A Taste of Greek (Out of Olympus #3) (12 page)

“Hermes, the little fuck-up, has let himself be screwed over by a mortal.” He pounded his fist onto his white marble desk. “And I’m going to make him pay for it. Just as soon as I can wrap my hands around his bloody neck!” Then he glared at the assembled. “And now, unless you’d like to play scapegoat today, you’d all better get out of my fucking sight!”

He’d never seen the gods disperse that rapidly.

Just for good measure, he sent another thunderbolt illuminating the sky. “How is it that I can have such a stupid son?”

“What can I say, Zeus, it’s a gift,” Hera said sweeping into the room.

Her feline smile sent Zeus’s temperature soaring.

“I don’t need your two cents right now, woman.”

“Ah, but it’s so much fun. You don’t really expect me to resist, do you, dear? Hermes has been a pain in my backside for more years than I care to remember.”

“I swear, I’m going to have his hide hanging on my wall as soon as I can teleport back down to earth.”

She walked toward him, stopping just a few inches away, extending one perfectly-manicured nail, and scraping it down his chest.

“That’s right, dear. I guess you’re housebound here with me, aren’t you? No more unsavory romantic trysts with your mortal whore-du-jour?” She chuckled to herself.

Zeus felt his blood boiling, even as he grabbed her hand and guided it lower. “Well, then maybe you’d like to help me out here. Given that I can’t slake my needs with a mortal wench, maybe I should fuck a goddess from time to time. What do you think?”

He guided her hand over the bulge that tented his tunic. Fuck, even Hera could get him aroused in less than a minute. He reached for the clasp on his shoulder that held his tunic up and opened it. The white fabric dropped and pooled at his feet.

Hera’s lips formed into a perfect ‘o’ as she dropped her gaze to his cock. “You’re magnificent as always, I give you that.” Then she reached for his erection and wrapped her elegant fingers around him.

He let out an appreciative moan. “I’m in the mood for a good cock-sucking today.” Then he reached for the clasp on her shoulder. “By a naked goddess.” He undid the clasp, and Hera’s tunic fell to her midsection. The golden sash she wore around her waist prevented it from falling any farther.

“And where are you gonna find a naked goddess willing to perform such an act?” she asked coquettishly, giving his cock a hard squeeze.

He grabbed her and yanked her toward him, then snapped his fingers, making her gown disappear. Naked now, he pressed her against him, her luscious breasts rubbing against his chest, her pussy aligning with his shaft. Maybe a cock-sucking wasn’t what he needed after all.

“On second thought,” he hedged, turning her in his arms, then pushing her forward onto his large desk, “maybe a good fucking will make me feel a little better.”

Zeus spread her legs wider, then lined up his cock with her already-wet folds, and thrust into her from behind. He held onto her hips, just in case she wanted to escape him; however, it seemed Hera was going to comply this once. She moaned and held on to the desk, her knuckles white from the effort of holding on tightly, so his hard thrusts wouldn’t push her over the desk on the other side.

“I do love your cock in me, Zeus. You’re better than all the others who fuck me.”

He growled in anger. Even though he knew that their marriage wasn’t a faithful one—on both sides—he hated to be reminded of it at a time like this.

“Are you gonna punish me for that?” she asked on a moan.

“Yes! Damn it, Hera! I’m gonna punish you with one thrust for every man who had his cock inside you over the last millennium. And what are you gonna do about that? Huh?” He shoved his erection deeper and harder into her, then slapped her pink backside with his flat palm. The appreciative moan she released made him even harder.

“Let’s see whether you can last that long,” she taunted him, and met his next thrust with more force.

***

Penny gave Kenton a tired smile. “Well, I’d better get going.”

But Kenton didn’t get the hint and remained at her side. He seemed determined to find out where she was heading with the sandals in her bag. As they walked along the corridor, she frantically searched for an escape route.

Her eyes fell on a sign pointing to the restrooms. This was her chance.

She clutched her midsection. “Oh, darn stomach; must have been that seafood I ate last night.” She tossed him an apologetic smile, and just as she’d predicted, his look turned to embarrassment. Men were so predictable, really! “Well I guess I’ll see you Monday,” she said, heading for the ladies room.

“Do you want me to wait for you?” he called after her.

She made a dismissive gesture with her hand without looking back. “No need. I’ll be a while.”

Penny entered the restroom and shut the door behind her, sighing in relief. She would never have invoked such an excuse at any other time, but she had to lose her nosy colleague.

There was only one entrance and exit to the ladies restroom, which meant she had to stay here for a while, just in case Kenton was waiting around in the hallway, despite what she’d said. She looked at her cell phone to check the time. Almost nine a.m. Hermes would be up by now, showered, and dressed—and knowing his sandals were gone. Would he simply pick another pair of shoes for the day and search for them later? Who wore the same shoes day in, day out? Not even men did that. Kenton, for example, wore a different pair nearly every day, clothes horse that he was.

A loud clap of thunder made her look out the window. It suddenly started raining. In fact, it was positively pouring down. Like a tropical downpour. The weather had become totally unpredictable lately. She shook her head. Then she caught her reflection in the mirror over the sink.

“Thief,” she whispered to herself. That’s what she was, just like her father. Cut from the same cloth. Had fate finally caught up with her?

There was no turning back now. No salvaging this situation. She’d stolen the damned sandals and she was going to pay for it. The damage was already done.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

Maybe something good could come from it after all. She thought of her grandmother and how it would break her heart when she had to tell her that they had to leave Charleston, because Penny had lost her job. Had failed at getting tenure! Her heart clenched painfully. No, she couldn’t do this to her grandmother. It could literally kill her.

Looking at the clock on her cell phone again, she decided that she’d let enough time pass and walked to the door. She cracked it open a sliver and peered into the hallway. It was empty. Not losing a second, she hurried down the hall, heading toward the basement lab, an idea having formed in her mind.

No one would be in there on a Sunday, but she was friends with Irene, who ran the lab. With some luck, she could get her to come in today and do some carbon-dating for her. Then Penny would be able to sneak back into the B&B tonight and return Hermes’ sandals clandestinely.

Was it still considered a theft, if she returned the items on the same day?

As she arrived at the entrance to the lab, Penny took out her phone and dialed a number.

“Come on, Irene, pick up,” she murmured to herself.

It rang twice, three times, then a fourth. Finally, the call was answered. “Yes?” Irene’s voice sounded groggy.

“Irene, it’s me, Penny. Sorry to disturb so early on a Sunday morning, but I need a favor. I’m putting a rush order on your desk. Any chance you could come in today?”

“Well,” Irene said, hesitating. “Okay, I’ll come right now, but I’ve got a family outing this afternoon.”

“Oh, you’re the best, and can you do me another favor? Can you keep it to yourself please? Nobody can find out about it. Especially not Kenton.”

“You got it.”

“Thanks, girl. I owe you.”

“Big time, and I intend to collect.”

Penny smiled and hung up the phone. She slipped the shoe into one of the gallon-sized processing bags that hung next to the door to the lab, closed it, and wrote instructions on it. Then she put the bag into the night depository drawer and closed it. She heard the bag fall into a receptacle on the other side.

Sucking in a steadying breath, she hurried back up the stairs. The sandal would be safe where it was. Nobody could enter the lab except for the staff who worked there. But she couldn’t keep walking around with the second sandal. What if she ran into Hermes?

Penny rushed back to her office, constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure Kenton wouldn’t show up again out of the blue. When she reached it unseen, she was relieved.

Without delay, she opened the safe in the corner of her office and placed the shoe inside, before locking it again. She hung the tote bag back on its hook.

The sandal would be safe there for a few more hours. Then she would find a way of returning both sandals to Hermes.

As if that would make everything all right! As if that would erase the mark of thief she’d tainted herself with.

The opening of a door made her spin on her heels to face the intruder.

Her heart stopped, only to continue at double its normal speed a second later.

Shit! She was so screwed.

15

Penny stood in front of him, purse in hand, a look of wide-eyed shock on her face. “Hermes!” Her voice shook as she said his name.

“Where are they?” he growled, barely able to keep himself from lunging at her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking the truth out of her.

He was livid! On top of it, he’d been caught in the torrential downpour Zeus had created and hadn’t had a chance to dry himself with his godly powers, because several students had meandered in the hallway on his way to Penny’s office.

“What?” she said, backing away from him.

She was afraid. He could clearly see it in her face, the way her eyes searched for an escape route, and the way her lips trembled slightly. Hell, he could practically smell the fear coming off of her in waves.

“As if you didn’t know,” he said, gritting his teeth, barely able to contain his fury.

“I don’t know. Really.” She was up against the wall now. Her gaze moved from his face to the door behind him. As if she could escape. As if he would let her go!

He took a step toward her.

“Hermes,” she started, holding her purse in front of her. All breathless, her lips puckered, her chest heaved. “You’re drenched. Can I get you a towel?” She set her purse down on the desk and tried to hurry past him.

One hand shot out and grabbed her by the shoulder, stopping her as she passed. “No. I don’t want a towel.” He leaned forward, his face inches from hers, water dripping from his hair onto her shoulder. “You know what I want.”

“Please, Hermes,” she said, turning to look up at him. “I know I shouldn’t have left you this morning the way I did. I just,” she hesitated. “There was just something important I’d completely forgotten. Time sensitive work. And then I was coming right back. In fact, I was hoping to get back before you even woke—”

“Stop!” he bellowed.

“What?” she squeaked.

Terrified eyes looked at him. Her breath quickened, and he noticed the vein on the side of her neck pulsing violently. For a brief second, he felt like an ass. He didn’t scare women. He loved women. Not once in his entire life had he ever hurt a woman.

Not once had he wanted to.

“Did you plan on doing it all along?” he asked, pushing the words through his clenched jaw.

She didn’t answer him, just looked at him all doe-eyed and confused. How good an actress was she? How long would she keep up the pretense and put on this show of innocence?

“Did you sleep with me just so you could take them? Did you want to be with me at all?” He hated the pleading sound in his voice.

Almost as much as he hated the sudden understanding and pity that swept into her eyes. As if she knew that he was head over heels for her, and didn’t want what he was offering, but had to find a way of letting him down easy.

“No,” she whispered, her head moving from side to side. “Never. I adore you Hermes. You are amazing.” She raised a trembling hand to his cheek. Was she afraid that he would slap it back?

Damn it, he couldn’t let her think that!

In one swift movement, he pushed her against the wall, his face mere inches from hers. She gasped an astonished breath, and then his lips fell over hers. Devouring her. Punishing her. Showing her who he really was. Not a man to be trifled with. But a god. A god!

Penny moaned, her lips parting, allowing his tongue to thrust into her mouth, sparring with her. He lost himself in her. His hand roamed her body, touching her breasts, kneading them harshly. She moaned, pushing herself closer, begging for more.

Her hands undid the buttons of his shirt, pulling the wet fabric off his shoulder. She stroked his chest, her fingers playing with his nipples, making him momentarily forget everything.

Hermes ripped his mouth from hers. “Damn it, Penny! Where are my sandals?”

“I don’t have them.”

He didn’t believe her, but by the gods, he’d get the truth out of her, one way or another. All was fair in love and war. Whether this was love or war, he wasn’t entirely sure. But it didn’t matter right now, because the result was the same: he’d fuck the truth out of her if he had to.

Reaching for the seam of her dress, he pulled the garment up over her thighs. His hand slipped between her legs, stroking over her panties—panties that were drenched already. God damn it, was this turning her on like it turned him on?

With one yank, he ripped the flimsy piece of lingerie from her body, tossing it to the floor.

“Tell me the truth!” he demanded again.

“I didn’t take them,” she insisted.

Angry at her refusal, he lifted her up and laid her over the desk, pushing papers off it to make space.

“You have one more chance,” he warned, and stepped between her legs. His fingers already opened the top button of his jeans and lowered the zipper.

Without taking his eyes off her, he shoved his pants and boxer briefs to mid-thigh, freeing his erection. By the gods, he was hard! He pulled a condom from his pocket, ripped the foil package open, and sheathed himself.