Free A Date of Godlike Proportions (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy Book 2.5) by Tellulah Darling Page A

I took in Festos’ half-dressed state. He wore black dress pants and a blue button down shirt, not at all buttoned at the moment. His rock star red-dyed hair was wet and his feet bare.
    I’d been dangerously attracted to this god the first time I’d ever seen him, and not even thousands of years and a gong show of obstacles — including his chaining me to a rock on Zeus’ orders to have my liver eaten by a vulture — could kill that. My hand absently clutched the magic chain he’d made to bind me there as I drank him in.
    He arched an eyebrow, as if my staring gave him the upper hand.
    “You’re not dressed yet?”
    Great. The cavalry had arrived. I flicked my gaze over to my other best friend Hannah, staring at me incredulously from her position in the doorway, where she had joined Festos.
    Festos patted Hannah on the shoulder affectionately before edging past her to leave.
    I reluctantly tore my eyes from his retreating figure to meet her bemused gaze.
    Allies. That’s what I needed. “There’s too much at stake right now — like your future for example — for us to be going out on a — ”
    She flapped a hand at me. “Get dressed.”
    I looked down at what I was wearing. Which was basically what I always wore. A long-sleeved black T-shirt and baggy black pants. “I’m dressed.”
    Hannah rolled her eyes. “Pierce,” she called out.
    Her boyfriend trotted into the room at her call. “Yeah, love?”
    Hannah pointed to a spot in front of me. “Stand there and look pretty, so this idiot gets the picture.”
    Pierce nodded. He got into position and, with a toss of his blond tousled head, adopted the most pouty model boy expression imaginable. He winked at me, obviously amused.
    Hannah blinked at him. “Whoa. That’s pretty … pretty.”
    “Down, Saul,” I said. “Besides, he’s the God of Love. I’m sure there’s some kind of inherent pretty built into his DNA. With me?” I cast a skeptical look down at myself. “Festos knows what he’s getting.”
    Pierce pulled up a desk chair and turned it around to straddle it.
    Hannah kicked my legs away so she could sit down on the bed next to Sophie. She picked her friend’s hand up to clasp between her own. Her lip quivered as she stared at her friend but she quickly replaced any concern with a determined glare my way.
    She crossed her legs and leaned forward toward me. “Have you seen that boy’s room? It’s like a hurricane went off in there. He’s going nuts trying to find the perfect outfit for this special event and you can’t even get changed?” She tucked a strand of her blond hair behind her ear.
    I swung my head in Sophie’s direction. “Did you not notice your bestie lying there unconscious?”
    Her hand tightened on Sophie’s. “Don’t be an idiot. Or drag Soph into this. We’re here. Nothing else is going to happen to her. She needs to heal. And don’t pull any of that ‘fate of the universe’ crap either. It’s one night. So, next excuse. I’ll shoot that down too.”
    I closed my eyes. There was silence for a blessed moment.
    “You feel guilty, don’t you?” She spoke softly.
    I shrugged, my eyes still closed.
    I felt her make the sign of the cross over me. “I absolve you of guilt, Prometheus.”
    I gave a faint smile. “I’m not Catholic.”
    “Well, I have no idea how to absolve a Greek God.”
    “Titan,” I murmured. “And I’m not even that anymore.”
    She kicked my leg. I opened my eyes.
    “You didn’t fail her. There was no way to know that deranged cow would attack. You kept Soph safe every way you could think of.”
    “Obviously I didn’t think hard enough.”
    “I get that you feel guilty but — ”
    “He does, but that’s not it.” Pierce cut her off.
    I shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his all-seeing green eyes, finally looking away.
    Hannah waited for him to elaborate and when he didn’t, she shrugged. “Then what’s your problem?” she asked me.
    Just days ago, I’d left