Date: 2011-08-25 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Romance; Paranormal; Paranormal Romance; Mythology; Fantasy; Erotica; Gods; Urban Fantasy; Contemporary; Fiction
Description: Librarian's note: Alternate cover edition of ASIN B005IC5TMY. NEW YORK TIMES & USA Today Bestselling Author Tina Folsom presents: A Scent of Greek (Out of Olympus #2) When the god of wine and ecstasy, Dionysus, callously dumps his latest conquest, the mortal Ariadne, the goddess Hera has had enough. She robs Dionysus of his memory to teach him a lesson in humility. Ariadne is deeply hurt after Dionysus dismisses their night of passion as "just sex" and doesn't want to see her anymore. When she finds him bloodied and beaten and suffering from amnesia, she quickly forms a plan to get back at him

A SCENT OF GREEK

(Out of Olympus #2)

By

Tina Folsom

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A Scent of Greek

Copyright © 2011 by Tina Folsom

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All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

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Acknowledgments

I have so many people to thank: my critique partners Grace and Virna for their continued support, invaluable ideas, their laughter, and their friendship. My friend Bella for her brilliance and pure genius that she shares with me every day. Without her, I would have never made it this far. My friend Wilson for his critical eye. And last, but not least, my husband Mark for his patience, his love, and support.

A big THANK YOU to the readers and bloggers who help support my writing by spreading the word, recommending my books, and reviewing them.

Chapter One

“You may kiss the bride!”

Dionysus watched as his best friend, Triton, the god of seafarers and sailors, drew the lovely Sophia into his embrace and kissed her for longer than was decent at a wedding, particularly one at which half of Olympus was assembled. If he held her any tighter, her white flowing gown of pure silk would wrinkle beyond repair and be ruined forever, but neither of the two newlyweds seemed to care or even notice.

Even Dio was taken in by the picture: Triton’s blond hair and sun-kissed skin contrasted against Sophia’s long, dark hair, and while the two lovers looked like opposites, Dio knew they complemented each other perfectly.

More than one throat cleared before Triton—rather reluctantly—removed his lips from his wife’s and winked at Dio. It appeared that despite the fact that his once-philandering friend was now one hundred percent monogamous, he hadn’t lost his sense of humor and his passion.

At least Dionysus could be sure that his friend would be happy, despite the golden cage he’d just allowed the mortal priest to lock him into. By the looks of it, Triton didn’t mind one bit. Dio shook his head and glanced at the guests, who now filed past the couple one by one to express their well-wishes. As Best Man, he remained standing next to Triton, in equal parts happy and sad—happy to know that his friend had found true love, yet sad for himself to have lost his position as best friend. Sophia was Triton’s best friend now.

Sophia’s mansion had been decked out for the wedding; no expense had been spared. Not even on Olympus, could the event have been any more extravagant. The opulent house she’d inherited from her aunt and turned into a B&B to pay the inheritance taxes lent itself to affairs like this. The dining room, with its fourteen foot ceiling, had been cleared to accommodate the many guests present for the ceremony. The adjoining living area, which was as large as a ballroom, stood waiting with a most sumptuous buffet of the finest delicacies, and some even more enticing waitresses. Flowers adorned the entire house, inside and out, and the scent of roses and jasmine permeated throughout the building.

Dio watched patiently as Poseidon and Amphitrite, Triton’s parents, hugged their son and new daughter-in-law, both of them fairly beaming with pride. Even Orion, Triton’s half-brother behaved in a civil way, shaking hands rather amicably. It appeared that now that Triton didn’t represent competition for female attention anymore, Orion felt no animosity toward his sibling.

When Zeus approached, Dionysus stiffened in concert with Triton. In his designer tuxedo, diamond-studded cufflinks, and Italian dress shoes, Zeus looked like a playboy ripped from the pages of GQ Magazine: smoldering hot, powerful, and looking not a day over thirty-five. His five o’clock shadow added an air of danger, one every woman of the wedding party should heed, but wouldn’t, because of his overwhelming charm.

The god of gods congratulated the young couple and kissed Sophia on the cheek. Triton’s tension radiated outward like an ocean wave, making Dio physically aware of his friend’s possessiveness. It could be endearing at times, but at this moment, it wouldn’t be prudent to act upon. Dio put a hand on his friend’s arm, cautioning him not to do anything rash, even though he understood him only too well: Dio’s no-good father was well known for his love of beautiful women, and not even the presence of Hera, his head-strong wife, assured that Zeus kept his paws to himself. But Dio hoped Zeus had enough sense not to make a pass at a new bride.

However, just to make sure, Dio felt the need to steer Zeus’ attention in another direction. “Zeus.” He nodded curtly when he caught his father’s eye. “I see you brought your wife. How nice of you.”

The narrowing of Zeus’ eyes confirmed that he didn’t like to be reminded of Hera. “Your stepmother has a way of wringing invitations out of unsuspecting people.” He shot a glance at Sophia, who had the good sense to smile, a charming, sweet smile not even Zeus seemed to have any defense against.

“I thought it only appropriate to invite her. She seems such a nice woman. And after all, we’re all related,” Sophia chirped good-naturedly.

Dio refrained from rolling his eyes and noticed that the cords in his father’s neck bulged, attesting to the restraint it took him not to blow up and unleash his vile temper.

“Indeed, my dear Sophia,” Zeus ground out instead.

The knowledge that Hera’s presence at the wedding cramped Zeus’ style made Dio feel almost giddy. Anything or anybody who pissed his father off was welcome. And that included his wicked stepmother.

“One big, happy family!” Dio grinned back at Sophia before he caught a movement in the corner of his eye and turned. “Ah, if that’s not the person we’re talking about.” Just because he was glad that Hera’s presence annoyed Zeus, however, didn’t mean that he wanted to spend any time with her. If anybody had a chance at ranking higher on Dio’s shit-o-meter than his father, Hera sure was in the running.

Dressed in a figure-hugging long, red dress, her long, dark hair draped high on her head, Hera arched an eyebrow before she nudged Zeus aside and hugged Sophia. She was beautiful. Dio had to grant his father that concession. But even he, who was no more interested in love and affection than a street vendor was in a thunderstorm raining down on his goods, liked beauty with a hint of warmth. Yet, Hera’s beauty was all ice: cold—with a chance of hail.

“Congratulations, my dear. You could have done much worse than Triton.” Hera made a pause, tossing Dio a sideways glance, a sure indication that a wicked remark was in the making. “Be glad you didn’t fall for Dionysus.”

Before Dio could muster a comeback, Triton took Hera’s hand and kissed the back of it. “I’m pleased you approve.” The twinkle in his eyes couldn’t be denied, proving that his friend was too deliriously happy to have noticed Hera’s backhanded stab at Dio.

“Of your bride, I approve,” she answered pointedly. “Your choice of Best Man leaves much to be desired. Defeats the purpose of best, doesn’t it? Best at philandering maybe, even though I believe that title belongs to his father.”

“Ouch, you wound me, Hera,” Dio countered, clutching his hand to his chest as if suffering a heart attack. Not that she was too far off the mark. He wasn’t any better when it came to relationships than Zeus. Cut from the same bone—thigh bone to be precise. But he needed no reminder of who or what he was. “Will you excuse me? It appears I need to practice, since my qualifications as the number-one philanderer are being put into question.”

He ignored Hera’s thinned lips and wasn’t even remotely interested in Zeus’ reaction. He simply shrugged when Triton shook his head.

Yet Sophia gave him a charming smile. “The bar is open,” she hinted.

Bless her for her understanding, because as sure as the sun rose every day, two minutes in the presence of his father and his stepmother dried out his throat like a sandstorm in the Sahara.

Dio headed for the living room, where a bar had been set up at one end, and ignored the buffet tables on which deliciously looking hors d’oeuvres played neighbor to lavish flower arrangements. Soon, the guests would descend on the food like locusts onto a field of corn, albeit with less grace and manners. He gestured to the bartender to pour him a glass of Zin. He wasn’t the god of wine for nothing. Because if Dio knew one thing, it was his wine.

He took the proffered glass and swallowed away the remnants of his conversation with Hera and his father.

“Who’s pissed into your wine?” Eros asked, slapping him on the back of his expensive three-piece Armani suit, most likely imprinting a permanent crease with his powerful hand.

Dionysus swiveled and glared at the god of love. Just the person he wanted to see right now—not! At least Eros had had the decency to leave his bow and quiver at home. He looked almost at ease in his elegant grey suit. Zeus had warned that whoever gave any indication to the assembled mortals that half the guests were gods and other immortal creatures, would be punished severely. And his father knew something about punishment.

“Piss off!”

Another slap on his shoulder announced the arrival of Hermes, the messenger god. “Envious?” he prompted, motioning his head in Triton’s direction.

Dio jerked his gaze toward Hermes. “Of a golden cage? Think again.”

“Triton doesn’t see it as a cage.” Eros had the audacity to exchange a smirk with Hermes.

“He looks positively happy,” Hermes added. “Whereas you look like you’re drinking vinegar.” He waved to the bartender. “A glass of red, just not the same as he’s having.”

“The wine is perfectly fine. It’s the company that stinks.”

Eros took a step closer. “You wouldn’t be talking about your two best friends here, would you now? Or are you in the mood for a fight?”

Maybe that was what he needed, a good bar brawl to feel like himself again. The last few weeks, helping Triton and Sophia with the arrangements for their wedding, had taken their toll. But as Best Man, he’d felt obligated to chip in and take certain errands off Triton’s hands—such as handling the guest list for the immortals and smoothing over bruised egos. But not even he had been able to prevent Sophia’s invitation from reaching Hera.

As the mother goddess, Hera had a special connection to all women. She could hear their pleas even if they weren’t addressed at her personally.

“If I knew you’d be fighting fair, I’d love a quick hand-to-hand.”

Eros lifted his hands in a show of surrender. “Moi? Not fighting fair?” Then he looked at Hermes. “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

Despite himself, Dio had to grin. Hermes joined in laughter a second later. And just like that, Dio’s bad mood was gone. His friends could do that to him. That’s why he loved them. It was just a shame that they’d see so much less of Triton now that he resided in the—admittedly very charming—city of Charleston. Even Dio had a little bachelor pad here that he used on occasion, that’s how much he liked the city and the many bars. It wouldn’t be too much of a hardship to visit Triton from time to time. So, maybe very little would change after all.

“Did you notice the lovely redhead in the crowd?” Hermes asked.

“Francesca? She’s Sophia’s best friend. But don’t bother.” Dio took a big gulp of his wine.

“You think I have no chance?”

“Depends on the competition.” Dio loved needling his half-brother.

Hermes grinned. “If you’re the competition, then I’m home free.”

Eros laughed. “I’m happy to play umpire.”

Dio waved his friends off. “I’m not interested in her, but you go right ahead and compete with Zeus.”

Hermes deflated as if somebody had stuck a pin into a balloon. “That’s just so unfair. Why does he always get first dibs?”

“He doesn’t always,” Dio interrupted and smiled to himself. The delectable morsel he’d chosen for himself hadn’t entered Zeus periphery yet, and if Dio could help it, his father would never set eyes on her, at least not until Dio was done with her.

“Which means exactly what?” Hermes challenged.

Eros graced him with a knowing glance. “It appears our dear friend has found a victim that has so far escaped Zeus’ eye.” Because a beauty like her would attract Zeus’ attention instantly.

Dio winked at the god of love. “And that’s all I’m saying.”

“Who is she? Is she here?” Hermes asked, eagerly craning his neck to survey the crowd that had already poured into the living room and was now jostling for position in the buffet line.

“Do I look stupid enough to choose somebody from the wedding party when I know for certain Zeus will lay claim to her as soon as he sees her?”

“Ah, so maybe one of the waitresses?” Eros interjected.

“Same difference. Once Zeus lays eyes on her, not even Francesca’s beauty can keep him from going for my girl.” Not that she was his girl yet. The lovely Ariadne had so far resisted his advances and only allowed a few chaste kisses, claiming she wanted to get to know him first. Just like Dio wanted to know her—in a biblical kind of way.

“Your girl? Dio, you wouldn’t by any chance have given up your one-night-only rule?” Hermes gave him a you’re-shitting-me look.

Dio shook off the thought as if it was poisonous. “Don’t be ridiculous! Do you see me walking down the aisle anytime soon? As soon as I’ve had her, I’ll let her loose. My weeks of wining and dining her will pay off tonight.”

Eros laid his hand on Dio’s forearm. “Hold it. Are you telling me that you haven’t fucked her yet?”

Dio swallowed hard. Admitting to his friends that he hadn’t gotten a woman into his bed on the first try was like admitting to a monumental defeat. “I’m enjoying the chase.” Which wasn’t entirely untrue. Seducing Ariadne slowly had its charm. In fact, the thrill of a slow seduction was growing on him. And for some strange reason, he enjoyed this unfamiliar feeling.

Hermes broke out in hearty laughter. “Finally a woman who doesn’t drop her panties the moment you crook your finger.”

Anger churned up in Dio. He felt compelled to defend his sexual prowess from Hermes’ attack. “Believe me, she will drop her panties tonight, or I’m through with her.”

“Sounds like a dare.” Eros lifted his glass in mock-toast.

“It’s a fact!” Tonight, Ariadne would surrender to him. He’d sink into her sweet heat and finally unleash his passion on her, take her to heights she’d never known before, and make her beg for more. And then he’d do it again until the sun rose. Because once the night was over, he’d leave, sated and done with the inexplicable draw she had on him. It was that draw that had compelled him to start dating her when he never dated. All he usually had were one-night-stands. It was different with Ariadne. For two weeks now, they’d played their little game, gone out for dinners and dances, yet she’d always stopped him when he wanted to go further. With any other woman, he’d have stopped his pursuit and moved onto the next, not willing to waste his time any longer. But Ariadne held his attention.

He stared at his two friends. “Tonight she’ll be mine. And tomorrow I’ll be moving on to the next one.” He raised his glass. “Mark my words.”

As he toasted to his friends, his gaze strayed into the distance and collided with Hera’s. The glower in her icy-blue eyes confirmed that she’d heard each and every word of his conversation with his friends. The mother goddess wasn’t pleased.

Chapter Two

Ariadne twirled in front of the full-length mirror in her living room.

“You clean up great!”

She caught Natalie’s eye in the reflection and made a face at her friend’s casual compliment. “You sure?” Ariadne cast another critical eye over her outfit. Her flowery pastel blue and green summer dress was held up by spaghetti straps. The empire waist created a nice focal point for her average-sized breasts and made sure the soft material flowed effortlessly to her knees, taking the emphasis off her round hips. Childbearing, that’s what her mother always called her hips. Ariadne simply called them too wide.

“Or should I wear the red one?” Doubts bubbled up in her.

Natalie’s hand on her arm made Ari look back at her friend. “The red one screams 'slut'. And I thought you wanted to make sure he knows you’re a good girl.”

She nodded. “You’re right.”

“Besides, once the two of you have been together for a while, you can always surprise him with that dress, and believe me, he’ll be all over you. And by that time, he knows you’re a keeper, and you won’t give him the wrong impression.”

Ariadne hugged her friend. What would she do without Natalie? Her friend had gotten her through the worst of times, and now she was there for what she hoped would become the best of times.

“Are you sure Dio will like it?”

Natalie winked. “He’ll be all over you. And isn’t that what you want tonight?”

She nodded, but the nervousness that had spread all day in anticipation of this evening wasn’t waning. “Maybe I should wait a little. It’s too early. We’ve only been dating for two weeks.”

Natalie tsked. “Wait any longer and he’ll lose interest. You’ve got to show him that you want him, or he’ll just think you don’t care about him. Men want a little show of affection. And if you don’t put out, he’ll go somewhere else. You’ve told me yourself how virile he is. Do you really think a man like that is going without sex for longer than a couple of weeks?”

The chastising look Natalie tossed her made Ariadne swallow away her fear. Not every man was like her ex-fiancé. Dio had to be different. Over the last two weeks, he’d been the most attentive man, showering her with flowers and expensive dinners. They’d taken romantic walks along the shore and slow danced to Burt Bacharach. She knew that at heart Dio was a romantic, and it was only natural that he wanted to sleep with her. And it was natural that she wanted the same.

“I know those frowns.”

At Natalie’s words, Ariadne lifted her head. “I’m sorry, I’m just scared. What if he does what Jeff—”

“Forget that asshole right now!” The sharp tone in Natalie’s voice made her jolt back. “I don’t want to hear that man’s name ever again. Do you understand? What Jeff did was despicable. It’s over. Time to move on. Dio is a good man. Now, get ready.” She peered at her watch. “Jesus, I’d better run or the chef is going to lay an egg. We have tons of reservations for tonight.”

Ariadne nodded. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kept you for so long. You need to get back to work. Thanks for everything.”

Natalie smiled. “What are friends for?” Then she pulled her into another hug. “Now go get him, Ari. And tell me everything—and I mean, everything—tomorrow.”

Ariadne felt herself blush at the thought of laying her sex life bare in front of her best friend. If everything went well tonight, and she and Dio really spent the night together in bed, then she wasn’t sure she wanted to share any of it with anybody, not even her best friend. If Dio’s kisses were anything to go by, they would burn up the sheets together once they got naked.

When the front door snapped in behind Natalie, Ari scrutinized her image in the mirror once more. Her dark blond hair billowed over her shoulders, and her green eyes were enhanced by the subtlest of make-up. Her lips were covered with the barest of lip color, merely a hint of transparent red. She hadn’t bothered with more, knowing that Dio would kiss her, wiping the lipstick off instantly.

Tonight, she’d take the first step toward restoring her faith in men. Dio had given her every indication that he was interested in her for more than a fling. The way he ran his eyes over her whenever they were together, and particularly when he thought she wasn’t watching, sent warmth through her body. There was so much affection and desire in his gaze that she just knew he was the man for her, a man who would cherish her. A man who would love her.

Tonight, she’d offer herself to him to show him that she was willing to give their relationship a fair shot. She would make the past vanish forever.

By the time the doorbell buzzed, announcing Dio’s arrival, the butterflies in her stomach had moved in permanently. Maybe Dio could evict those little buggers with his touch.

Ari pressed the buzzer to open the downstairs door and took a few steadying breaths before she opened the door to her apartment.

Dio looked amazing. His clothing was casual: faded jeans that hugged his thighs showing off each muscle in his toned body, a white shirt whose top two buttons were open, revealing just a light dusting of dark hair on his chest. If any man could make casual clothes look like a million bucks, it was Dio. His dark hair was longer than currently fashionable, but he carried it off with an air of ruggedness.

“You look stunning.” The words came from him, the sound of his voice huskier tonight than she’d ever heard him. He took her hand and guided it to his mouth, pressing a kiss into her palm. “I couldn’t wait to see you.” His blue eyes connected with her, the underlying promise evident in them.

“Dio.” Was her voice really this echo she heard in her head? Had she already lost all her senses just by ogling him?

Suddenly she was flush against his body without registering that he’d pulled her toward him. Or had she flung herself into his arms? Her breath caught in her chest as his lips hovered a mere inch above hers.

“Something is different tonight. Are you wearing a new perfume?”

Ari shook her head. “I’m not wearing anything.” She caught the flare in his eyes and felt a responding flame in her belly, only now realizing what she’d said. “I mean …”

“Yes, the fabric of your dress is so delicate, I can feel every outline of your body, every curve. Can you feel me?” He slid one hand down the curve of her backside and gently pressed her against him.

Her breath hitched as she felt the hard outline of his erection pressing into her stomach. In an attempt to stop herself from moaning, she pulled her lower lip between her teeth.

“I take that as a yes,” Dio whispered into her ear and lowered his lips to her neck, planting open-mouthed kisses on her heated skin. “My sweet Ariadne, you are my greatest temptation, do you know that? When I’m near you, I can’t think of anything else.”

She tried to steady herself, putting her hands on his shoulders, but the heat under her palms made her feel dizzy. Was she panting already? “Dio.” This man reduced her to one-word-sentences.

He didn’t lift his head but merely grunted and continued kissing her neck and stroking her backside with his hand.

“We have to … the reservation … the restaurant,” she managed to say, trying to gain back the control she’d lost the moment he’d pressed her against him.

Finally he lifted his head and studied her, his eyes dark with passion. “I’m sorry. You’re right. We should go.” He cleared his throat as if he too was trying to wrestle back control. “I apologize for attacking you like this.”

It hadn’t felt like an attack. Far from it. It had been a sensual assault, one she didn’t think she could fight off next time it happened, one she didn’t think she would want to avoid. “Don’t apologize.”

He graced her with a wide smile and took her arm to lead her outside.

“Where are we going tonight?”

“A small bistro in the neighborhood. Nothing ostentatious, but it’s quiet and intimate.” He emphasized the last word and gave her a sideways glance. Then he shook his head. “By the gods, you’re beautiful.”

She chuckled nervously. While Dio was never shy with compliments, the way he lavished them on her tonight was different. Almost as if he’d only just realized that the lighthearted compliments he normally served had turned into absolute truths. “You’re different tonight,” she said. Did he know that she had made the decision to sleep with him tonight if he made an attempt at intimacy? Was it written on her face?

“Different, how?”

“More intense.”

“Is that good?” He led her hand to his lips and kissed it.

“Yes.”

He suddenly stopped and turned, pressing her against the wall of a building. “Baby, I’m not sure I can make it through dinner tonight.”

Her chest heaved as she tried to get enough air to speak. “Aren’t you hungry?”

“Oh, I’m hungry.” His eyes told her of his hunger, the desire in them more intense than she’d ever seen it. “But not for food. I’m hungry for you. And I’m afraid of scaring you off with how much I want you right now.”

Her heart made an excited salto at his admission. She took all her courage and stroked her hand against his cheek. “Would a kiss tide you over?”

“We could give it a try.”

And then his mouth was on hers, his lips nudging against her, his tongue licking at the seam of them, asking for entry. Without reservation, she opened up to him and allowed his invasion. Heat flooded her, and tendrils of fire licked up her body. His hands seemed to touch her everywhere as his tongue dueled with hers and stroked her in the most tantalizing rhythm, soft and strong at the same time.

Both tenderness and passion combined in his kiss, making for an irresistible cocktail of emotions. Her head swam with images of their lovemaking, of a relationship, a future together. And her body burned with desire for him, with lust she’d never felt before. As if he conjured up these feelings in her by the magic of his tongue exploring her, his lips nipping at her, and his body grinding against hers in a dance as old as time.

If she could get this hot with her clothes on, she could only imagine what would happen once she was alone with him in her apartment where they could tear each other’s clothes off. She could barely breathe now, her heart beating so fast, she was afraid it could jump out of her chest and into his hand—the hand he’d just slipped onto her breast to knead it gently but with purpose. When his thumb stroked over her nipple, turning it hard in an instant, she tore her mouth from his.

“We have to stop,” she whispered, catching her breath.

Dio breathed as hard as she did. He leaned his forehead against hers, his breath ghosting along her skin as he spoke. “I know. But later. Promise me … I need you, Ariadne.”

She gave an almost unperceivable nod. He needed her—how those words warmed her. “Yes.” Her heart still thundered into his hand, a hand he hadn’t yet removed from her breast. As she straightened, he seemed to realize it and dropped it.

“You rob me of my sanity.”

She lifted her head to read him and saw despair in his eyes.

Chapter Three

Dionysus could barely make it through dinner. The kiss in the dark alley had made him even hornier than he’d been the moment he’d arrived at Ariadne’s doorstep. He’d promised himself to play it cool tonight, to shower her with compliments whether he meant them or not, and to play the suave seducer. But no, that plan wasn’t working out too well: he was behaving like a sixteen-year-old boy on his first date, prattling on about stupid things, uttering unsophisticated remarks, and kissing her like a man dying of thirst. Not much sophistication in that!

By the gods, what was happening to him? Was he turning into a complete idiot? He had to get a grip!

Dio tried to pull himself together and made an attempt at doing better during dinner, but instead of entertaining her with his usual man-of-the-world routine and impressing her with his knowledge about almost everything, he literally spoon-fed her part of his own meal and licked her fingers when a drop of grits landed on them. How pathetic was that! He was a god, yet he behaved like a pussy-whipped fool.

As he walked Ariadne to the front door of her apartment, his heart hammered into his chest. He hoped that she hadn’t changed her mind about the promise she’d made earlier, after realizing during dinner what a besotted idiot he was.

“Would you like to come in?” Her voice was almost shy when she asked, but it put the hugest grin on his face that he could ever remember.

“Love to.”

The moment the door shut behind him, he pulled her into his arms.

“Can I offer you anything? Coffee … tea …”

“Yes, you can.” Yourself on a platter, came to mind. Instead, he said, “Another kiss.”

Her arms snaked around his neck as she pulled his head closer to hers. Dio appreciated her initiative. It appeared that Ariadne was finally warming to him.

“I want you,” she whispered.

Inside him, the man roared. On the outside, he kept his hard-won control. “Good, ‘cause I want you too.”

He lifted her into his arms and headed for her bedroom. It wasn’t hard to find. Besides the open-plan living room with the kitchen, there were only two other doors: one led into the bathroom, the other into the bedroom.

“What are you doing?” she asked but smiled up at him, lacing her hands behind his neck.

Dio dipped his head to hers, placing a soft kiss on her tempting lips. “What I should have done the day I met you in your wine shop. I should have taken you into the back room and undressed you and then made love to you until you came. And then I should have done it again, just in case you passed out the first time.”

It had been fortunate meeting her. He’d stumbled upon the little wine shop and entered to order a case of his favorite wine before he’d even realized that the owner was the most enticing woman he’d met in a long time. She’d instantly stirred something in him, and as soon as he’d ordered his case of wine to be delivered to his bachelor pad, and engaged her in a long conversation about wine, he’d asked her out. She’d hesitated at first, but he’d coaxed her and claimed that she had nothing to lose, and a satisfied customer to gain. Satisfied being the operable word. Yes, he should have taken her right then.

“But don’t worry, I’ll rectify my oversight now.” He felt her heart beat faster at his words.

“God help me,” she muttered.

Indeed, a god would help her come: Dionysus would make it his pleasure. And he was back in control. The way Ariadne’s eyelids fluttered and her heartbeat reverberated through her body and echoed in his cemented the knowledge that she wanted him and would go all the way tonight. This time, she wouldn’t stop him and hold back. And this time, he wouldn’t have to go back home unsatisfied and find release at his own hand like he had the last two weeks.

Tonight, he’d take from her what he needed and then move on with his life. Even as the thought formed in his mind, something rebelled within him. It was a foreign emotion to be sure, so he pushed it back into the dark recesses of his mind. Nothing would cloud his enjoyment of the sweet and sensual woman in his arms tonight. This night was all about pleasure and passion, desire and lust. Nothing else mattered.

Dio kicked the door of the bedroom shut with his foot and lowered Ariadne onto the queen sized bed which was covered with a pink duvet. Not exactly his choice of décor, but it suited her gentle sensibilities and the air of innocence that surrounded her. Maybe that was what had first attracted him to her: the feeling that she was an innocent at heart.

Not that she didn’t have an amazing body too—as he was just finding out. Already when he’d touched her earlier tonight and pressed her against him in the alley, he’d felt every curve yield to the hard planes of his body.

As he peeled her out of her dress, not only her cheeks colored prettily, but her entire body seemed to blush. “Gods, you’re beautiful.” And by Zeus, if he didn’t mean it.

Her breasts were covered by the sheer material of her push-up bra. Not that she needed it: they’d felt firm and strong in his hand, and they were the perfect fit for his palms. He didn’t care for any more that what Ariadne was endowed with. Her body was perfectly proportioned, her waist slim, but not spindly, her hips generous but not overly full. And the dark blond patch that shone through the gauzy fabric of her panties hinted at a neatly trimmed strip of curls that was just the place he enjoyed to explore.

Dio noticed a slight trembling of her body. But he knew it wasn’t for lack of heat. He, for one, found the warmth in the room stifling, and quickly tore at his shirt to rid himself of it.

With the frightened eyes of a doe, she watched him as he opened the top button of his jeans. He stopped in his movement to reassure her. “Baby, you have nothing to worry about. You just say the word, and I’ll give you all the pleasure in my power.” And those powers were supreme. As a god, his stamina was unparalleled, and he would prove it to her tonight.

Her lashes lowered slightly as if she were embarrassed to watch him undress. “I haven’t been with anybody in a long time.”

Why that admission pleased him, he didn’t understand. “I’ll do whatever you want, as slow and as gentle as it pleases you. I’m here to make you feel good.”

“You really mean that, don’t you?” Her gaze locked with his, and in it he recognized her vulnerability, her apprehension, and that pinch of fear she held so tightly to her chest. He promised himself right then to eradicate that fear once and for all.

Dio stepped out of his trousers, keeping his boxer briefs hugging his erection, and lowered himself onto the bed, pulling her into his embrace. “I mean that. For a man to be able to give a woman the greatest pleasure is the biggest turn-on you can imagine.” Besides, most women were overly grateful once they had reached a monumental orgasm, and enthusiastic blowjobs often resulted from that kind of gratitude. His cock already strained against its confinement at the very thought of her sweet mouth around him.

With the pad of his thumb, he stroked along her lips, then down her chin and neck. He paused briefly when he saw her swallow hard, then continued his path south, slipping his thumb under the fabric of her bra. The moment his finger connected with her nipple, her breath hitched.

“That’s right, baby, you just concentrate on your breathing. I’ll take care of the rest.”

The thought of guiding this sweet morsel in an exploration of sensuality and teaching her what pleasures her body was capable of made his cock swell even more. And by the way Ariadne’s heart beat against his palm, which now cupped her bra-covered breast, he figured that she experienced the same barely leashed excitement.

As he slowly lowered his head to her breasts and pushed the fabric aside to reveal her dark pink nipple, his body heated. He gulped down a breath of air and with it the scent of her arousal. And what a sweet scent it was: a mixture of jasmine, woman, and innocence. Not even as a god did he have sufficient powers to resist such a call.

Dio snaked his tongue out and licked across her hard little nub, wringing a strangled moan from her throat. “Baby, no holding back. If you want to scream, then scream.”

“Dio, you make me feel so … I can’t …it’s so …” Apparently forming a coherent sentence was too much for her.

He smiled to himself and closed his lips around the rosy peak, sucking it into his mouth while he continued lapping over her captured nipple. Never mind that she was writhing underneath him as if this little treat was already too much for her to bear. He wouldn’t stop until she came apart in his arms tonight. And even then …

Pressing her deeper into the sheets, he lavished all his attention on her breasts, first freeing one from the bra, then the other before discarding the undergarment and tossing it to the floor. If he had any say in the matter, she wouldn’t wear a bra. Now that he kneaded her breasts with his hands, he realized that his guess had been right: they were firm and sat high on her chest, attesting to her youth and her well-tended body. They didn’t need the support of a bra.

“I could lick your breasts all night long and never get tired of them,” he confessed between kisses and nibbles. “They feel perfect in my hands.”

Then he lifted his eyes toward her face and noticed Ariadne watch him. “Do you like it when I suck them?”

Her lips parted, her pink tongue snaking out and moistening her lower lip. More breath than moan, her answer came. “Yes. Do it again.”

Dio gave her his practiced roguish smile and dipped his head back to her twin swells. As he pressed the two peaks together and alternately sucked each nipple into his mouth, he shifted his position, lifting one leg over her thigh to push her legs apart. His cock pressed against her hip, the contact—even through the fabric of his boxer-briefs—sending a shock as if coming from one of Zeus’ thunderbolts through his body.

“Fuck!” he ground out. If this indirect contact with her body sent him into such a spin, he’d last all of two seconds once he was inside her. That wouldn’t do, because what he really wanted with Ariadne was to stay inside her for as long as possible. Already now he knew that making love to her would be heaven.

Ariadne’s thighs spread further, and she hooked one of her legs over his as if wanting to keep him there. Like he was going anywhere anytime soon! If she only knew that he had no intention of leaving her bed until they were both completely and utterly satisfied.

Slowly, he slid down her body, planting soft kisses along her abdomen, dipping his tongue into her navel, then moving south. Her appreciative moan only spurred him on further, giving him permission to explore her curves, her skin, and her flesh.

As he bumped up against the fabric barrier that still stood sentry guarding her sex, he playfully pulled at it with his teeth, eliciting a soft chuckle from her. He looked up to meet her gaze. Her eyes shone with delight.

“I hadn’t pegged you for being so … so …”

“ … strong?” he helped her and received a soft laugh in response. “Wild?”

She shook her head.

“Hot?”

Another shake, but the more she put him in his place by refusing to acknowledge his physical prowess, the more he enjoyed the interaction.

He grinned and pulled on the fabric, tugging at it like a dog who didn’t want to let go of a bone. “Sexy?”

That made her laugh out loud. “I meant to say playful,” she choked out between laughs.

“Playful?” He gave her a mock-stern glare. “You do know that such disrespect will be punished, don’t you?”

Her body stilled. “How?” Her eyes suddenly gleamed with interest.

“Like this.” He pulled on the fabric, pushing it down a few inches, before he blew air against her sex. Her hitched breath confirmed her acquiescence to his punishment. “And like that.” Dio freed her from her panties completely and resettled himself between her spread thighs.

“And then, of course, like this.” He dipped his head to her glistening pussy and inhaled her arousal wanting to savor this moment but was unable to hold back. His tongue emerged, and he lapped against her cleft, gathering up her juices.

“Oh, Dio!”

“Shh, baby, I’ll take care of you.” And then his mouth was back, his lips connecting with her wet heat, his tongue registering her flavors and cataloguing them for later exploration. He scooped his hands under her backside to get more of her. She was a sumptuous feast, more delicious than he’d expected. Her taste was as rich as wine aged in oak barrels for many years and as sweet as ambrosia. The combination made for a heady scent, one that was quickly making him drunk on her. Despite the fact that he’d had plenty of women, mortals and goddesses alike, he’d never been with one whose body had held such an allure, and whose taste whipped him to such heights. But Ariadne was special. Making love to her filled a need in him that he didn’t know he had.

Dio lifted his head for a moment and saw how she pressed her head into the pillow, arching her body in obvious ecstasy. “Gods, you’re a sight to behold.” When he lowered his mouth back to her, he sought out her clit and stroked his tongue over it. She almost lifted off the bed, releasing a moan at the same time. So he did it again and alternately licked over the swollen bundle of flesh and then sucked it between his lips.

“Oh God!”

Holding her clit in his mouth, he swiped his tongue over it and pressed his lips together. A second later, he felt her explode and released the pressure, letting her ride out her orgasm as he enjoyed soaking up the spasms her body went through. Her muscles contracted, the resulting waves crashing against his mouth, sending ripples through his body. What hit him instantly was the knowledge of how pure she was: not a virgin, no, but a woman pure at heart, her reactions to him so honest, so open, he cherished the moment even more.

He scooted up, stripping himself of his boxer briefs in the process. His straining cock thanked him, and the air wafting against his skin felt like a release.

“Dio, you’re amazing,” Ariadne whispered and pulled him to her, her hand in his hair. Her lips parted in anticipation of his kiss, and the instant their lips touched, the fire in his gut spiraled higher.

He ripped his lips from her moments later, unable to take anymore of this sensual onslaught. “I need to be inside you.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

As he moved over her, a hand on his chest stopped him. Confused, he halted in his movement.

“Condom,” she said.

Fuck, he’d completely forgotten about that pesky annoyance. She had no idea that as a god, he could will his semen to be infertile if he didn’t want to impregnate a woman. Theoretically he didn’t need a condom, but not wanting to make her suspicious, he played along. “Where?” he searched the surface of the bedside table, but apart from a book and an alarm clock, it was empty.

“In the top drawer.”

Dio rolled over and opened the drawer. A small box of condoms greeted him. Regular it said. Regular? Not bloody likely. He wouldn’t even get that thing on, let alone keep it intact once he was inside her. This wouldn’t do.

“Found them?”

“Got ‘em.” With a quick flick of his wrist he used his godly power and exchanged the box for a different one. Now it said Magnum. He smiled to himself. Better. He opened one of the foil packets and sheathed himself before turning back to her, catching the moment Ariadne lowered her gaze to his groin. There was an almost unperceivable flinch when she perused his cock.

“You’re so big.” And her words weren’t meant as a compliment, not by the way she frowned.

Dio cupped her cheek and stoked his thumb over her skin. “Ariadne, you’ve nothing to worry about. I’ll be gentle. You’ll set the pace. Okay?” Why he offered her this concession when he could barely hold his control in check, he really didn’t want to examine. But it was important to him that she felt comfortable with him.

“Okay,” she whispered and drew him closer.

This time when he came over her, she didn’t stop him but spread her legs so he could settle between them. He braced himself on his elbows and knees, careful not to crush her with his weight. He was a big guy all over, and Ariadne was rather small compared to him. Nevertheless, he knew that despite her small frame, she’d be able to take him.

“Guide me inside. Slowly, baby.”

When he felt her hand on his cock, he gritted his teeth, fighting back the imminent release the touch of her hand demanded. As she placed the tip of his erection at her entrance, the wetness that had oozed from her coated him. Slowly, he inched forward and felt the head of his shaft penetrate, the walls of her channel squeezing him like a tight fist.

Dio clenched his jaw. “Gods!”

“More.”

“Yes,” he exclaimed with relief. He pushed deeper and into heaven. In one continuous slide, he descended into her tight sheath until he was fully seated. His breath came in heavy pants. He’d never felt anything more perfect.

“Are you okay? Am I hurting you?”

“Yes. No.”

He pulled back instantly, trying to withdraw, but Ariadne wrapped her legs around his backside, digging her heels into him. Confused, he sought her eyes.

“Yes, I’m okay, and no, you’re not hurting me.”

Relieved, he pressed his forehead to hers. “Good. Promise me you’ll let me know if something doesn’t feel good.”

She smiled. “Relax, Dio. You feel good.”

He grinned. “How good?”

Ariadne playfully hit her fist against his shoulder. “Are you fishing?”

He drew his hips back, withdrawing almost completely from her tight pussy before sliding back inside. “Fishing wasn’t what I had in mind.”

As he delivered the next thrust, her lips parted on a sigh, and her eyelids lowered to half mast. Perspiration was already building on his neck from trying to hold onto his control. To feel her in his arms giving herself so freely to him, rattled on the hinges of his restraints.

His body found its own rhythm, catapulting him into an inferno where nothing else counted but Ariadne’s heart beating against his body, her breath ghosting along his face, and her nails digging into his skin. Even as he rode her harder, his cock sliding in and out of her in a smooth glide, his tongue mimicking every stroke, he knew that this wasn’t just a frantic coupling or the quick, hard fucks he generally preferred. He felt connected to her on a level that wasn’t physical. He was spared from analyzing his sentiments when her muscles suddenly spasmed around him and drove him over the edge.

As he tumbled into the abyss of weightlessness and pleasure, he clutched her tightly, his lips forming only two words. “My love.”

Chapter Four

Ariadne cuddled into him, purring like a cat who’d just eaten her fill. Shell-shocked, Dio’s arm went around her as she fitted her head into the crook of his neck. In her arms, he’d had the most amazing orgasm of his life, and instead of feeling content and sated, he felt panicked. He’d called her my love. What the fuck had gotten into him?

He’d felt something, an emotion so strange he hadn’t been able to truly comprehend it. It had hit him broadside, knocking him on his ass and taking over his senses: no wonder he’d tossed the endearment out and actually meant it at that moment. It had blinded him, but he couldn’t let this strange feeling take root in his mind. It was dangerous to let himself be sucked into believing he was actually capable of such emotion. No, something had to be wrong with him. Maybe he’d eaten something that didn’t agree with him. It had to be temporary. It just had to be.

“I knew it would be like this with you,” she murmured.

“Mmm hmm.” Dio searched for anything to say, but his mind had never been so blank. Was it the warmth of her body that had turned his brain into molasses, or was he still drunk on her taste?

“I knew that once I found the right man, things would be perfect. And they are.” She drew a lazy circle around his nipple, her fingernail arousing him more than was humanly possible. “My mother was right about one thing, you know.”

He couldn’t stop himself from asking. After all, he had to say something at some point. He couldn’t just lie there like a log. “What’s that?”

“If you find the person you’re meant to be with, everything will be perfect. Just like it is with us.”

Dio froze. This couldn’t be happening. Ariadne couldn’t possibly think that this was more than just a fling, well, a one-night-stand really. When had he ever given her the impression that he was interested in a relationship? At that word, something in his solar plexus constricted painfully. Why had he called her my love? And why had he felt so connected to her when he’d made love to her? There: he couldn’t even call it fucking! How pathetic was that? Since when had he turned into some pussy-whipped idiot?

Yes, something was seriously wrong with this picture. He was still in Ariadne’s bed, cuddling, for Hades’ sake! And his body made no motion to move, to get up, get dressed, and get the hell out of there. But he knew he had to. He couldn’t allow the things that flitted through his mind change him in any way. He was who he was: a philanderer, a womanizer, a seducer. Nobody would change that. It was better if he made a clean break right now before more words about a relationship flew about the room, before he gave her hope where there was none.

And before he seriously hurt her, just like his father had hurt all the women he’d ever been with. And he was his father’s son if he liked it or not.

Even though he hated what he had to do, he forced himself to do it anyway. “Sleep, my sweet.” His persuasive powers, powers each god possessed, lulled her into sleep.

Like a thief in the night, he left her bed. As he cast a glance back at Ariadne’s sleeping body, his chest tightened. His body rebelled, wanting him to return to her arms, to sleep with her body wrapped around him. The draw was so strong, he swayed and had to steady himself with a hand against the wall. She was weakening his resolve just by lying there in her sleep, vulnerable and as beautiful as a summer’s day. But he had to resist for Ariadne’s sake. She would be better off without him.

As fast as his shaking limbs allowed, Dio got dressed while contemplating wiping her memory of him. But the content smile that touched her lips even in her sleep stopped him. He didn’t want to take her memories away. They’d given each other pleasure tonight, and he didn’t want to erase those memories, though he knew it would be better.

As he stalked into the night, running from something he didn’t understand, Dio’s gut twisted. He’d never had any problems walking away from a woman before, and the knowledge that he was hurting her with what he was doing only magnified his guilt and the feeling in his chest that he was making a big mistake. The biggest mistake of his life.

***

Ariadne stretched her arms over her head as consciousness returned and sleep traded places with wakefulness. Slowly, the events of the previous nights returned, pasting a smile on her face. Her entire body still hummed from the aftermath of her lovemaking with Dio. She’d been overwhelmed with the intensity of sensations he’d conjured up in her. She’d never felt so cherished.

Even before she opened her eyes to the sunlight that streamed through the partially closed blinds, she knew she was alone. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table and shot up from her prone position. No wonder Dio had already left: it was past eight o’clock and high time to get ready if she didn’t want to be late. Dio probably had to get to work too.

For a moment, she paused. It was strange, but he’d never mentioned what he did for a living, other than saying that he managed some investments and traveled a lot for his job. Ari chuckled to herself: being the perfect gentleman, he’d always asked her about her life and interests and refrained from constantly talking about himself. It was a welcome change from other men who found themselves so important that they only wanted to talk about their own achievements. Now that she thought about it, Dio always deflected questions about his life, almost as if there was a lot of pain in his past and he didn’t want to talk about it.

Ari knew something about pain. She’d gotten hurt over a year ago, and it had taken her until now to pick up her life again and let go of the disappointment and heartache. And in the process, she’d found Dio. Sometimes things did turn out all right.

Ari swung her legs out of bed and rushed to the bathroom. She had no time to daydream right now, but even her lack of time couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. As she stepped into the shower and let the warm water sluice down her body, she was aware of every cell in her body, every inch of skin Dio had touched and kissed, and particularly of the place between her legs that throbbed pleasantly in synch with her heartbeat.

She bit back the disappointment that Dio hadn’t woken her when he’d left, but maybe he was just being considerate. She must have fallen asleep shortly after they’d made love, because for the life of her, she couldn’t remember that they’d talked or cuddled. She wasn’t normally one to nod off that quickly, but then she’d never before felt so sated after being with a man. Her body had been so relaxed that it was probably normal that she’d fallen asleep so quickly.

Without much ado, she finished her shower and dried off. Maybe next time when they had more time, she and Dio could shower together and then go back to bed. Ari shook her head and started blow drying her hair. She’d turned into such a dreamer again. After the debacle with Jeff, she’d stopped wishing for things she didn’t think she could have. She’d felt useless and unworthy of someone’s love. And why wouldn’t she? The humiliation she’d endured was a feeling she never wanted to reacquaint herself with. The only way to protect herself from it had been to close off her heart and keep others at a distance. But Dio had pierced her armor and broken down the walls she’d erected.

For the first time in many months, Ari left her house feeling elated and carefree.

The walk to her shop was short, and when she arrived, her assistant Lisa was waiting at the entrance. The summer dress Lisa wore made her appear even younger than her twenty-two years, or maybe it was simply the fact that she was extremely pretty and tanned. As a vintner’s daughter from California, she’d come for a one-month internship and had then asked if she could stay on for another year since she really liked Charleston and found the people charming.

Knowing that she needed help with the shop if she didn’t want to work seven days a week, Ari had hired her immediately. The girl had a great way with customers and could charm just about anybody. And she knew her wines. Besides, being from California, she was able to negotiate larger discounts from some of the California wineries whose owners she knew personally and whose sons and daughters she’d grown up with.

But aside from that, Ari loved Lisa’s bubbly personality.

“Sorry, I forgot my key this morning,” Lisa greeted her. “It’s gonna be a busy day. I’m so glad you’re on time. We’ve got the Dry Creek shipment coming in today.”

Ari pulled her key out of her handbag and unlocked. “Morning, Lisa. What happened? You’re normally not forgetful.”

Lisa followed her into the shop, and Ari flipped the lights on.

“I was out last night and had my keys in my other handbag.”

Ari’s wine shop wasn’t big, but it stocked a nice selection of domestic and international wines, and she prided herself on good customer service. After purchasing the lease from the old couple who’d run the shop for over thirty years, she’d made a lot of changes to it.

Besides the wooden racks along the walls, there was a small tasting corner with a wet bar. The dark granite counter top had been her idea, because she wanted to avoid wine stains from showing up. They were unavoidable, but on the dark stone they barely showed. She also used the corner for occasional wine appreciation classes, an idea she had to thank Lisa for. The free classes brought new customers into the store who were otherwise too intimidated to ask about wines. By offering to teach them about wine, she’d gained many new loyal customers.

“Do we need bread and cheese?” Lisa asked.

“I used up the last of the bread yesterday. But check in the storage room to see if there’s any cheese left.”

While Lisa went in the back, where a room as large as the sales area was stocked full with cases of wine and other supplies, Ari booted up the computer and logged into the sales program: another upgrade she’d brought to the shop. The new computer program didn’t simply ring up purchases and process credit card receipts, it was also tied into her inventory system and kept track of what bottles she had left. It cut down tremendously on the time she had to spend on re-ordering.

“Lisa,” she called out toward the open storage room door.

“Yeah?”

“What time are you expecting the Dry Creek shipment?”

“Between eleven and one.” Lisa reappeared from the back. “And we’re out of cheese too. Do you want me to stock up now before it gets busy?”

Ari nodded. “Yes, and also get some crackers and—” The ring of the phone interrupted her. She reached for the receiver and brought it to her ear. “—and bottled water,” she continued her instruction to Lisa. “In Vino Veritas,” she answered the phone with a smile. “How may I help you?” The new name for the shop had been entirely her idea. And every time she answered the phone and announced the name, she felt her chest swell with pride. This was her baby, something she’d achieved all on her own.

“So, what happened?” Natalie chirped on the other end of the line without as much as a greeting. “Tell me everything.”

Ari rolled her eyes. “Hold on a sec.” She put the phone to the side and opened the till. “Lisa, you’ll need some money.” She fished two twenties out of the drawer and handed them to her.

As soon as Lisa closed the shop door behind her, Ari picked up the phone again. “Morning, Natalie.”

“Yes, yes, good morning. So, tell me what happened.” Clearly her friend wasn’t up for useless pleasantries this morning when there were juicy details to be had.

Ari couldn’t help but grin. “We went out. He took me to this little restaurant with—”

“Don’t give me this,” Natalie warned. “You know exactly what I want to know. Did you guys do it?”

She took in a deep breath and could have sworn she could still scent Dio’s aftershave around her. “It was very nice.”

“Very nice? Very nice? That’s all you’re giving me? I’m your best friend! Your only friend if I may add! Oh, girl, you’re so getting a tongue-lashing from me if you’re not coughing up the goods right now!”

“Okay, okay,” Ari capitulated. The reminder that Natalie was her only true friend always worked. “It was amazing. We went back to my place, and he just ... he was so ...”

“Amazing?” Natalie helped, a grin evident in her voice. “Details, Ari, details!”

She eyed the door, secretly hoping for the first customers to arrive so she would have a legitimate reason to cut the conversation short, but nobody entered the store. All she could do was stall. “He’s really ripped, you know.” That was a safe enough admission, and it didn’t give too much away. And wow, had he looked good naked. Dio had a seriously gorgeous body. Even now the mere thought of running her fingertips along his bare skin sent shudders through her core.

“You mean like a six-pack?”

Ari suppressed her chuckle, glad that her diversion tactic seemed to work. “Almost like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his young days. But way less pretentious.”

Natalie’s laugh echoed through the phone. “He’d better be less pretentious.” She paused for a moment. “And more faithful!”

Ari felt a sense of warmth flood her. The way Dio had looked at her last night, she just knew that he would be true to her. There’d been so much desire and affection in his gaze, she couldn’t possibly be wrong. “I’m sure he is.”

“Did he stay the whole night?” Natalie’s next question came as though fired from a gun. “Because if he stayed the night, that’s a good sign.”

“You know, I’m not sure. I fell asleep so quickly. But I’m pretty sure he stayed the night.” Had he? Or had he left once she’d been asleep?

“What do you mean, you’re pretty sure? Did he wake up with you or didn’t he?”

Ari swallowed away her rising doubts. “He was gone by the time I woke up, but then,” she added hastily, defensiveness creeping into her tone, “I overslept, and he probably had to get to work too, so you can’t blame him for leaving early.”

“Uh-huh.”

Annoyance spread in her belly. “What?”

“So, let me get this straight: you’re not sure he spent the night because he was gone by the time you woke up. Did you guys at least cuddle afterwards?”

Ari hesitated. She remembered saying a few words to him, but after that, things went blank. “Uh ... well ...”

“So, that’s a no then. That kind of answers my next question. He didn’t say the ‘L’ word, did he?”

Ari felt heat rise into her cheeks. She hated it when Natalie drilled down to the essentials so quickly and dug up stuff Ari felt uncomfortable about. “Guys don’t say that immediately. You know that as well as I do!”

“Okay, I grant you that.” Yet that admission didn’t shut her friend up. “Has he called you yet?”

“It’s nine thirty in the morning! Of course, he hasn’t called me yet. Don’t you think that would be a little desperate?” Actually, if Dio called now, she’d find it very sweet. More than that, she’d find it utterly endearing.

“Desperate, schmesperate,” Natalie said. “It would be the right thing to do. After all, you guys had sex last night. The least he could do is leave you a note on the pillow or call you first thing in the morning. Just saying.”

There had been no note, at least Ari hadn’t seen any. And she had searched for it. Just on the off chance that he had left her a little message. Maybe he’d been in too much of a hurry to get to work.

“I’m sure he’ll call later this afternoon.”

“He’d better.”

“Listen, I’ve gotta go. We’ve got a big shipment coming in, and I still have to make space in the storeroom.”

“Okay, but call me as soon as you hear from him.”

“Sure.” Ari put the phone down and smoothed back her hair. Fifteen minutes ago, she’d felt like walking on Cloud Nine, and now she had doubts. She felt like a sixteen-year-old school girl wondering if the high school quarterback would ask her out again. With an impatient gesture, she tried to rid herself of the stupid thought. Of course, Dio would call. They’d made love last night, and she’d seen the sincerity in his eyes. There was nothing to worry about.

Chapter Five

Ariadne let out a deep breath when she inspected her answering machine. Dio hadn’t called all day, not at the store, not on her cell phone and not at home. A quick sweep of the apartment confirmed that she hadn’t overlooked any note from him either.

There was no word from him.

The doubts that had started bubbling up after her conversation with Natalie now nagged even more. Uneasiness skidded over her skin, making goose bumps appear despite the sweltering heat. She couldn’t just sit around and wait for him to contact her. It felt too pathetic. No, she had to do something. Maybe there was a perfectly good reason why he hadn’t called.

Determined not to let this get her down, Ari turned back to the entrance door of her apartment and left. She could simply go to the few bars that she knew were Dio’s favorite hangouts and see whether he was there. It would be innocent enough. Calling his cell would be too desperate. Besides, a couple of those bars were her customers, and she could pretend to stop by to inform them of the new delivery she’d received.

Excuse in hand, she stalked outside. At the first bar, there was no sign of Dio, and according to the bartender, he hadn’t been in all day. Maybe she should find it odd that many of the bartenders in the city knew him, but for a wine connoisseur like Dio to frequent the bars with the best wine was probably normal.

It was one of the things that had first made her notice him when he’d entered her shop: his knowledge about wine was extensive, yet he was entirely unpretentious about it. They’d talked about the various grapes and their pros and cons, and about the different winemaking methods. But she would be lying if she said that his knowledge about wine had attracted her to him. No, it had been his eyes, the way they sparkled blue like the morning sky. But there was more to him that just his eyes.

Dio had a presence, an aura that spoke of power and strength, of determination and decisiveness. He knew what he wanted, and whenever he looked at her, she knew he wanted her. It was the most powerful turn-on she’d ever felt.

Ariadne walked into the Vat Bar where the Happy Hour mob was crowding around the bar. The background music was low, making this place a little easier on the ears than the first bar she’d been to. As she scanned the room with its high tables and barstools and its booths, which lined the outside walls, her heart almost stopped when she saw Dio leaning against one of the tables, drinking from a glass and talking to two girls sitting on the bar stools.

At the table right behind them, she recognized two middle aged guys conversing over their wine as two of her regular customers. With slightly shaking knees, Ari walked toward Dio, her heart pounding in her chest like a locomotive thundering down a steep mountain. Maybe the two girls were old friends of his, or maybe he worked with them and they were just out for a friendly drink after work.

The fact that the girls laughed at something Dio said didn’t have to mean that he was flirting with them. Maybe he’d just told them a joke. It could all be very innocent. But the closer she stepped, the more her throat constricted with the knowledge that something wasn’t right.

Why hadn’t he called? Why would he instead be in a bar, drinking with two entirely too pretty girls who were probably ten years younger and twenty pounds lighter than she? She glanced at their fresh faces. Were they even old enough to drink?

When Ari was only a couple of feet away from the table, Dio turned his head and stared straight at her. His eyes went wide, and his jaw seemed to stiffen, the laughter instantly wiped off his face. He made no motion to embrace or kiss her.

Ari felt a cold chill creep up her spine as their gazes locked. A cold clamminess spread on her palms.

“Oh, hi. I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said no more warmly than if they were mere acquaintances.

Ari swallowed away the lump in her throat. “You didn’t call.”

His gaze skidded away. “I didn’t say I would.” Dio took a large sip from his glass.

“I ... uh ... Do you think we could talk in private?”

His eyebrows pulled together. “Hmm, listen, Ariadne … maybe …” His words faltered, nervousness disturbing his usual suave attitude. She’d never seen him so uneasy.

“If this is not a good time,” she started. “Maybe you want to come by my place later ...”

He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t planning on … I can’t. Really, I just can’t.” He pressed his lips together.

Ari stared at him, noticing how his face was suddenly a mask of ice, his eyes mimicking the cold blue of a frozen lake. She tore her gaze away and looked past him, catching the looks of her two customers who were clearly listening in on their conversation.

“But, last night ...” Her voice trailed off. How could she explain to him what she really wanted to say? That she believed that they had something special and that she wanted to be alone with him? This wasn’t the right place to discuss things like that, things so private and intimate.

“Last night was great. But, it’s not … It won’t go anywhere.” His brutal words felt like a slap in the face.

Disbelief careened through her. How could he be the same man as last night? The man facing her now was nothing like the tender lover who’d made her scream with pleasure and gazed at her like he loved her. Had she misread him so completely? How could she have been so wrong?

The room suddenly seemed to spin as if she’d stepped onto a carrousel. Her eyes flitted away from him toward the table behind him where her customers had risen from their chairs. She spun her head toward the door, her gaze briefly locking onto the bar and the person behind it. Gabrielle, the owner was watching her, but Ari barely recognized her, the tears forming in her eyes making her vision swim.

When Gabrielle moved out from behind the bar, Ari took a few tentative steps and would have fallen, had Gabrielle not reached for her in time.

“Let’s go to my office. I think you need to sit down.” She allowed herself to be pulled toward the door that said ‘Private’, intent on escaping Dio’s presence before she broke down completely.

***

Dio had never felt this low. But he hadn’t been prepared to face Ariadne. He’d felt like shit ever since he’d hightailed it out of her bed the night before. Again, he’d taken the easy way out and dismissed her because he was a coward who couldn’t admit that maybe, just maybe, there could be something between them. Because the thought that he was capable of emotions deeper than the superficial feelings he doled out to everybody scared him shitless. And why? Because he didn’t want to be at the mercy of his feelings. He’d seen his mother Semele pine for Zeus after he’d lost interest in her, and the heartache he’d felt rolling off her had pained him. He didn’t want to love a woman the way his mother had loved his father—an emotion that had not been reciprocated.

Mortals believed in the rumor that Semele had died after seeing Zeus in his godly form. It was far from the truth, but maybe it would have been better that way, rather than watching her waste away because of unrequited love.

His mother had been miserable for years, hoping against all hope that Zeus would come back. But his jerk of a father had already moved on many times.

What if Dio was just like him? What if he wasn’t capable of love? Just like his father wasn’t. Wouldn’t that mean that the woman who fell for him was doomed to a broken heart? And while Dio had never much cared whether he broke a heart or two, for some reason, he couldn’t stomach the thought of that heart belonging to Ariadne.

It was better if he finished things now, when they’d barely begun. Ari couldn’t possibly be in love with him yet, and would get over him in a heartbeat. And the infatuation he had with her? He was sure it was only temporary and nothing to worry about. A few glasses of wine and some flirting with some willing mortals would hasten its disappearance along.

Dio trained his gaze back onto the two girls he’d been talking to but couldn’t get his spirit back. He didn’t want to flirt with the two silly girls who had dirt for brains and were ogling him like he was their next meal ticket. Had they not understood anything from his conversation with Ari? Had they still not realized what a cad he was? That he couldn’t be trusted?

“Excuse me,” he said and turned away.

His eyes scanned the bar, but Ariadne was gone. He should try to talk to her and explain his reasoning. She was a smart woman. She would understand why they couldn’t continue their relationship. If he could only make her understand that he was no good for her, then maybe she wouldn’t hate him. Why that mattered to him, he wasn’t sure. For Hades’ sake, he wasn’t sure about anything lately.

Only one thing was certain: he owed Adiadne an explanation, and she’d get one, tonight. And if she was still hurt after he’d made it clear to her that she was better off without an asshole like him, he’d wipe her memory.

Dio headed for the bathroom, wanting to dowse his head with cold water. Before he could push the door to the restroom open, two guys grabbed him from behind and shoved him out the back exit, into the parking lot.

“What the fuck!” Dio shook off their hold and swiveled on his heels.

He stared at the two thugs as they glared at him. They weren’t the usual kind of guys he got into bar fights with. For starters, they were older, not the young kids who couldn’t hold their liquor and subsequently started an argument. The two were well dressed and seemed fairly sober. He recognized them. They’d occupied the table next to him. And he was absolutely sure that he hadn’t insulted them in any way.

“I think we’ll teach you some manners, asshole,” one of the men announced.

“Get the fuck off me. I’ve not given you any reason to attack me.” With an impatient movement, Dio made an attempt to turn, but the second guy suddenly pounced on him.

“You jerk, you hurt Ari. That means you’ll have to deal with us. She’s a nice girl. Nobody hurts Ari and gets away with it.”

Ah, shit! How had Ariadne managed to send her friends after him so quickly? And why would she do that? He’d never expected her to be devious. A strange sense of disappointment sliced through him. Not that he didn’t deserve a good beating. And maybe it was just what he needed.

Dio motioned his arms toward the bigger of the two. “Do your worst then.”

Within seconds, fists went flying as Dio engaged Ari’s friend in a fight, dealing blows and kicks as fast as he was receiving them. But the guy couldn’t do much damage to him thanks to Dio’s godly powers and superior strength. It really wasn’t a fair fight.

“Don’t you wanna help your friend?” Dio taunted the other guy. “Looks like he’s about had enough.” He flashed the man a grin, but he didn’t take the bait.

“Two on one isn’t fair,” he responded and kept out of the fight.

It appeared that he had to bring in the big guns to make the guy join in the fight. As Dio dealt his opponent another uppercut to the chin, he continued, “Ari got exactly what she deserved. She wanted to be fucked, so I fucked her. You should have heard her scream out her pleasure.” Gods, he felt like an ass saying something that heartless.

The second man’s eyes finally flashed with anger. A moment later, he lunged at Dio and smashed his clenched fist into his face. Dio’s head snapped to the side, and he heard a cracking sound. Blood filled his nostrils and cascaded down his face. Shit, it hurt, but at least the feeling was better than what he’d felt before: guilt about dumping Ariadne and pain about hurting her.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Dio wiped the blood off his chin and nose and unleashed a mocking grin.

In response, the two guys pounced once more, aiming their hooks at him.

Mortals! They were so easily provoked.

“Asshole!” one of them spouted and landed a hard punch in Dio’s gut, temporarily knocking the wind out of him. The other one took the occasion and planted his foot in the hollow behind Dio’s knee, knocking him off balance. Dio landed on his ass. Before he could roll to the side and jump up, the bigger of the two assailants landed hard on his stomach, pinning him to the ground. The second guy instantly came down to their level and pummeled Dio’s face with his fists.

The taste of blood in his nose and mouth was nauseating, and the pressure in his head built. “Fucking assholes!” This wasn’t funny anymore.

With his last ounce of strength, Dio sent a blast of energy toward them, tossing them both further out into the parking lot. As they sat up, they exchanged a quick glance before jumping up. “Shit! Let’s get outta here!”

And then the wimps ran down the dark alley. “Weak sissies!” Dio yelled after them as he sat up. His head spun, and he halted in his movement. “Ah, shit! I feel like crap now!”

“Perfect, ‘cause you look like it, too!” a female voice commented.

Dionysus spun his head and found Hera standing just a few feet away from him. She was dressed in mortal clothes—very tight fitting leather pants and a lacy bustier to be exact—rather than her usual flowing tunic.

“Enjoying the view?” he grumbled.

“As a matter of fact, I do. The sight of your mangled face does something to me here.” She pressed her hand against her solar plexus and gave him a sugary sweet smile.

“I suppose it’s not compassion.”

Hera gave a very ungoddess-like snort. “Don’t take me for a fool. We have to talk.”

“Since when do you and I have anything to talk about?”

“Since yesterday.” She pursed her lips. “I saw what you did last night.”

Anger instantly rose in his stomach. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. “Haven’t the gods just recently agreed to stay out of each other’s bedrooms when it doesn’t concern them personally?”

The thought that Hera had watched his intimate encounter with Ariadne burned. What they’d had was private, something he didn’t want to share with anybody, something to cherish. Hell, how had he screwed up so badly with Ariadne? He had to fix this, and quick, before things got any worse.

Hera lifted her hand as if to inspect her fingernails. “Ah, that. Yes, I believe my philandering husband issued such a decree. But of course it won’t apply to me. And besides, this concerns me personally.”

Dio tried to rise to face her, but to his surprise, he was unable to. It felt as if somebody was pressing against his chest, holding him back. What the fuck? He leveled an angry glare at Hera. What was the bitch up to?

“And don’t bother getting up. I’m afraid those two guys have beaten you to a pulp and you’re too weak.”

“I kicked their asses!” Dio protested. “I’m perfectly fine.”

“Maybe you’re fine, but have you thought about how Ariadne feels? I can hear her crying even now.”

His gut twisted in agony, and he wished he could blame it on the wounds his assailants had inflicted on him, but the cause for his pain wasn’t physical. Knowing the Ariadne was crying hurt.“It’s none of your business, Hera, so stay out of it!”

“I can’t. As a goddess I have certain responsibilities. And one of them is to make sure no mortal is mistreated at the hands of a god.”

“I didn’t mistreat her. I only—”

“Stop interrupting me! You’re like your father! Never shuts up when he should listen!”

Dio pushed against her power, but she was older and stronger than he, and as long as she wanted to she would be in charge. She was an Olympian, and all Olympians had superior powers to such of the other gods. While Zeus was the strongest of them, Hera wielded more power than Dionyus could hope to conjure up. He was at her mercy, and he hated her even more for that. “Bitch!”

Hera shrugged. “You can call me all you want. I’m used to it. But I won’t allow you to hurt that mortal any longer.”

“What’s done is done!” he hissed at the same time as guilt knotted his stomach.

“It can be mended.”

“Don’t meddle in my affairs. You’ll regret it,” he warned but knew his threat carried little weight. “If Zeus finds out, he’ll—”

“Then we’ll just have to make sure he doesn’t find out, won’t we?” She graced him with a devious smile.

“You really think I wouldn’t rat on you? If you believe that, you don’t know me at all.” In the world of the gods no blow was too low, no means too evil to get back at another god—or goddess.

She put her hand to her mouth in a gesture of mock-shock. “Oh, no, how terrible! Well, I suppose I’ll have to prevent that from happening then.” Suddenly her tone changed. “Because if you don’t remember who you are, I guess you won’t be able to call for your father nor your friends or anybody else.”

“What the—”

“Don’t say ‘fuck’ again. I really hate that word. It grates on my nerves.” Then she lifted both her hands toward heaven. “I’m going to teach you a lesson. You will treat her differently this time, because I’ll make sure you don’t know what an asshole you really are. This time you’ll be the one pining for her, and she’ll lead you around by your nose. Then you’ll finally see what it feels like. I can’t take away all your powers, but I can make sure you don’t know you have them. And now, my dear boy, thorn in my eye, you’ll fall into a deep sleep, and when you come to, you’ll have no idea who you are or what happened to you. ‘Dionysus who?’ you’ll ask.” Then she laughed, and the sound echoed against the buildings and bounced off the few cars in the lot.

Ah, shit! It was his last coherent thought before blackness engulfed him and dragged him into a bottomless pit.

Chapter Six

Ariadne dried her tears and gave Gabrielle a grateful look. “Thanks. I’m not normally such a watering pot, but this just hit me from out of nowhere.” Having been confronted by Dio’s iciness had been too much for her fragile psyche to bear.

Gabrielle patted her hand. “Trust me, it would have hit me just the same. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll ban him from my bar.”

“You don’t have to do it. I bet he’s one of your best customers.”

Gabrielle shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. You’re my best supplier. Sometimes you’ve just gotta make a choice.”

Ari nodded. Gabrielle had been buying wine from her ever since she’d opened her shop, and their professional relationship had always been amicable. However, it surprised her that Gabrielle would offer to drive Dio out of the bar just because he’d hurt her. Sometimes people still surprised her. “I’d better go.”

“Come, I’ll walk you out. Let’s go out the back. No need for him to see that you cried.”

Ari squeezed her hand, thankful for her understanding. Going back into the bar and possibly seeing Dio again as he continued flirting with those two girls wasn’t something she could stomach right now. “I’ll send you a complimentary case of the new Dry Creek shipment.”

“There’s no need for that. I’m glad to help. Cads like him shouldn’t be able to get away with it.” Gabrielle guided her through a hallway past a supply room, before they emerged at a foyer with several doors. Two were restrooms, the other led to the outside.

“Thanks,” Ari said.

“I’ll come outside with you. Might as well have a quick smoke while I’m at it. Can’t smoke in the bar anymore.”

As they walked outside into the dark parking lot, Ari felt a chill creep over her skin despite the warm night air. She shivered instantly and rubbed her arms.

“What the hell?” Gabrielle ground out.

Ari followed her look and saw a person lying on the ground about ten feet from the door, his upper body obstructed by Gabrielle blocking her view.

“God, I hate it when the drunks can’t even make it home on their own. And it’s barely past Happy Hour!” she ranted. “Let’s see if we can rouse him.”

Ari followed her as they approached the man. The moment her gaze darted past Gabrielle and caught the drunk’s form, the first thing she realized was that he was bloodied and had obviously been beaten. The second thing she realized was that she knew the man lying on the ground.

“Oh God, no!” Ari fell to her knees beside him.

“That’s what I’d call karma,” Gabrielle muttered next to her.

She ignored Gabrielle’s comment despite the fact that a tiny part of her had to agree. The other, more compassionate, part of her couldn’t help but wince: Dio’s face looked like it had been smashed in with a battering ram. There were bruises around his eyes, his nose seemed to be broken, his lips were split. Blood oozed liberally from his nose and the cuts on his face. His knuckles were bloody too, confirming that whoever he’d fought with had sustained a few injuries too.

“We have to help him. Call an ambulance.”

Gabrielle put her hand on her arm. “It doesn’t look so bad. I think we can do without.”

Ari tossed her an incredulous gawk. How could she say such a thing? “He looks horrible. He needs a doctor.” She fished for the cell phone in her handbag and pulled it out.

A moment later, Gabrielle clamped her hand over it. “If you call an ambulance, the police will come too. I can’t afford that right now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“After the big brawl last week, the Entertainment Commission got involved and issued a citation. I’m on notice. If I can’t keep order in the place, they’ll yank my license.”

Ari’s forehead furrowed. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m dead serious. And hey, he’ll be fine. Look, he’s already moving. Looks like he’s coming ‘round.” Gabrielle pointed back at Dio. “Besides, serves him right for the way he treated you. You have no obligation whatsoever to take care of him.” She got up and brushed off her pants.

“You can’t just leave him here.”

“Feel free to tend to him if you’re charitable, but if I were you I’d know what I’d do. Let him suffer!” Then she gave a tight smile. “Men get into brawls all the time. I’ve seen much worse, trust me. He’ll be fine in the morning. A few band-aids are all he needs. And some ice maybe.”

She turned and disappeared back into the bar.

Ari exhaled sharply. She didn’t want to be the reason for her to lose her liquor license. She wouldn’t do that to anybody. Had Gabrielle exaggerated about the threat from the Entertainment Commission? Could it really be this bad?

Not wanting to go against Gabrielle’s wishes, she glanced back at Dio who was now stirring, a deep groan coming from his lips. She pulled out a tissue from her handbag and dabbed at the gash on his lips. The tissue soaked up the blood instantly, and his head jerked to the side avoiding her touch.

“Ouch!” His eyes flew open, its intense blueness in stark contrast to his bloodied face. He glared at her.

“Keep still, or it’s going to hurt even more,” she advised, miffed at his displeasure. Ungrateful bastard! He should be glad that she was helping him!

Grabbing her hand and stopping her from applying the tissue once more, he rose to a sitting position, albeit with an expression of pain on his face. Deep frown lines dug into his normally smooth face. When he finally spoke, it seemed to be with great effort.

“What happened?”

“It looks like you got beat up. You probably picked a fight with somebody,” she muttered.

Dio released her hand and swiped his over his face, wincing as he inspected his injuries one by one. “Ah, shit!” Then he ran his hand through his tousled hair before staring straight at her. His eyes perused her as if taking her in for the first time. They wandered from her face, down to her torso and her legs, then back up again.

“Were you there when it happened?” His voice was slightly slurred, his bloody lip making it difficult to form clear words.

Ari shook her head. “We—I found you afterwards.”

He nodded, then stared at the bloody tissue she still clutched in her palm. “And who may I thank for my rescue?”

She felt her forehead crease as she tried to make sense of his strange words. “What do you mean?”

Dio attempted a smile, but abandoned it with a groan. “Your name. I want to know your name so I can thank you properly for helping a stranger.”

Shock froze her speechless for several seconds. How could he be so cruel and pretend he didn’t even know her? She glared at him, but a surprised look was his only answer. How could he gape at her like he didn’t even know her?

With a jerky movement, she rose to her feet. “I can’t believe you’re doing this.” And she’d tried to be nice by helping him.

“Doing what?” He lifted himself to stand, wincing as he did so.

“Pretending you don’t know me!”

“But I don’t know you.” Then he grinned, his curved lips unleashing one of his most devastating smiles. “But I wouldn’t mind getting to know you.”

“Dio! You … you—”

He snatched her hand. “Who’s Dio?”

Her next breath caught in her chest. Could it be possible? No, those things wouldn’t happen, would they? She glanced at his face again, at the injuries he’d sustained. Then she lifted her hand and brought it to his head, cupping the back of it and running her fingers over his skull.

He gave her an utterly confused look. “What are you doing?”

“Checking for a bump.” If he’d hit his head during the fight, then maybe he wasn’t playing dumb. Maybe he had a concussion and was confused.

“What for?”

“To see if you hit your head.”

He encapsulated her hand with his and pulled it off his head. “I’m fine. You haven’t answered my question. Who’s Dio?”

“You are.”

He shook his head. “Trust me, I’d know if my name was Dio. What a stupid name!”

“On that, we agree, at least,” she grumbled, then thrust her chin up in challenge. “So if your name isn’t Dio, what is it then?”

He opened his mouth, then instantly shut it. A look of confusion skidded over his features, then the frown lines on his forehead deepened. “Uh …” He surveyed the sky as if searching for something up there before seeking her eyes. “I don’t know what my name is.”

Again, he ran his hand through his hair, an air of impatience around him now. “I have no idea who I am and how I got here.”

At his words, Ariadne’s brain started churning. Had he lost his memory in the fight? She hadn’t felt a bump on his head, but maybe there didn’t need to be a bump. Any kind of trauma could have provoked a loss of memory. Maybe his assailant had hit Dio with such force that something in his brain had rattled. For sure, his external injuries were bloody enough to assume such a blow had been dealt.

As she searched his face for an answer, she couldn’t stop other thoughts from invading her mind. What if this was her chance at starting with a clean slate? Maybe they had a second chance. Could they start all over again and fix whatever had gone wrong between them? If only she knew why Dio had wanted things to be over. Had she been too easy for him? After all, he’d dumped her as soon as she’d slept with him. Maybe she should have made him wait longer so he knew that she was worth it. That had to be it.

Or maybe you could just teach him to treat you with respect?

Where had that thought come from? Maybe from the same place that now suggested that this was the perfect opportunity to give him a taste of his own medicine, to teach him a lesson and make him infatuated with her while she would play it cool this time.

Even though she tried to ignore the ideas that crept into her mind, and told herself that she wasn’t a vengeful person, the thoughts kept coming, foreign, as if they weren’t her own. If he didn’t know who he was, and if he didn’t recognize her, he wouldn’t know what he’d done to her, how he’d hurt her.  Wouldn’t it be unfair to play with his feelings if he didn’t know how he’d hurt her?

Unfair? the voice in her head mocked. Was he fair to you?

Ari bit her lip. It was true; he’d been an ass!

Teach him a lesson! Bend him to your will! Make him do what you want! You have the power!

She couldn’t resist the insistent voice in her head and opened her mouth before she even knew what she was going to say. “Your name is Dio. And I’m your fiancée, Ariadne.”

Fiancée? Why had she said that?

When the words were out, she tried to take them back, but then she caught his appreciative gaze on her. “Gods, I’m one lucky son of a bitch.”

***

Hera smiled wistfully into the pool of water that reflected the image of Dionysus and Ariadne in the parking lot where she’d left him less than an hour earlier.

“Lucky? You don’t know the half of it yet, my dear Dionysus,” she mumbled to herself.

If he thought he could play this mortal the same way he’d done before, he wasn’t counting on Hera’s imagination. This time, Ariadne would not become the hapless victim of his philandering ways, she’d make sure of that. Already, she’d planted suggestions in the young woman’s mind of what she needed to do to teach the god of wine a lesson he desperately needed.

Unfortunately, Ariadne had a soft heart—getting her to lie to Dio and tell him she was his fiancée had cost Hera a massive power blast. It was always difficult to influence the honorable ones and the pure ones. They clung too tightly to their scruples.

It had been much easier to influence those two customers of Ariadne and entice them to attack Dionysus. All it had taken to place the kind of rage in their minds that that they would feel if they were Ariadne’s brothers.

She’d make Ariadne a believer yet: soon the girl would play with Dionysus’ feelings the way he had played with hers. Then, her wicked stepson would finally be the one nursing a broken heart. And all the women he’d hurt before would be avenged.

Ariadne would get through it in one piece; in fact, she would become a stronger woman, one who wouldn’t let a man push her around ever again.

And as long as Hera managed to suppress Ariadne’s goodness and her insufferable scruples by planting her own thoughts and suggestions into the girl’s mind, things would work out just fine. As for the second chance with Dionysus that Ariadne seemed to believe in? It all depended on whether love could blossom on a ground of lies and deception and dig its roots deep enough to reach the place where purity was buried. Hera doubted that such a feat was possible.

Chapter Seven

Dio eyed his beautiful Samaritan and enjoyed the sight of her body. Her long, dark blond hair fell freely over her shoulders. Her green eyes flashed at him with more than one question in them. Her curves were fuller than those of other women. Other women? Well, he must have had other women. His body must have retained some sense memories. She was beautiful, his fiancée. He tried out the name. “Ariadne.” And his tongue seemed to recognize the sound. He’d spoken that name before. It felt right.

“And I’m Dio.” Yes, somehow the name had a familiar ring to it now that he spoke it, but no actual memory came with it. He felt like a newborn with no memory beyond the past five minutes. His brain tried to search for something, anything he could anchor himself to, but whatever tendrils of information were left escaped its grasp.

“I don’t remember anything,” he admitted.

“Are you sure?” Her eyebrows drew together, worry lines forming on her forehead.

“There’s nothing. If you didn’t tell me my name, I wouldn’t even know who I was. It’s as if my brain has been wiped clean. Like a clean slate.”

She hesitated, then squeezed his hand. “How is your head?”

“It feels fine.”

“I think we should get you to the hospital to have you checked out. You might have a concussion.”

For some reason, the thought of a hospital didn’t agree with him. Had he had a bad experience in a hospital before, or why did the thought of it make him rebel? He allowed his instinct to form the words spilling from his lips. “No. I’m fine. No hospital.”

“But, Dio—”

He quashed her protest. “No hospital. I promise you I’m fine.” Even though the words were spoken to reassure her, he instinctively knew they were the truth. He knew he’d be fine by tomorrow. There would be no lasting effects of his injuries. While his face ached from the cuts and bruises, he knew they were only superficial.

“If you say so,” Ariadne conceded reluctantly.

“We should go home, I think.” Then he took a step toward the exit of the parking lot but stopped in his tracks. “I don’t know where we live.” He felt vulnerable when he admitted his shortcoming. Had he ever felt vulnerable before? Had he ever had to rely on somebody’s help for anything before this night?

“Come, it’s not far.” Her voice seemed a little unsure, but he attributed it to the fact that she probably still worried about his health. Any good fiancée would, wouldn’t she?

As they walked silently, Dio glanced at her again. Something about her was familiar. Maybe this amnesia he was experiencing was only temporary and he was already starting to remember things. Surely after a few hours of rest, everything would come flooding back. He hoped it would. It would be a shame not to remember how he’d fallen in love with the gorgeous woman by his side, or not to remember the first time they’d made love.

At the thought of her body underneath him, his cock stiffened. Oh yeah, he clearly felt the chemistry between them. His body remembered hers, and he could swear that his cock remembered how it had sunk into her sweet heat. There was no doubt in his mind that only recently they’d lain in each other’s arms and given each other pleasure.

Dio reached for her hand and enfolded it in his palm. She gave him a quick sideways glance as if surprised by his action. Had he not been tactile with her? He couldn’t imagine it. He doubted that he could keep his hands off her for longer than five minutes at a time.

“Tell me about yourself. I’m sorry, but I remember nothing. I wish I did. I’m sorry.” He gave her a pained look, truly regretting that he didn’t remember anything about her. All he knew was that he found her intriguing. And by the reaction of his body to her, he also knew that he desired her. Well, at least his loss of memory hadn’t eradicated his feelings for her.

Ariadne cleared her throat. “I own a little wine shop in the city.”

Wine? That sounded familiar. “I remember wine.” He felt almost stupid saying it, but he hoped if he reaffirmed the things he remembered, maybe his memory would come back faster. “Tell me more.”

“It’s just a little shop. I have one employee, Lisa. She’s very good with the customers. She helps me a lot with all the changes at the shop. She gave me the idea of doing wine tasting classes at the shop to educate the customers. And she knows her wine.”

“I know my wine,” he blurted.

“Yes, you do.”

Did he detect some tension in her voice? “Don’t I?”

“You drink a lot.”

“Oh!” A feeling akin to embarrassment flooded him. Was he a drunkard? Was that how he’d gotten into a fight and been beaten up? Because he’d been drunk? Dio shook his head. Apart from the dull ache in his head, which he attributed to his facial injuries, he didn’t feel drunk. In fact, he felt very clear headed, well, as clear headed as somebody with nothing in his head could feel. “I’m not drunk.”

“I’m not saying you are.” The defensive tone in her took him aback.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I just feel very odd. Please be patient with me. I’m sure it’ll all come back to me soon.”

Ariadne nodded but kept her eyes on the path ahead, leading him through a narrow walkway between two rows of cottages. He perused the narrow walkway, which was intended only for foot traffic and maybe the occasional bicycle. The little cottages that lined it were built from stone and looked antique. It was quaint. He could imagine living here.

“Where are we?”

“Almost there.”

“No, I mean, what’s the name of this town?”

She glanced up at him. “Are you sure you don’t want to see a doctor? You can’t even remember the name of this town. That can’t be good.”

He shook his head. “I don’t need a doctor. So, where are we?”

She sighed. “In Charleston.”

The name sounded vaguely familiar. “In the US,” he added for himself.

Ariadne stopped and turned fully to him. “Of course, in the US.” Then she wrinkled her forehead again. “Why would you think that you’re in a foreign country?”

Dio shrugged. “I don’t know.” He didn’t want to voice his suspicion to her, but the moment he’d mentioned the United States, he’d sensed that he spoke other languages too, not only English. And somehow, he knew that English wasn’t his mother tongue. But he couldn’t figure out which language was: too many foreign words suddenly floated in his head. “I’m just trying to jog my memory by repeating things,” he deflected

She seemed to buy his explanation and continued walking. He didn’t have the heart to worry her any further. Somehow, he’d figure out what was wrong with him without making this any harder on her than it already was. It couldn’t be easy for a woman to realize that her fiancé suddenly didn’t recognize her anymore. And if this was his fault for getting into a fight, he hoped she was the forgiving sort. Which brought up another question.

“You said you don’t know what happened. Weren’t we together before I got beaten up? We must have been, right? Otherwise, why would you have been there afterwards?”

She flinched almost imperceptibly, but he caught it nevertheless. Had they quarreled just before? “Of course we were there together. In the bar. We … I mean you … you just went to the bathroom.” She took a deep breath. “And when you didn’t come back for a long time, I had somebody check on you, but you weren’t in there anymore. So, I went looking for you. But I didn’t see who did this to you.”

He nodded. It sounded plausible. “Somebody must have provoked me,” he guessed.

“Uh-huh.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Am I violent?” He turned to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Tell me, am I a violent man?”

She stared at him, silent, and he suddenly realized how tightly his hands cupped her shoulders. He dropped his hold instantly. “I’m sorry. It’s just … I’m frustrated because I don’t know who I am and what I did before this. Do you understand that? It’s like I’ve been robbed of my life.” He turned his gaze away and studied the darkness behind her.

When her hand suddenly cupped his cheek and stroked him tenderly, he slowly let his eyes glance at her face again.

“I understand,” she whispered.

But Dio barely heard her words, because all he could think of was the warmth of her palm on his cheek and her face so close to his. Without thinking, he drew her closer, and a moment later, his lips connected with hers. It was the barest of kisses, but the connection of lips on lips jolted him to awareness. Yes, Ariadne was his woman, his fiancée. Everything would be all right once he gained back his memory.

With a smile on his lips, he released her. “Let’s go home.” Then he could take her into his arms and take away all the worries she had. While he would probably not be able to kiss her much because of his split lip, there was nothing wrong with the rest of his equipment. Even the dull ache in his head seemed to have moved into the background, and his nose throbbed only slightly now.

“We’re here,” Ariadne announced a few moments later and halted.

Chapter Eight

Ariadne squinted in the dark and read the numbers on the cute two-story cottage. If her memory hadn’t failed her, this was Dio’s place. She remembered the address from when she’d had a case of wine delivered to him, but she’d never been here before. From what she could make out in the dark, there were two mailboxes, so the cottage had obviously been split into two apartments.

“Your keys,” she asked and stretched out her hand.

A surprised frown crossed his features. “Don’t you have keys? I mean, don’t we live together?”

“No, of course not.”

“But we’re engaged.” He said it as if it was the most natural thing in the world that engaged couples lived together. If they were really engaged, then they probably would live together. So many couples did. What better way to really get to know somebody before marriage?

“We’re not yet married,” she added.

“You should at least have a key to my apartment.”

“You never offered.” And why should he? They’d only been dating for two weeks.

Suddenly a bout of nausea hit her. What if Dio gained back his memory in a few hours and her whole charade would blow up in her face? She should have never lied to him.

Don’t second-guess yourself, the voice in her head chided. He needs to be taught a lesson.

No, she had to tell him the truth. She steeled herself and looked at him again, but the words that came out of her mouth weren’t what she’d planned. “So, where are your keys?” Why was she such a coward?

He rummaged in his pants pockets and pulled out a keychain, but he didn’t hand it to her and instead unlocked the door himself. A moment later, the light in the foyer came on, and Ariadne followed him inside.

“Upstairs or downstairs?” he asked.

Panic skidded through her. She eyed the door to her right, where a brass letter gleamed. ‘B’ it said simply, which meant apartment A had to be upstairs. But she remembered clearly that on his wine order neither A nor B had been listed. He’d only given the house number. Frantically, the reels in her mind spun. Would he live upstairs or downstairs? If she brought him to the wrong apartment now, he’d never believe that they were engaged.

She let her eyes glide over his body, and despite the rumpled clothes and the bloodstains on them, she knew they were expensive. The wine he’d ordered hadn’t been of the cheap varietal either and whenever he’d taken her out, he’d insisted on paying. The restaurants he’d taken her to had been the best in the city. No, she was pretty sure that Dio was reasonably well off. So, would he really live in a downstairs apartment where he’d be subjected to the sound of footsteps from above?

“Upstairs, of course,” she said and prayed that her hunch was correct.

Her heels echoed on the wooden steps as she followed him up the narrow stairway. She was glad that he went first. If she was wrong and his key didn’t fit, at least she wouldn’t be trapped between the closed door and his body and have to face the inquisition. She could simply bolt. And maybe that would be the preferred course of action in any case since she could clearly not muster the courage to tell him the truth. She darted a cautious glance over her shoulder, eyeing her escape route and wishing she wasn’t wearing high heels.

Chicken! her inner voice chastised. Remember, you want to teach him a lesson because he hurt you.

Ari swallowed away her doubts and lifted her head.

That’s the spirit!

Now if she could only stop talking to herself in her head, things would be perfect.

The clicking of the lock and the sound of the old door hinges made her release the breath she’d been holding. Lucky guess, Sherlock! It seemed that the many hours spent reading detective novels had sharpened her powers of deduction and finally paid off. Putting two and two together had resulted in her guessing the correct apartment.

“Aren’t you coming in?” Dio stood holding the door open for her, the apartment behind his broad shoulders flooded in light.

“Sure, of course.” Ari crossed the threshold and heard him close the door behind her.

The place wasn’t big. There was no foyer. Instead, she already stood in the open plan kitchen—or rather, kitchenette—which quickly melted into a comfortably furnished but utterly male living area: a big flat screen TV dominated one wall, and in front of it an oversized black leather couch took over most of the floor space. Tasteful modern prints adorned the walls, and rugs hid the worn—and most likely original—wooden floor.

She watched as Dio inspected the place like a new tenant would during an open house. He strode through an open door.

“The bedroom,” she heard him say.

Ari planted her feet firmly in the living room, determined not to follow him into the bedroom. No, that was definitely a place where she had no intention of being caught alone with him.

“Don’t you want to see?” he asked and turned back to her.

“Seen it already,” she lied.

Dio came back into the living room. “Guess I’m the only one for whom this is new.”

She gave him a faint smile. “I think we should clean your wounds and see whether you need some bandages.” The least she could do in exchange for deceiving him was to take care of his injuries.

Ari turned on her heels and headed for the bathroom. The sooner she helped him take care of his wounds, the faster she could leave and bring her thundering heart under control. She had hoped that after the way he’d treated her, she wouldn’t feel this continuing attraction for him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Seeing him like this when he seemed vulnerable, his arrogance stripped away like dead skin, made her feel almost protective of him. He needed her now that he knew nothing about his old life.

When Dio stepped into the small bathroom behind her, she felt his presence physically. She busied herself with searching for a first aid kit but found none. Figured. She would just have to do with some clean hand towels and warm water.

She raised her lids and saw him inspecting his face in the mirror.

“Shit, I look like crap!”

She chuckled. “Not all the time.” It was out before she could stop herself. And it was true; Dio was a handsome man, even though his face was in bad shape right now. But underneath lay more beauty than any man should possess.

He grinned at her admission. “I’m glad to hear that. I’d hate it if you’d merely settled for me when I know you can have any man you want.” He swept an appreciative gaze over her face, and Ari felt her cheeks heat at his hidden compliment. Did he really mean that? But if he did, why had he broken up with her? It made no sense.

“Go ahead and sit on the toilet there so I can tend to your face.”

When she turned back to him, a moist towel in her hand, Dio sat there like a good boy and surveyed her expectantly. His legs were spread eagle the way a dominant man sat. It left her no choice but to stand in between his thighs to get close enough to clean up his face.

Some of the blood was now encrusted along his lips and around his eyes and nose. Ari shelved his chin on one hand and applied the wet edge of the towel to his skin, gently forming circles to remove the blood without putting too much pressure on the cuts and bruises beneath.

When she wiped away the blood around his bruised eye, he winced and pulled back, but she didn’t let go of his face.

“Keep still, or it’ll take longer.”

“Thanks for doing this.”

“Mmm-hmm.” He had no idea how hard it was for her to touch him. It reminded her of the night before, and she didn’t want to be reminded of that right now, not when her feelings were in such an uproar—when one minute she wanted to hurt him and the next make love to him.

“What do I normally call you?”

“What do you mean?” Ari concentrated on the cut next to his right eye.

“Like ‘sweetheart’ or ‘darling’ or ‘baby’?” he asked.

At the sound of the endearments, she felt heat course through her. A bittersweet memory surfaced: he’d called her ‘my love’ last night. “You call me Ariadne.”

His eyebrows rose in surprise. “I think we’re gonna have to change that.”

“That’s my name, and nobody’s ever complained about it,” she protested, stiffening slightly. Well, maybe Dio hadn’t been stripped of his arrogance by losing his memory. Some character traits definitely remained, amnesia or not.

Dio suddenly placed his hands on the back of her thighs, startling her. “It’s a beautiful name. But I think I’d like to call you ‘baby’. It feels rights.”

Ari froze in her movements. He wanted to use an endearment on her? “Why?”

A confused frown swept over his face. “Does there have to be a reason other than that I obviously love you, considering we’re engaged?”

“But how would you know that you love me? You’ve lost your memory.”

“I can feel it.” He lifted one hand from her thighs and took hers, leading it to his chest. Under her palm, his heart beat in a rapid rhythm. “When I’m near you, my heart beats faster.”

She tried to pull her hand away, but he kept it captured beneath his. “That’s probably because of the trauma you sustained.”

He shook his head. “No, and you know why I know that’s not the case?”

Ari held her breath. Had he regained his memory already and was taunting her now? She didn’t dare answer, and a moment later, he guided her hand down his torso until her palm felt the hot pulsing length of his erection. His eyes connected with hers. “I know it because I’m hard when I’m around you.”

She pulled her hand back. She couldn’t go down that road as tempting as it was. It hadn’t worked the first time.

“There’s no need to be shy, baby.” He lifted his hand to her face and stroked her cheek. “I know that I can’t remember anything about our lives together, but I don’t want you to worry for even one second that I don’t love you anymore.” Then he drew her closer. “My lips might be split and my face a disaster right now, but the rest of my body is working just fine. Let’s go to bed, baby, and I’ll make sure you won’t even know that I’ve lost my memory.”

The implications of his words were crystal clear. But if she had any doubts, his hands wiped them away as they slid over her backside, stroking her suggestively. Before she could succumb to the delicious sensation his touch conjured up in her, she pulled herself out of his embrace.

“We can’t do that!” Because what guarantee did she have that he’d stay with her once he’d slept with her?

“Of course, we can,” he said and rose, coming after her.

Ari braced her hands against his chest so he couldn’t pull her closer while her mind worked frantically on coming up with an explanation why she couldn’t hop into bed with him despite the fact that she told him they were engaged.

“We’ve decided to wait,” she blurted.

“Wait? Wait for what?”

She scrambled for another word. “We’re celibate.”

“Celibate?” Dio’s forehead scrunched up as if he didn’t understand that word either.

“Yes,” she said more firmly now, an idea forming in her head. “We’ve agreed to be abstinent until our wedding night.”

Chapter Nine

“Abstinent?” Dio felt the word echo in his head. He couldn’t possibly have heard correctly. Maybe his ears had taken a blow during the fight and were distorting his hearing. Something was so terribly wrong and foreign about that word. He knew instinctively that he would have never agreed to such a thing, particularly not when his body was reacting to her like it did.

For the entire time since they’d left the parking lot, he’d been hard. How would he ever last a day around her with a hard-on like that? For an instant, he wondered if without his memory she was like a new woman to him and therefore the excitement of being with her was fresh. Could that have led to his raging erection? But he dismissed the thought quickly. If he was engaged to Ariadne, he couldn’t imagine not being in a constant state of arousal when she was near him.

She was beautiful with a body so sensual and curves so lush, he knew he had to bury himself in her. It was impossible not to.

“You mean we’ve never ...?” He let the question hang there, unable to even say a thing so impossible.

She avoided his scrutiny and feigned interest in the bloody towel in her hand. “No, we agreed that it would be better to wait until we’re married. We’re both very religious.”

“We are?” Religious wasn’t exactly what he felt right now.

Ariadne nodded and proceeded to wash out the towel in the sink, the water turning red from his blood. “You said it would make it even sweeter once we were married.”

There was nothing sweet about waiting. “I’ve changed my mind.”

Her posture stiffened. “You can’t. We both agreed. You just don’t remember.”

Dio clenched his fists in frustration. “Let’s talk about it.”

“There’s nothing to talk about it, Dio.” She wrung out the towel and hung it over the side of the sink. “I’d better go.” She pushed past him.

“But, you’re not done here.” He pointed at his face and quickly glanced in the mirror. But he didn’t look as bad as he’d expected. Now that the blood was cleaned off his face, he realized that the cuts and bruises were only minor. There was hardly any swelling around his eye even though he could have sworn that he had barely been able to open it when he’d first come to in the parking lot.

“You’ll be fine. Just put some ice on it for a while.”

Then she swept out of the bathroom. A few seconds later, the front door clicked shut. Dumbfounded, Dio stood in the middle of the tiny bathroom and ran his hand through his hair.

She’d left him without as much as a good-night kiss. How was that possible? Was she mad at him for something he’d done? It certainly seemed that way. At times, she’d appeared a little annoyed, now that he thought of it. Maybe they had quarreled just before he’d been beaten up. It would explain her reluctance to stay with him. Because even if they’d agreed not to have sex before marriage, he was sure they’d kissed and touched before. There was no way in hell that he hadn’t tasted that sweet mouth and explored her sensual body.

But no matter why he’d ever agreed to this ludicrous idea of abstaining from sex before they were married, he wouldn’t stick to it going forward. His body ached to join with hers, and somehow he’d make her understand that he couldn’t wait. Was she afraid that if she went to bed with him he would lose interest in her and not want to marry her anymore? Could that be the reason for her reluctance to give into his demands? And he was sure he’d made demands, even though he had no memory of them.

Which was another problem: why couldn’t he remember even the smallest thing about his life before tonight? And why, for that matter, wasn’t he more worried about it? Strangely enough the loss of his memory didn’t put him into the kind of panic he would have expected to be in, given the circumstances. Despite the lack of knowledge about Ariadne and their relationship, or the void he experienced when it came to his past, he felt strangely content—well, as content as a man who hadn’t had sex in God-knew-how-long could.

Besides, maybe he simply needed some rest. By tomorrow morning, all his memories could be back, and his old life would be restored. However, he promised himself that one thing he wasn’t going back to was being celibate: he’d do everything in his power to seduce Ariadne into his bed. After all, she would be his wife, and there was nothing wrong with tasting the goods before he made the final purchase.

***

Dio’s sleep was anything but restful. He tossed and turned the entire night, plagued by strange dreams. They were inhabited by monsters and strange mythical creatures, yet they seemed familiar and oddly comforting.

Thunder and lightning lit the night sky as the ocean waves churned, the surf crashing against the shore until a creature, half man, half fish put a conch shell to his lips and played a soothing melody. As the waves calmed so did Dio, finding solace in the knowledge that he was surrounded by friends. And in the distance, he saw Ariadne as she ran not toward him but away from him, tears streaking down her face.

Dio shot up from his prone position, his eyes flying open in the same instance. Sunlight streamed through the half-open shutters and bathed the room in brilliance. It was a beautiful summer day. The thunder and lightning from the night before had been only in his dreams. No cloud marred the perfect sky. And if his room had afforded a water view, he would have seen that not a ripple disturbed the calm surface.

For a minute, he simply sat there in a bed he didn’t recognize, in a room that was unfamiliar. He closed his eyes, trying to will his mind to go back in time and find the missing memories, but all he could remember was the moment he’d awakened in the parking lot and how Ariadne had taken care of him.

At the thought of her, the light bed sheet draped over his lower half tented. Figured: one thought of her and he was as hard as an iron bar, and about half as intelligent. His hand went to his rod, stroking himself to alleviate the ache he felt, but his own hand was no substitute for what he really wanted.

With a frustrated huff, he jumped out of bed and headed for the shower. Maybe a cold one would take care of it. He wondered what he’d done previously to get his raging hormones under control. Surely he would have had to devise some method to not feel like a powder keg about to go off whenever he was around her. He wished he could remember at least that bit of information.

As he passed the sink in the bathroom and reach for the shower curtain, he stopped in his tracks and snapped his head toward the mirror. Shock catapulted him back against the wall behind him.

By the gods!

He approached the mirror carefully, turning his face first this way, then the other. But no matter how long he studied his face, there was no evidence of his injuries. The cut next to his eye hadn’t even left a scar, and his lips were perfectly smooth. He ran his finger over his mouth, but there was no tenderness to the flesh, no unevenness. Everything looked and felt perfectly healed as if the fight last night had never happened.

As realization settled in, a terrible thought took residence in his head. What if he’d dreamed the entire incident? What if he’d never gotten beat up? And what if Ariadne was simply a figment of his imagination?

At that thought, his heart missed a beat. The idea was not just unsettling, but terrifying.

He turned on his heels and left the bathroom. His eyes searched for his trousers. He found them on a chair in the bedroom and rummaged through the pockets. Relief flooded him when he found his cell phone and pulled it out. He started typing in the first letter of her name, hoping that he had programmed in her number. The first name that came up was Apollo, then Ares, but as he scrolled down past a few more names starting with A, he found her: Ariadne Taylor. At least the name was real. Now he had to make sure it was her and not some woman he’d made up in his dreams.

He hit the button and let the cell phone dial, holding his breath all the while.

“Hello?” It was the same voice he’d dreamed about. It had to be her.

“Ariadne? It’s me, Dio.”

There was a short pause, but for all the tension it held, it could have lasted an hour. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

“Better, I guess,” he answered tentatively.

“So, you remember?”

Relieved by the direction the conversation took, he said, “All I remember is that you took care of me last night and left. I missed you.”

“Oh.”

“Is that an ‘oh, I missed you too, baby’?”

“Yes. Of course.” But her voice sounded less than sure.

He ventured a wild guess. “You’re still mad at me, aren’t you?”

“Who says I’m mad at you?”

“You ran out on me so fast last night. Listen, whatever happened, I’m sorry. I’m sure I said something you didn’t like, and if I could remember it, I’d probably be horrified.” Maybe she had even tried to stop him from getting into that fight that had left him without a memory.

“Uh, why don’t you rest?”

“I wanna see you.” His heart beat in his throat as he said it, and he realized how the thought of seeing her excited him.

“I can’t right now.”

He wouldn’t let her brush him off like that. “Tonight then.”

There was hesitation in her voice. “I’ll stop by tonight.”

“Good.”

There was a click in the line, and she was gone.

Chapter Ten

“You did what?” Natalie stopped and turned away from emptying the dishwasher behind the bar.

The restaurant was still empty and the lunch guests wouldn’t arrive for another hour, but Ari had wanted to catch her friend when she wasn’t busy and had time to talk. After all, this was important.

“I told him that we’re engaged.”

“You’re insane! Certifiably insane!” Natalie planted her hands at her hips. Her tall, brunette friend wasn’t entirely rail-thin and could look rather imposing when she did that. But Ari knew her best friend was harmless, or as close to harmless as a charging bull could be. “You should have just called an ambulance and let the doctors deal with him. What if he has a concussion? What if he slipped into a coma overnight?”

“He called me an hour ago. And he sounded fine.”

“Hah! If he called you that means he knows your number, ergo he’s got his memory back.”

Ari shifted on her barstool. “He called from his cell phone. I saw him program my number in when I gave it to him when we started dating. So knowing my number means nothing.”

“And how do you know that his memory won’t come back later? What are you gonna do then?” Natalie challenged.

Ari blew out a big breath and shoved a hand through her hair, tossing an errant curl back over her shoulder. “How am I supposed to know? That’s what I’ve got you for.”

“Ari, Ari, you’re playing with fire. He’s hurt you once, who says he won’t do it again?” Natalie was right.

Ari had told her what had happened at the bar the night before and how he’d rejected her coldly. The memory of the scene still made her feel nauseous, but she tried to push the feelings away.

“This time it will be different, because he doesn’t even know what kind of asshole he was.”

“Uh-huh,” Natalie muttered under her breath. “And that makes it okay? Sometimes I really don’t understand you. How can you put yourself in the same situation again?”

Ari slammed her fist on the counter. “Because it won’t be the same situation. This time, I’ll be in charge. I’ll say what happens. And I can influence him because he doesn’t even know what he’s like.” Even though she tried to convince herself that he deserved to be treated like that, her scruples about her deception didn’t wane.

“Really?” Natalie tossed her an incredulous stare. “Does that mean you’re gonna sleep with him again?”

Heat suffused her cheeks at the thought of Dio’s naked body writhing against hers. “No!” Yes! She wanted to. She wanted him against her better judgment. She remembered the way he’d looked at her when they’d made love. His gaze had been full of affection, and she couldn’t believe that it was all a lie. Maybe things had gone too quickly for him. Perhaps she’d been too clingy too soon. This time she would be careful not to make the same mistake.

“And how are you gonna make sure it doesn’t happen? Particularly since you told him you were engaged.”

“I told him that we’re waiting.”

“Waiting?” Natalie’s mouth dropped open.

“Yes, you know, being abstinent.”

Natalie’s eyes widened like saucers. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Let me get this straight: you told him that you guys agreed not to have sex? For how long?”

“Until we’re married.”

Natalie burst out in laughter.

“What?” Ari demanded. “What’s so funny about that?”

Natalie held up her hand, indicating that she needed another moment to compose herself. When her laughter finally subsided, Natalie’s expression turned serious, giving Ari her no-way-in-hell face. “You can’t possibly think that’s going to work. A guy like Dio won’t just agree to something like that. Hell, ninety-nine percent of the guys I know won’t agree to that. This is not the 1950s, and even then …”

“He’ll just have to suck it up and go with it. Those are my rules.”

Natalie shook her head in disbelief. “What other rules have you got?”

Ari shrugged, a little at a loss about how she would actually be able to accomplish her mission. “This is our second chance. Don’t you see that? Besides,” she added, “he needs to be taught a lesson.” The words spoken as an afterthought had plagued her all night even in her dreams.

“And what’s that lesson?” Natalie turned back to the dishwasher and took out the clean glasses, lining them up on the shelves along the wall.

“I don’t know. I just want to make sure he’ll learn how to treat a woman right.”

“Yeah, good luck with that.” Sarcasm fairly dripped off her friend.

“You think I can’t do it?” Anger rose in Ari. Not even her friend had enough confidence in her. It was bad enough that she doubted herself. How had she even come up with that idea? All she really wanted was to get a second chance with Dio.

“It’s going to blow up in your face.”

“You’re such a pessimist.”

“I’m just a realist. One day, he’ll gain his memory back and then he’ll be hopping mad at you. And what have you gained then?”

“By that time he will have changed.” And he will have fallen in love with her by then and forgive her for her deception.

“Let me tell you something about men: they don’t change. They are who they are, so you’ll either love them the way they are or not at all. Don’t think you can take the greatest cad and turn him into a pussy cat.”

No, Ari knew she couldn’t turn him into a pussy cat, but could she at least turn him into the man who loved her? Could she get that moment back when Dio had called her his love?

Chapter Eleven

Dio left the cottage and made a mental note of the address, making sure he would find his way back. He’d found a driver’s license in his wallet together with several credit cards, all in the name of Dionysus Theos. Great, so not only did he have a totally unusual first name, his last name didn’t sound any better either. And his driver’s license had disturbed him too—a California license, with a Napa address.  Did this mean he was merely visiting? Was Charleston not his permanent residence?

For some reason, he didn’t want to mention it to Ariadne. It was better if he found out more about his life from her first before he started divulging things he’d discovered himself. He had an odd sense of needing to hide certain aspects of his life, and the thought made him feel uneasy. Why would he have to hide something from his fiancée?

After fifteen minutes, he reached the first place he’d noted down on a piece of paper. He’d gone through the drawers of his desk and decided to visit all local addresses he’d found on business cards, notes, and invoices. Maybe if he visited those places, he’d notice something familiar to trigger his memory. It was worth a try. Besides, it was better than sitting around thinking about what he wanted to do with Ariadne: each and every idea involved them both in various states of undress. It was hot enough in the apartment; he didn’t need the added internal heat his thoughts about her produced.

Dio looked up from his list of addresses and stared at the building he was facing. It was a flower shop, but the sign on the door indicated that the shop was closed due to a family emergency. He peered through the window, but there was nothing extraordinary about the place. Had he frequented the place and bought flowers for Ariadne here? The thought pleased him. He was a thoughtful fiancé.

He stood there for a full five minutes, letting the impressions of the location flow through him. He inhaled the scent and perused the lettering on the large windows, the awning above, and the shops and residences across from it. But nothing seemed familiar.

With a sigh, Dio consulted his map and started walking to the next place on his list. There were over a dozen places he’d written down, and if he made haste, he could probably hit six of them today. And if he was lucky, one of those places would trigger his memory. He just had to be patient.

By the time evening rolled around, he had to admit defeat. None of the places he’d visited had given any indication that he’d ever been there before. No sense of déjà vu, not even the ghost of a memory. But he wasn’t giving up yet. Ariadne would answer some of his questions tonight when she came to see him.

Trying to rid himself of the tension in his body, he pulled out a bottle of red wine from his wine fridge. As he uncorked it and poured himself a glass, he wondered how much of a wine aficionado he was, considering he had a wine fridge fully stocked with several dozens of bottles. As he took the first sip and let the wine swirl in his mouth, mixing with air, the aroma of the grapes exploded on his tongue: dark cherry and chocolate flavors with a hint of spice rolled down his throat. He liked it; he liked it a lot. And there was something else: pictures flicked on in his mind, very faint at first, but maybe if he took another sip, a memory would return.

He set his lips to the glass again and took in the rich, red liquid. He allowed it to reach every corner of his mouth before he swallowed. Dio closed his eyes and let the impressions that came with the wine engulf him. A faint shimmer of a hilltop appeared before him. Clouds hung low in the sky. His gaze traveled over the picture, taking in olive trees and low bushes. Then his inner eye compelled him to look further up and search for something in the clouds. Shock made him jolt back. He gripped the counter and opened his eyes with a start. There on the cloud, he’d seen a man dressed in a short white tunic, a bow and arrow slung across his shoulder. He’d waved at Dio.

Was he having hallucinations? Maybe a side effect of the amnesia? Dio shook his head. No, the picture had been clear and the man very familiar. It couldn’t be a hallucination. Maybe a dream?

Dio emptied the glass and poured himself another one. He’d have to experiment with this. Maybe he just needed more wine as a trigger. It was evident that the memory of the taste of wine connected him to something in his past. It was a start at least.

By the time the bottle was nearly empty, he’d conjured up the strange vision several times, each time with more clarity and details. But he could still not remember who the man on the cloud was, even though he was now sure that he was one of his friends.

Dio was about to pour the rest of the bottle into his glass when the doorbell chimed. He instantly remembered that Ariadne had said she was coming by, so he buzzed her in and opened the apartment door. Her light footsteps echoed through the stairway, and a moment later she came into view as she walked up the remaining steps to his door.

He smiled at her and noticed at once how tired she looked. He pulled her into his embrace, and she gave him no resistance. “Hey, baby. What’s wrong?”

“I’m just tired. It’s been a long day at the shop.”

“Sit down before you collapse.” He pulled her inside and shut the door. When she let herself flop on the couch, he followed her and dropped down to her feet.

“What are you doing?”

He reached for her foot. “Making you relax.” He pulled both her shoes off and dropped them to the floor, then sat down next to her and pulled her sideways so her feet landed in his lap. Gently, he took one foot between his hands and massaged it.

“Oh, that’s good,” Ariadne breathed.

***

Ari let her head lean against the couch’s high armrest and closed her eyes. It was good to finally be off her feet. She’d debated whether to even visit Dio tonight, too tired and weary to want to face him, but the voice in her head hadn’t relented until she’d picked herself up and headed for his apartment.

She felt as if she was driven by a foreign force stronger than herself. Maybe it was simply that her inner self was stronger than her shell after all. Hell, her mother had always accused her of having a will of iron, and she hadn’t meant it in a good way. However, perhaps her strong will would finally pay off.

Dio’s hands felt like heaven as he rubbed her aching feet. They weren’t rough or calloused, rather his skin was soft and his touch firm. She’d felt those same hands on other—more intimate—parts of her body only two nights ago. The memory of their intimacies made her shudder.

“Better?” His melodic voice reached her ears, sending a flutter right into her womb. She wanted to curse him for the way he made her feel, but pushing him off and forgoing this truly sensual pleasure was just too high a price to pay for her dignity right now. She would have to settle for treating him like her personal slave tonight.

“I’ve been on my feet all day,” she evaded his husky one-word question. She lifted her lids and collided with his blue eyes gazing at her. Her heart stuttered. She’d barely looked at him when she’d arrived, trying to keep the temptation of touching him to a minimum, but now that he pinned her with his eyes, the obvious couldn’t escape her attention.

“Your injuries are gone!”

Ari shot up from the backrest and ran her eyes over every square inch of his skin, but there wasn’t a single bruise on his face, no cut, no blemish, and no swelling. How was that possible? Last night he’d looked like his entire face had been bashed in.

Dio shrugged and grinned. “Guess I heal fast, huh?”

Her mouth still gaped open. “That’s not medically possible.”

“Told you I didn’t need a hospital. It was probably all blood from whoever attacked me and made me look worse than it was.”

Sure, some of the blood could have been the other guy’s, but that didn’t explain why the swelling around his eye was gone and his formerly split lip was unmarred. “Did you put some ice on it last night?”

“Like you told me to.”

She nodded. “Maybe it wasn’t quite as bad as it seemed after all.” Yet she still couldn’t believe it. She had expected his face to be swollen for at least four or five days, considering the way he’d looked when she’d found him in the parking lot.

“See, there was nothing to worry about.”

She snorted. “Says the man without a memory. Any news on that?” Ari tensed instinctively. What if he’d already started to remember things? She eyed him from under her lashes, trying to read him.

“Nothing whatsoever. That’s why I’m glad you’re here now. I figured you could tell me a little about me. Maybe it’ll make me remember things faster.”

She swallowed. Did she really want to help him gain his memory back when her entire plan relied on him being clueless as to who he was—or more importantly, what kind of jerk he was?

“I don’t really know where to start.”

Dio’s hands stroked leisurely along her ankles. “How did we meet?”

In order not to trip herself up in the future, she decided to stick with the truth, or at least a version of it. “At my shop. You came to buy wine. And then you asked me out.”

“Just like that?”

She smiled. “You’re very persuasive.” He hadn’t given up until she’d agreed to a date. And she’d loved that about him. He’d made her feel wanted.

His fingers trailed higher up her calf, the touch still light. Nevertheless, it sent a wave of warmth rolling up her legs.

“Am I?” He rewarded her with one of his devastating smiles and bent closer. “How persuasive?”

She frowned. It figured that he’d turn the whole situation toward sex. She could feel it in her bones. The glint in his eyes was a clear sign of desire, and the way his hands now moved up to her knees mirrored what she read in them. She pulled back slightly. “Not that persuasive.” Then she took a deep breath, trying to block out his touch. “We started dating. And then we got engaged.”

“That simple? How long were we dating?”

“Seven months.” She hoped her answer was convincing. Did people get engaged that quickly?

“Sounds fast.”

Ari shrugged. “It’s all relative.”

“I guess that means we’re very much in love?” His hand suddenly left her knees and moved higher up under the seam of her skirt.

She had to stop him before it went any further and put her hand over his to halt his progress. “Very much. And we respect each other. That’s why we decided to wait.”

Dio’s eyebrows drew together, and his mouth tightened into a thin line. “Yeah, you said that last night. But I don’t get it. If we’re that much in love why wait? I can’t imagine that I ever agreed to that.”

“You did,” she said hastily, her mind scrambling for a convincing explanation. What had she said last night? Something about religion. “We’re both very religious.”

He moved closer to her. Her legs were now lying clear across his lap and his torso was bent toward her. His eyes sent her a look that whirled her insides up like a hurricane. “I don’t feel particularly religious right now.”

Her breath caught in her chest. “It’s probably just a side effect of your memory loss.”

Dio shook his head. “No. I doubt very much that a memory loss could change my feelings toward you. So, if I want you now, what makes you think that I didn’t want you then?”

Her throat went dry. God help her if he kissed her now. She wouldn’t be able to hold back, not with the way he looked at her, as if wanting to devour her whole. “It’s not that you didn’t want …”

He narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying that you didn’t want me?”

Considering the dark storm she noticed looming in his eyes, she decided to play it safe. “Of course I want you. But there are other things to consider.”

His face turned into a mask of confusion. “What things?”

Ari looked away, frantically trying to find a plausible reason as to why they would have agreed not to have sex. Her eyes swept over the coffee table where an empty wine glass stood next to an almost empty bottle. She recognized the vintage. It was one of the wines he’d bought from her shop. Had he just emptied the entire bottle by himself tonight? A thought burst into her mind.

“It’s about your drinking problem.”

She felt him jolt back, his hands instantly leaving her thighs. It was a relief on one hand, but a loss on the other.

“My what?” His voice was a notch louder than before.

“Your problem with alcohol.”

“You’re trying to tell me I’m an alcoholic?” His head snapped to the empty bottle. “I had a little wine. But I don’t have a drinking problem.”

She sat up straight, lowering her legs to the floor, and motioned toward the bottle. “That’s not just a little wine. That’s an entire bottle.”

“Let me get this straight,” he said calmly. “You’re refusing me sex because you think I have a drinking problem.”

“That’s not how it was. We agreed—”

“No, you decided. I doubt I ever had a say in it. Looks more like you gave me an ultimatum. Isn’t that what you did? I’ll get sex if I stop drinking?”

The wheels in her brain kept turning. Maybe this was the solution to her problem. As long as she could convince him that she wouldn’t have sex with him if he didn’t stop drinking, she was safe from him—and her own desire. And from the little she knew about Dio, of what she’d seen on their dates, he really appreciated good wine. Yes, he drank more than other men did, but he seemed to be able to hold his liquor well, and she’d never seen him drunk.

“We agreed that we’d get married when you’ve dealt with your drinking, and once we were married we’d have sex.”

Ari noticed the anger that churned up in him. He shot up from the couch, suddenly towering over her.

“Two conditions, I see. First I deal with my drinking, then you want the ring on your finger. And only then, you’ll go to bed with me. Why did you get engaged to me in the first place when you have so little respect for me and for what’s important to me?”

Dio stormed toward the door.

“Where are you going?”

He turned his head but didn’t look at her. “I’m going out. Considering that you’re not willing to sleep with me, what else can I do but drink? Ever thought of that?”

The door slammed a second later.

Damn! This wasn’t going well.

Don’t worry, he’s just a hothead. He’ll calm down, the voice in her head assured her.

Chapter Twelve

As he downed the first glass in the dingy bar he’d come across, Dio felt marginally better. But his anger over Ariadne’s accusation hadn’t subsided—nowhere close to it. How could she expect him to give up wine? Today he’d discovered that wine seemed to be the only thing that triggered any sort of memory in him. How could he let go of that? What if it was the only way for him to recover from his amnesia?

Dio shook his head and ordered another drink. What she demanded from him was unacceptable. Deep down he knew that he wasn’t the kind of man who would have agreed to her conditions in the first place. Only a pussy-whipped wimp would. And he didn’t think he belonged to that vile species. He might have lost his memory, but he knew how he felt.

He desired Ariadne, he ached to touch her and bury himself in her to the hilt, but he wasn’t an idiot who’d allow a woman to push him around like that, not even one he loved.

There had to be another reason why she didn’t want to sleep with him, because her claim that it was his drinking that held her back was too unbelievable. Hell, she owned a wine shop! She of all people should understand his love of wine, and appreciate that, as far as he could tell, he was not a drunk. No, she was mad at him for something else, and for Hades’ sake, he’d get behind it.

Hades’ sake? Where on Olympus did he come up with these strange expressions?

He kicked the next glass back just like the first and kept ordering. Closing time came too early for his liking, but maybe it was just as well. He stumbled back to his pad, his legs almost giving out underneath him as he walked up the stairs. He made it as far as the living room.

The last thing he saw were a bunch of flowers on the kitchen counter. He’d bought them for Ariadne, wanting to surprise her but had never had the chance to give them to her.

Maybe it was better that way. There was no need to give her any more reason to believe he was a besotted idiot who would give into everything she demanded.

His head spun, the alcohol in his blood finally catching up with him. He collapsed face down on the couch and passed out.

***

Something made his eye twitch. Still barely awake, Dio eased one eye open and was met with a bright ray of sunshine. “Helius, I hate you right now,” he mumbled under his breath.

A moment later he shot up from his prone position. What kind of stupid garbage was he spouting? Who the fuck was Helius? A thought came and went just as fast, but didn’t stick. Could he be a chemistry teacher? Maybe he’d meant helium, but why?

Dio looked at himself and noticed his rumpled clothes. Great! He’d slept in them, evidence that he’d been too out of it last night to think clearly. As he attempted to rise, his body protested. Shit, his head hurt! Maybe the last drink had been one too many after all. He was the first to admit that. However, the other glasses before that had been fine.

He made another attempt at rising and swayed as he got to his feet. This was so not good. As if in agreement, his stomach rumbled. He needed food. Maybe it would make him feel better.

On unsteady feet, he dragged himself to the kitchenette, every movement feeling like a mini-earthquake in his head. When he opened the cabinet above the sink, the sound of the old hinges grated behind this temples. His eyes scanned the contents, but except for an unopened bottle of hot sauce and a bottle of olive oil, there was nothing edible in it. The next cupboard proved no more fruitful.

Dio braced himself on the counter before he swung the fridge door open and peered inside. Virtual emptiness greeted him. It didn’t appear that he was much of a cook. All his fridge contained was a bottle of sparkling water.

His stomach growled. “Yeah, yeah!” What he didn’t give for a platter of olives, feta cheese and other delectable finger foods right now.

With a curse, he slammed the fridge door shut, making it rattle against the cabinets. He turned, ready to hit the shower so he could head out and find some food, when he stopped cold in his tracks.

Shit!

Right there on the counter top that had been empty only moments earlier stood a plate full with all the items he’d just imagined. He inhaled. The stuff smelled divine. But it couldn’t be real. It had to be a hallucination.

Hesitantly, he stretched his hand toward the plate, touching its rim. His fingers connected with the porcelain. It felt real. He shrunk back from it. What the fuck was happening here? He was one hundred percent sure that the plate hadn’t been there before. How could it be there now?

Something was wrong with him. It was the only explanation.

Dio ran his hand through his hair, searching his limited memory for an explanation. It hit him out of nowhere: the memory he’d had yesterday when he’d drunk wine. The man on the cloud. Had he been a hallucination too just like this had to be a hallucination, a very vivid one at that?

A terrible thought entered his mind: what if Ariadne was right? What if he did have a drinking problem? What if it manifested itself in hallucinations?

The first hallucination had come when he’d had his first sip of wine. He had interpreted it as a memory returning, but what if he was wrong? What if the wine had simply produced an image that wasn’t real? And what if the fact that he had a humungous hangover made his mind imagine other things, things so vivid he could even touch them and smell them? Was he going crazy?

He had to do something about that before it was too late.

Chapter Thirteen

Dio stopped at the open door to the meeting room and peeked inside. Over three dozen people were already assembled. Some sat on their chairs facing toward the podium, others talked among each other. Midmorning sun streamed in from the large windows that faced a busy street.

“I’m glad you’re doing this,” Ariadne said next to him.

He gave her a sideways glance and a tight smile. He hadn’t told her about the hallucinations, not wanting to see her gloat that she was right after all. But he had apologized for his outburst the night before and admitted that he wanted help. It was the hardest thing he’d ever had to say—even with his memory loss he was sure of that fact. He couldn’t imagine ever having asked for help before.

“This feels very odd.”

She put her hand on his forearm, the touch soothing him somewhat. “It’s the first step. I’m proud of you.”

He tried not to examine what her words made him feel and motioned toward the room. “We’d better go in then. I think they’re about to start.”

Dio took her hand and searched for two chairs in the back of the room. He opted for the ones nearest to the aisle and the exit, just in case he couldn’t stomach the meeting and had to escape from this idiotic undertaking.

A few heads turned as his chair grated against the floor. They peered at him with curiosity, but Dio ignored their stares. Unease rolled over him. The place didn’t feel right. He didn’t belong here.

He turned to Ariadne, wanting to tell her that they should leave when a voice from the front of the room interrupted him.

“Welcome to the weekly meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.”

Shit, that just did it. The words grated in his mind, feeling foreign and wrong. His entire body rebelled against being here, but it was too late to escape now. He was trapped.

“I see our group is growing every week.”

Dio wanted to shrink into a hole. If teleportation wasn’t just a thing from the movies, he’d employ it now. Odd—for him to remember movies, or was it the thought of letting himself be “beamed” away that triggered a memory?

The announcer surveyed the room. “Are there any newcomers here who would like to introduce themselves?”

He smiled invitingly at the middle-aged, bald guy sitting in the third row. “Anybody?”

Dio watched as the poor sod rose hesitantly from his chair and felt the knot in his stomach tighten in sympathy.

“I’m Simon, and I’m an alcoholic,” the man answered before he sat back down as fast as he could manage.

“Welcome, Simon.”

The greeting was echoed by others in the room.

Dio tried to sink lower into his chair to escape the announcer’s gaze, but even while sitting, he was almost a head taller than the people sitting in front of him. There was no way to escape.

“Anybody else?”

Frozen in place, Dio cringed inwardly. Ariadne nudged him and whispered, “You can do this.”

He rose even more hesitantly than the other guy had and stared straight ahead, avoiding looking at the others in the room and instead fixing his eyes on a smudge on the far wall, noticing for the first time that he had perfect vision, hell, it felt like Superman vision. “My name is Dio.”

He made a motion to sit down again, but Ariadne’s hand on his hip stopped him. He looked at her and saw her shake her head. “Go on,” she whispered.

Dio swallowed hard. Did he have to say it? Was this how this worked? First they humiliated you and broke you, and then they built you back up? He felt the stares of the other people on him. The other alcoholics. Gods, how he hated that word. It didn’t suit him. It didn’t fit.

“I’m an alcoholic,” he pressed out, the words nearly choking the life out of him—as if his essence, the very building blocks of who he was had just been demolished with a wrecking ball.

Dio slunk back into his chair, feeling worse than he ever had. Only Ariadne’s hand on his took away some of the pain. He eyed her. She would have to make this up to him, he promised himself. And quickly. If she wanted him to go through with this terrible charade, then she’d have to offer something in return. And he wasn’t going to wait until his wedding night to get it.

***

Hera turned away from the pond and the reflection in it. She chuckled. Seeing Dionysus humiliate himself in front of so many mortals put a smile on her face.

“That’ll teach you,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Teach whom, my love?” Zeus asked behind her. She hadn’t sensed him appear.

“Nothing, dear.”

But Zeus was nothing if not perceptive. He snatched her wrist, stopping her retreat, and pulled her against him. “Ah, my devious wife, what scheme have you concocted now? Who’s sidled up to your bad side and deserves your wrath today?”

“If you’re not careful, my unfaithful husband, it might as well be you who’s next.”

Zeus grinned and released her. “I doubt it would be much fun for either of us. However—” He swiped his hand over the pond, recalling the image she’d studied only moments earlier. “—maybe we can both join in the fun.”

When he looked at the reflection on the pond, he cursed and glared back at her. “My son?”

“One of your many sons,” she corrected him.

“Oh, so it’s revenge for my infidelity that has you interfering with Dionysus’ life?”

She shook her head. “You’re taking yourself too seriously. As if everything revolved around you. I’ll let you in on a secret.” She moved closer and raised her lips to his ear. “It doesn’t.”

“Then what has he done now that displeases you so much?” he hissed back.

“The question is: what hasn’t he done?”

Zeus let out an exasperated breath. “Hera, my love, you do know how I hate cryptic remarks, so let’s just cut to the chase. What are you doing?”

“I’m teaching him to be a real man.”

Zeus raised an eyebrow in interest. “And how are you planning on doing that?”

“Watch and learn, my dear.” And maybe her errant husband would learn from Dionysus’ mistakes since he clearly didn’t learn from his own.

“As you know, I learn much better in a horizontal position,” he insinuated and pulled her down to the lush ground, expertly settling her over him, his hard length underneath his tunic pressing against her core.

“I see my husband hasn’t found a strumpet for today to satisfy his lusty nature.”

Zeus’ hands loosened the tie to her tunic. “Oh, I’ve found a strumpet. And in about thirty seconds, I’ll have her naked and panting for release.”

She should reject him simply because of his arrogant claim, but her body was already yearning to be impaled by his magnificent shaft. “Who says you can satisfy her?” she challenged instead.

Zeus ripped the tunic off her body and stripped himself with a magical snap of his fingers. “This does,” he assured her and thrust his cock upwards, plunging deep inside her.

For once, Hera had to agree with her husband. And for a while she could turn her attention away from Ariadne. After all, what could go wrong in plain daylight?

Chapter Fourteen

“There are cookies and coffee in the back of the room for those who want to stay and mingle. See you all next week,” the moderator of the AA group announced.

Beside her, Ariadne felt Dio exhale and mumble something under his breath she didn’t catch. “Sorry, what did you say?”

He glanced at her and cleared his throat. “I’ve already had coffee. I’m good to go.”

The pained expression on his face spoke volumes. This couldn’t have been easy for him. Nevertheless, she was proud of him. He really made an effort to please her and listen to her suggestions. Deep down, Dio truly was a good man. Maybe some bad experiences with relationships had made him shy away from her the day after they’d had sex. Could she really blame him? Her own experiences had made her cautious too.

“So, shall we go?” Dio prompted once more. “I can take you to lunch.”

Ari forced a smile and pushed back her thoughts. “That would be lovely.” As she stood, her cell rang. “Sorry.” She fished for it in her handbag and read the display. It was her shop’s number. “Yes, Lisa?”

“Sorry to bother you, Ariadne, but the delivery with the Chilean wines just arrived, and it doesn’t agree with what we ordered. I think you’d better come.”

“Is the delivery guy still there?”

“Yes. I haven’t signed off yet.”

Ari let out a relieved breath. “Good, don’t. And don’t let him leave. I’m only ten minutes away.” She disconnected the call and pocketed the cell, giving Dio an apologetic look.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice laced with instant concern.

“I have to take a rain check on lunch. There’s a problem at the store. I’ll call you later.”

Dio put a hand on her arm. “Why don’t I come with you? I want to see your shop anyway.”

She hesitated for a brief moment, wondering whether exposing him to the wine shop would trigger any memories. But she cursed herself at the same time: she couldn’t constantly prevent him from revisiting familiar places in the hopes that his memory would stay away. It was selfish, and besides, she had no idea how and when his memory would return. It could happen spontaneously and have nothing to do with seeing familiar places and things.

“Sure.”

As they walked out into the sunshine, Dio took her hand into his large palm. The contact was light, but it made her suddenly feel flustered again. Why did he still affect her so intensely?

“This is really a cute town. How long have I been living here?”

Unprepared for his question, her heart raced. “How long?” she stalled. Would it matter what answer she gave? “A couple of years.”

“Where did I live before?”

“You never talked much about that.”

He made a face. “You’re telling me that you’re prepared to marry a man who hasn’t even told you where he’s from?”

Ari scrambled for a believable answer. “No, no, of course not.”

“You mean you’re not prepared to marry me?”

Irritated, she pulled her hand from his. God, how she hated having to lie to him all the time. “Don’t try to confuse me.”

“How do I confuse you?”

“By asking all those questions.”

He blew out a breath and raked a hand through his full hair. “But I have to ask questions. I have to know who I am.” He looked at her then, searching her eyes for approval.

Regret surged through her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. It’s just, all this, it’s … it’s very stressful.” There, that was a plausible explanation, and it wasn’t even far from the truth. Who would have known that constantly lying was stressful? “I don’t know how to deal with all this, with you losing your memory.” With me deceiving you, she wanted to scream.

Dio reached for her hand and brought it to his lips to place a kiss on it. “I understand. But I don’t want you to worry about it. It’ll come back, I’m sure.”

Which was exactly what Ari was worried about. If his memory came back too early, it would be catastrophic. And if his memory stayed away longer? Would history repeat itself? Would she fall even deeper for him? And then, when he finally realized who he was and what she’d done, would he hate her then?

“Don’t look so glum. It’ll be all right.”

***

Dio cast Ariadne another glance. Something was off. Whenever he asked her about his past, she got nervous. Was there something in his past she didn’t want to share with him? The thought made unease slither down his back like a snake. Perhaps it was better if he tried to figure things out on his own.

Later, he’d continue  scouting out the addresses he’d found in his apartment in the hope that some speck of memory returned. But while he was with Ariadne, he might as well use the time to get closer to her. Since he’d bent to her will to deal with his so-called drinking problem, it was time that she did something he wanted. Quid pro quo.

When Ariadne suddenly stopped in front of a shop, Dio looked up at the sign above the door. In Vino Veritas it said.  His mind instantly translated the words for him: truth in wine. He spoke Latin, but he also realized that it wasn’t his native language. Neither was English. He was definitely educated—classically educated, evidently.

Dio followed her into the shop and closed the door, leaving the sounds of the traffic behind him. Hundreds of bottles neatly stacked on various racks and display cases reached out to him to greet him like the prodigal son. A welcoming surge of recognition washed over him and wrapped around him like a warm towel after a cold shower.

His eyes traveled over the bottles, caressing their contents through the dark glass that contained the precious liquid. He felt relaxed and content for the first time since the onset of his amnesia. The wine bottles spoke to him almost in deference, as if they were his subjects and he their king. Dio shook his head at the stupid notion. Clearly, the AA meeting had scrambled his brain. There was no way he was going back there.

He’d never felt so uncomfortable in his life—or the little of his life that he remembered. The thought of giving up wine for good was unfathomable to him. Why would anybody do such a thing? Wine was life, fun, and even healthy for that matter. And besides, why would Ariadne want him to give up drinking when she owned a wine shop herself? No, when the next meeting came around, he’d tell her that he’d go alone so that she wouldn’t realize that he had no intention of attending.

“Hi, Dio, nice to see you again,” a voice behind him pulled him out of his reverie. He turned on his heels and looked at the young woman who greeted him.

“Hi.” He couldn’t put a name to the pretty face, nor could he recall whether they had indeed met.

“Lisa,” she prompted. “You probably don’t remember my name …”

“I’m sorry, but—”

“Lisa, uh, can you help us here?” Ariadne asked, pointing to the delivery man who stood at the entrance to a door leading into the back, a storage area most likely.

“Excuse me,” Lisa said and joined her boss.

Wanting to feel useful, Dio decided to interrupt them before they got too deep into their work. “Ariadne, shall I get us all some takeout food? Looks like neither of you will have time for a sit down lunch anyway.” He pointed at the cases of wine, some partially opened, some still closed, that littered the entrance to the storage room.

“That would be wonderful. Thanks.” Ariadne smiled at him before looking back over the paperwork in her hands.

He found himself smiling back at her, drinking in her sweet features. After lunch, he’d make a play for dessert.

By the time Dio returned from a little Italian restaurant, several pasta dishes and salads in hand, the delivery man had left, and Lisa and Ariadne were carrying the heavy cases into the storage room. He dropped the food onto the counter and rushed toward them.

“Let me do that,” he offered and took the case right out of Ariadne’s arms. “Why don’t the two of you start with lunch and I’ll join you once I’ve put the wine away?”

“You brought lunch for me too?” Lisa asked, surprise evident in her raised voice.

“Of course. You need to put some meat on your bones.” He winked. The girl was entirely too skinny for his taste. Now, Ariadne’s lush curves, they were a totally different thing. When his gaze traveled up Ari’s hips and breasts and landed on her face, he noticed her miffed expression. Had he said something wrong? She couldn’t possibly have taken his comment to Lisa the wrong way, could she? Or was he prone to flirt with other women? “Now, both of you, eat.”

He walked into the store room when Ariadne called after him, “But you don’t know where to put them.”

“Sorted by country, then by varietal, then by year?” It was how his own wine cellar was stocked. His own wine cellar? Where would he have a wine cellar? There was no space in his small apartment in Charleston to have such a luxury. All he had was a wine fridge. Yet he knew with one hundred percent certainty that he had a wine cellar. Somewhere.

“Yes, just like that,” Ariadne confirmed.

The smell of the food wafted into the storeroom as he hefted case after case into it and stacked them up high. Soon, his stomach growled, and he was glad when the last case was in its place.

He emerged from the storage room and stopped for a moment to watch Ariadne and Lisa enjoy their lunch at the tasting counter. While Lisa was a pretty girl, and very young at that, his eyes were drawn to Ariadne and her figure. Everything about her was more mature and riper than the fresh girl by her side. Ripe for the plucking. And what a plentiful harvest it would be.

His groin tightened at the thought. If he didn’t get his hands on her soon, he’d burst into flames.

“Have you left me anything?” He walked over to them and peered into the cartons.

“You bought way too much,” Ariadne claimed.

“I’m famished.” For more than just food. Dio forced himself to shovel some pasta onto a paper plate and dig into it. The sooner he’d eaten his main course, the sooner he’d be able to move onto dessert. Which wouldn’t stop him from looking at his dessert while eating his entré.

Lisa cleaned off the last of the pasta from her plate when the little bell over the door tinkled, announcing the arrival of a customer. “I’ll get that.”

“I’ll help you clean up,” Dio offered Ariadne in the next instance.

“I’ve got it.” Ari reached for an empty carton just as he did, their hands touching. She gave a nervous giggle before she tossed the carton into the trash behind her. The remaining containers and paper plates followed suit. “Done.”

“Do you want to check on whether I put the cases in the right place?” Dio asked, a plan already forming in his mind.

“Yes, let me make sure I can find them later.”

He followed her into the storeroom and quietly closed the door behind them. He didn’t need an audience. As she walked between the aisles toward the far wall of the room, Dio admired the seductive sway of her hips and the elegant curve of her legs. He knew exactly what he wanted her to do with those long legs. They looked strong and well-toned, and he could fairly feel them wrapping around his hips as he thrust into her.

Despite the coolness in the room, a thin layer of perspiration built on Dio’s forehead and neck. His heart raced and pumped blood to his cock in anticipation of what his brain was planning.

Ariadne stopped in front of the cases and perused them. Dio approached from behind and placed one hand to the side of her shoulder, touching the box behind her. “Did I do all right?” He purposefully lowered his voice, allowing it to sound more seductive than he’d ever spoken to her.

“Y-yes. It’s fine.” Her voice stuttered slightly, attesting to the fact that she was aware of his nearness and maybe even his intention.

“Tell me, baby, have we ever kissed in here?” He placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him.

“N-no.” Her eyes were downcast as if she couldn’t meet his gaze, too afraid of what she’d see: the lust that was boiling over.

He shelved her chin on his palm and tilted her face up. “Why not?”

“We … we … I don’t know.” Her eyes skidded past him as if searching for an escape. There would be none.

“We’ll have to remedy that.” Without haste, he dropped his head to hers. “We do kiss, don’t we?”

“Y-yes.”

He felt a surge of power at her answer. “Good. Because I have the feeling that I like kissing you. And I’m a little starved for a kiss right now.” Then he crossed the remaining distance between them and brushed his lips to hers in a feather-light touch.

Her breath hitched at the contact, confirming that she was physically attracted to him. He would use this knowledge to free her from the stupid notion of practicing abstinence. In a few minutes, he’d have her panting for release.

Dio slid his hand to the back of her neck and slanted his head, sliding his lips over hers once more. His thigh brushed against her hip, the contact sending a flame of white heat through his groin. Of its own volition, his other thigh nudged between her legs to press against her center.

A sigh escaped her mouth and bounced against his lips. He parted his lips to drink in her scent before pulling her upper lip into his mouth. Slowly, he slid his tongue over the soft flesh and felt her tremble in response.

“Easy, baby,” he cooed and repeated his action.

When Ariadne parted her lips a moment later to take in a breath, Dio pressed his lips against her and allowed his tongue to glide into her. First slowly and with measured strokes, he explored her sweet cavern, tasting, touching, and caressing. An involuntary groan burst from his chest. By the gods, he enjoyed kissing her even more than he thought was humanly possible. As he pressed her against the cases at her back, he intensified his kiss and let all ideas of a slow seduction fly into the wind.

Instead, he captured her, allowing her no reprieve, and issued his demand. With determined strokes, he slid against her tongue, initiating a passionate dance, one she answered without hesitation. This wasn’t the kiss of a woman who didn’t know carnal pleasures. The kiss she shared with him was passionate and all-consuming, and the sounds coming from her body, the soft moans and sighs issued from her chest, were not those of a shy virgin.

Dio ground his hips into her, letting one hand travel down her torso. As he caressed the outside of her breast with his thumb, Ariadne’s arms went around his neck, one hand burying itself in his hair. He relished the feeling of her fingers digging into his scalp to hold him closer to her.

Encouraged by her reaction, he moved his hand over her breast, feeling the outline of her bra. The heat under his palm burned into his skin, but he needed more. Before she had a chance to stop him, had she intended to, he pulled her blouse out of the waistband of her skirt and tunneled underneath it. His fingertips met naked skin, soft and warm.

He moved his hand upwards, connecting with the underwire of her bra before he slid over the gauzy fabric and found the hard peak that had formed there. When his fingers brushed over it, a strangled moan issued from her lips together with a protest. “Stop.”

But the word was so soft and accompanied by a thrust of her hips against his that he couldn’t take the demand seriously. He could already smell her arousal, the sweet scent drifting into his nostrils, turning his entire body into a single-minded machine wanting only one thing: release.

“Shh, baby,” he whispered against her lips, briefly interrupting the kiss. But a moment later, he was back, taking her lips more fiercely so she wouldn’t be able to think of resistance.

His hand slid under the fabric of her bra and captured the ripe peak. Her flesh was firm and warm and more responsive than he’d dreamed. As he kneaded the globe that fit his hand perfectly, his cock turned into a rod so hard it could have been used as a crowbar. The charges of heat and energy racing through his body made his skin perspire and his heart beat in a frantic rhythm. His breathing was as labored as if he’d been running a Marathon, but he couldn’t let that deter him from his goal. He had to have Ariadne, now, here. No matter what. Standing up, pressed against cases of wine, he’d fuck her until she admitted freely that abstinence had been a silly idea. And then he’d take her home and make love to her properly like a fiancé should.

Dio ripped his mouth from hers at the same time as he gripped the bottom of her blouse and pushed it upwards, exposing one breast. Then he pushed the bra aside, freeing one beautiful tit and dropping his lips to it. Capturing the hard nipple in his mouth, he sucked it.

Ariadne’s head dropped against the cases as she let out a surprised gasp. But he wasn’t about to give her a chance to pull back. As he sucked greedily and teased the nipple with his tongue, his hand went to her thigh. He found the seam of her swinging summer skirt and slid underneath it, moving his hand upwards toward the ultimate prize.

She wore no pantyhose, leaving her thighs bare to his touch. He caressed the soft skin and moved inwards, sliding his hand between her legs, which she so obligingly parted wider. When his fingers connected with her panties, he realized that they were already soaked.

Her nipple popped out of his mouth. “Oh, baby!” Did she want him as much as he wanted her? Dio sucked her breast back into his mouth and slid one finger along the outside of her panties. The heat that greeted him was almost unbearable in its intensity. Once he buried his cock in her, he’d flare up like a single sheet of paper carelessly thrown into the fire, burning out just as quickly.

But not even that knowledge could make him slow down. He was past the moment of no-return, unable to control his urges any longer. Nothing could stop him from making Ariadne his now. Her response to him was unmistakable: she was aroused by his touch and wanted more. He wasn’t going to deny her, and he for sure wasn’t going to deny himself.

Dio pushed her panties lower and slid into them, passing the nest of curls until he felt the warmth and wetness that oozed from her core. His finger rubbed against her moist entrance, then pulled further up to find her clit. He pressed against it with his dew-covered digit and heard her moan. In a few minutes, he’d breach her delicious portal and slide home.

“Ari, did you …” The voice in the background trailed off just as Ariadne jolted under his hold and stiffened.

“Sorry,” Lisa added before the door was shut loudly.

Shit! The girl had terrible timing.

Ari pushed against him, making him release her. When he noticed her flushed face, she avoided his look and instead hastily adjusted her clothes. “I have to get back to work.”

A second later, she brushed past him and left the room without a backwards glance.

Chapter Fifteen

Dio slammed the door to his apartment shut and cursed six ways to heaven. In Greek, of all languages! It made him realize instantly that Greek was his mother tongue, but not even this revelation could quell his frustration.

He’d been so close! And then Ariadne had simply dismissed him like a schoolboy who’d been naughty. Well, he’d been naughty all right, but so had she. And to make it seem like he was the only culprit was simply outrageous.

He slumped on the couch and kicked his legs against the coffee table, causing a stack of magazines to tumble to the floor.

How could she do this to him? Did she have no heart? How could she just stop like that when he knew she’d been aroused? Hell, he’d bathed his fingers in her wetness. That hadn’t been an illusion. She’d responded to him with abandon. Next time, he promised himself, the door would be locked so nobody could interrupt them. Then there would be no escape.

With an impatient movement, he rose and bent to the magazines on the floor, picking them up one by one and placing them back on the coffee table when a white note card caught his eye. He pulled it out. On the outside, two gold rings were embossed. Curiously, he opened it and read the inside.

Triton Waters and Sophia Olympia Baker request the pleasure of your company for their nuptials.

Then the date and an address in Charleston. Dio looked at his cell phone to check on today’s date and bolted upright. The wedding had been a day before his amnesia had set in. The invitation could only mean one thing: these people were his friends. Why else would they invite him to their wedding? He smiled at the good news. All he had to do now was to go and see them and with their help find out more about himself.

He found the address on his map and headed out the door, putting the invitation into his shirt pocket.

The house on Battery Street was a huge, three-story mansion with large terraces on one side, and a spacious garden behind a high wall. The sign at the entrance indicated that the building was a Bed and Breakfast. Dio’s hope deflated slightly. This was clearly not the home of the couple who’d gotten married. It was probably only the venue for the ceremony. And there was no guarantee that the employees at the Bed and Breakfast would give him their address. He’d have to use all his charm to tease the information out of them.

As he entered the foyer and enjoyed the slightly cooler air inside, he took in his surroundings. The staircase leading up to the second floor, where, according to a sign, the reception was located, was of dark wood and creaked under his feet. A familiar scent of freshly baked cookies wafted his way and mixed with the rich smell of old wood. He’d been here before.

At the top of the landing, he turned left and popped his head through the open door he encountered. A girl of barely seventeen sat behind a computer, her cell phone attached to her ear. By the looks of it, it would have to be surgically removed one day.

“That’s what I told him,” she blabbed while she moved the mouse of the computer. “No way! … Get outta here! … That’s insane!”

Realizing that she would never notice him if he didn’t announce himself over her clearly very important phone call, Dio took a step into the room. “Excuse me, please.”

She shot him an annoyed stare, then spoke into her phone once more. “Gotta go. Work.” She listened to her friend for a moment. “Yeah, it blows,” she added and disconnected.

“Can I help you?”

Her bored expression didn’t bode well for his attempts at charming the pants off her so she’d reveal what he needed to know. Maybe bribery would do the trick? She was of high school age, and looking at her, he figured she was probably always in need of money to support her excessive clothes habit. The stuff she wore couldn’t be cheap.

Dio pasted a fake smile on his face and sauntered toward her desk. “As a matter of fact, you can.” He cleared his throat and pulled out the invitation, showing it to her. “About this wedding ...”

She glanced at it, then back at him. “You’re a few days too late. Can’t you read the date?”

Great, the brat wasn’t only bored, she was also rude. Dio forced himself to remain cordial. “I know that the wedding has already taken place. What I’d like to know is where I can find the happy couple.”

The girl tilted her head and gave him a strange look. “Jilted lover?” She grinned knowingly, seeming suddenly much older.

He shook his head at the downright annoying teenager. “Just a friend.” Then he wondered, “We haven’t met, you and I?”

She raised her eyebrows unexpectedly batted her lashes. Did she think he was coming onto her? “I’m just tempting here for the week, so I don’t think so. And Triton and Sophia, they’re not here right now.”

“I figured that much. Where are they?”

She straightened in her chair. “Well, on their honeymoon of course. Where else?”

Dio hadn’t thought of that. Of course, it was only logical. “Oh. That blows.” He figured if he spoke the girl’s language, maybe she’d be more forthcoming about her answers.

“Yeah, totally, doesn’t it?”

He felt like a fool when he agreed, “Totally.”

“Don’t worry. They’ll be back in three days.”

That news wasn’t too bad. “Any way to reach them before that?”

“Nah. The only one who’s got an emergency number is Alice, and she’s out shopping. I doubt she’d give you the number anyway. She’s way too protective of them if you ask me.”

Did he really want to ask? “Alice?”

“The cook. She pretty much runs the place while the two are gone.”

“Triton and Sophia are staying here?”

“They own the place.”

Relief washed through him. Bingo! He had friends, and they lived in Charleston. Now all he had to do was wait until they were back. As impatient as he was, he could do that. “Back in three days, you said?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Do you wanna leave a note or something?”

She appeared relieved when he shook his head, obviously not interested in doing any more work than she’d already done. Poor, overworked teenager!

“Thanks. I’ll come back when they’re here.”

With a spring in his step, he left and walked out into the sunshine. He’d finally made some progress. Now all he needed was to develop some patience and hope that once the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon, they could help him shed some light on his past.

Chapter Sixteen

Knowing that Ariadne’s shop was closed on Sundays, Dio had made arrangements for a picnic with her. He wanted to escape his small apartment and enjoy the sunshine with her. After realizing that he was hopeless when it came to putting together a picnic basket, he had a local deli arrange a basket for him. Half an hour later, Ariadne had met him at his apartment and they’d hailed a cab to take them to Hampton Park near the Citadel.

“That was a nice idea of you,” she now praised him as they lounged on a blanket he’d spread out. They rested under the shade of a large oak tree. Several yards away, other people were doing the same, and kids kicked a soccer ball around while others played catch with a baseball.

Dio rubbed his belly and chuckled. “Food is always a nice idea.”

“You do like your food,” she agreed and brushed some crumbs off her shorts, drawing Dio’s eyes to her long and shapely legs.

He laughed. “You weren’t exactly picking at yours either.” He liked that she didn’t eat like a bird, but had devoured her lunch the same way he had.

“You never complained before.”

“And I’m not complaining now either,” he quickly quashed any doubts she might have had. “You have a fabulous figure.”

A blush crept up her face, and she quickly looked away.

“It’s true,” he assured her. He reached for her hand and pressed his cheek into her palm. “Tell me a little more about you.”

“There isn’t that much to tell. You’ve seen my shop. I don’t know what else I can tell you.”

Dio rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his elbow. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

Ariadne shook her head. “I’m an only child. My parents always wanted more kids, but my mother had a hysterectomy a couple of years after I was born. Cancer.”

“I’m sorry. Is she all right now?”

“She’s doing fine. Goes for regular checkups. She’s a survivor.” There was a hint of a smile on her face.

Dio brushed his knuckles along her cheek. “So you come from strong stock.”

She laughed. “I guess you could say that.”

“Where do they live?”

“In Idaho. That’s where I’m from.”

“That makes you a country girl.”

“You mean gullible?”

“No!” He’d meant nothing of the sort. On the contrary, his thoughts were going into a different direction: she seemed so pure and innocent, so goodhearted. “What I meant was that you have values, you know, a strong sense for right and wrong, a good heart.”

“Is that how you see me?” There was a curious expression on her face.

Not entirely. He also saw her as enticing and sexy, but he kept those thoughts to himself. After their passionate interlude in the storeroom of her shop, he figured that he should be a bit more subtle about how much he desired her. “I see you a lot of different ways.” And right now, his mind saw her naked and writhing beneath him in ecstasy.

Dio wiped a pearl of sweat from his brow.

“You’re an interesting man, Dio,” she suddenly said.

“Thank the gods for that! Otherwise you would have probably picked somebody else over me.”

“Picked?”

“From all the other offers you've had. I’m sure I wasn’t the only guy who made a play for you.” With her beauty and her luscious figure, he was surprised that he didn’t have to fight other contenders off with a stick.

She looked away. “I didn’t date much before we met.”

While the thought pleased him, it also made him curious. Then he remembered something. “Because you’re religious?”

He noticed her flinch almost imperceptibly. Then she shrugged. “I didn’t meet any guy who I thought was worth it.”

Her words made him grin. So she thought he was worth it. His gaze strayed past her as he let the words sink in deeper. A movement caught his eye just as a cracking sound reached his ears.

“Ah, shit!” he cursed and jumped up in the same instance.

***

Ari jerked her head in the direction Dio was running and immediately saw what had him act in such panic. A young boy, probably not older than six or seven years, was dangling from a tree branch of a massive oak tree. The branch had already snapped where it was connected to a larger limb and was now holding on by a strip of bark—as was the boy.

“Mom!” he yelled. His feet were motoring as he tried to reach another branch, but he was too short and not strong enough to pull up his weight.

Ari estimated the distance to the ground as she sprinted after Dio. The boy was at least fifteen feet if not more off the ground. How he’d gotten up this tree in the first place was anybody’s guess.

Another cracking sound made her heart stop. The branch broke off completely, crashing down with the boy.

Dio’s body was a blur as he lunged underneath and caught the boy in his outstretched arms then rolled out of the way of the branch that crashed down on the spot he’d just occupied.

Breathless, Ari reached the place where Dio had landed with the boy at the same time as a couple of other people did.

“Mom!” he wailed. Thank God, if he could scream he had to be all right.

“Are you okay?” she heard Dio ask the boy, his voice urging. “Are you hurting anywhere?”

She watched as Dio gently lowered the boy on the ground next to him.

“Sammy?” a woman’s voice penetrated, the shrillness evidence of the panic she was in as she pushed through the onlookers.

“He’s all right,” Dio calmed the woman at the same time as he ran his hand over the boy’s head, smoothing down his ruffled hair. “Aren’t you, Sammy?”

Ari’s heart melted at the tender gesture.

“He could have broken his neck,” a male bystander offered.

Dio shot him an annoyed look. “Luckily, I got there in time.”

The mother pulled her son into an embrace, squeezing him tightly to her chest. “Oh, Sammy, how often have I told you not to climb those trees?” There were tears in her eyes now.

Sammy lowered his gaze. “Sorry, Mommy.” Then he turned to Dio, pointing at him. “But he caught me.”

Ari could fairly hear the admiration in his voice, and her own heart filled with pride. Dio had saved the boy.

Sammy’s mother set her son down but kept him close as she stretched her hand toward Dio who’d gotten to his feet and was brushing leaves and dirt off his shorts and shirt.

“I don’t know how to thank you.”

Dio simply took her hand and shook his head. “Anybody would have done the same. I was just faster.”

Faster? Ari had never seen anybody run as fast as Dio. And the way he’d grabbed the boy with such precision and was still able to avoid the tree limb hitting him was a move worthy of an athlete.

Ari put her arm around his waist and hugged him close.

“What’s that for, baby?” He chuckled and drew her fully against him.

“That was amazing!”

He put his finger under her chin and tilted her face up. “Just practicing for when we have our own. I’m sure the boys will get into plenty of scraps they’ll need to be rescued from.”

Ari felt tears well up. “You want children?”

There was a jolt in his body as he pulled back slightly. “You don’t?”

“No, I do. I can’t wait to have kids,” she hastened to correct him. “I just never thought that you really wanted any.” The subject had never come up during their two weeks of dating, but somehow she’d always assumed that he wasn’t interested in children.

“I love kids. They are like little wonders. I want a large family.” He smiled at her, then winked good-naturedly. “Now, how about a little kiss for your hero?”

She couldn’t argue with that and looked deep into his ocean-blue eyes. This was the Dio she’d fallen for, the one who made her laugh, the one she desired. “How about a big kiss for my hero?”

When his lips met hers, she forgot everything around her. Now she had only one wish: that all this was real and not a deception. And that she’d never lied to him.

Chapter Seventeen

Ariadne walked into Natalie’s restaurant and entered chaos. It was late afternoon, and while the restaurant was virtually devoid of diners, a couple of paramedics tended to a waitress who lay on the floor, her leg twisted backwards at an awkward angle. Her face was contorted in pain.

One paramedic was busy trying to straighten out the woman’s leg while the other prepared the stretcher. Ari averted her eyes when the waitress screamed in pain and searched the dining room for Natalie instead, finding her braced against the bar, her face ashen.

Ari walked up to her and put a hand on her arm, making her friend snap her gaze to her.

“I told her not to step on the chair. I would have gotten the ladder, but she didn’t listen.”

“Maybe it’s not as bad as it looks right now,” Ari tried to ease her friend’s concern.

“She could have broken her neck.” Her eyes darted back to the waitress. She’d stopped screaming, and the two paramedics now lifted her onto the stretcher.

“It’ll be fine in a moment,” one of them assured her. “We’ll get you to the hospital. They’ll take good care of you.” Then he glanced toward Ari and Natalie and gave a faint smile, nodding in reassurance. “Most likely just a broken leg. It’s painful, but it feels like a clean break.”

Natalie nodded. “Thanks.” Then she walked to her employee and took her hand. “You take all the time you need to recover, you hear me?”

A low grunt came from the waitress before the paramedics carried her to the waiting ambulance.

Natalie turned back to Ari, wringing her hands. “She wanted to get the champagne glasses down from the top shelf.” Natalie closed her eyes, shuddering visibly. “The chair wobbled and she just fell backwards. I wasn’t fast enough to catch her.”

Ari patted her friend on the shoulder. “She was lucky.”

“That she was. Jesus, I’m gonna have to scramble to get a waitress on such short notice.”

“I would help out, but I have a group coming in tonight for a wine appreciation class, otherwise—”

Natalie interrupted her. “No, no. That’s quite all right. I’ll call around. Maybe Molly over at the Grill can help out if they’re not busy. We’re fully booked for tonight.” She sighed. “So, how’s the retraining of Dio going?” Natalie asked.

Retraining wasn’t exactly what Ari would call it. “So-so.”

Her friend raised an eyebrow. “That’s not much of an explanation.”

She shrugged. “I really don’t know what to say. Some things seem to work, but then … Well, he went to an AA meeting on Saturday. That’s a start.”

“An AA meeting? You didn’t tell me he’s an alcoholic.” Natalie’s shocked expression would have been funny if Ari had been in the mood to laugh.

“Of course he’s not an alcoholic, but I had to think fast and come up with something. I needed an excuse.”

“An excuse for what?”

“He was pestering me about why we’re not having sex.”

Natalie chuckled. “Told you that abstinence thing wouldn’t fly.”

Ari fisted her hands at her waist. “Of course it’ll work. I just had to get the motivation right. I think he’s buying it now.” She sure hoped so. “I told him that we decided to have sex once he’s dealt with his drinking problem.”

“But didn’t you just say he doesn’t have a drinking problem?”

“Exactly.”

“Okay, you lost me there.”

“Since he doesn’t have a drinking problem, he can’t fix it, ergo, we won’t have sex.” It made perfect sense.

Natalie twisted her lips into a frown. “And then we’re surprised that men don’t understand us. I wonder why.”

“There’s no need to be sarcastic. What would you have done? He was all over me. I had to do something!” And had she not blurted out that excuse, she would have landed in bed with him again and be no further than before.

“I know exactly what I would have done: let him be all over me and enjoyed it. I thought you told me he’s good in bed. Why don’t you just enjoy it and take it for what it is?”

“I can’t do that.” Sex wasn’t enough. Not after the glimpses she’d seen in Dio when he’d rescued that little boy. He would make a great father one day.

“You really think that he’ll just give up? If he’s really as hot as you say, he’s going to try again.”

Ari felt heat rise into her cheeks remembering the incident in the storeroom. Her entire body was suddenly burning. She cast her eyes to the side, not wanting to meet Natalie’s scrutinizing look.

“Oh, no, he’s done it again, hasn’t he?” Natalie’s voice sliced through her, exposing her weakness instantly. “That dog!” Her admonishment carried too much admiration to be taken as a reprimand.

“He cornered me in the storage room the other day,” Ari admitted, knowing that there was no need in hiding details from her friend. Natalie would get them out of her anyway. Might as well save them both some time by volunteering.

Natalie’s eyes gleamed with interest. “And? Come on, don’t let me pull it out of your nose.”

“He tried to seduce me. Luckily, Lisa interrupted just in time.”

“Ah, that sucks!” Natalie coughed. “I mean that’s fortunate.”

“I heard that. Whose side are you on?”

“Yours of course.” Her face turned serious. “So, tell me, are you still hell bent on turning him into a nice guy?”

Ari nodded. A nice guy who fell in love with her.

“Then I think we have to figure out a way of tiring that man out a little so that he won’t even think about sex.”

Ari listened up. Tiring him out? Wearing him down? Sounded like boot camp to her. Perfect. “Any ideas on how to do that?”

Natalie smiled like a Cheshire cat. “It appears that I’m short a waitress …”

***

Dio stared at the short, black apron in his hands, then back at Natalie, the woman Ari had introduced him to just before she’d excused herself to go back to her shop to conduct a wine appreciation class. The tall brunette was in her early thirties with a decent figure and intelligent and all too perceptive, brown eyes.

“I’m a waiter?” How was that possible? He didn’t feel like a waiter.

Dio let his eyes roam around the little restaurant. There were probably fifteen tables and a few extra seats at the bar. It had a casual bistro feel to it, warm and comfy, with ornamental lace curtains on the window, the kind that only covered the bottom half. Still, he didn’t recall ever having worked here.

Natalie nodded enthusiastically. “And when Ari told me about your little accident, I was very generous in letting you stay home for a few days.”

“You were?” He wrinkled his forehead into a deep frown, trying to come to grips with his lot. By the way his apartment was furnished and from the expensive brands of clothes he wore, he could have sworn that he was well off. How could a waiter afford the things he had? His leather couch alone looked like it had cost a waiter’s entire annual salary. It didn’t make sense.

“Yes. But now it’s time you come back to work. There’s nothing physically wrong with you.”

Natalie ran her eyes over his body for longer than he thought was necessary to assess his physical health, and he sensed that she liked what she saw. A thought popped into this mind: had he ever made a pass at his boss? Was that why she was ogling him like he was some forbidden fruit? Had he maybe even tangled with her a little because Ari wasn’t putting out?

“Now, put on that apron, and let’s get started. We have a ton of reservations tonight, and we need to turn over the tables quickly.” She pointed at a stack of folders on the bar. “Here are the menus, and the specials are on the board behind the bar.”

He looked up at the large chalkboard where somebody had marked down several dishes with colored crayons. One dish caught his eye: Seafood over grits. It sounded familiar. Somehow he knew that dish.

He pointed toward the board. “I think I’ve eaten that before.”

Natalie’s eyes followed his outstretched finger. “Probably. All my staff gets to eat what’s on the menu. We often do seafood over grits. It’s a popular dish in Charleston.”

Dio nodded. Perhaps working in his old job again would trigger some memories, even though they couldn’t possibly be good ones. How could slaving away as a waiter be a good thing? However, he needed to occupy himself with something until Triton and Sophia came back from their honeymoon and he could ask them about his life. And for all he knew, he might also need the money to support himself.

Dio tied the apron around his waist and went to work. How hard could it be? All a waiter did was take orders for food and then bring the plates to the table. It wasn’t brain surgery. Despite his amnesia, surely this was within his capabilities.

***

Dio put the plates of food in front of the guests.

“What’s that?” the thin woman asked, her mouth twisting into a disgusted frown.

“The fried salmon sandwich with French fries.”

She pushed the plate away from her as if it contained toxic waste. “Do I look like I eat French fries?”

Dio let his eyes travel over her spindly figure. She didn’t look like she ate anything at all and should be grateful he made sure she consumed a few extra calories. “They’re excellent.” He’d eaten a few off her plate before he’d brought it to her, so he could attest to their crispiness.

“I ordered the salad with the dressing on the side, no fries, no bun and the salmon grilled, not fried!” she snapped.

Impatiently, Dio shifted his weight. He didn’t have time for this. The next table was already pestering him about the check. “It wouldn’t be a fried salmon sandwich then.”

“I didn’t order a fried salmon sandwich, I ordered the grilled salmon salad!”

Annoyed, Dio bent over her table. “You just said you ordered the fried salmon sandwich with salad on the side, without a bun and the salmon grilled not fried. So don’t change the order on me! We have no grilled salmon salad on the menu!” Damn it, couldn’t people just order what was on the fucking menu?

“I want to talk to the owner!” the woman hissed.

“Go ahead!”

Dio turned and rushed to the next table, slamming the check onto it.

“We haven’t had dessert yet,” the man protested.

Dio looked at his waistline and then at the overly round curves of his wife. “Trust me, you don’t want dessert. I recommend a brisk walk instead.”

The man’s jaw dropped, and his wife let out a shocked gasp. “How dare you insult us!” He patted his wife’s hand.

“Hey, I’m just telling you what’s good for your health.” Gods, these people were touchy!

“Waiter!” he heard another customer try to get his attention.

Relieved, he spun on his heels and walked to the table closest to the door. “Yes?”

“I need some mustard, please.”

Dio nodded and grabbed the mustard jar from the table next to him. “There you go.”

“Excuse me, I needed that!” the guy seated at that table protested.

Dio tossed him an annoyed glare. “Well, you should have helped yourself to it when you had a chance. I served you that burger twenty minutes ago.” He ignored the guy’s next protest.

He hated this job. Nobody ever seemed to be happy with what he did. How had he ever survived a single day without a major bust-up? This couldn’t possibly be the job he’d chosen freely.

By the time the last diner finally left, Dio was ready to strangle somebody. He tossed his apron on the counter. Nothing felt right. He couldn’t believe that this was his life. There had to be a mix-up or something, because he didn’t feel like a waiter.

“Are you sure I’m a waiter?” he asked Natalie who was cleaning up the bar.

She shrugged. “Hey, I didn’t say you were a good one.”

Chapter Eighteen

Despite feeling exhausted and tired after his first day back at work, he took the long way home to walk past Ariadne’s shop. He was surprised to see light inside and stopped. Instantly alert, he peered inside. Had something happened to her after the wine tasting class? It should have ended over an hour ago.

The shop appeared empty. Dio tried to open the door, but it was locked. Had Ariadne simply forgotten to turn off the lights? Concerned, he rapped his knuckles against the glass door and shifted his weight from one leg to the other. The warm night air suddenly felt chilly and unpleasant. What if something had happened to her?

His mind raced, imagining the worst. A man taking her wine appreciation class could have stayed back after all other students had left. What if he’d made a pass at Ariadne and then gotten angry when she’d rejected him? Because she would have rejected him. Hell, she’d rejected any physical intimacy with Dio.

Dio lifted his hand again to knock louder when the door to the storage room opened. The boulder on his heart lifted instantly the moment he saw Ari emerge. She gave him a startled look when she noticed him standing outside the door, but instantly caught herself and walked toward him.

He waited impatiently for her to unlock the door and pushed it open as soon as the lock clicked.

“What are you—”

He cut her questions off with a kiss, pulling her into his embrace. His heart beat like a high-speed train, but feeling her body close to his calmed him.

“Thank the gods you’re okay!”

She pulled back from him slightly.  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“It’s late. You shouldn’t be in the shop on your own that late. Somebody could get in …” He pulled her tighter again, not willing to let her leave the protection of his arms yet.

“Somebody did get in.”

Shock coursed through him as his body hardened to prepare for a fight. “Where’s the bastard?” He released her and scanned the store for the intruder.

A chuckle from Ariadne made him snap his gaze back to her.

“What’s so funny about that?”

“You.”

“Where’s the intruder?”

Ariadne pointed her finger at his chest. “Right here. You’re the one who got in.”

Dio unclenched his fists as his gaze locked with hers. “You have a strange sense of humor, you know that?”

She nodded. “And you’re going all macho on me.”

He shrugged. “That’s what men do to protect their women.” Then he pulled her against his chest again, sliding one arm around her waist. “Now, how about a little kiss for the fearless rescuer?”

“You didn’t rescue me from anything.”

“I could have.” If there had truly been an intruder or some student who’d gotten fresh with her, he’d beat the asshole to a pulp.

“There was nothing to rescue.” She laughed, and the delightful sound echoed in the empty store.

Dio couldn’t let her get away with laughing at him, so he did the only thing he knew how: he captured her quirking lips and drowned her laughter with a kiss.

***

Darn, that man could kiss! Ari felt her knees weaken and leaned into him for support. Dio seemed to take it as encouragement to deepen his kiss, or maybe it was the fact that she angled her head to give him better access. No matter what it was, it was foolish to allow him to make her feel this way when she remembered all too well what his kisses led to.

Before anything else could happen, she severed the kiss.

His eyes were dark with desire when she looked at him. She cleared her throat, not sure she’d be able to get out a coherent word.

“How was your evening?” he asked and combed his hand through her hair.

The sweet gesture eased the uproar of emotions his kiss had produced and calmed her galloping heartbeat. “It was a good class. People seemed to enjoy it.”

“Good. So you’re getting more customers.”

“I think so.”

“Did everybody behave?”

“Behave?” She raised her eyebrows with curiosity. He couldn’t possibly be worried that any of the men in the class would have been too friendly?

“Yes. I mean those guys, they drink wine, they make jokes, one thing leads to the next, and … maybe I should help you with those classes.”

“Are you jealous?”

His answer came so fast, it could have been shot from a canon. “Of course not.” The look in his eyes said otherwise.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

Dio snatched her arm and drew her against him. “I don’t lie.” There was anger in his voice, and Ari instinctively jerked back. She’d never seen him become violent, but who knew what the loss of memory could have done to him.

“I’m sorry,” he quickly said and released her. “I would never hurt you.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I just … knowing that I’m not there when some guy might come onto you … it just kills me.”

“Why would you even think that some guy was trying to make a pass at me?”

His look was one of utter confusion. “You’re kidding me. Baby, you’re beautiful. I can see that, and so can everybody else. Why wouldn’t every man in this town want you? Hell, I don’t even know why you picked me. I’m only a waiter.”

She put her finger onto his lips, stopping him from going any further. If she was courageous she would tell him right now that all this was a lie, that he wasn’t a waiter and that they weren’t engaged. But she wasn’t brave. It was easier to continue the lie and live in a dream world for a while, a world where Dio was hers.

“You are you. And when I’m with you, I feel good.” And those were the first truthful words she’d spoken to him in a while. Because despite the things he’d done to her, she craved his company and his closeness.

His hand came up to caress her cheek. “I feel the same.” Then he smiled. “Come, I’ll walk you home.” He winked good-naturedly. “Maybe I can rescue you from somebody on the way home so that you’ll finally see me as your knight in shining armor.”

“Where’s your horse, my fair knight?” she joked and walked to the counter to pull her handbag from underneath it.

“No horse, no chariot today. I can carry you, if you wish,” he answered gallantly.

Ari turned back to him and caught him running his eyes up and down her body, his gaze admiring and affectionate. He’d looked at her the same way when they’d made love that night. She trembled at the thought.

“I’m ready.” She flipped the light switch.

As they walked down the sidewalk, Dio took her hand in his. “I’m afraid you’ll have to lead the way since I don’t remember where you live.”

“Does it bother you?” She wondered how hard it was for him to deal with his memory loss. If she was in his situation, she would turn every stone to try and find an answer.

“That I don’t know where you live? Sure. Because it means I can’t just stop by and surprise you.”

“I mean the memory loss.”

“Well, sure. But I don’t think you can force it to come back. It’ll happen.”

“You’re surprisingly Zen about it. I would have gone to see a doctor already to see if they could do something.” Not that she wanted to give him any ideas, but she couldn’t constantly worry about him regaining his memory.

“I don’t like doctors. I don’t know why, I just know that I don’t.”

She was relieved that he wasn’t inclined to take her up on her idea. But she felt it wise to change the subject. “How was work?”

He gave her a sideways glance. “I don’t think I’m a good waiter. I’m not sure why Natalie ever hired me.”

“What happened?”

“You don’t want to know. Besides, I think I’d be much better as a knight in shining armor anyway. Maybe I should change professions.”

“There aren’t a lot of openings for knights.”

“Rescuers of damsels in distress then,” he suggested and winked at her.

“How many damsels do you want to rescue?”

“Just one.”

When she caught his eye, his gaze was full of mischief but also of warmth. “What if the damsel doesn’t need rescuing?”

“Everybody needs to be rescued from something. Even you.”

She cast him a quick glance, wondering if he guessed something about her past. But she dismissed it just as quickly. There was no way he could know about the mistake that she’d made with Jeff. Nobody had rescued her from him before it was too late, and she’d had to face utter humiliation.

“So tell me, baby, what do you need rescuing from?”

She jolted out of the memories of her past and answered with a dismissive wave. “I’m perfectly fine.”

“Oh, I know you’re fine.” His eyes glided over her in a slow move that was more caress than gaze. “Very fine. But that’s on the outside. What about the inside?”

He looked at her as if he had x-ray vision. Did he really want to know what was going on inside her, and if he did, was she prepared to tell him about her fears and hopes? Could she ever trust him with those?

“You’re not going to answer my question, are you?” he probed.

“No.”

“Fair enough. I guess I’ll have to find out for myself then.”

She lifted her head and suddenly realized that they had reached the small apartment building she lived in. “We’re here.”

Dio stopped next to her and looked up at the three-story building. “Have I been here before?”

“Many times,” she lied. The only time he’d been at her place was when they’d made love. “Thanks for walking me home.”

He shook his head. “Let me come up for a moment.”

“Uh.” This wasn’t good. If she let him inside her apartment, he’d only use the opportunity to kiss her again, and maybe even more. And what if she couldn’t stop him this time. Right, who was she kidding? What if she couldn’t stop herself? Dio was the most attractive man she’d ever met, and whenever he touched or kissed her, her resolve not to sleep with him grew weaker.

“I promise you, I just want to have a look at your apartment and see if it triggers any memories. I know you don’t want me to stay.” His eyes had the most sincere look that only a man in love or a loyal dog could make.

“Okay. But only a few minutes.”

He nodded. “No problem. I’m dead on my feet anyway.”

Ari unlocked the front door and entered, Dio on her heels. She walked up the stairs ahead of him, careful that her heels didn’t make too much noise on the wooden steps so she wouldn’t wake the neighbors.

Her apartment was just as untidy as she’d left it in the morning. She’d been in too much of a rush to get to the shop to even put her clothes in the laundry hamper. When she spotted an errant bra and a camisole on the couch, she snatched them quickly.

“Feel free to look around.” Ari headed for the bathroom, embarrassing underwear in hand, and closed the door behind her. She threw the items in the hamper and cursed herself. It shouldn’t matter that her place was untidy, but for some strange reason she wanted to make a good impression, even though she shouldn’t. He didn’t deserve that kind of consideration. Yet at the same time she had to acknowledge that the kind of person Dio had turned into since the accident was the kind of person she liked. He was considerate, polite, affectionate, and vulnerable.

She was sure it was the vulnerability she saw in him that now attracted her. It was as if whatever wall he had up when they were dating wasn’t there anymore. His emotions seemed to lie on the surface, exposed for her to see. And all she saw was his desire and affection for her. Maybe she was too hard on him and it was time to give him another chance.

Ari stared in the mirror and noticed how flushed her face was. She quickly splashed some cold water on her face when her eyes caught on the bottle of mouthwash on the counter. She shrugged and looked back in the mirror.

“He’s behaved well,” she said to her mirror self, justifying her next action. She reached for the bottle, taking a small gulp and gargling quickly. A few kisses couldn’t be all bad. And she’d make sure not to let things get out of hand.

Satisfied with her reasoning, she opened the door and stepped back into the living room, her eyes searching for Dio. She walked toward the bedroom and peeked inside, but it was empty. Slowly she turned. Had he left without a word?

“Dio?” she called out and strode fully into the living room before rounding the couch. She stopped short. There, on her couch, Dio lay fully stretched out on his back, his eyes closed.

“Dio?”

He didn’t respond to her, so she put a hand on his shoulder and shook him slightly. “Are you sleeping?”

He didn’t move, and another shaking of his shoulder didn’t rouse him from his sleep either. He was out for the count, and there was nothing she could do. So much for preparing for a make-out session.

Chapter Nineteen

Since falling asleep on Ariadne’s couch, Dio hadn’t seen her, and had spoken to her only briefly on the phone. Their schedules were clashing. Ariadne was tied to the shop, since it was Lisa’s day off, and Dio worked both the lunch and the evening shift at the restaurant. The next day hadn’t been any better.

When Dio woke late on the third day, his eyes fell on the wedding invitation he’d left on his nightstand as a reminder. He only had to work the evening shift at the restaurant, and as much as he wanted to see Ariadne and take her to lunch, he knew it was more important to talk to Triton and Sophia and find out what they knew about him. He sure hoped he wasn’t only an acquaintance they barely knew.

After a quick shower. Dio dressed in khakis and a polo shirt and headed out.

The sun was already high up in the sky. He’d left the restaurant past eleven and fallen into bed the moment he’d returned home, utterly exhausted and wiped out. If this was his life, he had to change things. Working as a waiter would eventually kill him. There had to be something else he was good at and could find a job in. He knew he was smart and spoke several languages. So why work as a waiter?

He was still contemplating his lot when he reached the Bed and Breakfast. He entered through the open door and walked upstairs, making his way to the reception area. When he heard steps behind him in the corridor, he swiveled.

A pretty, dark-haired young woman in her late twenties came out of the kitchen, a huge smile on her face. “Dionysus! What a nice surprise! You’re just in time for lunch.”

She gave him a bear hug and kissed him on the cheek.

Relieved that the woman recognized him, he guessed, “You must be Sophia then.”

She furrowed her forehead for a moment. Then her lips quirked with a smile. “Very funny. We weren’t gone for that long!” She turned toward the kitchen behind her. “Triton?”

“What do you need, agapi mou?” a man’s voice replied.

Dio didn’t recognize the voice, but he understood the endearment the man used. And he knew what it meant: my love. The man had spoken Greek—Dio’s mother tongue. This was good news. He bet his crappy job that he was close friends with this man.

“Dionysus is here.”

A tall blond man with sun-kissed skin and a toned body emerged from the kitchen a second later. He was clad in shorts and a t-shirt. “Hey, Dio, good to see you! Wanna join us for lunch? I was just gonna toss some seafood on the grill.”

Dio smiled. These were his friends, and close friends by the looks of it. “Love to.” Yet he still felt like a thief who’d infiltrated somewhere where he didn’t belong. He recognized neither Sophia nor Triton.

“I’ll get an extra plate. Can you grab a bottle of wine for me, Dio?” Sophia asked as she followed Triton.

Dio entered the large, industrial-size kitchen and perused it. If Sophia wanted him to get a bottle of wine, then clearly his friends weren’t concerned with his drinking the way Ariadne was. Frankly, that was a relief. He’d laid off wine for the last few days, ever since the AA meeting, but he missed it and knew it couldn’t be right for him to give up wine forever.

“Dio, the wine,” Triton reminded him as he piled shrimp, calamari and pieces of fish onto a large plate, while Sophia pulled out a plate and cutlery. Dio scanned the kitchen in search of the bottles.

“Something wrong?” Triton asked and gave him a curious look.

Dio rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe he should come out with the truth immediately and get it over with. “Maybe you could tell me where you keep your wine. I don’t remember.”

Triton raised an eyebrow, then he waved his hand toward a cabinet. The cabinet’s door sprung open, revealing a wine rack behind it. Dio jolted back, hitting his hip into the counter behind him.

“Shit!” How had that door magically opened when nobody had touched the handle? What the fuck was going on here?

Both Triton and Sophia stopped what they were doing and looked at him like he’d just gone off the deep end. Had he? Were the hallucinations he’d had a few days ago coming back? And, hell, he hadn’t even had any wine.

“Why are you so jumpy?” Triton asked.

Dio glanced back at the open cabinet and the wine bottles inside. Maybe there was a simple explanation to it. The hinges on the door could be faulty and open with the slightest draft in the room. That had to be it. “I was just startled when that door popped open without anybody touching it.”

“That’s because I opened it.”

Dio spun his head to Triton. “You didn’t touch the damn thing.”

Triton exchanged a look with Sophia. Then he set down the plate he was holding. “Okay. Out with it. Now. What the fuck are you playing at? Nobody except the three of us are here to witness my powers. Not even Zeus would object to it. So you’d better tell me right now what’s going on.” He glanced at his wife. “You’re making Sophia worry.”

Triton’s words scrambled Dio’s brain. Powers? Zeus? What was he talking about? Was this man really his friend? What if he was some wacko? Could he really trust him with his secret and confess that he’d lost his memory? What if the guy just told him all kinds of crap because he knew that Dio couldn’t confirm or deny it?

“I’m waiting.”

Dio looked into the deep ocean blue of Triton’s eyes and saw his impatience. But just beyond it, there was something else: concern. It was that knowledge that made him speak.

“I have amnesia.”

There was a moment’s silence before Triton broke out in laughter. Sophia joined in, but Dio couldn’t see the humor in it. “I don’t know who I am.”

Triton suppressed his laughter. “Good one, Dio! You almost got me there. But as we both know, gods can’t lose their memories.”

“Even I knew that,” Sophia added with a smirk.

“Gods? I’m telling you, I lost my memory. I was beaten up one night and when I came to, I couldn’t remember anything that happened before that fight. Ask my fiancée. She’ll confirm it if you don’t believe me.”

Suddenly, both Triton and Sophia stopped their laughter and exchanged a concerned glance.

“Dio, unless you got engaged in the last five days, you don’t have a fiancée.”

Panic slammed into him. Triton had to be wrong. Maybe he wasn’t such a close friend after all. “You’re wrong. Ariadne is my fiancée. We’ve been engaged for several months.” And he wasn’t giving her up.

“And how would you know that if you really lost your memory? Do you see how your story doesn’t gel? Even Eros could come up with something better.”

Dio had no idea who Eros was, but it didn’t matter right now. “Ari told me. She said we’ve been engaged for a few months now.” Actually, Ariadne had said they’d been dating for seven months before getting engaged, and he had neglected to ask her how long ago the engagement had taken place.

Triton shook his head. “Give it up, Dio. Let’s eat. I’m starving.” He walked out of the kitchen. Dio was on his heels, following him down the outside stairs into the garden, where a table was set up under a large umbrella. A few feet away, a barbeque stood waiting.

“You’ve gotta believe me. The only reason I’m here now is because I found a wedding invitation from the two of you. I figured you can help me find out who I am.”

Triton placed the plate of raw seafood next to the grill and lifted the lid. “Fine. I’m going to play along for a few more minutes. You want to know who you are?”

Dio nodded eagerly. “Yes. All I know is what I found in my apartment. My driver’s license says Dionysus Theos.”

Triton grinned. “That’s a quite fitting name you’ve chosen for your mortal interactions: the god Dionysus.”

“What do you mean by mortal interactions? And what about this god?”

“You.” Triton jabbed his finger at Dio’s chest. “You are Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy. Happy now? Can we finish this ridiculous game?”

“I’m not playing a game.” Dio ran his hand through his hair. “How can I make it clear to you that I don’t understand any of what you’re telling me? Why would you make fun of me? If we’re really friends, why can’t you tell me the truth?”

Behind him, Sophia finished adding the extra place setting to the table. “He told you the truth, Dionysus. You should know better than to accuse Triton of lying.”

Dio turned to her and noticed her concerned look. Maybe she would take pity on him if he begged long enough. “Sophia, we’re friends, right?”

She nodded and took a seat. Dio joined her at the table and sat down.

“Then would you just hear me out?”

“I can do that.”

“Don’t indulge him,” Triton cautioned as he placed the fish on the barbeque.

“Let’s see what he’s got to say. Go on.”

“Thanks. So, as I said, I was in a bar fight—”

“Sounds about right,” Triton interrupted.

Sophia tossed him a mildly scolding look, eliciting a simple shrug from Triton.

“They beat me up, and I must have passed out and maybe fallen against something and hit my head, because when I woke up, I had no idea who I was or what had happened. Luckily, my fiancée was there, Ariadne. She patched me up and took me home. If she hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t even have known where I lived.”

Dio smiled to himself. Gods, he was so grateful to her for taking care of him.

“So everything I know about myself is because she helped me figure things out. She made sure that my boss knew that I wasn’t well. She called in sick for me.”

Sophia’s mouth gaped open. “Your boss? Dio, you don’t work.”

“Of course I work. I’m a waiter at this little restaurant downtown. It’s called the—”

“A waiter?” Triton approached the table, BBQ tongues in hand. “You’re working as a waiter?”

Dio nodded but felt embarrassed at the same time. He felt like a nobody, admitting it. “Right now, yeah. But I figure, maybe I can do better and find something different, you know, maybe some management job. I don’t know.”

“Tell me something. What did you do the last few days?” Triton asked, a curious expression on his face.

“Mostly work. I had to do both the lunch and the dinner shift the last couple of days. I’m only doing the dinner shift today, that’s why I was able to stop by.”

Triton nodded toward Sophia. “I think he’s telling the truth.”

“I’m afraid so,” she agreed.

“That’s bad.”

Dio held up his hands. “What’s bad about me telling the truth?”

“Are you gonna tell him or shall I?” Sophia asked.

“Agapi mou, I think this needs more finesse than I possess,” Triton conceded and returned to the barbeque to remove the fish from the grill.

Sophia reached for Dio’s hand and squeezed it. “If what you’re saying is true, then I think we’re facing a big problem, because what Triton told you is the truth: you are the god of wine and ecstasy, and if you have lost your memory and can’t perform your duties as a god, there’ll be an imbalance in this world. The grapes will die, and the wine will turn into vinegar. We need to get you to remember who you are.”

Triton placed the plate with grilled seafood in the middle of the table and sat down. “I couldn’t have said it any better.”

Dio shook his head. He was a god? Impossible. “Gods don’t exist.” What kind of new age junkies were those two?

“They do. But mortals don’t know.”

“Then what are you two?” Dio challenged, still not able to digest the information. There had to be another explanation.

“Sophia is mortal, but I’m the god of seafarers and sailors. My father is Poseidon.”

The name sounded familiar, but Dio attributed it to the fact that he’d probably studied mythology or history, and considering that he spoke Greek, it wasn’t unusual that he recognized the name. “Sorry, Triton, but I can’t believe anything you’re telling me. It’s impossible. I was beaten up pretty bad and lost my memory. That’s all I know. But I’m no god.”

Triton heaved a few pieces of fish and shrimp onto his plate and loaded up on the mixed salad. “Dig in.”

Dio filled his plate and started eating. Just because he didn’t believe the stories the two were telling him didn’t mean he had to go hungry.

“When you got beaten up, did your face look pretty bashed in?” Triton asked.

Dio found the question odd but answered it nevertheless. “My eye was swollen; I had a split lip and some bruises.”

“And the next morning?” Triton winked at his wife. “Let me guess: your face looked perfect.”

Dio pushed back in his chair and dropped his fork onto the plate. “How did you know?” Then he leaned forward and picked up his fork again. “I suppose it wasn’t quite as bad as I thought at first. I probably heal fast.” That’s what he’d told himself that day, even though he had found the situation odd.

“Gods heal any injury within hours. At least that tells me your godly powers are still intact and unimpaired by your amnesia.”

It would explain it, but no, it wasn’t proof enough for Dio. “Maybe. But I could be just some regular person that heals fast.”

“So you want proof?”

“Do you really expect me to believe your fantastical story without evidence?” Dio shoved another piece of calamari into his mouth and chewed. “Good food, by the way.”

“Caught it myself this morning.”

“You fish?”

Triton grinned. “I dive.”

Sophia chuckled. “Triton loves to catch fish by hand.”

Another tall tale, Dio was sure. This couple was getting more brazen with their claims by the minute. “Sure.”

“Oh, we forgot the wine,” Sophia suddenly said. “Triton, would you?”

“Dio was supposed to bring it,” Triton deflected.

Dio pushed his chair back. Wasn’t it considered rude for the host to let a guest fetch things? He was about to get up when Triton clamped his hand over his arm, holding him back.

“No need to get up. Just get the bottle.”

Confused, Dio stared at him. “That’s what I was about to do. So, if you don’t mind.” He gave a pointed look at Triton’s hand, which was still gripping Dio’s forearm.

“Use your powers.” Triton quickly glanced around the garden. “We’re alone. It’s safe.”

“What fucking powers?” Dio had enough of this charade.

“You can conjure up the bottle. Just imagine it being here, and it will.”

“I can’t just wish for something and—” Dio stopped his own words. The night after his bender, he’d wished for food and had suddenly found a platter of delicacies in his kitchen. Had he done that after all? Had it not been a hallucination?

“So you remember …”

At Triton’s words, Dio snapped out of his thoughts. “No, I don’t remember, but something strange happened a few days ago. I wanted some food. And I thought I saw it appear. But it can’t have been real. I had a hangover and was imagining things.”

“You conjured it without knowing what you did. Do it now. Get us that bottle, because I for one need a drink now.” Triton gave him another encouraging nod.

“It’s not gonna work.” Despite his words, Dio did what Triton had suggested. He thought of the bottle of French Chardonnay he’d seen in the kitchen and imagined it on the table.

Out of nowhere, the imagined bottle suddenly stood right in front of him. Dio jolted back, but Triton’s hand kept him seated. “Shit! Did I do that?”

Triton grinned, showing his white teeth. “Believe me now?”

Did he have a choice? “Shit! I’m really a god, aren’t I?”

Chapter Twenty

Dionysus watched as Triton paced in his private residence on the third floor of the Bed and Breakfast. Sophia had left them to their own devices in order to take care of some arriving guests. The private area was modern yet warm and comfortable with a nautical theme that seemed to repeat in the entire apartment. It wasn’t large, but since the couple probably spent most of their time on the lower floors tending to the guests, a small private space was all they needed.

“I think we can eliminate the possibility that you lost your memory because you hit your head.”

“But I probably did hit my head,” Dio protested.

“Which wouldn’t have lead to amnesia. A god can’t simply be injured like that. We are immune to mortal illnesses.”

“But I was bleeding.” Wasn’t that considered a mortal injury?

“We inhabit mortal bodies that function just like any other body. So we bleed, we eat, we drink; our beard grows. But we’re able to heal this body with our godly powers. Any injury is fleeting,” Triton explained.

“Then what’s wrong with me?” Being a god sounded cool, but what was the point if he didn’t remember anything about his life or what he was capable of?

“We’ll figure it out.”

Dio nodded and rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “What’s it like to be a god?”

Triton grinned. “You love it.”

He couldn’t stop his own grin from bursting from his lips. “I do, huh?”

“There’s nobody else who makes being a god as much fun as you do.”

“The god of wine, huh, no shit!” Then he remembered something. “I suppose that means I don’t have a drinking problem, do I?”

“Why, for Hades’ sake, would you have a drinking problem?”

“Ariadne, my fiancée, she thinks so. She dragged me to the AA meeting the other day and—”

Triton’s laughter interrupted him. “Okay, there are two things fundamentally wrong here: first of all, you don’t belong in an AA meeting, and secondly, you don’t have a fiancée.”

Dio’s body stiffened. “I agree with you on the AA meeting, but Ari and I, we love each other.” There was just no two ways about it.

“Love?” Triton took a step closer and shook his head. “Dio, I’m your friend, so don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve never loved anybody but yourself.”

“No!” He loved Ariadne, and nobody could convince him otherwise.

“And I guarantee you that you’re not engaged. Whoever this Ariadne is, I’m telling you she’s an imposter.”

His Ari was lying to him? No, he couldn’t believe that. He didn’t want to believe it. “If you’re trying to drive a wedge between me and Ari then you and I are no friends. Do you get that?” He glared at Triton, intent on making him understand that he wouldn’t give her up. There had to be some misunderstanding that would soon clear itself up.

“We’ve been friends ever since we were toddlers, and you would let a woman come between us? Do you want me to tell you who you are?” Triton didn’t wait for Dio to respond. “You’re the worst womanizer this world has ever seen. You’re worse than I was before I met Sophia. You spend every night with a different woman. You have a strict one-night-only rule. Shall I continue?”

Dio took a few steps back, crashing into the wall behind him, shaking his head as Triton went on, “You’ve never been in a relationship. All you care about is the conquest. As soon as you have a woman in your bed, you’ve already lost interest.”

“You must be wrong.” He didn’t want to be the person his friend described in such detail. He didn’t want to be that kind of jerk.

Triton gave him a sad smile. “Dio, you are who you are. It doesn’t mean you can’t change. But the Dio who was at my wedding last week was the person I described. What you’re telling me about having a fiancée isn’t possible. You can’t have changed by a hundred and eighty degrees in a week.”

“But I don’t feel what you’re telling me. It doesn’t resonate. Yeah, about the wine, sure. You’re right. I feel a connection to the wine. When I was in Ariadne’s wine store, I felt at home. I sensed the bottles speaking to me. It was the strangest feeling.” Dio recalled the moment he’d stepped into the shop and instantly felt at ease. “But the rest, I’m sorry, the rest of your story doesn’t sound like me.”

“If you remembered your life, you’d know I’m telling you the truth.” He paused for a moment, contemplating something. “We somehow have to restore your memory. I think we need help.” Then he lifted his head. “Hermes, get your butt down here. Urgently.”

A moment later, a man appeared in the middle of the room, out of nowhere. Dio felt a bolt of adrenaline shoot through his body as his heart pounded like a jackhammer. One of these days, these guys would give him a heart attack.

The guy, presumably Hermes, wore the most ridiculous outfit Dio had ever seen: a white flowing tunic reaching to his knees and tied with a golden sash. On his feet, he wore sandals. Dio took a closer look: were those wings on his sandals? He blinked, making his eyes refocus, but the wings remained where they were, attached to the guy’s sandals.

“Hey, Triton, Dio, what’s so urgent? I didn’t even bother getting changed.”

“We have a problem: Dio’s got amnesia.”

At Triton’s announcement, Hermes shot Dio a surprised look. “You’re shitting me!” Then he took a step toward him. “Is this one of his jokes?”

Triton shook his head. “Nope. He really doesn’t know who he is.”

Dio planted his hands at his hips, annoyed at being ignored. “I’m in the same room as you guys.”

Hermes tossed him an amused look. “Nothing wrong with his attitude though.”

Was he really friends with that frilly looking guy? He looked like he was wearing a dress.

“Hey, Dio, I can see what you’re thinking. But as the messenger god, that’s my outfit.” He glanced at his tunic and sandals. “Trust me, you don’t look any more manly in your tunic either.” Then he snapped his fingers and voilà, he was clad in jeans and a t-shirt.

Dio jumped again. “Shit! You guys gotta stop doing that!”

Hermes exchanged a look with Triton. “He really has lost his memory, hasn’t he?”

“Any ideas what to do about it?” Triton asked in return.

“You called the right god.” Hermes smirked. “I suppose Dio pissed one of the Olympians off and got punished. Now we just need to figure out which one.”

“What’s an Olympian?” Dio asked, feeling stupid because he didn’t know what Hermes was talking about.

“Upper-level god,” he answered dismissively. “There are twelve of us.”

“Am I one of them?”

Hermes chuckled. “You wish. But I am, so whatever one of the other Olympians did to you, I should be able to reverse it. Unless poor old father has his hands in this. Then we’re screwed.”

“Whose father are you talking about?”

“Ours.” Hermes gestured between him and Dio.

“We’re brothers?” Dio let his eyes sweep over Hermes once more. He was brother to a guy who wore winged sandals? Freaky!

“Half-brothers.” Then he winked. “And best friends.”

If he was honest with himself, Dio kind of liked the guy almost as much as he liked Triton. “How many best friends do I have?”

“Three: Triton, Eros and me.”

Curiosity made him ask. “And this Eros, what kind of god is he?”

Triton grinned. “The Romans call him Cupid. He’s the god of love and probably busy shooting his arrows at unsuspecting mortals.”

Dio shook his head. “Guys, I’m just totally stumped. I mean, I believe you. How could I not with Hermes just teleporting in here, but that doesn’t get me any closer to knowing who I am.”

Hermes nodded, his face serious now. “Okay, let’s look at the facts then. Triton, what are the facts?”

“He got beaten up in a bar fight—”

“What else is new?” Hermes interrupted.

Was he really constantly getting into bar fights? Dio wondered what kind of man he was if he constantly had to fight and beat people up, or get beaten up in the process. What did he have to prove?

“—and when he regained consciousness, he couldn’t remember anything. His so-called fiancée patched him up.”

“Fiancée?” Hermes shot him a stunned gawk.

Dio shrugged, having been through it with Triton already. “Don’t even start. Triton has already given me the third degree on that.”

“Okay. Later maybe. Back to the facts. I saw you last at the wedding and you were telling me about this chick you were gonna do that night.”

He was gonna do somebody? Was that really how he’d put it or was Hermes exaggerating? “But Ari and I … I mean I don’t think I would cheat on her.” The thought alone was revolting.

Hermes rolled his eyes, then pointed at Triton. “If you don’t tell me the whole story later, I’m going to wring his neck right now.”

Triton’s lips quirked into a suppressed smile. “Anything you want, just figure out how we can get him back to normal.”

“Normal?” Dio protested. “I am normal.”

“No, you’re not,” his friends said in unison.

Ignoring their jab, Dio asked, “Did I say anything else at the wedding?”

“Only that you were gonna dump her the moment you’ve had her.” Hermes put his fingers to his lips. “Hmm. This reminds me, Hera was loitering.” He looked up at Triton. “Do you think she could have overheard Dio and decided to interfere somehow?”

“She hates his guts as we all know. I wouldn’t put it past her.”

Hermes nodded in agreement. “And as one of the Olympians she would have sufficient power to wipe Dio’s memory without him being able to do anything about it.”

“How about any of the other Olympians? Zeus was there.”

“He was too busy trying to get into Francesca’s pants. Poseidon was at your wedding too.”

Triton’s protest was instant. “My father would never do that.”

“How about Apollo?”

“Too busy chasing one of the waitresses.”

“You’re right. I think our best bet is Hera. If anybody is truly vindictive, then it’s her.” Hermes gave Dio a sideways glance. “Our stepmother is a cold-hearted—”

“Better not say it,” Triton advised. “No need to make her come down here. So, can you reverse whatever she might have done?”

Dio took a step toward Hermes. “Can you?”

“Of course I can.” There was an air of confidence in his voice that made Dio take a relieved breath. Soon, he’d remember his past and his world would be righted. Then he’d just have to convince his friends that he’d fallen in love and introduce them to Ariadne. Everything would be perfect.

“Here we go.” Hermes walked toward Dio and stopped a foot away from him. Then he laid his hands on Dio’s head and closed his eyes.

A strange sense of warmth swept over him as tendrils of energy passed from Hermes’ fingertips to Dionysus’ skull and penetrated. At first, he fought the invasion, but his friend’s calming voice soothed him. “Easy, easy. Just let go.”

Dio forced himself to relax and dropped his shoulders that he’d inadvertently hunched. Electrical charges infiltrated his head and took hold of his body and mind. When darkness threatened to encroach, white light suddenly emerged and fought against the dark, pushing it back.

Dio’s eyes flew open. “That fucking bitch!”

Chapter Twenty-One

Dio was seething with anger. “I’m going to take Hera’s head off and feed it to the Gorgons!”

“Guess it worked.” Hermes smirked. “And thanks very much, Hermes, for restoring my memory,” he said full of sarcasm. “Why, Dionysus, that’s mighty nice of you to say.”

Dio looked at his friend, forgetting his anger for an instant. He threw his arms around him and pulled him in for a bear hug. “Thanks! What would I do without you guys?” He looked over Hermes’ shoulder at Triton. “Both of you.”

“Good to have you back.” Triton smiled back at him.

He released Hermes and focused back on the issue at hand. “I’m going to take a bite out of Hera!” He remembered every single second of their exchange in the parking lot, how she’d admonished him because of how he’d treated Ariadne.

Ariadne!

“Ah, shit!” The truth slammed into him like an overweight freight train. “That devious … scheming … lying …”

“You said that already,” Hermes noted.

“Not Hera!” Dio made an impatient movement with his hand. “Ariadne. My fiancée.” Fiancée, his ass! “I’m not fucking engaged to anybody!”

“Just as I thought,” Triton agreed. “So, what’s the deal with her?”

“She was the one I … you know …” Did, he wanted to say but couldn’t. Dio took a breather and slumped down on the sofa. Ariadne had lied to him about everything. Not only were they not engaged, they’d also had sex—pretty mind-blowing sex from what he remembered clearly now—and they had certainly not practiced abstinence like she’d had him believe.

Why in Hades had she made all this up? He’d broken up with her that night, so why would she even bother him after that? He’d walked away from her, because she was better off without him. At least that’s what he’d thought then. But he’d gone about it the wrong way. He’d been about to go to her and make her understand his reasoning when …

“She sent those two goons after me to beat me up.” Why had she done that? Had she set it all up so she could nurse him back to health and make him fall for her in the process?

“Who? Hera?” Hermes asked.

“Keep up with me, will you? Ariadne, of course.”

Hermes chuckled. “Your fiancée had you beaten up?”

Dio glared at his friend and clenched his jaw shut. “She’s not my fucking fiancée!”

“She was ten minutes ago.”

Dio shot up from his seat and pounced, slamming Hermes against the wall as he held him by his throat. “Another stupid word out of your mouth, and I’ll wipe that idiotic grin off your face. Permanently.” It was bad enough to wrestle with the warring emotions inside him; he wasn’t in the mood to justify his actions to his friends.

“Dio, let him go,” Triton said calmly. “We all know who you’re angry with, and it’s not Hermes.”

Dio dropped his grip. “Sorry.”

Hermes gave him a shove and pushed away from the wall. “You seemed a lot nicer when you didn’t remember who you were.”

Dio stopped in his tracks. Was it true that he’d been a more agreeable guy when he’d had amnesia? Or had Ariadne tried to turn him into some docile pet? “If she thinks she can turn me into some pussy-whipped doormat, she’s in for a surprise.”

“Who are we talking about now?” Hermes asked, pulling his t-shirt straight.

“The woman who made Dio think he’s engaged, and if I remember correctly, he also said he’s in love with her.” Triton leaned nonchalantly against the window frame.

“Bullshit!” Dio protested maybe a bit too loudly, trying to hide what lurked behind his outburst. “I’m not in love with that scheming, lying, annoying …” Darn sexy, hot temptress. “… woman.” He took another deep breath. “How dare she lie to me like that? What have I ever done to her to warrant such deviousness?” He was seething with anger. “Oh, I’ll give her a wedding! But there won’t be a groom!”

He caught Hermes and Triton exchanging a knowing look. “What?”

Hermes cleared his throat. “If she’s the woman you had sex with the night of Triton’s wedding, I believe you were planning on dumping her the next morning.”

“Well, of course!” He didn’t do relationships. Everybody knew that. A small ball of guilt formed in his stomach and worked its way north. From Ariadne’s reaction the day after, he realized she hadn’t known. No, she’d assumed that they had something more permanent. “She should have known.” But there was no conviction in his words, because the memories of that night were gnawing at him. He’d felt something with her. A closeness he’d enjoyed, a warmth that he’d wanted more of. But instead of owning up to it, he’d shied away from those foreign emotions and dumped her. What a heartless bastard he was.

“Guess she figured she’d get back at you for that when she realized that you had amnesia.”

Dio nodded slowly, then let himself fall back on the sofa. It all made sense now. No wonder she didn’t want to sleep with him. “She told me we were abstinent.”

Both Triton and Hermes snapped their heads toward him and stared at him in disbelief. “Abstinent?” they both echoed.

Dio nodded grimly. “While I was without my memory, she was trying to convince me that we’d agreed not to have sex until we’re married.”

“Crafty!” Hermes slapped his thigh.

“If that’s not punishment then I don’t know what.” Triton couldn’t suppress his grin.

“I guess she’s had her fun.” Hermes sat down in the armchair opposite Dio and put his feet on the coffee table. “Can’t really blame her.”

“Can’t I?” Dio tilted his head. “And the fact that she told me that I work as a waiter in a restaurant? Do you know how hard that job is? My feet are killing me!”

“You, a waiter? I’ve gotta see that!” Then Hermes glanced at Triton. “I like that woman. I like her a lot!”

“Whose fucking side are you on?” Weren’t his so-called friends supposed to side with him? Ari had humiliated him, and Triton and Hermes were having a laugh at his expense.

“Listen, Dio,” Triton said calmly. “Let’s just put this behind us. I’ll call Eros and then we’ll have a nice boy’s night out and just laugh about the whole thing. Everything’s back to normal.”

Normal? Didn’t those two get it? Nothing was back to normal. The woman he thought himself in love with was a liar and a cheat. She’d made fun of him and had a good old laugh behind his back—probably with Natalie from the restaurant, because she had to be in on it to have pretended that Dio worked there. And they expected him to just let that go?

“I can’t go out tonight. I’ve got the evening shift at the restaurant.”

Hermes’ jaw dropped. “Didn’t you just say in not so many words that you hated that job? And besides, you’re a god.  Why would you work?”

Dio lifted himself out of the couch and strode to the door. “If I don’t go back to work, Ariadne will think something is wrong.”

“What in Hades are you planning?” Triton asked.

Dio tossed a look over his shoulder. “If you think I’m just going to let her get away with this, you don’t know me at all.”

Yet he couldn’t tell his friends that he didn’t recognize himself either. Somehow he’d changed. And so far, he didn’t know how to handle that changed man that now inhabited his body.

Chapter Twenty-Two

A day later, Dionysus asked Natalie for a night off, telling her he wanted to surprise Ariadne with a home-cooked meal. Judging by the smile on his boss’ face, his suspicion that Natalie was in on the whole charade was confirmed. The two of them had to be good friends for Natalie to continue pretending he was a waiter at her restaurant. So he decided to lay it on thick.

“She’s been so sweet and supportive through all this,” he claimed, “I really want to show her my appreciation. She works too hard, you know. It’s about time she puts her feet up and lets somebody else take care of her.” Oh, and he’d take care of her! That devious woman would get a taste of her own medicine tonight.

“That’s so nice of you.” Natalie practically drooled all over him. “Why can’t all men be like you?”

Dio curled his lips upwards. “She deserves it. What would I do without her?” For sure, he wouldn’t be slaving as a waiter or have gone without sex for an entire week!

Not to speak of the humiliation. If any of the other gods ever found out what she’d done to him, he’d never hear the end of it. Everybody on Mount Olympus would be howling with laughter. They’d add a new word to their vocabulary: Schadenfreude.

As Dio slammed the door to his apartment shut after his lunch shift, he let himself fall onto the couch. There was much to do. He’d already called Ari on his way home to tell her he needed to talk to her tonight. She’d sounded concerned, but he hadn’t given anything away.

“Servants,” he called out. A split-second later, three pint-sized fairies in colorful tunics appeared in his living room, bowing instantly.

“We are at your service, oh mighty god Dionysus,” the three fairies said in unison.

Dio grinned. That was more like it. “I have a special guest tonight. Tidy up the apartment. I want everything spotless.”

The servants bowed once more, and like whirling dervishes, they set to work. Their movements were so swift that Dio barely saw what they were doing. As if by magical hands, clothes and shoes disappeared into closets, dust cloths swiped over surfaces, magazines and newspapers were being stacked neatly, cushions were straightened, and garbage was collected.

The fairies were a mere blur to the human eye, but Dio’s superior senses were able to pick up their shapes, and even though he was used to them, he marveled at their efficiency. No wonder the creatures had been chosen to become the servants of the gods. Now that they were swirling around him, he realized how much he’d missed their presence.

Dio closed his eyes for a few minutes, trying to collect his thoughts. He’d been seething with anger the day before when he’d been with Triton and Hermes. He’d been too angry to even thank them properly for helping him get his memory back.

“Oh mighty god Dionysus, what other duties do you have for us?” the fairies asked.

Dio opened his eyes. “Set the table for a romantic dinner. I want flowers and candles, the usual frou-frou that women like.”

“It shall be done.”

“Red roses,” Dio added as an afterthought.

“As you wish.”

Before his eyes, the servants transformed the plain dining table into a feast for the eyes. A white cloth covered the surface. Silver-rimmed plates were framed by shining cutlery and crystal glasses. Rose petals were strewn on the table cloth and two silver candlesticks held red tapers. Dio smiled. He couldn’t have done it any better himself.

As the servants bowed before him once more, Dio nodded. “Very well done. Now, as for the menu: what can you suggest? Aphrodisiac foods mostly.”

“Aphrodisiac foods,” one fairy responded. “Asparagus, almonds, avocados, bananas, basil, chocolate, figs—”

“Prepare a starter with avocados, then an almond-crusted filet mignon with asparagus and a fig sauce, and as a dessert a chocolate mousse on banana cream.” His own mouth watered already at the delectable menu.

The servants stretched out their arms and an instant later, the dishes appeared on platters balanced on their palms. Dio stood and looked at the selection. There was a bowl with guacamole, and next to it a plate with perfectly sliced avocados, drizzled with a dark dressing. He pointed at it. “Add some basil, and lose the guacamole.”

Out of nowhere, chopped basil appeared on top of the avocado slices while the guacamole dish disappeared.

Then he moved onto the next platter. The filet looked perfect. “Good.” The asparagus next to it was shaved and grilled. “Very nice.”

The scent of the chocolate mousse wafted into his nose. “Delicious.”

Then he waved at the platters with his hand. “Deliver it at seven tonight. Invisibly please.” Then he remembered something. “Oh, and when you do that, make sure the kitchen looks like I’ve actually cooked this food here. That will be all.”

The servants bowed and were gone a moment later.

Dio stretched his arms over his head and yawned. Preparing for a romantic evening was exhausting. He needed a nap now.

***

When Ari entered Dio’s apartment, it looked like the Blitzkrieg had taken place right in his kitchen. As her gaze fell onto the beautifully decorated dining table, she realized why he’d wanted to see her: he was surprising her with a romantic dinner. And he’d even cooked it himself. She choked down her guilt. She’d been lying to him ever since he’d been beaten up, and what was Dio doing in return? He was lavishing her with luxuries like a home-cooked dinner. She should be ashamed of herself. If she confessed everything now, would he be very mad?

“You look beautiful.” Dio’s lips pressed a sweet kiss on her cheek. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.” His arm came around her and pulled her close to his chest.

She felt her own heart thunder at the contact. He was so male, so virile, and everything about him reminded her of their night together when their naked bodies had joined as one. She quickly pulled herself out of his arms not wanting to dissolve into a puddle of need. “This is beautiful.”

She took a few steps toward the dining area. “Did you do all this? For me?”

His footsteps echoed on the wooden floor as he moved behind her and snaked his arms around her waist. “I wanted to surprise you.”

Was she imagining it, or was his voice deeper and even sexier than before? It made her want to lean into him and let herself fall. “That’s sweet of you.”

“I hope you’re hungry.”

She nodded, and he finally released her. Another moment of his warm hands on her and she would have moaned. Why was she suddenly feeling so needy of his touch?

Ari watched him as he slipped behind the bar that divided the kitchen from the living and dining area and opened the wine fridge. He took out a bottle and was already uncorking it when she realized what he was doing.

“I thought you agreed not to drink anymore.” The words were out before she could stop herself. She noticed how his shoulders stiffened, and regretted that she’d come up with the stupid pretense of him having a drinking problem. Couldn’t she have come up with another excuse of why they’d decided not to have sex?

“The wine is for you, not for me.” He turned to her and smiled. “I hope you like Zin.”

It was her favorite varietal. But that wasn’t the reason why she felt like choking up. Dio was being selfless by offering her wine when he wouldn’t have any himself. He was really starting to listen to her and respect her wishes.

He poured a glass and handed it to her, his fingers grazing hers and sending an electrical shock through her body. “Th-thanks,” she stammered.

Something was different about Dio tonight. He seemed more self-confident, more sure of himself. She wondered if he’d accepted the fact that he had amnesia and decided to just deal with it. It seemed that he had no care in the world. At the same time, his gaze was more intense, and his body seemed to hum with energy. He was more like the Dio she’d dated, the one she’d fallen in love with.

She’d been attracted to his confident manner and his intensity. Some of that confidence seemed to be back, and even though she was worried that he might turn back into the uncaring man he’d proven himself to be when he’d dumped her, she felt drawn to him.

During dinner, Dio was the perfect host. And another thing was astonishing. “You’re an amazing cook.”

He raised a surprised eyebrow. “Do you mean to say that I’ve never cooked for you before?”

She shook her head and chewed on the filet, letting the different flavors mingle in her mouth.

“In all the months we’ve been together? I find that hard to believe.”

Ari avoided his scrutinizing look and feigned interest in the rose petals on the table cloth. “You’ve been working so much,” she lied. “You don’t get many evenings off.” A knot started forming in her stomach, and the delicious food had nothing to do with it. It was the guilt that gnawed on her. She was getting more and more entangled in her own lies. Before long, she would trip herself up and get caught in her own web.

“I guess that must be it.” He put his fork down on his plate and reached for her hand, sliding his index finger gently over her knuckles. “I promise to make more of an effort in the future. Besides, I really enjoy cooking, and if you like my concoctions, even better.”

His broad smile reached all the way to his eyes. Ari swallowed the last of her meat and forced a smile onto her lips. Dio was the nicest man, and she felt like a royal bitch. Surely, Dio had learned his lesson by now. Did she really need to continue with this? And who was it really hurting? Dio had no memory of what he’d done to her. She was only hurting herself by being with him.

Don’t stop now, the voice in her head commanded. You’ve almost got him where you want him.

Where did she want him?

“Something wrong, baby?” Dio’s concerned voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

She gave him a quick smile. “Just enjoying the food so much it makes me dream.”

“And you haven’t even had the best yet.” He rose and went to the fridge, pulling out two plates. As he approached, she recognized the contents.

“You’ve gone through the trouble of making chocolate mousse?” Her mouth gaped open as she looked at the beautiful creation of chocolate.

“From scratch.”

Her eyes filled with water. How could she be so mean to him when he was so sweet?

Dio set the plates on the table then pulled her up into his arms. “Shh, baby, what’s there to cry about?”

Ari sniffled. “You’re so nice.”

He chuckled. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be nice to my fiancée?” Then he tipped her face up and brushed his lips against hers. “How about we have dessert later?”

He didn’t wait for her answer but lifted her feet off the ground and moved to the couch where he dropped down, pulling her into his lap. “Does the chef get a little kiss for his efforts?”

Ari nodded slowly. A kiss couldn’t hurt, could it? And he did deserve it. He’d probably spent the entire afternoon preparing for this dinner. The least she could do was kiss him. And besides, they were engaged, well, fake-engaged.

She laced her hands behind his neck and raised her lips to his. “Thank you for dinner.” If she’d thought that this kiss would be sweet and short, she was mistaken. The moment her lips touched his, she felt drugged by his scent and wanted more.

Dio pressed against her, his lips firm and soft at the same time. When he angled his head and parted his lips, she lost all her good senses and allowed him to deepen the kiss. His tongue licked over her lips, making them part without her doing. As he dove into her and explored her, she remembered only one thing: how he’d made love to her that night.

He tasted of pure male, of spice and strength. His breath was hot and his tongue relentless as he danced with hers, giving her no reprieve. But she welcomed the assault on her senses and allowed his essence to engulf her.

Dio’s hands roamed her back. One of them slid higher and dug into her hair, cupping the back of her head to hold her closer to him while the other pulled at her blouse, releasing it from where she’d tucked it into her skirt. When his hand slid underneath it and touched the naked skin of her back, Ari gasped into his mouth.

For an instant, he released her lips and only hovered above them, never truly severing the contact. “By the gods, you feel good.” Then his mouth was crushing hers fiercer than before as if he’d only just realized how much he liked kissing her.

His fingers went under her bra strap and slid along it to her side, then continued to the front until his thumb hooked underneath it to caress the underside of her breast. Heat flared inside her as if somebody had turned on a furnace. Her heartbeat doubled, and her breath deserted her. She ripped her mouth from his to seek air.

“I love you, Ari,” Dio professed and grazed his thumb over her nipple. It hardened instantly.

She gulped down air as if she was drowning. She’d wanted to hear those words from him, and she wanted to believe them. Did he really believe himself to be in love with her? Was he in love with her now that he didn’t remember his previous life? “Oh, Dio!”

Dio worked the buttons of her blouse and pulled it away from her bra. Then he dipped his head and kissed her nipple through the gauzy fabric. His tongue licked over the hardened little nub, eliciting a strangled moan from her dry throat.

His fingers pushed the fabric aside, allowing his lips to connect with her naked skin. He nibbled, sucked, and licked, exploring, tasting, and mapping her breast. His hand captured her boob and squeezed it gently as he sucked more of it into his mouth, lapping against the nipple as if greedily devouring a cone of ice cream. His other hand wasn’t idle. She suddenly felt a release of pressure around her ribcage and realized that he’d opened the clasp on her bra. With ease, he pushed the fabric further down, giving himself more access.

Ari should have protested, but she couldn’t utter a single word. The way his lips and hands worshipped her required her undivided attention. While he sucked one nipple deep into his mouth, his fingers played with the other one, turning it as rock hard as a diamond stud.

Her entire body burned from the pleasure he showed her. Flames seemed to lick along her skin, scorching her, yet instead of pain there was pleasure. Electrical charges raced through her core, but instead of hurting her, they caused her body to grow dizzy with ecstasy.

Shaking with need, she felt the wetness between her legs and knew what she really needed, knew what Dio was able to give her. She had never felt such sexual satisfaction as with him, and she knew he could do it again. He could again make her feel amazing and drive her over the edge.

When she took hold of his hand and pried it off her breast, he protested with a loud rumble against her other breast but didn’t stop sucking her nipple. Ari ignored his protest and led his hand down her body and onto her thigh. He seemed to understand what she needed and moved down her leg until he reached the seam of her skirt. There, he reversed his travels and slid underneath it.

Ari let out a relieved sigh. “Yes,” she whispered and pressed herself closer to him. She felt a hardness against her outer thigh and knew what it was. Dio was getting as turned on as she was. His erection now pressed hard and heavy against her. Her mouth watered with the knowledge of what he could do to her with his cock. How he could fill her, how he would ride her and drive her wild.

A moment later, Dio’s fingers brushed against her panties—her very wet panties. A moan dislodged from his throat and bounced against her breast. Then his fingers rubbed against the fabric barrier, shooting a wave of urgent desire through her. She needed him now. She didn’t want to wait. And couldn’t.

When his fingers slid upwards where fabric met skin, she knew she would get what she wanted. One finger dipped between skin and panties, diving through her moist curls. Then a second finger joined the first and both slid lower. Her breath hitched, and her body stiffened in anticipation.

Dio released her nipple and lifted his head from her breast. At the same time, he withdrew his hand from her panties. “We’d better eat our dessert before it spoils.”

Disappointment spread like wildfire. “No, don’t stop.”

He put his finger on her lips. “You were right, Ari. It’s better if we wait until we’re married. Imagine how amazing our wedding night will be.” Then he gave her a chaste peck on the cheek. “I can’t wait.”

Disbelief joined disappointment as misery spread. Dio had rejected her when she’d offered herself to him. Why had she ever told him that they’d agreed to wait? It was the most stupid idea she’d ever had.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Dionysus had spent a near sleepless night tossing and turning after he’d escorted Ariadne home. Not taking her to his bed when she’d been practically begging him had been the hardest thing he’d ever done in his entire life. But this was part of his plan. He would reduce her to a puddle of need and make her fall in love with him, and then, only then, he’d reveal to her that he knew about her deception. He would humiliate her like she had humiliated him. Then they’d be even.

The only problem with his brilliant plan was that not only was he having a hard time stopping himself from making love to her, he felt like a total sack of shit for treating her that way, for leading her on. As if he’d developed scruples. Or maybe it was simply the fact that he couldn’t contain his desire for her, because no matter her deception and the games she’d played with him, it did nothing to quell the need to have her in his arms, to kiss her, touch her, and make love to her. Now that he remembered the one night they’d spent together in each other’s arms, he knew how good it would be with her. And he wanted it again.

He wanted to feel her writhing against him. He wanted to sense her heartbeat and feel her breath bounce against his lips. And tasting her again, by the gods, he needed that too. No wonder he’d thought himself in love with her during his amnesia. His body must have remembered what it was like with her and had yearned for more of it. Or was it more than just sense memory? Was he truly feeling things he’d previously thought himself incapable of? What if everything she’d made him believe in had turned into reality?

Dio took a deep breath. Her scent still permeated throughout his apartment. He doubted that it would ever completely vanish no matter how much time passed. His own hands still retained her scent. It drove him insane, making it impossible to ban her from his mind. Not even after he’d masturbated in the shower, imagining she was with him, had he been able to let go of her image.

He could only hope that once he’d executed his plan, he would finally be over his infatuation with Ari. Because that was what it had to be: an infatuation, nothing more serious.

It was almost sunrise when he finally fell asleep. The door bell ringing in the downstairs apartment jolted him from his sleep. When he turned his head and glanced at his watch, he reared up. Shit! He would be late for work.

He bolted from his bed, took the quickest shower in his life and resorted to his godly powers for the rest: one flick of his fingers dried him without a towel, another combed his hair, and a last one put a set of clothes on his naked body. Knowing his delay was already bad enough, he teleported to the alley behind the restaurant and used the entrance through the kitchen to get into the restaurant.

Luis, the Latino chef who was as wide as he was tall, tossed him an annoyed look. “Where the fuck have you been?”

“Hey, you’re not the boss of me!” Dio snarled back. If the idiot pissed him off any further, he’d turn him into a toad.

“No, but I am!” The curt tone in Natalie’s voice didn’t leave any doubt as to her mood.

He turned slowly and pasted an apologetic smile on his face. “So sorry, Natalie, but I walked Ariadne home after our dinner, and then I still had to clean up the kitchen.” Not entirely true since his servants had taken care of that by the time he’d returned home. But he figured the more he made it sound like it was all because he wanted to please Ari, the less grief Natalie would give him.

Warring emotions skidded over Natalie’s face until she finally nodded. “Fine, fine. It’s just bad timing. The dining room is full. I have no idea where all these people suddenly came from. They’re not even our regulars. There must be a convention of cover models in town, or something.”

Dionysus walked past her. “Don’t worry. I’ve got it covered.” Through the round glass in the door, he peered out into the restaurant. “Ah, shit!” he cursed.

Natalie pressed an apron into his hand, and he absentmindedly tied it around his waist. “See, what did I tell you? And they’re all ready to order.”

As if that was the problem! He would have happily served the entire population of Charleston, but the guests that occupied the tables right now were an entirely different cup of tea.

“What are you waiting for? Go.”

A shove from Natalie catapulted him into the lion’s den. Like wolves, they would devour him, and like hyenas they’d laugh at his expense. Because if the gods knew about one thing it was this: how to delight in another god’s humiliation.

Every table in the small dining room was occupied by a face he knew. Three nymphs sat in a corner, Orion shared a table with Aphrodite while Helius, Apollo and Ares had banded together at another. The goddesses Eos and Selene had taken seats at the bar, and his friends Eros and Hermes sat by a table at the door. At least he had two allies in the pack of wolves who had come to gloat.

Dio figured he should be grateful that neither Zeus nor Hera had shown up, even though he was sure that his evil stepmother knew full well that he was relegated to being a waiter. Sure, he could ditch the job right now, but that would also mean giving up his plan of getting his revenge with Ariadne, and he wasn’t prepared to trade for that.

“Waiter, we’re still waiting.” An impatient voice made him snap his head toward Orion, the god of hunters and Triton’s half-brother. But just because Dio was best friends with Triton didn’t mean he got on with Orion. Hell, not even Triton did.

Dio’s lips pressed into a thin line as he forced a snide remark back. He pulled in a deep breath and walked to Orion’s table. “Yes?”

Both Aphrodite and Orion chuckled, even though at least the goddess of beauty had the good graces to look somewhat embarrassed.

Orion met Dio’s stern stare. “Two glasses of your house Merlot, and I’ll have the steak, medium rare.”

Aphrodite pointed at the spot on the menu. “I’ll take the seafood salad.”

Dio shook his head. If they wanted to annoy him at his restaurant and make things difficult for him, he’d make the rules. “The steak’s tough. And the seafood salad is bland. I’ll bring you both seafood over grits.”

Orion opened his mouth and raised his hand in protest, but Dio cut him off. “It’s either that or you get out. Now.”

The standoff took a few seconds until Aphrodite put her hand on Orion’s arm and graced Dio with a warm smile. “Seafood over grits sounds perfectly delicious.”

Then Dio walked over to his friends and let himself fall onto the empty chair. Eros grinned. “Fancy seeing you work. Imagine my surprise when I heard—”

“Shut it, Eros, or I’ll deck you right here.”

“He means it,” Hermes added.

Eros crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Nobody is any fun anymore these days.”

Dio ignored him and instead glared at Hermes. “Can nobody keep a secret anymore? Not even my best friends?”

Hermes’ mock-innocent look would have gotten any actor fired. “You should have specified that you didn’t want this to be made known.”

Dio grabbed hold of the front of Hermes’ t-shirt and pulled him close. “I thought that went without saying. Maybe I should find other friends,” he hissed.

Hermes shook off his hold and straightened. “Eros is right, you’re no fun anymore. And besides, why do you always suspect me? If I remember correctly, our dear stepmother had a hand in this. She could have spread the news around.”

Dio’s eyebrows snapped together. Hermes was probably right. Hera was a bitch, and whichever way she could humiliate him, she would do it.

“So I hear this is all about a woman,” Eros interrupted.

Dio glanced at Eros as he casually leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs. “What’s it to you?”

“As the god of love, I have certain responsibilities. So if this is about—”

“It’s not about love. Not part of your territory. So, off you go.” Dio stood and made a shooing movement.

“Well, since I’m already here …” He glanced at the menu in front of him. “What’s good?”

“Seafood over grits,” Dio said automatically.

“I’ll take it.”

“Two,” Hermes added. “And some wine. What do you recommend?”

Remembering that Orion had ordered the house Merlot, Dio decided that everybody would get the same. At least that way he couldn’t possibly mix up the orders and embarrass himself. “The house Merlot is excellent. I’ll bring you two glasses.”

A whistle made him spin on his heels and face the offending party. Ares grinned at him. “Garçon, we’re getting impatient here.”

With two strides, he was at Ares’ table. “I’m not your Garçon!” Dio growled.

Ares exchanged a grin with Helius and Apollo. “But you are our servant today, are you not? So serve us.”

“I’m nobody’s servant!”

Ares looked pointedly at Dio’s apron. “You must be, because you’re wearing the apron.”

He and his table mates broke out in roaring laughter. The sound grated on Dio’s nerves. Fine, if they wanted to be served, he’d serve them—his way.

“The special today is seafood over grits,” he yelled over their laughter, shutting them up instantly.

“Sounds delicious,” Helius commented.

“I’ll have that,” Apollo said.

Ares nodded. “That’ll be all, boy.”

Dio’s hand clenched into a fist and the cords in his neck bulged, but he kept his temper in check. After taking the order for the Nymphs’ table, the two goddesses at the bar, and the other three tables also occupied by gods, he charged into the kitchen and placed the orders.

“Seafood over grits for everybody.”

Natalie raised an eyebrow. “Everybody? They all want the same? What are they, some group traveling together?”

“Something like that.” As the chef started the orders, Dio looked back at Natalie. “And a glass of house Merlot for everybody.”

“Well, that’s easy.”

Dio followed Natalie to the bar where he watched her pour the wine. Within five minutes, each guest had their wine and was patiently waiting for their food. Dio tried not to listen to their conversations, but his superior hearing made it nearly impossible not to. It appeared that the news about his humiliation at the hands of a mortal woman would have made the front page of the Olympus Enquirer if the gods actually had a newspaper. As it was, no such medium was necessary to spread the news. It was easier to tell one gossipmonger and within minutes, all of Olympus and beyond would be in the know.

Dio stalked into the kitchen and collected the first plates. He made a point of serving Ares and his friends last. As he balanced all three plates on his hands, a devilish thought crossed his mind. He carefully placed one plate in front of Helius and the other in front of Apollo before he affected a stumble.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Dio tipped the plate and lurched toward Ares, letting the steaming hot food drop into the war god's lap while he held onto the plate.

Ares shouted out in pain and jumped up, trying to get the hot, sticky stuff off his groin where it was probably singeing the family jewels. “What the fuck!”

Dio suppressed his grin. “So sorry! Let me help you cool that down.” He grabbed Ares’ half-full wine glass and tossed its contents at the front of Ares’ jeans.

Chuckles from the other tables already rippled through the restaurant.

Ares glared at him, his face read with rage. “You idiot!”

Dio smirked. “You wanted me to serve you. I’m afraid I forgot to mention that I’m not a very good waiter.”

The laughter from the other gods followed him as he retreated into the kitchen. Now the heat was off him, and Ares would be the butt of their jokes for the next hour.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Dio strolled along the shore and kicked another pebble into the water. He was at a loss as to how to proceed with Ariadne. He felt like an ass for how he’d behaved the other night, seducing her after the dinner and then leaving her hanging high and dry—and himself to—when she was about to surrender, when really what he wanted was to take her into his arms and tell her that he knew the truth.

But he couldn’t do that.

Ari had deceived him, manipulated him like the best of them, and now he had to get even. Besides, he couldn’t trust her. What kind of woman would send two goons to beat up the man she cared for? That, he couldn’t condone.

“I’ve never seen you so buried in your own thoughts that you don’t even sense another god approaching.”

Dio spun on his heels and faced his father. Today, Zeus was dressed in shorts and a simple polo shirt, and he made even that outfit look like coming straight from a fashion shoot.

“Zeus, what a surprise.” And not necessarily a good one. “What is it this time? Have you gotten bored up on Olympus, and gone looking for some bootie down here?” Might as well call it by its name.

“My dear son—”

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Whenever his father started with that phrase, a lecture wasn’t far behind. “Why don’t you go bother one of your other sons?”

Dio increased his speed, intent on leaving Zeus behind.

Zeus simply chuckled and easily adjusted to Dio’s half-jog. “We are so alike, yet so different.”

Different? No, he was a carbon copy of his father. No wonder he hated himself. “And in what way are we different, Zeus?” He hated calling him father, always had. “Maybe in the way we treat women? You screw them first, and I screw them later? Huh? Tell me!” he spat. “Or maybe you think we’re different because you litter this world with your offspring and I don’t?”

Dio had never gotten a woman pregnant. He couldn’t imagine making a child and then  leaving it and its mother to their own devices like his father had done so many times.

Zeus nodded. “I see you’re very angry right now. Could it have anything to do with that woman? What’s her name? Oh yes, Ariadne.”

Dio’s body tensed. “Leave her out of this and get to the point!”

“But she is the point.”

Dio stopped and turned to him. “What do you want? To fuck her too? Is that why you’re here? Don’t you think I’ve screwed her over enough on my own?” His stomach knotted.

When Zeus put his hand on Dio’s shoulder, he almost jumped out of his skin, surprised at the unexpected gesture.

“Son, I’m afraid Hera has interfered again.”

“You’re only just catching onto that?” Dio barked. The mere mention of her name made his blood boil. “She robbed me of my memory!”

“And I helped you gain it back,” Zeus claimed.

Dio jerked his shoulder from his grip. “You didn’t. I helped myself.”

Zeus tsked. “Who do you think sent that invitation your way so you’d find Triton?”

Dio’s mouth dropped open. His father had never helped him before. Why now?

“That’s right. I had to pull that card out of recycling and make sure you found it.”

Recovering from his shock, Dio rolled his shoulders. “Why not just come down and tell me?”

“I couldn’t be so obvious and alert Hera. Luckily, I managed to get her off my back for a short while to talk to you. You’re lucky she’s not aware yet that you’ve regained your memory, but she’ll find out sooner or later. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep her off your tail.” He made a face. “You have no idea about the sacrifices I had to make to keep her occupied so she couldn’t spy on you every minute of the day.”

Sacrifices? His father couldn’t possibly be talking about … “Eww!”

“Now, now. She’s not always as bad; you just have to figure out how to make her purr like a kitten.”

Dio raised his hand. He’d heard more than he ever wanted to know. “Please! I don’t need to know the details.” Just the image of Zeus and Hera, their bodies … eww, he couldn’t even complete the thought.

“Anyway,” Zeus continued. “Hera has been using your pretty little woman to get back at you.”

Furious at the thought that Hera was hurting Ari, he glared at his father. “I’m going to take Hera’s head off!” He clenched and unclenched his fist. “What has she done to Ari?”

“It’s more how has she manipulated Ari into taking revenge on you. You didn’t really think that your sweet girl actually came up with the whole charade herself, did you?”

“But she sent those guys after me to beat me up!”

Zeus arched an eyebrow. “You seem awfully sure about that.”

“Well, all evidence—”

Zeus made a dismissive hand movement. “—can be deceptive.”

Could he have gotten it wrong? “But those guys admitted as much …” Could they have lied? He had to find those guys, question them. “I need to—”

“All in good time. But our conversation isn’t over yet.”

“You don’t understand. If she’s not behind the beating, then I’ve done her wrong.”

Zeus chuckled. “Oh, you’ve done her wrong, all right. But not just about that. You hurt her before that.”

It was true, but Dio didn’t like hearing it from his father. “That’s rich coming from you. When have you ever not hurt a woman? So how can I help it? I’m your son!”

“It’s been a convenient excuse over the years, hasn’t it?”

Dio narrowed his eyes, not liking the direction the conversation was going in. “What are you saying? That I did it on purpose, that I acted out?”

“I’m saying that you’re scared.”

Before he knew what he was doing, Dio pounced on Zeus. They crashed into the sand. “Jerk!” Dio pulled his fist back to strike, but his father caught it in his palm and held him at bay.

“So much like your mother, all hotheaded and full of passion.”

“I’m nothing like my mother!” Semele had been weak. She’d loved Zeus, and it had destroyed her. No, he was nothing like his mother. He wouldn’t allow his emotions to destroy him.

Zeus looked past him into the distance. “Her love was so rich, so all encompassing, and more than I could take. Her heart was too big, and she didn’t know how to shield it from pain.” Then his gaze drifted back to meet Dio’s stare. “Yes, you’re very much like her: the same big heart, the same passion. Only you learned to hide those things.”

Dio jumped up, not wanting to hear any more. “That’s a crock of shit!”

Zeus rose and brushed the sand off his clothes. “Is it? Then why did you make all those rules for yourself?”

“What rules?”

“Your famous one-night-only rule. I get why you had to put that in place.”

Dio snorted. “I’m going to have to disappoint you, but there’s no particular reason behind that rule. I invented it to give the guys a laugh.”

Zeus shook his head. “Stop lying to yourself. You invented that rule so you would never experience love, so your heart would never warm to anyone.” He jabbed his finger into Dio’s chest. “Because you’re scared shitless that you’ll love the way your mother loved: body and soul, no reservations. And it scares you that you could fall in love with a woman who might not feel the same way about you.”

Dio stumbled back a few steps, his stomach lurching, his knees buckling. “No … no …” His breath deserted him. “You’re wrong.”

“I know you better than anybody. You’re my son, but you’re not like me. Yes, you’ve got your charm from me, but your heart, that’s your mother’s. It’s time you owned up to it.”

“I’m a womanizer. I’m unfaithful … I’m not good for any woman … Ari, she’s better off without me.” It’s what he’d believed all his life. He was what he was. “I’ll hurt her, just like you hurt those women in your life.”

Zeus smiled and put his arm around Dio’s shoulders. “Let me tell you something about that. Everybody believes that I left all those women after I’d had my fill and was tired of them. Truth is there were a few who gave me the boot. I just don’t go around advertising it.”

Stunned, Dio gaped at his father.

“And if you ever breathe a word of this to anybody, I’ll strike you down.”

“But you’re a philanderer.”

“Yeah, sure, I’ve got a problem with being faithful, but that’s simply because Hera is not the love of my life. We married because it was an important alliance to make, but if I’d had a choice, I would have married for love.”

“Are you trying to tell me that you think you’d be capable of being faithful if you’d married the right woman?”

He nodded. “I know that I am.”

The words stunned Dio into silence. This changed everything. He wasn’t predestined to follow in his father’s footsteps. Being Zeus’ son didn’t mean that women were better off without him, it didn’t mean that he would automatically hurt them.

Dio blinked. “I can love Ari.” And he could be faithful to her. He was capable of that. But would she love him? He’d made so many mistakes. “But what if she doesn’t love me?”

“That’s the risk we all take. But unless you open your heart and expose your feelings, you’ll never know.”

Then a disturbing thought surfaced out of nowhere. “Is Ariadne still under Hera’s influence?”

“On and off. I try to keep Hera distracted as much as I can, but even I need a breather occasionally.”

“Then how will I know who the true Ari is and which of her actions are because of Hera’s influence?”

“You have to appeal to Ari’s true self, to strengthen her trust in you so Hera’s influence will wane.”

Dio sighed. “Trust? If I tell her that I gained my memory back and know she’s been lying to me, I’ll destroy the confidence she has in me now.” He remembered the moment after he’d rescued that boy in the park and Ari had looked at him with admiration and affection. He realized that if he made her face her deception now, she would pull back. He had to make her fall in love with him first before he could reveal the truth. “She’ll be horrified at being caught lying to me, even though Hera manipulated her.”

“Then don’t tell her the truth yet. A few more days won’t matter.”

He hoped Zeus was right.

***

Dio finally found the two jerks in the same bar they’d been in the night they’d beaten him up. Once and for all, he needed to find out what had made Ari send those two goons after him. It had bothered him ever since he’d gained his memory back. But after his talk with Zeus, he knew he couldn’t delay this meeting any longer. Subconsciously he’d refrained from looking for them afraid of what they would confirm: that Ari had indeed sent them after him. As long as he didn’t know for sure he could continue in the hope that it had all been a misunderstanding and that she wasn’t vicious. But once his suspicions were confirmed—he shuddered at the thought.

All evidence pointed at Ari being the instigator of that fight. Hell, the two guys had said as much that night.

The two men occupied a corner table, and by the time they recognized Dio, he’d already blocked their escape route.

Dio leaned over the table. “Hello, boys. Let’s have a civilized chat, shall we?”

“What do you want?” The taller one was brave enough not to cower, but the other guy couldn’t stop his flinch in time.

Dio raised his hand. “I’m not in the mood to fight, not right now anyway.” A sign of relief washed over the two men, their shoulders visibly relaxing. “I have a few questions though.”

The shorter one seemed to have regained some courage. “ ‘bout what?”

“Ariadne.”

Two pairs of eyebrows snapped together. “Leave her alone. She doesn’t need somebody like you.”

Dio glared back at the taller one who’d spoken. “Is that what she told you?”

The guy leaned halfway over the table. “She doesn’t need to. It’s pretty obvious.”

“And you know that because you’re her best friend?” Dio fished.

The man deflated somewhat and pulled back a few inches. “We’re her best customers. And when she’s upset, we’re upset.”

“Customers? At her wine shop?”

Both nodded.

“So what did she pay you for it? A free case of wine?” Was that how little he was worth to her? A case of wine to beat the crap out of him?

“Pay us? We buy wine from her.” Confusion darkened their faces.

Clearly the two weren’t the sharpest tools in the shed. “For beating me up. What did she pay you for it?”

The two exchanged a look, then the taller one stared straight at Dio. “She didn’t pay us. We—”

“Ah, I see, you guys owed her a favor. Same difference.” Disappointment spread in his chest. If she had sent those two after him, then Ari didn’t care about  him.

“Are you daft, man? Why would Ari pay us? She doesn’t even know we beat you up.”

Dio jolted backwards. Ari hadn’t hired the two goons? She wasn’t responsible after all? Dio couldn’t stop a grin from forming on his lips. “Ari didn’t ask you to hurt me.” It wasn’t a question. “She didn’t tell you to beat me up.” Suddenly he felt all weight lifted from his shoulders. “But … but, why then? I didn’t provoke you that night.”

“We overheard your conversation.” He scratched his head. “But—” He exchanged a look with his partner. “Hell, we’re not really sure why we did it.”

The second guy nodded. “It just came over us. Maybe we had a little too much to drink.”

Dio had a suspicion what had come over the two guys: Hera. She had manipulated them just like she had manipulated Ari, his Ari wouldn’t hurt a fly and certainly not him. She was too sweet and kind. And she still felt something for him. And there was only one way to find out how deep those feelings ran.

Because now that he knew Ari hadn’t tried to hurt him, he could allow those feelings he’d suppressed to emerge. He could allow his heart to speak for him.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Dio entered In Vino Veritas, his eyes quickly adjusting from the bright afternoon sun outside to the more soothing lighting inside. His eyes scanned the shop. Several customers were browsing the shelves while Ariadne stood with her back to him, writing on a clipboard as she looked at the wine racks in front of her.

Lisa was ringing up a customer at the counter and lifted her head, smiling when she recognized him. “Hi—”

Dio cut her off by pressing his index finger against his lips, then winking at her. Lisa understood instantly and winked back. Ariadne had still not turned.

He crossed the distance between them without making a sound on the tile floor and stopped behind her. His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her into his chest. A startled gasp was her reply.

“I missed you, baby.”

“Dio!”  She turned her head, but he was faster and kissed the long column of her neck.

When she tried to wiggle out of his hold and underscored it with a more energetically spoken “Dio!” he chuckled to himself.

Ari turned in his arms and gave him an almost convincing glare—almost. But her cheeks were flushed. For once he was more than grateful for his superior hearing that picked up her accelerated heartbeat. No, his sweet fake fiancée wasn’t mad at him; she was turned on.

“We’re in the shop. So, behave.”

He smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek. “I am behaving.” Then he winked mischievously. “Do you want to find out what it looks like when I’m not behaving?”

Ari took a step back. “I’d rather not.” But the slight tremble in her voice said otherwise.

“Okay,” he agreed. But she’d see him misbehaving pretty soon anyway. There was no way around it. However, there was no need making her fret about it.

Ari cleared her throat. “Don’t you have to work?”

“I have a few hours off until dinner service. I wanted to spend them with you.”

She frowned at him. “I’m sorry, I really can’t.” She looked at her wristwatch. “I have to go shopping while it’s quiet in the store and Lisa can handle it on her own.”

“Shopping?”

“For a matching top to my suit. I spilled wine on the one I have, and it won’t come out.”

An idea quickly formed in Dio’s mind. “Why don’t I come with you?”

She stared at him as if he’d just offered to clean the store from top to bottom with a toothbrush. “You want to go clothes shopping with me?”

He nodded eagerly. “Sure. I seem to remember that I love shopping.” He couldn’t think of a more tedious task than going shopping with a woman, but he wanted to spend time with her.

***

Dionysus was carrying a heap of blouses, tank tops and tees over his arm and felt his impatience rise. But Ariadne was still not done making her selection. He almost regretted having offered to come shopping when she finally said the words he’d been waiting for for over half an hour, “Okay, I’m ready to try them on.”

As he followed her toward the fitting rooms, anticipation made his heartbeat kick up a notch. He needed a few minutes alone with her. By going clothes shopping with Ari, he’d worked up an appetite—for a kiss, or maybe two.

The sales woman, who stood at the entrance to the fitting rooms, looked at the mountain of clothes he was carrying, then gave Ari a reprimanding look. “We only allow eight items per customer at any one time.”

Seeing Ari’s disappointed look, Dio gave the woman his most charming smile. “Do you think you could make an exception just this once?” He locked eyes with her and saw her melt.

“Well, uh, … certainly.” Then she smiled at Ari. “Go right in. First booth on the left.”

Dio took a step past her, but was stopped instantly. “Women only past this point.”

He handed Ariadne the stack of clothes and hid his annoyance. “Here you go, baby.”

As his fake fiancée disappeared in the fitting room, the sales woman batted her eyelashes at him. Great! He didn’t need her attention right now. Neither did he need her hovering at the entrance to the fitting rooms, standing sentry like a nun at a catholic girl’s school.

A little diversion was needed so he could accomplish his plan. He spotted three teenage girls in the vicinity and knew just what to do. He sent a blast of energy toward them and made one of the display cases that held stacks of jeans collapse right in front of them. The fitting room guard next to him snapped her head toward the sound and gasped. She instantly rushed toward the scene. The girls shrieked and shot guilty looks in all directions.

Dio grinned. Mission accomplished. For a few minutes, she wouldn’t bother him. And a few minutes was all he needed.

Casting a glance to both sides, he made sure nobody noticed as he stalked into the fitting room area and stopped in front of the first booth on the left. He tried the knob without making any noise. It didn’t turn. Ari had locked the door. Closing his eyes for a moment, he envisioned the inside of the door mechanism and turned the lock with his mind. When he tried the door knob again, the door opened. He squeezed inside quickly and shut it behind him, locking it in the same instant.

“Dio!” Ari gasped in shock and held a blouse against her chest. “How did you get in here?”

He grinned and let his gaze travel over her body. “The door was unlocked.”

“I locked it,” she protested.

He shrugged and leaned closer. “Shh, you don’t want us to attract attention and alert the Fitting Room Nazi, do you?”

“You shouldn’t be in here.”

While her words indicated protest, her face flushed prettily. She moistened her lips and Dio followed the movement, feeling himself harden from the simple action.

“I want to watch you dress.” Or undress.

Ari cast her eyes down, but he tipped her chin up with his fingers and made her look at him. “You’re beautiful. Why don’t you model for me?”

“I’m not a model. I have too much fat on my—” Her hand went to her stomach.

He shook his head, stopping her from saying anything further and put his hand over hers. “A man likes something to hold onto.” Then he turned her to face the mirror and stood behind her. He took the blouse from her hands and dropped it on the bench.

All she wore was a short, swinging summer skirt and a bra. The bra was nothing fancy, but a simple cotton bra. He’d never seen anything more innocent. “Look at you.” Both his hands trailed to her hips. “You have beautiful curves any skinny teenage girl would kill for.” Then his hands moved up her torso, and he felt her suck in a breath.

When his fingers reached the underside of her bra, he slowed his movements and noticed her chest rise and fall rapidly. Gently, he slid his palms over her, cupping her firm globes. In the mirror, he watched as her lips parted on a breath.

“You shouldn’t do that,” she whispered.

“You have beautiful breasts, firm and soft. The perfect size. I love feeling their weight in my palms.” He lowered his mouth to her ear. “I’m going to relieve you of your bra now, because breasts like these shouldn’t be hidden.”

If she wanted to protest, she made no visible attempt. Dio opened the clasp at her back, but didn’t drop her bra straps. Instead, he moved his hands to her front again, wanting to savor the moment when he revealed her beautiful boobs to his view.

He noticed how she had dropped her lids again. “Look in the mirror, baby. Let me show you how beautiful you are.”

Her head lifted, and their gazes collided in the mirror. Watching her reaction, he slid his fingers underneath her bra. Inch by inch, he advanced until both her globes were captured in his hands, their hard nipples pressing into his palms.

“Now take your bra off,” he instructed, feeling himself get hot.

“Dio, we should stop.” Her pleading look was negated by the way she pressed her breasts against his palms, seeking a deeper connection. He squeezed the firm flesh in response, causing a quick breath to rush from her lungs.

“Please.” He pressed a kiss against her neck, noticing that her skin was as hot as his. “Let me see how beautiful you are.” Dio lifted his palms and took her stiff nipples between thumb and forefinger, rolling them with light pressure.

Her breath hitched, and her backside ground into him, the action sending a bolt of fire right into his balls.

“Off, now!” Dio gritted out, and finally her hands came up and pulled on the bra straps, dropping the useless garment to the ground. He moved his hands to the underside of her breasts and shelved them, presenting them to the mirror and to his own hungry view.

His eyes were as filled with desire as he’d ever seen them, and his erection pressed hard and heavy against her sweet bottom. He met her eyes in the mirror, desire and lust shining back at him. Her flushed face and parted lips were even better than he’d imagined. There was more passion in this woman than she wanted to show anybody, least of all him. But he was teasing it out of her, one gasp and one moan at a time.

“Look at you.” His eyes trailed appreciatively over her curves. “Perfect.” His thumbs stretched upwards and stroked over her taut peaks. “What beautiful nipples. When I tasted them the other night …” He planted open-mouthed kisses along the graceful column of her neck, which she so obligingly tilted to the side to give him better access. “… I couldn’t get enough. Just like now.”

Dio kneaded her breasts as she moaned softly.

“I was an idiot to stop the other night.”

Her half-lidded eyes flew open and collided with his gaze, her mouth forming into a perfect ‘O’.

“Yes, you heard right. I should have made you come with my hands and my mouth. You wanted that, didn’t you?” He pinched her nipples lightly.

“Yes.” Her hand reared up to cover her mouth, and he understood that she hadn’t wanted to admit this to him. But he’d heard it nevertheless.

Dio took her earlobe between his lips and nibbled. “I wanted it too. I wanted to feel you come apart in my arms.”

He raised his eyes and stared into the mirror, watching as he slid one hand down her torso, smoothing it over her skirt. Without haste, he settled his hand over her sex and felt warmth radiate into his palm. Gently, he pressed her back against his cock, which strained desperately against his zipper, the metal teeth of it digging into his sensitive flesh. But he welcomed the pain, because it was the only thing that kept him from ripping her remaining clothes from her body and burying himself in her.

He bunched the fabric of her skirt in his fingers and pulled it up to slide his hand underneath. Her plain cotton panties were no barrier. Damp with her arousal, they were an invitation to explore her further. He pushed them aside and slid underneath, finding her wet heat with the unerring precision of an experienced marksman.

The moment his fingertips connected with her warm flesh, he closed his eyes, unable to watch his own actions for fear he would explode inside his boxers. But he couldn’t stop himself from caressing her further. Her flesh was so soft and warm, so wet and inviting, not even a chariot drawn by a hundred horses could have pulled his hand away.

He felt Ariadne’s head drop back against his chest, her breathing ragged and uneven, and couldn’t deprive himself of the sight any longer. What he saw in the mirror took his breath away. Ari was more beautiful than he’d ever seen her. The light sheen of perspiration on her skin made her entire body radiate with lust and desire. Her lips were parted, her tongue darting out to moisten them. Hardened nipples sat on top of her firm breasts, breasts that clearly needed no bra to hold their form.

Dio dropped his gaze lower to where his hand reached underneath her skirt, but the fabric obstructed his view. It wouldn’t do. He needed to see her.

With his other hand, he swiftly opened the button of her skirt, then clumsily pulled down the zipper. A whimpered protest left her lips as he removed his hand from her sex to drop the skirt, but a moment later he was back, sliding her panties down enough to expose the dark blond thatch of hair.

“Gods, you’re beautiful.”

He watched as his hand slid between her legs once more and as she widened her stance to allow him better access. “Such a beautiful pussy,” he whispered into her ear and stroked along her folds. “I need to be inside you and feel you.” With his finger, he probed and very slowly drove into her.

She trembled against him. “Dio, we shouldn’t … we can’t …”

But her protest was accompanied by her body grinding against him and her interior muscles clenching around his finger.

“We need to. You need this … we both do.” And by the gods, how he needed to touch her. As his finger thrust into her then withdrew again, he recognized how much he needed to feel her in his arms, to explore her, to make her come. Yes, especially that: to make her come. He needed to see and feel her come apart in his arms. He wanted her to understand what he could give her, what heights he could take her to.

Withdrawing his moist finger, he drew it further up and brushed against the engorged bundle of flesh that hid at the base of her curls. His stroke was light, but Ari’s body jolted nevertheless, her lips releasing an uncontrolled moan.

“Yes, baby,” he encouraged her. “Tell me what feels good.” But he didn’t really need to hear her words, because her body was speaking to him more loudly. Every breath, every movement told him what she wanted, what she liked.

He rubbed his thumb against her clit and plunged his finger back into her tight channel. He still remembered how tight she’d been when he’d made love to her that night, how she’d gripped him and wrung every last drop of his seed from him. Gods, how he’d loved that, just like he loved it now that she did the same to his finger.

Dio looked at her face, noticing that her eyes were still closed. Even though he wanted her to look in the mirror at what he did to her, he didn’t ask her to open her eyes, afraid that she would be embarrassed and shut him out. And he wasn’t going to stop. Later, when they were at his place, he’d take her in front of his full length mirror and make her watch as he thrust his cock in and out of her. He’d make her watch as he touched her clit and made her come, just like he watched now.

Whether it was the location or the way Ari let herself go in his arms, he didn’t know, but he’d never been this turned on in his life. Touching her and feeling her respond to him with such abandon drove him to the edge. His fingers worked her frantically and his thumb rubbed over her clit in a rhythm she set for him until her breath stuttered and her interior muscles spasmed. As her orgasm broke, Dio slowed his strokes but didn’t sever the contact, riding out the waves with her.

He’d hoped that making her come would be enough for him, but it wasn’t. He needed to be inside her, to feel her clenching sheath around his cock, a cock that ached now to the point of pain.

With his free hand, he opened his pants.

“Are you all right in there? Can I get you anything else?”

Ari jumped, her eyes flying open instantly.

Shit! That annoying saleswoman was back, and her timing sucked!

“Uh …” Ari cleared her throat. “I’m fine. Thanks.”

“Okay then, I’ll be out in the front if you need anything.” He listened for the footsteps and heard her walk away.

Ari frantically grabbed her clothes. The expression on her face was one of utter embarrassment. Dio stopped her and pulled her back into his arms. “Baby, there’s nothing wrong with what we did.”

She met his look in the mirror then. “We decided to wait.”

Without thinking, Dio let the next words emerge, unable to stop himself. “I’m done waiting. Let’s set a wedding date. I want to marry you, the sooner, the better.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Natalie dropped her coffee cup so loudly onto the table, half the customers in the coffee shop turned their heads to them. “He said what?”

Ari lowered her voice. “He wants to set a wedding date. For next week.” In her mind, the scene in the fitting room replayed. She’d never felt so horny in her life. Maybe it was the aftereffect of what Dio had done to her the other night: kissed her senseless and left her unsatisfied. Perhaps she could use that as an excuse why she had let herself go in the least likely of all places.

It had been a stroke of luck that the saleswoman had interrupted when she had. A second later, and she and Dio would have made love right there. Hell, he’d already made her come. She hadn’t been able to resist his touch and his kisses, nor the things he’d said to her.

But his demand after the saleswoman had interrupted them had come as an utter shock.

“Well, isn’t that what you wanted?” Natalie lifted both eyebrows.

“No!” Yes. “Not like this. He thinks he’s in love with me.”

“I’d consider that a good thing.”

“But it’s all a lie. He thinks he’s in love with me because I told him so. He doesn’t love me. He thinks he loves me because he thinks we’re engaged. And now he wants to get married. What am I gonna do?” How could this situation have deteriorated so fast? She’d only told a few little lies. And they’d turned into a mountain of disaster.

“Marry him?”

Ari glared at her friend. “You can’t be serious. I can’t marry a man who doesn’t love me. Besides, he’s lost his memory. I can’t take advantage of somebody like that.”

“Don’t you think your scruples are coming a little late? If I remember correctly, I warned you at the outset, but you didn’t want to listen.”

Ari dropped her head in her hands. “I have to tell him.”

“He’ll be furious. That is if he even believes you.”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

Natalie leaned forward. “Because he still hasn’t recovered from his amnesia. What makes you think he’ll believe you if you say you’re not engaged? All he knows is what you told him from the beginning. He’ll cling to that.”

Could her friend be right? “What are you suddenly, a nurse?”

Natalie tapped her finger against her temple. “Common sense. Think about it for a moment: he woke up after the fight, and the first person he sees is you. And you tell him lies.”

Ari wanted to protest, but every word her friend was saying was true.

“And then you act on those lies. You pretend he has a job with me and—”

“I was doing you a favor!”

Natalie grinned. “Thanks, but that wasn’t the point I was trying to make.”

“Then what is your point?” Ari felt herself grow impatient.

“You made sure that everything you told him was backed up by actions. You guys have chemistry together, otherwise I’m sure he wouldn’t have practically kissed you into submission after the fabulous dinner he cooked for you and—”

“Hey, he didn’t kiss me into submission. There was no submission.”

“There would have been if he hadn’t stopped.” Natalie held up her hand to stave off another protest. “And don’t even deny it. I know you. So you’ve been doing everything to make him believe in your lies, and now you decide to go ahead and tell him the truth? What is he supposed to think?”

Ari straightened. “He’ll believe it. He has to.”

Natalie shook her head. “He’ll think that you got cold feet and don’t want to marry him anymore.” She leaned back, then a second later, she shot forward on her seat again. “Or, he’ll think that because he lost his memory, you don’t love him anymore and want to get rid of him.”

“That’s ludicrous. He has no reason to believe any of that.”

“Then he has no reason to believe you either. Don’t you see? By telling him the truth now, you’re only making things worse. If you care for him at all, then don’t tell him. With his memory gone, he’s got nothing else in his life: no friends, no family. He needs you now.”

Ari let Natalie’s words sink in. Did Dio really need her? Did Natalie’s words have any merit? “You wouldn’t just say that so he continues working as your waiter, would you?”

Natalie gasped. “I can’t believe you just asked that!”

“Can’t you? So, tell me then, have you advertised for the job yet?”

Natalie’s gaze drifted away, a sure sign that she was looking for an excuse. “Really, I’ve been too busy, and then there’s the inspection by the food and entertainment commission next week and—”

“Uh-huh. You are such an opportunist, you know that?”

A sheepish grin crossed Natalie’s features. “Hey, he needs a job. And who knows how long he’ll suffer from amnesia? The customers like his, shall we say, refreshing charm.”

Ari had to agree: Dio had charm, tons of it, and he was constantly using it to soften her up. But that didn’t help her with finding a solution to her situation. “What now? I can’t just continue this way. I can’t marry him under false pretenses.”

“Then you’ll have to stop him from setting a date.”

***

The minute Dio turned his key in the lock, he knew somebody was waiting in his apartment. He also knew who—a god’s aura was unmistakable, and this god’s signature he knew better than others. There were times when he really hated it that gods could simply teleport to whatever location they pleased. This was one of those times.

Dio adjusted his still-hard cock in his pants and pushed the door open, hoping Eros wouldn’t notice the bulge and keep his snide remarks to himself. Just like he hoped that his friend wouldn’t stay long, because what Dio needed was a shower. And a handjob.

“About time,” Eros greeted him from his comfortable position on the couch, his feet resting on the coffee table.

“Do you mind?” Dio tossed a pointed look at Eros’ feet.

“Yeah, new shoes, like ‘em?” Eros grinned unashamedly knowing full well that Dio hadn’t commented on his shoes.

Dio plopped down next to him and shoved his feet off the coffee table, then propped his own feet up on it.

“Hey! You’re putting yours up there.”

“Get your own table, then you can do what you want.”

Eros glared at him. “Fine.” A second later, a smaller coffee table appeared in the living room. Eros shoved Dio’s table further away and placed the smaller table right in front of him before putting his feet up.

Dio rolled his eyes. “What do you want? I don’t have much time.” He glanced at his wrist watch. “I have to be back at the restaurant in a couple of hours.”

“Then let me make it quick,” Eros said pleasantly. “YOU’RE AN ASSHOLE!”

Dio’s eardrum almost exploded as he instinctively jumped toward the edge of the couch. “What the fuck?”

“You’re playing with her feelings.”

Dio didn’t have to ask who Eros meant by ‘her’. “None of your fucking business.”

Eros leaned over and drove his index finger into his chest. “Now that’s where you’re wrong, dead wrong. I’m the god of love, and I’d be a shabby excuse for a god if I didn’t take care of my responsibilities. And love is my responsibility.”

“Don’t interfere, I’ve got everything under control.” He hated it when Eros got all high and mighty about love as if he was the only one who knew anything about it.

“I interfere when I have to. She’s still pining for you. And what do you do? You lead her on and make her believe you want her. But no, that’s clearly not enough for you, is it?” Apparently Eros’ rant wasn’t over yet. “You have to make her believe that you want to marry her.” Eros jumped up and towered over him. “Are you out of your mind?”

She’s still pining for you. But could she love him despite the things he’d done to her, despite the callous way he’d dumped her after their amazing night together? Did she have it in her heart to forgive him?

“Shut up, Eros! I know what I’m doing.”

“The hell I will!”

Dio’s mind went back to the fitting room, but not to the time when he’d seduced her, but to the moment after they’d been interrupted. His demand to set a wedding date had been automatic. After talking to his two attackers he’d started seeing possibilities that were previously outside his reach. And then when he’d felt Ari in his arms in the fitting room, he’d realized that there was only one satisfying conclusion to the situation they were in.

“I want her,” he ground out and glared at Eros.

Eros responded with a shocked stare. “And that gives you the right to hurt her?”

“I’m not hurting her.” Not anymore. From now on he’d do anything to make her happy. He’d already started with it in the fitting room. He’d never seen a woman in such ecstasy. And it was a sight he wanted to behold again.

“If you continue with this charade, I promise you I’ll go to Zeus.”

The threat hung in the air like the scent of stale smoke the morning after. Had Dio not spoken to Zeus very recently, he would maybe have taken the threat seriously, but as it was, his father was on his side—for a change.

“You don’t understand, Eros. I love her.” It was surprising how easily the words rolled off his tongue. So easy, that he felt compelled to repeat them. “I truly love her. She’s all I want.” While the words were foreign to him, the feeling they created in his chest was the same he knew when Ari was in his arms. A sense of peace swept over him. It felt good to feel a cocoon of warmth and waves of affection wrap around him at the thought of her.

“You love her?” Eros gave him a strange look. And for a long time he said nothing. Then he opened his mouth again. “By the gods, I never thought I’d see it, but it must be true.”

Dio nodded, the knot in his throat preventing him from speaking.

“Well, then I guess we’ll have a wedding to plan.” Eros slapped him on the shoulder and grinned. “Wait until Hermes and Triton find out.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ari fidgeted with the spaghetti strap of her summer dress. Dio had told her that he had a surprise for her, and lately she wasn’t sure whether she liked surprises.

She gave him a sideways glance as they walked down Battery Street, which bordered on the water on one side and was lined with large homes on the other. Dio held her hand in his, and to everybody watching they looked like an ordinary young couple taking a walk on a summer afternoon. Because nobody could see the turmoil inside her.

She’d spoken to Natalie again, but all her friend had done was try to convince her that Dio had changed, that the loss of his memory had made a better man out of him. She swore that she’d seen it in him at the restaurant: how hard he worked, and how nice he was to the guests. She was singing his praises from here till Sunday.

Ari had to admit that she’d seen similar changes in him. The dinner he’d cooked for her had been delicious and the presentation downright exquisite. He must have spent hours preparing everything. No man had ever gone through so much trouble for her. And before the shopping afternoon had gotten out of hand in the fitting room, he’d been the sweetest man, patient and accommodating, while she’d searched through rail after rail to find the perfect garment. Not even Natalie would have been as patient, and her best friend loved shopping—but evidently only shopping for herself.

Dio truly behaved like the perfect fiancé. He called her at least twice a day just to ask how her day was going and to say hi. And when he wasn’t kissing her senseless or touching her with his sinful hands, he was even the perfect gentleman. Not that she always wanted him to be a gentleman. His touch and his kisses had awakened desires in her so fierce and so impossible to suppress that they overrode her brain, blowing her common sense to smithereens. That had to be the reason for it, otherwise she wouldn’t still be clinging to the lies she’d invented just so she could spend more time with him.

What she should do was to finally tell him the truth and weather his anger before this entire charade blew up in her face. Already now things were getting dicey. While he hadn’t mentioned setting a wedding date since the incident in the fitting room, she knew him too well by now to believe that he’d forgotten about it.

“Here we are,” Dio said softly next to her, making her look at the house they’d stopped at.

She read the sign on the outside. Olympus Inn, B&B it said. Confused, she stared at him. “What would we want at a Bed and Breakfast?” Panic sliced through her when she feared the worst: he was planning to have them spend the night together. Her heart instantly stopped at the thought. If she had sex with him, she’d never be able to leave him. And then? Her heart would be broken once he left her. Because she knew he would. He had the first time. What if history repeated itself?

“It’s a surprise.”

Ari froze in place until he tugged at her hand. “No. Dio, we have to talk about something important.” It was now or never.

His expression was stunned for a moment, but then his lips curled up into a smile. “You’re thinking that I’m taking you to a B&B for some afternoon … shall I say … delight?” Then he shook his head and brushed a light kiss on her cheek before moving his mouth to her ear. “My sweet Ari, if I’d known you had ideas like that, I would have made arrangements, but alas, I wasn’t planning on sex this afternoon.”

She felt her face flush and her entire body heat at his lusty suggestion. How could he have misconstrued her words so easily?

When he pulled back and looked at her, she noticed a twinkle in his eyes, but not even his accompanying chuckle could get her heart rate down to normal. Like a jackhammer, her heart beat against her ribcage trying to jump out of her body and merge with his. Oh God, she was in so much trouble. Dio only had to look at her, and her knees turned to jell-o. And judging by the grin on his face, he was fully aware of his effect on her.

Yep, she was screwed.

Dio led her into the house and up the old wooden staircase before he turned on the second floor and followed a sign saying, ‘Reception’.

Behind an unassuming desk with a computer screen and an assortment of brochures and papers, a tall blond man rose to his feet. His tanned skin was in perfect contrast to his ocean-blue eyes and sunny smile. She couldn’t imagine that this man spent his days cooped up in a B&B when his entire appearance screamed ‘beach’. Even his khaki shorts and casual t-shirt suggested that he was about two minutes away from heading out to the ocean.

“Dionysus Theos,” Dio introduced himself and stretched out his hand to the man. “I called earlier.”

The innkeeper raised an eyebrow then shook Dio’s hand. “Triton Waters. My wife Sophia and I own this B&B.”

Then he glanced past Dio and ran his eyes over Ari. His scrutinizing look made her shiver for an instant. She felt as if being inspected for quality control. Was this place some sort of exclusive guesthouse where only the ‘A’ crowd was allowed in? She was about ready to tug at Dio’s arm and drag him out of this place when Triton gave her a charming smile.

“And I’m assuming this lovely lady is the fiancée you mentioned on the phone?” he asked and rounded the desk to shake her hand.

“Yes, this is Ariadne Taylor, my wonderful fiancée. I wouldn’t know what to do without her.”

Ari felt like a fraud as she took Dio’s words in. If he only knew how she’d been deceiving him in the last couple of weeks. At the same time, she couldn’t imagine not being with him.

“Very pleased to meet you,” Triton said as he took her hand and squeezed it firmly. Then he looked past her shoulder, and his eyes suddenly shone with something she didn’t know how to interpret. “And here’s my wife.”

When Ari turned to look at the woman who’d entered the reception area behind them, she saw the same look in her eyes and realized instantly what it was: love. As the dark-haired woman tore her gaze from her husband, she took a step toward Ari and extended her hand.

“I’m Sophia. Why don’t we all go out on the balcony? I’ve had Alice prepare iced tea and cookies for us.”

Ari wanted to protest, finding the entire situation more than strange. Why would these people want to sit down with her and Dio and have iced tea? When she felt Dio’s hand on her arm, pulling her with him as they walked to the doors that led to the balcony, she couldn’t help but whisper to Dio, “What’s going on?”

He gave her a quick sideways glance. “In a minute.”

Moments later, she was seated next to Dio on a two-seater Rattan couch, a glass of iced tea in her hand. She led the cold beverage to her lips, glad to have something to wash away the odd feeling of impending disaster that had crept up in her.

Sophia looked at the day planner she held in her hand, twisting a pen between her fingers. “I’ve already blocked out the date, exactly one week from today, so I guess, we should discuss what features you’d like for the wedding ceremony.”

Ari choked on the iced tea, spitting the liquid onto the floor in front of her, only narrowly avoiding Sophia’s pretty sandals and painted toenails. Wedding ceremony? “What?” Her one word question came out in a croak, the tea that had run down her windpipe preventing her from forming any more syllables.

As she coughed to expel the hastily swallowed liquid, Dio gently slapped his hand on her back to help her. She jerked her head to look at him, no, make that glare at him! How could he? His sheepish grin said everything. Yes, he was definitely done with waiting, so much was clear. He wanted to get married now, in one week, because he wanted to have sex.

“Are you all right, baby?”

God, why had she ever come up with that stupid excuse of requiring abstinence until marriage? She had to have known that it would never work. And now Dio had beaten her at her own game: he’d simply set a wedding date to get around her idiotic idea. What now? How would she get out of this mess?

It took her precious seconds to get her breath back and with it her voice. “Dio, I think we should talk about this in private.”

“We’ve discussed this.” He gave her a curt smile, then turned back to their hosts. “We don’t want anything too big, just family and our closest friends. An intimate gathering.”

At the word ‘intimate’ Dio ran his eyes over her body, making her break out in a hot flash and reach for the iced tea once more. “This is all happening too fast,” she protested.

“It was the same for us,” Sophia commented.

Ari looked at her and Triton and saw them exchange a loving smile.

Dio laid his hand over hers and squeezed it. “When it comes to love, there’s no timetable.”

Before Ari could tear her gaze away to look at Dio, she caught Triton’s brows snapping together as if he disapproved of something. She dismissed the idea instantly, considering that hosting a wedding at the B&B probably earned him and his wife a pretty penny.

“Dio, we shouldn’t be hasty about this.” She gave him a pleading look.

“Hasty?” Dio led her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. The soft press of his lips sent a wave of warmth through her body. “We’ve been engaged for how long? Seven months?”

She wanted to shake her head and scream ‘no’, but instead told him, “Yes.”

“That’s a long enough engagement.” Dio turned his head to the innkeepers. “I hear you’re newlyweds. How long were you engaged?”

Triton shot them a surprised look. “That’s hardly comp—”

“Less than three months.” Sophia’s answer collided with Triton’s evasion.

Ari groaned inwardly. Those two were no help. If anything, they gave Dio even more ammunition to charge forward with a wedding. Who on earth got married after a three months engagement? Even the seven months she and Dio were engaged for seemed short.

Hell! What was she thinking? They weren’t even engaged, not seven months, not three months, not even a day! Yeah, maybe that was why she was panicking right now: because Dio was planning a wedding, her wedding! and he had no idea that they weren’t even engaged. This was so wrong on so many levels.

“Will the bride be wearing white?” Sophia’s voice penetrated Ari’s mind what seemed like hours later. Before her addled brain could form an answer, Sophia continued chattering. “What am I saying? Of course, you’ll be wearing white. I can recommend a great boutique.”

Ari grasped at the straw she recognized in Sophia’s words. “I think we’ll have to postpone. One week is not enough time to get a dress fitted. These things take time.” She shot Dio a pleading look. “None of the wedding dresses in the shop actually ever fit anybody without major alterations.” This would do it; it would buy her some time.

But Sophia gave a dismissive wave with her hand. “Don’t worry about that.  I know for a fact that the seamstress’ model at that boutique is exactly your size, so I’m confident each of her dresses will fit you like a glove.”

Ari felt like screaming, but instead she forced a smile onto her lips. “That’s … uh, so lucky.”

“Perfect. I’ll have her contact you for an appointment.” Sophia made a note in her planner. “Now about the catering.”

“Let’s use Olympus,” Dio suggested.

Ari turned to look at him, something in his words sounding odd. How would Dio know the name of a catering company? Was he starting to remember things? Was his memory coming back? “Olympus?”

A fleeting look of panic crossed his handsome features before he quickly replied, “Yes, I saw an advertisement in a bridal magazine I browsed through. And the food sounded delicious.”

“You looked at a bridal magazine?” She’d never heard of any man doing that.

“Well, one of us has to.”

And it sure wasn’t going to be her, he got that right.

“Olympus will be just fine. They are very … prompt,” Triton said. “And cost effective.”

Ari felt like she was being steamrolled. Decision after decision was being made, items ticked off a list she never saw, and plans made she had no intention of being part of. Yet somehow her lips didn’t seem to be capable of voicing another protest. And why would they when Dio would simply ignore those too? He was firmly set on getting this wedding organized.

“Guests?” she heard Sophia ask.

“The bride’s family, parents, cousins … uh, Ari, I’m sorry, but I think you need to help me out here.” Then Dio gave Sophia and Triton an apologetic look. “I suffer from amnesia. Accident, you know.”

Seeing another opening for a protest, Ari took it. “Dio, I think it would be better if you recovered from your accident first before we went ahead with the wedding.”

“I’m feeling perfectly fine.”

“But it’s been only a couple of weeks.”

He squeezed her hand. “I’m perfectly healthy.”

Clearly, he wouldn’t give in.

“So, how many are there in your family?”

Ari swallowed. She couldn’t do this to her parents. They’d gone through it once before, and it had all ended in disappointment. Just like it would this time. “They can’t travel on such short notice. Dad will have to find somebody to watch over the store, and Mom can’t just up and go. They’ve got responsibilities. And then the flights. It’s still tourist season, it’s probably all booked out anyway. And the drive would be too long.” More and more excuses rushed from her lips. “And knowing Mom, she’s got nothing to wear. It’ll take her a month to find the right outfit.”

***

Dio recognized desperate excuses when he heard them. And Ari was rambling, grasping at every tiny straw she saw. Not that it would help: he was in charge now, and this wedding was on its way, no matter her flimsy excuses.

It was time to stop her from thinking with her mind and time to make her feel with her heart. What had Zeus said? Appeal to Ari’s true self, to her deepest wishes and hopes.

“Would you excuse us for a moment?” Dio smiled at Sophia and caught a barely suppressed scowl by Triton. His friend had made his opinion on the subject known when Dio had called to announce their arrival and his plan. Triton still thought he was playing with Ari’s feelings. Sure, he was steamrolling Ari with this wedding, but it was for her own good. She just didn’t realize that yet. He wasn’t like his father after all: he could love, truly love. He’d be a faithful husband.

With a soft press of his palm against Ari’s back, he urged her to rise, and led her inside, heading for the bathroom, which he knew would be the only room on this floor that provided any sort of privacy.

“Dio, what are you—”

“Just a moment, baby,” he interrupted and shoved her into the bathroom, squeezed in behind her and locked the door.

She instantly turned to him, her eyes glaring. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m only making sure we won’t be disturbed. Because it looks like we have to discuss something.”

He saw her swallow hard and knew where her mind was wandering to. But he wouldn’t allow her to go to the place where she suddenly confessed her lies to him. No, he didn’t want a confession, not now anyway. After their wedding maybe. What he needed right now was her compliance, and they wouldn’t leave this bathroom until he’d secured it.

Dio pulled her against him, resting his cheek against hers and stroking his hand through her hair while his other hand encircled her waist. “I know you’re scared, baby. Getting married is a big step. I understand that, but you have nothing to worry about. I love you more than anybody else in my life.”

“But you don’t remember anything. How can you know?”

Dio took her hand, pressing her palm against his chest. “I feel it.” His heart beat into her palm, and at that moment, he felt as if Ari owned his heart, as if he wasn’t master of it any longer. He could no longer dismiss the feeling.

He locked eyes with her and kissed her.

At first, her response was stiff, and he knew why: she realized he was trying to seduce her into marrying him. While the kiss might have started as that and while he should feel like a scoundrel for doing what he did, the moment her lips parted and he swept his tongue inside, all thought fled his lust-drugged mind. Only one remained: he wanted Ari.

When her tongue stroked against his and her arms came around his neck, he groaned out his pleasure. He planted his hands on her all-too-delectable backside and dragged her against his growing erection. She could do that to him with one kiss, get him hard in an instant when he’d had no intention going there today, not when he knew that all it would serve was to leave him wanting more. But now that she was pressed against him, kissing him back with total abandon, he couldn’t stop himself from grinding his cock against her soft center.

Breathing hard, he tore his lips from her and released her. Then he stepped back, pleased to see the soft glow on her face and the sheen of desire in her eyes. “Ari, I know we didn’t start this off right, so I want to at least do this part right.”

He reached into his pocket, his fingers closing around the little box he’d put there earlier. As he pulled it out, he dropped to one knee, opened the box and looked up at her. “Will you marry me next week, Ariadne?”

He held the ring out to her, but didn’t look at the sparkling diamond. All he wanted to see was the response in her eyes. Her face twitched and her breath caught, her chest heaving uncontrollably. Her eyes bounced from the ring to him and back as her jaw dropped.

Dio smiled. She hadn’t expected this at all. He would pat himself on the shoulder if he wasn’t so anxious to hear her reply. His own heartbeat hammered into his throat. Was this how men all around the world felt at that moment? Totally vulnerable and at a woman’s mercy?

“Ari, I need your answer.”

She nodded, her lips pressed together, trembling.

“Is that a ‘yes, I’m going to answer’ or a ‘yes, I’ll marry you’?”

When she didn’t answer, Dio took the ring and slowly slid it onto her finger, giving her enough time to pull back if she wasn’t in agreement.

“I love you,” she whispered.

He rose slowly, her words flowing through him like an endless stream of warmth. Without haste, he cupped her face and drew her closer until his lips hovered over hers. “And I love you.” How it had happened, he didn’t know, but he knew with absolute certainty that he was telling the truth.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“It would have been easier to teleport,” Hermes commented for the fifth time.

Dionysus held firm on his friend’s shoulder as they flew across the sky, helped by Hermes’ winged sandals. “And pass up an opportunity to fly like a bird? Fat chance.” He enjoyed the breeze that ruffled his hair and cooled his body.

His friend grinned back at him. “You’re just as bad as Triton.”

“That’s because of all the gods you’ve got one of the coolest gadgets out there.” In fact, Dio had no gadget. Eros had his bow and arrow; Triton possessed a conch shell with which to calm the oceans, and even Aesculapius carried a staff to cure illnesses with. All Dio had was a permanent hankering for wine and sex. And at present, a permanent hard-on thanks to Ari’s self-imposed chastity.

“If you hadn’t had a hangover when Zeus handed those winged sandals out, maybe you would have gotten them instead, and I’d be the god watching the grapes grow while reclining with a glass of wine in one hand and a saucy wench in the other.”

Dio wrinkled his forehead. “You’re envious because you think I’ve got it so easy? Let me tell you making sure those grapes grow to perfection is an art form. If I wasn’t constantly checking on their sugar content and negotiating with Helius the amount of sun they get, there wouldn’t be any decent wine anywhere.”

Hermes huffed. “Yeah, yeah. Just saying. I’m constantly on the road. Just for once, I’d love to put my feet up and just hang. Do you have any idea how depressing it can get to ferry those poor souls over Styx, knowing they’ll be doomed to stay in Hades’ Underworld for eternity?”

“Hades isn’t all that bad. He's made a lot of improvements lately. Apparently they have indoor plumbing now.”

Hermes made a face. “I know that, but those poor souls don’t. They whine the entire trip over.”

“Why don’t you just tell them what it’s really like there?”

Hermes gave him a stunned look. “What, and spoil the surprise? That’s half the fun of my job.”

Dio shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Just watch out that you don’t start whining like your passengers.”

Hermes suddenly pointed his arm down toward earth. “We’re almost there.”

Dio followed his outstretched hand as they descended. Below them, a small town came into view. As they approached and Hermes slowed his speed, Dio looked at the quaint houses with their pitched roofs, the clean streets with trees on the sidewalks, the neatly tended front yards, and the white picket fences.

Hermes steered clear of the busy main road.

“Where are we landing?”

Hermes pointed toward a wooded area. “In the park. I can get us down right in the middle of it where the brush is the thickest. I doubt anybody will see us. I can always engulf us in a cloud if we need cover while descending.” The mortals would simply assume that fog was building.

Moments later, Dio felt solid ground under his feet again and released his grip on Hermes’ shoulder. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Sure. Do you want me to wait here or do you need a wingman?”

Dio tilted his head. “I might need some support.” After all, what he was planning was delicate to say the least. “This way.”

It took only five minutes to find the address he was looking for and another five minutes to find the nerve to knock on the door. When he heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the entrance door to the small single family home with the neatly trimmed hedge in front, he straightened.

“Gods, you actually look nervous.” Hermes gloated.

“I haven’t done this before.”

“It’ll get easier the second time.” Hermes slapped him on his back.

“There won’t be a second time. And besides, I’m not sure how much weight I can give to your statement, considering it’s coming from a guy who hasn’t done this either.”

Hermes opened his mouth, but in the same instant the door opened and a woman in her late fifties looked at them. “Yes?” She wiped her hands on a dishtowel.

Dio cleared his throat. “I’m Dionysus Theos, and this is my friend and colleague Hermes Ferryman. We’re here to bring you some good news.” At least he hoped she considered it good news.

The woman’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. Behind her, a man’s voice emerged. “Who is it, Marianne?”

She scowled. “Jehova’s Witnesses again.”

Before Dionysus could respond to her incorrect assumption, she slammed the door shut.

“And they always interrupt when I’m preparing dinner,” she continued grumbling behind the closed door.

“Ferryman? That’s the best you could do for a name for me?”

Dio growled, “You ferry souls over Styx; what else should I call you? I don’t know what name you use in the mortal world.”

“It sure isn’t Ferryman,” Hermes hissed and gestured toward the closed door. “See how well that went.”

“Maybe it would have been better if I’d come alone.”

“Too late. I’m not leaving now. Can’t wait to see how you get them to listen to you now.”

Dio lifted his hand and knocked again. This time the door only opened by a fraction.

“We’re not interested,” Marianne said.

Before she could slam the door in his face a second time, he wedged his foot between door and frame and tried a different approach. “Are you the mother of Ariadne Taylor?”

Suddenly the pressure on the door eased, and it opened fully. The woman’s face looked ashen, the blood quickly draining from her cheeks and lips. Despite the age difference, Dio noticed the family resemblance, the same green eyes as Ari’s, the same strong cheekbones. Only her mother’s hair was darker, and her lips not as full as Ari’s.

“Oh, God, no, what happened to my baby?” Her eyes widened in panic.

Ah, shit! Maybe he should have let Hermes talk instead. “Nothing. Everything’s fine. She’s fine.”

As her breathing steadied, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Then who are you? What do you want?”

“I don’t envy you,” Hermes muttered under his breath. Dio jabbed him in the ribs and gave him a look to tell him to shut up, before he pasted his most charming smile onto his lips. “I’m Dio, and I’m your future son-in-law.”

“W-w …” Then she swayed, and all Dio could do was reach for her and catch her before she collapsed.

“Ah, shit!”

Footsteps approached, and someone entered the foyer. Dio looked up and saw a man, equally in his late fifties or early sixties enter the foyer, his mouth open in shock.

“Oh, God! Marianne!” As he rushed to his wife, he glared at Dio. “What happened?”

The man tore his wife from Dio’s arms. “Marianne, honey!” But she was still out. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.” This was maybe not the perfect time to introduce himself to his future father-in-law.

Hermes cleared his throat, making both Dio and the woman’s husband look up at him. “My friend here, he told your wife that he’s planning to marry your daughter Ariadne. It seemed to have been a bit of a shock to her.”

The man snapped his head back to Dio, stunned and not at all pleased. “Oh, no, not again!”

Dio tossed an angry glare at his friend.

“Well, at least he didn’t faint,” Hermes commented and shrugged.

Ten minutes later, both Hermes and Dio were sitting in the living room, opposite George and Marianne Taylor, each with a glass of iced tea in their hands.

“Honey, the sugar,” George prompted his wife. As she left the room, he rushed to get up and reached behind a set of books on the bookshelf. When he turned, Dio noticed a small bottle of liquor in his hands. “Don’t know about you, but I need a drink now.”

In unison, Dio and Hermes stretched out their hands with the glasses. By the time Marianne came back with a sugar bowl, all three glasses were sufficiently spiked with alcohol to make Dio relax a little, or as relaxed as he would be if facing the Spanish Inquisition. Now, those guys knew how to put a man through the wringer.

“So you wanna marry Ari?” his future mother-in-law started the conversation.

“I love your daughter.” And by the gods, it was the truth. Even if that meant acquiring a mother-in-law with a slightly sour disposition.

“What do you do, Mr. Theos?” George asked.

Dio swallowed. “Please call me Dio.”

Ari’s father nodded. “Dio, what is it you earn a living with?”

“I own a vineyard.” Not only that. As the god of wine he earned a tiny percentage on each and every bottle of wine ever produced in the mortal world. But there was no need to go into that. They would figure out soon enough how filthy rich he was.

“And where is this vineyard located?”

“In Napa, California.”

“I’m assuming this can be verified?”

Dio’s eyebrows snapped together. Why was this man so mistrustful of him? “Mr. Taylor, is there a reason why this is important to you? I can assure you that I have sufficient money to support a family.”

George steepled his fingers and pursed his lips. “So you want to marry her?” he repeated. Then he exchanged a short look with his wife before he trained his eagle eyes back on Dio. “And why isn’t she the one telling us that?”

Dio was prepared for that question. “She’s so nervous about the whole affair. You know, the dress, the cake, everything. She didn’t want you to get stressed out about it too, so we decided that we’d fly you in just before the wedding so there’ll be no jitters. So that’s—”

“Stop making excuses for her, young man!” the father interrupted him. “She doesn’t know that you’re here, does she?”

Dio wanted to protest, but the serious look in George’s face made him reconsider. “No, Sir, she doesn’t know.”

Ari’s father gave his wife a sad look. “We know why she didn’t want to tell us.” He reached for his wife’s hand and patted it.

A sniffle escaped her. “She hasn’t forgiven us, has she?”

George put his arm around his wife’s shoulder and pulled her head against his chest, comforting her. Dio could only look on stunned, not understanding what was going on. When George lifted his head to look back at him, Dio noticed that his eyes were watering too.

“She still thinks we blame her, doesn’t she?”

Finally Dio found his voice. “Blame you? For what?”

Marianne’s head reared up. “She hasn’t told you?”

“Told me what?” Dio felt nervousness creep up his spine like slow-growing ivy. What was Ari hiding from him? He nudged forward to the edge of the sofa. “Please.”

“About Jeff,” Ari’s father answered.

He had a rival? Dio jumped up. “Who in Hades is Jeff?”

“The jerk that left her standing at the altar!” Marianne snapped.

“Ari was engaged before?” Why had she never told him? How could she have left such an important detail out? Dio dropped back onto the couch. Then it hit him once more: she’d been hurt by somebody just like him. No wonder she’d reacted the way she had. All she’d wanted was to protect her heart from being hurt again. “What happened? Please tell me.”

George gave him a sad smile. “I’m not surprised she didn’t tell you. She was devastated, you know. Everything was planned: the wedding was going to be a huge affair here in town. Everybody we know was invited. She was beautiful, our baby, wasn’t she?” He smiled at his wife, who nodded.

“Yes, she was. All in white, so pure, so lovely. She loved him, she really did.” Then the smile vanished from her face. “But Jeff, he’d tricked her. She’d saved up for this wedding. It was her dream. And we gave her money too. She gave it to Jeff to pay for the flowers, the caterer, the cake, for everything. Only, he never paid them. He never had any intention of paying them.”

Dio’s heart clenched. His sweet Ari had been betrayed by a cheat, a liar, a thief.

“He never wanted to marry her.” Tears streamed down Marianne’s face. “We were so disappointed. And in the heat of it, we said things we didn’t mean. It wasn’t her fault, but I accused her of being naïve. She knew it was embarrassing for all of us, right here in our town … everybody knew. We didn’t blame her, but she took it the wrong way. We were just so unhappy for her, but she thought we blamed her. We didn’t. She’s our baby, we would never blame her.”

“I’m so sorry,” Dio whispered as he wrung his hands. He would make it up to her. This would never happen to her again. This time, she’d have a real wedding, a big one, a beautiful one. And he’d be there, waiting for her.

Dio looked at her parents, his gaze serious. “I promise you one thing, no, two things: your daughter will have the most beautiful wedding she could have ever imagined, and two, I’ll make her the happiest woman this world has ever seen.” Or he would die trying.

Marianne clutched her hands to her chest, a new wave of tears streaming down her face. “You really love her?”

Dio nodded. “She’s everything to me. She’s my goddess, and I’ll give her heaven on earth.”

“Now, young man,” Ari’s father said, “There’s no need to go overboard. All we want is for her to be happy. Just treat her well.”

Hermes slapped Dio on his shoulder. “He can do that. I’ll vouch for him. And believe me when I tell you this: I’ve never seen my friend this besotted with any woman before.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“Oh my god! It’s beautiful!” Natalie fawned over the diamond ring, unable to tear her eyes away from it. She pulled Ari’s hand all the way across the counter to bring the brilliant stone closer to her eyes.

Luckily, it was near closing time and there were no customers in the shop, because Ari didn’t want to draw any attention to the massive diamond on her finger. It was Lisa’s afternoon off, so thank God her assistant hadn’t seen the ring yet. Knowing her, she would have wanted to hear every single detail connected to it.

Ari couldn’t believe what had happened. Looking at the ring every five seconds brought reality home though. Dio had really asked her to marry him. And he’d told her that he loved her, and it had felt so right. For a few moments, everything in her life had felt perfect. But Dio still couldn’t remember anything from his earlier life. She couldn’t trick him like that. Accepting his proposal had been a pure gut reaction, but now that she thought the entire situation through, she recognized that there was no way she could actually continue down this road. It had to stop.

“I can’t believe he’s turned into such a romantic.” Natalie was beside herself. Her friend rounded the sales counter and pulled her into an exuberant hug. “I’m so happy for you.”

Ari squeezed Natalie tightly before she released her. “I can’t keep the ring.”

“What?! Why?”

“I can’t marry him, not under these circumstances. This has gone too far. He deserves to know the truth.” Even though she feared the consequences, it was the only solution to the situation she’d landed them in. She would lose him, but she could no longer live a lie.

“Are you crazy? You’ve finally got him where you want him and now you’re gonna throw it all in?” Natalie put her hands akimbo. “I won’t let you do it.”

As if it was that easy. “You don’t get a say in this. I have to do what my conscience tells me.” Yet at the same time she was scared. Dio would be furious with her. And then she’d be alone again. There would be no man cooking a romantic dinner for her or take her on a leisurely picnic. Nobody would call her twice a day just to say hi and see how her day was going. And nobody would shower her with those scorching kisses and touch her with his sinful hands. She sighed heavily.

“He’s fallen in love with you since he lost his memory. Let’s say his amnesia is permanent. Do you have it in you to break his heart by leaving him now?”

She contemplated Natalie’s words. Would she hurt Dio if she told him the truth now? The last thing she wanted was to hurt or leave him. Over the last week, she’d seen such a change in him. She’d seen a man emerge who cared about her and about others, a man she could depend upon.  Telling him the truth about his past would destroy the progress they’d made in their relationship. Hell, all they had was a temporary relationship entirely built on lies. Could something like that even be called a relationship?

“I don’t want to, but he has to know the truth. It’s his choice what he’ll do then. But at least he can make a proper choice.” She shuddered at the thought of what he would choose: to leave her.

Natalie shook her head in disbelief. “You’re really going to do this, aren’t you?”

Ari felt her voice thicken with unshed tears. What she had to do hurt. “He’s changed. If he was still the cold, heartless cad he was before, I wouldn’t think twice about lying to him, but the person he is now … I can’t continue lying to that person.” She couldn’t live with herself if she did. The new Dio didn’t deserve to be punished like that. He deserved the truth.

“You’re prepared to lose him?”

The words sliced her heart in half. And her next realization tossed the two halves into a blender and flipped the switch. “He was never mine to begin with.” She’d simply borrowed the last few days from a life that wasn’t hers. It was time to return to her own reality, to a life without Dio. “Some things are just not meant to be.” Ari tugged at the ring to pull it off her finger, but Natalie stopped her.

“Maybe there’s another way.”

A look at Natalie told her that her friend’s suggestion didn’t involve playing by the rules. Ari narrowed her eyes. “I’m not going to stop one deception just to start a new one.”

“It’s not a deception. More like a seduction.” Natalie offered the idea with the kind of smile Ari imagined Eve having given Adam when enticing him to taste the apple.

“What? You want me to seduce him? And where’s that gonna get me?” Other than throwing her even deeper into hell to pay for her sins.

“Into his bed for starters.”

Ari blew out a breath. “Been there, done that. It won’t change anything.” It would only make her heart ache even more. Having one more night with him would only delay the inevitable.

“I disagree. It’s different this time.”

“How can it be different?” Sometimes she had a hard time following her friend’s thought pattern.

“This time he’s in love with you. Just seduce him, and right when he’s about ten seconds away from getting into your pants, you tell him the truth!” Natalie underscored her plan with a flowery movement of her arms as if unveiling a statue instead of leading her further onto a path Ari wanted to leave so desperately.

“You can’t be serious!”

“It’s all about timing. While he can’t think straight because he’s a moment away from fucking you, you pounce and tell him that you lied to him.”

“I pounce?” Sounded like a tigress on the hunt and definitely not like something she would even remotely be able to do—not even if she wanted to.

Natalie nodded eagerly. “He’ll be so eager to get on with things that he’ll be ‘hey, whatever, baby’.”

“You’re certifiable. Absolutely one hundred percent certifiable.”

Natalie shrugged. “So, you’re gonna do it?”

Chapter Thirty

Ariadne pulled on the straps of her dress, straightening them. The red material wrapped tightly around her chest, accentuating her breasts and giving her a waistline she hadn’t had since tenth grade. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell to Dio’s apartment. Taking one step back, she composed herself. As she looked up at the windows, she noticed only a faint light coming from the kitchen area, yet nothing moved inside. She sighed. Maybe she should have called him first.

Disappointed, she swiveled on her red fuck-me heels and bumped into a solid form.

“Did I miss a date we had?” Dio’s gravelly voice made her shiver despite the warm evening air as his arms came around her, capturing her against his hard muscles.

“Hi,” was all she could make her vocal cords produce.

“I saw your silhouette in the light of the street lamp and was about to flog myself for having lusty feelings for another woman a few days before my wedding when I realized that I was lusting after my wife-to-be. Tell me, my love, why have you been hiding this body from me?” He kissed the heated skin along her neck. “I don’t think I’ve seen you wear this dress before.”

“Oh, this old thing?”

He slipped a finger under one strap and pushed it off her shoulder, chuckling. “Yes, this old thing.” Then he lifted his eyes to meet hers. “You look like sexy red riding hood, and that makes me feel like the big, bad wolf.”

Ari noticed the predatory glint in his eyes and felt her courage increase. He wanted her. Deliberately slowly, she pressed her hips into his. “Can we talk?”

Dio groaned, his palm sliding to her backside. “We can do more than that.” He ground his hard length into her, his hands on her backside lifting her into position, so her sex aligned with his erection.

Ari choked out a breath. “Oh.”

“Yes, oh.” Then he set her back on her feet and pulled back by half a foot. “Maybe it would be safer if I walked you home now before I go back on my promise to wait until our wedding night.”

“Uh … about that.” She swallowed. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

He stroked his finger against her cheek, contemplating his decision for a long while. “Okay then, let’s go in.”

Ari used the time it took to get inside to calm her pounding heart and wipe her clammy hands on her dress. Only the small light strip underneath the kitchen cabinets illuminated his place as they entered. When he reached for the light switch, she put her hand over his. It would be easier to do what she had to in semi-darkness.

He turned toward her, his eyebrows arched in question. “Something wrong?”

She nodded slowly, trying to work up the courage to speak. She couldn’t stall forever. “We’re not engaged.” The words burst from her lips like oil from a newly dug well.

Dio’s body stiffened instantly. “Ari—”

“No, please let me tell you the truth. Please.”

He nodded once.

“Before you lost your memory, you broke up with me. We were never engaged. We’d only been dating for two weeks. You didn’t want me—”

“Ari, please, I—”

She put her hand against his chest, stopping him from saying anything further. “I was angry, and when I realized that you had amnesia, I wanted to get back at you for hurting me. I wanted to make you suffer. But it didn’t … it wasn’t right. I should have never done it.” She dropped her head, waiting for his outburst.

“Does that mean you don’t love me?” His question seemed strangely out of place.

“Dio, you don’t seem to understand what I just told you. I’m not your fiancée. I’m not even your girlfriend.”

He snatched her arm. “I got that. But you haven’t answered my question. Do you love me?”

Ari tried to turn away from his scrutinizing look, but he didn’t allow it. “It’s not important anymore.” Why wasn’t he angry? Or was it his plan to humiliate her first and make her confess her love for him before he unleashed his anger?

“You’re wrong. That’s the only thing that’s important.” Then he pulled her against him. “Do you love me?” His voice was hard and unyielding.

“Yes,” she snapped. “Damn it, yes, I love you. Are you happy now?” Her voice faltered. It hurt more than the first time he’d left her.

“Yes, I’m happy now.” Dio’s voice was husky, and his harsh grip softened.

Surprised, she looked up at his face. But she didn’t get a chance to say anything else, because his mouth was on her an instant later, branding her with the most demanding kiss she’d ever shared with him. When he released her lips moments later, she breathed as hard as he did.

“Dio, what—”

“I gained my memory back a few days ago.”

Shock careened through her. “Oh, no! Oh, God, you knew …” She tried to pull from his embrace, but he held her too tightly. “You played with me …”

He shook his head. “No, Ari. I was going to tell you.”

“When?” For days now he’d kept her in the belief that he knew nothing when all along he’d been aware of her deception. Hell, he’d even planned a wedding.

“On our honeymoon. I was gonna tell you then.”

“Honeymoon?” How cruel was he to taunt her like this? “Why would you even say that when you have no intention of marrying me?” She struggled against him.

“I’ll never let you go, Ari. I love you.”

Her jaw dropped and her arms slackened. “But … you … you dumped me.”

He nodded, a sober look on his face now. “I’m sorry for what I did back then. I was scared about what you made me feel. I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t know whether I’d be capable of loving you the way you deserved. I thought you would be better off without me. So I left you.”

She listened to his words, still unable to process the turn of events. “But why now?”

Dio took her hand and pressed it against his heart. “You helped me be a better person. You helped me change so that I could finally admit that my heart belongs to you. It doesn’t matter what happened.”

“But I deceived you. I pretended to be somebody I wasn’t.”

“I deserved it. You did what you had to do. I’m not mad. Hey, I don’t even care that you made me work as a waiter to teach me some humility.”

Ari cringed. “Ouch. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I understand now what you went through.”

She blinked away the tears. “Dio?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Does this mean you really want to marry me?”

“You’ll make me the happiest man in this world if you become my wife. So, say yes.” Then he winked. “That’s the least you can do after putting me through the wringer like this.”

***

Dio held his breath as he waited for Ari’s answer. She’d finally shaken off Hera’s influence and done what her true self told her and confessed the truth. He was proud of her.

“Yes.”

Dio’s heart made a somersault. She was his.

With a growl, he yanked her against his body and captured her mouth with his. There was no resistance. The soft lips of a pliable woman greeted him and offered surrender. The first stroke of his tongue against hers sent all remaining blood into his cock; the second robbed him of his heart beat; and the third stole his breath.

He ripped his lips from hers, and even in the dim light of his apartment, he saw her eyes sparkle and shine with passion. “I’ll never let you go. You’re mine now.”

“And you’re mine,” Ariadne challenged as her hands went to the waistband of his pants. Effortlessly, she opened the top button and lowered the zipper. In one swift move, she shoved his pants and boxer briefs down mid-thigh, freeing his cock.

Speechless, he watched her as she dropped down, bringing her mouth level with his throbbing erection.  “Fuck!” Well, not so speechless after all.

She took him in her hand and guided him to her lips.

“Ari, you don’t have to do that.” For Hades’ sake, what was he saying? He wanted this; he wanted to be at the mercy of her divine mouth.

“Shh.” It was all she said before her tongue lapped over his tip.

He instinctively gripped the kitchen counter for balance, his vision swimming at the intense pleasure, his orientation not worth shit. When she licked him again, he forgot his mother tongue except for one word.

“Sagapo.”

I love you.

But if he’d thought her tongue licking over the tip of his cock and then down along the sensitive underside of it was only robbing him of his sanity, the moment she took him inside her mouth changed all that. She was stealing his control and robbing him of his sanity, but in exchange she gave him everything he needed: her trust and her love.

Dio buried one hand in her hair, one finger stroking over her cheek as he did so, and closed his eyes. In a gentle rhythm, Ari’s mouth alternately slid down on him, then withdrew, with every stroke coating him in her warmth and wetness. As she sucked him with more love and passion than any woman had done before her, he allowed her to take control over him.

“I’m yours, baby, always.”

A sigh emerged from Ari’s lips and bounced against his sensitive flesh, making him groan and grip the counter more tightly. When her hand suddenly cradled his balls, he almost jumped, knowing his control was about to snap. With a curse, he pulled himself from her mouth and dragged her up to capture her against his chest.

“Didn’t you like it?” He saw her pout and kissed it away.

“Another second of this, and I’m coming. That’s how much I liked it.”

She gave him a coquettish grin. “Oh.”

He eyed the clean kitchen counter behind her. “Uh-huh.” Distracting her with another kiss, he lifted her up and sat her on the counter, noticing with satisfaction that it was the perfect height for what he had in mind.

Both his hands tunneled under her dress and up her thighs. When he encountered her panties, he pulled them down, stripping her, and tossing the garment toward the couch.

A surprised gasp was the answer, but she voiced no protest.

He sank his gaze into her green eyes and gave her a crooked smile. “You didn’t think you could show up here in this dress, give me a blowjob, and get out unscathed, did you?”

One side of her mouth tilted up. “That was only half a blowjob. You didn’t let me finish.”

Gods, had she actually expected him to come in her mouth? He arched an eyebrow. “It appears that the woman I’m going to marry in a few days has a very naughty streak.”

Then he pushed her legs apart and lifted them, making her lean back. “All the way down,” he instructed and watched her lie flat on the counter as he placed her legs up against his chest, each ankle resting against one shoulder.

Dio turned his head, purposely delaying the inevitable to give his cock a chance to come back from the brink so he wouldn’t spill the moment he penetrated her.

Her red strappy high-heeled sandals made her feet look elegant, and decidedly naughty. He kissed one ankle then licked higher on her calf.

“Beautiful shoes.”

Her eyelids swung upwards, her lashes almost touching her brows. “They’re called fuck-me shoes.”

He chuckled and nipped her skin with his teeth. “Do they work?”

Ari tried to nudge closer to him. “I’ll tell you later.”

Slowly, his hand traveled along the inside of her thigh as his lips followed. He inhaled. The scent of her arousal was heady. She was ripe and ready for him, and he could simply position his cock at her entrance, sliding home, but he stopped himself. It had been too long since he’d had a taste of her, and no matter how much his cock urged him to get on with it, he couldn’t let himself be rushed and be deprived of her scent.

When his hand reached the apex of her thighs, his fingers trailed leisurely to her moist cleft, making her writhe under his touch.

“It’s only fair that I do to you what you did to me.”

There was a flicker of shock in her eyes, but when he dropped his head to her sex, he watched it disappear and be replaced by a flame of passion. Dio sank his mouth on her and lapped up the juices that coated her flesh. With her taste, the memories of their first night rushed back. Realization flooded him: he’d known even back then that she was the woman he’d been looking for all his long life. And it had scared him when he’d so suddenly found her. Nothing had prepared him for how he would feel. Nobody had warned him what love would do to him.

But tonight, he wasn’t scared any longer. He soaked up her scent and licked the plump flesh, swiping his tongue over her engorged clit until she twisted underneath him. “Oh no, you’re not going away, my love,” he mumbled without severing the contact.

When her hands fisted into his hair, he thought at first that she would pull him away to get some reprieve from his sensual onslaught on her delectable pussy, but instead she simply ran her fingers along the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine and into his balls. As they drew up tightly, he growled. Determined to bring her to climax, he licked over her clit, then sucked the bundle of flesh between his lips and pressed them together.

Her body jolted, and a breathless gasp escaped her lips. A moment later, her body shuddered, and he sensed waves traveling through her. When they hit his lips, he released the pressure on her clit and swiped his tongue over the tender organ. Another shudder wracked her frame.

“Oh God!” she moaned.

Dio lifted his head. “Look at me, baby.” Her eyes flew open, and he’d never seen a more beautiful sight. He positioned himself at her core, his cock eager to fill her. “I want you to look at me when I get inside you.”

She dropped her gaze to his erection, and he did the same. Last time he’d made love to her, she’d made him wear a condom, this time he was bare. She would conceive their first child tonight. He would allow his seed to take root in her, claiming her as his wife, the only woman he would ever love. “Soon, you’ll be my wife in the eyes of the world,” he whispered. “But tonight, I’ll make you mine forever.”

When her hand stretched toward him, he clasped it, intertwining his fingers with hers. And then, in a long, continuous slide, he drove into her, the walls of her warm channel gripping him as tightly as she held his heart in the palm of her hand.

“I’ve waited so long for this.” Not just the last two weeks she’d made him wait, but all those years she hadn’t even been born yet. He’d waited for her his entire life.

Tears stood at the brim of her eyes. “I love you.”

Dio lowered himself over her. “Love of my life, keeper of my heart.” He brushed his lips against hers and felt them part under light pressure. When he swept inside, his hips drew back, and with a rhythm as old as the gods, he pumped in and out of her silken sheath.

Ari’s legs came around his hips, her ankles hooking together behind his back. The knowledge that she didn’t want him to leave made him thrust harder and faster. It fuelled his need to claim her, to make her his for eternity.

Her nails dug into his backside as she urged him on to go deeper, and with the last of his breaths, he plunged deep and hard, feeling her spasm around him as his seed rushed through his shaft and exploded from the tip.

With a groan, he let his climax take him.

***

“Why didn’t you tell me immediately that you got your memory back?”

Dio shoved a pillow behind his back and pulled the gloriously naked Ariadne onto his chest, enjoying the feel of skin on skin. He’d finally moved them both into his bed.

“At first I was a little angry.”

“A little?” She raised her head and looked at him.

“Okay, a lot. You have to admit you really pulled a fast one on me.”

When regret swept over her face, he quickly kissed her. “Don’t. I’m glad you did. But it took me a while to realize that. And then I was afraid if I’d let you know that I knew you weren’t my fiancée, all this would be over, and you’d run from me. I couldn’t risk that.”

“When you proposed … did you—”

He grinned. “When I proposed to you, I was in possession of all my faculties including my memory.” He ran his hand through her thick hair and brought her face closer to him. “I knew exactly what I was doing.”

Her cheeks colored prettily. “Did you also know what you were doing in that fitting room?”

Dio hardened at the mere recollection of the events that day. “Did you?”

She cast her eyes downwards, clearly embarrassed about her behavior. “I’m not normally this … uh … I don’t …”

He tipped her chin up. “I’ve never beheld a lovelier sight. Just thinking of it now …” He pressed her closer, his cock sliding against her thigh. “In fact …” He grabbed hold of her hips and positioned her above him so her core aligned with his shaft. “Why don’t you show me right now how beautiful you are when you let yourself go?”

Her eyes flashed with desire. “But we just … I mean, don’t you need a break?”

He thrust his cock upwards and gave a roguish grin. “Evidently not.”

“Are you always like that?”

“You mean ready and eager to satisfy my beautiful fiancée?”

At the compliment, a soft smile played around her lips.

“You make it easy. I only have to look at you and I’m hard.” Then he remembered something. “About that abstinence thing …”

A sheepish look spread on her face. “Oh, sorry, but I had to hold you off somehow.”

“And why’s that? We’d already had sex before I lost my memory.”

“Yeah, and see where that led to. You broke up with me right after that. I didn’t want you to think I was easy.”

“Easy?” He shook his head. “Baby, there was nothing easy about you. You’ve been the hardest conquest I’ve ever made.”

“Conquest?” A flash of fear widened her eyes.

Dio instinctively tightened his hold on her. Maybe he’d chosen the wrong word. “Shh, baby, don’t look so scared. You’re my last conquest, the one I’m going to keep for good. Don’t you know that?”

She gave a tentative smile. “It’s just still so new and unexpected. And I’ve been down this road before—” She gasped at her own words as if she hadn’t wanted to tell him.

He stroked his knuckles along her cheek. “I know about that.”

“What?” Her eyes shot wide open, pinning him.

“I spoke to your parents. They told me about Jeff.”

“When did you speak to my parents? How?”

“Yesterday, when I invited them to our wedding.” He left out the part that he’d actually visited them in Idaho. That piece of information was something to be revealed on their honeymoon, together with the fact that he was a god and by being his wife she would draw on his immortality and remain as young as she was now.

When he looked into Ari’s eyes as she sat up, he saw tears forming there. “Baby?”

“You invited my parents?” Her voice was thick with tears.

Confusion and concern spread inside him, one battling the other for supremacy. “Don’t you want them at our wedding?”

She sniffed. “Of course. I just … I never thought there’d be a real wedding, so I never invited anybody. I planned on giving you the ring back after I told you the truth tonight before we—”

He put his finger onto her lips. “Just as well that I’ve taken care of the guest list for us. So there’s nothing to worry about anymore. Tomorrow, you and Natalie will go shopping for a bridal gown for you and a bridesmaid’s dress for her. I made you an appointment at that boutique Sophia recommended. And then—”

But he didn’t get any further, because his sweet Ari kissed him under tears of joy. When she released him, her eyes shone with love. “I can’t believe you’re doing all this! I love you, I love you, I love you!” She almost shouted the words.

“Care to prove it?” He grinned unashamedly before casting his eyes downward to where his cock stood erect.

***

Ari followed Dio’s glance before lifting her eyes back to his face. “How?” She batted her eyelashes as their gazes collided.

His eyes were full of fire and the same uncontrolled passion she’d seen in him when he’d taken her in the kitchen. “I think you know how.”

She leisurely stroked her index finger along his velvet skin and felt his shaft tilt toward her in response. “Let me guess.” She gathered the drop of pre-cum that had already oozed from his tip and spread it over the purple head. “Is this how?”

“Yes,” he choked out as his body bucked toward her.

She let her hand glide down his length before wrapping her fist around him, gripping him ever so slightly.

“Fuck!”

“I had no idea you were so sensitive,” she teased, enjoying the effect she had on him. She’d never felt so confident.

He lashed a glare at her, but she knew he wasn’t angry. “Wait until it’s my turn.”

She chuckled. “But it is your turn.” Then she lifted herself on her knees and positioned his erection at her center. “Your turn to lose control.” With one thrust, she impaled herself on him, taking him into her body, his hard flesh filling her, stretching her.

Dio pressed his head back into the pillow, his eyes closing, his back arching off the mattress. She allowed him to take a few breaths and didn’t move. When he opened his eyes a few moments later, they were darker than before, and they shone with love.

“I think you’ve made your point.” His hands went to her hips. “But  I’m not ready to lose control yet. I’d be a poor lover if I didn’t take care of you first.”

She laughed. As if he hadn’t already taken care of her—twice. She snatched his wrists and pried his hands off her hips then pinned them next to his head as she bent over him. “Not so fast, my love.”

The endearment felt strange at first, so she tried out another. “Or would you prefer I’d called you ‘baby’?”

“You can call me ‘stud’ or anything else you like as long as you’re getting on with it,” he growled.

“Impatient much?”

He thrust his hips upwards, lodging his cock deeper in her. “Just a little starved. As you might know,” he said casually, “I’ve just come off a two week stint of abstinence.”

She dropped her head lower, her lips now hovering less than an inch from his. “Me, too. It was grueling, especially since you didn’t play by the rules. Remember the store room?”

“In your shop? No way I can ever forget that.”

“You weren’t supposed to seduce me.”

“How was I supposed to know? I had amnesia, remember?”

“You’re incorrigible.”

He freed one hand and cupped the back of her head. “And very, very hungry. So, baby, what’s it gonna be? Are you playing Lady Godiva for me, or do I have to pin you down and take what’s mine?”

His possessive words sent a flame of desire through her core. Without a word, she brushed her mouth against his and slid her tongue over the seam of his lips. They parted instantly.

“That’s better,” he breathed before she silenced him and captured his mouth.

As she stroked her tongue against his and explored him, his arms came around her, and of their own volition her hips moved in an easy rhythm. Dio’s cock pulled from her sheath but for the very tip before she took him back inside again.

At first, she rode him slowly but the more she ground against him, the more her heated flesh connected with his, the faster her heart beat. Their kiss took on the same rhythm, growing more passionate and urgent with every breath.

When she ripped her mouth from his, panting heavily, she gazed into the ocean blue of his eyes. How they could have ever looked ice-cold to her, she couldn’t remember, because now his eyes were full of warmth and passion.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered and dropped one hand to her pussy, finding her clit with unerring precision. As he touched the engorged bundle of flesh, she felt a shudder go through her. Her next breath signaled the arrival of the spasms that made her body explode.

Dio moaned out his pleasure in the same instant, his cock jerking inside her as the warm spray of his seed filled her.

As Ari collapsed on top of him, he pressed her to his chest. She breathed as hard as he did. But she’d never felt better in her life. In a few days, she would be Mrs. Dio—

She lifted her head. “I’m afraid for some reason I don’t remember your last name.” Even though she’d filled out that order form for the case of wine he’d purchased when they’d first met.

He chuckled, then touched her nose with the tip of his finger. “If I was an insecure person, I’d be a little worried that my bride doesn’t even remember my name.” Then he stroked his palm over her cheek. “My name is Dionysus Theos.”

Ari smiled. She would be Mrs. Dionysus Theos!

Chapter Thirty-One

Dio arrived at the Bed and Breakfast with plenty of time to spare. Finding the reception room empty, he stepped out onto the balcony and surveyed the garden.

Everybody had outdone themselves. The entire garden was decorated with white and red flowers, bows, and white columns. At the end of a path of rose pedals, a little podium had been built where the minister would stand and officiate the ceremony. Alongside the walkway, rows of chairs covered in white fabric stood waiting for the guests.

Small fountains framed the area, the fine mist they produced intended to cool the guests in the hot afternoon sun. Dio could have opted for an evening wedding instead, but he had no intention of spending an evening with a bunch of guests when all he wanted was to take his new wife to bed.

He’d teleported to his estate in Napa in the morning to make sure that his servants had prepared the place. It was where he intended to spend his honeymoon with Ariadne.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Triton’s voice came from behind him.

Dio smiled at his friend as he stepped next to him. “You guys have really outdone yourselves.”

“It’ll cost you an arm and a leg.”

“Just as well that I don’t care about money.” As long as Ari was happy, he’d do anything in his power.

Triton slapped him on his back. “Totally pussy-whipped, just like I thought.”

Normally Dio would have glared at a comment like that, but today he couldn’t even contradict his friend. He merely shrugged. “Nothing wrong with that.”

Triton nodded. “Nope.”

At first, Triton hadn’t believed in Dio’s sincerity about the wedding, but Dio had finally convinced his best friend that he was a changed man.

For a long moment, both of them stared out at the garden, then Dio cleared his throat. “I’m going to be a father.”

Triton jumped. “Gods! Are you serious?”

Dio couldn’t suppress the smile that split his face. “Ari conceived our son.” As a god not only did he have the power to decide when to create a child, he could also choose its sex, and while he knew he wanted a little girl that looked just like Ari, he wanted a son first. Maybe it was selfish of him to get her pregnant this quickly, but after all, Ari hadn’t insisted on condoms, so she knew the risks. Even if he were a mere mortal, she could have gotten pregnant. Besides, she’d be his wife today, and he knew she wanted a family.

“By the gods! When you do something, you do it fully and you do it fast.” His friend pulled him into a bear hug. “Congratulations!”

Dio peeled himself out his friend’s embrace and straightened his white tuxedo. “How about you and Sophia? Any little heroes on the way?”

Triton grinned. “I’m not ready to share her with anybody else yet.”

“And Sophia feels the same?”

“She wants to wait another year, but then we’ll have at least two or three.”

“Don’t wait too long,” Dio cautioned. “I want our children to be the same age so they can play together.”

Triton broke out in laughter, his eyes tearing. Dio stared at him. “What’s that for?”

His friend wiped the wetness from his eyes. “I never thought I’d hear that from you.”

Dio gave him a crooked smile. “Wait until my son starts beating up your son.”

Triton grinned and squeezed Dio’s shoulder. “They’ll be best friends just like we are.”

“And beat each other regularly.”

“Until they find women who’ll tame them.”

***

Ari looked in the full length mirror in her living room. The white gown she wore was beautiful. She’d seen it displayed in the window of the boutique but at first dismissed it as a possibility because she thought she could never carry it off. But now that she wore it, she realized that it fit her like a second skin. The tailored bustier held her breasts perfectly and tapered to a narrow waist while the flowing silk skirt billowed at her feet, projecting a perfect hour-glass figure.

“I knew you could wear this,” she heard Natalie behind her give her approval.

“Pinch me, because I can’t believe this is really happening.”

Natalie pulled her into a hug, then quickly stepped back and brushed out the creases she had created on Ari’s dress. She sniffled. “Sorry, I’d better not ruin your dress. You really deserve this, you know? And I’m the first one to admit I was wrong. I never thought Dio would really change.”

Ari felt her face split into a huge smile and her eyes moisten with the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her once more. “He did. He’s a new man now.”

The last few days had passed in a flurry of activities, and Dio had been by her side at all times, helping make decision, but most of all he’d simply been there, showering her with love. Ari looked at her friend. “He loves me.”

“If you believe that you’re more gullible than I thought!”

The unfamiliar female voice made her spin on her heels, and what she saw made her take an instinctive step back. Ari’s feet caught in her long gown, and she would have crashed into the mirror behind her had Natalie not steadied her with a tight grip on her arm.

Right in the middle of the living room stood a stunning woman wearing a long white tunic, her long, dark hair draped artfully on her head, soft curls framing her flawless porcelain face. Sandal-clad feet with painted toenails peeked from underneath the seams of the tunic, and gold bracelets covered the woman’s wrists. A golden sash accentuated the apparition’s wasp-sized waist.

“How did you get in here?” Ari choked out. “Natalie, get help!”

But Natalie was shaking as badly as she was.

Ari tossed a look toward the apartment door, but it was closed. She hadn’t heard it open. The crazy woman must have gotten in a different way. Darting her eyes toward the closed windows, Ari’s gaze fell on her cell phone on the coffee table. She had to get to it and call the police.

Ari lunged for her phone, but as if pulled by invisible strings, it levitated and then smashed against the wall with such force, it broke into several pieces.

“What the …?” Natalie yelled.

“Get the hell out of here!” Ari’s heart beat into her throat. This woman was crazy, and unfortunately she knew some crazy-assed parlor tricks.

The intruder advanced. “We need to talk.”

“Who are you?” Ari thrust her chin out, pretending braveness when she felt her knees wobble.

There was a haughty air about the woman, almost aristocratic, when she finally spoke. “I am Hera, the mother goddess, wife of Zeus, and stepmother to that no-good philanderer Dionysus, the one you know as Dio.” She almost spat the last word as if expelling poison from her lips.

Instinctively, Ari shook her head. “No, you’re crazy!” A goddess? Zeus’ wife? Dio’s stepmother? Hell no! This one had escaped from a mental hospital.

Suddenly Hera stood only inches from her. Ari gasped: she hadn’t seen the woman move. “If I were you, I would be careful with my words. As Dionysus can tell you, I have a vicious temper.” The icy chill in her voice made Ari’s heart race and her lungs fight for air.

A second later, Hera stood in the middle of the room again without having moved. Again, Ari’s heart skipped a beat. Ari felt frozen in place and grabbed Natalie’s arm for support.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Natalie muttered. “This is not good.”

“I hadn’t pegged your friend here for a whimpering mouse, but I guess even I can be wrong sometimes,” the woman went on. Then she narrowed her eyes and addressed Natalie directly, “Another word out of your mouth and I’ll make sure the same fate as Echo’s will befall you, and you’ll only be able to repeat what others are saying.”

Ari felt her friend stiffen at the threat, but she didn’t say another word.

“Good. Now to you, my dear Ariadne.”

Panic set in. What did this crazy woman have in mind? Damn it, this was her wedding day: nothing terrible like this was supposed to happen. This wasn’t fair! Nobody was allowed to destroy her perfect day.

“Please leave and I won’t call the police. I promise. I just want you gone.”

“I’m leaving when I’m done and not when you’re telling me to,” the woman who called herself Hera hissed. “Nobody orders me around!”

Ari searched her brain for a way to pacify her. “What do you want? Money? I don’t have much here.” She motioned her head to the kitchen counter. “Take my purse.”

Hera pursed her lips. “That ugly thing? It doesn’t go with any of my outfits. Maybe I should have taught you some fashion sense in the last three weeks rather than waste my time on teaching you how to make Dionysus eat humble pie.”

“Teach me?” Ari croaked, her throat parched and her palms damp and still shaking. How did this woman know about Dio and about what her initial plan had been?

With an impatient huff, Hera crossed her arms over her ample chest. “Of course, teach you! You didn’t think that you came up with that plan of getting back at him all by yourself, did you? I showed you how to teach him a lesson.”

Teach him a lesson. The words echoed in Ari’s head. She’d heard those words over and over again and others too, messages telling her to get back at him, to take revenge for what he’d done to her. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the notion that somebody had planted suggestions in her mind. “You manipulated me.” But that wasn’t possible. “How?”

“Didn’t you listen earlier? I’m a goddess. I have powers you can only dream of.”

Ari perused the woman once more. With all windows and doors closed, there was no way she could have entered the apartment the normal way. And the way Hera had moved without Ari noticing, or smashed the cell phone against the wall without touching it—all this could only have a supernatural explanation. It was against the laws of physics.

Could gods really exist? Or was this all a nightmare she’d landed in?

“Let’s just say, I believe you, and you’re really a goddess, then what do you want from me?”

Hera gave a sly smile. “I’m trying to save you from making the biggest mistake in your life. You can’t marry Dionysus.”

The words made Ari’s knees buckle involuntarily. “No!” Her objection was out before she even knew her lips had moved.

“He’s a liar and a cheat!”

“You’re wrong! He told me everything.” Just like Ari had confessed the truth to him. They’d both come clean.

“Everything?” Hera arched her eyebrows. “Has he told you who he is?”

Ari’s stomach lurched as dread traveled northwards. Had Dio not told her everything about himself?

“Ah, I see you still have doubts about him. And so you should. Dionysus is the god of wine and ecstasy. He’s Zeus’ illegitimate son. A god. Has he told you that?”

Ari leaned into Natalie for support, feeling her friend’s arm come around her waist. The words Hera had spoken when she’d first appeared came rushing back: stepmother to that no-good philanderer Dionysus. “Dio is a god?” Was it true?

“A powerful one who doesn’t like to be trifled with. And you trifled with him.”

“I didn’t! You manipulated me! And besides, he’s forgiven me.” Her voice trembled as doubts continued to spread. If Dio was a god, why had he not told her? And how could he have had amnesia in the first place? Had he lied about that?

“Forgiven? Think again, sister! He’s been toying with you from the start. I saw it, and decided to help you by taking his memory away.”

“You did that?” Ari gasped. But at the same time she felt a sliver of relief. Dio hadn’t lied to her about his amnesia after all.

“So you’d have a chance at teaching him a lesson. But what do you do? You fall in love with him! That was not the plan!”

Ari’s lips trembled. “But he loves me.”

“Are you so sure about that?” Hera taunted.

Ari held her breath. Was she? Did Dio really love her the way he’d professed each night for the last week?

“Maybe you need proof of what a jerk he is.”

At Hera’s words the surface of a pond suddenly appeared in the middle of the living room where the coffee table had been.

“Watch and learn!” Hera advised and pointed at the pond. On its surface, a scene played out. The reflection of three man in a living room became visible: Dio with Triton, the owner of the B&B, and a handsome dark haired guy.

The dark haired man pulled his t-shirt straight. “Who are we talking about now?”

“The woman who made Dio think he’s engaged, and if I remember correctly, he also said he’s in love with her.” Triton leaned nonchalantly against the window frame.

“Bullshit!” Dio protested loudly. “I’m not in love with that scheming, lying woman.” He took another deep breath, clearly fuming. “How dare she lie to me like that? What have I ever done to her to warrant such deviousness? Oh, I’ll give her a wedding! But there won’t be a groom!”

With a sweeping movement of Hera’s hand, the pond and the image disappeared to be replaced by the coffee table.

Ari fought the tears that welled up in her eyes and lost the battle. “He played me. He hates me.” The tears burst from her lids as she pressed her eyes closed, trying to shut out the world around her. Dio had lied to her. All his tender words had been lies, his kisses treacherous, his touch poisonous. Not only was he a god—she believed Hera now, how could she not after the evidence she’d presented—but he was bent on taking revenge on her. And what better way than to leave her standing at the altar?

Dio’s admission that he’d talked to her parents and knew about Jeff infiltrated her mind. How cruel of him to punish her with the one thing that would not only hurt her most but also humiliate her parents.

Hera’s voice pulled her back to the present. “I’m glad I was able to stop you from doing something foolish.”

Ari nodded, her body and mind numb now.

“Let that be a lesson to you,” Hera sputtered before she disappeared into thin air.

Her hands shaking, Ari reached for the zipper of her dress when Natalie’s hands covered hers.

“I’m so sorry, Ari,” her friend whispered and hugged her. “A god! And what a mean one. I can hardly believe it. But after what she did and said …”

Tears running down her cheeks, Ari sucked in a breath, but with it more sobs tore from her chest. “He hates me.” Nothing else mattered, not that he was a god, nor that he’d omitted that fact when they’d told each other the truth.

“I’m sorry, honey, I’m so sorry.” But her friend’s soothing words did nothing to alleviate the pain in her chest.

“Get me out of this dress.” Ari didn’t want to be reminded for another second that today should have been the happiest day of her life.

As Natalie helped her step out of the dress that would now go unused and helped her put on jeans and a t-shirt, Ari allowed the tears to flow freely. She would not be a bride and walk down the aisle, not today, not ever. She would never make her parents proud. All she would be to them was a continuing disappointment.

“Oh, God, no!”

Natalie jumped. “What’s wrong?”

Ari grabbed her friend’s arm. “My parents! Natalie, my parents are at the ceremony!”

They would feel the sting of humiliation once more. But Ari couldn’t allow that. Not this time.

Chapter Thirty-Two

The hot afternoon sun beat down on the waiting guests. Dio sent a silent request up to Helius, asking for a little less enthusiasm by the sun god so the assembled wedding party wouldn’t melt into their chairs.

Dio had compiled a guest list that included all of Ariadne’s friends and some of her clients. Even the two thugs who’d beaten him up sat among the party. Ari’s parents sat in the first row. He’d arranged for a first class flight and the best room at Triton and Sophia’s B&B to make certain they’d be at their daughter’s wedding.

Ari hadn’t even seen them yet because their flight had been delayed the night before and they’d been dead tired by the time he’d picked them up from the airport and brought them to the B&B. And this morning, Ari had rushed to the hairdresser and a last minute fitting for the dress, which had prevented her from greeting her parents.

Dio glanced at his wristwatch once more. It was past two p.m. The polite quarter hour of tardiness had passed and was now slowly sliding into a half hour of lateness. Had his bride gotten delayed at the hairdresser, or had her dress met with a wardrobe malfunction? Why was she not here?

Natalie was nowhere in sight either.

He nudged Triton who he’d chosen as his Best Man. “I need to find out where she is.”

“Women are always late.”

“Sophia wasn’t late for your wedding.” Dio grunted impatiently. “Damn it, Triton, something is wrong.”

“You’re just nervous.”

Dio gave a dismissive wave. “This has nothing to do with being nervous. Something isn’t right. I can feel it here.” He pressed his hand to his stomach. His gut had never failed him before. “I have to look for her.”

Triton put his hand on his arm to hold him back when a prickling on his neck made Dio cast his eyes toward the French doors that led into the B&B. There, in the shadow of the building stood his Ari, her hands clenched by her sides.

His heart sank into his knees: she wasn’t wearing her wedding dress, and even from a distance of twenty yards he noticed that she’d been crying.

“Distract the guests,” he whispered to Triton and stepped off the platform.

“Dio, what the …?”

But Dio ignored his friend’s words, just as he ignored the whispers that went through the assembled guests, and went after Ari.

The moment she noticed him coming toward her, her eyes went wide in shock. Or was it fear? The observation jolted him and made him accelerate his already hasty steps. She turned inside before he reached her, but she didn’t get far. Before she even reached the downstairs hallway, Dio snatched her arm and stopped her.

“Ari! What’s wrong? Where’s your dress?”

“Let me go!” She tried to shake off his hold, but he didn’t allow it.

This was not the same woman he’d kissed good-bye this morning, nor the one who’d made love to him with such abandon the night before.

“Ari, please, tell me what’s wrong! I can see that you cried.” And the thought hurt like hell, as did the suspicion that she didn’t want to marry him, otherwise she wouldn’t be wearing an old pair of jeans on her wedding day.

When she finally looked straight at him, her eyes gleamed with fury. “You lied to me!”

Shit! What had he done now? “I didn’t—”

“You’re a god!”

Her words made him jump and release his hold on her. How in Hades had she found out? “I was gonna tell you. After the wedding.”

“Liar! There won’t be a wedding! You never planned to marry me!” she spat.

Disbelief careened through him. He swept his hands along his white tux and motioned her to look at him. “This doesn’t scream wedding to you?”

“It’s all a lie. All you want is to humiliate me in front of everybody, because you hate me and want to get back at me for what I did!” Tears burst from her eyes.

“I don’t hate you! I love you! Ari, I don’t understand what happened. Everything was fine this morning. It’s just jitters, believe me.” It had to be.

Dio reached for her arms and pulled her closer. “Please don’t cry. I was gonna tell you about me being a god, but it wasn’t the right time.”

She struggled against him. “I don’t care what you are! Don’t you get that? I don’t care whether you’re a god or not. But I do care about what you said.”

“Damn it, Ari, what did I say to upset you?”

She stilled and looked at him, her face a mask of stone now. “You said there’ll be a wedding, but there won’t be a groom.”

“I never—” Fuck! Those were his words, words he’d spoken in anger and regretted many times since. But there was no way in Hades she could know about them. Neither Triton nor Hermes would ever have divulged them and betrayed his trust like that. “Who told you that?”

“See, you can’t even deny that you said it.” She lowered her lids, but not before he saw the hurt sitting deep in her eyes. No wonder she didn’t want to marry him anymore: she believed he was playing her.

“Who?” he repeated, this time louder, his jaw clenching and his body taut like a bow string. He would take that traitor’s head off.

“That goddess, Hera, she warned me about you. And she showed me. Don’t deny it: I saw it with my own eyes.”

Dio let go of her arms. “That fucking bitch!” He should have known that Hera couldn’t leave it be and would interfere at the last minute. And hadn’t Zeus promised to keep her occupied? So much for his father’s promises. “Hera has been on my ass and out to destroy me from the day I was born! She’s evil! You can’t believe a word she’s telling you!”

Ari thrust her chin up, challenge written on her face now. “Then you deny that you ever said that you’d leave me standing at the altar?”

Dio ran a hand through his hair. It was time to come clean. “I can’t. I said it, but I didn’t mean it. I was angry when I found out what you’d done. But it’s different now. I love you. I really do. And I want us to get married. Today. Now. Please, Ari, you have to believe me.”

***

Slowly Ari shook her head. He expected her to trust him after this? “I can’t.”

And at the same time something inside her nagged. She’d seen him stand out there in the garden under the sweltering sun, waiting for her. When she’d realized that he was there, that he was actually the one standing at the altar, she’d frozen, unable to run to her parents to extricate them from the situation they were in. For the first time since Hera had told her the truth about Dio, she’d felt a tiny thread of doubt wrap around her heart. But she’d quashed it as quickly as it had come. This time she wouldn’t buy into any more lies.

“I thought you loved me.” There was disbelief in Dio’s voice.

She raised her gaze to meet his and then she saw it, the raw pain in his eyes. Ari closed her eyes. No, she was mistaken. He was only mocking her.

“You’re a god. What do you want from me? Hasn’t this game gone on for long enough?” Resigned, she hung her head. Even if he hadn’t said what he had, there would still be no future for them. The god Dionysus could have anyone. He wouldn’t pick her.

“It’s not a game. We belong together, and I will prove to you that Hera was lying and that I love you.”

Before she had a chance to figure out what he was planning, Dio puller her into a tight embrace.

Then everything went black.

If death was like this, it was pleasant. In fact, Ari’s entire body floated weightlessly in the dark. She felt nothing except … Dio’s arms were around her, and his body was pressed closely against hers. Before she could analyze the strange sensation of floating in Dio’s arms, bright light blinded her, and her feet found purchase as Dio set her down.

“We’re here,” he announced.

“Am I dead?” Ari whispered as her eyes adjusted to the brightness around her.

Dio brushed his lips against hers, kissing her softly. She was too dazed to resist. “Does this feel as if you were dead?”

She shook her head, feeling heat suffuse her cheeks. “Then what happened?”

“We’re on Olympus, the home of the gods.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ari took in her surroundings. Olympus! She was actually on Mount Olympus, the mythical place where the Greek gods were supposed to live. She’d never thought the place actually existed, let alone believed she would ever see it.

Her eyes swept over the Olive trees that grew on the slopes of the mountain on which various villas were dotted within walking distance of each other. The villas were beautiful, with large balconies and terraces overlooking the mortal world below. Any one of those villas could have rivaled the White House in beauty, size, and opulence.

But on top of the mountain where she and Dio stood was the most impressive of them all: a palace in fact. Built from white marble and looking as if chiseled from one massive block, it represented pure elegance and beauty. From the terrace, a large archway led into the palace, framed by Corinthian columns. Fountains were dotted around the building.

Ari instinctively took a few steps closer, drawn in by the sheer beauty of the place when Dio tugged at her hand. She turned to look at him.

“This is my father’s place, Zeus.”

“You live here?” Ari’s mouth dropped open. She remembered Hera saying that Dio was Zeus’ son. No wonder he’d been angry with her. He probably had hundreds of servants, and Ari had made him work as a waiter of all things!

“My father and I don’t get along. I live down there.” He pointed to one of the large villas on the hillside. “I also have homes in the mortal world.”

She gaped at him. “Like the apartment in Charleston? But that’s so … so modest.”

Dio smiled. “I like it that way. Up here, there’s too much back-stabbing going on. I prefer the mortal world.” Then his eyes turned darker. “I prefer being with you.”

Ari felt color rush to her cheeks. He was making her feel all warm and fuzzy again.

***

Dio noticed with delight that Ariadne still responded to him. She hadn’t given up on him yet, and she still loved him. Now he only had to convince her that she could trust him. And Zeus would help him achieve it.

“Zeus!” he called out toward the palace. He knew his father would already have sensed his arrival, therefore it was strange that the god of gods didn’t instantly appear on the terrace of his palace where he preferred to greet his visitors. It would be presumptuous to enter Zeus’ residence without express invitation.

“Zeus! I need to talk to you!” But his father didn’t show. Dio hadn’t pegged him for a coward who would avoid him because he’d broken his promise of keeping Hera off his back. Something was wrong.

“Come.” He led Ari toward the palace.

“I’m not dressed properly to meet your father.”

He gave her a sideways glance and grinned. “Are you telling me you’re actually nervous about meeting Zeus?”

Ari fidgeted. “It’s not every day that you meet a god. Hell, I didn’t even know gods existed—” She slammed her hand over her mouth for a moment. “Oh, I probably can’t say hell here.”

“You can say anything you want to,” Dio responded as they entered the palace through the archway. The air was pleasant inside. “Zeus is an equal-opportunity jerk.”

Ari jolted at his insult. “If you don’t like him, why are you dragging me here?”

“Zeus is going to tell you what Hera is really like.” And then Ari would recognize that he could be trusted—and loved.

“But, I already—”

“Don’t, Ari. Please give me a chance. If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe Zeus. Not because he’s my father, but because he knows Hera better than anybody.”

They walked along the bright hallway which was lit by an atrium that stretched its entire length. Murals graced the walls and ceilings and could have outshined the ones in the Sistine Chapel any day. He allowed his senses to lead him to Zeus. The closer her got to his father’s bedroom, the angrier he got. It figured that Zeus was enjoying himself when he should have distracted Hera instead.

Dio tamped down his anger. He didn’t want to upset Ari with an outburst and promised himself to treat Zeus with civility in front of her. After all, he needed him to confirm to Ari that Hera had hung him out to dry and fabricated the truth to her own liking just to screw him over once more.

Without knocking, Dio threw the heavy door to Zeus’ private chamber open and stepped inside, shoving Ari behind him so he could give Zeus a chance to get decent. As it turned out, the precaution wasn’t necessary: Zeus was covered sufficiently by a bed sheet hiding his assets. He was also either asleep or unconscious—and handcuffed to his bed.

“Ah, shit!” Dio rushed to the oversized bed which stood on a raised platform and bent over his father. “Zeus! Wake up!” He shook his shoulder, but Zeus didn’t stir. “Father!” He’d never used the moniker, but his time he felt compelled.

“What’s wrong?” Ari stepped next to him.

“He’s unconscious.” If he’d been sleeping, he would have awoken by now. And with a foul mood at that.

“Oh!” He caught Ari glancing at the gold handcuffs. Her cheeks colored a dark red. “Maybe he’s just … exhausted.”

“Ari, sex doesn’t exhaust a god—as you should know.” Hadn’t he proven that to her during the last week? “Somebody overpowered him. And looking at the evidence—” He motioned to the cuffs. “—I’d say Hera had a hand in this.”

No wonder Zeus hadn’t been able to keep his promise to Dio. Hera had made sure of that.

“But he’s a god. Aren’t you guys supposed to be invincible?”

He grinned at her superhero analogy. “We sure like to think so, but we all have a weak point, an Archille’s Heel, if you will, and if targeted, it makes us vulnerable. Hera would know what Zeus’ weak spot is. It’s the only way she could have—”

“—handcuffed him?” Ari finished for him.

“No, the handcuffs came before, I’m pretty sure.”

“You mean …” Ari seemed to have no trouble following his thought process. Zeus and Hera had been engaged in a little sex game.

“That’s right, baby.”

“Well, is he gonna be all right?”

“He’s immortal, so don’t worry.” Seeing no visible injury, Dio tugged at the sheet before he stopped himself and turned to Ari. “Would you turn around please and look away?”

“What are you going to do?”

“Find where she incapacitated him. And since Zeus appears to be naked …” He didn’t have to explain anything further. Ari turned with a red face. “Thanks, baby, even though I doubt Zeus would mind being admired by a beautiful woman.” As a matter of fact, he’d probably get turned on if he knew. But Dio wouldn’t allow that: Ari was his, and if she turned anybody on, it would be him.

As he lifted the linen and examined Zeus’ body, Dio shook his head. How had Hera outmaneuvered her husband this time? This would be a story for the history books. Dio swept his eyes over his father’s body, keeping his gaze efficient yet thorough. When he reached Zeus’ groin and noticed a golden sheen among the dark patch of pubic hair, he let out a curse.

“Ah, fuck! Really?”

“What’s wrong?” Ari’s voice was alarmed.

“You don’t want to know. Just don’t look, okay?” Because being seen pulling out a gold hair pin that was driven deep into Zeus’ groin was the grossest thing he’d ever done. And he’d done a lot of disgusting things. As soon as the four inch long pin was out, the skin around the small hole closed and mended.

Zeus stirred instantly, a groan coming from his lips. “That fucking, evil, deceitful—”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Dio covered him with the sheet just as Zeus’ eyes flew open, pinning him.

A moment later, Zeus tore his hands free of the handcuffs as if they were made of papier-mâché. “Son!” The first exuberant greeting was quickly overshadowed by a frown. “You can never tell anybody what happened here.”

Dio hated being ordered around. “Don’t make me regret having helped you.”

Zeus sat up, but before he said anything else, his gaze strayed past Dio, and a lascivious grin spread over his face. “Oh, my! She looks even lovelier close up.”

***

Ari felt herself blush for the hundredth time today. She’d never imagined Zeus to look the way he did: young, vibrant, handsome—not old and with a white beard like Greek mythology books depicted him. And this man, no, god, thought she was lovely? Yet strangely enough, while the compliment was flattering, she didn’t feel the same kind of sensations that took over her body when Dio looked at her. Dio could turn her body into an inferno with one look. His father had nothing on him.

When she shifted her gaze away from Zeus, she found Dio looking at her intensely. Instantly, her insides melted, her knees turned to jelly, and her stomach flipped. Her heart beat into her throat when she noticed his eyes turn darker.

“Don’t mind me,” Zeus interrupted and broke the spell.

She and Dio turned toward him.

“I’m assuming congratulations are in order?”

Dio shook his head, and the gesture sliced into her heart. “Unfortunately, your meddling wife has convinced my bride that I don’t want her and was only planning to take my revenge on her. Hera made Ari believe that I was going to leave her at the altar.”

Zeus slammed his fist into the mattress. “That lying, conniving, scheming—” He stopped himself and looked at Ari, pasting a smile on his face. “I’ll deal with her later. So, my son isn’t good enough for you, huh?” Zeus’ booming voice filled the room, making nervousness creep up her spine. Was he planning to punish her?

“That’s not what—”

He cut her off. “He’s a good man.”

She knew that already. From the moment she’d seen him standing in the garden waiting for her at the little podium, she’d realized that. But little pockets of doubt still remained, and it was hard to shake off the images Hera had shown her. Besides, Dio hadn’t denied that he’d said there wouldn’t be a groom. What was she supposed to make of that?

“Hera hates him, always has,” Zeus continued. “She would do anything to ruin Dionysus’ life. You want proof that Dionysus loves you and wants to make you his wife?”

She nodded and glanced at Dio who stood a few feet away from her.

“Frankly, even a blind man could see how besotted he is with you, but you want proof, so you shall have your proof.” Zeus swept his arms in a circle, and one half of the bed turned into a pond. It was the same kind of optical illusion Hera had used. Zeus was going to show her something.

Ari took a step closer and stared into the reflection on the pool’s surface.

Dio looked out over the rolling hills of a vineyard before he turned to the French doors behind him. The room he entered was a bedroom, which was dominated by a king-sized bed with a fireplace in front of it. He snapped his fingers and out of nowhere, three dwarf-sized creatures appeared. They were human in appearance, yet there was a fairy-like quality to their movements.

“Oh mighty god Dionysus, how may we be of service?” the three said in unison.

“I want you to prepare the vineyard for tonight. Flowers, champagne, fruit. I want everything perfect.”

One of the fairies nodded. “May we decorate for a specific theme?”

Dio smiled. “Yes, for my honeymoon. I’m bringing my wife here tonight. Prepare the bedroom for our wedding night. I want red roses, soft white sheets, everything you can think of for Ariadne to be comfortable: warm towels in the bathroom, a robe, everything she could possibly want. I want her to be happy.”

Ari tried to push back the tears but a sob escaped her nevertheless. He truly wanted her. She turned toward him.

Dio dropped to one knee in front of her. “I love you, Ariadne. Will you marry me?”

She threw her arms around him and knocked him over, landing on top of him.

Dio laughed. “I take that as a yes.”

“Now get out of here,” Zeus ordered, “I believe you have a minister waiting for you in the hot afternoon sun. And I have a wife to punish.”

“Thank you, Father,” Dio said before he kissed her and everything went black around them.

***

Dio had trouble concentrating on teleporting back to the B&B with Ari pressed against him, her hands twined behind his neck and her lips locked with his. He almost crash landed in one of the guestrooms and averted a disaster by letting himself fall onto the bed, Ari landing on top of him. The rough landing caused him to sever the passionate kiss.

“Baby, you keep kissing me like that and we’ll never make it to our own wedding.”

She smiled down at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you at first, but Hera was very convincing.”

He stroked his knuckles over her cheek. “No more listening to Hera from now on. Zeus will deal with her.”

Ari braced herself on her forearms. “I still can’t believe that you’re a god and that Zeus is your father.”

“You’ll get used to it. It has its advantages. I’m sure you’ll come to appreciate them.”

“What advantages?”

“These.” He snapped his fingers, removing her clothes with his powers.

“Ohh!” she gasped in surprise.

Dio grinned. “Oh, yeah!” He ran his hands over her naked back and down to her backside, filling his palms with her warm flesh. He knew exactly what he wanted right now—same as he wanted for eternity: Ari.

“I call that an unfair advantage.” Ari smirked.

“Not the way I look at it.” He stole a quick kiss but knew he couldn’t indulge in more. Not yet. He was fully aware that their wedding guests were baking in the afternoon sun. “Now, baby, let’s get married.”

An instant frown built on her face. “We can’t. My wedding dress. I left it at my apartment.”

He snapped his fingers and directed her gaze to the wardrobe. “You mean that one?” On the outside of the wardrobe’s door hung the most beautiful white gown he’d ever seen. She would look like a goddess in it—his goddess.

“How did you—” Then she interrupted herself. “I guess the same way you got us from the B&B to Olympus and back.”

Dio lifted her off his chest and got up. “Teleportation. It can come in very handy. As can this.” Another snap with his fingers, and Ari stood in front of him dressed in her wedding gown.

He stepped back to admire her. “gods, you’re beautiful. I’m one lucky son of a god.”

Ari brushed her hands over her dress and looked at herself. When she raised her eyes to connect with his gaze, a small frown creased her forehead. “You forgot my underwear.”

Dio’s lips curled up into a smile. “Baby, I didn’t forget.”

“But I’m not wearing—” She stopped herself, realization skidding over her lovely features. Her lips formed into a perfect circle. “Oh.”

He nodded. No, he hadn’t forgotten.

A blush stole over her cheeks, and she looked almost virginal. “But I can’t go out there without underwear.”

He shook his head. “Your breasts don’t need a bra. As for you not wearing any panties, how about we treat that as your wedding gift to me?”

“You’re impossible.”

Dio shrugged. “You’ll get used to it.”

As he stretched his hand out to take hers, she threw herself into his arms. “I love you.”

His entire body flooded with warmth as the words reached his heart and entered through the wide open gate. Without a word, he kissed her before leading her out into the garden.

When they stepped out into the sunshine, the chatter of the guests subsided, and all eyes watched them walk hand in hand toward the podium.

“There’s something else I forgot to mention,” he whispered to her.

Ari gave him a sideways glance and responded sotto voce, “What else could there possibly be?”

He grinned. “We made a baby the night you told me the truth.”

Her head snapped to the side as she stared at him in disbelief. Her lips quivered, and her eyes filled with tears. Dio felt like a fist had slammed into his gut. “You don’t want my child?”

She stopped walking, her hand reaching for his face. Instinctively he drew closer. Despite the tears that now ran down her cheeks, her eyes and her lips smiled at him. “Oh, Dio!” she whispered and pressed her lips to his.

“You want my child?” he asked.

She nodded, taking a millstone off his heart.

“Then why are you crying, baby?”

She raised her eyes to gaze into his. “Because I’ve never been happier.”

He chuckled. “I think you’ll be crying a lot then, because I’m planning on making you very happy.”

Epilogue

Eleven months later

Reclined in bed, his freshly bathed son on his naked chest, Dionysus stroked over the baby’s bare skin. He’d never felt anything so soft in his life, nor anything that precious.

His life with Ariadne was perfect. Most of the time, they lived in Charleston where they’d purchased a large home in the city not too far from the wine shop that they now ran together. But whenever they wanted to get away and spend a few quiet hours alone, Dio teleported the three of them to his vineyard in Napa.

His eyes drifted toward the French doors that opened up to the rolling hills around his estate, hills that were covered with vines that hung heavy with grapes, now ready to harvest.

His son started fussing, bringing Dio’s attention back to the little bundle on his chest. He stroked his finger against his son’s fists and felt him grab it in the next instant. A moment later, with more strength than a mortal baby had, he pulled Dio’s finger to his mouth and gnawed on it. “I know,” Dio cooed, “you’re hungry.” Then he looked toward the bathroom door. “You mother will take care of you soon.”

When he pulled his finger out of his son’s mouth, the boy started to wail. A second later, the bathroom door opened, and Ari stepped out, dressed in a short, light robe, her hair wet from her shower.

“Our son is hungry.” Dio smiled at her as he feasted his eyes on her form. With a snap of his fingers, he willed the belt of her robe to untie. “Much better,” he commented as her robe fell open in the front.

Ari laughed and slid beside him onto the bed. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Just making sure my son can get to his breakfast.” He dropped his eyes to her breasts. They were fuller and heavier than when he’d first met her. And he knew that sometimes they ached under the additional weight, so whenever he lavished attention on them, he was cautious not to squeeze too hard.

Dio lifted his son from his chest and placed him in Ari’s arms. Then he cradled one of her breasts in his palm and led the nipple to his son’s lips. Greedily, the baby sucked the tit into his mouth, his crying and fussing stopping instantly. He loved watching her breastfeed, particularly because she never minded when he softly caressed her at the same time.

He nudged closer to her, putting one arm around her shoulders and stoking her arms that held their son with the other. When she turned her face to him and smiled, he responded by taking her lips and kissing her. And just like that, he felt himself get hard under the sheet that covered his lower half.

Ari pulled away from him abruptly. “Ouch!” He followed her look at the baby and noticed how his son had grabbed her free nipple with his fist. “Look at that. He’s just like his father!”

Dio beamed. With pride, he smiled back at Ari. “That’s my son!” He bent down to his son and caressed the dusting of dark hair on his head. “Now eat up quickly, my son, because your father has an older claim than you, and right now—” He lifted his eyes and winked at Ari. “—he’s ravenous.”

Ari laughed, the sound echoing in the mansion and rolling down the hills of his estate. The moment she’d laid their baby back into the crib, Dio silenced her laughter with his lips on hers and his cock buried deep inside her welcoming body.

THE END

About Dionysus and Ariande

According to Bulfinch’s Greek Mythology, Dionysus married the mortal woman Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos of Crete, after her lover Theseus deserted her. Dionysus and Ariadne had four sons: Thoas, Staphylus, Oenopion, and Peparethus.

Dionysus gave her a crown, which after Ariadne’s death was transformed into the celestial constellation of the crown of Ariadne.

EXCERPT of Gabriel’s Mate by Tina Folsom

The click-clack of her heels echoed against the buildings. Maya could barely see the pavement through the fog, which hung like a thick mist in the night air, amplifying every sound.

A rustle coming from somewhere behind her made her accelerate her already hasty steps. A chill so severe it felt as if an icy hand had touched her skin went through her. She hated the dark, and it was on nights like these that she cursed her on-call duty. Darkness had always scared her, and lately it did even more so.

She opened her purse as she approached the three-story apartment building she’d been living in for the last two years. With shaking fingers, she fished for her house keys. The moment she felt the cold metal in her damp palm, she felt better. In a few seconds, she would be back in bed and get a few hours of sleep before her next shift started. But more importantly, shortly she would be back in the safety of her own four walls.

As she turned to the stairs leading up to the heavy entrance door, she noticed the darkness in the foyer. She glanced up. The light bulb over the door must have burned out. A couple of hours ago it had been burning brightly. She put it on her mental list of things to tell her landlord.

Maya felt for the railing and gripped it, counting the steps as she walked up.

She never reached the door.

“Maya.”

Her breath caught as she spun on her heels. Engulfed in the dark and the fog, she couldn’t make out his face. She didn’t need to—she knew his voice. She knew who he was. It almost paralyzed her. Her heart hammered in her throat as fear inside her gut spiraled.

“No!” she screamed and scrambled back toward the door, hoping against all odds she could escape.

He’d come back like he’d vowed.

His hand dug into her shoulder and pulled her back to face him. But instead of his face, all she could focus on was the white of his pointed teeth.

“You will be mine.”

The threat was the last thing she heard before she felt his sharp fangs break through her skin and sink into her neck. As the blood drained from her, so did the memories of the last few weeks.

***

“And you’ve tried surgery already?” Dr. Drake inquired without looking up from his notepad.

Gabriel released a frustrated huff and brushed an imaginary dust particle off his jeans. “Didn’t work.”

“I see.” He cleared his throat. “Mr. Giles, have you had this …”—the doctor winced and made a nondescript hand movement—“uh … all your life? Even when you were human?”

Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut for a second. After puberty, there wasn’t a day in his living memory that he’d not had this problem. Everything had been normal when he’d been a little boy, but the moment his hormones had started raging, his life had changed. Even as a human, he’d been an outcast.

He felt the scar on his face throb, remembering the moment he’d received it and jerked himself away from the memory. The physical pain had long since eased, but the emotional pain was as vivid as ever. “I had it long before I became a vampire. Back then, nobody thought of surgery. Hell, an infection would have probably killed me.” If he’d known how his life would turn out, he would have taken a knife to himself, but hindsight was always twenty-twenty.  “Anyway, as you probably know better than I do, my body regenerates while I sleep and heals what it perceives to be a wound. So, no, surgery hasn’t worked.”

“I assume this has caused problems with your sex life?”

Gabriel pressed himself deeper back into the chair opposite Dr. Drake’s, having ignored the coffin-couch with an internal shiver upon entering the practice. His friend Amaury had warned him about the doctor’s choice of furniture. Nevertheless, the coffin that had been fashioned into a chaise lounge by removing a side panel gave him the creeps. No self-respecting vampire would want to be caught dead in it. Pun intended.

“What sex life?” he mumbled under his breath. But of course, the doctor’s superior vampire hearing assured the words weren’t lost to him.

Drake’s shocked stare confirmed it. “You mean…?”

Gabriel knew exactly what the man was asking. “Other than with an occasional desperate prostitute who I have to pay outrageous sums of money to service me, I have no sex life.”

He dropped his gaze to the floor, not wanting to see the pity in the doctor’s eyes. He was here to get help, not to be pitied. Still, he needed to impress on the man how important this was for him. “I haven’t met a woman yet who hasn’t recoiled from my naked body. They call me a monster, a freak at best—and those are the kind ones.” He paused, shuddering as the memories of all the names he’d been called came rushing back. “Doc, I’ve never had a woman in my arms who wanted to be with me.” Yes, he’d fucked women—whores—but he’d never made love to a woman. Never felt a woman’s love or tenderness, or the intimacy of waking in her arms.

“How do you expect me to help you? As you said yourself, surgery hasn’t helped, and I’m only a psychiatrist. I work with people’s minds, not their bodies.” Drake’s voice was infused with rejection, every single syllable of it. “Why don’t you use mind control on human women? They won’t know any better.”

He should have expected as much. Gabriel leveled a glare at him. “I’m not a complete jerk, Doctor. I won’t use women like that.” He paused before he went on, bringing his anger at the dishonorable suggestion under control. “You helped my friends.”

“Both Mr. Woodford’s and Mr. LeSang’s problems were different, not …” —he searched for the right word—“physical like yours.”

Gabriel’s chest tightened. Yes, physical. And a vampire couldn’t alter his physical form. It was set in stone. It was the exact reason why his face was marred by a scar reaching from his chin to the top of his right ear. He’d received the wound when he was human. Had he been injured as a vampire, there would have never been a scar, and his face would be untouched.

Two strikes against him—already the hideous scar scared plenty of women away, and once he dropped his pants— He shuddered and looked back at the doctor who patiently sat in his chair.

“They both claimed you used unorthodox methods,” Gabriel baited him.

Dr. Drake gave a noncommittal shrug. “What one might call unorthodox, another might deem natural.”

That was a nonanswer if there ever was one. Subtle hints wouldn’t get Gabriel the information he sought. He cleared his throat and nudged forward on his chair.

“Amaury mentioned you had certain connections.” He emphasized the word “connections” in such a way the doctor couldn’t mistake what Gabriel was referring to.

The almost unperceivable straightening of the doctor’s body would have escaped most others, but not Gabriel. Drake had understood only too well what he was after.

The doctor’s lips tightened. “Maybe I can refer you to another physician among my connections who might be able to help you more than I can. Nobody here in San Francisco, of course, since I’m still the only medically trained vampire here,” he confided.

Gabriel wasn’t surprised at the revelation: since vampires weren’t susceptible to human illnesses, very few became doctors. Given that San Francisco had a vampire population of under a thousand, it was lucky to have even one medical professional within its city limits.

“I see we both agree that we’re not a good match,” the doctor went on.

Gabriel knew he had to act now before the doctor dismissed him completely. When Drake moved to the Rolodex on his desk, Gabriel rose from his chair.

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary—”

“Well, then, it was a pleasure meeting you.” The doctor stretched his hand out, his relaxed face now showing relief.

With a light shake of his head, Gabriel dismissed the gesture. “I doubt the Rolodex contains the name of the person I’m looking for anyway. Am I right?” He kept all malice out of his voice, having no intention of alienating the man. Instead, he let a half-smile curve his lips.

A flash in Drake’s blue eyes confirmed he knew exactly who Gabriel was talking about. It was time to bring in the big guns. “I’m a very rich man. I can pay whatever you wish,” Gabriel offered. In his nearly one hundred and fifty years as a vampire, he’d amassed a fortune.

The doc’s cocked eyebrow indicated interest. There was a hesitation in Drake’s movement, but seconds later he pointed to the chairs. They both sat back down.

“What makes you think I’m interested in your offer?”

“If you weren’t, we wouldn’t be sitting.”

The doctor nodded. “Your friend Amaury speaks very highly of you. I trust he’s well now.”

If Drake wanted to chit-chat, Gabriel would indulge him, but not for long. “Yes, the curse is broken. I understand that one of your acquaintances was instrumental in figuring out how the curse could be reversed.”

“Maybe. But understanding how to fix something and fixing it are two different things. And as I see it, Amaury and Nina reversed his curse all by themselves. No outside help was needed.”

“Unlike in my case?”

The doctor shrugged, a gesture Gabriel was getting increasingly tired of. “I don’t know. There might be a perfectly plausible explanation for your ailment.”

Gabriel shook his head. “Let’s cut to the chase, Drake. It’s not an ailment. What plausible explanation am I going to give a woman who sees me naked?”

“Mr. Giles—”

“At least call me Gabriel. I think we’re past the Mr. Giles stage.”

“Gabriel, I understand your predicament.”

Gabriel felt heat rise inside his chest as anger churned up, something that was becoming more common as he dealt with his predicament. “Do you? Do you really understand what it feels like to see the disgust and fear in the eyes of a woman you want to make love to?” Gabriel swallowed hard. He’d never made love to a woman, never truly made love. Sex with prostitutes wasn’t love. Sure, he could use mind control like the doctor had suggested and lure some unsuspecting woman into his bed and do with her whatever he wanted, but he’d vowed never to sink that low. And he’d never broken that vow.

“You mentioned payment,” he heard Drake say.

Finally, there was light at the end of the tunnel. “Name your price and I’ll wire the money into your account within hours.”

Drake shook his head. “I’m not interested in money. I understand you have a gift.”

Gabriel straightened in his chair. How much did the doctor know about him? He knew Amaury would have never revealed any of his secrets. “I’m not sure I understand—”

“Gabriel, don’t take me for a fool. Just as you must have made your inquires about me, I have looked into your background. I understand you’re able to unlock memories. Would you care to explain your gift to me?”

Not particularly. But it appeared he had no choice. “I see into people’s minds and can delve into their memories. I see what they’ve seen.”

“Does this mean you can look into my memories and find the person you’re looking for?” Drake asked.

“I only see events and pictures. So unless I find a memory that shows her at her house or other such criteria, I wouldn’t be able to find her. I don’t read minds, only memories.”

“I see.” The doctor paused. “I’m willing to give you the whereabouts of the person you’re looking for in exchange for the one-time use of your gift.”

“You want me to delve into your memories and find something you’ve forgotten?” Sure, he could do that.

Drake chuckled. “Of course not. I have perfect recall. I want you to unlock another person’s memories for me.”

Hope deflated. His skill was only to be used in emergencies or when someone’s life was at stake. He wouldn’t rape someone’s memories for his own gain, no matter how important this was for him. “I can’t do that.”

“Of course you can. You just told me—”

“What I meant to say is I won’t do it. Memories are private. I won’t access a person’s memories without their permission.” And he was sure the person whose memories the doctor wanted revealed to him wasn’t going to give their consent.

“A man with high ethics. What a pity.”

Gabriel glanced around the room. “With the money I’m willing to pay you, you could redecorate quite lavishly.” And get rid of the coffin couch.

“I like the way my practice looks. Don’t you?” Drake gave the offensive couch a pointed look.

Gabriel knew then that the negotiations were at an end. The doctor wouldn’t budge, and neither would he.

END OF EXCERPT

Excerpt of VENICE VAMPYR #1

Isabella tore the wet clothes off the stranger’s body as her maid Elisabetta stood by wide-eyed. “Don’t just stand there, get a fire going,” she ordered.

“Signora, shouldn’t you let one of the footmen do this?”

Isabella shot her an annoyed look. “There’s no time for modesty.” Already she’d wasted precious minutes by ridding herself of her own wet clothes and drying off before stepping into a chemise and a dressing gown.

Adolfo had helped get the stranger up into her own rooms and placed him on the divan in front of the fireplace. She’d instructed him to keep quiet about the man. Having a stranger who was neither her husband nor a close relative staying with her would start all tongues in Venice wagging. Still, she knew it was only a matter of time before one of her staff gossiped and spread the scandalous news.

Despite the fact that she’d grieved for her husband for almost a year without taking a lover, without so much as allowing any man to even woo her in the most acceptable of manners, even she, a respectable widow, would not get away unscathed. If anyone found out a stranger was at her home—worse, in her own bedchamber—she would have to deal with the consequences. They would be harsh. Were they worth it? She hadn’t craved a man’s touch or attention, only her husband’s. Until now.

As she gazed upon the tall stranger whose clothes she peeled away layer by layer, she was grateful for the fact that her maid was busy with stoking the fire, for she didn’t want to be watched as she devoured the handsome man with her eyes.

Isabella allowed her hand to travel over his muscled chest and felt the raw power he represented. She wondered what kind of work this man did to have such strength in his body. But she knew he wasn’t a common laborer who worked in the warehouses or on the docks. His clothes were too well made and too expensive for that. He had to be a gentleman, a very well-built gentleman.

The moment she opened the flap on his breeches, easing open button after button, her own body heated despite the chill she’d gotten in the freezing water. No man had ever been able to ignite that kind of response in her body, not even her late husband. They’d had a loving marriage, a very comfortable one, but she’d never lusted after him like she lusted after this stranger.

The fabric clung to him. She told herself that she needed to rip it off him so he wouldn’t die of a chill, but she knew better. The reason she tugged forcefully at his soggy clothes was so she could feast her eyes on what was beneath. She stripped him and dropped the wet garments onto the rug.

“Give me a bowl with warm water and a sponge.”

Behind her, Elisabetta shuffled closer. A gasp told her that her maid was looking at the naked man. Isabella shifted her body to obstruct her maid’s view. She didn’t want to share him. What a strange thought, she reflected. He wasn’t hers, yet she wanted to be the only one who saw him like this: vulnerable in his nudity.

“Signora! It is not decent!”

Isabella spun her head and snatched the bowl of water from Elisabetta’s hands. “Leave us. And not a word of this to anybody if you value your position here. Do you hear me?”

She nodded nervously and fled from the room. Isabella looked back at the beautiful naked man in front of her and took a deep breath. She should let one of her male servants do this, but she couldn’t bring herself to relinquish the intimate task.

With the sponge she bathed him, starting with his face. His dark hair, sleek and shiny as that of a raven, clung to his skin. As she gently washed his face, she wondered what kind of eyes lay behind those dark lashes. Were his eyes as dark as his hair? And would those lips smile at her if he knew what she was doing? She sighed. It had been so long since she’d touched another person. And to touch him felt more exciting than she could have imagined.

Isabella cleaned every inch of his body with warm water, then dried him with a large bathing sheet. And all the while she marveled at the beauty of his nude form. Strong, powerful thighs, a muscled chest covered in just a light dusting of dark hair, arms that looked strong. But what truly captured her attention was what lay at the juncture of his thighs.

In a nest of black, coarse curls, a large shaft rested against his sac, which looked as if it held two small eggs. She knew all about the male form—her husband had been a virile man and had taught her about the pleasures of the flesh, how to arouse him and how to pleasure him.

When she looked at this stranger now, she wanted to do just that: arouse him, pleasure him. Her hand stroked over his manhood, exploring his soft skin. How she’d missed touching a man. How she longed for the invasion that stretched her channel to its capacity. And this man would stretch her. Even in its relaxed state, he was of a formidable size. Once aroused, she knew he would be magnificent.

Suddenly, he shifted under her touch, startling her. Isabella instantly reached for the thick blanket and pulled it over him, covering his gorgeous body.

***

Somebody had made a mistake. For all intents and purposes, he should be in hell. But from what Raphael could see, he’d made it into heaven. He’d never expected there to be a heaven for vampires. But he wasn’t going to complain—no, he would not voice his concerns, even though he knew he didn’t deserve this.

The woman was clearly an angel. Her raven hair was loose, not held up high on her head with hundreds of pins as was the current fashion. And her clothing was indecent at best. She wore a long red dressing gown of rich brocade embroidered with golden roses. It was pulled tight at her waist, but the top gaped open as she leaned over him. He noticed the soft white fabric beneath clinging to her generous breasts.

No, she could not be a mortal. No woman in Venice would dress this scandalously in the presence of a man who was not her husband. It was proof positive that he was in heaven. Why he lay on a divan in a very feminine boudoir, he couldn’t yet explain, but he would get to the bottom of it. Nor could he explain why he felt cold. In fact, he positively shivered.

“I’ll have Elisabetta put more coal on the fire in a moment,” the angel said.

Coals in heaven? Frankly, he’d thought they would have invented something a little more advanced. When she reached out and stroked his face, he realized that her skin was almost as cold as his. He certainly could do something about that.

“You’re awake. Finally. We were worried.” Her voice was like the most beautiful music he’d ever heard.

Worried that he wouldn’t make it to heaven? “My angel, you won’t have to worry any longer. I am here now.” He reached for her hand and pulled it to his mouth, kissing her palm. The floral bouquet of her skin barely masked the heavy, rich scent of the blood in her veins. Despite the fact that he’d fed just before his death, he felt his fangs itch and his stomach clench with thirst for the angel’s blood.

The beauty pulled her hand from his grip. “Signore, there is no need for such familiarity.”

Raphael dropped his gaze to her neckline. “Familiarity? Maybe you mean formality?” He gave her a charming smile, the same kind of smile he used to lure his female victims to him. As he locked eyes with her and gazed into her green orbs, his hand went to her face. That was when he noticed the absence of clothes on his person. Why was he naked?

Surely, if he was without any clothes beneath the blanket and with the most gorgeous angel bending over him, there could only be one reason for it: he was here to make love to her. After all, this was heaven. “You’re right, my angel, why kiss your hand when your lips are so red and full?”

Raphael pulled her to him and brushed his lips against hers. A gasp was her answer. “Shh, my angel, let me love you.”

He captured the lovely creature’s mouth and snaked his free arm around her, pressing her against him. She seemed to want to protest, but he didn’t allow it. Instead, he greedily slipped his tongue between her parted lips and explored her.

Her tangy taste was enthralling, her lips soft and yielding. She tasted as enticing as her scent had hinted at. Yes, he would make love to her and take her intoxicating blood into him at the same time, gorge himself on her to celebrate his arrival in heaven.

His tongue coaxed her to respond to him, to dance with him in the intimate dance of two lovers. When he stroked against it for the first time, his cock pumped full with blood, readying itself for her. He pressed her body closer to make her aware of his urgent need.

When her hands pushed against his chest, he thought it was so she could free herself of her clothes, but she separated herself entirely from him instead and jumped up from the divan.

She took a few steps back, her body trembling, but he doubted that it was from fear. Her look was scolding as she glared at him. “Signore! Is that the thanks I get for taking care of you after you nearly drowned? Being attacked by you in my own home?”

END OF EXCERPT

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Folsom is a member of the Romance Writers of America and writes predominantly paranormal and erotic romance. She lives in Northern California with her husband where she enjoys great food, changeable weather, and tolerates the occasional earthquake.

Her ideas for her books come from her many different careers – CPA/Accountant, Real Estate Broker, Chef, Secretary, Au-pair amongst others – as well as the many different countries she’s lived in and the people she’s met over the years. And the vampires? Well, chalk them up to her active imagination.

For more about Tina Folsom, please visit her website: www.tinawritesromance.com

Complete listing of Tina Folsom’s Books:

Samson’s Lovely Mortal (Scanguards Vampires #1)
Amaury’s Hellion (Scanguards Vampires #2)
Gabriel’s Mate (Scanguards Vampires #3)
Yvette’s Haven (Scanguards Vampires #4)

Scanguards Book #4 – coming in December 2011
A Touch of Greek (Out of Olympus #1)
Venice Vampyr - The Beginning (Novellas 1 - 3)
Venice Vampyr #1

Venice Vampyr #2 Final Affair
Venice Vampyr #3 Sinful Treasure
Lawful Escort
Steal Me
The Wrong Suitor
Captured to Breed

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Epilogue

About Dionysus and Ariande

EXCERPT of Gabriel’s Mate by Tina Folsom

Excerpt of VENICE VAMPYR #1

ABOUT THE AUTHOR