Chapter 9
LAILA
By the time the taxi pulled up outside Poseidon's home, my head had already cleared a lot. Of the alcohol, not of the excitement about what it might mean to be here. I knew what agreeing to come here would probably mean, and there was no denying how I was reacting to that knowledge.
Poseidon opened my car door for me, and I got out, momentarily forgetting about the slit in my dress until his gaze dropped there. That was an accidental advantage of what I was wearing, and I wasn't sorry for it.
He led me up to the front door and showed me inside. I took off my shoes at the rack, and turned around, stopping in my tracks as I noticed the massive tank dominating what looked like three floors of the house.
"It's huge," I murmured.
Poseidon chuckled. "And I still have my clothes on."
"The tank."
"I knew what you meant."
"But the fish are so small." I walked up to it, not even thinking, as I looked at the aquarium in awe. There were hundreds of small fish driving in and out of what looked like it was supposed to be a coral reef, which spanned most of the height of the tank.
"There can't be anything in there big enough to eat me," he said.
I turned around, confusion written on my face. "What?"
"It's my tank," he responded. "Shifting in the wild is...a little ill-advised, given my size. So I had this built so that I could shift in the safety of my own home and have a little swim."
A wide smile spread over my face at the pure joyful image of him swimming around this as a tiny seahorse. "That's adorable."
He cleared his throat. "Maybe a different word."
"I don't have words to describe you in your seahorse form because I've never seen it," I pointed out.
"That sounds like you're angling for me to take my clothes off," he joked.
"That's not what I meant. I know that's got to be something private."
"It is," he said, stepping closer. "But I'm not against showing you." The light from the aquarium reflected off his face, highlighting his handsome features and making me want to reach out and touch him.
Except that there was nothing actually stopping me from doing that. Poseidon had invited me here, and he knew what was on my mind, just like I knew what was on his.
Giving in to temptation, I stepped closer, reaching out to cup his cheek in my hand.
"How's your head?" he murmured.
"Much clearer," I assured him.
"Good." He leaned in, his breath fanning against my lips and making me certain about what was to come.
The anticipation was sweet and impatient at the same time, and I was desperate for the touch against me. Not wanting to wait a moment longer, I closed the gap between us and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him deeply.
Desire awoke within me, answering the way it felt to have him pressed against me, and making me want more. But I should be patient. There was no reason to rush the two of us into bed when we had the whole night for that.
His fingers grazed down my back, pulling me closer to him. My dress was made of a thin material, but I found myself wishing that it was gone completely so I could feel his fingers against my bare skin.
He broke the kiss and reached up to brush my hair out of my face. "I promised you olives."
"You did," I responded. "But I can't say I'm complaining right now."
He chuckled. "Well, how about I make you some, and then we can pick this back up?"
"I suppose that would be acceptable."
He pulled away, but took my hand and brought me to a kitchen that looked exactly like I'd expect it to.
"This is all I've ever wanted in a kitchen," I admitted as I ran my hand over the marble countertop of his breakfast bar.
"Is it not what you've got?" he asked.
I shook my head. "I live with a friend, so we have the kitchen decided by our landlord. I've thought about moving a few times, but I don't like living alone. It might change if she decides that she wants to move in with her boyfriend."
"Cupid?" he asked as he opened the fridge and pulled out the ingredients he needed.
I took a seat at the breakfast bar and leaned on my elbow to watch him. "Different friend."
"But still one dating a god?"
"Yes. Nick. As in..."
"There's only one god called Nick," he assured me as he stuffed several olives with feta before breading them. "How's your head? Do you need anything?"
"It's fine," I responded. "I don't know if it's fae magic, or just me, but once I stop drinking, everything clears up really quickly."
"Good."
"Worried about my reasoning skills?" I asked.
He chuckled. "No. I think I've known you long enough to know that you're aware of your own mind. But I don't want you to regret anything tomorrow."
"And what about you? How's your head?"
"Also fine," he assured me. "I felt it a bit, but I've had years of dealing with Dionysus' wine to know that it wears off fast enough. If you want to keep the buzz, you have to keep drinking it."
"Is it magic?"
"I wish I knew." He dropped the breaded olives into a fryer, and the crackle of hot oil filled the air.
"It sounds like he's got his business plan sorted."
Poseidon laughed. "I can't say for sure, but that does sound like Dion. He's devious like that." He raised the basket and knocked off the excess oil before emptying the basket onto a piece of kitchen towel to dry them off.
My mouth watered, and I had to admit that I was really looking forward to trying these.
Everything Poseidon had made me to eat so far had been delicious, and I was sure these would be no different.
And there was something charming about the comfort food he seemed to enjoy making when he wasn't making gourmet menus for his restaurant.
He plated the olives and set the dish down in front of me with a couple of olive forks beside it. His knee brushed against mine as he took a seat next to me, only reminding me of how good it had felt to have his hands on me earlier.
I stabbed one of the olives and blew on it a few times to make sure that it wasn't too hot.
I bit into it, enjoying the crunch of the breading on the outside, along with the tanginess of the olive and the creaminess of the feta.
The whole thing was that delicious level of saltiness that made things irresistible.
"Mmm, those are good," I said as I helped myself to another one.
"I'm glad you think so. They're one of my favourite go-to snacks when I'm in the mood for something salty."
"I can see why. They're very satisfying."
"I wouldn't want to send you away from my home disappointed."
I bumped my knee against his. "I'm sure that won't be happening."
"Definitely not."
"So, other than an amazing kitchen and the biggest fish tank I think I've seen outside an aquarium, what other features does your home have?"
"The standard things," he said. "A couple of bedrooms, a living room, a walk-in pantry..."
"Mmm, not totally normal that one."
"Maybe not. But I love having a range of ingredients to work with. So it was non-negotiable for me. As was the hot tub."
"A hot tub?" I asked. "A private one?"
"Mmhmm."
"Where is it?"
He waved towards two glass doors that led out of the kitchen.
"Is it on?" I loved the idea of taking a dip with him in the hot tub more than I should.
"It can be," he responded. "If you want it to be. Though I don't really have any swimwear you can borrow."
"I wasn't planning on wearing any." I met his gaze as I popped another stuffed olive into my mouth.
He let out a slight groan, but it seemed to be a good one. "Be my guest."
"Oh, I shall." The anticipation was back, and this time, it was for a lot more than a kiss.