Goddess of Love (19 page)

“Please. Like you couldn't zap yourself a leotard?”

“I don't really know ballet.”

“Then teach what you know.”

“Hmm…teach what I know. Now
that
might be interesting,” Venus said thoughtfully. “Pea, I believe you may be right about this, and I will take your advice.” The goddess raised her hand and then glanced at Pea. “Prepare yourself. I'm going to zap.”

Pea closed her eyes. Venus waggled her fingers and a very large, very full tote bag appeared. She hefted it over her arm.

“You can open your eyes now.”

“What are you going to teach?”

Venus's smile was dazzling. “What I know, of course, darling.” And, she added silently to herself,
I'm also going to teach that mortal man a lesson
.

“G
ood morning again. You may call me Venus. I will be your stress
relief instructor for this class. You may sit anywhere….” She wiggled her fingers at the shadowy rear of the large classroom and chairs appeared. “Pull those out here, please, they are much too far away.” She spoke matter-of-factly, not giving any of them time to remember that there were no chairs in the rear of the classroom when they'd first entered it. While the men were dragging out the chairs and taking their seats, Venus dug into her bag and pulled out sheets of thick parchment paper. Each was covered with an intricate diagram. Ignoring Griffin, who of course chose to sit in the front and center of the class, she began passing out the papers. The men stared at the diagram, stunned and speechless.

“We are going to talk about how to bring a woman pleasure. I will be referring to your diagram of the feminine lotus flower during our discussion. Please feel free to ask questions.” She paused and let her words soak through the men. Not surprisingly, she noticed many stunned looks. “Gentlemen, are you confused? Do you have questions already?” she asked.

One of the older men hesitantly raised his hand, and Venus nodded for him to speak.

“Well, ma'am, I think we're wondering what girl flowers have to do with stress relief.”

“Darling, I'm using the term ‘feminine lotus flower' as a representative term.” Venus paused and saw that the men still looked confused. She sighed. “As a representative term for the vagina,” she clarified.

Several men sent her shocked looks. She tried not to notice that Griffin was smiling.

“Uh, ma'am?” The same man had his hand up again.

“Yes,” she said cheerfully, trying her best to be patient with the mortal dolt.

“Uh, I still don't understand what the…ur…vagina blossom has to do with our stress relief.”

“
Lotus
blossom,” she automatically corrected. “What is your name?”

“J. D. Maples.”

“Are you married J. D.?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Would it not relieve an innumerable amount of stress in your life if you knew how to bring your wife such pleasure that she eagerly welcomed you to her bed and searched for excuses to ask you to press your naked body against hers?”

J. D.'s mouth opened, then closed. “I see your point, ma'am.”

The group of men made noises of agreement.

“I thought you would.” Venus smiled. “Now women have several different types of orgasms, but to avoid confusion today we shall concentrate on only two of them, the clitoral and the vaginal orgasms. In addition we will also talk about discovering each woman's deep pleasure zone.” Venus thought for a moment before she recalled the name she'd learned during her many Google searches. “The G-spot. You should know that women do tend to have preferences about which orgasm they enjoy most, but—”

Griffin's hand went up. Venus forced herself not to frown. “Yes, um, did you say your name was Mr. DeAngelo?”

“Griffin,” he said, his confident half smile never wavering. “Please call me Griffin.”

“Very well. Did you have a question already, Griffin?”

“Yes, ma'am. I was wondering about the orgasms. How do we know which one our lover prefers?”

“You ask her,” Venus said coolly. “But I believe I can answer part of this question for all women without having to ask even one of them besides myself, of course. All women prefer the type of orgasm that is followed by a man of integrity keeping his word and not suddenly disappearing.” She met his gaze steadily, though she took little pleasure in the fact that his smile had vanished. Another hand went up on the left side of the room. “Yes, another question?”

“Ma'am,” said a very young fireman. “There's something wrong with my diagram.”

Venus walked quickly to him and glanced over his shoulder. “Darling, your lotus blossom is upside down.”

“Oh, sorry,” he mumbled, blushing a bright, painful looking scarlet.

“Please don't apologize. You are here to learn. And it is well acknowledged that, though the phallus is delightful, the feminine lotus, the heart of a woman's sexuality, is more complicated.”

“Sometimes there are circumstances that can't be helped,” Griffin suddenly said, causing the men to send him curious glances.

Venus blinked innocently at him. “No, Griffin, the circumstances don't matter. Vaginas are always more complicated than penises.”

She tried not to let the humorous crinkle around his eyes and the fact that he was grinning widely in response to her wit affect her. But she had to admit—at least to herself—that he was awfully cute.

“I have no doubt whatsoever that lotus blossoms are as complex as they are intriguing. I just wondered what a man should do when the, um,
complexity
of a situation has been confused with circumstances beyond the man's control and orgasm interrupted—for either party. What would you recommend then?”

“Communication,” Venus said.

“Is that all?” He did smile then.

“That and groveling,” yelled a man from the back of the room, which caused everyone to laugh.

“I see I have at least one advanced student,” Venus quipped, grinning at the class and meeting Griffin's eyes, but only briefly.

“Well, ma'am,” Griffin said, sending her a warm, intimate smile, “I'm ready to learn.”

There was a general murmur of good-humored agreement.

“I do appreciate attentive men,” Venus said, not able to keep herself from meeting Griffin's sparkling blue eyes again.

Then she walked quickly to the blackboard and pulled out a set of colored chalk from her tote bag. Locating the pink chalk, she said, “Please follow along on your own diagrams as I sketch a rather simplistic version of the one I gave each of you.”

Another hand shot up. “Excuse me, ma'am. Should we take notes?”

“Only if you truly wish to pleasure a woman.”

Returning to her sketch, Venus heard Griffin chuckle as he and the rest of the men scrambled for pens and pencils.

Perhaps she should listen to what Griffin had to say about why he didn't return to her. It could hardly hurt to hear his side of things. After all, Love was supposed to be kind and fair and patient. Yes, she'd hear him out, and then she'd sit Pea down and tell her everything. If he had some horrid, lame excuse she'd explain to Pea what a cad he was and how better off she would be without him. If he truly had a viable reason he hadn't returned to her…well…then she'd simply tell her friend the truth. Pea was smart and compassionate. She'd understand. Feeling suddenly lighter and happier than she'd felt in days, she finished the sketch with a flourish and turned back to the class.

“Now can anyone tell me where the clitoris is located?”

She smiled at the flurry of raising hands.

 

Vulcan couldn't concentrate. Yes, he methodically stoked the great furnace that heated the core of the ancient earth. Of course he kept check on various volcanoes, both on land and under the oceans. The last thing he needed was an eruption today, especially with his already tumultuous emotions. As always he was mindful of the many cleansing wildfires burning supposedly out of control. But all these things he did automatically. His thoughts were on Pea.

With a growl he gave up and strode through the gleaming rooms of his subterranean palace to the central pillar of ever-burning flame. Vulcan reached into the inferno and found the thread that bound him to Venus, the modern world and Pea.

As usual, the thread led him first to Venus. His brow furrowed. What in all the levels of the Underworld was she doing? Drawing an enormous vagina on a board with colored chalk? Disbelieving, he watched as a room full of virile men questioned her about the female orgasm. The Goddess of Love was teaching a class in the art of stimulating a woman! Vulcan motioned for a chair to materialize and settled down to pay attention. Their marriage hadn't been a success, but there was absolutely no doubt that Venus was beyond compare when it came to understanding the intricacies of pleasure. He knew he wasn't particularly experienced in the ways of lovemaking. The other goddesses shunned him because they knew love had, essentially, rejected him. And, ironically, no mortal woman wanted to chance offending the Goddess of Love by coveting her husband. Over the eons he'd grown weary of trying to explain that Venus hadn't truly rejected him, that theirs was a marriage of convenience—however misconceived. It had simply become easier to be alone. Until recently.

With Pea he was experiencing something completely new—a chance to be loved for who he was, not for who people perceived him to be. Clearly he could use all the help he could get on the subject of seduction, so Vulcan settled in to pay attention to the goddess's discussion of something she mysteriously called a woman's G-spot, but found even then he couldn't keep his mind from roving to Pea.

And when the invisible thread followed his thoughts, leaving the classroom and snaking restlessly down the hall, he had no will to stop it. Quickly and silently it followed his desire. Pea was sitting at her desk in the tidy office he'd observed her working in the other times he'd watched her. There was a rather rumpled-looking man sitting across from her. She was holding a file of papers and asking him questions. It didn't take long for Vulcan to ascertain that there was a professorial position open at Pea's college in the field of history, and the man was applying for it. Pea didn't appear impressed with him. She actually sighed and chewed on her pencil after he left.

“Boring…dry…nope. He won't do. He'd put them all to sleep,” she muttered to herself. Then she glanced at her watch. “Half an hour till the next interview…” She sighed again and started to click around on a contraption Vulcan knew was called a computer—a thing that held so much knowledge it was the modern world's version of magic.

Her next interview…

Why couldn't her next interview be him? Venus was masquerading as a teacher at Pea's college; why couldn't he? Vulcan sat up straighter, shocked by his own thought. Yes, why not? He wanted to see her again. He wanted to woo her and make her his own. He'd already decided he would never bring her to Olympus, so that meant he was going to have to come to her eventually. Why not now? Why wait any longer? The God of Fire was ready to act—and act he would. He'd just need to stay out of Venus's way, at least until after Pea was in love with him. Well he'd already observed that Venus was being kept busy. Now was an excellent time to make another foray into the modern mortal world and hopefully into Pea's heart. He'd worry about the rest of the details later. What was important right now was being with Pea again.

So…he'd need the correct clothes. Something like the other man had worn only less disheveled looking. His rumpled appearance certainly hadn't impressed Pea. And he didn't have much time. He needed to get there before the next man arrived in order to redirect the mortal—an easy thing to do—then take his place in Pea's office and begin winning her heart.

Because that was, indeed, what he wanted. Damn Olympus and the gods and their intrigues and prejudices. He wanted someone of his own. Someone untouched by
them
. He also wanted a life of his own, and by all the dark levels of Tartarus, he would do anything it took to get it.

“C
ome on in,” Pea said in response to the quick knock on her office
door. She glanced at the clock. Her next interview was five minutes early.
Well
, she thought as she shuffled the papers on her desk and put Robertson Brown's file at the top of the heap,
at least that means Mr. Brown is eager. Let's hope he's also more interesting than that last
—

When he stepped into her office all of the air left her body. Literally. Just like the one time she'd made the mistake of riding a horse. She'd fallen off and had not been able to breathe for several very uncomfortable seconds. This was the same sensation. All she could do was sit and stare and struggle for air.

“Hello,” he said, with a warm smile that seemed to reach inside her body and turn her to liquid.

She sucked in a breath and said in a rush, “You're Robertson Brown? My next interview?”

“No. Yes.” He stopped and drew a deep breath. “I'm sorry. Seems I'm more nervous than I thought I would be. I am not Robertson Brown, but I would like to be your next interview.”

“I thought you were a fireman.”

He nodded as if he expected her to say that. “Yes, fire has been my job for a long time. But recently I've decided I want to make a change.”

“To teaching history in our Continuing Education Department?” She felt flushed and out of sorts and had to fold her hands together to keep them from fidgeting.

“Yes. Yes, I would like that.”

Pea just stared at him. She couldn't believe he was standing there in front of her in a suit that was a little outdated, but fit well and was neatly pressed. He seemed to fill her office. She hadn't remembered him being so tall and muscular and imposing. But his mouth…his mouth she did remember…

“Do you mind my intrusion?”

She jumped a little. “No, no. Not at all. But if Mr. Brown shows up I'll have to interrupt our interview. He did have an appointment.”

“Agreed.” Vulcan nodded.

“Okay, so, well, have a seat.”

But instead of sitting in the leather chair in front of her desk he walked directly up to her, his distinctive limp in no way overshadowing the sense of strength and power he carried with him. He reached down and coaxed one of her hands away from clutching the other, then he lifted it to that incredible mouth of his and pressed his lips against her skin. The heat of his touch thrummed through her body. Their eyes met and Pea felt the jolt of his gaze as if it, too, were a physical thing.

She hadn't imagined their connection. It was here in the room with them, alive and pulsing and real.

“Forgive me for having to leave you that night.”

“I didn't think I'd see you again,” she said.

Still holding her hand he shook his head. “I could not stay away from you, little one.”

“Who are you?”

“I am the man you have bewitched.”

She smiled and pulled her hand reluctantly from his. “I don't think I can put that on your paperwork.” Trying to regain some semblance of professionalism, she continued. “I meant what is your name?”

Pea's simple question had him looking totally out of sorts, which actually made her feel better. He wasn't exaggerating about her making him nervous if he had forgotten his name.

“V,” he finally blurted. “Can.”

“V. Cannes? Like C-a-n-n-e-s?”

Looking shell-shocked, he nodded.

“What does the
V
stand for, Victor, or something awful like Vlad?”

“Victor,” he said quickly, and seeming to recollect himself, he sat down.

“Well, Victor, you're not my next interview, so how did you find out about this job opening?”
And how the hell did you find me? Or was this just a weird coincidence?

He sat very still for a moment, frowning, and then his face cleared and he pointed at her computer. “I found out about the job through the computer, but that's not the only reason I'm here. The truth is I had to see you again.”

“You're not really interviewing for a job?” Pea tried to sound severe, but she couldn't keep the smile from tilting her lips. It hadn't been a coincidence!

“I'll admit that my first thought had been to simply see you. The job was a far secondary consideration.”

“So you're not here because you want to teach history?”

“I'm here because of you, but I believe I would enjoy teaching history. Ancient history.”

“Really? What kind of ancient history?” She should stop. It wasn't like this was a real interview, but he was interesting and sexy and…

His smile was slow, and more than a little mischievous. “I'm well acquainted with the ancient myths.”

Pea grinned back at him. “Lately I've become pretty well acquainted with mythology myself.”

He leaned forward, his expression going suddenly from playful to serious. “And what do you think of the ancient myths—the stories of a time when gods and goddesses walked the earth?”

Thinking of Venus, she smiled warmly. “I like what I've found out so far.”

“Do you?” He covered her hand with his.

And it happened again. She wanted to drown in him. Just like that magical night his eyes had captured her. But no—it was more than that, more than just his eyes. It seemed she knew his soul. How could that be? It felt real, but surely she had to be making all this up in her overly romantic imagination.

“You're not imagining things,” he said, speaking quietly and earnestly.

“How do you know what I'm thinking?”

“I know
you
. We're connected. I don't know how, but I do think I know why. I think we're the same, you and I. Until I met you I only knew how to be an outlander. I had resigned myself to being alone. Then I saw you and I felt that I had finally come home.” He gave a little laugh and rubbed a hand down his face as if he thought he might be dreaming and needed to wake himself up. “It does sound unbelievable, though, doesn't it?”

“Yes. It sounds unbelievable.” Then when disappointment started to fill his expressive eyes, she continued. “It
sounds
unbelievable, but that's not how it feels.”

“So it's not just me? I'm not in this alone?”

Pea knew she should make a joke or laugh or say something to water down what Victor was saying and to lighten up what was happening between the two of them. She should remind him that they weren't in a romantic movie with a guaranteed happily ever after. Love at first sight was only possible in movies and books—total fiction. In the real world it fell apart, leaving behind the flotsam of divorce and broken hearts.

And then there was Griffin. But was there really Griffin? Or was her infatuation with him more like the impossibility of the movies, and was what was happening with this man more like the real thing?

Then she met his eyes again and she couldn't say any of those things because what she saw there was too raw, too possible, and she suddenly wanted him with a ferocity that surprised her. She wanted
them
and this sparkling new possibility of a future that wasn't a life crammed full of pets and work so that the lonely nights and the solitary meals and the dreaming about a man she couldn't ever have while she watched everyone else couple off was bearable.

“You're not in this alone,” she said, even though it made her stomach clench and her breath catch. “But I'm afraid. This is all—”

“Don't say it's all happening too fast,” he interrupted. “After eons of not believing it could ever happen, how can we not want to embrace this magic between us, no matter how quickly it seems to be happening? Can we not just give it a chance and see where this new path leads us?”

Pea's brows drew together as she considered what he was saying. His seemed to take her feelings and refract them back to her.

“Please don't say no.”

Pea continued to study him silently, and all of a sudden it felt like a key turned within her, unlocking a secret room in her soul where all the love she'd been keeping to give to a man,
her
man, had been stored. Instead of feeling unsure and afraid and hesitant, Pea was filled with an incredible sense of rightness.

“Victor, I'm going to take a chance on you—on us actually. But you have to promise me something.”

“Anything within my power.”

“No more disappearing.”

“You have my oath.” His smile was wide with relief. He kissed her hand again and caught her gaze with his own hope-filled one. “You won't be sorry for this. If it is within my power, you won't ever be sorry.”

“I believe you.” Pea felt like giggling.

He stood abruptly. “Come! Let's leave this place. I'll take you anywhere you wish—just make the request and I will make your desire come true.”

Pea did giggle then. “I have to admit that's the best date offer I've ever had, but I'm not off work for”—she glanced at the clock—“about six hours.”

“Six hours?”

She nodded. “Yes, but I don't have any plans this evening.”

He smiled. “Then may I see you this evening?”

“Yes, you may.” They grinned foolishly at each other until the time
really
registered in Pea's mind. “Oh, jeesh! What am I thinking? My friend should be done teaching her class in just a few minutes. I have to meet her and…” Pea scrambled around, discarding comments like
See if she somehow fixed me up with Griffin
or
Make sure she didn't zap stuff from nowhere and freak out her class.
Instead she settled for, “…and make sure her class went okay. It's her first day of teaching.”

“Then I will leave you to your work and see you again in six hours.”

“Could you make it more like seven hours? I want to have time to get home and, you know…” She gestured down at her clothes.

“Ah, of course. In seven hours then.” He turned to leave.

“Uh, Victor? Would you like my phone number and address so you know where to pick me up tonight?”

Looking chagrined, he returned to her desk and took the paper she'd scribbled her information on.

“I'm not very good at this,” he said. “I'm sorry. You deserve someone who is more…” He moved his broad shoulders restlessly. “More practiced in the ways of love.”

Her teasing smile faded. She knew too well what it was to feel awkward and not good enough. “Don't say that. I like how you are. I don't want a suave playboy. I want someone I connect with—someone who understands me and someone I can count on.”

“I give you my word that you may trust me. Always,” he said.

“I'll hold you to that, Victor.”

He took her hand, and when he bent, she thought he was going to kiss it again. But this time he surprised her by leaning forward farther and kissing her on her lips. It was a kiss filled more with promise than passion, but his scent enfolded her along with the heat of his body. He reminded her of a warm fire on a cold night, and she felt an answering heat within her. When his lips left hers, she wanted to pull him down to her and sink into his mouth.

Instead she found her voice and said, “I'll see you in seven hours.”

“Until tonight, little one.”

 

Before he returned to Olympus, Vulcan followed the signs to the college's research center. It took a little magical nudging sprinkled judiciously on a few mortals here and there, but soon he was seated in front of a computer with a rudimentary knowledge of search engines. It wouldn't do for him to be blundering about the modern world without at least a basic understanding of the times and people. He cracked his knuckles and began pointing and clicking the intriguing little device they called a mouse….