Page 98 of Ungodly Rich

With impeccable timing, Aphrodite sidled over with a velvet drawstring pouch, the kind that very expensive earrings came in. “I have something for you.”

Hera glanced behind Aphrodite. The sailors were still clustered around the jukebox, arms slung around one another, swaying drunkenly as they sang along to Journey.Impressive,Hera thought, but wouldn’t give Aphrodite the satisfaction of saying it.

Poseidon opened the pouch and shook its contents onto his palm. “Pomegranate seeds?” he asked skeptically. Three small red seeds gleamed there, bright as droplets of blood.

Aphrodite smiled. “I enchanted them to amplify the physical aspects of passion. Eat these, and I promise you’ll have the best night of your life.”

This ridiculous bribe had been Aphrodite’s idea, of course. Hera hadn’t argued, assuming that Aphrodite knew what men wanted better than she did.

Though she would never have admitted it, a depraved part of her was curious about the potion. Wondered what it would be like, to consume a pomegranate seed herself.

Poseidon said nothing. Hera cursed herself for listening to Aphrodite. They should have offered the sea god something else, an artifact of destruction or a protection charm. Anything but alove spell.

“Thanks, but I’m not interested.” Poseidon lifted his hand to return the seeds.

“No, wait—” Hera protested, but he’d already shrugged and dropped them on the surface of the bar. Three divine objects, practically glowing with enchantment, right there amid a residue of sticky spilled beer.

“I’m not interested in this pomegranate nonsense,” Poseidon said gruffly, “but I’ll do it. I’ll summon your hurricane.”

Aphrodite made a little noise of surprise, but she might as well have been absent. Poseidon’s blue eyes were locked on Hera. An odd shiver traced up her spine.

“What will we owe you?” Hera asked, because nothing ever came for free. Not among the gods.

Poseidon gave a deceptively casual shrug. “Don’t worry, I’ll come to collect when the time is right.”

A heated silence descended between them, one that Hera forced herself to break. She didn’t like owing anyone a favor, least of all a god as powerful and inscrutable as Poseidon, but what other choice did she have? “Fine,” she declared, retreating a step. “You begin tonight. Aphrodite?”

The goddess of love cast one final glance at her admirers before following Hera to the door.

The two of them weren’t heading back to the resort, not just yet. They had one more stop to make, at the private airstrip just a few miles away.

Hera forced herself to put her interaction with Poseidon out of her mind. She reached into her tote bag, where the comforting weight of Pandora’s Jar clattered against her leather Chanel wallet. She was going to the air traffic control tower, perhaps even the pilots’ lounge. And she was going to unleash horrors there.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Julia

“I can’t believe we’re getting married in three days,” Julia said softly as Harry came to join her on their balcony.

Technically, for the next few days it washerbalcony; Harry was staying one floor down, since his mother insisted they have separate rooms until they were officially married. Julia had long ago stopped protesting how ridiculously old-fashioned this was. Three days from now it would be irrelevant, anyway.

Harry stepped behind her and curled his arms around her torso, pulling her close. “I can’t wait to start forever with you.”

“I’m glad I scared you into proposing,” she ventured, testing a joke.

Harry leaned down to drop a kiss on her brow. “Iwasscared,” he admitted. “I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you. Still, I’m sorry that it was on an airplane. I had a very romantic proposal planned, you know.”

This was the most that they had discussed the proposal since it happened. Julia hadn’t exactly meant to avoid the topic, but thinking about the proposal inevitably made her think of the events leading up to it.And she didn’t like being reminded of his affair with Valentine, or how close she’d been to leaving Harry for good.

Already, when people asked about Harry’s proposal, Julia caught herself recasting the whole thing in more romantic terms. She made it sound spontaneous and passionate rather than fraught, as if Harry couldn’t hold in the words a moment longer, instead of proposing to keep her from running off.

It didn’t matter anymore, did it? Their story was about to have a very happy ending. It deserved an equally happy beginning.

Tomorrow, Thursday, the three hundred wedding guests would begin arriving. Most had been invited by the Ellenes, of course. Julia’s contribution to the guest list was glaringly pitiful: aside from her aunt and uncle; her boss, Lucy; and Abby, she’d only invited a few friends from Harvard. She hadn’t asked to include any of her old coworkers from the cruise line. They might feel uneasy at a wedding this grand, and besides, Julia doubted that they could afford the overseas flight.

Nestled in Harry’s arms, she stared at the waves crashing on the beach. Afternoon sunlight danced over the water’s surface. It made her think of another beach, another sunset—in Greece, the evening she had first met Harry’s family. Strange to think that was less than a year ago. The Julia of that night had been so clueless, wearing her thrift store clothes and thinking she could hold her own among the wolves.

That Julia wouldn’t recognize the Julia who stood on this balcony, in a printed Alémais dress that draped off her tanned shoulders.