Zeus (Contemporary Mythos Book 6)

The trip to Argentina could not have come at a better time. I was still fuming over Zane backing me into a corner like that. A corner I demanded to be backed into, but I just couldn’t get over how I felt around him. Whenever we touched, all the swirling emotions settled over my skin, comforted me. It was surreal to simply feel something I wanted to feel instead of trying to wade through it and organize.

“Miss, would you please mind grabbing your belongings?” A male TSA agent said to me, pointing at the bin of items I’d put through the scanner.

I jolted to attention and grabbed it. “Sorry, I was daydreaming.”

“Must’ve been some dream.” He raised one brow and turned his attention to the next person.

Sulking on the nearest bench to put my shoes and watch back on, I scowled at the floor. How could I have possibly forgotten about my residence paperwork? And I couldn’t blame Olivia. It wasn’t her responsibility. She was my paralegal. My friend. Not a damn servant.

In fact, I should be giving her the benefit of the doubt.

Fishing my phone from the front pocket of my briefcase, I called Olivia as I rolled my carry-on suitcase through the terminal.

“G’day?”

She never failed to make me smile. “G’day? Really?”

“I bet it put a grin on that pretty face of yours, though, didn’t it?”

“Guilty. Hey, I had a quick question for you, and if you didn’t, I’m not mad at you. I just need to know.”

She went silent for a beat.

“Ollie?”

“I’m here. Just sweating my tits off, wondering what you’re about to ask.”

I licked my lips as I stopped in front of my gate. “My residence permit paperwork. Did you have a reminder in your calendar or anything?”

“I—” Typing on a keyboard and frantic clicks of the mouse sounded from the other line. “Keira, I know I put it on the calendar. I have no idea what happened. Shit. Fuck. Shit. Did it lapse?”

I closed my eyes and sighed. A small part of me hoped she’d tell me I still had time, but I knew around my birthday was when we’d gotten divorced, however long ago it was. And here we were in December already. “Yes. But I’ll figure it out. No worries.”

“No bloody worries? Keir, you’re going to be kicked out of the country. You’re my lawyer. I can’t be one half of the Blonde Bulldogs by myself.” She sniffled.

“It’s going to be fine. Worst case scenario, I go back to Canada, get it straightened out, and come back.”

“Oh, yeah? How many years later?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I know, I know. Like I said, I’ll figure it out. This quick trip should be a good time to clear my head.”

“Enjoy the hell out of yourself, alright? No thoughts of dudes in acid, evidence trials, or defense lawyers. Or do think about defense lawyers.” I could tell she smiled at that last part from the inflection in her voice.

I pinched my thighs together, recalling the exploding orgasm I had on a damn street corner simply from Zane rubbing me through my jeans.

“I’m not going to think about anything except how beautiful Argentina looks this time of year.”

“Good on ya, Keir. Have a safe flight. Kisses.”

“Bye, Ollie.”

The boarding process started not too soon after I hung up with Olivia. I stood in line, waiting in the terminal tunnel leading to the airplane door, still marveling how many passengers were on the red-eye flight. As we neared the cockpit, one of the pilots stood near the entrance, casually leaning against the doorframe and greeting passengers.

When his blue eyes fell on me, his smile brightened, creasing his cheeks and giving his gaze a sort of Eastwood-like squint to them. He was pretty damn sexy.

“Good morning, miss. Enjoy your flight.” He winked at me, a sparkle in his gaze as he kept me in his sights.

“Well, that’s entirely up to you, isn’t it?” I smiled, feeling confidence floating from him and the same plain arrogance Zane exuded.

“I suppose you’re right. I’ll be sure to take real good care of you.” With a dimpled grin, he nodded at me.

Finally getting to my row, I couldn’t stuff my bags in the overhead compartments fast enough. As soon as my butt hit the seat and I put on the buckle, slipped the sleeping mask over my eyes, popped in my earbuds, and readied to sleep for the longest number of hours I had in years.

“Sit on my face, Keira,” Zane whispered in my ear.

I let out a harsh breath. “What?”

“Sit. On. My. Face,” he commanded, pulling my hips to straddle him, both of us naked.

Doing as he asked, I slid forward on my knees until my pussy hovered over his lips, my breathing going erratic.

“Now ride me like I’m your damn pony.” Zane’s sapphire stare gleamed at me from between my legs, his tongue lapping over my folds…

“Miss. Miss.” A woman’s voice said, shaking my shoulder.

I jumped awake, the song Pony by Ginuwine blasting through my earbuds. Groggily slipping the mask off, I squinted up at her.

“Sorry, miss, but I need you to put your seat in the upright position for landing?”

Smacking my lips together, I sat up, wiping the back of my hand over my mouth. “Sorry. Of course.”

After I pushed the button, raising my seat, the flight attendant gave a kind smile and continued her routine through the aisle.

The dream came back to me as the song played, and I rubbed between my eyes. Ride me like a damn pony. Jesus. I couldn’t even not think about him if I tried.

I took a taxi from the Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires to the closest hotel I could find to Rivadavia Park, where the wedding ceremony and reception would take place. I had no intention of spending the night and planned on going straight to the airport after the festivities were over to fly back to New York, but I wanted the room to store my luggage and relax before dealing with a wedding crowd.

Once in the comfort of my room for the next several hours, I slipped into my silver sparkly dress, sticking my leg out to the side from the slit gliding up my right thigh. The design exposed most of my back, and it had a swooping neckline. I’d owned this dress for years, having bought it on a whim when I saw it in a shop window, but never had an excuse to wear it. After styling my hair into loose, long waves, I slipped into a pair of silver heels and breezed out the door with a deep inhale.

As my heels met the concrete sidewalk outside the hotel, an onslaught of murmured conversations in Spanish, children laughing, car horns blaring, and every emotion possible flooded me like a monsoon. I winced, curling my arms around myself as I walked, concentrating on the sounds of my heels clicking on the hard surface beneath me. It didn’t take long to reach one of nine entrances into the park, and I took a hard turn, letting out a roiling sigh once I found an area flourishing with palm trees.

The sight of the wedding was evident given the lights hanging in a circle around a central space in the park near the Simon Bolivar monument. A concrete walkway widened at the center, leading to the statue while several smaller paths darted in all directions, park benches every few feet and trees of varying width and height. Magnolia arrangements, as well as a flowered arch, stood at the end of the walkway. Dozens of white folding chairs were intricately placed in parallel rows, facing the arch and they’d hung lit lanterns from some of the lower hanging tree branches.

“Holy shit. Keira?” A man’s voice said behind me.

Whirling on my heel, I spied Todd, my former client, standing on the other side of the walkway with his jaw dropped.

“Todd, long time no see.” I walked close enough to outstretch my hand. “Congratulations, by the way.”

He wore black tuxedo pants, a white jacket, and a pastel pink bow tie. “I honestly didn’t think you’d show up.” His eyes glistened like he was about to cry as he eagerly shook my hand, making my whole body rattle.

Fear. Anxiety. Suffocation.

Not exactly the best emotions to be exuding on one’s wedding day.

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” Offering a warm smile, I cocked my head to the side. “Are you alright? You seem nervous. More than the usual jitters.”

A knife twisted in my gut, remembering how I’d felt the day I married Tyler. I hadn’t been nervous per se, but it was as if I had an out-of-body experience, watching myself marry one of the nicest men in the world. Any woman would’ve killed to be in my position, and I was happy, I was—but that whole saying of the love of your life feeling like your other half? I’d still felt like a lone half.

“I—” He lightly touched my elbow and led me off the path near a large tree. “I don’t think Cynthia wants to actually marry me.” Frowning, he wrung his hands together.

“Why would you say that?”

Fear. Mortification. Self-Consciousness.

“She’s been extremely distant the past month leading up to the wedding, and when we have talked, she’s been so spiteful.”

Poor guy.

“Think it could just be wedding nerves? They made an entire show about Bridezillas, you know?”

A flutter of amusement.

“I don’t know. I do know I have this deep-rooted fear of being ditched at the altar, though.”

Oof.

“Todd, I’m sure you’re getting in your own head about this. Look at this beautiful setting you’re in. And dozens of people have flown from all over the globe for it.” I squeezed his shoulder.

When I decided to come to Argentina for this and…relax, the last thing I expected was to play therapist to my former client.

“Would you talk to her?” His brown eyes widened, his palms pressing together in prayer.

I pressed a finger on the bridge of my nose. “Oh, I don’t know. I don’t want to get in the middle of—”

“Please. You can read people so well with your profession. It’d really ease my mind.” He pushed his hands together so tightly they turned white.

Desperation.

“Fine. Where is she?”

He hopped, and before I could stop him, hugged me. With the five inches I had on him in heels, his ear pressed near my cleavage. “Thank you. She’s in the bridal suite in that hotel there on the corner.”

I patted his back with a sigh. “Does she remember me?”

“Are you kidding? It’s hard to forget the woman who proved someone you love’s innocence.”

After giving his shoulder a last squeeze and shoving every thought away about this being a bad idea, I ventured to the bridal suite.

I shouldn’t be here. The bridal suite was a place for the mothers, the bridesmaids, friends. Not former prosecutors who represented the groom-to-be.

Crying—no, sobbing, flowed from the other side of the door.

Fear. Anxiety. The same emotions as Todd.

I raised my fist and grimaced before lightly knocking. “Cynthia?”

Through several sniffles, she replied, “Who’s there?”

“It’s Keira Bazin. I’m not sure if you—”

The door flew open and the same fiery red-head I’d remembered sitting in the courtroom during Todd’s trial threw her arms around me, dressed in an ivory mermaid wedding gown.

These people acted like we were all best friends. I’d seen them for half a year on and off and said goodbye over a year ago when the trial was over.

Shh, Keira. Since when were you so impatient? Zane must be rubbing off on you.

Rubbing.

“You’re crying on your wedding day?” I patted the part of her back covered by cloth.

She pushed back, a wad of tissues in her hand, her mascara partially running down her face. “I don’t think Todd wants to marry me.”

For fuck’s sake.

I loved helping people with my gift. I did. But sometimes, it was a matter of two people simply talking to each other to clear the air.

“Funny. He said the exact same thing about you.” I grabbed a fresh tissue and started to dab the mascara away from her pretty bridal face.

Had the make-up artist not heard of waterproof mascara?

“What? How could he possibly think that?” The curled ringlets of her up-do hairstyle bobbed as she shook her head.

“Have you been distant? Maybe a little…snappy?”

She sniffled again, turning to look at herself in the mirror. “Maybe? I’ve been so busy with the last-minute plans for the wedding. If I ever did this again—which I hope I never have to—I’m not doing a destination wedding. It’s been a logistical nightmare.”

Ugh. I hoped I’d never had to do it again either. And my second husband could very well end up being an arrogant asshole lawyer with a killer ass.

“Plain and simple. You took out your stress on him, and he backed off because he didn’t want to stress you out more, which made you both distant.” I tugged on the tulle veil falling down her back. “It’s your wedding day. You have a man who loves you, waiting to marry you. Smile. Be happy. And most of all, stop worrying.”

There weren’t many positive things happening in my life lately, but I tried nonetheless to push as much positivity out of me, offering it to her.

“You’re right, Keira. Thank you, sincerely. You’ve always been so good with people. I know lawyers sort of need to be, but you—you have a gift.” She took both my hands and squeezed them.

If she only knew the half of it.

“It’s really no problem at all. And you look beautiful.”

She guffawed. “Me? Look at you, you smokeshow.”

My cheeks blushed, and I ran a finger under the hem hanging over my chest. “Well, thank you. I’ll see you after the ceremony.”

She bounced as she turned back to the mirror, smiling wide and giggling as several bridesmaids barged into the room.

Jealousy. Excitement. Resentment.

Yet each of them smiled radiantly as if they had no other thought other than the bride’s happiness.

Slipping past them, I made my way back to a nervously waiting Todd. I held the train of my dress as I passed and waved. “It’s a go, lover boy. Everything’s fine. Go get hitched.”

“Oh my—really? Keira, you’re a goddess. A living, breathing goddess.” He blew several kisses at me before jogging off.

Smiling, I shook my head and took a seat on one of the folding chairs. The ceremony was beautiful, and the setting sun in the background added to the scenery. Fortunately, the ceremony was also of the shorter variety. I’d been to some that lasted damn near an hour.

I now sat at one of several rounded tables under a canopy in the park, trying desperately not to glance at the time every five minutes. Sipping on champagne, I poked at my wedding cake, not feeling up to consuming sugar. A live band played in the corner, and there were two dance floors. The one that called to me the most was the one outside underneath the moon and stars. Not to mention, it had far fewer people crowding it. A small smile tugged at my lips as I watched Cynthia and Todd dancing on the floor beneath the canopy, the happiness swelling from them so pronounced, I could feel it from this distance.

“Excuse me, miss?” A deep voice laced with an Argentinian accent said.

I looked up at a tall man with a thin face and chocolate-brown hair. “Yes?”

When he smiled, it was lopsided, curving higher on the left side of his face, and tiny creases formed under his pale blue eyes. “I was hoping I could ask you to dance?”

My throat tightened as I stared up at him and his chiseled jawline with a scattering of dark stubble. After downing my drink, I stood. “Sure.”

He held his hand out, keeping the drool-worthy smile plastered over his thin lips. I took it, and he led me out of the canopy and to the stone dance floor. Wrapping an arm around my lower back, he pulled me closer.

Lust. Lust. And more lust.

There was no doubt in my mind this man’s number one objective tonight was to feed off the romantic vibe women felt from weddings. I’d dance with him because I was bored, but he’d better think again if he thought there’d be more.

“The name’s Rodrigo, by the way,” he whispered, his Argentinian accent making my toes curl. I’d give him that much.

“Keira.”

His hand explored further, dipping near the lowest exposed part of my back. “Do you know how to tango, Keira?”

The callused bumps on his palms slid across my skin, giving me goosebumps. Unlike someone else I knew, Rodrigo’s touch failed to suppress the emotions floating around us from other couples dancing. It was so fucking distracting.

“I’m a bit rusty, but I think I can manage.”

He pulled me tighter with a sultry grin.

“Move,” a baritone voice barked.

Rodrigo glared over my shoulder, not dropping his arm from my waist. “I believe the lady and I are dancing.”

Zane appeared beside us, his eyes feral. “Move. Now.” A flash in his gaze was followed by a random crackle of lightning streaking the sky.

Rodrigo threw his palms up and backed away. “Me chupa un huevo. She’s all yours.”

Fury shot down my spine as I turned to face Zane. The sight of him made my mouth dry. Tall. Imposing. His white linen shirt flapped in the breeze, while enough buttons were undone to show his tanned, muscular chest. And those blue eyes I’d repeatedly drowned in countless times trailed over my body before he pulled me against him.

“What the hell are you doing here, Zane? How did you even know I was here?” I pushed against him, but he held firm.

“I’m on vacation,” he said through a snarl.

“Bull. Shit.” I tried to pull away again, but he took my other hand in his.

Staring up at him made my chest pulse—our emotions swirling together like paints in water until eventually blending. “I’ll make a scene.”

“No. You won’t.” He dipped his nose near my neck, inhaling me.

“You’re so sure of yourself.” I forced myself not to close my eyes as his lips traced over my jawline.

“At least one of us is.” He lifted his gaze back to mine, probing me with it. “If you don’t want my hands all over you right now, push me away again. I’ll let you.”

My heart pounded against my chest, the exposed leg from the slit in my dress pressing to his thigh. “Bastard.” I kneed him in the stomach, making him grunt.

He snapped me to attention, moving the hand on my back to my ass, squeezing it. A light shock zapped through it, causing me to yelp. “Tease.”

What the hell? I’d have thought it static shock—if we were on carpet.

The band played a tango, the fluttering of the guitar melody matching the swirls in my stomach. We started circling each other with my hand pressed against his chest, his fingers grazing my forearm. He spun me, and I slid one leg behind me, dipping into a lunge. He pulled me to him, and I raised that same knee to his hip, staring at him. My feet moved of their own accord, my mind focused on the movements and the man in front of me.

“You drive me batshit crazy. I’m jealous over a woman who isn’t even mine,” he said, ending his last word with a conquering growl.

He spun us with my leg wrapped around his waist and paused, dipping me backward with his arm curled against my lower back.

When he pulled me up, I pressed our foreheads together. “Aw. Is the criminal defense lawyer mad he’s not getting his way?”

We crisscrossed our feet, moving in a circle with our foreheads still connected, glaring at each other.

“How much longer are we going to play this game? Hm?” Zane pulled me against him, my breasts pushing against his chest.

I turned my back to him, and with one of his hands on my hip, the other holding our arms out, we danced to the side, my ass bumping against his already hard impression. “I haven’t the foggiest idea what you’re talking about.”

He spun me out and away from him and at the last moment, grabbed my hand, stopping me. Turning his back to me, he peered over his shoulder, waiting for me to approach. With the sultry grin of a tigress, I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around him from behind, but instead of pressing my palms to his chest, I dug my nails into his exposed skin, smooshing my breasts against his back and grinding my hips against his ass. He growled but let me claw him. I traced my leg up his side, and as soon as his hand landed on my thigh, I pushed away, backpedaling.

He stormed forward and in pure tango fashion, I dropped to one knee, gazing up at him with an arousal dancing in my eyes. He pulled me up to him, spinning me around and shoving his chest against my back.

His hands dragged over my stomach as we swayed. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.” He kissed my neck. “The mind games. The fleeting touches, stares, the verbal fucking we’ve been doing.” He squeezed one breast, kneading my hip with his other hand, his teeth nipping my earlobe.

I took several steps forward, and he grabbed onto both my forearms, halting me, urging me to come back to him. Spinning back into his arms, I grew dizzy, not from twirling but from that look in his gaze.

Need. Lust. Possession—the glow of the moon and stars above us blanketing me like night-lit velvet.

I kissed him, still swaying my hips to the rhythm of the tango music. He dipped his fingers into the hem at the back of my dress, drumming them against one ass cheek before grabbing it, kissing me back with nips, licks, and raw energy.

He pulled away, pressing his cheek to mine, turning us in circles. “This could be yours every night, Keira.”

Letting out a moaning sigh, I wrapped my arm around the back of his neck, and he dipped me backward. Thunder boomed, followed by a sudden torrential downpour that sent the other dancers scurrying for the canopy. I moved to stand, to follow them to shelter, but Zane held me tight, dragging his hand between my breasts as the rain soaked us. When he pulled me up, lightning flashed across the darkened sky, reflecting in his eyes.

“Why do you have to be so stubborn about this?” He searched my face, his jaw tightening.

Impatience. Confusion.

“You like when I’m stubborn. Why do you need to be an asshole?”

His white shirt clung to his body, reminding me of what lay beneath the shield of his clothes. Even drenched with rain, his hair still looked sexy as hell, falling in tendrils over his forehead.

“No, I’m a dick. Assholes and pussies get fucked.” He pulled me tight against him again, making the water spray from our soaked clothes. “Besides, you get wet whenever I’m a dick.” He trailed a hand down the side of my face, running his thumb over my bottom lip and slipping it into my mouth.

With a grin, I bit it.

He smiled back and hoisted my knee up, encouraging me to wrap it around him. With one hand on my ass, the other curled under my knee, he trailed his touch down my thigh, torturously slow.

“I play games because—” I dipped a hand into his soaked shirt, scraping my nails against one of his pecs. “I don’t know what else to do with you.”

Lightning sizzled across the sky, and a tingle coursed through my inner thigh. I fell against him with a gasp, holding onto him with my arms curved around his neck.

“There’s so much you can do with me.” His fingers inched closer, skirting up the inside of my thigh.

A haggard breath escaped my lungs, fluttering over his lips, water beads collecting on my eyelashes. Lightning crackled behind him and a surge pulsed down my leg, circling my clit and making me cry out. He crashed his mouth over mine and hoisted me up, wrapping both of my legs around his waist. I flicked my hair back, sending a spray of water, and gazed down at him, panting. He walked with me curled around him, his hands on my ass, my fingers grabbing his hair.

My back hit against a tree trunk in the shadows away from the crowds at the reception. He ground against me, dry humping me with his hard-as-sin cock bulging against his soaked pants. He lifted me, throwing my legs over his shoulders and burying his face between my thighs. His nose brushed my folds through the fabric of my panties and he smiled against my leg before lowering me to the ground.

I was aroused, confused, and ready to throw him to the ground and reenact my dream from the plane. I parted wet hair from my face and stared up at him.

He snapped his head back, flicking water from his hair and face, and pushed against me. With a thumb teasing one nipple through my dress, circling it, he whispered, “I’m going to be the one to walk away this time, Keira. And it’s going to drive you mad.”

I shuddered a breath, blinking away water as he slowly backed away. “Zane. Zane, wait.” Pushing off the tree, I trotted forward, reaching.

He grinned at me as he walked and a flash of lightning crashed above us, blinding me. When I opened my eyes…he was gone.