Fallen Gods: Lotus Blooming Read online

  Thena turned, the atmosphere in the room changing, knowing that some presence had appeared. Her mother’s living room was quiet, the small lamp in the corner offering little more than long shadows over the simple furniture that hadn’t changed since she was a child.

  “Who’s there?” she whispered, and then glanced quickly toward the staircase her mother and grandmother had ascended just a short while ago.

  She’d just blown out the candles and their fragrances lingered around her. But something else did more than linger. Energy that was strong, with an urgency and purpose about it, moved into her space, filling her own psychic aura.

  While staring at the staircase, she recognized the power of the stranger, and couldn’t help but wonder if his arrival was coincidence with her mother and Gramma suddenly wanting to go to bed, and in the middle of a serious discussion, no less.

  Without warning, her mother and grandmother had stood.

  “It’s late.”

  “I can’t keep my eyes open another minute.”

  “You better have clean sheets on Thena’s bed.”

  Thena had stood as well, hugging each of them as they turned to call it a night.

  “You need to sleep soon too,” her grandmother had said, her frail body pressing against Thena’s for a moment with a loving embrace.

  She still smelled of cinnamon and wine, the way she always had. Thena smiled down at her leathery face. “I’ll go to bed real soon. I promise.”

  Thena studied the dark room, and then glanced again toward the stairs. More than likely they were asleep, but she wouldn’t chance it if they weren’t. And she was sure he was here. Slipping into her sandals, she slowly turned the front door and let herself out into the night. If the stranger were here, maybe he would show himself. She didn’t want an audience if she had a chance to talk to him again.

  Her heart began racing in her chest, nervous anticipation sending shivers over her warm skin. Closing the door behind her she walked through the yard. The fresh smell of cut grass lingered in the damp night air, but otherwise, the smell of herbs, of flowers growing along the path, of the newly chopped wood kept out back for the fireplace—all of those smells were gone.

  Thena sighed, knowing her mom needed a fair bit of help around the place, but at the moment her thoughts were a bit distracted. The night air clung to her skin, moist and warm as she walked through the yard she’d played in as a child. So many things were different, yet still the same. Her eyes adjusted, while dew that already soaked the grass made her feet damp against her sandals.

  You’re out here. I can feel you. She strained to see through the darkness, the man she couldn’t stop thinking about seeming all too close.

  Then make me appear before you. He seemed to answer her thoughts, and her brow wrinkled as she took in the yard around her.

  “Appear before me.” Thena wasn’t sure what to expect.

  He’d just spoken in her mind. She knew that. Never before had she experienced telepathic abilities. A memory rushed through her, like a window being yanked open suddenly, allowing a view that wasn’t there a moment before.

  When she was a child, she’d remembered swearing she knew when the family dog was hungry, or needed to go out to the bathroom, just by looking at him. Her mother had chuckled, saying there was nothing better than seeing raw power on display.

  “But I’m not a dog.” Priapus appeared before her while he continued to hover over the fence.

  Thena slapped her hand to her mouth, silencing a scream. “Who are you?”

  He’d thought about making up a name, giving her something suitable that offered no meaning, no history, no preconceived notions. But he knew she already knew the answer, that she’d heard him in the airport. And he didn’t want to insult her intelligence—more like explore it.

  “Priapus,” he said without ceremony, deciding at that moment he would let her make her own judgment.

  “Priapus,” she whispered, testing out the name.

  He had told her in the airport, offered her the knowledge in her thoughts. And now he was before her, offering the same information with words.

  Such an odd name. Somehow it fit him, as unusual as he was. The way he sat there, hovering in the air, he reminded her of a genie, waiting to fulfill her first wish. But he didn’t look like any genie she’d ever imagined.

  Envy raced through her at the ease in the way he displayed his powers. A moment hadn’t passed in her life when she didn’t worry that she would do something that would make someone judge her, ridicule or taunt her for being different. Yet obviously in whatever world he lived in, showing a complete stranger the strength of his magic didn’t faze him in the least.

  At the same time, a strange yearning, causing a flutter in her gut, a warmth to spread through her, made her want to know him better.

  “Priapus,” she repeated, simply staring at him.

  Then it hit her. “Priapus is the god of fertility, the god who protects…”

  Images of pictures she’d seen of the ancient god Priapus sprang into her mind, an uncontrollable flutter traveling through her, leaving a throbbing heat between her legs.

  Her gaze lowered. “If you’re Priapus, then your cock hangs halfway down your leg.”

  Heat tore at her cheeks in spite of her attempt at being bold. She put her hands on her hips, refusing to stand down even though embarrassment washed through her.

  Priapus straightened until he stood before her, distracted by the rose flush that colored her pretty face. In the dark, her eyes glowed like onyx. The part of his body she’d just referred to stretched against his groin, encouraging his actions to be closer to her.

  “History tends to distort the truth.” For some reason he didn’t want to boast in front of her.

  But he ached to show her, to feel her hands stroking his shaft, watch that flush return to her face, although this time from lust.

  “Yes it does,” she managed to whisper. “And you are that Priapus?”

  He stood so close to her, inhaling her sweet scent, mesmerized by her caramel skin that appeared like dark silk. The full curve of her breasts pressed against her shirt, making him itch to reach out, test their softness. When he looked at her he felt hungry—no, ravenous.

  “I am the only Priapus.” It amazed him that he could feel her powers surrounding her. “And you’re more than just a witch.”

  “Well, thank you for that.” She didn’t move, knowing damn well and good that she couldn’t. Her legs were like jelly and her heart raced so hard she had a hard time not panting with him standing so damned close. But she wouldn’t let him taunt her. “And I am sure you aren’t some ancient god.”

  “What makes you so sure?” His voice had gone deeper, bordering on a husky whisper.

  “Because gods don’t walk among us.”

  Priapus couldn’t help but smile. “That’s not what you’re thinking.”

  “Don’t tell me what I’m thinking.” She scowled, looking even more adorable as her eyes darkened, challenging him.

  “As you wish.” Her daring turned him on, made the blood rush through him. He felt more alive than he had in centuries. “Then I’ll tell you this. You are beautiful. Captivating. And I’m going to kiss you.”

  She barely had time to digest his words when he leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers. Just a mere touch.

  The warmth of her lips, the full softness of them, burned through him with a fever so fierce it stole his breath. Glancing down at her, watching her lashes flutter over her dark orbs, he needed more. Tasting her again, sensing no resistance, he pulled at her lip.

  Thena could have been floating and she wouldn’t have realized it. When he pressed his mouth against hers, the intensity of his powers surged through her, filling her like a thick liqueur. She leaned her head back, unable to stop him, unwilling to let the moment pass.

  With just a kiss, her insides melted. Damn it to the wind, there was no way she could make him stop. He was a stranger, a mystery. With the
nonsense he talked, and the strength that emanated from him, she should be running, not leaning into him to deepen the kiss. And of all places, in her mama’s yard, right outside where she could be spotted at any moment.

  “Thena, give me more,” he breathed, whispering into her mouth.

  And all she could do was obey. What was this strange magic he placed on her?

  Offering her mouth, opening up to him, she let out a sigh while her head fell back, her world spinning around her. He dipped inside her, in an enticing dance of tongues while he carefully explored her mouth.

  More muscles pressed against her than she’d ever experienced in her life. He held her tight by her arms, not wrapping his arms around her, but pinning her, holding her still and close to him while he deepened the kiss. She couldn’t raise her arms to pull him closer with the way he held her. It wasn’t that he held her too hard. His long fingers wrapped around her arms confidently. But the strength that surged through him, and then slowly filtered through her, left her paralyzed with need.

  But it was probably a damn good thing he did hold her still. The world seemed to sway to the side while she closed her eyes, allowing him to devour her mouth, feeling the heat of his body against every inch of her.

  Her nipples hardened while her breasts swelled, aching against his hard chest. She managed a small step closer, pressing her hips against him and feeling his erection.

  The rock-hard length of him traveled from her pelvic bone clear up past her hip. A fog surrounded her senses. She’d traveled to a place where warmth and security encompassed her, capturing her rational thought, making it impossible to focus on anything other than the tender and thorough way he kissed her. Anything could be going on around her and she was sure she wouldn’t notice. The only thing she could focus on at that moment was that as the world rotated around them, they stood still, wrapped into each other, a bonding of energies making her feel more powerful than she ever had before. And with just a damn kiss.

  He gripped her arms, fighting not to pull her hard against him. He wanted to feel all of her, taste all of her, devour every inch of the sultry body that leaned into him.

  Her powers were stronger than he’d realized at first. He held on to her when she started floating, having given into her emotions so willingly that her magic consumed her. She didn’t stop kissing him, didn’t tense, and as fogged as her thoughts were he guessed she didn’t realize her feet had left the ground. Her soul parted with her body, and he moved with it, keeping them together. Whether she realized the extent of their bond at that moment or not, the sultry glow of her aura was a warmth he’d never experienced before, and didn’t wish to let go of.

  Priapus knew the moment her thoughts came into focus. She ended the kiss, lowering her head, gasping for breath. Her body lowered against his, having left the ground a few inches and then floated down into his arms.

  “What was that?” she whispered, not looking at him but focusing down, so that her black hair shone like ebony silk under the moonlight.

  Something a lot stronger than a mere kiss had just passed through them. Her belly button tingled, the way it always did when she slid out of her body momentarily. But reaching that level of magic only came after serious meditation, not a kiss.

  “You know the answer to that question,” he told her, not wanting to let her go.

  He ran his hands down her arms and took her hands in his. She wasn’t petite, although she wasn’t incredibly tall either. Her full breasts pressed against his chest. Her forehead reached his mouth. He brushed a kiss against her skin, willing her to raise her face to him again.

  “I’ve prayed to the gods to come to me, help me, aid me when I needed them. I’ve never prayed for you.” She shook her head, distracted by his cock throbbing between them.

  Whoever the hell he was, if the pulsating beast between them was any indication, he was larger than any normal man should be.

  “You asked me to appear before you. Thena, look at me.”

  And she did. She looked up into those soft green eyes and somehow knew that he wouldn’t harm her, wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want him to do. He was strong, held more powers in his little finger probably than she could ever hope to obtain. Being this close to him made it hard to breathe, think, let alone comprehend what he might be if he weren’t a god.

  But she had to grab a hold of some of her sanity, keep her wits about her. If he were, in fact, a true god—and that thought was almost too much to fathom—then she wouldn’t make a complete ass of herself in front of him.

  “How do you know my name?” She relaxed her hands in his, dwelling for a moment on the calm strength that radiated from his touch.

  “Athena Lotus Cooke. It’s a perfect name for you. Named after such a brave goddess, and the beautiful water lily.”

  “I was born on the floor of a dirt shack. My mom says a lily is the prettiest thing that grows out of mud and water.” She felt silly the second she shared the private thought with him and so stopped. There wasn’t any reason for him to know the rest. She’d never been sure of the facts anyway.

  “You are the beautiful water flower, blooming and glowing with elegance.” He let go of her hands. Tracing paths up her arms, he ran his fingers down her slender neck. “You are my lotus blooming.”

  Pressing her lips together, she moved her gaze to his chest. The urge to run her fingers over his shirt, feel his muscles against her palms, brought her pause.

  So he knew her name. There were ways he could find that out. “What else do you know about me?”

  “I know you want me,” he told her, and wrapped his arm around her, using his free hand to cup her chin, bring her mouth to his.

  When she stretched into him, she became all that mattered. He spread his fingers down her neck, kissing her thoroughly and then running his tongue down her neck while he cupped her breast.

  So full, so ripe, a groan escaped him while he felt the hardened peak of her nipple against his palm. Pressing his mouth to the sensitive part of her nape, it tasted as enticing as he’d anticipated. Her skin was silk, soothing a tortured soul.

  Thena couldn’t breathe. Powers stronger than she could imagine surged through her. If she didn’t clear her head she would explode, turn to molten lava at his feet, beg him to fuck her right here and now in her mother’s yard.

  None of that was acceptable.

  Taking a step backwards she gulped in air, refusing to look at him for a moment while she desperately tried to gather her wits about her.

  Priapus’ hands strayed down her body, determined to pull her back to him. “Let me—”

  “No.” Thena shook her head, turning away from him.

  He took her arm, moving around her so that he faced her once again. He cupped her chin in his palm and she closed her eyes.

  “Let me take you somewhere.” A private garden he’d enjoyed during a different time came to mind, perfectly secluded.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.” She moved again, and he was surprised at the defensive wall that she put up suddenly.

  Not strong enough to dissolve, but stronger than he’d guessed a human would have been able to muster.

  She looked up at him, knowing she needed to take control of matters quickly. He was a stranger. And relationships seldom worked for her anyway. She’d accepted a long time ago that she was different, and few could accept what she took naturally.

  But what if he really is a god?

  If he were a god, he wouldn’t stay, but simply enter her life to help and then be on his way to help someone else. She knew her history, knew that the gods didn’t settle down for a long life with a loved one. They were immortals, deities who saw to the needs of all humans. She crossed her arms over her chest, picturing a brick wall that perfectly captured her heart in a box. It was an image she’d used before to prevent herself from being hurt.

  “Don’t block me out, Thena.” His tone changed in spite of his attempt at remaining calm. But whatever spell she’d just menta
lly concocted, she’d managed to tune out her thoughts, her emotions. He could no longer read her.

  Humans can’t block the powers of a god. What the hell is this?

  “I can’t allow myself to be toyed with by someone who will enter my life and then leave.” The heart she’d confined in her private brick box swelled painfully. She took in a slow breath, holding her head high. “And at this point, there is nothing to block out.”

  “You regret kissing me?” He searched until he found the mental block she’d put up against him. It was very well-practiced, her way of keeping herself from getting hurt.

  “I’m not a liar. I’m pretty sure I enjoyed it as much as you did. But it’s not something I make a habit of doing. And since I don’t know you, I have no idea what type of woman you are accustomed to, but I’m not one to just run off with a stranger.”

  And with that she turned from him, and walked back into her mother’s house.

  Chapter Six

  Barren, Kentucky, had one grocery store, and more times than not, it took twice as long to get just a few items because it was the mandatory custom to catch up on the gossip while shopping. Some things never changed.

  Thena didn’t remember everyone, but vague recollections came to her as her mother patiently repeated her mantra to every curious person who approached them.

  “You remember my daughter, Thena. Come all the way from Kansas City to give her mom a hand.” Her proud tone never wavered.

  By the time they reached the checkout, Thena was more than ready to leave and return home. Not to mention she was sick and tired of hearing how proud her mama was of her—her daughter who’d come home to be with her mother—her daughter who was, in truth, unemployed.

  “Thena Cooke. Well, I’ll be. When did you get back in town?” A heavy-set black woman that Thena didn’t immediately recognize stopped her cart next to Thena and her mother.

  Two boys, who looked old enough to be in school, held onto either side of the grocery cart. They glanced at Thena, boredom and indifference in their expressions.

  “How are you doing, Sharla?” Margaret asked, helping Thena to remember who the woman was.