Suddenly Beautiful (Entangled Covet) (12 page)

“Demigoddess, actually.”

Nikki snorted. “You’re frickin’ kidding me with this, right?”

“She’s the niece of Narcissus.”

“Well, that makes sense.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “What the hell am I saying?”

“Think about it, Nikki. You know me and—” He paused. “You know who my mother is.”

She lowered her hand and glared at him. “Ms. Stephanos is a goddess?”

He gave a single nod, telling her she’d once again guessed correctly.

“Your mother is a goddess,” she said again, but this time the thought didn’t seem as ridiculous. The tiniest thread of something that felt like truth took hold of her doubt. “Your mother is a goddess.” She slowly pronounced each word. His gaze held hers, and her mind began to reason out what he had said. “Your mother is…”

Aphrodite.

“Your mother is Aphrodite.”

He smirked and nodded again.

“Your mother is Aphrodite.” She actually believed the words. Not just believed, but knew she was right—knew that everything he’d said was the truth. “How did I pull that out of my ass?” She stood and paced to the window where she stared at the traffic seven floors below. “Why do I believe you?”

Silence stretched between them and finally Tor said, “Because you’re a demigoddess, Nikki.”

She spun on him, sputtering myriad two-letter sounds. None of which formed any coherent words.

“You
are
a demigoddess.” He rose and walked toward her. “You’re the daughter of Ares and Azzura.”

“Stop.” She held up both hands in front of her in an attempt to ward off his advance and the crazy he was spewing. Tor halted a few feet away. “Don’t come any closer.” She inched sideways and grabbed her glass of wine, downing the contents. The liquid pooled in her throat, throwing her into a coughing fit. She beat her chest with her fist. “This is not possible.”

“Why?” He crept forward. “You believe that Aphrodite is my mother, why not that Ares is your father?”

Why was it so hard to believe? “Because I’m not goddessy. I don’t have any special powers. And I’m nearly thirty frickin’ years old. Why wouldn’t I have known before now?”

“I don’t think Azzura knows your father is Ares. Gods are notorious for taking human form and mixing it up with humans. It’s been going on since the beginning of time.”

“Oh—my—God, I’ve got to sit down.” She plunked onto the couch and Tor took the spot next to her. His thigh grazed hers and she was instantly aware of him, an attraction that seemed to have only grown since last night. “If this is true, why tell me now?”

He turned to face her, placing his arm along the back of the couch. “I think us being together last night awakened your powers.”

She gave a snort of disbelief. “What powers?”

“Well, I think you have warring tendencies because your father is the god of war.” He gave a quick shake of his head. “I hadn’t planned on telling you today, but realized you’d have to know when I saw you pummel the mugger.”

“Great, so I can beat people up. It figures that would be my superpower.” She drummed her fingers on the arm of the couch. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why she was going along with Tor’s craziness—only, she knew it wasn’t that crazy. “Can I read minds?”

He shrugged. “It’s possible. Abilities manifest in a lot of different ways. You’re probably able to make things happen when you think about it.”

“You mean I can wish something would happen and it will?” She refrained from asking specifically about Demetria’s accident this morning. “Like getting a cab and hitting every green light?”

“Yes. You might even be able to compel somebody to do what you want. That’s a pretty common ability.” He paused. “You didn’t happen to curse me with…uh…constant arousal, did you?”

She grimaced. “Sorry. I was angry this morning and I might have wished it on you.”

“I’d appreciate it if you would unwish it.” He shifted. “Please.”

Her gaze tracked to his crotch. There was definite indication of her curse. “I wish you wouldn’t have a constant erection.”

Tor noticeably relaxed. “Thank you.” He shook his head. “This is why I don’t date the supernatural beings anymore.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose.” Being lumped in with his other scorned women made her want to scream that she wasn’t like the others, but by the look on his face it wouldn’t matter.

“I know.” His words were patronizing. “Until you learn to control your powers this kind of thing might happen. Just direct it at somebody else next time.”

“All this is hard to take in.” Her mind grappled with everything Tor was telling her and the fact that she knew it was true. Damn her mother. It was just like Azzura to hook up with a god. She always bragged that she only bedded the most beautiful men. And if Ares was her father, where the hell had he been all her life? Hadn’t being raised by an emotionally absent mother been bad enough? Now it turns out both her parents were no-shows during her childhood. “I want to meet him.”

Tor furrowed his brow. “Who?”

“Ares.” She stood and smoothed her hands down her camo-print capris. “I think I have the right to meet my father, don’t you?”

He stood, shaking his head. “It’s not that easy, Nikki.”

“Why?” She propped her hands on her hips. “You know
your
mom. Why can’t I meet my dad?”

“Because Ares is…complicated.”

“Let me guess. He’s a dark, brooding alpha male who could snuff out my life with a snap of his fingers.”

“Pretty much, and he doesn’t handle being summoned very well.”

“I don’t care.” Her voice grew louder. “I’m his daughter, damn it. Isn’t he supposed to come running when daddy’s girl wants something?”

He cringed. “I suggest you not call him daddy.”

“No problem, I have a whole stream of things I’d like to call him.” Years of being neglected by her parents spilled forward. “He owes me!”

Tor gently gripped her shoulders. Shocks of heat and electricity sparked against her skin. He glanced at his hands, telling her he’d felt it too. “Listen, let me ask my mother. Maybe she’ll be able to convince him. They have a”—he released her and mimicked air quotes—“special relationship.”

“Okay, that’s kind of creepy considering what we did last night,” Nikki said. All of the bluster bled out of her. She really wasn’t in any shape to have a reality TV show reunion with her father, especially since he was a full-fledged god. “Fine, ask your mom. I’ve always liked her.”

“And she’s always liked you.” He smiled. “Despite your parentage.”

“She’s a woman—I mean goddess—of good taste.”

“She’d say the same thing.”

Nikki picked up her wineglass and walked to the kitchen. Could she even get drunk on regular wine now that she was a demigoddess? She certainly hoped so. The urge to laugh and cry at the same time simmered inside her. Maybe she was asleep and all of this was a dream. Maybe
she’d
been the one who’d gotten drunk at the business meeting and she was actually facedown on the table, passed out and drooling. In a while she’d wake up with one hell of a hangover and no pride, but at least her life would be back to normal. One could only hope.

She took a deep breath and exhaled, and then pinned Tor with a stare. “What about us?”

He shoved his hands into his front pockets. “There is no us beyond work, Nikki. Like I said, I don’t date magical beings.”

Leaving her wineglass on the counter, she moved toward him. Maybe it was the Ares DNA making her feel bold, but fighting for what she wanted seemed the only course of action. “I’m not just any magical being.”

“No, you’re my assistant.”—he maneuvered to stand behind a chair—“a very good one I don’t want to lose.”

“What makes you think you’ll lose me? Maybe things will be different with us.” She continued to stalk him, wise to his evasive moves.

“I’m not willing to take that chance.” He took another step backward. “Despite my mother’s presence in my life, I have never embraced being a demigod and I never will.”

That made her stop. She cocked her head. “Why not? You could have everything you want, never have to work, enjoy life without stress.”

“I like working. It gives my life purpose, unlike some of the others I’ve seen.”

“And dating a demigoddess interferes with that?” She approached the chair, shaking her head. “I never pegged you for a coward.”

“I’m not a coward.” He placed his hands on the top of the chair back, looking like a man getting ready to bolt. “But what they want and what I want never seem to mesh.”

Nikki stepped around the chair, blocking his path. “We’ve been together for six years.” She covered one of his hands with hers. “And let me just tell you, last night was hot enough to set my thong on fire. In my opinion, we meshed very well.”

“I know.” He yanked his hand free and backed up, running into her shelf. Picture frames toppled and he barely caught the one of her and Azzura before it hit the floor. “I mean, I kind of remember, but we need to keep our relationship strictly business.”

She stalked him, having too much fun watching Toraos Stephanos, demigod and son of Aphrodite, lose his cool. “
You
need to keep it business. I’m perfectly willing to have a few closed-door meetings, if you know what I mean.”

“I don’t think so.” He continued to retreat until he hit the front door. “Again, I’m sorry for this mess, Nikki. We’re going to have to learn to put all this behind us and get back to our normal routine.”

A loud knock came from the other side of the door. He fumbled for the handle and yanked on it to reveal a police officer.

“Are you the one who phoned in the mugging?” the policeman asked.

“Yes, officer.” Tor stepped aside to let the man in. “Miss Triano was the woman assaulted. I arrived after the fact.”

The cop did a double take at Nikki and smiled. She smiled back and waved.

Tor cleared his throat. “Did you need to ask us questions, Officer?

“I’d like to get your version of the story.” The cop flipped open a small notebook, pulling a pen free from the spiral edge, and smirked. “The assailant is still unconscious.” He flicked his head toward Nikki. “You do that to him?”

“Uh, yeah.” Nikki fumbled for an explanation. “I guess I freaked out a little.” She gave him an innocent smile. “Thank God for Turbo Boxing.”

“That’s an understatement,” the cop said, giving her a look of approval.

Nikki relayed all the facts of her mugging without going into too much detail. When she was finished, the officer flipped his notebook closed. “That should do it.”

“Will you be needing anything more from me?” Tor asked.

“No, I think I have enough for my report, but if I have any questions I’ll contact you.”

“Certainly, thank you for your quick response.” Tor headed for the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Nikki?”

She slid onto a stool at her kitchen island.
Run, coward.
“You can count on it.”

Without replying, he turned and left. She smiled as his quick footsteps faded down the hallway. He labored under the delusion that he didn’t want a relationship, but he did. He’d said so last night. Sure, he was tanked on Ambrosia, but from what she’d read, the liquid washed away inhibitions. Hopefully there had been a grain of truth in his lovemaking.

Nikki smiled at the officer. “I love my job.”

Chapter Nine

Stacey ogled the departing police officer on her way into Nikki’s apartment. “Hey, I’m carrying an unregistered weapon, officer. Maybe you should frisk me.”

Though Nikki couldn’t discern the cop’s reply, it drew a husky laugh from her friend. Nikki rolled her eyes and waited for Stacey to get her visual fill of the man. “You’re going to get arrested for indecent composure if you don’t stop staring at him.”

Stacey spun and braced her hands on either side of the doorway. “Damn, I love our men in blue.” She stepped inside and shut the door. “I think I need to go blow-dry my panties.”

“That is so gross.” Nikki gave a little shudder.

“So what’s your crime? Unpaid parking tickets again? I can fix that, you know.”

“I got mugged.”

“Seriously?” Stacey walked to where Nikki sat at the counter. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. He had a toy gun.” She refrained from regaling her friend about the ninja moves she’d executed. “Tor showed up just in time.”

“This city is going to hell.” She gave Nikki an assessing look and veered off topic. “Did you get a facial or something?” Stacey slid onto the stool across from her. “You look so healthy and all ‘I just hiked up a hill and ate some granola’
and shit. What gives?”

Nikki patted her messy ponytail. “Thank you for the compliment—I think.”

“Is the rosy complexion from getting laid by your boss? Because if it is, I’m going to have to start looking at my boss, old Mr. Peterson, in a whole new light.”

“Actually—” Nikki stood and retrieved a second wineglass and another bottle of Riesling. “I had a photo shoot today.” She pivoted and struck her best supermodel pose. “You’re looking at the new face for Kythera’s Goddess line.”

“Back this truck up. No way.”

Nikki laughed. “I’m serious.”

Her friend stood and gave her a hug. “We’ve got to celebrate.” She rummaged through the utensil drawer. “This isn’t a perk for banging the boss, is it?”

Nikki gasped. “No! Jeez, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

“Rarely.” Stacey produced the wine opener. “And never with tongue.”

“You’re so gross.” Nikki plucked the opener from Stacey’s hand and jabbed it into the cork. “For your information, it was the new creative director’s idea.”

“New creative director, huh?” Stacey wiggled her eyebrows.

“It’s not like that.” At least she hoped Creed had been sincere about her being the look they needed, and didn’t say it because he had other ideas. “He said I had a fresh innocence about me.”

“So, he hasn’t met you yet?”

Nikki stuck out her tongue.

“Are you quitting your day job?

“No. Creed assured me that being
the face
won’t interfere much.” She twisted the handle of the opener until its metal arms stood out to the side. With a quick shove, she pushed them down, lifting the cork halfway out of the bottle. “Modeling is not my dream.”

“How does Tor feel about it? Isn’t he worried that this job will mess up his orderly life?”

“He has some misgivings.” Nikki stuck the bottle between her thighs and wiggled the cork free. “But we’re working on it.”

The need to spill her guts about everything that had happened since this morning was tempting, but she wasn’t sure how much could say without Stacey thinking she’d gone completely bonkers.

“I just bet you are.” Stacey accepted one of the glasses of wine and took a deep drink. “I sense there’s more to this story. You’re uber-antsy. So what are you not telling me?”

Stacey’s power of perception was legendary. That was what made her a partner at her firm in record time. Her insight and her brain. From a friend standpoint, it could be trying, especially when Nikki had secrets she wanted to keep. “Let’s go into the living room and get comfy.”

“That bad, eh?” Stacey reached for the Riesling. “We’d better bring the bottle.”

They made themselves comfortable on the couch. Not one to be put off, Stacey dived right into the conversation. “So how was he this morning? The slutty clothes? Tor’s reaction? Did you guys get naughty on his desk?”

“Not exactly.” Nikki toyed with the fringe on one of the many throw pillows, unable to meet her friend’s gaze. “He doesn’t remember any of last night.”

A strained silence hung in the air. Nikki glanced up. Instead of the outburst of indignation she’d expected, Stacey’s gaze narrowed.

Her voice took on a suspicious edge. “Why?”

Because he’s a demigod and was drugged with Ambrosia.
There was no way she could explain what had really happened without sounding like a wack-job, so she fudged the truth just enough to make it believable. “Demetria Mirrors drugged him.”

Stacey was silent for another few seconds, as if weighing Nikki’s statement. And then being the great friend that she was, she followed rule number one from the BFF guidelines—instant acceptance and outrage on her friend’s behalf. “That bitch.”

“A queen bitch.” Tension eased from Nikki. “On a good note, I think she broke her ankle today. Maybe that will keep her laid up for a while.”

“Don’t count on it.” A wide smile spread across her friends face. “How did it happen? Did one of the interns take her out at the knees with a law book? No, wait, I bet those twenty-dollar blow-job shoes she wears couldn’t hold up her massive ego.”

“Her heel snapped and she hit the floor like she was living in the hood.” Nikki had spent many nights complaining about Demetria, and even though her friend had never met the man-eater, Stacey disliked the attorney as much as she did. “I guess Tor confronted her about drugging him.”

“Really?” Stacey sat forward, eager for more gossip. “Did he fire her?”

Nikki thought for a second, and then shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Well, why not?” Her friend shook both hands in the air. It was a common action she did when her Latina fire surfaced. “That bitch deserves to be slapped in chains.”

Nikki gave a strained smile. The conversation was getting tricky. Each fact she told produced a lie she needed to talk around. “I think Demetria has some kind of family connection to Tor’s.”

Stacey harrumphed. “Probably that crazy, vain-ass uncle of hers.”

The wineglass stopped halfway to Nikki’s mouth, her eyes rounding at her friend’s statement. “How do you know about Demi’s uncle?”

“What?” Stacey’s gaze skated to Nikki’s face, her expression morphing from unguarded to panic.
Shit, shit, shit!

Nikki set her wineglass down, now understanding that she was hearing her friend’s thoughts. “I said how do you know about Demi’s vain uncle?” She refrained from naming Narcissus specifically. “I didn’t find out about him until today.”

Stacey stuttered a few times before spitting out a coherent sentence. “I just assumed. Demetria was bound to have a crazy aunt or uncle in her polluted gene pool. From what you’ve told me, she’s nuts.” Stacey held up her arm and looked at her watch. “Crap, I’ve got to go. I have a date with Chad tonight.”

It was a lie and Nikki knew it. Thursday was their wine and taco night—it had been for years. There was no man on earth who could keep Stacey away from girls’ date night. A wild thought popped into Nikki’s head. “You know, don’t you?”

Stacey stood. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh my God!” Nikki jumped to her feet. “You know. I can’t believe we’ve been friends since forever and you never told me.” She took two steps toward her. “How long have you known?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Stacey backed up, skirting the chair. “Maybe you should check your meds, because you’re starting to babble.”

“So who is it? Your mom? Your dad?” Nikki followed her. “It can’t be your dad because I’ve met him, so it has to be your mom.”

“Okay, I’m leaving now because you are acting crazy.” Stacey spun and nearly sprinted to the door.

Tremors like those Nikki had felt during her encounter with the mugger skittered along her skin. Now aware that she was Ares’s daughter, she recognized the impulse to fight and win. “If you open that door, I’m going to set your clothes on fire.”

Not that she actually would have, but the threat was enough to stop Stacey in her tracks. For several seconds she stared at the door, probably contemplating her next move or wondering if Nikki could really light her up. A heavy exhale escaped her throat, and the stiffness in Stacey’s stance evaporated. Slowly she turned and faced her. Several more seconds passed before she finally said, “I’ve always known you were Ares’s daughter.”

Though she’d just accused Stacey of knowing about her demigoddess status, her friend’s revelation sent Nikki stumbling to the couch. “ “How is it that I’m the last person to know I’m a frickin’ demigoddess?” She lowered her hands and glared. “Oh my God, does Demetria know too?”

Stacey scrunched up her face and nodded. “Yes.”

Humiliation swamped Nikki. How could nobody have told her? She felt like the laughingstock of the immortal world. The surrealism of the moment warred with accusations of betrayal. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

Stacey plodded back into the living room. “Because I wasn’t allowed.” She lowered herself to the couch. “Ares has a standing rule. None of his offspring are to know he’s their father.”

“I can’t believe this. Why?”

“I don’t know why
he
doesn’t specifically allow it, but it’s kind of an unwritten rule that the god gets to pick and choose what children they claim, if any. Something to do with how many there are, as in a lot. And none of the other gods can defy each other’s wishes.” Stacey shrugged. “They’re not like us, Nikki. They don’t have the same connection with others as humans do. They don’t understand our need to know who we are.”

Nikki collapsed against the couch back and stared at the friend she’d always thought
she knew, but who now seemed like a stranger. “Who are you?”

A sad smile graced Stacey’s mouth and her eyes softened. “I’m your best friend and you’re mine. That hasn’t changed, Nikki.”

“You lied to me. How can things not have changed?” She rubbed her hands across her face and shook her head

“Start from the beginning. Tell me everything you know.”

“Well, I’m the daughter of Athena.” Stacey settled into the couch. “My father raised me, but my mom does pop in every now and then, Christmas, birthday, and whatnot.”

“The fact that you live across the hall from me—planned or chance.”

Stacey gave her a sheepish grin. “Planned, but not because I was forced to. I wanted to be your friend.” She scooted a few inches closer. “Listen Nikki, my mom mentioned that Ares had a daughter my age. I asked around and found you. The rest is history.”

“Why?” Nikki wasn’t sure she trusted anything Stacey said. The idea that she’d never let on that they had this connection still smacked of deceitfulness.

“Why what?”

“Why did you want to be my friend?”

“I figured we had something in common. We were both children of the gods and being raised by our human parents.” Stacey shrugged. “I was right, wasn’t I?”

“Is that the only reason?” Nikki was beginning to understand Tor’s reluctance to embrace his heritage. All the duplicity she’d read about in Greek mythology seemed to be based in truth. “It seems pretty weak to me.”

“No, that’s not the only reason.” Stacey picked up a pillow and cradled it against her stomach. “I thought if the time ever came and you found out who you really were…I’d be able to help you. Let’s face it, discovering you’re a demigoddess isn’t like finding out you’ve been adopted. I remember how hard it was for me growing up with just a dad, and I knew who my mother was, even though I rarely saw her.”

“But you practically ran out the front door. How was that helping me?”

“I’m sorry.” Stacey cringed away from Nikki. “I freaked. You finding out you’re a demigoddess was the last thing I expected.” She relaxed slightly. “But I’m here now. Ask me anything.”

Some of Nikki’s anger melted away. Maybe things really weren’t all that different between them. Stacey had always stood by her when her relationships failed. Her undying loyalty had never wavered in all the years they’d been friends. “Athena, eh?”

Stacey nodded.

“Well, that explains that huge brain of yours.” Nikki smiled and her friend visibly relaxed. “Man, my dad must be a real ass.”

A grimace creased Stacey’s mouth, her gaze cutting to the ceiling as if expecting lightning to strike. “Easy with the name-calling. The gods have eyes and ears everywhere. It’s what they do best.”

“What’s Ares going to do? Smite his own daughter?” After all, if the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, dear old dad should expect a little attitude. She repressed the urge to flip him the bird, realizing her fight response was still pumping through her veins. “He missed my teenage years. I think he deserves a little petulance for being a deadbeat dad.”

“Shit, Nikki, keep it down or you are seriously going to piss him off.” Stacey looked genuinely distraught.

“Fine, but I can’t promise I won’t cause the god of war to bring his wrath to apartment 7B at some point.”

“Well, let me know when that’s going to go down and I’ll make sure to be in Jersey.”

“Wait, you said nobody was allowed to tell me who my father was, but Tor told me.”

“Yeah, well, Tor gets away with a lot of things the rest of us don’t.” Stacey set aside the pillow and reached for her wine. “Look—” She took a deep drink. “Being one of their kids—” She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Is like having a gym membership. There are people you see all the time but never talk to. People you hear gossip about and people you make friends with. Tor is like that gorgeous guy who goes to the gym to work out but never socializes. He’s unapproachable and a bit of a legend around the gym, if you know what I mean.”

“Really?” The analogy Stacey spun piqued Nikki’s interest. Maybe she could gain a little insight into her boss’s psyche, insight she could use to her advantage. “What makes him special?”

“For one thing, he’s Aphrodite’s son, and unlike our parents, she raised him.” A coy smile spread across Stacey’s pouty pink lips. “You know you’re the first demigoddess he’s ever slept with in years. It’s rumored he’s sworn off anything that looks like a goddess.”