“You have an educated palate,” Zeb observed.
“I don’t know about that,” Lula said. “I just really love good food. It’s one of life’s greatest pleasures, along with sex.”
“Indeed,” Zeb agreed, as Dake blotted his forehead like a wild man.
“Do you have a lover, Zebulon?” Lula asked matter-of-factly.
“No one permanent. I’m still waiting for Mr. Right to come along and sweep me off my feet.”
“It surprises me that you haven’t found someone. You have so much to offer, Zebulon.”
“Thank you. Hmmm, maybe you could arrange a little love match for me and some perfect hunk of man with your bow and arrow,” Zeb suggested with a wink.
“I do believe Cinnamus would find you most appealing.” Lula scooped some curry into her mouth and licked her lips. “Without needing any help from my bow and arrow.”
Zeb’s eyebrow lifted. “He’s gay?”
“Yes. He reminds me very much of you and Dake, except that Cinnamus is blonde with blue eyes. Like you brothers, Cinnamus is incredibly handsome with a beautiful, muscular body.”
Still struggling to take in a full breath because of the spicy food, Dake’s eyes bugged at the nonchalant comparison to two gay men.
“Unlike Dake, of course,” she went on, “you and Cinnamus share a wonderful flair for decorating, an interest in the arts and plenty of fashion sense.”
“Of course,” Zeb said.
Rolling his eyes, Dake grumbled something under his breath, swiping yet again at the perspiration on his face.
“It is a pity that you and Cinnamus are from different worlds. I can picture the two of you beautiful men walking arm in arm, and then sitting under a golden apple tree, with one of you reading poetry aloud as the other strums soft musical notes on a lyre.”
“He sounds perfect,” Zeb said. “Maybe you can let me stow away on the chariot.” He deposited a forkful of noodles and a shrimp on his tongue and smiled.
“I doubt that would be possible,” Lula answered, clearly not realizing Zeb was being humorous.
“So how old is Cinnamus? Older than me or younger? Older, I hope. It’s getting harder and harder to attract the young ones now that I’m practically over the hill.” Zeb leaned in close, cupping his hand at his mouth. “I’m thirty-seven,” he whispered.
“You’re just a boy,” Lula said dabbing her mouth with the napkin as she chuckled. “I believe Cinnamus turned nine hundred seventy on his last birthday.”
Both Zeb and Dake looked aghast.
“You’re not serious,” Dake said. “Nobody lives that long.”
“I’m very serious. Unlike me, Cinnamus is immortal.”
“What do you mean? I thought you said you were three-hundred something?” Dake asked just as if it was the everyday sort of question a guy asks a gal.
“I am. Three hundred fifty,” she readily offered, exceedingly unlike the average age-phobic Earth woman.
“That sounds pretty immortal to me,” Dake noted. It also sounded crazy. Insane. Loony.
“We nymphs have a long lifespan. A few thousand years and often much more.”
Dake struggled to get this all clear in his head. It all sounded so preposterous—but then, so did the notion of wings sprouting out of a woman’s back. “So Cinnamus isn’t a nymph then?”
Lula giggled at his question. “No, he is a god.”
“A god! That’s it, Dakin. I’m packing my bags,” Zeb said with a bright smile. “I’ll send you a postcard from Olympus.”
“If I were a man,” Lula said, covering Zeb’s hand with hers and gifting him with a tender smile, “or a god, I would surely court you, Zebulon. Aside from being physically beautiful, you are most endearing, with a very good heart.”
“Well, thank you, Lula, darling. If you were a man, I would welcome the attention from someone as refreshing, adorable and forthright as you.”
“Jeez, you two are making me gag,” Dake offered with a huff.
“If anything’s making you gag, dear brother, it’s that mountain of assorted peppers in your curry. And there’s no need for the envy monster to surface. Remember, I’m gay. My only interest in your delightful little Lula is purely that of friendship and camaraderie.”
“I’m not envious and she’s not my Lula,” Dake spat, immediately regretting it when he caught the look of pained surprise in Lula’s eyes. “What I meant is, you’re just here with us temporarily, Lula. Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to come out sounding so harsh.”
“It’s all right, Dake. I understand.” Heaving a sigh, Lula gave him a wistful smile. “Regardless of what you may think, I am indeed your Lula. However, I haven’t been here long enough yet for you to realize that I am your perfect love match. Perhaps you will come to the realization before I depart for Olympus Tuesday morning.”
Dake cocked his head, a prickly feeling that had nothing to do with the hot peppers jogging up his spine. “I don’t understand. What do you mean, love match?”
“See? I wasn’t kidding when I said Dakin was romantically challenged,” Zeb told Lula after sending his brother a calculated sneer. “Very thick sometimes.” He tapped his temple.
“Shut up, Zeb.” Dake shot him a scorching look. “Tell me what you’re talking about, Lula.”
“Us, Dake. Being fated lovers,” Lula explained, gesturing from Dake to herself. “Fate is sometimes cruel. Just because soul mates find each other doesn’t necessarily mean the lovers are destined to spend their lives together. There are often extenuating circumstances. Such is the case with you and me, Dake. Through a twist of fate we have found each other, only to lose each other in a very short time.”
She was talking about leaving again. And bringing up all the stuff Dake didn’t want to hear, didn’t want to think about, like love and spending lifetimes together. Why did women always feel the need to attach all their hopes and dreams to what should simply be a mutually satisfying sex romp? A casual fling?
And what the fuck could he possibly say to Lula now that she’d spilled out all that stuff about them supposedly being soul mates that wouldn’t have him coming across like a selfish, coldhearted bastard? Shit.
“Lula,” Dake began, taking her hands in his, “you’re a very special woman. Nymph,” he corrected when she opened her mouth to speak. “And we’ve shared some special times. The key to maximizing our remaining time together is to forget about goodbyes and enjoy each other fully while we can.”
“I agree.” Lula nodded. “Creating memories that will last for a lifetime,” she added, lifting Dake’s hand to her cheek and holding it there a moment. “That way, while it will be sad for us to part, we will always carry a part of each other in a special corner of our hearts.”
“Exactly,” Dake said, hoping the subject wouldn’t come up again until Lula actually left. It’s not that he wanted to see her go, but there just wasn’t any place in his life for a nymph with wings and a fierce passion for botany, no matter how sweet and sexy.
Both Dake and Lula turned in surprise toward Zeb when they heard him blow his nose with a honk.
“I’m sorry,” he said, wiping his nose and dabbing his eyes with a tissue. “It’s just so tragic. Like Tristan and Isolde…without the king or the love triangle…and without the terrible deaths at the end…and without—”
“Zeb.”
He looked up at Dake. “Hmmm?”
“We get the idea. Look, there’s nothing tragic about me and Lula, okay? We’re having some good times together, aren’t we, honey?” he asked Lula.
“Yes, very much,” she answered, quickly mopping a tear from her cheek and putting on a brave smile.
Dake groaned a sigh, happy that he hadn’t added, but all good things must come to an end.
“Sorry,” Lula sniffed, “I was just thinking about the opera Zebulon mentioned.”
“I don’t know anything about it,” Dake said with a shrug. “They were famous ballet dancers or something, right?”
“No. The legend of Tristan and Isolde takes place during the Earth’s Middle Ages,” Lula explained, “when knighthood and the chivalric code prevailed. It made me weepy because I could so easily imagine you as a chivalrous knight, Dake.”
“Hardly,” Dake and Zeb chorused and Dake gave his brother a narrow-eyed glare.
“Let’s change the subject, okay?” Dake suggested. “Let’s talk about something happy like football or basketball or maybe video games.”
Lula brightened. “Can we talk about hot fudge sundaes?”
“Sure,” Dake said, ready to dive in to any subject other than soul mates and tragic love affairs. “That’s a great idea. We’ll talk about ice cream.”
“I adore it,” Zeb said. “As long as it’s premium. I don’t like the cheap stuff with all the air pumped into it.”
“It doesn’t make much difference to me,” Dake said. “As long as it’s cold and sweet. I guess I probably like those ice cream cones dipped in chocolate and nuts that I get from the freezer section at the grocery store best.”
“Those will do in a pinch,” Zeb agreed. “We consider ice cream comfort food here on Earth,” he explained to Lula. “I read in the paper recently that scientific studies have proven eating ice cream releases positive chemicals in the brain. They create feelings of calm, happiness and sometimes even euphoria. That makes it a veritable health food.”
“Oh yes, it definitely makes me euphoric,” Lula said. “Especially the thick warm chocolate fudge sauce on top, oh, and the whipped cream too. I would like to have another of those delicious creations before I go back to Olympus so I can study the components and try committing it all to memory. Then perhaps I can manufacture them for myself.
“And each time I eat one,” her voice caught and her eyes grew glassy with unshed tears, “I will think of you both and the wonderful time I had with you dear men here on Earth.”
A muffled snort sounded in Zeb’s throat. Dake looked over to see his brother’s chin tremble as he started sniffling again.
Damn.
Heaving a resigned sigh, Dake rose from his seat. “Come on, let’s go get that ice cream and stir up a little euphoria.”
Chapter Nine
“It’s too bad that Zebulon wasn’t able to join us for ice cream,” Lula said, looking around with wonder. She’d never been in what Dake called a supermarket before. So many foods readily available to the masses, without the need for hunting or gathering. It was most extraordinary.
“I gripe about him but he’s a good guy,” Dake said. “I think he made himself scarce to give us some extra time alone.”
“He is a good guy. You are both good guys.” Lula gave Dake a warm smile. Never had she spent so much time with one being before and felt so happy and at ease. “Oh!” she gasped. “What is that cold rush of air?”
Dake chuckled. He did that a lot and Lula liked it. The creases at the outside corners of his eyes showed that he was a man who laughed easily. She’d always thought of that as a very important component in finding her love match. The thought made her sigh. She certainly wasn’t one to question the wisdom of the gods, but it seemed so unfair to finally connect with her soul mate, only to have to leave him so soon.
“It’s the freezer section,” Dake explained. “This is where they keep the ice cream and all the other frozen foods.”
Lula leaned over the freezer case and giggled. “The icy cold makes my body alert all over. Look at the tiny goose bumps all over my arms.” She rubbed her arms briskly. “And see how hard my nipples have become?” She thrust out her chest, only to have Dake shush her while giving a strange, strangled sort of look.
“Have I broken another Earthly rule?” Lula asked, aware of the look of disgust a female shopper tossed her way. “I’m sorry, Dake. There are just so many to learn.”
Draping his arm over his shoulder, Dake tugged her close. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it. Just, uh…just try to reserve any future references to your juicy little body until we get back to the privacy of the apartment, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll do my best to remember.” She looked at the contents of the long freezer case. It was full of different shaped cartons all labeled ice cream. “Just look at this immense selection,” she marveled. Vanilla, butter pecan, chocolate, chocolate chip. Mmmm… Even after the satisfying dinner of Thai food, Lula found herself salivating.
“Pick out whatever you like,” Dake told her. “Then we’ll get a jar of chocolate fudge, some whipped cream and a bottle of maraschino cherries.”
“We will be making sundaes ourselves?” Lula asked, delight at the thought making her tingle.
Dake leaned in close. “With a few twists,” he said with a wink. Lula winked back, although she wasn’t sure why they were winking.
By the time they’d checked out, Lula had selected a pint of triple chocolate fudge chunk ice cream and Dake had added the items he’d mentioned as well as a plastic shower liner and a bag of something called mini chocolate morsels. He’d explained that they were little chocolate chips when she’d asked. Lula was pleased she’d have the opportunity to construct an ice cream sundae before going back to Olympus.
“I’m glad we’ll be eating our ice cream sundaes in private, Dake,” Lula said as they went through the checkout line where a nice freckle-faced young man was putting the foods they’d selected into bags. “Just in case the deeply orgasmic qualities of the chocolate have an unexpected sensual effect on my wing situation,” she finished, mindful of the fact that the fair-skinned boy had just turned a deep shade of crimson.
“Oh I’m sorry…Dennie,” she said, reading from the badge on his shirt. “I forgot that I’m not supposed to make any references to my body in front of others. Please excuse my error.” She smiled at the apparently flustered young man and followed Dake out of the store.
Once back at Zeb’s apartment, Dake acted in a most curious manner, clawing at her clothing as if he were a starving man and she were a banquet. He told her his fingers had been itching all day to feel her skin against his. She only hoped Dake had not developed an allergic reaction to her.
“Shall we make love first or build our sundaes and eat them before we get down to the business of fucking?” Lula chuckled at the sound of one of Dake’s favorite phrases spilling from her own lips.
“We’re going to kill two birds with one stone,” Dake informed Lula, to her horror.
“Oh no, Dake. I could never throw stones at a bird. Please, we mustn’t do such a terrible thing.”
“Relax, sweetheart. It’s just a saying. It means we’re going to do both things at the same time.”
“Won’t that be very messy?” Lula asked, trying to imagine balancing her dish of ice cream as Dake drove hard into her.
“Very,” Dake said with a wicked gleam in his eye. “God, if you only knew how anxious I am to screw myself into you tonight.”
“And I’m just as anxious to be screwed,” Lula responded. “Fucking has been on my mind for much of the day. Except when we were involved in the midst of the flower altercation, of course.”
“Of course,” Dake agreed. She’d noticed that, for the most part, he was certainly an agreeable man.
Whistling a happy tune, he tossed all the pillows from Zeb’s bed, then stripped the satin spread off the top, replacing it with the clear plastic shower liner he’d purchased at the supermarket. Obviously he had already surmised that her balancing skills were probably not very astute and she’d only mess up poor Zebulon’s bedding without the plastic covering.
“There,” he said, examining his work. “That’s perfect. Now,” he gave Lula a playful slap on the behind, “why don’t you go spread your beautiful naked self right in the middle of the plastic while I go get a few things ready.”
She happily obliged, the passion and eagerness evident in Dake’s eyes making her tremble with anticipation. The idea of eating ice cream and engaging in sexual union at the same time certainly seemed to be compatible because they were both such enjoyable
pursuits, but did he honestly expect her to balance her food while trying to pleasure him? If this is what Earth women did, then Lula did, indeed, have much to learn.
Dake came back into the bedroom a few minutes later with a large tray full of the food items they’d brought home from the store. He placed it on the plastic near the foot of the bed and, propped up on her elbows, Lula noticed several spoons but the lack of ice cream dishes.
“You forgot the dishes,” she said helpfully.
Dake just shook his head. “We don’t need any dishes.” His eyebrows jiggled playfully as he picked up a can of whipped cream and shook it.
And that’s when Lula finally understood.
“Oh Dake, you are brilliant! A genius. You mean for us to build our ice cream creations on our bodies.” In answer, he sprayed the whipped cream in ringlets around her nipples, topping each mound with a maraschino cherry.
“And here I thought—” Lula started, only to suck in a gasp as Dake plopped a spoonful of chocolate ice cream onto her warm belly. “Oh!” The icy sensation mixed with the heat of his tongue as Dake positioned himself between her spread thighs and licked her from her belly to her breasts. “Ohhhh…” she repeated, this time more softly and through a low moan.
She squirmed beneath him as he lapped leisurely at her breasts, licking away all the cream and crushing the cherries between his teeth, causing the scarlet juice to drizzle down her flesh. A thorough man, he trailed his tongue along the rivulets, tickling her in the most enjoyable manner. As if the taut peak of her nipple was another cherry, Dake drew it between his lips. Feeling the crush of his teeth, she moaned as he applied torturous pleasure.
After giving the other nipple equal treatment, Lula murmured in disappointment as his hot mouth left her flesh wet, cool and needy. “Mmmm…more, Dake. More,” she pleaded, arching closer to his mouth.
Finding Cupid Page 12
