Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning #2)(90)

It amazed Lina. It had taken a goddess from an ancient world to see the potential in something as modern as the Internet. The IRS debt had been repaid threefold. Just as Demeter had promised. Al was well .

And Lina was so miserable she thought she was going to die.

No, she couldn't think about dying, or death, or spirits, or the Lord of the Dead...

The bel over the door jingled again.

"Hel o, handsome," Anton teased.

"Hey there, Anton. Nice boots." A deeply masculine voice said. Anton giggled happily.

Lina ground her teeth together and readied herself, glad she had the cappuccino machine between her and him. At least he wouldn't try to kiss her hel o.

"Good evening, Lina."

"Hi, Scott." She sighed and looked up at the gorgeous young man. He was tal and muscular. His blond hair was neatly cut and his deep blue eyes gazed down at her with open adoration. He was wearing a perfectly tailored business suit, complete with red power tie. The suit did nothing to camouflage his amazing body. Actual y, the long Italian lines accentuated the young man's incredible physique. Not for the first time, Lina thought he could have been a young Apol o - if the God of Light had come to Earth as an up-and-coming Tulsa attorney.

It wasn't hard to understand why Persephone had been attracted to him. That didn't surprise Lina. What she didn't understand was why he was so obviously smitten with her in return.

"I stil have those front row tickets to Aida. I thought I'd come by and see if you'd changed your mind. I real y don't want to go without you," Scott said.

"Thank you, but no. I real y can't."

"Why, Lina? I don't understand. Just two weeks ago - "

"Not here. Not now!" Lina interrupted him, mortified that the bakery had gone silent and everyone was watching their little scene while they pretended not to be.

"Then where and when, Lina? You've been avoiding me for two weeks. I deserve an explanation." Knowing he was right didn't make her feel any less miserable, nor did it make her decision less certain. Scott was handsome and incredibly sexy. Add to that he even seemed to be an honestly nice guy. But she didn't feel anything for him. It would have been easier if she could care for him. Losing herself in his youthful infatuation had seemed, fleetingly, like a good idea. She'd even tried going out on a date with him - once. When he touched her she felt nothing except the empty ache within her. Scott couldn't make her forget.

"Come on," she said. Rushing out from behind the counter she grabbed his arm and led him to the door. As she stepped out of the bakery she could hear Anton sighing mournfully and saying, "What a waste..."

The evening was chil y, and Lina should have already put up the little cafe tables and chairs that sat on the sidewalk outside the bakery, but as she struggled to find some barrier she could erect between them, she was glad she hadn't. She sat down at one table, and Scott took the chair across from her. Before she could say anything, he slid it around so that they were sitting close together. Seeing her shiver, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. It was warm, and it smel ed faintly like expensive aftershave and virile young man. He would have taken her hand, but she kept it out of reach in her lap.

"Scott," she began, honestly wishing that the sexy way his muscular chest looked in his dress shirt could make her feel more than an aesthetic appreciation for his well -toned physique. "I told you before. It's over between us. I wish you would respect that and just let it alone." Scott shook his head. "I can't. There's no reason for it. Just two weeks ago everything was fine. Everything was better than fine. And then one day I wake up and, wham! It's al over. No explanation. After almost six months, you dump me and you won't even tel me how I screwed up."

"That's because you didn't screw up. Merda! I told you before - it's me, not you." He's perfect, Lina added silently. Young and handsome and successful and attentive. He needed to go find a nice young woman and settle down in the suburbs with a big mortgage, 2.5 kids and a dog.

"Tel me again. I don't understand how you can suddenly be so different. What is it?"

"You're too young for me, Scott," Lina said earnestly.

"Would you please stop it with that crap! I'm twenty-five, not fifteen. I'm not too young."

"So let's say it's not that you're too young. Let's say the problem is that I'm too old."

"You are not," he leaned forward and pulled her hand from her lap, holding it in both of his. "I don't care that you're forty-three. You're beautiful and sexy, but it's more than that. Your heart is young. You sparkle, Lina. When we were together, you made me feel like I was a god." Lina smiled sadly. "Not anymore. I'm not like that inside anymore." She stood up and pul ed her hand from his. Then she slipped his jacket from her shoulders and gave it back to him. "I can't give you what you need. I don't have it inside of me anymore. Please, just leave me alone." He shook his head. "I can't. I'm in love with you."

"Okay, here's the truth, Scott. I'm in love with someone else." Scott straightened in his chair and the skin on his face tightened. "Someone else?"

"Yes. I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did. I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you." His handsome young face flushed and Lina watched as he erected a barrier of pride between them. Scott stood up. His jaw was set, but his eyes were sad.