When asked to post a spicy scene for this blog hop, I’ll admit, I was at a bit of a loss. Persephone and Hades had a few scenes that might qualify, but they were super short and so heavy with context that new readers would be lost and fans of the series would already have read it. Then I remembered that I’m writing a book about Aphrodite.

So below is an excerpt from my work in progress Venus and Adonis. V&A is the fourth book of the Daughters of Zeus series and picks up shortly after Persephone’s trilogy leaves off. For more information about the series as a whole click here.

Hope it’s spicy enough.

~@~

I slipped out to the balcony. The steady bass beat of Adonis’ music complimented the rumbling thunder. Rain splashed against my upturned face, and I grinned, spreading my arms as the rain picked up speed. Thunder rumbled and I yelled right back at it, spinning around, laughing.

“What are you doing?” Adonis stood just inside the balcony doors.

“I’m celebrating.” I spun around again, raindrops flinging off my skirt. “You’d know all about this if you’d come on that road trip.”

The thunder rumbled again and I yelled back at it, grinning.

“Celebrating what? And how? By pissing off the people in the next room?”

“Our room is shielded,” I reminded him. “No one can hear us. And what am I celebrating? Are you kidding?” Lightning flickered over the sea. “That!”

“That?”

“This is Zeus’ symbol. His…it’s his identity. Every time it stormed, every lightning strike, he took power in it, and now he’s not here anymore but we are.” The thunder cracked in the sky and I spun around, yelling again. “We were a part of that! We defeated him. Me, and Ares, and Hephaestus, we promised we wouldn’t forget our part in that. Zeus might still be alive now if it wasn’t for us.” I spun around again. “Every time it storms, we celebrate.”

“By getting soaked and screaming at the sky?”

“By dancing in the rain and shouting to the heavens,” I amended. “We’re gods. You’re surprised we like ritual?”

Adonis shrugged. “Whatever floats your boat.”

“Wait!” I called as he retreated into the room. “Care to join me?” Beads of rain dripped off my skin to the deck of the balcony. My hair was plastered to my face, and I’m sure my clothes looked awful, but when it rained I didn’t care. “It’s your celebration too.”

“Mine?” Adonis laughed. “All I did was knock you out. Not my proudest moment.”

I blinked. “Adonis, if you hadn’t have knocked me out, I would have forced Ares and Hephaestus to swear fealty to Zeus. He would have drained every last drop of power from us, and Persephone might not have had enough power to win. You saved us.”

Adonis looked down and rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t think–”

I reached out and grabbed his hand. “I’m alive because of you. I’ll never stop owing you for that. This is your victory too. Come celebrate.”

Adonis gave me a tight lipped grin, then stepped back, retreating into the room. I shrugged, and turned back to the storm. I tilted my head up and let the rain fall on my face. I was free. Zeus could never be able to make me do anything again. “You can’t hurt me.”

“Do you hear that?” Opening my eyes, I blinked the rain out of them. “Do you hear that?” I demanded, louder. The thunder rumbled, and I grinned just to piss him off that much more. “I’m free!” Lightning flashed and I whooped, spinning around, flinging rain water off me.

“If we’re going to do this,” Adonis said crossing the balcony threshold carrying his phone, and a few glass bottles. “We’re going to do this right. No one can hear us?”

I grinned, and shook my head.

He turned up his phone and put it on the ground just inside the suite, I assumed to protect it from the rain. Music filled the balcony, and Adonis passed me one of the bottles of tequila. “To winning.”

I raised the bottle to my lips.”To winning.”

The thunder rumbled and we both yelled at it, then took a shot. I spun around, grabbing Adonis’ hand and taking him with me as we went around and around and around. I let myself get lost in the music and drinks, and the rain. We danced and yelled till our throats were hoarse.

“Okay, okay, your turn,” Adonis announced an hour and countless shots later.

I swiped a puddle off the water tight surface before perching on the edge of my seat. “I never…lied.”

Adonis took another drink. “I never…” He trailed off, face screwed up in concentration far more intense than the task required. “got arrested.” He frowned again. “I think.”

I laughed, reaching for his bottle of tequila. “I think you’ve had enough.”

“Uh-uh, it’s your turn.” Adonis stood, holding the bottle over his head, just out of my reach, unsteady on his feet.

“I’m at a distinct disadvantage in this game, you know.”

“It’s your turn,” he insisted.

“Fine. I’ve never heard this song before.”

Adonis took a drink. “It’s a great song. I never…charmed my way out of a speeding ticket.”

I scowled at him, and took a drink. “I never…hit a girl.”

Adonis swore and took another drink. “I never apologized for that.”

I laughed. “I’ll never ask you to.”

“I never…shoplifted.”

I took another drink. “I never…kissed a demigod.”

Adonis grinned. “I can fix that.” His grin flickered as if he was just remembering his ex, the demigoddess Elise. “Damn you,” he laughed, lowering the bottle to take a drink.

I grabbed the bottle before he could lift it out of my reach. Thunder rumbled, shaking the balcony. Adonis and I hollered back at the thunder as the boat skipped over the choppy water, bouncing up and down.

“Give it back,” Adonis reached for the bottle, but I danced backward, out of his reach, laughing.

“Make me.”

Adonis lunged at me and slipped on a patch of water, falling forward and crushing me against the bars of the balcony. I laughed as he steadied himself. Looking up at him, I watched the rain drip off the contours of his face.

“I never thanked you for saving me,” I realized.

Adonis looked down at me, golden eyes darkening with an emotion I didn’t recognize. “I’ll never ask you to.”

He moved away from me, but not far. We hovered there for a moment, his hands gripping the railing on either side of me, a fraction of an inch from touching me. His body, teasingly close to mine. “Gods, you’re gorgeous.”

I stepped forward, erasing the distance between us and tilting my face up to his. His breath caught and I smiled, pleased to have that effect on someone as unflappable as Adonis. Twining my arms around his neck, I touched my lips to his. My intention had been to tease. A soft, quick and simple kiss before ducking away with a breathy one liner. Always leave them wanting more and what not.

I wasn’t prepared for his reaction. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me against him, warm lips pressing against mine, chasing away all the cold rain that tried to drip between us. No chance I was going to let myself be outdone by a demigod. My hands grabbed at the back of his shirt, pulling him to me with every ounce of fervor he was using to pull me to him. Gathering the material in my hands, I pulled his shirt up. The soft fabric give way to firm flesh.

He let me go, hands jerking to the buttons on his shirt, undoing them before they broke or strangled him. The shirt dropped to the ground. Adonis lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around him, dress riding up my thighs, hands exploring the paths the raindrops took down his golden flesh. There was no give to Adonis, he was all muscle.

His muscles flexed, one hand wrapped around me tight, solid and sure, I knew he wasn’t going to let me fall. The other sliding down my skin, pushing my dress off my shoulders.

He tasted like salt and rain. His mouth moved away from mine and I cried out in objection but then I felt his breath against my throat, kisses, feather light, working their way down my throat, to the hollow in my neck, burning away the cold.

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