“What’s all the—” Her eyes lit up with excitement as she set her gaze on Athena.
Breathe, Bri.
You can handle this.
“I literally go to bathroom for five minutes and hell freezes over,” Tellulah said with an evil grin. “Who’s your friend, Bri?” she asked like a giddy little schoolgirl.
Brian cleared his throat once more as he walked slowly, one foot at a time toward his father’s hospital bed. Despite the fact the doctors agreed to keep him an extra couple days for observation, he looked rather... well. Like himself, and not like the tired old man he’d seen only a day prior.
“This is Athena,” he said politely.
Athena pushed herself off the doorframe, gliding across the tile like she owned the damn place. It was a wonder he was capable of standing upright with her in the same room, as he watched her intently. Like earlier, the world begged to disintegrate around them, and all he could see was her. The thumping of his heart sounded so loudly in his chest he thought everyone could surely hear it.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Leehan,” she said, shaking his hand, then his mother’s.
“Athena, hmmm? What are the odds you know a thing or two about the Goddess herself?” he asked as he slid out his laptop.
“Dad, don’t...”
“Oh, I know a bit.”
His father pointed to her wrist, directly at a tattoo which Brian hadn’t gotten a good look at until this moment.
SPQR with a wreath.
Huh, maybe she’s got a thing for mythology too...
“Percy Jackson fan?” his father asked casually, his tone surprisingly non-judgmental.
Athena grinned wickedly. “Roman Republic fan.”
Who is this woman and where has she been all my life?
Brian contemplated grabbing Athena by the hand and dashing through the door, but Tellulah seemed to be blocking his exit.
Damn her!
“Most young folk don’t know what that stands for. They only know the stuff they read in that young adult literature nowadays. No sense of history anymore,” his father grumbled. His mother rolled her eyes.
“I believe history has all the answers we seek,” she said with a casual air.
Brian couldn’t take his eyes off of her long, lithe frame, her golden waves or her silvery-grey eyes. The way she held herself; tall and strong, poised with a confidence and boldness that radiated off her, made him feel as if he should drop to his knees before such a being.
“Donny, give the girl a break. She didn’t come here to be grilled,” his mother touted.
“Yeah,Athena, why did you come here exactly?” Tellulah pounced on her opening.
Before Brian could even speak, Athena stopped him, winking at him sweetly.
“Because what’s important to Briony is important to me.” She shrugged nonchalantly.
“Oh my heavens.” His mother sighed, her cheeks pinkening.
“How refreshing,” Tellulah said, a positive lilt in her voice. “And here we thought dear oldBrionymay have been batting for the other team all these years,” she said with a giggle.
Brian could feel his entire body flush with heat, panic surging through him. Immediately the images of just how he and Athena had been spending their fateful time shot through him like a lightning bolt, his cock twitching from the memory of the feel of her...
“And on that note, I thinkAthenaand I have overstayed our welcome,” he said as he grabbed her by the hand, tugging her toward the exit, past his guard dog sister.
