He licked his lips and left the room, wondering how crazy he was for sleeping with Koi already. Christophe had never been that kind of person—he was ‘the date and get to know the man’ first before falling into bed. That way of doing things hadn’t worked for him before. Then again, Koi was so damn beautiful he couldn’t have resisted if he’d tried.
The coffee pot had started automatically. He was glad that by the time he got to the kitchen the pot was already full. He poured some into a mug, dropped a splash of cream in it then stood by the counter sipping silently.
When that was too much and his thoughts threatened to overwhelm him, Christophe walked to the glass and stared out at the world around his condo.
He’d spent a part of the night in Koi’s arms, feeling this being do things to him that made his heart race and body burn. Every pass of Koi’s lips to the smell of his body, the tiny trails of sweat littering Koi’s skin—all of it aroused Christophe, causing him to ask Koi for encores. No matter how many times Koi the Insatiable pleased him, Christophe hadn’t been satisfied until early in the morning when his body was exhausted from the number of orgasms he’d had.
As he stared down at the small world beneath him, he wondered what was wrong with him. Koi had told him he wasn’t human—there was no part of him that was human. Yet Christophe hadn’t run away like a regular person would. Instead, Christophe had lain down and allowed this creature to touch him in ways no other man had.
He rubbed his eyes and took a sip from his mug.
But he couldn’t have helped it even if he’d tried. The way Koi looked at him simply stole away every ounce of free will he had when it came to their intimacy. Koi was domineering in bed in all the best ways, demanding yet giving. Christophe found that he’d lost himself. The worries of the world vanished and all that existed in those moments was himself and Koi.
With his eyes closed, Christophe allowed his mind to flow back to that moment Koi had opened heated, gray eyes on him. It was easy to get lost in them, and Christophe was soon so far gone all he could do was spread his legs and arch into Koi’s touch.
He gasped softly, pulling himself back to reality. There were so many other things to consider. But his heart was already reaching for Koi, melding with Koi’s, so how could he walk away now?
Koi had said Ciro and Osaki were like him, that Ari was actually Ares the God of War and the man who saved him was Hephaestus. All of it was a lot to take in—he sipped—but what else was he supposed to do? Deny what he’d been feeling since meeting Koi at his mother’s grave? His heart told him to stand by this man—this Shiver’s—side. He’d searched, ever since he knew what love was, for a man like Koi—for a man who would hold him the way Koi had, fuck him the way Koi had. Now here Koi was and all the second thoughts in the world bombarded Christophe’s brain like troops storming the beach of Normandy.
How could he walk away from that?
“Good morning.”
Christophe turned to see Koi standing behind him dressed in nothing but a pair of track pants. He allowed his eyes to trail Koi’s body—from his hard chest down to his belly button where a thin line of hair flowed downward and disappeared beneath the band of his pants. “Morning.”
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.”
“So the one word replies…?”
Christophe smiled. “I’m sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.”
Koi nodded. “I know I gave you a lot to deal with. I am sorry. That wasn’t my intention—I couldn’t lie to you anymore.”
“I’m battling with what I’m thinking—or rather wasn’t thinking. You told me you aren’t human, that your father is a being I learned about in mythology class. I’ve seen you do things that defy any possible explanations. I should be freaked out and running for the hills. Yet here I am, standing here, thinking just how sexy you are and how much I want nothing more than for you to take me right here against this glass.”
Koi smirked.
“And that…” Christophe pointed to him. “That look melts me in ways that are inexplicable.”
Koi tilted his head. “Do not feel bad. We have known each other for a while and you expect more from me.”
“Maybe.” Christophe said with a shrug. “Or maybe I’m just in shock.”
Koi nodded and folded his arms across his chest.
“Danger is coming—you warned me,” Christophe continued. “But I want to stand by your side. Besides, I’ve been thinking and the safest place for me would be by your side. Damn, maybe I need to think about this.”
“That is a good idea,” Koi agreed. “I was probably being selfish when I came here and made love to you. I know how my family is, how their enemies are, yet I could not keep my hands to myself. I had to touch you, taste you, feel your body tremble under my fingertips.”
“Koi, that wasn’t all you,” Christophe pointed out. “I was there too, remember? I was the one screaming your name and begging you for more.”
“Still, if you wish to have space, I will go.”
“I think that would be best.”
Though Koi smiled, Christophe knew what was happening inside his head. That broke Christophe’s heart for he always wanted this man. Yet here he was after a night of the best sex he’d ever had with the man of his dreams and he was letting him walk away.
“Koi.”
The Shiver stopped and glanced over his shoulders. His eyes danced with confusion and pain. Christophe chewed on his lower lip before speaking. “You have to understand that I’ve wanted you since the first day I looked into your eyes. I needed for you to see me as more than just Kofi’s friend—as an equal, as a man you could see yourself with. So please know that I’m not sending you away. Not forever. And that this isn’t easy for me. I just need room to think without you looking at me with those beautiful eyes and making me lose my resolve.”
Koi turned and approached him then. He rubbed his palms up Christophe’s arms before kissing his head. “I understand. I should have told you before, but I was just so… I know I dumped a lot in your lap and I did not mean to. All I ask is that you don’t close me out.”
Christophe caressed Koi’s cheek and smiled. “That’s not what I’m doing. I promise. I just need a little time. I don’t know how to deal with this, Koi. I’ll be doing it alone and I…”
“You have Geoff, right?”
“Yes, but isn’t this a secret?”
“Usually. How much do you trust Geoff?”
“With my life.”
Koi smiled. “Good enough. It is not fair for me to ask you to deal with this alone. Strange, I never even thought about that when I told you my troubles. You see, Carter was lucky. He had Kofi and Kofi has the rest of us. I’m sure you can talk to Kofi if you’d like as well. He’s a good man.”
With a nod, Christophe kissed him softly. That same warmth that had filled the pit of his stomach the night before engulfed him again. Wrapping his fingers against the back of Koi’s neck, Christophe deepened the kiss. Why was he asking for space from this beautiful man? The human in him wanted to make sense of it all—the emotions, the powers and the evils that may lurk in the dark and would pounce if Koi allowed them. But another part of him just wanted to ignore it and lead Koi back to the bedroom.
* * * *
“You smell different,” Osaki said, tilting his head and sniffing.
“He does?” Kofi asked, smelling in Koi’s direction. “He smells the same to me.”
Koi made a face and walked from the kitchen into the living room. He was hoping to avoid the conversation with his friends. But they followed him. Koi took a breath and fell onto the sofa. “Christophe and I slept together.”
The room went silent.
“Now you are silent?” Koi asked.
“Um…” Osaki said.
“You and Christophe? Together? Did you tell him?” Kofi wanted to know.
Koi nodded. “I did. I think this morning he felt guilty for not freaking out after I told him what I was an
d, so he asked for some time to think. He’s probably going to be calling you, Kofi.”
“I understand. How do you feel about this?”
Koi shrugged. “I am not important in all of this. Christophe is. He said he was not sending me away. He just could not think when I look at him. I find that hard to believe. Oh, humans are so confusing.”
“Why do you not believe him?” Osaki asked. “What reason would he have to lie?”
Koi made a face. “The reason is that I am not human—not normal—and I could quite possible get him killed. But then I am leaving and he looks at me…”
“Honestly, sometimes when Kofi looks at me I am at a loss for words. My mind goes blank and all I wish to do is take him in my arms.”
“Aw, baby!” Kofi gushed.
Koi swore he’d thrown up a little in his mouth. “I have to go.”
“Come on, Koi…” Osaki grabbed his hand. “He didn’t mean anything by it. There is no need to leave because of that.”
“I really have to go. I need clarity and to figure out some stuff.”
“If you need to talk,” Kofi told him, “we’re here.”
Koi managed a smile before exiting the house and going invisible. He was not usually a jealous person, but he was alone and it seemed as if he would stay that way. Being around Osaki and Kofi, even Ciro and Carter, broke his heart, then he would feel guilty once he settled down and thought about it all.
As he wandered around, he kept running everything through his head. If he wanted to have Christophe safe, if he wanted to be worthy of this man, he had to get rid of the risks, kill the danger. But how could he when he had no idea who was after him?
It began raining just as he stepped into being again. He was in Hurghada. Why he had wound up there was beyond him, but he found a table on the pool deck at one of the posh hotels and turned to watch the swimmers in the infinity pool.
“Care for a drink, sir?”
Koi spun around to look up a stunning woman. She had bright brown eyes, dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail and pink lips. “Um—Cream Soda Spar-Letta? The colder the better.”
She smiled and left him alone again. He could feel a shift in the air and knew in a few hours it would rain. When the waitress returned, the drink wasn’t nearly as cold as he wanted, so he glanced over his shoulders to ensure he was not being watched then gripped the bottle in his right hand. He watched the outside of the bottle as it became covered in a light sheet of ice. After about a minute, he poured the liquid into the glass she’d supplied and took a long drink. It was glorious.
Koi slipped back into his head while staring at the green label on the bottle of what was left of his cream soda. But that didn’t last long. Soon people began screaming around him. Koi jerked from his seat, wondering if the Sethii were attacking again.
But what he saw quickly tied his stomach into a knot. A large tidal wave was rushing toward the shore. Koi took a breath and shoved from the table. While everyone was running away from the shore, he was shoving his way through the throng, trying to get to the water’s edge. When he stood in the sand, the beach was all but deserted. A few umbrellas blew here and there, but he couldn’t focus on them.
Turning his back to the water, Koi looked around. People were too busy trying to get away to pay attention to him. He took a step back and vanished and, while invisible, he pushed himself into the sky and shoved his hands out, palms toward the giant wave from the Red Sea. Though the wave slowed down and got somewhat smaller, it kept right on coming. He had never been any good at controlling the ocean and Koi knew that if that wave hit the land, there would be massive casualties. Taking a breath, he braced himself and pushed both hands at the wave, trying to at least calm it.
No luck.
“Poseidon!” he shouted to the heavens. “A little help?”
His uncle appeared almost instantly. “What’s all this shouting…?” He stopped when he saw the wave. “Can I not leave you Shivers alone for a second?”
Poseidon waved his trident toward the wave. The water stopped and formed a wall, standing straight up. For a moment, Koi thought it would remain like that. But to his relief, the wall sank into the ocean and the waters calmed.
“Someone is controlling your waters, Uncle,” Koi snapped. “That was not my doing. I need to know who it is or many people will die.”
“If I knew that, do you not think I would make them pay?” Poseidon asked. “They are putting my family, my people at risk. Gaia is finally healed and is on the warpath—you do know that, right?”
“Come with me. I must speak with Harun.”
“Harun? King of the Sethii? Whatever for?”
Koi took a breath. “I have a plan as to how we can find out who is behind this and he has offered his assistance.”
“What of Ciro and Osaki?”
“I do not wish to bother them.” Koi lowered himself to the beach which was still empty. “They have enough on their plates with their new family.”
“Koi, listen to me. You are their family too. I have never seen them treat you as less.”
“That is not the point. The point is that they are married or getting married. I have nothing in this world, so it would matter not what befalls me. Do you understand?”
“There has been talk of you and a human. What of him?”
“Christophe requires his space now. And, to be quite honest, it is for the best. I understand his reservations, which means I cannot blame him for wanting to be as far away from me as possible. My demons will not cause him nightmares if they see he is nothing to me.”
Poseidon shook his head, causing his dark curls to dance. “I do not have to read your mind to know you do not believe that. I sense it in you, that you have strong feelings for this human. You do not have to lie. My brother’s enemies are numerous and they are not that bright. They will keep coming after you, your family and this Christophe. They won’t stop once he has your scent on him or if they believe he is someone important to you. They will destroy him to make you suffer.”
Koi frowned. He’d heard that speech before and the truth was, he still didn’t like the sound of it. If he was stronger, he would have been able to keep his hands off Christophe, hide his feelings better.
“Do not think it hard. I have seen many an Olympian fall for a human. They have this wonderful thing about them that makes them endearing to us.” Poseidon inhaled, his shoulders rising high and falling. “What you have to do now is realize that, with Zeus as your father, you must be careful. But you cannot live your life by those terms. You must live on, love like they do not exist.”
Before Koi could respond, they were met at the gates of the Sethii city and escorted in to see Harun. Once they were alone, the room descended into a silence Koi had come to be familiar with. It was the kind that said there was something wrong and everyone involved was powerless to stop it or predict where the trouble would come from.
“We are no closer to finding the culprit,” Harun explained. “I have sent some agents on reconnaissance missions, but they all came back with nothing.”
“I think we have a way to figure out who is behind this,” Koi said. “We could ask Psyche to read Lis. He is the Sprite who was sent for me.”
“Psyche? Do you think she would help us?” Poseidon asked. “After everything Aphrodite did to her?
“This family is full of hooligans and fools.” Koi frowned. “Do you have a better idea?”
Poseidon shook his head.
“Do you wish for me to make the journey with you?” Harun asked.
“We cannot go yet,” Koi walked to the window and peered out at workers in the field that had been covered in water during his last visit. “We must seek her assistance during the blue moon.”
“But that is two weeks away,” Harun said. “Are you sure we can wait that long? These cowardly attacks are getting more frequent. Two weeks could be madness.”
“I understand.” Koi turned to look at his uncle and Harun. “But Psyche will not l
eave Olympus any other time but then. And if we require her help, we will have to abide by her rules.”
The others nodded.
“On that night, Harun, meet me in the Sahara. Poseidon, return to your domain and amp up your security. Your waves will cause major damage to Gaia’s domain. We cannot let that happen again.”
“Understood. You will let me know what becomes of this visit to see Eros’ wife?” Poseidon stood.
“I shall.” Koi promised.
Once his uncle was gone, Koi turned to give Harun a salute. “I shall see you soon.”
“Until then, my friend,” Harun replied.
Koi wandered back among the humans. He prayed that Psyche would be in a giving mood when she ventured to Earth during the blue moon. He hoped she would take pity on what he was going through to be in the arms of the man he loved. Perhaps the story of her hardships to get back to Eros would help his plight.
Chapter Fifteen
“Wow,” Geoff said. “And I thought the men I dated were special.”
“This is not a joke, Geoff. These guys after him are serious and dangerous.”
“You believe this crap?”
Christophe sighed. “Remember the guy who attacked me? Yeah, he was after Koi, but because Koi has a thing for me, he was trying to use me to hurt Koi. The guy who saved me? Hephaestus.”
“See? That right there tells me he’s full of crap. Hephaestus doesn’t like anyone so he wouldn’t have saved you.”
“No, our teachers were wrong. Hephaestus likes the Shivers because they’ve been kind to him. He just can’t tolerate Zeus and some of the others. Look, Geoff, be careful when you go out, okay?”
“You’re serious about this?”
“Okay, check this out.” Christophe closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his mind and called for Koi. He’d never done that before and he was only praying it would work.
“Um…” Geoff said slowly. “Christophe?”
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