“NO!” The sound of my own voice woke me. I thrashed against ropes that held me bound, only to realize they were sheets and a blanket.
“Finally,” Eros murmured. “You’ve been out for hours.”
My heart pounded. The ceiling fan spun slowly above and the fragrance of exotic flowers floated through the open window. It was night, and the lights were off, but a soft glow came from the adjoining bathroom. We were at the cottage in Hawaii.
I blinked at the ceiling. “What happened?”
“You drank poison.”
“I saw you.” Even in my grogginess, I remembered that glimpse of violet eyes.
“You think so?” He reached over and took my hand, then held it up so I could see my fingers intertwined with his. The ring was back on his finger, and it shimmered in the dim light.
I closed my eyes, unwilling to turn my head and look at his face. “The sentry? I fell…”
“The fall killed him instantly, which is why you’re still alive. Your body is fine.” That irresistible chuckle escaped him. “I poured enough ambrosia down you to cure cancer.”
I bolted up. “You didn’t! It will make me…”
“More beautiful. I didn’t think it possible, but it did.” He tugged on my hand. “Psyche, aren’t you going to look?”
I couldn’t explain my reluctance. I had seen him before, but now I didn’t want anything between us to change. I understood that what I felt for him on sight might be caused by the dust, and I only wanted what was real.
Slowly I turned to face him, and he smiled. Every ounce of worry melted. Warm affection and indescribable love shivered through me. I grew dizzy. I forgot to breathe when he smiled.
“It was torture not touching you while you slept. You are such a temptation.”
“It’s just the dust,” I countered. “It made you sick, too.”
“Didn’t Aeas tell you? I’m immune to the dust, just like my mother. The first time I came to your school, I spilled it on myself. I fell in love with you, and I convinced myself the dust did it. But all along it was just you.”
“Well, I spilled it on myself, and you said…”
He covered my lips with his fingers and sighed. “I was wrong. I knew you were afraid, but I hid from you, convinced that you should love me blindly. I also knew you loved me, which made your betrayal painful, but you were right. It was unfair of me to hide when you’d already offered so much of yourself to me.”
I leaned back on one elbow. “How many times did you practice that speech?”
“Hundreds. Was it good enough?” His eyes sparkled mischievously. The strange color and the intensity of his gaze fit so well with the voice and personality I loved.
“I suppose it will do.”
“Anyway…” He twirled a lock of my hair around his finger. “The effects of the dust won’t survive a bout with Firelake poison, so you’re cured.”
“Is that why I’m not attracted to you anymore?” I asked innocently.
Shock drained the color from his face. “You’re… not…”
I could only hold a serious expression for a moment, but in that instant, I saw in his eyes uncertainty and grief. I couldn’t torture him. I broke into laughter, and his mouth drew a hard line.
He rolled over and pinned me under his body. He dug his fingers into my sides and made me squirm. “You horrible, horrible girl! I’ll tickle you until you cry for mercy.”
“Mercy!” I howled.
“I want tears.” He grabbed for my foot.
I wiggled one arm free and pulled his face toward mine. “Mercy,” I whispered, my lips grazing his.
“Cheater,” he replied before he kissed me. His arms snaked around me and held me tight.
“Wait!” I pushed away. “I’m not fainting.”
“Ambrosia,” he muttered, pulling me back.
The door burst open. “I bought all the steak they had at the…Oh, she’s awake,” Aeas said.
I tried to pull away, but Eros wouldn’t let me go. He kissed me until I gave in completely, then pulled back an inch and licked his lips. “We’re busy.”
I set my palms against his chest. “Did he say steak?”
Eros rolled his eyes and relinquished his grip. “We’ll go broke trying to feed this girl. I’ll have to double the size of my herds.”
“I don’t eat mutton,” I replied as I swung my legs over the side of bed
“You’d eat it if Eudora cooked it,” Eros said. “She does wonders with mutton.”
I was positively famished. If Aeas had ten steaks downstairs, I could probably eat all of them. When we reached the kitchen, Eros gave my shoulder a shove and sent me staggering to the side. “Out of the way. The spoiled prince can broil steaks.”
Aeas’s eyebrows arched. “You called him a spoiled prince?” He turned to Eros, amused. “Want me to throw her in the dungeon?”
“You have a dungeon?” After all I’d seen in Hades, the thought made me shiver. “Please tell me you don’t actually put people into it.”
Eros set five steaks on a broiler pan and put them in the oven. “I might put you in it.”
I rummaged through the grocery bag, where I found a bunch of bananas. “Some God of Love you turned out to be.”
Eros leaned so close our cheeks touched. He whispered, “Stay with me through another storm and find out.” He smiled at the flush that ran up my neck and into my cheeks.
I avoided his eyes. “Where’s Titus?”
“Probably still in the bathtub,” Aeas replied. “That’s where he’s been all night.”
“Will you tell him I’m awake, and I’d like to see him?”
Aeas left the room, and I turned to Eros once again. “Was he waiting for me in the tent?”
“Yes, he was half-frozen this morning when I arrived. I tried to send him to Apollo, but he wouldn’t leave until I was ready to abandon hope of your return.”
“Thomas told me you were prepared to bargain for my release if I couldn’t return.”
Eros took me into his arms. “Surrendering myself to Persephone would be less torture than watching you suffer.” He kissed me until someone at the doorway coughed.
It was Titus, of course. He leaned against the door post, and when I approached, he threw an uneasy glance at Eros, then grabbed me. He hugged me hard. “You made it. I can’t believe you actually made it.” He let me go and kissed my hand.
“Such little faith in your mistress,” I said, and Titus grinned. He was still my friend, and he’d won not only my trust, but Eros’s, too. “Sounds like you tried to die on me.”
He waved my concern away with his hand. “So, you’re one of us now. We’re headed to the palace in Eros’s kingdom?”
I shook my head. “No, I need to go home.”
“Not tonight,” Eros answered. “The poison is still in your system. You have to stay awake or you’ll spend the night in relentless nightmares.”
“But my dad…”
“…received a text from you this afternoon,” Eros said. “You apologized for running away and said you’d be home tomorrow.”
Much as I missed my dad, I didn’t mind avoiding him for another night. The reunion wouldn’t be pretty. “He’s going to ground me until I die.”
Titus shook his head in disbelief. “You can’t send her home. Not looking like that.”
Instinctively, I touched my face. “What’s wrong with me?”
“She’s a riot waiting to happen,” Titus muttered.
Eros dropped a kiss onto my hair. “Her father will be reasonable, I’m sure.”
“I can’t go home?” I persisted.
“You can go home, but you probably don’t want anyone but your dad to see you.” Eros’s eyes softened. “It was the only way to save your life. I couldn’t lose you again.”
I slid my hand into his. “You’re burning the steaks.”
Chapter 30
I was so tired my vision blurred, but Eros wouldn’t let me sleep. It was almost three in the
morning. Aeas had been gone for hours. He bolted out the door the moment Eros said he could return to the kingdom, and he took Titus with him. They crossed into Olympus and were flying home on horseback.
Eros and I sat on the same bed where I awoke earlier. I had taken a long bath and changed clothes. I no longer had to worry about invisible intruders. The ambrosia gave me immortal eyes. I could see Eros even if he was veiled.
“There are things I still don’t understand about your world,” I said.
“Sit up and look at me, so you don’t fall asleep, and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
I scooted away from the wall, crossed my legs and sat knee to knee with him. “What if I still nod off?”
He ran his hand over my knee. “Then I’ll resort to more underhanded methods of keeping you awake.”
I shook my head. “Forbidden fruit.”
From his pocket he drew out a chain and familiar pendant. “Not anymore.”
“Do you still want me for a wife?” I asked.
He fastened the pendant around my head and secured the second chain so that it stayed in place. “More than ever.”
I yawned. “Why did Gina choose a mortal life? Aeas wouldn’t say anything except that she had no right to send me to Aphrodite. Gina said she misses Aeas every day.”
His expression saddened. “Yes, I suppose she does, but he won’t visit her. Before he was just too stubborn. Now I think he’s afraid. He can’t bring himself to see her as an old woman.”
“Was he in love with her?” My head sagged wearily to the side, and I could barely keep my eyes on him as he spoke.
Finally relenting, Eros stretched out his legs and pulled me between them, then tucked my head under his chin so I could rest against his chest. “No, it wasn’t that kind of love. She’s his sister. His twin.”
“Why did she leave your world?” All my strength fled. If it weren’t for his arms around me, I’d have fallen over.
“Her love was killed, and she wanted to die.” He hugged me tighter. “I never understood her choice until today.”
“I can’t stay awake,” I murmured.
“You can sleep now. I’ll wake you if you tremble in your dreams.”
“One more question,” I mumbled, barely coherent. “Where are your wings?”
“On Pixis.” He shrugged. “I’ve never understood why your mythology gave wings to me and no one else. Every immortal with a horse can fly...” His voice slipped away as my eyes fell closed.
I awoke but didn’t open my eyes, too afraid the memories surfacing were imagined and I would find myself home in my bedroom, sketchbook in my hands and an imperfect resemblance of Eros on the page. I lay perfectly still and listened for my dad in the kitchen or the neighbor’s dog barking. Instead I heard a sleepy groan and felt a body shift beside me. The seams of our jeans caught as he rolled over. A hand found my belly and rested there. I opened my eyes.
Eros was still there, asleep and glorious in the sunlight, his hair tousled and his T-shirt rumpled. I drew the hair back from his forehead and pressed my lips there. He didn’t stir. I didn’t know if I would ever get used to looking at him. He would never cease to thrill me. I ran my fingers over the skin on his muscular arm. I still couldn’t believe I could see him while I touched his so-familiar skin.
On the floor outside the bathroom was a duffle bag full of Eros’s clothes. Handled paper bags next to it held women’s clothes with tags printed in Italian. There was a silk camisole, a cashmere sweater and stylish wool slacks, all sized 4 tall. A smaller plastic bag held socks, a modest pair of panties and a bra, which was the right size. I didn’t even want to know how he came upon that knowledge. A shoebox at the bottom held a gorgeous pair of leather slip-ons. I knew enough fashion to recognize the designer and the expensive leather. Eros was prepared for everything, it seemed. And he had amazing taste.
I stole into the bathroom to change. I was thrilled by the clothes. Savannah would have been so proud—and jealous, of course. I had never bought clothes like this for myself. I had never wanted to turn heads or flatter my figure. Today I was delighted to slip into the outfit and beautiful shoes knowing Eros bought them just for me.
When I came out of the bathroom, he was sitting up in bed rubbing his eyes. “Now there’s a sight to wake up to.”
I turned a practiced circle. “When were you in Italy?”
“Last week, getting the task from my mother.”
I smoothed the wool of the pants with my fingers. “I’m so proud of you.”
“…for getting the sizes right,” he finished.
“For not buying skimpy underwear,” I countered.
He laughed as he rose and stretched. While he showered, I scrambled eggs and cut fruit for breakfast. I had just set two plates on the table when Eros came downstairs wearing slacks and a dress shirt. He laid a wool blazer over the back of a chair.
He buttoned the cuffs on his shirt. “Do I look fit to meet my future father-in-law?”
“You’re going to let him see you?” I should have been flattered that he would allow my dad to see him, and of course, it would prove I didn’t invent Erik in the first place, but the thought of introducing my dad to a real boyfriend after having run away for a week didn’t seem like a good idea.
Eros took my hands. “He’ll be sensible.”
“Easy for you to say.” I pushed the plates aside, no longer hungry.
Eros sat me at the table and scooted a plate in front of me. He took the other plate and sat beside me. Undaunted, he forked eggs into his mouth and waited until I did the same. “He’ll only have to take one look at you to realize I’m right about taking you away.”
“What about finishing high school and going to college?” I asked.
“You were planning to move to a campus full of hungry young men without your dad, and you thought that would make you happy?” His tone was cutting.
“I like learning. I don’t want to spend my life being ignorant.” I was already at a disadvantage with Eros without being a high school drop-out.
“What were you planning to study?”
I shrugged. “Business, maybe.”
He set his fork down. “You wanted to learn about business more than anything else?”
“Well, no, but a business degree is pretty safe when it comes to finding a job.”
Eros shook his head. “Learning isn’t the same as finding a job. If you could study whatever you wanted without worrying about finding a job later, what would you study?”
I could see where this was going. “Art. I’d learn to draw things as I see them. Learn to paint like the murals in your palace.”
“I can offer you more than any university: master artisans and craftsmen, the history of two worlds, every concept of math and science in your world and mine.” He nibbled on an orange and smiled playfully. “And later, if you still want a job, I’ll send you out to herd sheep.”
“Gee, how could I refuse?”
“Plus, I’ll be with you every day, and we’ll never have to hide.” He took my hand. “Tell me that’s worth more than a high school diploma.”
“I’ll have to learn your language first.”
“Yes.” He leaned over and murmured in my ear a phrase I’d heard him speak before while I lay in his arms. He pressed his lips to my hand and translated, “My heart and soul.”
The six-hour flight wasn’t nearly long enough. I was so worried about seeing my dad that I was ready to take off to Olympus and avoid the whole thing completely. Eros, however, was dead set on asking for my hand in marriage, so he insisted we go to my father’s house as soon as we landed in Montana.
When the anxiety over this meeting threatened to drive me crazy, Eros took me into the stateroom and distracted me. Before I realized it, we were landing.
He drove me home in my own car, which had been sitting inside the jet’s hanger. I offered to drive so he could disappear, but he refused. Usually he wore blue contacts if he had to be seen anywhere
in the mortal word, but today he left them out, ready to show my dad his face as it really was. Eros’s eyes were proof that he was no mere mortal.
The afternoon was growing gray as we left the airport. After so many extraordinary adventures, this short drive together seemed so normal. He reached across the center console and took my hand while he hummed with the radio. I wondered if this was why he had fallen in love with me and no one else. I understood the part of him which so enjoyed this mortal world, its flaws and its wonderful technology.
My dad’s pickup was not at the curb when we arrived. Eros climbed out of the car with a stern order for me to stay where I was, then he came around and opened the door for me. That sort of chivalry made me feel foolish, but I allowed it. We walked hand in hand up the sidewalk.
The neighborhood was deserted. The neighbor’s old Jeep was in her driveway, and across the street was an ’82 pickup that never moved. I doubted it even ran anymore. My fifteen minutes of fame was over, and even the paparazzi had finally moved on.
Inside we waited. Eros sat calmly on the couch leaning forward with his fingertips pressed together while I paced. He followed me with his eyes, back and forth. At last he sighed, stood and crossed into the kitchen. He came back and offered me the phone. “Call him and tell him you’re home.”
All I managed to say after the single ring was, “Dad, it’s me.”
Dad replied, “I’m on my way,” and hung up. Seven excruciating minutes later his truck rumbled up the block.
I turned to Eros, terrified. “Maybe you should… disappear.”
Before my eyes he turned a little fuzzy. Not understanding what happened, I looked around, but everything else was clear.
Eros rested his hands on my shoulders. “He can’t see me.”
When the door swung open, I saw a mixture of fury and fear in my dad’s face. His eyes narrowed as he slowly closed the door and stepped toward me.
Guilt made me want to hide, but Eros gave me a shove and I stumbled forward, right into my dad’s open arms. I couldn’t remember the last time he really hugged me, but he squeezed me in his tough arms, the smell of cold weather and sweat on his coat. When he stepped back and looked at my face, really looked, he put his hands on my cheeks and his forehead puckered in confusion. “What happened to you?”
Painted Blind Page 32
