Empire of Lust (Gods of Olympus Book 2) Read online

  Empire of Lust

  Gods of Olympus 2

  Jamie Campbell

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Turn the Page

  A Message for Iris

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2017 by Jamie Campbell

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Created with Vellum

  1

  The sea parted as I stood. Waves crashed as the water made way for me on either side. It respected what I was—who I was. There were so few true goddesses left in the world now, and I was one of them.

  Aphrodite.

  The goddess of love, desire, fertility.

  I walked out of the ocean as the sun caressed my naked skin. My feet reached the sand as the final waves roared onto the land and announced my presence.

  The beach was beautiful, as I had expected it to be. Out of all the places to be exiled to, this one was the top of my list. Thank goodness my father approved, otherwise I could have ended up in Alaska.

  It was time for a new start, a new beginning. I was beyond ready to leave the problems in the past and start afresh. It was what my father wanted, despite the way he went about exiling me.

  You make one mistake, sheesh.

  The white sand slipped between my toes, soft and warm. I headed up the beach, away from the ocean that delivered me here. For the first time, I noticed the people dotted along the shore.

  They were all staring at me.

  Probably in awe of my beauty.

  That happened a lot and it never really got old. They should admire what the gods gave me. I was created for lust, for desire, every person here should bow down to my presence.

  But I had to remember that it was a different time. Those people didn’t understand what it was like when the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece ruled the world. They may have heard of our legends, but they didn’t see our power in the flesh.

  We were awe-inspiring.

  My naked body dried under the kiss of the sun. Even the last few beads of saltwater were soaked up by the time I reached the sand dunes.

  I scooped up a towel that was laid out on the sand and dabbed at my strawberry blond hair to get the last droplets out. My feet slipped into a pair of sandals. A T-shirt and pair of shorts were in a bag next to the towel. I pulled them on and left the rest of the contents.

  Walking on, many people were staring at me. They could stare all they liked, just as long as they didn’t work out my true identity. I was supposed to fit in here and not bring attention to myself. I laughed when my father gave me this command. I was never one to blend into the crowd.

  Looking down at my arm, I could still see the address scrawled there. I had hastily written it down when receiving my orders. It was the only help my father gave me before throwing me out of the empire.

  An address.

  I walked to the road and smiled at the first man I came across. He was in his fifties and had the whole silver-fox thing going on. His jaw hung open when I approached. “Is this your car?” He nodded. “Can you take me to 63 Sunnyside Drive?”

  “It would be my pleasure.” He hurried around the red vintage Corvette to open the passenger-side door for me. “Please, hop in.”

  I slid into the seat and waited the few seconds it took him to run back around the car and jump in. The radio blared as he switched on the engine. He was tuned to the oldies’ station. The songs playing were decades old. So old, I had forgotten them years ago.

  “You were like a vision coming up that beach,” the man said, his gaze going from me to the road and back again. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful before.”

  “I don’t know, this car is quite something.” And it was, fully restored and shining to within an inch of its life.

  “You like it, huh?”

  “It’s impressive. As I’m sure you’re fully acquainted with.”

  His grin split his face in two. “Oh, there are plenty of things I can impress you with.”

  I raised an eyebrow in response. I was used to men falling over themselves to impress me. Sometimes it was women too. At this stage in my long life, it was starting to get old. Unfortunately, I couldn’t change who I was and the allure I gave off.

  “So, are you from around here?” the man continued. Thank goodness the Corvette was wide because his hand was itching to touch my knee.

  “No, just visiting for a while.”

  “I can show you around if you like. I’ve lived here my entire life. I know this place like the back of my hand.”

  “My friend is acting as my guide,” I replied. “But thank you anyway. I’m sure you would have given a great tour.”

  We made small talk for the rest of the drive. By the time we pulled up at the address, I was ready to open the car door and jump—no matter where we were.

  “Thanks for the ride,” I said as I climbed out and closed the door.

  “I can give you my number. You know, if you ever need another lift or something.” That happened a lot. People tended to get attached to me. They didn’t need much. A glance, an expression, a pleasantry exchanged in an elevator, or a short drive.

  “I’ll be fine, thank you.” I slammed the door and headed up the path to the house. It was best not to encourage those that got attached. It would only end badly for them.

  And I didn’t need that hassle.

  The house was a two-story brick and tile job. It fit in with the rest of the neighborhood. Pretty little houses stretched on in both directions for as far as I could see. My father had done that on purpose. I needed to fit in, and I was so good at standing out.

  I knocked on the door and waited.

  Footsteps padded inside and the door was swung open. A woman in her mid-twenties stood there, eyeing me for a moment before her expression changed into a smile.

  “Dita! I’ve been expecting you. Please, come in,” she said, gesturing for me to enter. Her chocolate brown hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail which swayed as she moved.

  “You’re Willa, correct?” I asked.

  “Sure am.”

  She showed me through to a living room which was cozy, if nothing else. Two large couches faced each other with a coffee table placed in the middle. Three piles of books covered the surface of the table.

  Willa pushed her black-rimmed glasses up further on her nose. I got the feeling she did that a lot. “I’m so glad to have you here. It’s been a bit lonely in this house all by myself.”


  “It’s a lovely home,” I replied. It was nothing compared to the palace I had come from, but I’d been expecting that. My exile was not supposed to be luxurious, it was supposed to be punishment.

  The woman looked me up and down quickly. “Is your stuff in your car? I can help you bring it in, if you need a hand.”

  “I had everything shipped over. It will take a few days due to delays.” I rolled my eyes to add credibility to my lie. If I was going to blend into this time and place, I needed to buy clothes from stores located here. My beautiful gowns from home would not meet the definition of assimilating.

  “Oh, okay. I’ll show you around then.”

  Willa gave me the grand tour which consisted of two bedrooms, a shared bathroom, kitchen, study, and dining nook. It was a cute little home, about as big as my slaves’ quarters.

  She also gave me her life story.

  Her life was very boring.

  “So, I won’t be here very much,” she concluded, back in the living room after insisting she make me a cup of tea. “I’m a nurse at the hospital and also studying to specialize. You’ll have this place largely to yourself because of my crazy hours. What do you do?”

  This was where I should have thought about my cover more intently. I’d had to leave Olympus so quickly I didn’t have time to think of everything. “I’m… between jobs right now. But don’t worry, I’ll be able to pay the rent every month. My father is supporting me.”

  I didn’t even need to lie that time.

  Willa nodded her head. “Well, if you need help with anything, I’m here for you. I’m so excited to be doing the whole roommate thing. It’s going to be great!”

  Her enthusiasm was cute, if not exhausting. I excused myself after the tea and insisted I needed to check out the backyard. In truth, I needed a few moments to myself to breathe.

  Everything had happened so quickly. One minute I was in Olympus, the next I was emerging from the waves on the beaches of Ocean Rise. Now I had to pretend I was not the legendary mighty Aphrodite and pretend to be average.

  One day at a time, that’s what I needed to do. Take one day at a time until my father decided I could return home. He’d been so angry that I doubted it would be anytime soon. I needed to make the most of my new life.

  My gaze traveled past the overgrown grass of the backyard to the house next door. A man was crouched over and seemed to be playing with a bunch of mud. His messy caramel-colored hair kept falling into his eyes every time he leaned forward.

  I walked over to the fence, intrigued by the man. He was so focused on the mud that he didn’t notice me watching him.

  “Hello,” I called out. He didn’t respond so I said it again.

  His head twitched as he tried to get his hair out of his eyes with the crook of his elbow. His hands stilled on the pile of ugly brown mud.

  He looked around.

  And I knew I’d met my doom.

  2

  He was gorgeous.

  Not the kind of man with good looks that could set hearts fluttering. He was outstanding. Like beyond models, beyond the gods, and beyond anyone I’d ever seen before.

  His eyes.

  They smoldered with a fire that burned within. As if his spirit was visible through his gaze. And that spirit was a shimmering pond of endless beauty and intelligence. Hazel wasn’t a good enough description for their color. It was like all the colors of the rainbow had merged together, and they glistened individually when he moved.

  His hair.

  They were golden strands of pure caramel toffee. The sun made him seem like he was wearing a halo, given directly from all the angels of heaven. Surely with looks like that, he couldn’t be as innocent as he seemed.

  And that body.

  He was wearing an old T-shirt with holes pocked around the seams. Mud splattered all over it, making a pattern of their own that covered the faded design of The Doors logo.

  There was no way to hide the muscles underneath the fabric. The smooth and round curves of his biceps peeked out of his short sleeves, promising of a six-pack of abs further down.

  I’d seen beautiful men before. I’d been with Gods in my time. I could honestly say they could not hold a torch to this incredible man standing before me. He put Apollo to shame.

  Everything stopped when he looked at me. I forgot everything I’d ever known. If you’d asked me my name in that moment, I would have just babbled like a baby with some indiscernible words.

  He was staring at me.

  And I was just staring back, like a fool.

  “Hi there,” I said, trying to put some moisture back in my mouth. “I just moved in here. I guess we’re neighbors. My name is Dita.”

  The man stood. His hands were covered in mud halfway up his forearms. “I’m Laird. Sorry I can’t shake your hands.”

  “What are you doing with all that mud?”

  He grinned and my heart stopped beating. It was dangerous sporting a weapon like his smile. “It’s not mud, it’s clay. I’m a sculptor and this will eventually be a man and woman in an embrace. Hopefully.”

  A sculptor.

  An artist.

  I’d been with my fair share of artists before, and they always tended to be intense lovers. My cheeks burned as I wondered what kind of lover Laird was. “I’m sure it will be beautiful.”

  “Thanks. Say hi to Willa for me.” He returned to his clay with nothing more than a passing glance.

  I stared at him a moment longer while letting the sting of his quick dismissal burn away. He should have been flirting with me, trying to get into my pants, trying to at least extend the conversation until he could get my number.

  People didn’t treat me like that. They fell over themselves to speak with me. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been dismissed so quickly. Nobody did that to me, especially not a mere mortal human.

  I turned around and went back inside the house. Willa was in the kitchen, cooking up something that smelled so good my taste buds perked up. Hopefully, she was the sharing kind because I was a terrible cook.

  “I know the lawns need to be mowed. Sorry about that,” Willa said with a wince. “I hoped I could get away with the natural, meadow kind of vibe out there. Truthfully, I don’t own a lawnmower and don’t have the money to pay someone.”

  “It’s fine.” I sat on the kitchen bench. “I met our neighbor. He says hi.”

  “Laird? He’s in his yard quite a bit. Was he working?”

  “Yeah.”

  “He can sometimes be sculpting into the night when there is only the moon to see by. He’s very committed to his work.”

  “What do you know about him?” I asked. Surely there had to be something wrong with him if he was so quick to dismiss me. A mental disorder, perhaps?

  “He’s thirty years old—he had a party this year to celebrate the milestone. He’s an incredible artist. He invited me to a gallery showing once and I was blown away. I couldn’t believe he could sculpt such amazing artworks. He paints, too.”

  “Does he have a girlfriend or wife?”

  Willa smiled as if her mind was going places it shouldn’t. “No, he’s single. I haven’t seen him have a lady friend over since he moved in.”

  “Perhaps he prefers men?” That would explain his behavior somewhat. Although, I’d been known to turn all heads. Even those not sexually inclined toward my gender. My allure was that strong.

  She laughed. “No, he’s definitely into women. Why, are you interested?”

  I shrugged nonchalantly. “No, just curious. He wasn’t in the mood to chat to me out there. I wondered if he was friendly toward people or more the sociopath type of person.”

  “He’s normally friendly.” She pulled a tray out of the oven and placed it on the bench in front of me. The little cakes were more tempting than pomegranates. “Maybe he’s having a bad day.”

  “Yeah, maybe. Can I have one of these?”

  “Sure. They’re strawberry and white chocolate muffins. I enjoy baking. It’s kin
d of my hobby, helps me relax.”

  “Well, I enjoy eating.” I tried to pick up one of the muffins and burned my fingertips. The wait for them to cool down was going to be torturous.

  “We’re going to get along just fine then.” She pulled another tasty tray out of the oven. I couldn’t remember the last time I ate. My stomach rumbled just looking at the food.

  Shopping was going to have to wait until later.

  It turned out that Willa was an excellent cook. I wasn’t sure if she could make what I was used to eating but the muffins were perfect.

  I’d always been a terrible cook. I’d had staff for that kind of thing. Back in Olympus, all I had to do was wave a hand, and a succulent dish would be presented to me. Click my fingers, and someone else would feed it to me if I so wished.

  This world was going to take some getting used to. Hopefully, I wouldn’t be there long enough to need to. Surely my father would see sense soon. He would crawl to me, begging me to return.

  After we ate, I retired to my room. It consisted of the basics—a bed, desk, chest of drawers, and closet. The double bed was already made up with a floral duvet. A print on the wall showed a country landscape. It felt homely there, even though it was so very different from what I was used to.

  Willa was a good person. I truly lucked out in the roommate lottery. My father could have sent me anywhere, and I would have had to live with just anyone. Maybe it was an act of mercy that I ended up here.

  The only downside to the house was having to share a bathroom. The tiny room was barely bigger than the bathtub pushed up against one wall. Everything was mauve, what would have been fashionable decades ago in this place.

  I took a shower and washed off the salt from the ocean. My strawberry blonde hair was transformed from straw into long, flowing locks. I felt more human when I was clean.

  Unfortunately, I had nothing to put on afterward. The clothes I had stolen was the extent of my wardrobe. Luckily, I normally slept naked anyway. When you were as heavily guarded as I was, you didn’t need to worry about someone barging into your room when you were unawares and seeing you nude. I always enjoyed the feel of the silk of my sheets against my skin.