Free Rise of the Blood by Lucienne Diver Page B

and headed naked for the bathroom, only to find the door locked.
    I steamed.
    What if I’d desperately needed the facilities? Not that we were yet at that point in our relationship where I’d do anything with him in the same room, even behind a curtain with water running to drown out the noise. Still, I liked to have my options open.
    I studied the closed door. It was meant for privacy, not security. I could jimmy it with a credit card. But should I?
    Yeah, as if self control was really an option.
    I got my wallet, grabbed a credit card to some store I’d shopped in maybe once or twice and went at it.
    The door popped open quicker than it took me to lick my lips, and I dropped the card on the counter, took a step toward the shower and flicked aside the curtain.
    Nick whirled like I’d goosed him. His eyes went wide, and there was a razor in his hand, held like a weapon, which would have been a lot more effective if it hadn’t been the plastic traveling kind.
    “Tori, you scared the hell out of me!” he said, not happily.
    I ignored his tone. “You have room in there for me?”
    “The door was locked,” he pointed out.
    “So it was.”
    And that was when he realized I was naked. I could see it when the cranky started to ebb from his face and something else took its place. He looked over as much of me as the curtain didn’t conceal and suddenly there was more of him to lather.
    “Well, I suppose it would be nice to have someone to wash my back,” he said. The blue of his eyes deepened and he stepped back to make room for me.
    “ Just your back?” I asked, raking my gaze over him. Nick was unbelievably gorgeous at the best of times—thick dark hair falling over his brow, amazing jawline, broad shoulders, narrow waist, washboard abs—the stuff of romance covers. But wet and naked, his hair slicked back so that I could really see those expressive blue eyes…
    “We can start there and see where it takes us,” he answered.
    I didn’t ask if that meant I was forgiven for fear he’d say “no”. I stepped into the water and just went with the flow, so to speak.
    We made it down to breakfast with twenty minutes to spare before the end. The fresh fruit plate had been picked nearly clean but for a few grapes, but there was still coffee and croissants, and I was all for carb-loading after that shower. Honestly, I was shaky, and I didn’t think it was for lack of food or caffeine withdrawal. I was going to have to find a source for ambrosia, stat. I probably should have asked Apollo about it last night, but, well, seeing him au naturel like that played havoc with my mind.
    The terrace restaurant was deserted when we arrived, except for Hermes and Christie, who still lingered over coffee. She’d gotten hers iced and was drinking through a straw, her trick, I knew, to avoid staining her teeth.
    She jumped up when she saw me and gave me a huge hug. “I was just waiting to say good-bye,” she said in a rush. “I’ve got to get to my shoot, but if there are no delays, I’ll be back for the wedding. Hermes invited me to be his guest…if that’s okay with you.”
    “Of course!” I said, putting mock enthusiasm into my voice, not because I didn’t want her there, but because I’d rather have her safely away. I didn’t want her becoming collateral damage if…when…Zeus and Poseidon came at me again, which made me wonder whether I should be here at all, drawing potential fire down on my friends and family.
    “Good, I’ll see you in two days then,” Christie said, oblivious to my turmoil. She was happier than I’d seen her in a good, long time. Since Jack(ass) had broken her heart. “Tell Apollo I hope he feels better.”
    “What did you hear?” I asked, maybe a little too sharply.
    Enough so that Christie picked up on it instantly. “Why, what do you know ?”
    “Nothing,” I lied.
    “Uh huh. You will tell me. But later. We have to get going.”
    She kissed me on both cheeks to say good-bye. Hermes