Apollo (Contemporary Mythos Book 2)

Panic gripped me. My digital alarm clock blazed 6:50 PM in fiery red. I had ten minutes before Ace would be rolling up in a fancy car to take me to Club Delos. Here I was standing in my underoos staring at a three-foot-high pile of dresses on my bed. I groaned and stomped back to my closet. The back area belonged to dresses that no longer fit me or bought on a shopping whim from Kate’s insistence.

I paused on one of those dresses: a tight, short number—white, silver, and gold. When I had tried it on, her eyes bulged out of her skull, and she claimed I looked like a goddess. All I remembered was always pulling at the hem. I peeked at the clock. 6:53. It’d have to do. I yanked it from its hanger and slithered into it. Moving to the floor-length mirror, I ran my hands down the smooth, taut fabric hugging my every curve. My golden hair fell in cascading waves over my shoulders, matching some of the dress’s colors.

All I’d need to do is avoid bending over or sitting down for the whole night. Easy enough. I grabbed a pair of silver “dancing heels,” as I called them. The kind professional ballroom dancers wore. They were comfortable, more accessible to dance in, and still looked sexy.

The doorbell rang, and my stomach dropped. One would think I’d be nervous about the idea of going to a club with a rock star. That wasn’t it. I had this sinking feeling tonight would change things with Ace and me. Whether for good or bad, it didn’t matter. Either scenario terrified me.

I slathered some lip gloss on, shimmied to the door, gave one last tug to the hem of my dress, and whipped open the door.

He stood with his hands in the pockets of his dark blue jeans. His white ribbed tank top with a black blazer rolled up to his elbows shifted as he dropped his hands at his sides. The sun pendant sparkled underneath the fluorescent bulb above my porch. When I managed to trail my eyes back to his face, he wasn’t smiling. He was staring. His hair pulled back into a low bun, and a single strand escaped as his lips parted. I wasn’t sure whether to be insulted or flattered.

“Are you going to say something?” I asked, picking at flecks of wood in the door.

He blinked. “Sorry. You look—” His eyes met mine with radiance. “Gorgeous.”

I twirled my hair, reverting to a sixteen-year-old version of myself. “Thanks.”

“You ready to go?” He cleared his throat, jutting his thumb behind him.

As the white stretch limo at the curb came into view, my stomach dropped again. I’d been expecting a town car. A gust of cold wind blew through the doorway, instantly giving me goosebumps.

I rubbed my arms. “Sure, let me grab a coat.”

“You won’t need it.” He offered his hand. “Promise.”

I cocked an eyebrow, staring at the hard lines in his expression. A warmth shot down my arm as I slipped my hand into his, traveling down to my toes. The goosebumps disappeared. I stepped outside, and though the chill was evident from the frost tipped grass, it was as if the sun beamed down on me.

Strange.

After I locked my door, he led me down the stairs, keeping our fingers interlaced. I pressed the back of my hand to my forehead, checking for a fever. He opened the door for me, and I stared at the white leather seats before crawling in. I pressed my knees together like they held back the plague as he slid in beside me. He pushed a button in the ceiling after closing his door, and the limo pulled out.

“There’s champagne in there if you’d like some.” He pointed to a fridge and flutes.

I gulped, resting my hands on my exposed thighs. “I’m sure I’ll have a few drinks inside. I’m fine for now, thanks.”

Splotches sprung over my pale legs from the coldness settling in, and I gritted my teeth to keep them from chattering. He placed his open hand on the seat next to me, wiggling his fingers. I looked at the rings of different materials and sizes, one for every finger except his ring finger. As soon as our skin touched, the same warmth burst through me. His eyes lit up, and he gave my hand one quick squeeze.

“You seem nervous.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

“I’ve never been to a place like this. You’d think years of being on stages all over the globe in front of thousands of people for months on end would make this feel like any other day, but—”

“It may surprise you, but I too get the jitters before I go on stage from time to time. The thought: What if they boo? What if they hate it?” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“You’re pulling my chain, aren’t you?”

His lips ever so slowly curved upward. “Maybe a little. I wanted to make you feel better.”

“Jerk.” I playfully swatted his shoulder.

As we pulled up to the club, the bass from the music inside seeped through the car door. Blue and purple lights rotated from the neon illuminated Club Delos sign.

“Before we step out.” His grip tightened on my hand. “Are you okay being seen with me in public?”

Was this a trick question?

“Yes?”

“I guarantee paparazzi will take our photo. Once we’re up in the VIP lounge, it shouldn’t be an issue, but on the way there and back is another story.” He cocked his head to the side. “If that bothers you, I can have one of my guards try to sneak us through the back.”

Paparazzi. Guards. Sneaking through the back. How could I have forgotten who and what he was?

“It’s fine. I’ll be fine,” I squeaked.

The driver arrived outside Ace’s door.

“You sure?” His eyes roamed my face, patiently waiting for my answer.

I gave a stiff nod. “Yes.”

The door opened to a barrage of camera flashes. Leave it to the paparazzi to obsessively punch the shutter before they knew who would be in the car.

It’s a limo! It has to be someone important!

Ace stepped out, waving at the crowd. Some were hopeful attendees braving the cold, but most were ravenous paparazzi.

“Ace, Ace, over here!” One cameraman shouted, followed by dozens of more voices calling out the same.

I sat there motionless, a lump forming in my throat.

Ace’s head ducked in, and he reached out his hand. “You coming, Sparky?”

Though I hated the nickname, every time he said it managed to light a fire under my ass. I scooted across the seat and stood up with my legs pinched together. Having my first public photo taken compared to Britney Spears wouldn’t have been ideal.

Ace curled my arm with his, making sure to touch his hand to my forearm. Dozens of flashes went off, making me squint. Two men triple my size stood at the entrance with wide stances.

“Ace! Who’s this with you? Who’s the babe?” One voice came from my right side, another my left, maybe one from behind? They were all shouting loud and overlapping one another. It made me audibly lost.

Ace turned to one side of the crowd. “She’s not a babe. She’s a ballet dancer with the Buffalo company.”

Protecting my honor?

The camera flashes, shouting, and crowds of people narrowing in on us had me dragging my feet. Ace had to give my arm a pull to keep me walking.

“What’s her name?”

“Ballerina, what’s your name?”

Ace re-emphasized the protective grip he had on my hand. “You don’t have to answer them. Make them do some legwork if they’re that desperate.”

I kept quiet.

The two bouncers didn’t need any affirmation of who Ace was. They stepped to the side, blocking the entrance again as soon as we passed. Once inside the club, the music I’d heard through the walls outside intensified. The bass vibrated in my chest. Lights rotated and flashed, and fog skirted the floor. Mini circular stages had women and men in scantily clad attire gyrating to the music. I’d been in clubs before, but this one was like another planet.

Ace pressed his lips to my ear. “We’re heading for that elevator.” He pointed at a golden elevator on the other side of the room.

Oh, good. We simply needed to wade our way through a hundred people.

“Aren’t you worried there won’t be anything left of you by the time we get to said elevator?”

“What do you mean?”

“Being groped by everyone? Perhaps someone looking to nab a souvenir?” I lifted his sun charm with two fingers. A chill, similar to an electric shock, pulsed down my arm, and I dropped it like a hot iron.

He eyed me quizzically. “It’ll be fine. Flotsam & Jetsam are flanking us.” He pointed from one side of the room to the other.

Two men dressed in black with wired earpieces and aviator sunglasses stood motionless. They stuck out like sore thumbs against the foreground of people dressed in all the colors of the rainbow jumping around. Ace led me through the first gauntlet.

“Are those really their names?” I shouted over the music.

“Birth-given? I have no idea. It’s what they told me to call them.” He threw his arm out to block a man from backing into me.

I grabbed onto Ace’s jacket, my hips bumping into his butt more than once. A woman tripped on her heel, her pink drink swirling in her hand, heading right for us. Ace scooped his hand up, slipping the glass into his grip. She regained her footing and belched. Her chocolate-colored hair stuck to her face with sweat as Ace held the drink out to her.

She looked up, moving some hair aside. When her eyes fell on Ace, her face lit up like a stage light. “Ace?”

“That’s me.” He urged the drink into her hand. “Here you are.”

“Oh, my—can I have your—” She stammered, barely able to formulate the sentence.

“Maybe later, my dear. Nice meeting you.” He gave a gentle yank on my arm, continuing our way.

It took us several more minutes to make it to the reprieve of the elevator. I started to laugh at how often Ace blocked people from bumping into me or tried to ward them away once they were starstruck. He sighed before punching in a four-digit code for the elevator.

“We made it.” He winked.

“And you still have all your clothes on. Amazing.”

“You sound disappointed.”

“You’re acting like I haven’t seen you half-naked before.”

“Half.” His smolder could’ve snapped the strap of my dress if it had any.

I bit the inside of my mouth.

Bing.

We slipped in, and all I could do was stare at the white illuminated numbers climbing to a floor marked “V.”

“Have you been here before?” I blurted.

“Only a couple of times. But I have a favorite couch nonetheless.” Once the doors opened, he waited for me to exit before following behind.

I tugged on my dress. “A favorite couch? For what?”

“Sitting mostly. What did you think I meant?” The words rolled off his tongue like smooth jazz—relaxing and sensual.

My cheeks burned, and I forced a laugh. “Sitting, of course. I didn’t know if you, you know, hosted strippers or something.”

Cheeks. On. Fire.

“Only on Tuesdays.” His eyes sparkled.

He could’ve been joking, but…probably not.

“Want something to drink?” He adjusted his necklace as he scanned the room.

“Yes,” I answered before he barely got the word “drink” out.

He nudged my arm with one knuckle. “What would you like?”

“Tequila Sunrise.” I blinked at myself.

A sugary drink. I hated sugary drinks.

His smile deepened, narrowing his eyes into slits. “Nice choice.”

He flagged a waiter walking around with a tray, relaying our order before ushering me over to a velvet tan-colored couch. It was away from the crowd but nestled next to a plexiglass piece—a prime view of the lively ground floor from a safe distance away. I approved. There were still plenty of people on the VIP floor, but there was room to breathe.

Several couples swayed on the dance floor in the opposite corner. Dozens of high-top tables filled most of the space, with booths like ours bordering the perimeter. Ace sat back, resting his ankle on his opposite knee, and stretching his arms across the couch’s length. I crossed my legs, but when I felt part of my butt cheek sticking out, I dropped it back down, sitting “princess” style instead.

“You alright?” Ace’s gaze dropped to my knees.

“Yeah, just wishing my dress had an inch more fabric.”

He shifted closer, heat radiating from him like a furnace. “I can sit closer if you want. Block the uh—view?”

My body screamed yes, for the love of God, yes. My brain, on the other hand, screamed bloody murder.

“You do the movie theater reach around one time, and I’m sending you back to your corner.” I crossed my legs, my naked thigh brushing against his cloth-covered one.

He bowed his head. “I am ever the gentleman.”

It wasn’t entirely untrue. He’d done several things the past few days that contradicted everything he was supposed to be.

Our drinks arrived, and I wrapped my lips around the red straw as soon as it was in my hand. I closed my eyes, taking a long sip, and concentrated on the citrusy flavors bursting across my tongue. When I managed to resurface, Ace smiled at me over the rim of his tumbler.

“Good?” He pointed at my drink with his pinky finger.

I licked the corner of my mouth. “I normally don’t go for fruity drinks. Not sure why I ordered it, to tell you the truth, but it’s amazing.”

“I’m glad.”

“Is it hard going everywhere and being recognized all the time?” I stirred my drink, spying a group of women huddled in a corner, whispering and pointing at Ace.

“When you’ve been in the business as long as I have, it becomes second nature. I’ve got places I can go when I want a break from the hustle and bustle of it.”

“Oh? Where’s that?” I finished my drink, making slurping sounds.

He stared at my drink with a twinkle in his eye before answering. “My dad’s or one of my uncle’s places, usually.”

“Really? Where do they live that you can escape everyone so easily?”

He scratched underneath his chin, turning his attention to the dancefloor. “I uh—hey, let’s dance. A great song just came on.”

“What?” I blinked as he snatched my empty glass and set it on the table.

He stood up, grabbed one of my hands, and guided me to the dance floor. A salsa-like song mixed with new-age beats played.

“Ace, I have no idea how to dance to this.” I looked around at couples twirling and dancing typical salsa moves.

“I got you.” He took both of my hands. “Follow my lead.”

Follow his lead? My heel would follow straight into the top of his foot. Ballet and salsa couldn’t have been any more different.

He dragged a finger down my spine, that same tingle shooting down it like a laser. He snapped me to attention with a flick of his wrist. He lifted his leg to his knee and returned to it to the floor several times in rapid succession, guiding me to cross my feet one over the other at the same speed. It was like an out of body experience. He pushed on my hip, holding an arm up, twirling me several times. He dropped down, and I followed, my back to him. One of my legs shot out behind me. I curled an arm around his neck while one of his snaked around my waist.

The music kicked in, and we started a salsa waltz around the dance floor. With elbows up and aligned, our stares burning into one another. He took a step back and guided me in a set of rapid spins, occasionally pushing my hip to propel me. He dropped to one knee and wrapped one arm around my hips while I grabbed the back of his neck. I danced around him, turning his body with me as I made a complete circle. Our gazes never left the other’s, and though there was a room full of people, they all ceased to exist.

He spun to his feet, tracing his fingers down the side of my face, my shoulder, my ribs until he reached my hip, and we did another round of the same combo. This time at the finish, I kicked my foot straight into the air while he supported my back. He hoisted me up, so we stood toe-to-toe with labored breaths. He curled his hand around the back of my neck, leaning his head down, his lips centimeters from mine, and dipped me. One of my arms circled his torso, while the other dangled at my side. I stared at his lips, wondering how they tasted.

People clapped and whistled around us, but I stayed transfixed on Ace’s chiseled face. His sky-blue eyes bored into me. I wasn’t sure if I was more irritated he hadn’t kissed me or that I wanted him to. He slowly lifted me.

I thinned my lips. “How am I able to do that with you?”

“I can lead pretty well when my partner is open-minded.” He ran his thumb over my cheek.

I shuddered. Every neuron in my body shot in all directions. My brain and heart dueled with each other, competing for the principal role of my body. “I have to use the restroom. Be right back.”

He frowned, and I turned away, letting out an exasperated breath.

The line for the ladies’ room was out the door and almost to the bar. If I had to really pee, I’d have been doing the pee dance for fifteen minutes. I stood in line, fully committed to my lie, and watched Ace through the crowd’s gaps. People talked to him on the dance floor, and he humored them, but his expression looked distracted. He kept wincing and rubbing the back of his neck.

A red-headed woman with waves of hair down to her lower back pressed a hand on his chest. He jutted his chin toward the tan couch. They walked off, and I couldn’t see them anymore. My insides twisted, and curiosity got the better of me. There were enough people I could easily hide behind some and try to listen in on their conversation.

The red-head was beautiful with classic sculpted facial features and almond-shaped hazel eyes. She wore a flowing silver dress that hugged her thin yet curvaceous frame.

“What do you want, Artie?” Ace cinched his eyebrows.

She reached forward and ran her thumb over the sun pendant around his neck. “He needs you to attend to some business for him. Says you’re the easiest choice.”

“Now?”

“Tomorrow. Greece.” She crossed her legs, resting her elbow on her knee and her chin in her hand with a sultry grin that made me internally scream.

Nope. Couldn’t do it. Here I was starting to feel something for this guy, and now he was flirting with some groupie?

I marched forward and changed it into a quickened walk by the time I got to the couch. “Well, hey, what did I miss?” I looked between the two of them with pursed lips.

Ace cocked a peculiar brow. The woman trailed her eyes from the top of my head to my feet and back again. She ran a finger across her lips before tapping her fingernail against her teeth.

“Laurel, this is my sister—Diana.” Ace referenced the red-head.

She shot to her feet and held out her hand. “An absolute pleasure, Laurel. You are quite pretty.”

“Um, thank you?” I quickly shook her hand and took a side step toward Ace.

“Down, girl,” Ace said to Diana.

Diana rolled her eyes. “Are you fond of this one?”

She had a similar pendant around her neck as Ace’s, only hers was silver, and the charm was a crescent moon.

“Something like that,” Ace answered, begging me to look at him with his gaze.

Diana’s lips curled. “Interesting.” She stepped forward, blocking my view of Ace. “Laurel was it he said?”

“Yeah, and I thought I heard him call you Artie when I was walking up. Aren’t people named Diana, usually called Di?”

She and Ace shared a glance before she sighed. “Childhood nickname. I had a thing for…art when I was a kid.”

Ace’s eye twitched.

“I’m his ‘little’ sister as he always likes to remind me. We’re twins, but I came out second. He was lucky I didn’t eat him in the womb. Right, brother?”

Ace chuckled and pulled her into a side hug before giving her a noogie. Her face fumed, and she shoved him away.

“Diana, you’ve delivered your message. Best be on your way, hm?” Ace motioned with his head toward the elevator.

“So happy to see you too, Ace.” She laced his name with extra venom. “No matter. Ryan and I were going to go hunting anyway.”

“Watch for scorpions.” Ace’s lip took a devious curl.

She glared daggers into his skull.

“Too soon?” Ace placed a hand over his chest.

She rolled her eyes and sauntered past me, dragging a finger over my shoulder. She lowered her mouth to my ear. “Be wary of my brother. He can be sly when he wants to be.”

My eyes shot to his, wondering if he’d heard her.

Diana walked away, waving at Ace before disappearing into the crowd.

“Scorpions? Here?” I asked.

Ace puckered his lips. “Her boyfriend, or friend, or whatever she’s calling him this week is allergic. Inside joke.”

“Your sister seems—nice.”

“She can be a bit of a handful, but she is a good sister. Especially compared to the rest of my family.”

I clasped my hands behind my back. “So, are you going somewhere?”

“Charity gig in Greece. Just for a day. I’ll be back to continue our rehearsing. Don’t worry.” He gave a light tug on my ear lobe.

“Cutting the night short?” I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice but failed miserably.

“I’m afraid so. I’m glad you had a good time.” His eyes sparkled.

“I never said—”

He circled my face with his finger. “Written all over your face, Sparky. You’re sad the night is over.”

“Your intuition annoys me.”

He caressed my arm. “You sure about that?”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

His thumb traced my jawline. “Because my intuition tells me you want me to kiss you.”

Damn it all to hell.

I gulped.

He lowered his mouth until I could feel his breath on the tip of my nose.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked.

No. Yes. Maybe?

I shook my head.

He pressed his mouth to mine, and a fire roared in my belly. Sunbursts exploded behind my eyelids as his tongue parted my lips, begging for entry. I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave into it, kissing him with an unbridled passion I didn’t know I possessed. His fingers kneaded my lower back, my shoulder blades. The tip of his nose brushed against mine with every slide of his lip. When he peeled away, I tripped forward, his grip around my waist tightening to keep me upright.

“My driver will see you home safe,” he whispered into my ear. His lips grazed my forehead before he walked away backward, keeping my gaze locked with his.

It wasn’t until he disappeared onto the elevator that I could float back to the ground. The kiss was short but sweet, and he knew it was the ultimate tease. He was a shiny fishing lure, and I was the rainbow trout. Was the reward worth the risk?