Hearts and Arrows Box Set Page 10

  “Oh, shit.” Lex spun around and turned the heat down, blowing on the water while she stirred it.

  Kara shook her head, confounded. Lex always had the illusion of having her shit together, even in the kitchen. Kara would say Lex was generally cheerful, but giddy? Never. Especially not over a guy. Kara wanted to meet the singer in the band, curious as to how he’d gotten Lex all twisted up over him.

  Lex flitted around the kitchen, multitasking noodle cooking and vegetable chopping while Kara pulled out the dishes and silverware to set the table. She set the plates down and folded the napkins, lost in the routine, thinking about her friend.

  Alexis Greene had broken hearts throughout the Lower East Side from the minute she turned sixteen and started dating. She’d been through a string of guys over the course of ten years, ranging in seriousness from fling to the occasional long-term relationship, confident enough to date nerds or playboys. Lex had no fear, as long as her heart wasn’t involved. So many of them tried to break in, but she was completely unavailable, which was funny because she almost always had a boyfriend. She was the girl that guys wanted and chicks hated, even though she was never a bitch to anyone. Except Ramona James, but that skank had it coming.

  But Lex had never been able to get close to any guy, always running when things got sticky. And it was no big shocker, not after dealing with her mom for so many years. Kara and Lex had walked in to Lex’s apartment many times after school to find her mom sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, staring at the wall, her eyes red and face tear-stained and puffy. She was a good mom, and she and Lex were close, but the woman had forever worn her loneliness like a badge.

  I’ll never be like her, Kara, Lex would say. I will never give a man that kind of power over me.

  So to see Lex infatuated for the very first time was bizarre to witness, but Kara couldn’t help but be a little hopeful. She smiled to herself as she set down the last fork and turned to help Lex salvage dinner.

  Day 6

  ROE TUNED HIS BASS, TWISTING the machine heads and picking the strings automatically as he sat on a stool in the warehouse, waiting for the rest of the band. His mind wandered to Dean, who had been aloof on a whole new level lately. He was distracted and unfocused, which was unlike him, especially when it came to their music.

  Dean was a quiet guy, though he and Roe never had a lack of things to talk about since they’d been friends since grade school. Dean had been on his own for pretty much his entire life, but from the minute Roe first saw him, he knew they’d be friends. When Roe found Dean sitting on the steps of their elementary school with that jerk McCoy trying to push him around, his black hair in his face, his green eyes flashing, he knew Dean needed someone. Roe was that someone.

  Within a few weeks of meeting, Dean started coming home with him. Roe sensed Dean didn’t want to go home, though it took months before he would hint at why, and years until Roe knew the whole story. Roe’s mom knew and tried to help, though as a night shift nurse, she wasn’t home a lot. But Dean was always welcome, any time. She’d cook special meals when Dean was there, and always got him a few gifts at Christmas, candy at Easter, trying to give him some small joy in his life, some sense of family.

  Roe was forever grateful that his mom was on board with Dean living with them after his mom died. If Dean had gotten put into the system, it would have meant a whole extra layer of fucked up on top of his already fucked-up self.

  They got jobs at a record store in high school, and Dean saved for a month to buy his first guitar. Roe got one too, and they taught themselves how to play, though Dean was much better. It came easy for him, and he could listen to pretty much any song and have it figured out before the song was over. He’d always written, and once he’d learned how to play, his poems turned into songs. Roe picked up the bass, they hooked up with Kevin, who worked at the record store with them, and Paper Fools was born. The first show they played had every chick in the bar at the stage, big eyed and ready to throw panties, and in that moment, Roe knew they had something.

  They lived at Roe’s until just after they graduated. Since his mom worked nights they were, for the most part, free to do what they pleased.

  Which for Dean mostly meant girls.

  Ever since their freshman year in high school, girls had thrown themselves at Dean. It was like they smelled Dean’s damage, and when mingled with his good looks and charm? It was just too much for them to resist.

  Roe witnessed everything from tears to slaps to flying milk cartons in the lunchroom over Dean, even the occasional cat-fight. Dean never talked about any of the girls he hooked up with, not even Audrey, but the behavior of his conquests indicated the level that it ended on. None of it fazed him.

  After high school, they worked their asses off on their music, though they were occasionally set back by Dean’s fucking around. It had been ten years since they’d founded the band, and they’d finally gotten a real record deal. The contract was initially for Dean alone, but he wouldn’t sign without Roe.

  And that was really the heart of their relationship. Roe knew Dean would do anything for him, and he would do the same. He forgave Dean for his bullshit on a daily basis, knowing that Dean was doing the best he could with the sad set of tools he was equipped with to deal with his life. But the record deal was their future, and Roe couldn’t just sit back anymore, not with everything on the line.

  What Dean didn’t know was just how far their rep was up Roe’s ass about them getting into the studio. When he found out they lost Elliot, he tripped, and all of the pressure was on Roe. He hadn’t even told the guys, deciding instead to just keep pushing them, not wanting to burden them with the stress.

  Roe wasn’t quite sure what was going on with Dean recently, but he thought he had a pretty good idea. As entertaining as it was to see Dean lose his cool, he suspected that the behavior had been brought on by the one person that Dean absolutely could not pursue.

  The minute Roe saw Travis’ girlfriend walk in, with her long, dark hair, her slender, stacked body, and her shocking blue-green eyes, Roe watched Dean like a hawk. Dean walked up to her, and when she looked up, he looked like he’d been hit by a bus before he quickly recovered and threw on his swagger. Roe only had to watch the two interact for thirty seconds before he knew he had reason to be concerned. Their attraction was visible even from across the room. And Dean’s smile … Roe hadn’t seen that smile in ages.

  When he turned to look at Travis tightening his drum heads, he’d shaken his head. They warned him, but Roe didn’t think he understood the pull that Dean had. Girls got sucked into Dean’s gravity like rogue meteors, only to go down in glorious flames.

  Dean and Lex couldn’t happen. They couldn’t afford to waste any more time searching for drummers, not to mention the shitstorm it would cause with the label. Roe wasn’t keen on losing Travis, especially over a girl. He’d had enough of that drama.

  Light poured in as the door to the warehouse swung open, and Roe turned to see Travis, Lex, and a short, curvy brunette walk in. The girls giggled.

  Maybe this chick could distract Dean from Lex, he thought. Until he got a good look at her.

  Her hips swung wide in a short, black skirt as her shapely legs walked a tight line toward him. She flipped her hair, laughing as she set down her bag and shrugged off her jacket, her black, lacy bra showing through her ripped up Slayer tank top. She scanned the room, her gaze falling on him, openly appraising him with cool blue eyes. A slow smile crept onto her full, hot pink lips.

  Or not. He smiled back before clearing his throat as Dean and Kevin walked in.

  Dean crossed the warehouse, staring at the back of Lex’s head. She straightened in her seat, seeming to feel his eyes on her.

  Roe realized his face was screwed up in disapproval as he watched them react to each other. He tried to relax, hoping he looked composed. Dean was trying, he knew.

  Dean’s shrouded eyes were locked on her, his hands shoved in his pockets, and his shoulders bent
as he walked. But the second that he came into Lex’s eye line, he stood straight, his hands slipped out of his pockets, and his expression dissolved into a mask of indifference.

  He dropped his bag next to the amps and pulled off his jacket, then picked up his guitar and began to tune it, appearing to concentrate on his task. Roe knew better.

  Just like every day since Lex started coming to practice, Roe stressed throughout the entire session, watching the two of them, worrying over something he knew he couldn’t control. Dean wouldn’t look at Lex, but he sang every word to her, and she hung on every word like she knew. Occasionally, Roe would look back at Travis, who was either staring intently at his drums or had his eyes pinched shut. He honestly didn’t have a clue.

  When Roe wasn’t giving himself a coronary about the hormones flying around the room, he watched Lex’s friend, and she watched him. After practice, Lex brought her up to introduce her.

  Dean held his guitar by the neck as the two girls walked up. Lex tucked her hair behind her ear. “Um, Kara, this is Dean.”

  “Hey, Kara.” Dean flashed a small smile, and Lex’s brow dropped a hair. So did Roe’s.

  “This is Kevin,” she said as she touched his shoulder.

  Kara laughed. “Nice t-shirt.”

  Kevin looked down and pulled his shirt with his fingers to stretch out the phrase I have six words for you. “I actually have six more for you. Hi, my name is Keys Kevin.”

  Lex and Kara giggled, and Kevin looked like he was in heaven as he turned to pack his gear.

  “And this,” Lex put a hand on Roe’s arm, “is Roe.”

  Travis called over to her. “Lex, can you grab this?”

  “Yup.” Lex turned to Kara. “Meet you out front?”

  “Okay, sure,” Kara said.

  Roe could practically see the pheromones exchanged as he watched Lex walk past Dean, their eyes like lovesick tractor beams on each other. He turned to Kara and caught her staring after Lex as well.

  “Man, they’ve got it bad.” Kara raised her eyebrows in mock pity, and Roe couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

  “Yeah, I’d say that’s an understatement.”

  They stood for a moment, and Kara watched him with her head cocked to the side. He smiled and hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “Uh, I have to, um—”

  “Yeah, me too.” Kara gave him a playful smile and turned to walk back to the couch. She bent over to pick up her bag in her short skirt, cunning enough not to show him her goods, but knowing full well what she was doing. She winked over her shoulder at him in parting. “See you around, Roe.”

  He grinned as he wound up the amp cord, hoping he would. And soon.

  ———— Olympus ————

  Dita stretched out on the floor of her library and ran her fingers through the silky furs under her. A romance novel about time traveling vampires lay split open in front of her, and a cozy fire crackled at her back. Eros sat across from her in a low-backed, tangerine armchair, preening his wings with his legs crossed, thankfully. He was naked.

  “I will never understand why Psyche lets you walk around completely naked.” Dita rested her head on her hand.

  “I’m not always naked.” He released his pearly white, impossibly soft wing, and it stretched out long before folding up behind him.

  She raised an eyebrow at him.

  “Okay, I’m usually naked. Psyche doesn’t care. In fact, I’m pretty sure it gets me laid three times more frequently than when I’m wearing horribly confining clothes that chafe me.”

  Dita rolled her eyes.

  “What? I have very sensitive skin. And anyway, I will never understand why it bothers you so much, Mom.”

  “Ugh, don’t call me that. I have literally asked you a trillion times. I really will start calling you Cupid if you don’t cut it out.” She pushed herself up to sit.

  “Sure you will. So, I saw your player. She’s pretty foxy.” Eros waggled his brows at her.

  Dita flipped her hair over her shoulder as she laughed. “That she is. And have you seen Dean? This should be a cinch.”

  “Doesn’t really look like a cinch. The girl has a boyfriend, and the guy is a complete slut. It actually looks to me like a challenge. Too bad you can’t use my arrows.”

  “Ah, dearest Eros. I don’t need your help.”

  “I know you don’t, but it couldn’t hurt.”

  “I already have a blur spell on the boyfriend, so he won’t see me work my magic. And the man-slut, well … he’s ready for a woman in his life. He’s been without for far too long. Plus, who do you think got the old drummer’s girlfriend to sleep with Dean, anyway?” She gave him an expectant look.

  “Well, it sounds like you’ve got this all wrapped up then. I’ll just tell Apollo to give up.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, right. I’m sure he’ll just give right in and give up a token.”

  “Stranger things have happened.”

  “How is Psyche?” She had to ask. Eros was sensitive about his wife. Dita and Psyche had never gotten along, but Dita did try.

  “Oh, she’s good. She wanted to ask you to have lunch with her, but she was afraid you’d say no.”

  “Gods, Eros. She’s so dramatic. Of course I would go.”

  “Good. I’ll tell her you’ll be there tomorrow.”

  Dita shot him a rude hand gesture, and his laugh filled the room.

  His laugh always reminded her of Ares. Her eyes ran over Eros’ features. He had Ares’ brow and jaw, and her golden hair and big eyes. His mouth was a cross between the two, full with a slight pout. He was beautiful.

  Luckily, he had her temperament and not his father’s. She and Eros had always been close, unlike she and the twins, Phobos and Deimos. They were more like Ares, mischievous on a good day, terrifying on the rest.

  She loved Ares in a way that scared her. They were volatile, explosive. He was jealous in the most extreme way, and before Adonis died, her biggest fear was that Ares would kill Adonis to rid himself of any competition. She had to devise a plan to ensure that Adonis would be safe from Ares, and so she used her greatest power against him.

  Aphrodite’s heart pounded as she waited for Ares that day. Her plan was simple, though shrewd, and stealth was crucial. She held up the shackles Hephaestus made for her. They looked ordinary, though she knew that they held a magic that rendered them unbreakable. She slipped them under the pillows piled on her bed, and smoothed her white robes, tracing her fingers on the golden chain wound around her slender waist.

  She heard her door open, and Ares called her name. She took a breath and glided into her entryway where she found Ares, towering, tan, and fuming as he waited for her. His golden, plumed helmet sat on a marble table next to a pot painted with a scene of her and Adonis. The look on his face said it all.

  He has seen it. The trap is set.

  Anger mingled with the want in his eyes as he moved to her, his blood red cloak flying behind him. She waited for him to come to her, to take her in his arms.

  He grabbed her tight around her waist, and she could feel his boiled leather arm cuffs through the light fabric of her robes. His eyes lingered on her lips for a moment before he took her mouth with force, his lips hard against hers. She wound her arms around his neck, and he lifted her up, carried her to her bed, and laid her down.

  He pressed himself into her, but she wound her leg around his waist and twisted, flipping him over. She sat, her chest heaving, her lips sore, and he reached for the golden chain of her robe. He pulled hard, and it snapped, baring her long, white torso. She ran her hands up the bronze armor he wore, flipped the clasps of his cloak, and slipped her hands under the shoulders to unbuckle the straps. Then, she stretched out, reaching under her pillows for the shackles, gasping as he nipped her breast.

  She sat on his lap and held them up, shaking them gently. The links clinked together, and he smiled wickedly as he held his arms above his head in submission. She crawled to the head of the bed and chained him to the ma
rble columns, giving them a tug once they were locked with a devious smile.

  She crawled back down his body and pushed his armor off the bed, then untied his sandals and dropped them. With one hand in front of the other, she slinked up the bed like a cat, and when she reached his thighs, she slipped her hands under the robes at his waist to hold him in her hands, running her fingers up and down his length.

  He looked down at her, his eyes lust-drunk as she yanked his wide belt and pulled it off. His robes fell open, and she slid off the side of the bed, turning to look over his body that lay stretched out on her bed, naked and vulnerable, his skin stark against the deep red of his cloak. His eyes were dark as he watched her slip one strap of her robes down her shoulder, then the other, his lips parting when they fell to the ground. She turned her back to him and bent down slowly, deliberately, to untie her sandals. He drew a sharp breath, and she smiled to herself.

  She walked back to the foot of her bed and crawled up between his legs. Her tongue traced a path up his long body, and she exhaled softly as she moved, her long hair trailing his skin, and he shivered. When she reached his neck, she kissed it deep, slowly, up to his ear. His face turned to hers, his lips searching for her, but she moved out of his reach, running lines back down his body.

  She stopped when she reached his length, pausing to lick the ridge of his crown, flicking her tongue when she reached the end. He groaned and turned his head as she ran her tongue down his shaft, then up, before flicking her tongue again. She took all of him, again and again, until he squeezed her with his thighs. It was then that she released him, and he looked down at her with burning eyes, confused.

  She rose and climbed up his body, straddled his chest, and leaned back, propping her hand on his thigh. Her fingers slipped into her mouth, then trailed down to her breast to her nipple. She rose and fell with his heavy breaths as his heart thumped under her, his neck craned to watch. Her hand moved down her stomach, between her legs to touch herself, running her fingers around and around as her hips rolled, and Ares lost all composure beneath her.