Page 81 of Gabriel & Skye

I love the sound of his laugh. It’s masculine and sexy, and because I’ve only heard it a couple of times, it makes me feel good that I can bring laughter out in this man I thought was pretty grumpy at first.

“Fine, you got me. But it’s a long story.”

“I think I can keep up.”

He puts both hands behind his head as I look from him back up to the Dragon. “In Greek mythology, it’s said that the constellation symbolized the dragon named Ladon. He guarded the goddess Hera’s golden apples in the garden of Hesperides. However, to complete one of his twelve labors, Hercules killed Ladon in order to steal the apples. The only thing was, Hera was the wife of Zeus, so he wasn’t too happy about that. The apples that the trees bore fruit to were not considered to be of the ordinary kind; they were golden apples because they granted immortality to anyone who consumed them.”

The story takes my breath away. He really knows his stuff.

“So, what happened when Hercules stole them?”

“Well, by putting Ladon in charge, Hera thought she’d solved the problem of mischief around the orchard — where others who cared for the apples would steal some for themselves. When Hercules came along, unfortunately, it didn’t end well for the Dragon; Hercules slayed the multi-headed beast, or so the story goes.”

My heart hammers in my chest, imagining the battle. “All of that for the chance of immortality.”

“I get the feeling Hercules may have swindled Hera, but I haven’t read anything about it. Then again, he wouldn’t have wanted to be on Zeus’s bad side.”

I giggle. “The possibilities are endless.”

“I’m sorry if I just bored the living shit out of you,” he says suddenly. He runs a hand through his hair. I realize this is pensive Gabe. Him at his most vulnerable. And I like it a lot.

“Why would you say that?” I playfully punch him on the arm. “This stuff is fascinating. I want to know more.”

“To really put you to sleep?”

“Tell me about Taurus.”

He sighs. “I don’t know that much.”

“I bet you do.”

“It’s not like you’ll know if I make it up.”

I shake my head. “You wouldn’t do that — you’re too straight laced.”

“Straight laced?” He laughs out loud.

“You’re a perfectionist. I’d be surprised if you’re not a Virgo.”

He turns to look at me. “I am a Virgo.”

“See. I’m perceptive.”

“No, you’ve been hanging around my sister too long.”

“Oh, you’re probably right about that. Her woo-woo seems to be rubbing off on me.”

He chuckles again. “What star sign are you?”

I smile. “Taurus.”

“Ah. Well, I’ll tell you only the good things.”

“Deal.”

“Taurus is the sixth largest of the zodiac constellations and the seventeenth largest constellation overall. It actually occupies almost two percent of the sky over earth, according to astronomers. It gets its name from an easy to see V shape that looks like a bull’s head.” He draws a line with his finger as I follow it. Sure enough, I see it easily. “It has nineteen stars and is ruled by Venus; the enchanting planet that governs love, beauty, and money. It’s also said to be the most sensual of the zodiac, thanks to Venus’s influence.”

Holy shit, this man is on fire. I squeeze my thighs together without making it obvious. Him saying ‘sensual’ has my nerve endings on high alert.

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