Fantasy Lover(105)

"Rot in Tartarus, you bastard," Julian sneered as Priapus disintegrated into a thousand lights.

Grace ran to him.

Julian tossed his sword and shield aside and grabbed her up in his arms and twirled her around.

"You're alive! Right?" she asked.

"I'm alive."

Grace surrendered herself to him then. He lowered her down his body, slowly, his armor caressing every inch of her. Until he could claim her lips with his kiss.

Grace heard someone clearing her throat.

"Excuse me, Julian," Athena said when he didn't release

Grace. "You have a decision that needs to be made. Do you want me to send you home or not?"

Grace trembled.

Julian looked down at her, his gaze searching. He ran his hand gently over her cheek as if savoring the feel of her skin against his. "In all the centuries I have lived, I've only known one home."

Grace bit her lip as tears swelled. He was going to leave her now. Dear God, she just hoped she could stand the pain of it.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "And it's with Grace," he said against her hair. "If she'll have me."

Grace rolled her eyes as relief swept through her with such ferocity that she wanted to scream, to laugh, but most of all she wanted to hold on to him forever.

"Gee, Julian," she said with a nonchalance she didn't feel. "I don't know. You do take up more than your fair share of the bed. And those noxious boxer shorts you wear… What is that? If you come back with me, those have got to go. And no more wearing jeans to bed at night, they chafe my legs."

He laughed at her. "Don't worry. For what I have in mind, nudity works best."

She joined his laughter as he cupped her face in his hands.

When he tried to kiss her, she pulled back impishly. "Oh, by the way, is this your armor?"

He frowned. "It is, or was."

"Can we keep it?"

"If you like. Why?"

"Cause, ooo baby," Grace said, raking a look over his gorgeous body, "you are one hot tamale in that getup. This outfit alone will get you laid at least four or five times a day."

Athena and Aphrodite laughed.

In a flash of light, they were back in Grace's bedroom, just the way they'd been before Priapus had shown himself.

"Hey!" Grace said irritably. "Where's the armor?"

It appeared along with his helm, sword, and shield in the corner.

"Happy now?" Julian asked as he pulled her across his chest.

"Delirious."

He raised his head and delivered a kiss to her that shook her entire body. Grace moaned at the heat of his mouth on hers. The feel of his body under hers.

She would never again let him go.

"By the way…"

Julian pulled back from Grace's lips with a groan as he quickly covered the two of them with a sheet.

Grace clutched the sheet to her chin.

"Athena," he asked testily, "are you going to keep interrupting us?"

Athena didn't look a bit sheepish as she approached the bed. She held a large gold box in her hands. "Well, I forgot something."

"What?" they asked in aggravated unison.

Before Athena could answer, Aphrodite appeared. "I've got it," she said to Athena before taking the box out of her hands.

Athena vanished.

Moving to stand by the bed, Aphrodite set the box next to Julian, then opened it. "If you're going to stay, there are a few things you'll need. A birth certificate, passport, green card…"

Aphrodite looked at it with a frown. "No, wait, you won't need that." She looked to Grace. "Will he?"

"No, ma'am."

Aphrodite smiled as it evaporated. "There's also a driver's license, but if you'll take some motherly advice, I'd let Grace do all the driving. No offense, but you stink at it." Aphrodite sighed. "It's a pity we didn't have a god for that, too. But, oh well." She closed the box and handed it to him. "Here, you can go through it later."

As Aphrodite moved away, Julian reached out and took her hand. "Thank you, Mother, for everything."

Tears welled in her eyes as she patted her son's hand on her arm. "I am so sorry I didn't know about your children in time to save them as well. You've no idea how much I regret that I found out only after Thanatos had them."

Julian squeezed her gently.

"If you need anything at all, you'll call?" she asked.

"I'll call even if I don't."

Aphrodite lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it. She looked back and forth between them. "I want six grandchildren. Minimum."

"Hey," Grace said as she pulled a college degree out of the box. "You've given him a Ph.D. in ancient history? From Harvard?"

Aphrodite nodded. "There's also one in there for languages and classical studies." She looked at Julian. "I wasn't sure what you might want to do, so I'll let you pick."