Page 30 of Hera

Augustine could only stare at her.

That sounds so perfect.

Too perfect.

“I am not ready to have sex, yet. I do not trust myself around you,” he heard himself say, feeling as though he were watching from somewhere else.

Hera pulled back as if he’d slapped her. She rearranged her features into a smile a moment later, but he could still see the hurt behind her eyes.

“I am sorry.” He took her head in his huge hands and brought their foreheads together. “Please understand, it is difficult for me to open up to people. I am working on it. Sex is... I...”

Hera nodded slightly. “Thank you for your honesty. I don’t want you to feel pressured. We’ll go at your pace.” She moved off his lap and stretched out beside him. “Do you know any of the constellations?”

“I know a lot. What is your favorite?”

Hera seemed to be considering his question seriously. “I think my favorite is the Big Dipper.”

“Really?” Augustine was surprised. “Why?”

“It’s easy to find and you can find so many other constellations from it. Look, there it is.” She raised one arm. “If you draw a line from the far end of the spout, you find the Little Dipper’s North Star. And if you trace the handle, you arc to Arcturus and speed on to Spica.” Her arm gestured to each of the stars in turn. What’s your favorite?”

“I am a big fan of Draco,” Augustine said, heart thumping harder than it had any reason to.

“Draco? It’s so hard to find!” Hera protested.

“Not if you know where to look.” Augustine mimicked her, raising his arm. “You find your precious Big Dipper, and Draco is right there, in between the two Dippers, curling around the little one as if protecting it.”

Hera gave him an appraising look. “Most people would say that Draco is attacking the Little Dipper. Why do you say ‘protecting?’”

Augustine shrugged. “People see what they want to see. Most of the stories about the stars were made up long ago. And people are afraid of what they do not understand. What doyousee?”

“I see...” Hera scanned the sky for a long time. So long that Augustine thought she’d forgotten his question. “I see that Draco’s mouth is facing away from the Little Dipper. I think heisprotecting.”

“I am glad you think so.”

They spent the next few hours talking about different constellations and their histories, until Augustine surprised himself by yawning. Hera followed suit.

“I am sorry, I should leave and let you sleep,” Augustine said, pulling himself out of the nest with great reluctance. He put on his shoes again and led the way down the stairs.

Augustine turned to face her while she was on the bottom step, bringing them eye-to-eye. “It is not something you did or could have done, you know that, right?”

“I know.”

Crossing the dining room to the front door, a familiar piece of paper caught his eye on the buffet. “What is that?” he asked, scooping it up before Hera had a chance to see what he was talking about.

Power surged around him and suddenly, he was no longer holding the paper, but not before he saw the beautifully stylized H at the bottom.

Shock coursed through his body and he stared at Hera. “I have seen that before,” he said slowly.

“Yes,” she admitted.

“You knew I worked at Valhalla’s?”

“Only after you brought it up tonight,” Hera rushed to reassure him. “I had no idea it was you until tonight.”

Augustine’s brain whirled as he parsed through this new information. “You propositioned me, the next night we matched up at speed dating, and you had no idea that I was the same person?”

“I had no idea, I swear,” Hera said, hands held out in apology. “I was feeling lonely that night and looking for some fun.”

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