Goddess of Love (Goddess Summoning #5)(78)

"I haven't decided yet."

"We," Pea corrected him. "We haven't decided yet." She gave Vulcan a stern look. "Just because you're a god it doesn't mean you get to make all the decisions." She pointed at her own chest. "I have my own goddess inside me, too. You shouldn't forget that."

"Well put, Pea," Venus said, loving that Pea had quite obviously come into her own, complete with a healthy dose of self-confidence.

"I had a good teacher," Pea said. "Oh, speaking of that, we have to get to work!"

"We?" Venus and Vulcan said together.

Pea laughed. "We meaning Venus and me." She leaned over and kissed Vulcan soundly on the lips. "And didn't you say you had some God of Fire stuff to do, too?"

"We?" Venus persisted.

"In all our rushing around yesterday I forgot to tell you. The Director of Training for the fire department called my office to say what a total success your stress-relief class was and that he was sending over the next shift this morning. So you have another class to teach today."

"Satyr's balls! I forgot to zap myself out of the firemen's memories," Venus muttered.

"You're going to have to fill out some paperwork, too. You know, taxes and such," Pea said.

"Taxes?"

"Why don't you let me explain all of it to you on the way to work? We have to hurry or we'll be late."

Venus frowned. "I didn't get to finish my coffee."

"I'll pour it into a travel cup," Pea said.

"It's not the same," Venus mumbled.

Vulcan stood and pulled Pea into his arms. Venus watched with interest. In all the eons she'd known him, the God of Fire had never shown even the slightest inkling toward being interested in romance, yet here he was, taking Pea gently in his arms and kissing her quite thoroughly. Odd. Truly odd. And this new depth to him did make him look strong and handsome and sexy. Well, good for Pea! And good for Vulcan, too. Venus was honestly happy for them.

"Tonight, little one," he said.

"Tonight." Pea stepped out of his arms and closed her eyes. Vulcan gave Venus a quick, friendly smile and then disappeared. With her eyes still closed, Pea said, "Can I look now?"

"Yes."

"Okay, let's go. You can tell me all about last night and Griffin, and I'll explain the loose ends with Vulcan," Pea said as she hunted through the cupboard for her travel mug.

"You know, darling, I could save us quite a bit of time by zapping us to school."

"No!" Pea's face blanched totally white.

Venus sighed. There were just some things about modern mortals she would never understand.

Chapter Twenty-Six

"I can't believe Vulcan has been watching us." Venus paced around Pea's office.

"Well, actually, he was watching me," Pea said.

"You know, this is very unlike him."

Pea grinned at the goddess. "Love does that to some people."

Venus raised a brow. "Indeed."

"Yep. Speaking of - let's hear about Griffin. And don't scrimp on the details. I mean, you were gone all night, and you did say the L word."

"Griffin is a spectacularly talented lover," Venus said.

"Well, that's great. But I'm assuming it takes more than that for you to fall in love with a man...or god...or whatever."

Venus studied her hands. She couldn't believe how difficult it was to talk of her innermost feelings. For eons she'd been encouraging couple after couple to do that very thing. Finally she understood why they'd looked so uncomfortable. The goddess sighed and tried to order her feelings into words.

"You know how it is with you and Vulcan - how the two of you seem so much alike that you have the almost innate ability to understand one another without many words?"

"Yes, that's how it is with Vulcan and me."

Venus looked up from her hands to meet her friend's eyes. She felt unusually close to tears as she continued. "That's how I feel with Griffin. It's ironic, really," she said, on a little sob. "He's an incredible man. He should have found love years ago. And me, I am Love, yet it seems I've not really known myself for ages. Not until I looked into that mortal man's eyes. Then suddenly I was found." Venus wiped her eyes. "Foolish of me, isn't it?"

"Of course not!" Pea took her hand. "Why shouldn't you deserve a great love for yourself?"

"Pea, I've been so busy assuring that everyone else finds love that I haven't thought to save any for myself."

"Then that changes now."

"You think it can?"

"It already has. You've found him. You love him. He loves you, right?"

"He says he does."

"Well then, what's the problem?"

"He doesn't know who I am."

"Yes, he does. He knows you're beautiful and kind and intelligent and funny and sexy. That's who you are."

"I am also an immortal goddess. One of the Twelve Olympians. My place for eternity must be on Mount Olympus. Pea, I can't leave my realm. How would the world survive without Love?"

Pea squeezed her hand. "It wouldn't. Griffin has to move to Olympus. That's all there is to it."