Suddenly Beautiful (Entangled Covet) Read online

  “Fine.” Obviously she wasn’t going to be able to force him out, but remaining in bed put her in a vulnerable position. “At least shut your eyes while I get out of bed.”

  “So you can beat me about the head with the baseball bat you have hidden in the closet? I don’t think so.”

  “Tempting, but no. I just want to get dressed since I’m naked beneath this sheet.” She lifted a single brow. “Now shut your eyes.”

  He hesitated a few seconds, and then said, “I will turn around, but I won’t shut my eyes.”

  “Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “But don’t look.”

  His stance was ramrod straight, but he turned and faced the wall. He looked like an enormous child who had been sent to corner for a time-out.

  Nikki scooted out of bed, taking the sheet with her. Just because he was her father didn’t mean she trusted him not to look. There wouldn’t be enough soap in the world to scrub the skeeviness of that memory away.

  With one hand she held the sheet around her, and with the other she worked her robe onto her shoulders, slipping her right arm into the sleeve. Once she was certain the robe covered all her girlie bits, she dropped the sheet, shoved her left arm through the hole, and cinched the belt around her waist. Not bothering to tell her father he could turn around, she marched out of her bedroom and into the kitchen.

  It took about a minute before Ares’s footsteps pounded down the hall. He loomed in the kitchen entrance, glaring at her, but Nikki ignored him and focused on getting the nectar of her life brewing. Damn him for showing up this morning. She’d wanted so much to wake up next to Tor and maybe fool around a bit before taking a shower and going to get breakfast.

  “Why are you here?” She braced her arms against the edge of her kitchen island. “Didn’t Tor’s mom tell you I didn’t want to see you?”

  Ares entered the kitchen and mirrored her stance. “Of course she did. She tells me everything.”

  Nikki snorted. “I doubt that.”

  “She reveres me.”

  “Right.” Nikki yanked the nearly empty pot out from under the coffee stream, emptied the contents into her cup, and turned back to him. “So why are you here?”

  Some of the bluster left the mighty god of war, as if he was at a loss for an explanation. “I don’t need a reason to see my own daughter.”

  She clutched her coffee mug and stared at him, not acknowledging any of what he’d just said. Even if the reason he was there was something as stupid as his big, fat ego, she wanted him to say it. Silence stretched between them and still she didn’t move.

  “Fine,” he said, straightening. “I wanted to find out why you didn’t want to meet me.”

  Was he really that much of an ignoramus or just that vain? Probably a lot of both. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because I’ve spent my whole life wondering who my father is and you’ve never bothered to make an appearance.” She held up a finger. “Oh wait, and let’s not forget the part about being a demigoddess.”

  “What is time to a god? You’re barely out of diapers. Besides, I’m here now.” He held out his arms as if she should be honored to have him there. “That should please you.”

  She rolled her eyes again and walked into the living room. “Yeah, remind me to thank you for showing up in my bedroom and zapping my boyfriend home.”

  He followed her into the room. “He should not have been here. You’re not married or even betrothed.”

  Nikki tucked one foot under her and sat on the couch. “Right, because you and my mother were betrothed when she got pregnant with me.”

  He lowered himself into a chair, balancing on the edge with his hands propped on his knees. Though she hated to admit it, he really did look like a god, and completely out of his element. “It’s not the same for gods. We’re forced to dally with humans because we’re immortal.”

  “Whatever you say.” To be honest, she didn’t care that he hadn’t married her mother. Azzura probably wouldn’t have been faithful to him anyway, no matter how good-looking he had been. Then Ares would have gotten pissed because she cheated on him and he would have turned her into a pillar of salt or a swan, or something stupid like that. “Let’s get one thing straight. You have not been in my life and just because your ego is a little bruised, doesn’t mean you can pop in anytime you want and control my life.”

  “That’s exactly what it means.” He leaned an elbow on his knee and pointed a finger at her. “That is my price.”

  Okay, it was way too early in the morning for her to try and decipher his crazy. “What are you talking about?”

  “For the honor of my presence, I require a price. That is my price.” With a kingly air, he leaned back in the chair as if it had all been settled.

  “First of all, I never asked for the honor of your presence. As a matter of fact, I distinctly said no to the honor of your presence.” She took a sip of coffee. “Therefore, I don’t have to pay your price.”

  The look that crossed Ares’s face nearly made Nikki laugh. His brows drew together and his shoulders sagged. “You must pay.”

  “No, I mustn’t.” She set her cup on the end table and leaned forward. “You can’t force me to accept you.”

  “Insolent!” He stood and paced the short length of the living room. “You are just like your mother, petulant and stubborn.”

  “Yeah, that must be where I got it from.” She shook her head. “What do you want from me?”

  He stopped and pivoted to face her. “With you and Toraos getting married, I thought it best we meet. As you know, Aphrodite and I share a special relationship.”

  Nikki held up her hand. “Back this truck up a second. What did you say about Tor and me getting married?”

  “Of course you’ll be wed. No daughter of mine will be sullied by some womanizing gigolo.”

  She stared at him and then burst out laughing. “I’d hardly call Tor a womanizing gigolo.”

  “Fine, then he won’t have any trouble doing the right thing.”

  Before she could reply, her door flew open and Tor stood in the entrance. Nikki flinched from the look on his face. Anger, worry, that complete encompassing terror when a person realizes someone they love is in danger and they can’t reach them. Behind him stood his mother, her head bobbing up and down over his shoulder, trying to see inside the apartment.

  “Tor.” Nikki jumped to her feet and started across the room but Ares transported himself to stand between them. “Get out of my way.” She shoved him, but he didn’t budge. “Move it, Dad!”

  “Ares, you can’t force her to listen to you.” Aphrodite said, pushing her way inside the apartment. “Trust me, I know.”

  Her father’s green gaze, so like her own, bore into her. He pursed his lips, inhaled, and stepped to the side. Nikki edged past the towering man and walked to Tor, who scooped her into a crushing hug.

  “Are you all right?” He ran his hand down her hair, cupping the back of her neck. “I was so worried about you when I woke up in my own bed.”

  “I’m fine.” She leaned back and looked at him. “Rushing to my rescue again? You’re making a habit of this.”

  “I can’t help it.” He brushed the hair from her face. “I don’t know what I would do without you.” He bent and kissed her, relaxing his hold. “Now, there are a few things I need to talk to Ares about.”

  “It’s all right, Tor.” She laid her hands against his chest. The last thing she wanted was a confrontation between the man she loved and an angry god. “He was just leaving.”

  “No, I wasn’t.” Ares crossed his arms and widened his stance. “I will stay until I choose to leave.”

  “It’s all right.” Tor gripped her shoulders and set her to the side. “We need to get a few ground rules set.”

  “What’s that, boy?” Ares seemed to grow several inches taller. “You got something to say to me?”

  The apartment door clicked shut behind Nikki, and Aphrodite moved to stand beside her, wrapping a motherly arm around her waist
and giving Nikki unspoken reassurance that her son wasn’t about to die.

  “Yes, sir.” Tor stopped a few feet from the powerful god. “I realize Nikki is your daughter, but if she and I are going to be together, we need to know that you’re not going to pop in whenever you feel like it.” Tor turned and looked at his mother. “That goes for you, too.”

  Aphrodite sputtered at her son’s command but didn’t have much of an argument to follow up her outrage with.

  Ares was a different story. His expression turned thunderous. “You dare dictate to me when I can see my own daughter? It seems you need a lesson on who is truly in charge, boy.”

  He fisted his hand and raised it toward the ceiling. The low rumble of thunder echoed through the apartment and suddenly Nikki was afraid that her boss and new boyfriend was about to meet his end. Electricity skittered along her skin, like the time she’d taken out the mugger. Could she defeat the god of war? Probably not, but she did have one thing on her side.

  Stepping in front of Tor, she shoved her hands out in front of her. “If you hurt my boyfriend and destroy my apartment building I will…” She struggled for a suitable threat. “I will never see you again.” The breath stopped in her chest, her body tensed and ready for her father’s retaliation. His gaze burned into her. Real flames flickered where his pupils should have been. “I mean it, Ares, I will never willingly allow you to enter my home again, and…I’ll make sure you’re the laughingstock among the other gods by publicly shunning you.”

  That stopped him in his fiery tracks. His gaze narrowed on her, and he slowly lowered his fist. “Do you hear this?” He looked at Aphrodite. “Such insolence.”

  Before Tor’s mother could speak, Nikki cut in. “Yeah, well, ignoring your child her entire life will do that. Now put your fists away and sit down.” She propped her hands on her hips. “Sit or git, it’s your choice.”

  Silence blanketed the room. Surely he would smite her for her back-sass, but damn it, the man couldn’t just barge into her life and start bossing her around. Ares lifted his chin an inch, sniffed, and walked to the nearest chair, perching on the edge like a king on his throne.

  Nikki let out a silent sigh of relief and walked to the couch. “All right then, maybe we can talk things through like civilized gods and goddesses?”

  Aphrodite eased into the floral wingback, looking like a queen in her elegant white pantsuit. Tor sat down next to Nikki and twined his fingers with hers. He looked devilishly handsome, if not slightly disheveled, in a pair of jeans and T-shirt. He must have thrown on the first thing he could find and called his mother.

  A week ago, Nikki’s life had been a boring routine of work and reruns. This morning, she was hosting a god summit, one of whom just happened to be her father. She repressed a smile. For some reason this felt right.

  “I demand you marry my daughter,” Ares said. He glared at Tor, as if expecting an argument.

  “With all due respect, sir, I will ask your daughter to marry me when I feel the time is right, not because you dictate it.”

  “This isn’t the twelfth century,” Nikki said. “Tor and I just started seeing each other. Things like this take time.”

  “Preposterous. He has deflowered you and he must make it right.”

  Telling the god of war that that ship had sailed long before Tor didn’t seem like a wise move. Luckily Aphrodite intervened.

  “Ares, darling, let the kids work things out for themselves. I can assure you Toraos has nothing but the utmost respect for Nikki, as do I. He would never do anything to purposely hurt her.”

  “Yeah, and I can take care of myself.” Nikki glowered at him. “After all, I’ve been doing it all my life.”

  He let out a frustrated grunt. “I will allow a short period of courting—five years at the longest.”

  Gods really didn’t have any concept of time, but far be it from her to rain on his imperial parade. “That sounds fair.”

  “I won’t need five years, sir.” Tor turned to Nikki. “I said I would ask her when I felt the time was right.” He scooted off the couch and knelt in front of her. “Nikki, over the past few days I’ve realized just how important you are to me. I can’t bear the thought of not having you in my life…” He paused. “Even if it means putting up with being turned to stone, growing a tail, or whatever else you’re going to do to me when you get angry. I love you, and I want you to be my wife.”

  Nikki’s heart leaped to her throat, cutting off her air and rendering her speechless. He had said he loved her. Butterflies of excitement did loops in her chest.

  Tor took her hand and rubbed her palm with his thumb. “Will you marry me, Nikki Triano?”

  “Yes.” The single word whispered from her. “Yes.” She said it again, louder. Still it wasn’t enough. “I will marry you, Toraos Stephanos, and promise never to turn you into a goat.”

  A smile as bright as the sun spread across his handsome face. “I don’t have a ring yet, but when I get one, I will ask you again—in a way you deserve.” He gave a flick of his head toward their parents. “And hopefully we’ll be alone.”

  “This time was perfect.” He could have asked her to marry him while standing in a crowded coffee shop or a swarm of bees and it would have been perfect.

  Tor leaned up and kissed her, and for a second she forgot that their parents were in the room, watching them.

  Ares gave a single clap of his hands and stood. “I give you my blessing.”

  Nikki broke their kiss. “Well, I feel so much better now.”

  Her father scowled. “Now that we have mended our disagreement, you may call me father.”

  “I don’t think so.” Nikki released Tor’s hand and stood, walking to Ares. “I’m running my life. Not you. You’ll have to earn father before I start calling you that.”

  She held out her hand. Ares stared at it for several seconds and then gripped her fingers. His hand dwarfed hers, his fingers encircling her wrist. A sensation of power traveled up her arm, but she tried not to react.

  He gave her hand a single shake and then released her. “You will call me father. I foresee it.”

  “Well, I look forward to that,” Nikki said. Aphrodite swooped in for her congratulatory hug. “You must let me help plan the wedding. We’ll have it on Mount Olympus.”

  “Uh, well, I think it’s a little early to be—”

  Ares cut Nikki off. “Definitely, and we’ll get the wood nymphs to sing and the satyrs to play their flutes.”

  “Oh, that would be lovely.” Aphrodite hooked her arm around Ares and the two walked into the kitchen. “And what about Zeus performing the ceremony?”

  Nikki’s mouth dropped open, and she pointed to the two gods. “Are they serious?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Tor pulled her into his arms. “Don’t worry, we’ll have our own human ceremony.” He glanced over his shoulder. “But I think it’s best to let them have their way.”

  “You’re probably right.” She pressed her body against his. “Besides, I have better things for us to do.”

  A wicked smile spread across his face. “I feel kind of cheated. I’d planned on making love to you this morning.”

  “Yeah, dear old dad really knows how to kill the romantic mood. Maybe it was better that he wasn’t around during my formative years. I’d probably still be wearing a chastity belt.”

  Tor growled. “Hmm, I like the sound of that. And I could be your Knight in Shining Armor.”

  “I think I prefer you to be naked.” Nikki ground her hips against his, instantly feeling his arousal. “We need to get them out of here.”

  “Agreed.” He kissed her and ran his hand down her back to cup her rear end, pulling her against him. “Because I really want to make love to my fiancée.”

  Tor’s fiancée—they were the words she’d always dreamed of hearing, but never dared hope. Well, there were three other words she longed to hear more, but she was sure Tor would say them once they were truly alone.

  Chapter Fift
een

  Nikki grabbed her purse from the bottom drawer of her desk and kicked it closed. She checked her phone. Three o’clock—she had just enough time to get home, shower, pick up her dress for tonight, and get back for makeup and hair.

  The last week and a half had been a whirlwind of activity with getting the details of the Goddess line unveiling finalized. Nikki never mentioned it, but she suspected Tor’s mother used a little magical mojo to tie up loose ends.

  Very little time had been allotted for her and Tor to cozy up together. At night they would fall in bed exhausted and in the morning hit the floor running. After a few days of not making love they realized they would need to get creative. There were some stolen moments behind closed office doors, quick gropes and kisses when nobody was around, and occasionally they would sneak up to his apartment for a naked lunch.

  As exciting as the launch of Goddess was, Nikki couldn’t wait until it was over and she and Tor could form some kind of normal routine that would become their life together. She dropped her phone into her purse and pushed in her desk chair just as the elevator door dinged open.

  Demetria Mirrors glided from the elevator. “Leaving so soon?”

  “Yes, I’ve got to get ready for tonight.” She didn’t know why she was explaining herself. Since the incident in the conference room, Demetria had been icy but distant. Just the way Nikki liked her. “Tor’s not here right now. Did you need something?”

  “Actually—” Demi sauntered toward her. “I wanted to talk to you.”

  Instantly on guard, Nikki braced herself for whatever barbs the attorney was about to sling at her. “About what?”

  “I hear congratulations are in order.” A smile that looked more like a sneer turned up the corners of Demi’s mouth. “So congratulations.”

  Nikki eyed her, waiting for more. When she said nothing further, Nikki said, “Thank you, Demetria.”

  She repositioned her purse on her shoulder and walked toward the elevator, hoping that was all Demetria Mirrors had wanted to say. No such luck.

  “Of course, his mother promised to give him the company if he married you, so this move was expected.”