Goddess of Love (Goddess Summoning #5)(62)

She took her time answering him. His voice had sounded neutral, but something in the tense set of his shoulders told her that she had inadvertently offended him. "The truth is you seem more warrior than artist to me."

"Can't a man be both? You're the mythology buff. If I remember correctly weren't several of the gods artists, or at least musicians, as well as warriors?"

Venus felt a little shock of surprise. He was right, though. Apollo was a gifted musician as well as a skilled warrior and God of Light. Ares was God of War, but he was also a poet - though in her opinion a rather dry one. Athena, who was Goddess of War and Wisdom, had also long been recognized as Goddess of the Arts, too. And even Vulcan was an accomplished metal sculptor, as well as God of Fire. "Yes, the gods and goddesses were known for the duality of their natures. But unless the true surprise you're going to reveal to me tonight is that you are one of the gods, it has been my experience mortal men tend to be one or the other, either artist or warrior. But - "

She paused and he glanced over at her. She smiled warmly at him. "I suppose an exceptional mortal man could be both."

"So you'd think I was exceptional if you found out I was both?"

"Did I say exceptional?" she teased. "I meant unusual...abnormal...aberrant...or maybe simply peculiar."

He laughed and she was glad to see the tension leave his shoulders. A building outside the truck caught her eye. "Isn't that Lola's restaurant we just passed?"

"Yeah, the art show is down the street at one of the renovated Brady Street warehouses. I hope you don't mind a little walk. The weather's great tonight, and it's hard to find a good spot for this truck on the street, so I thought I'd park at the lot across from the Tribune Lofts, and we could walk from there."

"I don't mind a brisk walk," she said, but his mention of the Tribune Lofts had distracted her. They were near the portal. Odd that she'd forgotten all about it, and the fact that she was literally stranded in the modern mortal world. Funny, she hadn't really felt stranded, not since Pea had opened her home and her life to her. Pea seemed to be happy and well, and after her date tonight with the sexy Victor who was, apparently, an expert in cunnilingus, her life would quite probably be filled with ecstasy. That would fulfill the oath that had bound her to this world. So it was a very real possibility that she could walk down the street tonight and be allowed to disappear back to the ancient world - her world.

"Ready, Venus?"

She mentally shook herself. Griffin had parked the truck and was holding her door open, with his hand outstretched, ready to help her climb down from her passenger's side perch. She unclicked her seat belt and slid her hand into his.

She'd think about Olympus later.

The renovated warehouse was an excellent place for the art show. Venus was impressed by the lighting and the tall, smooth walls that were painted a pure white reminiscent of new snow and winter nights. They would showcase paintings well, she decided. But tonight the art being exhibited was of a different medium. Tonight they were exhibiting sculptures made of different types of metals welded together in an astonishing array of shapes and sizes. Venus studied the artist's work. She didn't need to look at the nameplates or the studio's flyer to recognize that all of the pieces had been created by the same artist.

"Grace," she said abruptly.

"What?"

She looked from the sculpture she'd been studying to Griffin. The tension was back in his shoulders and he seemed to carry with him a strange nervousness, almost as if he had a wire within him that was strung too tightly. He'd started acting oddly ever since they'd entered the gallery. Yes, he'd been attentive and charming, and there was definitely a sexual tension that brewed steadily between them, but he'd also been on edge.

"I just realized what it is all of the sculptures have in common. It's a gracefulness. Even though each sculpture is different, they have a similar feel, as if they had been molded by the same heart." She had his full attention now, which she definitely liked. "I don't have to read the nameplates to know that all of these were created by the same man."

"What makes you think the artist is a man?"

Venus smiled knowingly. "I know a man's touch when I see it. For instance - " She motioned for Griffin to follow her over to a sculpture of which she was particularly fond. It was a large piece, titled Phoenix. The metal was copper. The sculpture was of the outline of a naked winged woman flying up from a nest of jagged copper flames. "Look at the full, curving lines of this woman, especially her hips and br**sts, and also look how he has given us the illusion of long, flowing hair that mingles with the flames so that the two, hair and flames, eventually become one. This was created by a man who loves the female form and who has an excellent eye for beauty."

"Couldn't a woman love the female form, too?"

"Of course, but it has the sensuality and masculine energy of a man's hands."

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, very much. I like them all actually. Do you know the artist?"

A cacophony of female voices interrupted his reply, and Griffin turned his head toward the entrance to the gallery as an excited group of four attractive young women burst into the warehouse.

"They did come." He wasn't looking at Venus and his voice sounded strained.