Rourk darted around most of the vehicles with an agility few humans ever witnessed. Swiftly, he vaulted over the last line of them, landing warrior-ready, feet braced apart on the hard, unforgiving ground.
Whether Lily liked it or not, today Rourk planned to collect his bride. Her feelings did not matter; she was his. Her father had made it so, thanks to a serious error in judgment. Sometimes it really was best to fold your cards when you were holding nothing of value.
What, by Tartarus, had she been thinking? Knowing Lily had gone through the same portal he had painfully materialized from, to flee from him and hide on Earth, made Rourk crazy with worry.
Pathetic. As if there is a realm I won’t venture into to claim what I won and rightly deserve. There would be no hiding from him.
Rourk had spent enough years wearing Poseidon’s chains, being taunted by his daughter’s mere presence, that the smell and taste of freedom equaled Lily. He’d spent thousands of torturous hours lying awake hot and hard, his cock full and swelling with the tantalizing promise of her. Night after night he’d had to take his pleasure by hand, pumping his shaft shamelessly because Lily had simply walked by him that day. Well, no more. He had fulfilled the terms of his contract, and was certain Zeus was happy with the outcome. It might have taken two centuries, but the plan was finally set in motion.
A union between two royal houses, finally. The fact that Poseidon was oblivious to it, perfect.
Wicked, erotic thoughts of the many ways he planned to pleasure his Siren bride slammed through him. Once he found her, Rourk intended to ensure Lily never took him for granted again.
He strode down the crowded pathway, where all the people made way for him. He noticed he was a good head taller than most humans. Women ogled him as he passed. The men wisely took a step to the side.
Rourk ignored them all, his thoughts centered on claiming Lily. Thinking of what he was going to do to her the minute he found her pumped blood to his cock. Rourk was irritated beyond measure that he was constantly hard around her, and further annoyed that she barely tolerated his presence. Too bad. You are now mine. I plan on pleasuring you, and you will bloody well not walk by me again as if I’m beneath you, Princess.
* * *
Lily continued to eat her double fudge chocolate decadent ice cream while bubble-gum-colored polish was being applied to her toenails.
“Your father is going to be totally pissed at you.” Airael tried to sound annoyed and failed. Lily nodded, savoring the taste of her icy dessert as her aunt worked her magic on her toes.
“What was I to do, Auntie? I told you. He’s going to force me to marry one of those demigods. Please. Just who does he think I am?”
“His daughter,” replied Airael, moving to Lily’s other foot.
She huffed in annoyance. “I am not about to marry some whining literary god-poet whose life revolves around books, talking politics and discussing the glorious weather on Mount Olympus. Boring. That’s who I’ve been surrounded by my entire life. The thought of being glued to some bookworm for eternity makes me want to puke.”
“Stop being so dramatic, Lil.”
Lily knew Airael, a goddess belonging to the House of Love, understood her plight. Of all her aunties, Airael, currently married to Max, a god of the House of War, knew opposites attract.
When Lily had overheard her beloved father plotting her upcoming marriage to a god of the House of Justice, she knew drastic measures would be needed. The House of Justice was made up of the most boring gods ever created. Lawyers. Judges. And even a few accountants. Not in my lifetime will I be linked to a man who sits behind a desk all day.
“They’re not all bad.” Airael blew on Lily’s polished nails to help speed up the drying process.
Lily wiggled her toes. She loved being in human form, especially knowing daddy dearest detested it.
Savoring the last two bites of her ice cream, she said, “Oh, yes, they are. Do you know of any gods from the House of Justice that don’t fit the description I just gave you?” She narrowed her eyes at Airael, who looked to be about twenty, by human standards. Currently, her auntie, who was actually two thousand and twenty-three years old, had hair the exact shade of the nail polish drying on Lily’s toes. She also wore a silver nose ring, which Lily knew Max loved.
Airael pursed her lips.
“That would be a big fat no!” Lily scooted off the leather settee to stand. It took a lot of effort not to jump around. But her nail polish wasn’t quite dry and she didn’t want to ruin her aunt’s hard work. “Seriously, I can’t do it, Airael. I can’t love a god I don’t admire. I want someone who makes my heart stutter with nervous energy. I want someone who cherishes me and isn’t just interested in pleasing my father. By Tartarus, I want someone to make me wet with desire.”
Airael laughed. “Oh, you’ll get wet, all right, the minute your father yanks you back to his realm. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes. Seriously, have you given this some thought? No. I didn’t think so. Pissing off your father is never a good thing. All the gods know that.”
Lily laughed this time. “You make him sound like an ogre or something. He’s just Daddy.”
“Well, my dear, rumor on the god channel has it that your daddy sent his warrior out to bring you home.”
Lily backed up, accidentally knocking over a black stool in the process. “He wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, he dared, all right. My bet is that by high tide that warrior of his will have tracked you down, and by tomorrow all this will be just a lingering dream.” Airael sat down to tackle her own toes.
Her aunt’s eyes had been dead serious. Lily gulped. She knew her father had a hot temper, but surely he wouldn’t erase his own daughter’s memories of Earth.
Oh, by the gods, he will. That warrior of his will find me and force me back, and then I won’t remember any of this.
Flinging herself through the portal that connected to Earth must have looked like a draconian, almost suicidal measure to her father. Too bad he didn’t know she used the portal constantly, since Auntie Bess, her mother’s sister, had ensured she would never feel any painful effects. Lily needed time to think. She had to find a way to get what she wanted, and make her father understand her needs and desires. Being tied to a god who only made her yawn was not on Lily’s agenda anytime soon.
“I can’t stand another minute of this. Let’s do something.” Restless energy tingled down Lily’s spine and long legs. She couldn’t resist running a hand down the silky smooth feel of her hairless skin. She savored the sun-kissed look of her legs, which was due to her natural Siren heritage.
“Sure, what did you have in mind?” asked Airael.
“Dancing. Let’s go dancing. I need loud, heart-banging music in a place filled with humans.” Tons of hunky men ripe for the picking will most certainly improve my mood. Wisely, she refrained from sharing that thought with her auntie.
Chapter Two
The scent of lavender almost assailed Rourk.
Lily was here. He inhaled her fragrance the minute he strolled into the bar with its throbbing music. Mine. A growl rumbled up unconsciously as he made his way toward the dance floor, and there, sure enough, was Lily. His Lily. His bride. Soon to be wedded and bedded bride.
His cock swelled, as usual, and he barely