plane.” And it wasn’t just the Greek Gods that left. Many of the other Pantheons’ power players left, too. Cowards. The subject always got her blood boiling.
“Oh, look who’s out of the water.” Tabby grabbed a towel, jumped up, and ran over to Cal. Cal accepted it with a curt nod and walked toward Nix. Tabby hung back, her eyes at the level of his ass. She gave Nix a wink and thumbs up.
Good grief . Nix loved her sisters but sometimes they were so—Nymph-like. Of course Cal wasn’t making it easy for them not to stare. Nix had seen his naked torso once already, but she couldn’t resist. She enjoyed the view. He swiped the towel across his pecs then down his abs, the water erased by the cloth’s path. Maybe he needed a hand . . .
She was doing it again! The ogling just had to stop.
Tabby tittered, “So, Cal, is our sister treating you well?”
Nix froze as Cal turned to face Tabby. She didn’t hear his response. She couldn’t take her eyes off the network of scars that laced across his back. The orange glow of the setting sun highlighted the grooves, deepening them into cruel gashes. They looked like—whip marks. Demigods had nearly superhuman recuperative powers, so in order for the marks to be permanent, they must have been administered by a weapon of the Gods.
A finger snapped in her face. “Yo, Nix! Are you listening?” Tabby asked. “Cal’s offered to grill on the barbeque pit tonight. And after, he’ll start us a bonfire. Isn’t that great?”
“Yeah. Super.” Nix forced her gaze away, fixing it on the water.
Chloe stood up. “Come on, Cal. You can help me. I’m in charge of dinner tonight.”
“What is your problem?” Tabby dropped onto the beach blanket next to Nix, her eyes tracking Cal as he walked back to the house with Chloe. “That man is hot. Totally doable.”
“Don’t you think about anything besides sex?” Nix wasn’t in the mood to debate Cal’s finer points. The scars bothered her. They brought back unpleasant memories of war camp. Some things were not so easily forgotten. Their teacher, Shyama, had been a harsh taskmaster. When it suited her, she had many arms and eyes. The more to beat you with and catch you being lazy , she had said.
“Nix, you’re doing it again. Staring off into space. Maybe you need to think about sex.” Tabby gathered up her belongings. “Or better yet, go have some hot monkey sex with your handler.”
Nix clenched her jaw, biting back the harsh response on the tip of her tongue. Sex was the last thing she needed. Unlike her sisters, Nix couldn’t give her body without handing the male her heart too. No empty one-night-stands for her.
Exasperated, Tabby shook her head, then called over her shoulder. “Bring the blanket when you’re done brooding.”
Cal had forgotten how clear and beautiful the night sky was by the ocean. The backbone of the Milky Way glittered with a thousand stars, unfettered by clouds or light pollution. He admired the vista while stacking dry logs in the stone-lined fire pit.
Chloe and Tabby had stuffed him to the gills with a splendid meal of baby back ribs, corn on the cob, and savory mussels. Despite his protests, they insisted he save room for S’mores. After all, they pointed out, they couldn’t let the bonfire he was building for them go to waste. Nix hadn’t said more than two words to him the whole time. In fact, she had barely eaten, which was unusual because he knew, from past experience, she could tuck away food. Something was bothering her, and he was going to find out what it was.
“Do you like to dance, Cal?” Tabby approached with some beach chairs and a portable stereo—the kind where an MP3 player plugged into the center.
“Sometimes. Depends on how much I’ve had to drink.” Truth be told, he wasn’t a very good dancer, at least not at modern dances. If they were dancing a reel or a waltz, he could hold his own.
Tabby laughed. “We could get you drunk if you’d like.”
Cal
“Oh, look who’s out of the water.” Tabby grabbed a towel, jumped up, and ran over to Cal. Cal accepted it with a curt nod and walked toward Nix. Tabby hung back, her eyes at the level of his ass. She gave Nix a wink and thumbs up.
Good grief . Nix loved her sisters but sometimes they were so—Nymph-like. Of course Cal wasn’t making it easy for them not to stare. Nix had seen his naked torso once already, but she couldn’t resist. She enjoyed the view. He swiped the towel across his pecs then down his abs, the water erased by the cloth’s path. Maybe he needed a hand . . .
She was doing it again! The ogling just had to stop.
Tabby tittered, “So, Cal, is our sister treating you well?”
Nix froze as Cal turned to face Tabby. She didn’t hear his response. She couldn’t take her eyes off the network of scars that laced across his back. The orange glow of the setting sun highlighted the grooves, deepening them into cruel gashes. They looked like—whip marks. Demigods had nearly superhuman recuperative powers, so in order for the marks to be permanent, they must have been administered by a weapon of the Gods.
A finger snapped in her face. “Yo, Nix! Are you listening?” Tabby asked. “Cal’s offered to grill on the barbeque pit tonight. And after, he’ll start us a bonfire. Isn’t that great?”
“Yeah. Super.” Nix forced her gaze away, fixing it on the water.
Chloe stood up. “Come on, Cal. You can help me. I’m in charge of dinner tonight.”
“What is your problem?” Tabby dropped onto the beach blanket next to Nix, her eyes tracking Cal as he walked back to the house with Chloe. “That man is hot. Totally doable.”
“Don’t you think about anything besides sex?” Nix wasn’t in the mood to debate Cal’s finer points. The scars bothered her. They brought back unpleasant memories of war camp. Some things were not so easily forgotten. Their teacher, Shyama, had been a harsh taskmaster. When it suited her, she had many arms and eyes. The more to beat you with and catch you being lazy , she had said.
“Nix, you’re doing it again. Staring off into space. Maybe you need to think about sex.” Tabby gathered up her belongings. “Or better yet, go have some hot monkey sex with your handler.”
Nix clenched her jaw, biting back the harsh response on the tip of her tongue. Sex was the last thing she needed. Unlike her sisters, Nix couldn’t give her body without handing the male her heart too. No empty one-night-stands for her.
Exasperated, Tabby shook her head, then called over her shoulder. “Bring the blanket when you’re done brooding.”
Cal had forgotten how clear and beautiful the night sky was by the ocean. The backbone of the Milky Way glittered with a thousand stars, unfettered by clouds or light pollution. He admired the vista while stacking dry logs in the stone-lined fire pit.
Chloe and Tabby had stuffed him to the gills with a splendid meal of baby back ribs, corn on the cob, and savory mussels. Despite his protests, they insisted he save room for S’mores. After all, they pointed out, they couldn’t let the bonfire he was building for them go to waste. Nix hadn’t said more than two words to him the whole time. In fact, she had barely eaten, which was unusual because he knew, from past experience, she could tuck away food. Something was bothering her, and he was going to find out what it was.
“Do you like to dance, Cal?” Tabby approached with some beach chairs and a portable stereo—the kind where an MP3 player plugged into the center.
“Sometimes. Depends on how much I’ve had to drink.” Truth be told, he wasn’t a very good dancer, at least not at modern dances. If they were dancing a reel or a waltz, he could hold his own.
Tabby laughed. “We could get you drunk if you’d like.”
Cal
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