Goddess by Chance (Demi-God Daughters Book 2) (12 page)

With Zeus no longer in their way, maybe Athena would finally start to see her sister as not just an empty headed goddess but a sister worth getting to know. Aphrodite really hoped so. Athena was going to need someone to lean on, especially with the situation brewing around Arienne.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Arienne couldn’t believe three days had passed. Three days not hearing her father’s voice, along with no Sunday dinner and a good, long talk. All she felt now was an emptiness. The only reason she was still standing was because of Chris. Showing up to her condo the morning after, he’d taken over everything: funeral arrangements, paperwork with the insurance company, and contacting distant relatives. Chris had done it all while allowing her to sit on the couch in her pajamas without lifting a finger. She didn’t know what she’d have done without him.

It was so strange. At the lowest point in her life, when she should’ve been all alone, she wasn’t because the most amazing man had entered her life. She watched him now, pacing in front of her on his phone. Clad in blue jeans and a black polo shirt, he looked just like a regular guy, but there was nothing regular about Chris.
Not with him looking like that.
As she sipped the chamomile tea he had made, her eyes roved over his body.

There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. Not even in that perfect ass turned towards her. She closed her eyes.
What’s wrong with you? How can you be ogling him at a time like this? Your libido should be the last thing on your mind.
Unfortunately it wasn’t. Chris had been nothing but wonderful to her since the day they met. She couldn’t understand the way she was starting to feel. They’d barely known each other for two weeks, and yet here she was thinking about him far more than she should.

Something more than gratitude came to mind now. A lot more than gratitude. Now there was a flutter near her heart, a rumbling in her belly and even a tingling of want. Yes, after all these years she could freely admit that she wanted him. Wanted to know what it was like to have his skin pressed against hers and to feel him moving inside her. To feel his lips…

“Arienne? Arienne?”

Her eyes flew upwards. Chris was standing in front of her, a gentle smile curving his lips.

“Sorry. What?”

“I was asking if you were all right. You looked lost in thought.” He sat down next to her.

“I was just thinking about things.”

“Nothing too painful I hope.” His hand brushed a strand of hair from her face.

Arienne sighed.
Just tell him, Arienne. Ask him. There’s no reason to be wasting time mooning over this guy if he’s only being a friend. Woman up.
She offered Chris a smile and captured his hand in hers. “No. Actually I was thinking about you.”

His eyes stretched. She could feel his thumb softly stroking hers. Chris moved closer to her on the couch.

“What exactly were you thinking about me?”

“Just about how wonderful you’ve been. I probably wouldn’t even be able to climb out of bed without your support.”

“You’re stronger than you realize because no matter what happens you just keep going. I’m in awe of you.”

Arienne gave Chris an incredulous stare.
He’s in awe of me?
She tilted her head slightly to the side and smiled. “I’m flattered, but the only reason I’ve been able to keep going is because I have to. I’m alone in the world so if I don’t take care of me, who else will?”

Her skin tingled as Chris put an arm around her. She could smell the faintest hint of sea breeze about him. It calmed her.

“You’re not alone. I’m here, and I’ll take care of you … if you’ll let me.”

His eyes were so intense. She swallowed, unsure of what to say. Biting her lip, she placed her hand on his chest.

“Chris, I’ve been through a lot and I really, really am grateful for everything you’ve done, but when you say things like that I don’t know how to react. Are you saying it as a friend or something more?”

It was out in the universe now. Chris stopped rubbing the hand holding his and raised it to his lips. Arienne shuddered.

“Forgive me for not making my intentions clear. After everything that’s happened to you, I know you opening yourself up to ask me that took a lot and I’m humbled.”

“Chris, please. Just tell me if you’re interested in…”

Arienne’s words were cut off by Chris’s kiss. His lips moved over hers, teasing. When his tongue touched her lips she moaned, mouth opening to give him better access. His tongue sought hers, their tips touching. Her senses were on fire. Her whole world was Chris. Arienne was suddenly bereft as he leaned away.

“Does that answer your question?” His hand played in her hair. “From the moment I knew who you were I wanted you. This has never just been about professionalism or friendship.”

Arienne swallowed. The crazy pitter-pattering of her heart was enough to make her dizzy. “You want me?” she whispered.

Chris tugged a strand of her hair, offering her an easy smile. “Very much. In the beginning it was firmly my intent to swoop in and seduce you into my arms, but with the things you’ve shared with me, I knew that approach might likely scare you off. So I decided to simply be your friend and give you the chance to get to know me.”

“Were you ever going to say anything?”

“No. Not for a while and then with you losing your father, it didn’t seem right to even be thinking like that in the face of your grief.”

“You would’ve been able to put your feelings aside? Just like that?”

Chris’s hand stilled in her hair. His brows drew together. “I would’ve tried. I have been trying … and failing miserably. Every time I saw you cry I just wanted to hold and kiss you and make you think of other things.”

“I wouldn’t have minded,” she whispered.

“Really? That’s good to know. Now I don’t feel like such a louse.”

“You couldn’t ever be a louse.”

“I’m glad you have such faith in me, and I’ll do my best to be worthy of it. We can take this as slow as you want.”

“I don’t want you to get bored or impatient.”

Chris caught her face in his hands. “Listen to me. Don’t worry about that. There is nothing boring about you, and as for the impatient part, I’m not just after your body, okay?”

Arienne nodded. A small sliver of happiness was threading its way through her heart. “Okay.”

“Then if it’s all right, I’d very much like to kiss you again.”

Arienne took the initiative and kissed Chris hard. Her mouth devouring his, tongue searching eagerly. Chris’s groan vibrated against her lips. A knock on the door made Arienne stop. “Are you expecting someone?”

“Yeah. I ordered in. I figured you didn’t want to go out yet,” Chris said.

He kissed her again softly, before rising and heading for the front door. As he opened it and paid the delivery guy, Arienne put her hands over her face to hide her smile. For once her boldness had paid off. Although she’d lost the first man to ever love her, maybe fate had just brought her the next one who would.

****

For Cerceis, it had been a long three days and she was tired of waiting. Inaction bothered her, but she was trying her best to follow Triton’s advice to lay low and wait for Athena’s reaction. The only problem was no one had seen or heard from Athena. Cerceis couldn’t believe her nemesis was missing in action at a time like this. It didn’t make any sense.

Surely if Athena was around, Triton would’ve told her. Or would he? Although he’d assured her that their plan was still on track, she wasn’t so sure. She may have been a goddess, but she was still a woman and intuition didn’t lie. Triton wanted to bed Arienne. Any fool could see the lust in his eyes.

He’s a god. None of them have a faithful prick. And besides maybe the whole innocent thing is a new allure for him.

Maybe it was, and if Triton wanted Arienne in his bed, then fine. Once he saw the girl couldn’t satisfy him that would be the end of it. But if anything changed, the next trick Cerceis had up her sleeve would show everyone who was really in charge.

****

Triton half-heartedly watched the TV in front of him. His attention was on the woman asleep in his arms. After indulging in the forty bucks worth of takeout he ordered, Arienne had promptly conked out and he couldn’t blame her. The circles under her eyes were proof she wasn’t sleeping well, but maybe now things would be different since she no longer had to wonder about how he felt. He’d been surprised by her forthcoming.

In the small time he’d known her, boldness had never appeared to be something she exercised.
But you surprised me today, didn’t you, sweetheart?
He gazed down at her barely parted lips as she lay against him so trusting. Words couldn’t describe the way he was feeling. He wanted her and not just sexually. He wanted to see her smile and laugh, feeling all of her happiness directed towards him.

But what to do now remained the question. He wanted a chance with Arienne, but the threat of the sinister plan he and Cerceis had concocted hung in the air. He could only keep Cerceis at bay for so long and then what? Triton needed advice, and he knew exactly where to do.

“Morpheus,” he called out.

A second later the blue-haired imp was standing in front of him.

“Yes, my Lord?”

Triton pointed to Arienne. “I need her to stay asleep until I get back.”

“Certainly,” Morpheus said. He leaned forward and touched Arienne’s temple. “Anything else?”

“Yes. I need her to start sleeping well again. No nightmares. No tossing and turning.”

The God of Dreams raised his hand over Arienne. A shimmery gold dust landed on her skin before it disappeared.

“Thank you, Morpheus.”

“You’re welcome.”

And then the god was gone. Carefully Triton eased Arienne onto the couch. He hated to leave her, but this couldn’t wait. If he wanted a chance to correct his mistakes, then he needed to get started now seeking advice from the wisest person he knew … his mother.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Arienne Alexandra Marcos, Valedictorian of the class of two thousand and six. Please stand.”

Arienne fought back tears as she walked across the stage to the podium. The whole arena was on its feet, and standing proudly, directly in front of the stage was her father. He was holding up a sign in bold, black lettering. It read:
I’M SO PROUD OF YOU, ARIENNE. LOVE, DAD.
Taking her place in front of the podium she mouthed, “I love you, Daddy.” Smiling, she stood there waiting for the applause to die down before she delivered her speech.

As Arienne waited, she noticed a fog was rolling in. Things were getting harder to see. She couldn’t hear anything. Thick mist swirled around her. She was alone.

“Arienne.”

She turned around. “Who’s there?” Her body was tense. Then slowly, the mists parted, and a woman appeared. Athena.

“What’s going on?” Arienne asked.

The goddess smiled. “I’m interrupting your dream so we can talk.”

The truth of Athena’s words set in, and Arienne realized she wasn’t really at her high school graduation. Her father was dead. She’d just been experiencing a happy memory, ruined by Athena like everything else.

She clenched her fists and screamed. “Even in my dreams I can’t be free of you.”

****

Triton stood watching the golden-haired woman as she rubbed the belly of an orca. For once, the beast didn’t seem to be such a “killer”.

“How long are you going to stand there watching me?”

Triton smiled before floating over. “Hello, Mother.”

“Hello, my son.” With one final rub, Amphitrite sent the orca on its way before turning sea green eyes on Triton.

No one could deny Amphitrite was his mother. Their coloring was the same, and in many ways so were their mannerisms. Triton couldn’t help smiling as his mother pulled him into her arms and hugged him.

“Something is bothering you. I can feel it,” Amphitrite said. She eased back to look at him.

“You know me so well.”

“Of course I do. I’m your mother. Now tell me what’s wrong,” his mother told him. She waved her hand, and a stone bench rose up from the ocean floor.

They sat, Triton clasping his mother’s hand and sighing. Her eyes were soft, begging him to confide in her.

“I’ve gotten myself into a real mess, and I’m not sure how to get out of it.”

“What kind of mess?”

“Cerceis came to me on … Pallas’s birthday.”

Amphitrite rolled her eyes. “And what did she want?”

“To make sure I remembered and to remind me that we’ve never had our vengeance. I tried to brush her off, but what she said stuck with me. I got angry all over again.”

Amphitrite touched his face. “She was manipulating you, playing on your grief.”

“I know that now, but I didn’t realize it then.”

“You never have been able to see Cerceis for who she really is. Now tell me, what did you do?”

“In my human guise I sensed Athena’s presence so I followed her. Imagine my surprise when I learned she had a daughter.”

Amphitrite’s brows drew together. “Athena has a daughter? With who?”

“A mortal scientist. Their daughter Arienne is twenty-six and beautiful.”

His mother’s face curved into a smile. “Beautiful, huh? That’s not something I thought to hear you say.”

Triton shrugged. “Truth is truth.”

“Ah hah. Go on.”

“I watched Arienne and Athena argue, and then it hit me. The Fates had delivered to me the perfect means of vengeance, so I left and told Cerceis. We came up with a plan.”

Amphitrite frowned. “What kind of plan?”

Triton rubbed his neck.
Now comes the hard part. I don’t want her to think less of me.

“You’re my son. I will never think less of you. Now tell me,”
his mother said inside his mind.

“Cerceis and I decided to dismantle the girl’s life. I’d ingratiate myself to her, seduce her, discard her, and then she would die.”

His mother sat beside him in silence for a moment before getting up and moving away from him. Triton’s head hung low.

“You were willing to go that far? To kill an innocent girl?”

Triton swallowed. “Yes.”

Amphitrite turned back to face him, a thoughtful expression on her face. “What changed?”

“I got to know her. She’s had a lot of pain in her life, and as time has gone on I’ve found myself wanting to protect her from any more of it.”

His mother sat back down beside him. “It sounds like you care for her. So what has you so worried?”

Triton rubbed his hands over his face. “Things are already in motion. Cerceis has done things that can’t be undone.”

“Tell me,” Amphitrite said grabbing his hands.

“Cerceis got Arienne fired, and then … then she killed her father.” Triton closed his eyes. He couldn’t look his mother in the face.

“How?”

“An explosion. She killed a lot of other innocent mortals, too.”

Triton’s chin was grabbed and jerked. There was fire in his mother’s eyes. “And you let her? You went along with this? This isn’t like you, Triton. I didn’t raise you this way.” Amphitrite shook his face.

“I didn’t know about it until after she’d already done it. We were supposed to be working together, but that was all her. When I held Arienne in my arms and saw, no felt, how deep her grief was, I knew I’d made a terrible, terrible mistake.” Triton got up. He moved away from the bench. A knot welled up in his throat.
A real mess, Triton. A real mess.

“How long ago?”

“Three days ago Arienne lost her father, and I’ve been with her nearly every moment taking care of all the arrangements. I had Morpheus put her to sleep so I could come here.”

“What about Cerceis? Where is she in all this?”

“I told her to lay off.”

“You told her you have feelings for Arienne?”

Triton spun around to face his mother. “No. I told her we needed to see if Athena was hurt by what we’d done and that if things kept happening she might get suspicious.”

“Why didn’t you tell her the truth?”

“Because I don’t know what the truth is.” Triton wrung his hands. He couldn’t swallow past the constriction in his throat.

“Triton, you know the truth, but you aren’t ready to admit it. Not truly.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You love that girl and in your heart you know that, but your mind is telling you that if you let go, fully let go of this plan, then you’ve let go of Pallas. That’s not true, son. It’s not true,” Amphitrite said. “What about Pallas? What about … my daughter?” Triton’s voice cracked.

“Pallas is gone, and truly the fault for that lies at Cerceis’s feet. All she had to do was be honest and we could’ve protected Pallas. But none of us could protect her from a threat we knew nothing about. It’s time to let go, son.”

Triton swallowed. “I don’t know how.”

“Well then let me tell you. Honor Pallas’s memory by loving Arienne the way she deserves. You’ve never been this serious about a woman before, so I know Athena’s daughter must be incredibly exceptional.”

“She is. She’s compassionate and strong. Innocent and sweet and so unaware of how beautiful she really is, inside and out.”

Amphitrite smiled. “She sounds like quite a girl. You know what you have to do, don’t you?”

“No. What?”

“Tell Cerceis the plan is over and if she persists in continuing I will personally snap her neck for all eternity. Then you need to tell Arienne who you really are and why you initially set out to meet her.”

“I can’t do that. There’s no way she could get past the fact that I was going to use her. I’ll lose Arienne.”

“If she finds out the truth from someone else you’ll lose her. Both of you have lost loved ones. She’ll understand that grief can make you crazy.”

“I just don’t want to lose her. Not now, when I’ve just told her I want her.”

“Son, if there’s one thing I know about love, it’s that no matter how tough the obstacles may seem, love always wins. Everything will be okay.”

Triton smiled. “You seem really sure.”

“Of course. I’m your mother. Haven’t you realized yet that I’m always right?”

“I think I’m finally starting to.”

“Good. Now give me a hug.” Amphitrite held out her arms.

Triton went into them. As his mother hugged him close, he thought about all she’d said. The Goddess of the Seas was right. He had to end this nonsense with Cerceis and be honest with Arienne. If he wanted a chance to salvage the relationship he was trying to build, he was going to have to tell Arienne the hard truth: that he was a flawed god who’d spent far too much time thirsting for revenge and now loved the woman he’d sworn to hurt. He hoped his mother was right. It would take a hell of a woman to love and forgive the monster he’d become.