3
Orion
What the hell kind of name was Kaden ? I rolled my eyes and scanned the email from Cupid for what had to be the twentieth time since it arrived last night. It seemed to be a form letter of sorts, introducing me to Kaden Devereaux and giving some vague details about him. Black hair, green eyes, five foot eight, librarian. To my chagrin, there was no photograph.
Christ, it took Cupid to set me up with a short, emerald-eyed dork? I could have found a man fitting his description by myself in the coffee shop near my office.
Sighing, I checked my look in the mirror. My dark hair was perfectly styled. I wore an expensive pair of dark-wash jeans and a polo shirt that was a size too small to accentuate my broad shoulders. On my feet were a pair of black velvet Jimmy Choos. I’d come a long way from togas and sandals.
As I hopped off the Green Line at the Boylston Street T stop, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was about to meet the man of my dreams. He’d have to be the hottest guy on the planet to even be in the same league as Apollo. And let’s face it, the chances of that were slim to none.
Even still, I promised myself I would go through with this date no matter what. I followed the signs to the Myths, Legends, and Folklore section of the library, already a little impressed with my date. Hell, I was a living legend. I was sure he knew all about me and what happened back in Greece, which, in my case, might not be the best thing. It wasn’t as if I was a hero like Hercules, the over-muscled dick. Let’s just say with Zeus being his father, the golden apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
My date was nowhere to be found at the circulation desk. What in Hades was going on? He must have gotten the same email I did—why wasn’t he waiting for me with bated breath? Scowling, I headed back through the stacks, keeping my eyes open for a short, green-eyed librarian.
I turned a corner and smacked into someone who bounced off my chest. I barely managed to wrap my arms around him before he landed on the floor. “Are you okay?” I asked, coming face-to-face with the most intense green eyes I’d ever seen in my life.
“Holy shit,” the man muttered, taking a step back. His eyes traveled up and down my torso, his eyes widening with alarm and, dare I say it, desire.
As he appraised me, I did the same. The man was short, a few inches below six feet. He was dressed in jeans and a plaid dress shirt with one of those square ties patterned with centaurs. He wore a name tag on the left pocket of the shirt. Fuck me, it read: Kaden .
“I’m so sorry,” Kaden mumbled. “I wasn’t watching where I was going and…” His eyes widened further as he stared into mine. “Orion?” he gasped.
“The one and only,” I said with a cheeky grin. I held out a hand to greet him, expecting to feel a surge of electricity and animalistic lust, but all I got for my trouble was a slightly damp and weak handshake.
“I can’t believe you’re real. I got the email from the dating website and thought it was a joke, to be honest.” He ran a hand through his thick, wavy hair. “I’m Kaden.”
“Orion,” I returned lamely. “Do you have any idea where we’re going tonight? My email didn’t say.”
“We’re going to a cooking class at the Four Seasons Hotel. It’s a ten-minute walk from here. Let me grab my coat, and we’ll be ready to roll.” Kaden’s grin was infectious. It lit up his entire face, making his green eyes glitter under the fluorescent lights. He stepped past me, heading back in the direction I’d just come from.
“Wait. What ? A cooking class?” What the hell was Cupid thinking? When I got my hands on that diapered prick, I was going to give him a piece of my mind and possibly a left hook to his perfect nose.
“I know! Sounds like fun, right?” Kaden sounded serious, not sarcastic at all.
Was he actually looking forward to this night of torture? “Do you cook?” I asked, trying to sound casual. I most definitely did not cook. You’d think after five-plus millennia on this planet, I would have picked up the skill, but you’d be wrong.
“I love to cook!” Kaden grinned, approaching the circulation desk. “I’ll be right back.” He walked behind the desk and into an office. When he returned moments later, he was wearing a dark winter jacket. “Ready?”
I nodded, my brain still stuck on the fact this date was turning into an epic disaster. The only thing that could make this night worse was if a thunderbolt-wielding Zeus showed up.
“Do you cook?” Kaden asked as we made our way down the main staircase leading to the front door.
“Uh, no. Not really, unless you count fixing a bowl of Lucky Charms as cooking.” What the fuck was wrong with me? I wasn’t exactly putting my best foot forward.
“You don’t look like the kind of man who misses a meal.” Kaden’s eyes were glued to my shoulders and arms, which were pretty impressive if I did say so myself.
“I eat a lot of takeout. Salads. Chicken kabobs. Steak.” I practically growled the last word. I’d been too nervous to eat lunch, which I was paying for now. “What about you? Don’t tell me you’re a vegetarian. It looks like one strong breeze would blow you away.” I held the main door open for Kaden, who slipped past me and immediately shivered.
“No, I’m not a vegetarian. I’m a carnivore, born and bred. I’m just cold all the time. I don’t have my winter coat.” Kaden’s eyes widened at his own words, as if he’d said something he shouldn’t have.
It was on the tip of my tongue to point out my date was, in fact, wearing a winter jacket. Maybe he was one of those guys who needed an L.L. Bean jacket rated for below-zero temperatures. I ran hot most of the time, so I was fine in a light parka. As I studied Kaden, a line of sweat trickled down my spine. “Do you have any idea why Cupid matched us together?” Maybe Kaden had more insight into our pairing.
“I have no idea.” Kaden grinned. “No, that’s not exactly true. You’re my type.” His smile turned into embarrassed shock. “I mean, you’re my physical type. Tall. Dark. Broad shoulders. I don’t know if you’re my one true love or if we’re gonna go back to your place and…” Kaden sputtered and stopped, obviously figuring silence would be better than more rambling.
I felt my blood heat at the thought of taking my date home and ravishing him. I was about to suggest skipping the cooking class and heading back to the condo, but something stopped me before I could open my mouth. Cupid handpicked Kaden for a reason. While I was sure the sex would be next-level—Kaden looked like the kind of man who let his freak flag fly in the bedroom—I couldn’t help thinking there was more to this match than just sexual compatibility. “You’re my type too.” Fuck me gently with Zeus’s thunderbolt. It was too late to take my words back, but looking at the adoring smile on Kaden’s face, I found I didn’t want to.
Kaden’s eyes lit up with obvious joy. “Here we are.” He pointed to the soaring brick-and-glass facade of the hotel. “Let’s get cooking!”
What kind of Pandora’s box had I opened? Here I was on a blind date with a man I never would have chosen for myself, about to go to a cooking class, something I would never willingly do. It was a world gone mad. I supposed the only thing I could do at this point was to see where the night took us. I’d only been acquainted with Kaden for twenty minutes. It wasn’t possible to know from this brief conversation if we were meant to be together forever or just for one night.
Time would tell.