Chapter Thirty-Five
That night, Hermes returned. It was late, and I was in bed. He stripped and climbed in beside me. I stiffened, but he only nestled in against my back and pulled me close. After a few minutes, he went to sleep, a peaceful expression on his face.
It took me much longer to fall asleep. Having him there made me nervous. Men did things in their sleep. Would Hermes try to have sex with me while he was dreaming? I told myself I would wake before he penetrated me, and that thought gave me a little comfort. I finally managed to get some rest.
In the morning, I woke to Hermes kissing my neck. I flinched and tried to pull away.
“Relax,” Hermes said. “It's only me.”
“I know it's you,” I said stiffly. “I still don't want to have sex with you, Hermes.”
He growled and nuzzled my ear. “Fine. But you will give me a chance to rekindle your love.”
“How?”
Hermes kissed my cheek and sat up. “We're in Greece.”
“What?” I sat up.
“We just arrived. The ship is anchored off Santorini.”
“Santorini?” I asked, memories of our time there flooding me. “Fira?”
“Yes, of course.” He grimaced. “I'd tell you to get dressed but you already are.”
You're damn straight I slept with my clothes on. I needed all the protection I could get.
I climbed out of bed and went to look out the balcony door. Sure enough, bright blue water greeted me but in the distance was a steep mountainside of pure white blocks, spotted with splashes of pink bougainvillea, black iron, and blue swimming pools. Hermes owned the largest estate in Fira, built before the town had existed, back when land was open for the taking. These days, it was impossible to buy property of that size there. Homes were stacked practically upon each other, clinging to the mountainside, no space between them. This made it easy to spot Hermes's property, off to one side, surrounded by lush landscaping that formed tiers down the mountain. His mansion took up the central tier and spread both up and down from it.
Hermes came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Remember the first time I brought you here?”
“Yes,” I said. “I thought you had taken me to the realm of the Gods.”
He chuckled. “In a way, it is.” He kissed my cheek, then let me go. “Funny that it was only these people—a smattering of humans strewn across a necklace of islands—who got us right.”
“Why is that?” I asked. “Why did they get so much right about the Gods?”
Hermes lifted his pale brows. “You've never asked me that.”
I shrugged.
“It's because they listened. They were open-minded enough to listen when we spoke into their minds When they accepted us, we felt comfortable enough to reveal ourselves to them. Of course, things have changed.” He looked across the water. “Even here, we don't show ourselves to the masses anymore. Humans gained too much knowledge. They now think that they are the Gods.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, well. They will learn of their mistake when they die. Then they will learn that they could have had so much more in life if only they had worshiped us. Gods are good to their followers.” He went to the door, grabbing his robe along the way. “I'll leave you to freshen up. Fifteen minutes.”
Then he walked out.
I sighed and turned back to the view. Santorini. It was paradise. The only reason I didn't settle there was because Hermes had. Before he broke my heart, there was no point in me buying property on Santorini. Afterward, I didn't want to risk seeing Hermes with one of his other women. But now, here we were again, back to where he had seduced me. Not where our romance had started. No, that was back in Oregon. That's where everything had begun. But this was where I fell in love with Hermes. This was where I gave him my virginity. This is where he made me immortal.
Hermes had made love to me on a silk-covered bed set atop a bare cliff, overlooking the caldera. The sun had shone upon us, the water so clear that I could see the sides of the caldera, dropping into the basin. Back then, there hadn't been anyone living in Fira, not even Hermes. He built his home there shortly after that, but it wasn't until the 18 th century that humans began to cover the cliffs with their bright white houses, and Fira was made the capital of Santorini. But when Hermes first took me there, it had only been us. The god, me, and the stars. It had been the most romantic moment of my life. Actually, it still was. My hounds had won me, but they hadn't been able to outdo Hermes in the romance department. I didn't hold that against them. Our relationship had been unusual.
I went to the bathroom and used the facilities. A quick rinse of my mouth and then my face helped clear my head. Then Hermes was back.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“I'm hungry,” I said.
“I'm taking you to breakfast right now.” Hermes grinned as he took my hand and pulled me into an embrace. “I know how my Lomasi needs to eat when she first wakes.”
We didn't have to take a boat to the island. Hermes simply used his magic to transport us into his Fira house. I don't know how long it had been since he'd visited, but the place was spotless, adorned with traditional décor and furniture. I stepped away from him, leaving the house through the backdoor. It opened onto the terrace.
There it was, the very spot where I had given myself to a god. Hermes had built his home on the very site. As I said, he was great on the romance. I strode across the white stone and stopped, knowing exactly where we had lain, judging by the view before me.
Hermes stepped up beside me and took my hand. “You do remember.”
“Of course, I remember. It was our first time.”
He looked down. “Right here. This is where I made you mine and gave you eternity.”
“I will always be grateful for that.”
Hermes grimaced. “I don't want your gratitude, Lomasi.”
“You have it anyway.”
He turned and drew me back into the house. We strode through the clean hallways and past tidy rooms full of treasure, then out of the house. A red sports car waited there. I glanced back. He had shut the door but left it unlocked. Hermes never cared about security. I hadn't either, not until he left me. At least he had taught me to use a gun before that. Thinking back, it was probably why he had insisted on me learning. He was preparing me to take care of myself.
I heard a click and turned to find Hermes standing beside the open passenger door. I slid onto the seat, and he closed the door for me. Going around the front, he pulled out a set of keys. He was grinning when he got into the driver's seat. Hermes loved to drive. Cars, motorcycles, trains, boats, whatever. He loved piloting vehicles. It was all a part of his magic—The God of Travel.
Hermes started the car, and we drove off. Down winding roads and along terrifying drops we sped. Soon, we were in the city, the roads getting tighter. But Hermes navigated with ease, instinctively moving around obstacles and slipping the sports car down slender streets until he parked it outside our favorite restaurant. Oh, yeah, he was seriously trying to seduce me.
It was a small place, known only to the locals, and Hermes was known there. As soon as we entered the establishment, he was greeted effusively. The owner even came out to hug him. What surprised me was that she remembered me as well. In Greek, she greeted me, calling me Lomasi, and then ushered us to the best table on the balcony, shaded by a white umbrella.
Once she was gone, I leaned over to Hermes and said, “I can't believe she remembers me.”
“I brought you here only a few years ago.”
“That's a long time for a human. And I assumed you had brought others here after that.”
Hermes sat back and stared at me. “Do you really think I'm that callous? I would never bring another woman here. Not to this island, much less this restaurant.”
“Hermes, you left me. You left to explore the world without me and fuck other women. Bringing one of them to this restaurant is nothing compared to that. So, if you think it's romantic to leave this place unspoiled, you're alone in that thought.”
Before he could respond, the waitress was there with our drinks. We hadn't ordered, but they knew we wanted coffee and water with our breakfast. Greek coffee is amazing.
Hermes ordered for us, not needing the menu. It annoyed me that he assumed to know what I wanted. It really annoyed me that he was right. But I kept that to myself, knowing he was dealing with shit too. Heaping more onto his pile wouldn't help me.
I sipped my coffee and stared at the water. Only a couple of months ago, I would have been ecstatic to be there with him. Now, even the view couldn't lift my spirits.
“We can go shopping after this,” Hermes suggested. “You need some clothes.”
“Hermes, how long are we going to do this?”
His lips tightened before he said, “As long as it takes for you to remember that you love me.”
“I remember already. But it's only a memory, and I know for certain that it will remain in the past. At least, that sort of love. I will always love you as a friend.”
“Lomasi, if you mention being my friend one more time, I will return to your dogs and put them down.”
I gasped, cold fear running through my veins.
Hermes took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I'm sorry. That was harsh. But it's very upsetting when you say things like that. Just give me this time to convince you. I know I can make you forget them.”
“And if I don't?”
“You will, Lomasi. I promise you, you will.”