by Helen Scott
Craning her neck, Aster took in the rest of the room. The windows that made up the outside wall were frosted until the very top, and there was a skylight right over the tub. The rear wall contained a shower and a toilet, while the opposite wall had the mirror and sink and a strange wooden box.
“What’s that?” She gestured to the wooden box with her head.
“Sauna. Good after a fight or a tough workout.”
“Wow. I bet you thought my place was pretty crap, huh?”
The dinky studio apartment she had was all she could afford, but she preferred living without roommates. Trying to explain her passing out was challenging enough as it was that she didn’t want to have to worry about it at home as well. The one thing she loved about her place was the exposed brick wall. Maybe someday she could afford a place like this. She almost laughed at herself. That wasn’t likely to happen.
Holding down a job was hard when she would have visions at work, or right before she went in, making her late or miss her shift altogether. It was why she worked the jobs she did. They were the jobs most people didn’t want.
Her most recent job was a collections agent. She spent her days hounding people for money. Not exactly the kind of job that gave her the warm and fuzzies, but she was decent at it and a valuable employee, so her boss let her medical condition slide. When she’d called to quit, it upset her more than she’d thought it would, but she didn’t want to paint targets on her coworkers’ backs and have the Order of Talos come after any of them.
“Your place was very you. A small package, full of life, and sexy as hell.” He startled her out of her spiral of downward thoughts.
“How is my place sexy?” She snorted.
“Cause if I think about it, I remember what we did while we were there.”
Aster didn’t know what to say to that. He’d made it clear that the weekend was in the past, and yet he’d brought it up. He was the one reaching out to touch her. Every time his fingers connected with her skin, it was like her body remembered exactly what he had done to her. She’d never experienced the sheer amount of pleasure before and was sure she never would again. The images that cascaded through her mind heated her skin. They had been like teenagers, barely coming up for air, and when they did, it was just to refuel and rehydrate.
Dem carefully set her down, making sure she was steady on her feet before he let go. “I’ll leave you to it. There is a towel and a robe just here. I’ll be in the living room, so just shout if you need anything.”
She nodded. What she wanted to do was tell him that he was what she needed. His hands, his lips, his everything. He made her feel safe. He helped keep the nightmares at bay. But if she said any of that, then he’d spook like a horse seeing a snake.
The door snicked quietly shut behind her, and she breathed for the first time since he’d set her down. The scent of lavender filled her nose, and as she leaned forward, she realized it was coming from the tub. Lavender bubble bath? Dem was a man of many secrets.
Stripping off her clothes, she dipped her toes into the water. The warmth spread up her leg as she submerged it further. Getting in fully, the water splashed up over her hips and abdomen as she settled, waves lapping at her breasts until she sunk even lower. The only part of her left exposed was her head and the top of her collarbone.
The water comforted her in a way she hadn’t expected. Her muscles relaxed, and the tightness in her back eased. The stars overhead twinkled as Aster looked out of the skylight, and she could see the moonlight bathing the tops of the nearby trees. It was magical.
She sighed and dipped her head underwater, her hair spreading out around her in waves as she moved. Growing up, after she discovered dance, she had always wanted to try synchronized swimming. It was like dance, but in the water. Something about that seemed amazing. But if she had a vision while she was swimming, then it would be lights out. In fact, she rarely ever even took baths, just to be on the safe side.
Panic flooded her system. It would be just her luck to have a vision while she was taking a bath. Fate had a sick sense of humor sometimes. Popping up out of the water, she took a deep breath and reminded herself that she hadn’t had a vision in a long time, and that the likelihood of her having one at that moment was minuscule.
Time seemed to slip away from her as she lay in the bubbles, the warmth seeping into her bones. When she finally went to get out, it was with regret, but the water was starting to cool and her fingers and toes were all pruney. She pulled the plug and stood, grabbing the towel and wrapping it around herself, trying to retain some of the warmth.
Wandering over to the mirror, she wiped a section of it clear from the fog that had steamed it up. Her breath caught in her throat before turning into a shriek. Black lines spread out from her now defunct eye.
Dem appeared a blink later. “What happened?” He swiveled around on high alert, looking for the danger.
“My eye! The skin is black!” She tried not to sound as terrified as she was, but it looked like some emo spider-obsessed teenager had attacked her with eyeliner. Except it was permanent. It was under her skin. The thought made her shudder.
“Oh, sorry. That happened after your last . . . episode.”
“And no one thought to tell me?” She gestured at him in frustration and almost lost her towel.
“I think we were all just so glad you were okay that it slipped our minds,” Dem said, carefully averting his eyes so if the towel did fall, he wouldn’t be looking.
He didn’t think he was being obvious, but he was, which just frustrated her all the more. No one told her about her eye, and now he wouldn’t even look at her for fear of seeing her naked. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen it all before.
Aster turned back to the mirror and poked at the delicate skin around her eye. It didn’t feel any different. The only thing she could do was hope that she didn’t have another episode, and that it didn’t spread any further. She would have a hard time going out in public as it was, and she needed to talk to her mom.
A wicked thought crossed her mind.
What would Dem do if she dropped the towel? She knew she shouldn’t, and that she was just torturing both of them if she did, but at the same time, she wanted to push his buttons so badly, she could taste it. He could get an eyeful of what he turned down.
“How am I supposed to go talk to my mom with this?”
Aster gestured to her eye at the same time she relaxed her hold on the towel. As Dem turned to respond, his eyes laser-focused on her naked form, heat boiling in their depths.
Without skipping a beat, he reached behind him and grabbed the robe off the hook, handing it to her without ever taking his eyes off her. She could feel his gaze like a touch. Sometimes it was a light brush over her skin. Other times it was a searing caress that made her body ache for him as it did at that moment.
She took the robe from him without protest and slipped it around her shoulders, tying it loosely so the neckline gaped, showing off the inner curves of her breasts.
Finally, Dem was able to say, “You’re going to talk to your mom?”
“If you wouldn’t mind dropping me off? I need to talk to her about what Cin told me.”
“That’s a good idea. It will give us a good starting place to figure out what’s causing this.” He nodded, looking thoughtful.
Something pricked at her about what he just said. “Wait, you knew?”
Guilt briefly flashed over his face before he schooled it into his carefully neutral mask. “Cin told me right before she told you. I’m sure she would have told you first had you been awake.”
“Oh, so it’s my fault!” Anger whipped through her just as fast as her desire had a moment ago.
“That’s not what I meant.” He pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand while the other rested over his hip. “You really are infuriating sometimes, you know that?”
“That’s lovely. Thanks for that. Is there anything else I should know about myself that you care to share?”
>
“Aster, please—” Dem’s eyes creased in concern as she pushed past him.
“It’s fine. I’m going to go to bed. Do you have a T-shirt or something I could borrow?”
Nothing took the wind out of her sails faster than having to turn around and ask for help. Even she had whiplash from her moods. They had been all over the place recently, but she hadn’t exactly been living a normal life the last couple months.
Stress did funny things to people. One of her college friends had lost all of her hair. Another one hadn’t been able to eat anything except toast when midterms and finals rolled around. Apparently Aster got moody.
“You can grab something from the closet. And you can take the bed. Unless you want me to jump you to the big house?”
She felt foolish for assuming she would be staying there. “I would prefer to stay here, if that’s okay? If I have another episode, I don’t want to be alone.”
“Of course it’s okay. I just wish you’d give me a chance to catch up to you sometimes.” He sighed and leaned back against the sink, resting his hands on the counter. The muscles in his arms were clearly defined as his T-shirt clung to his wide shoulders before it wrinkled and bunched over his waist. Her motor was running again, and he looked good enough to eat.
Forcefully exhaling, she decided that sleep and breakfast would be the cure to whatever madness had taken over her.
“I’m sorry, I’m just tired. Thanks for letting me have the bed.” She turned and walked out, resisting the impulse to go back to him and climb him like a tree.
Once she was in his bedroom, she slid a closet door open and wasn’t surprised to find everything completely orderly. All the T-shirts were together on some open shelves, while pants and suits hung on the other side, and another set of shelves held boxers and socks, among other things like belts and shoe polish.
She shook her head, grabbing a T-shirt and a pair of boxers. She stepped into the blue boxers, almost giggling at the fish that swam on them, before pulling the T-shirt over her head. Briefly she glanced at herself in the mirror, only to snort in amusement at the way the T-shirt swallowed her whole. She shimmied out of the boxers and placed them in the laundry, not needing shorts when the T-shirt functioned as a dress on her petite frame. As she collapsed onto the bed, she realized she was well and truly exhausted.
Chapter 5
Dem tried to roll over, and hit the back of the couch. His sleepy brain kicked in a few moments later, reminding him why he was sleeping on his couch and who exactly was in his bed. Part of him wished he could be in bed with Aster, but the rest of him knew that would be a mistake. That didn’t stop his brain from conjuring a vision of what she must look like at that moment. Her blonde hair massed around her head, amber eyes hidden from him in sleep, her dusky pink lips slightly parted as she breathed deeply, and his T-shirt covering a body that drove him to distraction.
His T-shirt.
On her body.
His cock throbbed painfully at the thought. By the gods, if he’d been in bed with her, then he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her. He could still remember how her silky skin felt under his hands, and how her hot, wet mouth tasted when he kissed her. He locked those thoughts away.
She was not his, never would be.
As his brain began to focus on something other than wanting to bed Aster, he realized he could hear music. It was faint but had a strong bass line. Rising, he stretched and straightened his clothes before going in search of the sound.
Dem made his way to the back deck. When he approached the window, he paused. Aster was outside dancing. This wasn’t the slutty dancing that he saw all too often at bars, or the straight-laced ballerina style. This was something different altogether. The blonde waves of her hair were loose and flowing around her, adding another layer to her movements.
The straw-colored strands glinting in the light like spun gold as Aster threw her body into the air, her legs spreading before she landed and twisted her body into a curved shape he wouldn’t have expected. She spun around, her body moving like it was fluid. A leg kicked out. Her foot delicately arched as she flipped over, her body landing in a way that allowed her to move onto her arms as she sunk to the floor, extending her legs behind her.
He sat and watched, entranced by her movements. When the song changed, he almost interrupted her, but she had already moved into a different style of dance. The beat to this piece was much harder, and her body started almost twitching in time with the music. He knew she was controlling the movement, but he’d never seen anything like it. Then again, it wasn’t like he paid all that much attention to the current styles of dance.
As the lyrics to the song kicked in, she dropped to the floor. It took everything he had not to run out there for fear of it being another episode. When she rolled over on the floor, though, he realized it was just part of her dance.
Aster moved with such a fluid grace, her body so sure of the moves it was making, that he could have sat and watched all day, but as her moves became more erotic, he had to turn away. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from kissing her again. As he walked away, his body hummed with the energy that was flowing off her as she moved.
Once she was done, she’d need to refuel, so he’d make some breakfast. It was only when he saw the clock on the oven that he realized how late it was. Breakfast was over and done with and they were on to a late lunch.
It made sense. They had been up late last night with everything going on, but he hadn’t slept in for a very long time. He’d need to get his own workout in for the day soon, or there wouldn’t be much point, but for now, food was what they both needed.
Aster came tumbling in the door a while later, drawing his gaze like a moth to a flame. He hadn’t even paid attention to what she’d been wearing before, but now it was all he could focus on. His boxers looked like regular shorts on her, and all she had on top was her bra and T-shirt from yesterday. The problem being that the T-shirt was soaked. She peeled it off as she walked into the kitchen. His mouth went dry at the sight of her. Her taut skin glistened with sweat. The scent of her wafted over to him, reminding him exactly how much stamina she had when they had spent that weekend together.
She glanced up as he moved. “Sorry, did I wake you?” She held the T-shirt in front of her now, like he didn’t know exactly what was under it.
“No. I should have been awake long ago, though.”
“We both needed the rest.”
“You weren’t resting when I got up.”
She flushed a little, seeming surprised that he’d seen her dance. “True, but dancing helps center me. Plus, it’s a useful outlet for pent-up energy.”
“Does your eye not interfere with your depth perception? I was worried you’d fall.”
“I’ve done the routines so much that they are more muscle memory now than anything else. I just have to adapt to the space.” She laughed. “I did fall a couple times when I first went out there, but I’m a fast learner.”
“You’re a beautiful dancer.” Dem tried to let the sincerity of the compliment sound in his voice.
Her eyes cut up to his, the liquid gold seeming to bore into him as she evaluated his candor. “Thanks.”
“Any time.”
“Are you cooking?”
“I’ve cooked. There are some paninis in the oven. Or I can make something else, if you want?”
She shook her head. Her hair now restrained in a ponytail flowed behind her. All he wanted to do was wrap it around his hand and pull it as he angled her mouth up to his. He shut that line of thinking down, but as she stood there, the sun came out from behind her cloud, lighting her body like she was a work of art, which combined with the curious look on her face and her scent filling the air, he was helpless against his own thoughts.
“You okay over there, big guy?” She raised one eyebrow as she studied him, a slow smile spreading over her face.
“Fine. Go shower. I’ll plate your food.”
“As y
ou wish.” She faked a curtsy. Dem watched her long ponytail sway as she walked out, and felt like a piece of himself had gone with her. He was starting to worry that the piece was much bigger than he’d initially thought.
When she came back in, his heart thumped in response to the sight of her. The scent of his shampoo and soap masked her natural scent, which reminded him of lilacs and honey. He’d known spending too much time with her would be a risk, but she didn’t have anyone else that she could depend on other than Cin, but even that was changing as Hades called on her sister more often.
Aster had styled her hair in such a way that it hid her damaged eye and the surrounding area. She’d also put thick eyeliner on her visible eye. He didn’t like it. She was sweet and light. Having the darkness around her amber eyes made her look sad, or maybe she was upset and he was just now noticing. He resolved to talk to her about it later. All he knew was that he preferred her without makeup, the natural creaminess of her skin, her golden eyes and blonde eyelashes. She was so damn beautiful that seeing her all made up seemed wrong somehow.
As she inhaled her sandwich, he texted his brother to let him know what was happening. Thad would handle any requests that came through from the gods in his absence.
“So, shall we go see your mom?”
She smiled and nodded. For the first time, Dem realized that she hadn’t been able to see much of her mother since the kidnapping incident. They had all been so paranoid about the Order of Talos being able to track her somehow that she had stayed on the island for the most part.
As she slipped her arm around his, she said, “You’re going to love her.”
He nodded, but wasn’t so sure. The idea of meeting a goddess was repugnant to him, but he’d put on a civil face and do it this one time for Aster.