Page 28 of Hera

“Don’t youdareapologize for kissing me like that!” Hera said fiercely. “Next time, we’ll have to make sure we’ve got some more privacy, because I desperately want to do that more, and at more leisure!”

Augustine gave her a shy grin. “I liked it, too.”

Hera pulled her goggles back down onto her face and picked up her dangling gun. She gave him a light peck on the lips and then peered out between the slats of the pallet. “They’re sneaking up on us. What’s our play?”

“We fight.” Augustine returned her grin. “On your signal.”

“Now!”

CHAPTER8

The sky was becoming dark,nightfall setting in when Augustine arrived at Hera’s apartment above ButterNut Bakery. He adjusted his cuffs, checked his black shirt was tucked in, and fixed the knot of his purple tie. Everything ordered to his satisfaction, he rang the doorbell.

“Hello!” Hera said breathlessly, opening the door and dashing away. “Sorry, I can’t leave the kitchen right now or the sauce will burn!”

Augustine stepped into the most spacious apartment he’d ever seen, certainly larger than the bakery downstairs should have above it. Some power had gone into its design, although that much was obvious simply based on the amount of greenery growing throughout the main living space. “Your home is beautiful,” he said, making his way into the kitchen. “This is for you.” He handed her a candy bouquet.

“Oh, this is brilliant!” Hera said enthusiastically. She plucked one candied rose petal off and bit into it. “Delicious.” She offered the other half of the petal to Augustine.

He took it gently between his lips, his tongue tracing along her thumb. Her pupils dilated slightly and a soft gasp escaped her lips. “Delectable, but it does not hold a candle to your taste.”

“Oh,” she breathed, a blush stealing across her cheeks.

“I could spend hours devouring every inch of you,” Augustine murmured. He pressed a kiss to each fingertip and in the palm of her hand.

“You...” Hera took a shuddering breath. “You must be very hungry.”

“I am starving.” He grinned. “How can I help with dinner?”

Hera blinked, obviously not thinking along the same lines as he was, and noticed that her sauce was boiling. “Oh no!” She immediately started stirring vigorously and the sauce settled. “You can help by setting the table. It’s on the roof. The stairs are in the corner.”

Augustine brought everything she indicated up to the rooftop terrace and set up the table and chairs he found there. At last, everything was ready.

Hera told him to wait for her on the roof while she got dressed. “I didn’t want to spill something on my dress while I was cooking. I won’t take long, I promise.”

Augustine poured the deep red wine in the two glasses and picked one up, cradling it in his hand as he gazed out over Purgatory, lit up in reds and pinks simulating a setting sun.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Hera’s voice came from behind him.

“Stunning,” Augustine agreed. He turned to greet her and almost choked on his tongue. Hera had chosen to wear an almost sheer purple gown that floated around her body like the Goddess she was. She was barefoot, but he hardly noticed that, his gaze flicking from her breasts to lower. It was clear she wasn’t wearing anything underneath the dress, although it was still tasteful; hinting at what he could have if only he gave the word. “I did not realize that stargazing involved making them jealous.”

She cocked her head to one side, confusion written across her face.

“I doubt I will be able to take my eyes off of you to look at the stars, therefore they will be jealous of you,” Augustine clarified. He blushed. “I apologize, I was trying to pay you a compliment, but I suddenly found that this wine went straight to my head.”

Hera chuckled softly. “It was a beautiful compliment. Sorry, I didn’t understand right away. Shall we eat?”

Can I eat you?Augustine thought, but did not ask. He pulled out her chair for her and then sat across from her. Each bite was exquisite. “Is this what they mean when they say that the food of the Gods is beyond compare?”

“This is ordinary cooking,” Hera said, obviously pleased by the compliment. “Ambrosia and nectar are, to be strictly honest with you, overdone.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Augustine chuckled. “Maybe don’t overcook them?”

Hera gaped for a moment, and then burst into giggles. “That’s not what I meant and you know it!”

“If you say so,” Augustine grinned, feeling her tiny foot nudge his leg.

They finished their meal amidst more banter, and the simulated sun had finally set below the horizon, leaving a dark sky speckled with diamonds in its wake.

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