Nick leaned into the wall, supporting Violet in his arms. Life was perfect.
Or would be, as soon as he won his freedom.
Chapter Thirteen
Nick watched Violet’s sleeping face, her breathing soft, stirring the hair that fell across her face. Gently he lifted the wayward lock and tucked it behind her ear. She was so beautiful, his woman, soon to be his wife. Beautiful. She slumbered deeply, tired from the long day, from the exercise he’d put her to.
He allowed himself a small smile. Violet was unaccustomed to making love several times a day but if he had his way, she’d soon grow used to it.
Not that he was used to such vigorous activity—but the goddess’s gift of stamina had served him well these last two days. Even so, he was tired. Nick suppressed a yawn. What he wanted to do was collect Violet into his arms and fall asleep holding her. It was all he could do to say awake.
But his night wasn’t over yet. He’d told Violet he’d be there in the morning, a man of flesh and blood, but he still needed to earn his freedom. He had to meet Nemesis…that is, Nina, in the park. Lifting his head, Nick read the glowing hands and numbers on the clock. Nearly one-thirty. He had half an hour to wait.
His stomach tightened. He wasn’t looking forward to this meeting. The idea of sex with Nina felt…distasteful. Nick couldn’t imagine how he’d manage to perform the same act with his enemy that he’d done with his beloved. Making love with Violet was a joyous activity. When he was with her, he felt like a god.
With Nina, the best he could hope for was a quick end. He cared nothing for her or she for him. How could their coupling be anything but the act of two animals in rut?
Not that he had a choice. He was resigned to do what was needed to stay human.
But it still bothered him.
The minute hand crept closer to the hour. Nearly two-o’clock, time to go to the park. Wearily, Nick slipped from the bed and found his clothes, careful to not wake his sleeping lover. After tying his shoes, he paused in the doorway and took one last look at her face on the pillow. So lovely, sweet. He’d give anything to creep back into bed with her and spend the rest of the night holding her in his arms.
But if he were to have her to hold after tonight, he had to earn it. Grimly, Nick shut the door behind him.
As he entered the shadowy shed, he noted that the clean earthy odor of the place was overlaid with another smell, a perfume, musky and rich, almost cloying. The smell, so different from Violet’s naturally clean scent, nearly turned his stomach. It reminded him of a flower, one of those that hunted living flesh for sustenance, using odor to attract and trap the unwary
It was Nina’s smell. She waited in the shed for him like one of those flesh-eating plants, and he was the creature she hunted. The thought was almost enough to make him abandon his pursuit and return to Violet’s bed.
But if he did, it would be only for a few hours, until the sun rose and he had to return to the park to resume his place as the statue by the fountain. Unless he earned his freedom, everything he wanted would be lost and Nina was the key to earning his freedom.
Even if he had to fuck her to do it.
Suppressing a sigh, Nick moved further inside, peering into the gloom, hoping to spot the woman. A laugh came from the shadows, the sound sharp as a knife, edged as much with anger as amusement.
“So, you did decide to come…I’ve been waiting for you.” Moving out of the shadows, Nina slid into view. She wore a black gown that blended into the dark behind her, low-cut and sleeveless. Her bare arms and neck were pale against the fabric and as she reached for him, they appeared to come out of the dark at him, disembodied. He took a step backward, wary of her, and for the first time fear crept into him.
This was a very bad idea. He should give up and return to Violet. Maybe there was another way to earn the goddess’s respect, short of intimacy with this creature.
She shook her black hair, and revealed her face, a shock of white in the darkness. “So quiet, Narcissus. Having second thoughts?”
“How do I know I’ll be freed if I do this? You can’t make this promise on your own.”
Again her brittle laugh cut the quiet in the shed. “I thought you might think of that, so I got proof for you.” Her pale hand reached out and he saw a parchment in it, the writing familiar even after three thousand years. Trembling, he took it, and opened it up, reading the Greek words emblazoned in gold.
I, Aphrodite, do swear that the bearer of this, Nemesis, does act in my behalf. Her word is the same as mine for the duration of this night.
Even the curling edges of the letters were the same as he’d seen the goddess use, hundreds of times while visiting her home during his disembodied time, before he’d become a statue.
It had to be genuine. Nemesis, that is Nina, wouldn’t dare carry such a scroll without permission. Nick shivered again at what the penalty for such a transgression would be.
“So, Narcissus. Are you satisfied?” Nina stepped closer and he could see her more clearly, the bright gleam of anticipation in her eyes. She licked her lips, and without warning, Nick’s cock reacted, hardening even as his stomach clenched in dismay. Well, so much for not being able to perform. Apparently the goddess’s gift left him susceptible even to a woman he didn’t really want.
Grimly he placed the scroll on the table. “Let’s get to it,” he told her, not bothering to cover the resignation in his voice.
Satisfaction in her face, Nina reached up and slid the narrow straps of her gown down off her shoulders. Nick’s eyes widened at the sight of her bare torso, her breasts huge, the nipples puckered with excitement. His cock hardened to the point of pain and this time he couldn’t stop his groan.
Nina smiled. “See, Nick. This isn’t going to be so bad.” Standing on her tiptoes, she draped her arms around his neck and slid her mouth across his. “This could turn out to be the best night of your life.”
“I doubt it,” he managed to say, then he crushed her to him, taking over her mouth with savage intensity, ignoring her amused chuckle.
* * * * *
The phone next to the bed was ringing, loud and insistent. Jarred from sleep, Violet grappled for the receiver with one hand, the other pulling her hair from her eyes as she took in the time on the clock. Two-thirty? What idiot would be calling her at this time of night?
“Violet, do you know where your boyfriend is?” Gary’s voice was slurred, even more than it had been earlier, but she could still make out his words. He must have continued drinking after he left. He laughed, a nasty sound even through the phone.
Confused, Violet sat up, taking in the empty bed next to her. Where was Nick? “What have you done with him?” Concern turned her stomach into knots.
Gary’s laugh grew wilder. “Me, nothing. I’ve just been watching, that’s all. Your guy left the house and went to the park. I followed him there. He’s in one of the sheds. Go look for yourself if you don’t believe me.” The phone went dead before she could say another word.
In the shed, the one they’d made love in? What was Nick doing there? Curiosity mixing with alarm, Violet dragged herself out of bed and found her clothes.
* * * * *
Nick dropped his head onto one of Nina’s heavy breasts, nibbling the tip with practiced care. His fingers probed deep between Nina’s thighs, using the skills he’d learned loving Violet to bring the nymph to a frenzied state. Under his hands, her full breasts quivered and she moaned loudly.
His cock throbbed, eager for more, even if he wasn’t. All he could think about was how he wished it was Violet under him. He had to force himself to stay focused on sucking Nina’s tit. She didn’t even taste good to him, leaving a bitterness in his mouth. With difficulty, Nick tried to ignore Nina’s fingernails digging into his back as he moved his fingers against her clit. He might have known the little wildcat would be all claws when engaged in sex.
She sunk her teeth into his shoulder and Nick stopped, jerking back. “Hey, that hurt! What are y
ou trying to do, leave your mark on me?”
Nina didn’t have the grace to look guilty. She grinned, her pointed little teeth looking ready to take another bite out of him. “Can I help it if you drive me wild, lover?”
“Don’t call me that,” he growled.
“Why not…lover. That’s what you are, you know. And what are you afraid of, anyway…that your ‘sweetheart’ will find out what you’ve been up to?”
“Leave Violet out of this. This is between you and me, Nina, and it’s only to get me free. After this I never want to see you again.”
“Really,” she purred. “Well then, you better get back to work. I’m not finished yet and until I’m satisfied, you aren’t free of anything.”
Lowering his head, Nick began again. If the little slut wanted satisfaction, he’d give it to her. She scratched harder and he bit down on the nipple, hoping to make her stop.
“Oh, yes, Nick…” she babbled. “Like that—yes, harder.”
Might have known she’d like that, he grumbled to himself. Engrossed, he completely missed the sound of the shed door creak open.
“Nick?”
It was the pain in Violet’s voice that he noticed. Pulling away from Nina, he twisted on the floor, gazing into Violet’s horrified face. His own horror rose as her stare took in him, Nina behind him, their nakedness, his hard cock bobbing in front of him.
Merciful gods! He held up his hand to her. “It isn’t what you think, Violet.”
A short bark of a laugh escaped her. “Oh really? Then what is it? It looks like you’re having sex with another woman.”
His heart sank to his toes, his cock shriveling under her withering stare. “Yes, but there’s a reason.”
“Of course there is. There always is.” She shuddered, a sob breaking free. “I might have known you’d be like any other man. If it’s warm and willing, why not screw it.”
“I didn’t want to…”
“Oh, I’m sure.” Another choked-off laugh erupted from her. “I can see how you’ve been forced into this, just like you were forced to ask me to be your wife. Well, that’s one thing I can remedy.” She struggled with her hand, pulled the ring from her finger. With surprisingly strong arm, she flung it at him, hitting him in the chest. Nick clutched at it but it slipped through his fingers to the floor. “I never want to see you again.”
Storming from the shed, she left the door ajar. Nick was after her in a moment, the cold air outside reminding him of his state of undress. He caught up with her halfway down the path. Violet struck at him, her fists flailing as he pulled her to the covering darkness under one of the trees.
“If you don’t let go of me, I’ll scream.”
“No, please. Listen to me.” He held her tight, taking the blows, the pain far less than what was already in his heart. He buried his head in her hair. “Please, Violet. It was for us, I swear it. The price of my freedom.”
She stopped her wild hitting and collapsed into his arms, her tears hot against his bare chest. “The price? To become free, you had to make love with another woman?”
“Nina was the woman who originally cursed me. She was the nymph I rejected, although she was called Nemesis then. She got Aphrodite to agree to release me, but the price was…what you saw. It wasn’t lovemaking, Violet. Never that. I don’t care for her, not at all. I love only you.”
She raised her tearstained face to his. “Why didn’t you tell me, then? You let me believe you’d already been released.”
“I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want you to be hurt.”
Another short barking laugh came out of her. “Too late for that, Nick. I am hurt. Seeing you with her…” her voice broke off, choked by sobs. She pushed her way out of his arms. “No matter how bad it was with Gary or any other man I’ve known, I’ve never felt like this before. I trusted you. Too quickly, I can see. You aren’t that different from the others…when it’s convenient you’ll lie and sneak around. You didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth.”
The truth of her words hit harder than her fists had. Nick released her and watched her step away.
For a moment neither of them spoke. What could he say to her? That fucking Nina hadn’t meant anything to him? That wasn’t the point…it had meant something to Violet, no matter what he’d thought about it. The tears on her face were proof of that. “I’m sorry, Violet.”
She glanced at the shed. “I guess you weren’t quite finished. You should get back.”
The last thing he wanted was to return to Nina, but she had a point. He’d been close to satisfying the woman when they’d been discovered. “Violet, will I find you at home?”
She nodded briefly, not meeting his eyes. “I’ll be there.” She took off for the edge of the park, her stride fast.
Nick leaned against the tree, feeling the rough bark abrade his skin. Here and there sharp pain from the scratches Nina had inflicted on him reminded him of his dilemma…not that he needed reminding. The truth burning into his soul was sufficient.
Nick had wanted to show Violet how deserving of love she was by giving her his. He’d asked her to spend her life with him, then, within hours had hurt her worse than anyone else could have. She’d given him unconditional trust, only to have him violate it.
He’d thought he could be the best man for her.
He wasn’t.
Nick felt the sting of his scratches and let them tell him the truth. Centuries ago he’d been punished for his self-centered nature, and all he’d proven since becoming flesh was that he hadn’t changed a bit. It had been his own interests he’d been pursuing with Violet. He’d wanted her to be his woman, for his sake, not for hers. He hadn’t thought to consider there might be someone better for her.
Someone more deserving.
Someone who’d never hurt her.
Someone who wasn’t him.
Violet deserved a man who would never hurt her, and that man was clearly not himself. Nick didn’t deserve her. He never would, no matter how much he wanted it.
Nick pushed open the door to the shed to see Nina still sitting on the floor, her lips twisted into a wicked smile. Nick gazed at her, noting her perfect features. She really was beautiful to the eye, but inside she was mean spirited and ugly.
She held out her arms to him. “So, lover boy, you ready to begin again? You were doing good until your girlfriend showed up. Really had me going.”
A flash of silver near his feet caught his eye…the ring he’d given Violet when he’d asked her to be his wife. Nick’s heart shattered at the sight. Bending, he picked it up, held it in the dim light, and brushed off the dirt that clung to the delicate flowers engraved on the band. Slipping it onto his smallest finger, he stepped around Nina to collect his clothes.
She watched him, consternation in her gaze. “What are you doing?”
“Leaving. Going…” he caught himself. He’d almost said he was going home, but Violet’s house would never be his home now. “I’m going back to Violet’s.”
“But we aren’t done. You haven’t earned your freedom.”
Pulling on his pants, he fastened them at the waist. Clever things zippers, once you got practiced with them. It was a shame he’d not be able to take advantage of his expertise in the future. “It doesn’t matter now, Nina. I only wanted my freedom so I could be with Violet. That’s not going to happen now.”
She pouted, a pretty maneuver that most likely would usually bring a man to his knees. Nick felt his gut twist instead.
“You don’t know that,” she told him. “Maybe your flower will change her mind and take you back once you’re human for good. If you leave now you go back to being a statue for all time. Is that what you want?”
“It doesn’t matter what I want. It never did, really.” Nick sighed as he finished tying his shoes. “I only wanted what was best for her. I thought that was me, but it wasn’t.”
Nina’s dark eyed gaze turned thoughtful. “You really love her, don’t you?”
Stopping by the door, Nick nodded, slowly. “Yeah, I do.” Straightening his shoulders, he stepped outside into the night air. “See you ‘round the park, Nina.”
Chapter Fourteen
Nick let himself into the house using Gary’s key. He’d taken it earlier before leaving, hoping to avoid Violet’s notice when he’d returned from his liaison with Nina…not that there was any point to the subterfuge any more.
The clock on the wall read three-twenty. Three hours until sunrise, when he would have to return to his pedestal and take up his non-life as a garden decoration once more. Having left Nina unsatisfied, he had no hopes of avoiding that fate.
He almost looked forward to solidifying and not feeling anything anymore. It would be a relief to put this human condition aside again and have nothing more serious than the condition of the birdbath at his feet to worry about.
Almost. If it weren’t for missing Violet, he’d look forward to being a statue again. But Violet was a part of his life now, such as it was. He’d miss her when he left this mortal state.
He’d miss her terribly.
Closing the door behind him, Nick put the key on the table nearby. When he left at dawn, he’d leave it behind. It wasn’t like he would need it again.
He wouldn’t be back.
After a moment’s hesitation, he also pulled off Violet’s ring and put it near the key. He’d thought to take it with him, to remember her. But he didn’t need anything to remind him of Violet.
Violet wasn’t in the living room or the front part of the house. He checked out the bathroom, but she wasn’t there either. The door to her bedroom was closed. Nick hesitated a moment, but then opened it up.
The room was dark, much as it had been when he’d left it. Violet was on the bed, a small lump under the blanket, and for a moment he thought she was asleep.
“So…are you free?”
She was calmer now. He could hear it in her voice, but he could also hear unforgiveness as well.
Violet Among The Roses Page 13
