Page 12 of Falling for Ash
She stopped her just on the other side of the polished staircase, in a dark secluded corner. Gabriella was breathing heavily. There were too many fragrances assaulting her senses, and her stomach tightened as she started to panic, albeit mildly.
“Look at me, Gabriella,” Aphrodite commanded. “I am sure Mariah meant well, throwing you in the deep end like this, but I have one question for you before you begin.”
Gabby nodded, willing the woman to just get on with it already.
What did she want to know?
Did insanity run in the family?
Had she gotten her flea shots?
Was she gonna potty on the floor?
Chew on the chairs?
What, dang it, what?!
“Are you a virgin?”
Well, that wasn’t what she’d expected. Gabby stopped hyperventilating and straightened her shoulders. Her cheeks burned, and she knew they’d be a dusky, unflattering shade of pink that clashed with the red lights of the room they were now in.
“Hey, I may not look like you, oh Goddess of love, but I have been in love. At least, I thought I’d been. And the answer is no, I am not a virgin.”
“Great! I was worried for a minute. Follow me,” Aphrodite replied with an even wider grin than before. “Welcome,” she said, indicating the room before her, “to Speed Dating With the Denizens of the Underworld!”
Gabriella’s eyes popped out of her head.
What in the world?
But she knew as she gazed at the men and women, creatures really, sitting at tables, some with enormous wings, protruding fangs, tails, claws, and glowing eyes, that she wasn’t in the world anymore. Not her world, at any rate.
“When you say Underworld, is that figuratively or literally?” Gabby asked while Eve sauntered over to greet them, a piece of paper in her hand.
“Here’s your ballot. Did I spell your name right?” she asked, ignoring Gabby’s question.
“Yep.” Gabby nodded, only half listening.
“This is the Underworld Café, dear,” Aphrodite stated calmly, leading her to a table where a man with green-tinted skin sat nervously.
“Hello everyone, it’s Wednesday and you know what that means!” The beautiful Goddess began laying out the rules while Eve unceremoniously shoved Gabby into the chair.
She gulped, took the drink Eve proffered. It was a swirling concoction that dazzled the eye with red sugar crystals around the rim and golden swirls inside.
“Begin!”
Gulp.
Chapter
Five
Ash growled impatiently and sunk into his assigned seat. He had more important business to attend than this, for fuck’s sake. Creed, one of his legates, had reported some more unsavory activity at the southwest border. He ordered double the guard to check it out and was waiting impatiently for the report.
Fucking hell.
He would’ve gone himself if this hadn’t been a direct order from Lucifer.
Who would have ever thought the Demon of Lust could sink so low?
