Worth It - Lisa Oliver Page 0,42

you know… in bed?”

“Not the sexy stuff.” Ali shook his head. “We don’t need to spy on people for porn purposes. I get hot just looking at my mate.”

Yeah, me too, Paulie thought sadly, but Ali wasn’t finished.

“So, we weren’t watching the act as such, rather what Zeus did afterwards. Honestly, I’m so sorry. That dinner with you was my idea. I had no clue that Zeus would act like such a douche afterwards.”

Now Paulie was confused. “Can we back track a minute? Are you telling me the only reason why Zeus was waiting in my apartment last night was because you told him to be there?”

“Gods don’t work like that.” Ali held out a glass. “Drink this. It’ll help.”

“Only if it’s an amnesia potion.” Paulie took the glass. “Honestly, I feel like I’m in the twilight zone with no way out. Will someone please tell me what’s happening and why I’m here?”

“I’m the reason you’re here,” Ali said. “Well, me and Hades thought it would be for the best. You see, after you bit Zeus, he came to see Hades and I, spouting all this talk about wanting to make a big gesture so that you could see he didn’t mean for you to hear his words about not wanting a mate. Hades and I, understandably, thought that meant that Zeus did want to claim you, so I spent a good hour or more, explaining how to go about wooing you and I gave him the idea about being in your apartment and providing a meal. I didn’t think you’d enjoy a restaurant experience.”

“No, I don’t suppose I would,” Paulie said faintly. “It was a nice dinner.”

“Well, that’s something, but honestly, when these gods whip things up with a thought, they’re usually good at it.” Ali nodded vigorously. “I was rooting for you when you said your piece about wanting someone to accept you and love you and truly, when Zeus took you in his arms, I swooned. So romantic.”

“Yes, well clearly I wasn’t a good enough fuck,” Paulie snapped, stung because yes, that had been a romantic moment, and when Paulie had slid into Zeus’s arms he’d felt truly safe for at least five minutes. “I might not have had any sexual experience, but I’m sure a decent guy doesn’t just pull out and disappear like he’s afraid he’s going to catch something. Even a half-way decent guy.”

“Good, you’re angry about that.” Ali nodded again. “You have every right to be. And that’s why you’re here. You can stay with us for a while. It’s really quite an awesome place so long as you stay away from the pits.”

“The pits. Yep. Erm… actually, nothing you’ve said explains why I’m here. Zeus might be your mate’s brother, but that doesn’t mean you have to look after me. I’ve got school, my apartment. Surely Zeus wouldn’t take that away from me.”

Or would he? Paulie thought about the money he had in his account – money he’d earned, not the account provided by Zeus. It wouldn’t be enough to continue schooling and rent for a studio apartment. But if I have an address…

“Paulie. Paulie.” Fingers snapped in front of his face and Paulie looked up to see Ali leaning forward with a worried expression. “You don’t need to worry about your apartment or schooling. You’re a demigod and when we find out the limits of your powers, we can help you create a life you want to live. The thing is, no matter where you are on earth, Zeus can spy on you, like he has been doing since he first saw you at Christmas.”

“He stayed away then. I imagine he’ll stay away now.” Paulie was confused. “He didn’t claim me, he just fucked me, and clearly I wasn’t up to his standards, so he fucked off.”

“You haven’t done anything wrong!” Ali bounced up and Paulie found himself the recipient of a king-sized hug. He barely managed to get his glass put on a side table before it spilled. “Don’t you get it, Paulie. Zeus is a douche bag too used to having his own way. Do you know why he’s worried about having a shifter mate?” Ali let him go and sat down beside him.

“It could be any number of things,” Paulie said. “It’s not like I was a good catch anyway. The Fates probably gave me to Zeus because they knew he’d reject me and who could blame him. I’ve spent a long time homeless. I don’t have much