A Scent of Greek: Out of Olympus (10 page)

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.