AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rafael knew a dismissal when he heard one.
"And where is your room?"
Bellona lifted her head from inside the fridge. "Upstairs. Why?"
"I just thought we might share a room so you can protect me better," he said with a grin.
Bellona raised a brow. "No one knows we are here, Rafael. I don't need to protect you here."
Rafael sighed. "What a shame."
She could throw too many sharp things in the kitchen at him, so he didn't push his luck any further. He couldn't help but flirt with her. Bellona got a confused expression on her face every time, appearing surprised he would have the audacity to flirt with her. Maybe she would head-butt him again if he got out of line. He liked the adrenaline in his veins like his brain was trying to warn him that teasing her was like pulling the tiger's tail. Foolish and suicidal.
Like the rest of the apartment, the guest bedroom was elegant, with a large bed and bathroom. There were more pictures of Bellona over the years, including one of her and Set in a snowy war camp. Rafael tried not to feel an irrational twinge of jealousy when he looked at her smiling at the big Egyptian.
He tried to remember some stories about the gods he had heard growing up. Bellona had always been married to Mars, her male counterpart and war god. There were no photos of her with other men except for Set.
Rafael took some gray pajama pants and a T-shirt from his bag and showered. He tried not to think of his burning villa. He had liked that property. It was the place he went to relax and be left alone. He would rebuild it, maybe make it smaller. He had originally built it back when he thought he would have a family one day. As time passed, he realized how much he didn't want kids. He hadn't even found someone he wanted to be with for longer than a night.
Rafael tried not to let it bother him too much. Family life was not meant for everyone, and he was sure it was only his obligation to his father and his company that made him consider it at all.
Rafael dressed and ran his fingers through his wet hair to try and make himself look presentable. He wasn't vain but didn't want to appear like a completely hopeless case in front of Bellona.
The smell of garlic frying had his stomach rumbling before he returned to the kitchen.
Bellona was serving up some tomato and basil spaghetti into two bowls. The table had been set with glasses of wine, a bowl of shredded parmesan, and sliced bread.
"This looks amazing," Rafael said, his stomach rumbling.
"It's pretty basic, but I've been away and have no ingredients. I'll get some groceries delivered tomorrow." Bellona gestured to the table. "Take a seat. Are you feeling okay? You have a dazed look on your face."
"I'm fine. I can't get over the fact I was just getting shot at, and now I'm having three a.m. pasta with you. It's been a strange day," he replied. He waited until she had put the bowls down before he pulled out a chair for her.
Bellona looked at him suspiciously but sat down anyway. "You think your day has been strange? Try starting your night killing sex traffickers in Tangier and then being shot at in Italy before the sun has come up again."
"I can't imagine what your life must be like." Rafael sat down and picked up his fork.
Bellona's grin was a wicked shot straight to his dick. "It's never dull; that's for sure."
It wasn't until they had finished eating and Rafael was washing up that the adrenaline sustaining him vanished. He swayed on his feet, and if it weren't for Bellona's hand on his lower back to steady him, he would have toppled over.
"Go and sleep. This can wait," Bellona said, her tone gentler than he had ever heard. "Go."
Rafael took her hand and kissed the faint golden scars that crisscrossed her knuckles. "Thank you for rescuing me again. I don't know how to repay you."
"I'll think of something." Bellona pulled her hand out of his and nudged him towards the guest room. "Go to sleep. Tomorrow will take care of itself."
7
Bellona had been waiting for Rafael to crash, have a panic attack, or do any of the usual things humans did in his situation. He seemed tired but mentally stable. It was a good thing. She didn't want him traumatized, but he seemed to handle things better than most.
Bellona remembered the cheeky boy he had been the first time they met. He'd had the crap kicked out of him and still had enough energy to be bold.
Bellona turned on the dishwasher and headed upstairs to her bedroom. She took a long time to shower off the night. She needed to look into Rafael's business partners and Rita Costa.
Bellona could smell war in the air, and she would do everything she could to make sure it never touched Rafael. She rewashed her hand, still feeling the press of his lips to her knuckles. It was hardly the first time a man had kissed her hand. It was the first time one had seen her scars though.
Usually, with lovers, Bellona cast a light glamor around her to hide her divinity and the scars that mapped over her body. She didn't find them ugly or embarrassing. They just made people ask too many questions she didn't have the answers to. 'I received that scar in a battle against Shapur I in 253,' wasn't the right thing to say to lovers. That was the problem with being immortal. Everyone else changed but you. Eighty years was a good mortal lifespan, and it was barely a blink of an eye.
