A Seer for the Titan (TITANS #4) Read online

  Especially when he covered her hand on the gear shift with his and whispered, “I won’t let her hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  Odd promise, but it warmed her all the way to her heart. And scared her just as much.

  The ride to Daphne’s boyfriend’s parents’ place—and wasn’t that a mouthful?—was unexpectedly short, now that Elpida knew where she was going.

  Daphne was sitting on the stairs leading to the gate of the dark two-story stone house behind her, puffing on a cancer-stick, way too much luggage for a weekend getaway by her feet.

  Elpida pulled over and lowered her window. “I’m really sorry I’m so late. Something was wrong with my GPS, and then—”

  “Save your excuses for Monday, after coffee.” Daphne tossed her cigarette butt carelessly and stood on high heels that had no place on this dirt road. “Nikos is such an ass. His parents weren’t even here, and he expected me to cook. I said I don’t cook, so he made us an omelet and then said it was on me to do the dishes. He even asked me to make the bed, so we could sleep. Can you believe it?”

  Elpida rolled her eyes. “Where is he now?” Daphne might be a bitch, but letting her wait in the cold, at this hour, was low, and Elpida didn’t think too highly of anyone who’d date her boss to begin with.

  “Asleep, I guess. Get my bags.” Daphne waited for Elpida to get out of the car, but Epimetheus beat her to it, springing out and grabbing the two full-size suitcases before Elpida even opened her door.

  “Well, hello there.” Daphne eyed him like he was made out of chocolate—or whatever her low-carb diet allowed for dessert. “I didn’t realize Elpida was on a date tonight.”

  “He’s not... We just met.” Elpida pushed her door open, but Daphne shoved it shut again.

  “You don’t need to come out.” Daphne didn’t even glance her way. “This tall stranger’s got it.”

  Elpida felt her cheeks heating with a blush. Why did her stomach sour at the attention Daphne gave Epimetheus? She turned in her seat and glared, as Daphne watched Epimetheus’ ass while he loaded her bags in the trunk. When his hands were free, Daphne held out her palm. “I’d wait for Elpida to introduce us, but you know what a scatterbrain she is. I’m Daphne, and you’re definitely my hero.”

  Of course. Because he was the one who drove for half a night to save Daphne’s ass from a perfectly normal weekend.

  He smiled. “Epimetheus. Nice to meet you.”

  He even got the back door for her, and Daphne let her fingers linger on his bulging bicep way too long for Elpida’s liking.

  “You must tell me this guy’s story,” Daphne hissed before Epimetheus got back in his seat.

  “Seat belts,” Elpida said, as she put the car into gear. “And why don’t you ask him?” She’d hate to admit that she knew little about Epimetheus herself. And yet she knew how he tasted and how he felt between her legs.

  Epimetheus took his time securing his belt. “Not much to say, really. I picked up a hitchhiker. He wasn’t the friendly type. He took my car and money, and left me stranded in the middle of nowhere, until Elpida drove by.”

  This didn’t explain why he’d been buried a kilometer away from the main road. And he’d told Elpida he hadn’t seen his attacker. Elpida gave him a questioning look, and he returned it with one she couldn’t decipher. It held apology, but also a hint of something darker. She was suddenly all too aware of the fact that she was in close confines with a man she barely knew. Should she feel threatened?

  When he cupped her knee, her legs turned to Jell-O. Her mating instinct kicked into gear around him much more than her survival instinct did.

  “Shall we?” He was asking if they’d be on their way, but she read so much more behind the two short words.

  And she just knew he did too, when she replied, “We shall.”

  “So are you from around here? Are we driving you home?” Daphne asked. In the mirror, Elpida saw her placing her hand on Epimetheus’ shoulder.

  A small growl escaped Elpida’s throat. Apparently he set off her territorial instinct too.

  Epimetheus saved her from gouging out her boss’s eyes, by shrugging off Daphne’s hold. “I’m from... the north. Elpida was kind enough to lend me money for a hotel room in Athens until my brother meets me there.”

  He’d said brothers—plural—before.

  “A hotel room? Nonsense. I have a huge condo, overlooking Lycabettus hill. I’ll gladly put you up for a couple nights, as long as you promise not to bite.” Daphne’s tone was throaty. “Unless I ask you to.”

  Elpida was going to hurl. She stepped on the gas pedal hard, sending Daphne slamming back into her seat. “No reason for you to trouble yourself. He can stay with me,” Elpida said. The wolfish grin she saw on Epimetheus’ lips said it might not have been her brightest idea, but she was about to compound on it. “And I quit. Effective immediately.” She was owed two years’ worth of vacation time anyway.

  Chapter Eight

  Epimetheus’ heart skipped in his chest at Elpida’s declaration, but it shouldn’t. She might only be keeping an eye on him for Kronos. But Kronos was gone, according to both the human policeman and Rhea. He could be pulling Elpida’s strings from beyond the grave...

  But when they’d left the hospital, he’d tuned into her feelings long enough to sense her desire for him. He could sniff the pheromones coming off her body so strongly, he might as well be tasting her arousal.

  And overthinking this went against everything Epimetheus was. He grinned at Elpida and kept the expression in place even after Daphne started shrieking accusations at her, about how she was a lousy assistant who never got anything right. He’d have liked nothing more than to interfere, but Elpida’s placid expression and the tilt of the visible corner of her mouth showed she wasn’t bothered by her former boss’s words.

  When Daphne called his woman an idiot and threatened to make sure she wouldn’t find work in Greece again, he had to draw a line. “You will apologize to Elpida now and promise not to mess with her career,” he said over his shoulder, letting his compulsion power seep into the order.

  Without missing a beat, Daphne said, “I’m sorry, Elpida. You’re not a bitch, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.”

  Elpida snapped her head back, to look at her former boss with eyes so wide, Epimetheus couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “What did you say?” she asked Daphne.

  “Uh... the road?” Epimetheus said, and Elpida turned forward in time to keep the car from swerving out of course.

  “You were a great personal assistant, and I’ll be sad to see you go,” Daphne replied.

  Epimetheus couldn’t see her expression, but she sounded like the words burned her on their way out.

  She fell quiet and stayed that way for the rest of the drive, and Epimetheus could almost pretend he and Elpida were alone in the car as the sun crested the horizon. He stole glances at Elpida, hoping to catch her eye so she could see how proud he was she put Daphne in her place, but Elpida stared ahead, at times chewing on the inside of her cheek.

  When he asked if she was okay, she nodded and turned on the radio. Upbeat music filled the car. Huh. Music was fun. He liked it.

  Daphne gave Elpida instructions when they were near her place. She left them with a dry goodnight and even carried her bags to her door. Epimetheus was glad to see her leave. She made Elpida uneasy, which raised his hackles.

  “We’re almost there,” Elpida said a few minutes later. “Oh. Are you hungry? I didn’t think to ask sooner. I’m sorry.”

  He could eat her. He arched a brow. “Are you suggesting you’d cook for me at”—he checked the dashboard clock—“seven in the morning?”

  She yawned. “I was thinking more of hitting that bakery in my neighborhood. You don’t know love till you’ve tried their homemade spinach pie.”

  Love brought to mind Pandora’s face, but the memory was faint, overtaken by Elpida’s smile and bright eyes. Could he fall in love with her? Another mortal? Was that why Kronos had chosen her for him?

  But how would he know what would work for Epimetheus after all this time? And why bother with him at all?

  “Hey.” Elpida snapped her fingers in front of his face as she pulled into an underground garage—and thank Chaos for the cop’s comprehensive knowledge of all things modern, or Epimetheus might freak out at the thought of going underground ever again. “Are you hungry? We can walk there.”

  Epimetheus didn’t require sustenance to replenish his body, and it wasn’t food he had an appetite for. “I’m good,” he said. “I’d rather go to bed.” Test if mattresses were as comfortable as the man believed them to be. The man... Prometheus never gleaned his name. Odd. Back in his day, mortals held their sense of self at the forefront of their thoughts.

  Elpida led him to the elevator, and he marveled once more at modern technology while they rode it up the four floors to her apartment. With his love for creation and challenges, Prometheus must be having a blast in this day and age.

  Elpida’s steps grew slower as they approached the door at the end of the corridor. “It’s nothing big,” she said. “Nothing like Daphne’s place.” Her laugh bounced fake off the walls.

  “I’m sure it’s beautiful,” Epimetheus said. Inside, he added, like you.

  She fished a key out of the tiny bag at her waist and slid it into the lock, then paused. “You’re not... You’re not dangerous, are you?”

  He was. He was lethal. “Not to you.”

  Elpida chewed on her bottom lip. “That’s not really a no.”

  He held her gaze. “I promise not to hurt you in any way, but I understand if you changed your mind and would feel more comfortable with me staying at a hotel.”

  That seemed to do it. She turned the key three times and pushed the door open. “Nah. I believe you. Come on in.”

  He followed her inside, taking in the open space even before she turned on the lights. A plaid blanket was bundled on the large sofa, empty cartons of food were strewn all over her coffee table, and there was a bra on the floor.

  “I’m a bit of a slob,” she said with a blush as she picked up the discarded bra and tossed it and her bag on an armchair.

  “I like it. Makes the place look lived in.” He meant it. The stark-white walls and minimalistic furniture would look too clinical without these touches of disarray. And the cop whose memories he absorbed must have been really into interior design.

  She rolled her eyes. “Tell my mom that. Hope the couch is comfy enough for you. Wait here, and I’ll get you sheets and a fresh change of clothes.” She stammered. “I mean... I guess you’ll want a shower, right?”

  He’d used the wind to clean himself as soon as he was out of the earth, but— “A shower would be perfect. Thank you.” Whose clothes would he be wearing, though? Hers were out of the question. She only came up to his chest when he was in this form, and he could circle her waist with his hands. And lift her on the kitchen counter and spread her thighs and bury first his face and then his cock between them.

  Epimetheus shook away the thought, but not before his erection formed a tent in the fabric of his pants. Elpida had seen him hard when he was naked, so he didn’t bother hiding it when she returned, clutching new clothes for him. Her gaze went straight to his not-so-little situation, and her breasts heaved with a sharp inhale. She stopped beside the couch and licked her lips.

  Oceanus, he wanted those lips wrapped around him. “See something you like?” he asked before he thought better of it.

  She let out a guttural sound. “Hot. The water. You can... God.” She dropped the clothes on the couch and rubbed her face with both hands. “We have hot water. You can go shower,” she said more slowly.

  He loved how he affected her even with two meters and layers of clothing between them. He peeled off his shirt, just because he could, and enjoyed the way her gaze traced his pecs and abs. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  Her eyes were wide when she raised her gaze to his face. “Huh?”

  “Do you see something you like? Because I’d be happy to show you more.”

  She clenched her jaw and shook her head. “Not a good idea. You’re leaving, and I’m— Complicated. It would be. Very.”

  The mental image of a small green man flashed through his brain but didn’t stick around long enough to kill his hard-on or let him figure out what it was about. “That I’m leaving may make it less complicated.” He scratched his chest, and the way she zeroed in on the movement said she wouldn’t take much convincing.

  He prowled to her, watching her nipples harden beneath the thin fabric of her top. She could be his now. Here. But he could wait. Seeing her fight her desire for him was fun, especially when he could practically taste it.

  Elpida snatched what he now saw was a battered T-shirt and a black pair of sweats from beside her and pressed them to his chest. “I couldn’t find any underwear. Sorry.”

  No, she wasn’t.

  That thought wasn’t his. It was hers. Had he managed to touch her thoughts again? “Do you want me?” he asked in her head and didn’t miss the widening of her pupils or the tiny bob of her head. He was getting to her, and it might have something to do with her current state of arousal. He could take advantage of this in a million ways, but there was one thing he needed to know more than anything else.

  “Why are you doing this for me?” he asked, mentally nudging her to be completely honest. “Why invite me to your home? Why offer me a ride, even? I’m nothing to you.”

  “Because you needed help, and I was there. And looking at you makes me warm inside. And I’d die before letting Daphne take you from me.” The words were whispered with conviction and wrapped around his heart like a healing balm.

  Epimetheus no longer cared if Kronos or even Zeus had sent her. She would be his, and he’d waste no time staking his claim.

  Chapter Nine

  She was lightheaded with the realization of what she’d said. Worse, of how much she meant it. She wanted Epimetheus with a primal hunger she’d never felt before.

  Clinging to his arms as if to life itself. Wrapping her legs around his waist. Claiming his—

  Her premonition dissolved into reality, as he crushed his lips to hers with such force, he drove her backward into the wall. Her hands were trapped between them, but she extricated them from where they lay pressed against his impossibly hard chest, and dug her fingers into his shoulders, needing to feel more of him. His muscles bunched under her touch, and she was delighted when goose bumps broke along his skin.

  Epimetheus plundered her mouth, his tongue finding hers and dancing with it while his teeth grazed her lips. He closed his palms around her waist and lifted, and Elpida brought her legs up around his hips, as if she’d done so a million times before. At a meter fifty-seven, she was tiny compared to him, but when the clothes she’d brought him slid to the floor and her nipples rubbed against his chest, all she could think of was that he fit her perfectly.

  His length was insistent between her thighs, and for a second, she wished she was naked and could take him inside her now. Here. But he was huge. Could he even fit inside her? She hadn’t had sex in so long, hadn’t even had time to date in the two years she worked for Daphne, she felt like a virgin. A very horny virgin, who bucked her hips and rubbed against Epimetheus’ monster cock like her life depended on it, but still too tight for his intimidating girth.

  “I want you,” he whispered against her lips, and she heard the words echo in her mind, like he was somehow projecting his thoughts at her.

  “Uh huh,” was Elpida’s brilliant reply. But when he slid one of his enormous palms down the seat of her jeans, to tease the string of her thong, she stiffened. If she gave into this, she brought herself one step closer to the future she’d gleaned in her vision. In her premonition, he looked as old as he did now, which meant if she fell for him, she didn’t have long to live. And she couldn’t fathom being that intimate with him while safeguarding her heart.

  She halfheartedly dropped her legs from around him and glided her palms to his chest—God, it was so masculine, wide and hard and smooth, with a sprinkle of dark curls she ached to twirl her fingers in—to push him back. She turned her head to the side, and tried not to melt when he kissed and licked a trail along her jawline to whisper in her ear, “I want you.”

  “No.” It was barely audible above the sound of her heart breaking. “I can’t.”

  “Is there someone else?” He nuzzled her hair.

  “No. I just... I don’t see you that way.” The lie burned her throat.

  He stepped back and stared into her eyes. “I would have the truth.”

  She shook her head. “I’m afraid.”

  His smile almost made her forget the danger she was in. “We’ll fix that.”

  For a moment, she believed him.

  Epimetheus ducked down to grab the clothes she’d brought him. When he straightened, his expression was dark. “These smell like another male.”

  “What?” She was so frazzled by the dichotomy of what she wanted and what she needed, she thought the floor shook. When her brain caught up with the accusation in his voice, she managed a small laugh. “My brother left them here last time he was in town.”

  A breeze caressed her temples. Had she left a window open all night?

  Epimetheus licked his lips. “Good. Because you’re mine.” His lips didn’t move, but the words reached he ears loud and clear, as he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

  She wanted to kiss him again, but instead, she hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “Bathroom’s back there. I put up fresh towels.”

  She gathered herself and kept from joining him in the shower—barely—by tidying up the living room. The stale Chinese still smelled good. Should she put the cartons in the fridge instead of throwing them away? Nah. She couldn’t feed her guest leftovers for lunch.

  A flash of panic that had nothing to do with her premonitions ran like a shiver down her spine. Lunch was only a few hours away. She’d driven all night. She was exhausted.