A Scent of Greek: Out of Olympus (14 page)

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.