The Adonis of Weho (19 page)

Reese read something in Smith’s gaze. He looked back at Harper, seeing his innocence, and wondered if there was more going on than met the eye.

“Pizza’s awesome.” Doug ate a bite, the only one of them sitting at the table.

Reese broke the staring match with Smith and gestured for them all to sit down. His oblong dining room table seated six, so they found places around it to begin eating dinner. Harper sat beside Smith, as if this had become an inseparable union, and though it annoyed Reese, he had a feeling Smith had his reasons.

Reese made sure everyone was provided with what they needed, then he sat at the head of the table, adjacent to Smith. He put a slice of pepperoni pizza on his and Smith’s plate and waited for Smith to take a bite. “Aren’t you hungry?”

“Yes.” Smith watched how everyone else was eating the pizza before he picked up the slice at the crust and bit the end.

“Good pie.” Heath nodded, taking big bites.

“So,” Doug said, still chewing, “Seventeen and horny. Been there.”

“Do you live here with your parents, dude?” Heath asked Harper.

“No. My sister.” Harper looked straight at Smith when he said, “Cybil,” then devoured his slice quickly.

Reese opened one of the pizza boxes so those that wanted it could get a second piece. “Does she know where you are?”

“She thinks I’m down by the pool. It’s fine.”

Smith wiped his hands on a napkin. “Do you have any wine?”

“No. Can I get you water? Or soda?”

“Water.”

Reese stood, headed to the kitchen. “Anyone need water?” As he walked off, he noticed Harper whisper to Smith. Trying not to feel jealous of the young man, Reese removed several water bottles from the refrigerator, bringing them to the table. He set one in front of Smith.

“Thank you.” Smith opened it and drank thirstily. As Reese sat down again, he noticed Harper’s arm resting on the back of Smith’s chair. He was gently caressing the white feathers of Smith’s wings.

Reese choked and the noise made everyone look at him.

“Dude?” Heath asked in anticipation, “You need a pat on the back?”

Smith made eye contact with Reese, and the stare was more intense than ever.

“What am I not getting here?” Doug asked, still eating, not seeming too concerned.

“Looks like our little man wants a three-way,” Heath said, making his hands into some kind of signal that Reese didn’t understand.

“Harper,” Reese got his attention and was about to ask if he could see the wings, when he received a warning glare from Smith.

“What?” Harper replied.

“Nothing.” Reese had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. That indeed, if he did not marry Smith to get him out of his jam, Harper certainly would. But was that a good enough reason to marry a man you just met?

And to make matters worse, he didn’t have a lot of time to dwell on that decision.

~

Adonis knew the scent of jealousy from miles away. How many gods and goddesses fell prey to its wicked influence?

Nearly all. And it was Hera’s jealousy of Zeus’ wanderings that gave him constant grief. Was Reese a jealous or generous lover?

“Do you want another slice, Smith?” Doug asked, taking one for himself.

“No.” Adonis stared at Reese, trying to get a read on his thoughts.

“What?” Reese asked, wiping his mouth between bites.

“Are you jealous of Pan?”

“I don’t know. I guess that depends on what you two are whispering about?”

“Pan?” Doug asked.

Heath said, “Uh oh, dude…the green-eyed monster has entered the room.”

“Why do you care what we are saying to each other?” Adonis knew indeed a monster was hovering, waiting to strike. Hera loved the goddess of discord. Eris was one of Hera’s favorites.

“Yo…man,” Heath laughed, “we may want to vacate the premises after this bite.”

“Why do I care?” Reese’s brown eyes grew fierce. “You want to marry me and you’re already flirting with an under-aged kid?”

“Whoa!” Heath shook his hand loosely. “Snap!”

“Flirting? Or seeking help?” Adonis crossed his arms, sitting back from the table.

“Help?” Reese asked, “What help can a horny seventeenyear-old be to you?”

“I can marry him.” Harper chewed the last bite of crust. “He has a deadline.”

As if he were stunned, Reese’s eye grew wider. “Fine! Marry him!” He stood up from the table in anger.

“Yeah. Uh…” Doug finished the beer in his bottle. “Think we’re outta here.” He nudged Heath.

Heath grabbed another slice of pizza, slipped on his shoes, and as he left he kept eating. “Later.”

Adonis watched them both leave and spun around to see Reese cleaning up the empty shot glasses from the living room.

“He can see my wings, Reese.”

Reese spun around, his mouth hanging open.

“Yup.” Harper nodded.

“Then…” Reese took the shot glasses to the sink. “Are you a god-blood?”

“Godblood?” Harper tilted his head curiously.

“Pan. I think perhaps Pan-blood. After all, look at him. Who better to teach the shepherds how to masturbate?”

Harper cracked up laughing.

Reese returned to the table. “You see them?” He pointed.

“Yup. Dude, they’re awesome.”

Adonis threw up his hands at the folly. “They are chicken wings!” he shouted then calmed himself. “Sit.” He pushed out a dining room chair for Reese.

Reese didn’t take him up on the offer, standing where he was, looking drained.

“I need allies, Reese. And Harper is one. The more the better. I have to find a way to turn Hera’s eye, until…”

“Until?” Reese asked, running his hand through his hair.

“Until I’m married.”

Adonis watched as Reese continued to clean up the room, tossing out the empty box and wrapping the leftover pizza. It seemed Reese was reluctant to talk about the ‘M’ word, so Adonis sat with Harper on the couch while Reese finished tidying up…or avoiding the conversation. Adonis wasn’t sure which.

“What will you do, Adonis?” Harper held his hand tightly.

“I think it’s useless. No matter what I do, I’ll be scorned for it. It seems loving and marrying a man is condemned by many.”

“Yeah. I don’t get it.” Harper rubbed Adonis’ hand gently.

“Love is love.”

Adonis smiled at his sweet face. “Yes, sweet Pan, love is love.”

~

Reese finished clearing up the plates and loading the dishwasher. He looked into the living room where Smith and Harper were seated together, speaking quietly, holding hands. Sadness began to overwhelm him. How many men that he had dated left him for someone else? Cheated on him? And acted as if he was not enough? Too many. He wiped his hands on a dishtowel and threw it down onto the counter symbolically.

“I can’t do this again.” He ran his hands through his hair tiredly.

“Do what again?” Smith turned on the sofa to give him his attention.

“I need a guy who will be faithful.”

“What makes you think I won’t be?”

Reese pointed to the hand he was holding.

“I don’t take the commitment of marriage lightly, Reese. And neither does my mother. She is the goddess of marriage. If I take those vows, then I am through searching.”

Reese turned off the DVD player and stood staring at Harper as he looked up with his bright blue eyes at him. “What can Harper do for you, Smith?”

“I don’t know yet. But he may be useful to distract Hera when…” He stopped talking and then said, “
If
…we do go to New York to wed.”

Harper asked, “Are you going to marry him, Reese?”

Reese didn’t know. He wished he had more time. When he thought of finding the right guy and planning a wedding, he imagined his family would be there, there would be a big hall, tuxedos, a tiered cake, a band…

“It’s not a trick question, dude.”

“Harper, you do need to go. I have to speak to Smith alone.”

Harper gave Smith a look as if to see his opinion. Smith nodded, kissing Harper’s hand.

Harper got to his feet, and on his way to walk to the door, he stood in front of Reese. “Do the right thing. Don’t let him down.”

Reese caught Smith’s stare and walked Harper to the door. Harper spun around. “I love you, Adonis.”

“Back at ya, Pan.” Smith threw him a kiss.

Once Harper had left, Reese looked at Smith and sighed.

“The god of desire. Is your beauty clouding my decisions?”

“I don’t know. Is it?”

Reese sat beside him. “I want to say yes. I want to marry you.”

“Okay.” Smith shrugged.

“But…”

Smith smiled wryly. “There’s always a catch.”

“Will it be just to solve your problems with your mother, or”—Reese felt a lump in his throat—“because you love me?”

Smith ran his hand behind Reese’s head, smoothing it through his hair. With gentle urging, he brought Reese to his lips.

The caress of that mouth sent Reese’s passion wild. He whimpered emotionally, the tenderness of Smith’s touch communicated his devotion.

He parted from their kiss and stared into Smith’s sky blue eyes. “I’m the one?”

“You’re the one.”

“‘Til death?”

“Or until immortality.” Smith smiled.

“Yeah. That.” Reese held on to Smith and pulled him down on the sofa on top of him.

~

Hera put her hands over her ears. “Get away from me, you annoying cow!”

Echo reacted to the insult. “And you wonder why no one likes you.” Echo raised her middle finger and left. Hera straightened her posture and touched her hair to ensure she was perfect. She finally had some peace and looked towards earth at her various ‘projects’. She searched for Adonis. At the moment, he was her number one concern. The home Zeus had given him was vacant but for Maria, who was lounging on a sofa, watching the soap opera network and eating truffles from a box shaped like a heart.

Hera began searching for his trail. “Aphrodite,” she called to her.

“What?”

“Where is Adonis?”

“Why are you asking me?” She flipped back her long hair, chewing gum.

“I thought you were in love with him.”

“Not since that bitch Artemis got involved. I just as soon see him fed to the boars.”

Hera watched her walk away and turned her gaze back to earth to find him.

~

Adonis’ shirt was hiked up his chest and his pants were wide open, exposing his cock.

Reese was devouring his mouth as they squirmed on each other, heated so their sweat began to mingle.

His cock was pulled and squeezed by Reese, making him curl his toes in pleasure. Both were moaning and whimpering against the other’s mouth, grinding bodies, and trying to touch each other everywhere at once.

Reese knelt upright between Adonis’ knees, looking like a crazed sexual beast. He grabbed Adonis’ pants at the legs and tugged them off his body. Adonis gasped and panted loudly as Reese shoved Adonis’ shirt even higher on his chest, exposing all of him for the taking.

Adonis never knew a man who brought him to this height of sexual desire. The craving in his groin was so strong he’d go insane if he didn’t climax soon. And as if his wish was a command, Reese pushed Adonis’ legs wide apart and stared at his engorged length.

“You’re fucking gorgeous.”

“Thank you.”

“And mine?”

“Yes.”

“No hidden disclaimers or caveats?”

“I can’t promise that.”

Reese stared at him, appearing apprehensive.

“My world and your world are full of mores, taboos, and conditions. Don’t act like what we do is fully accepted in the immortal heavens or here on earth.”

“Stop.” Reese held up his hand and closed his eyes. Adonis pulled on his own cock in frustration. “I prefer the carnal to the verbal.”

“You and me both.” Reese sat on his heels and stared at Adonis’ body.

Adonis noticed something materialize behind Reese. He narrowed his gaze and spotted the hunter, with his sword and shield.

“Dude,” the apparition shook his head. “I got word from Athena you’re in trouble.”

“Orion.”

Reese perked up and stared at Adonis, then spun around.

“Who?”

“Why the hell are you with a man?” Orion leaned the point of his sword on the floor, bracing on it. “If you want to enrage Hera, you’re doing the right thing.”

“This has nothing to do with Hera.”

Reese spun around again. “Who’s here, Smith?”

“You think what she did to Hercules was bad.” Orion blew out a breath and shook his head again. “You’re going to get banished to the ends of the earth if you keep this up.”

At seeing his cock deflate, Adonis rubbed his eyes and moaned.

“Who’s here?” Reese stood, looking around the room. “Tell me!”

Adonis got to his feet and approached Orion, yanking his shirt back down his chest. “You’re not helping matters. Why don’t you show some support?”

“Me? Are you kidding me? You’re the one with the high standing in Olympus. Not me. I’m just the lowly hunter who got stung.”

“Who the fuck are you talking to?” Reese waved his hands around the air, as if trying to find out.

“What’s with the wings, man?” Orion gestured to them with his chin. “They don’t suit you.”

“Hera’s charming addition.” He glanced back at them. “Do you know how to rid them?”

“I can cut them off.” He held up his sword.

Adonis cringed. “Never mind. Where’s my dad?”