept over him when she shrugged and said, “Not me. I think he means the blonde that cut in front a minute ago.”
Looking back to the truck, Caelius let his instincts rule the moment.
“Bite me, dickhead. I’ve no desire for your woman. I like my asses plump.” He watched without expression as the guy threw the truck into park and flung the door open. One boot hit the pavement, and Caelius promptly took three strides forward. He’d held his temper with this nut bag last week, and it wasn’t going to play out like that again. Caelius watched with satisfaction as the male’s eyes widened. He quickly jumped back in his vehicle, engaged the gear, and left behind a plume of white smoke from the squealing tires. He was waving good-bye with one finger, and Caelius knew exactly what that meant now.
“Asshole.” Caelius heard tinkling laughter behind him and turned around. Rhia immediately clamped a hand over her mouth and shook her head. Elegantly arched brows were lifted high, and beautiful gray eyes were shining with mirth. Eventually, she dropped her arm and he got the smile he’d been seeking. Gods! She was gorgeous. Maxim had no clue this was the one and only reason he returned to this class every week.
“My goodness! You’ve definitely improved your verbal skills since I saw you last. You actually sounded like
you belonged around here.”
Caelius grimaced and made his way back to the door. “I apologize if I offended you with my word choice. The guy brings out the worst in me.”
Rhia chuckled. “Not in the least. He’s an ape and deserved every bit of it. I rather enjoyed watching you scare the shit out of him. I also want to thank you for giving us ‘plump asses’ some vindication.”
Relieved, he pulled the door wide. “After you, sweetness.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Again, that bright smile made an appearance. He was sure he’d be dreaming of it well into the morning. Trying to keep his eyes off her wiggling bottom was futile. His hands itched to palm those globes and kiss every inch of her creamy skin. Realizing he’d just made a bad mistake by calling up that delectable vision, he veered to the right and entered the men’s restroom. Leaning against the wall, he was thankful no one else was present to watch him stare at his dick until it returned to a reasonable size. That had been the only conversation he’d had with her since he’d started class. He hadn’t realized the sensual nature of her voice. She’d always been too far away to fully hear her conversations. The whole package was lethal to his control.
Satisfied that he was presentable, Caelius made his way into the classroom and weaved around the tall tables until he found the one designated for him and Ulixes. It was going to be odd working alone tonight. Ulixes had been called back home to meet with the senate and ended up taking an unexpected journey with the emperor. He hoped he’d return soon. They’d become fast friends since his arrival, and Kallon was acting a little down in the dumps since he’d left.
Taking a brief glance to his right, he fought a grin when he saw that Rhia was alone at her table as well. Usually, she had a tall, dark-haired man as her partner. He wasn’t sure if it was her boyfriend or purely random. He was so hoping it was just dumb luck that the guy had ended up next to her. Taking a deep breath, he tried to focus on the instructor as she rapped on her podium and addressed the class.
“Welcome back. I see that we have several missing students. The fair is in town this week, so this doesn’t surprise me. Anyone that doesn’t have a partner, look to the tables next to you and find one. If we have an odd person out tonight, let me know and I’ll partner up with you. Proceed.”
Caelius couldn’t believe his luck. Without hesitation, he scooted over to Rhia’s table before anyone else got the idea. She turned and smiled at him.
“Oh, good. I wasn’t looking forward to partnering with the instructor. I’d probably drive her nuts. Hey! You’re bleeding.”
Caelius frowned and looked down his body. He wasn’t prepared to feel a soft hand grip his forearm and tug him over to one of the small sinks lining the wall. Rhia wet a napkin and placed it on his elbow.
“How did this happen? Oh. It’s just a scrape. It’s not bleeding any more. You’ll live. Let me dab at it a little bit to make sure it’s clean.”
Her words were twisting like silken cords around his body and blended effortlessly into the vibrating energy radiating from his core. She smelled like jasmine. He couldn’t talk, think, or react as tingles of electricity traveled over every inch of his skin. Soft warm hands drifted across his flesh, and he was lost to the sensation. One side of him wanted to snatch her up and hold her as close to his body as she would allow. The other half was struggling valiantly to stay calm and not explode into a million molecules.
When she straightened and looked up, his eyes locked onto hers and instantly became trapped in the mesmerizing color of her irises. Fascinating. He’d never been close enough before to see the line of black circling the outer edge of the blue and gray striated orbs. Her hand fell away from his arm and broke him from his stupor. Realizing that he’d leaned close to her face, he immediately pulled back to his full height. She cocked her head.
“Hey. Are you okay? You looked like you fuzzed out there for a second.”
“Wha…oh, sorry. Yes. I’m fine. Thank you.”
“Uh-oh. We better get back to the table. She’s pulling out ingredients. We’re going to get behind. Come on.”
Caelius followed her back to their station and tried to understand the unusual disturbance to his core energy. He hadn’t touched a pulse point or kissed her, so what was that? He reached up and pressed the mating necklace tight to his chest and felt no heat radiating from the mineral. Perhaps this is what it felt like to experience the first pull of recognition for a potential mate? Whatever it was, he liked it and wanted it to happen again.
Deciding he best focus on the instructor’s words instead of Rhia’s exquisite profile, Caelius grabbed a large mixing bowl and held it in place as his new partner measured out flour and powdered sugar before dumping both inside. Enthralled, he watched her expertly crack two eggs and flip them into the bowl without leaving behind bits of the shell. He hadn’t perfected that feat yet. Milk, melted butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt later, he stared at the whisk she held up to him. Her eyes were questioning.
“Oh, yes. Sorry.” Taking it from her hand, he began beating the mixture. He was amazed at how efficient she was with the cooking tools. A small frying pan sizzled with butter, and she already had measuring cups full of other ingredients ready for the next steps. Glancing around, he was surprised that the others hadn’t even completed filling their bowls with the flour and sugar mixture yet. The instructor was busy on the other side of the room helping Mrs. Parnell clean up a puddle of milk on the floor. He turned back to the table.
“What exactly are we making?”
Chuckling, Rhia took the bowl and placed three bananas in front of him. “Banana crêpes. This is going to be an easy day. The pan’s ready for the batter. Go ahead and start slicing those in two pieces. Cut them longwise, not in the center.”
Bananas sliced and sitting patiently on a paper towel, Caelius watched carefully as she dropped several tablespoons of the mixture into the skillet. She lifted and tilted it perfectly to cover the entirety of the bottom and set it back on the fire. Glancing up, she gave him a quick smile and then snatched a set of tongs and a spatula from a drawer.
“This is the fun part. You have to get it cooked just right to be able to flip it over. One wrong move and you rip it. Watch closely. You’re going to do the next one.”
Deftly, she slipped one edge of the tong under the gradually hardening crepe and turned it over. Several moments later, she clamped on to the limp disk, pulled it from the pan, and used the spatula to place it gently on a plate. Dropping a small pat of butter into the skillet, she shoved the mixing bowl toward him and pointed at the spoon.
“Okay, your turn.”
Surprised that he was actually able to repeat the steps she’d done without embarrassing himself, Caelius felt completely relaxed by the time he was turning the fifth crepe. Her pleasing voice wafted toward him.
“Hey, I just realized that I don’t know your name. I do know your…uh…partner’s name is Ulixes, but Mrs. Parnell couldn’t remember yours.”
Caelius grinned and thanked the gods again for allowing him to get that training program from Cato. Her stress on the word ‘partner’ let him know she thought that he and Ulixes might be mates. He felt his cheeks pulling tighter at the thought that she’d asked Mrs. Parnell for his name.
“My name is Caelius Eaton Meron.” Glancing over, he watched her eyes widen in expectation. He gave her a quick smile. “And Ulixes is not my lover. He’s just a friend that I forced to come with me.” He wanted to shout his happiness to the ceiling when he caught the quick look of relief in her eyes before she cast them back to the skillet. Her full lips rose into a smile.
“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to assume.”
“No, it’s quite all right. Two males showing up at a cooking class together would make anyone wonder.”
Looking back up, she grinned at him and stuck her hand out. “I’m Rhia Grace Brennan, but you can just call me Rhia.”
Steeling himself to grasp the appendage and not vibrate himself into fu
ll mist, Caelius took a deep breath and clasped her hand. Sure enough, the tingling started and he was instantly relieved, as well as disappointed, when she kept the embrace brief. Turning his attention back to the stove, he urged himself to calm as he watched her ready a larger skillet with a thick dollop of butter. They stood side by side and stared at the slowly melting ingredient.
“I like your name, Caelius. Where’re you from?”
“I like yours, too. Greece. I’m a citizen here now. And you?”
“Austin. Hand me the brown sugar.”
“Sure. You’ve lived here all your life?”
“Yes. I was born here. Cinnamon and nutmeg now, please. Thank you.”
“The man that you partnered with before, is he your boyfriend?”
“Pour me one-fourth cup of that cream. Perfect, thanks. No, he’s not my boyfriend. His name is Justin. He’s taking the class to surprise his wife. That’s all I know.”
“Oh, I see. Do you want to stir this or shall I?”
“I’ll do it. Line up all the bananas. They’ll go in here next.”
“Okay. Done. Rhia, would you like to have coffee with me after class?”
Caelius grimaced when the spoon came to a halt and then began its leisurely swirl around the pan again.
“Uh…that sounds nice, Caelius, but don’t you think I’m a little too old for you?”
Pulling his gaze away from her delicate hand, Caelius shot a frown in her direction then schooled his features when she glanced to him. He said the first thing that came to mind. “Nonsense.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she gave him a tight smile before returning her attention to the skillet.
“How old are you, Caelius?”
“Twenty-six.”
“I’m forty-eight. Slide the bananas in front of me. I’m going to place them in the skillet now. When I’m finished, you can start spooning the mixture over them. Set the timer for three minutes and we’ll be done with this part.”
Fueled by Lust: Caelius (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 2