Ares: (Gods of Old Book 1) (7 page)

“I can’t wait. It sounds like a great deal of fun. Should I assume that you know all of these languages? Because if not we are both totally and completely screwed; I’m so not good with languages.”

“Yes, I know the languages. It’s all good, Ava. I wouldn’t take you somewhere that wasn’t safe.” Ares lifted a hand to her cheek, “Trust me, sweetheart.” Smiling he leaned in and kissed her gently on her lips. “We should swim now, though; I don’t want to take you to the market too late. We don’t want to miss all the good stuff.”

“I know that you wouldn’t take me anywhere where I would be in danger of getting hurt.” He kissed her, and she forgot to breathe for a moment. Licking her lips when he pulled back and told her that they should swim she nodded dumbly. “Oh, okay. Yes. Swim.” She suddenly went stupid with that kiss.

“Yes, a swim,” he said with a grin. His hand cupped her face, and he kissed her again, slowly. His tongue slid along her lips until she opened for him. Then he danced it over her teeth lightly and very slowly, touched her tongue.

She forgot all about everything except for kissing him. Nothing else mattered, only him. Holding him close, she kissed him back and let her hands move over his shoulders and down his back.

His hands were skating over the skin of her back; slowly moving up and down, his thumbs brushing over her ribs and the outer curve of her breasts. Then the kiss changed, it became deeper, more demanding. His body was tense under hers as he pressed in closer to her, while pressing her closer to him.

When they finally parted, she was certain that she had a glazed look on her face and a smile on her lips. “Wow.” Okay, so that wasn’t the most original thing that she could’ve said
,
but it was all she could think of at the moment. “I really think that this date is going far better than either of us could have imagined.”

Ares chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t know about that, but it’s definitely unique. Now, I think we were going to swim, weren’t we?” He leaned in to kiss her lightly before sliding them off of the rock. His hold loosened up a bit and then finally let her loose.

“Yes, we were going to swim, or something like that,” she said with a grin. “I like that idea. Let’s swim, get rid of a bit of energy that we have going on and then, when you’re ready, we’ll get out of here. You can get us all dried off and then take us for a marketplace excursion and dinner.”

“Uh-huh,” he grinned at her. “Still trying to get your head back on straight I see. Though your attention to detail is admirable. Especially the part about remembering I’m a God, finally.” Chuckling he kissed her cheek and let her go fully. “Stay away from the falls,” he warned her once more. Then he was off and swimming, an easy looking breaststroke that made his muscles stretch and bunch as he moved.

“I will. Even if I somehow managed to get under them I’m sure you would save me.” She had faith in him; more faith than she had in anyone or anything else. She watched him for a moment as he swam and she sighed happily. Damn, she was one lucky woman. Life was good, and it was only just starting. As she swam lazily, she wondered what their future would hold.

A time later, when she paused to look around, he was sitting on the rock again; with one knee drawn up and his arm resting on it. “You ready to head out?” he called to her. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. What say we get out, get dressed and move on?”

“I say you should do your thing, get me out of here and dressed and then we get going.” She was totally down with him using his power on her; especially if it meant that she didn’t have to feel a cold breeze on her body. “So dress me as you think I should be dressed and let’s go find some food and haggle for some goods.”

His smile got bigger, and he nodded. “All right, that I can do.” He lifted a hand and snapped his fingers. In the next moment, she was on dry land, facing him, fully dressed just as he was. “Ready?” he held out a hand to her.

She laughed, she couldn't help herself. “Thank you.” She looked down and shook her head. “Well, at least you dressed me nicely, huh? I like it. A lot. I also like the fact that you and I match. It’s kinda nice.” She said happily. Moving to his side, she linked her arm with his. “All right, let’s do this, shall we?”

“The matching part was only a passing thought, but since it was there, it stuck. Sorry about that,” he said looking down at her. He put his hand over hers where it rested on his arm and kept looking at her. One moment the roar of the waterfall was there, the next the sound of raised voices. “Welcome to Turkey and the biggest and best marketplace anywhere in the world.”

She stepped in just a bit closer to him and smiled. “Yes, I am perfectly fine with the matching outfits,” she assured him. “Okay, I don’t know the language, so you will have to translate for me from time to time, please.”

“I will,” he smiled down at her. Sliding his arm around her waist, he guided her between buildings. There before them were tables with cloth overhanging them. “We have various meats, some questionable, some good. Fruits, nuts and even cheeses and bread. Any preferences for what we get for our picnic?”

“I’m up for a little of everything. I’m not real big on cinnamon or peanuts, but I like everything else. No allergies. Oh, and I do not like lamb. At all. Lamb just makes me go ‘ick,’ and that’s not a good thing to do in the middle of a picnic, right?”

“That would not be good at all,” he agreed. Grinning he shook his head and led her towards a table. “What are your feelings on goat?” he asked. Picking up a couple pieces of fruit he pressed them to his nose and inhaled before nodding to the proprietor. The man said something to which Ares replied. They went back and forth for a time before Ares passed over some coins. “So, goat,” he looked at her again.

“I’ve never had goat before,” she told him with a grin. “I’m willing to try it. Is it good? It doesn’t have the same taste as lamb, does it?” If so she would likely barf.

“It most definitely does not have the same taste as lamb. It’s a gamier meat than lamb,” he told her guiding her to another table. Once again he spoke to the proprietor and then nodded. Pointing to some things he dug out more coins. “I think you’ll enjoy it, but I’m getting some chicken as well. Which you most definitely will enjoy. The Turks’ use of spices is unique and amazing. We’ll pick up some wine, water, and cheese over towards the end of the market. But we can wander through and see what else might catch your fancy. It’s not all food, just enough to keep the buyers buying lots of interesting things.”

“Sounds good to me,” she said with a nod. “I’m willing to try just about anything and everything. We definitely need to get water if we’re going to have wine because I really do not want to be drunk later if you wouldn’t mind,” she teased him.

She stopped in front of a vendor and touched a small pair of earrings, “These are beautiful. Will you ask him how much?”

Ares tapped the earrings and spoke to the vendor. The man replied, and they chattered back and forth for a moment. “He says they are the equivalent of six US dollars. He also says there is a necklace that goes with them. Ah, there it is,” the vendor held out a silver chain with a matching pendant. “The entire set is fifteen US dollars.”

Ava smiled and looked up at Ares, “But I already have the best necklace ever, one that I will never remove, so that necklace would never be worn. It’s beautiful, though. Please tell him that I only want the earrings.”

Nodding he looked to the vendor and spoke once more. He handed over the appropriate money and took the earrings, passing them to her. “Shall we continue on your sojourn through the marketplace?” he asked, setting his arm around her waist once more.

“Sounds good to me.” She put the earrings in and then wrapped her arm around his middle once more. “I think that I could get used to this. Not the whole flashing from place to place stuff, but the whole spending time with you thing.” She couldn’t help feeling that at any moment now, she was going to wake up, and realize that all of this had been a dream.

“It’s not a dream,” he said quietly. “I’m real; you’re real, and we are both really here right now. I’d pinch you, but I would hate to cause you any pain. Plus, you might deck me, and I’d really hate to cause myself any pain.”

“Ah yes, good point,” she said with a laugh. “Again you’re reading my mind, but I don’t mind,” she admitted happily. “Well, I’m very happy that I’m not dreaming. I happen to really and truly enjoy this. Spending time with you. Being with you.”

“You’re projecting,” he corrected her. Pressing a kiss to her temple he gave her a squeeze. “I quite enjoy having time with you as well, Ava. And it is something that we’ll do often. Especially since I have nothing better to do than harass my siblings.”

“Good,” Ava told him and gave him a small squeeze. “Oh, these are beautiful.” She stopped at a vendor that was selling silk material. “I would love to get a few of these. Are you sure that you don’t mind paying for everything?” He had to since she had absolutely no cash on her at all.

“I don’t mind getting you anything you wish, Ava,” he smiled. “Pick out which ones you like and tell me how much you want of each and I’ll get her to cut it for you or wrap it all up.” Nodding to the woman behind the table he started to talk with her. The woman smiled big and nodded before spreading her arms wide. “Point to which ones you like, and she’ll set them on the back table until you’re ready to tell her how much of each you want.”

She took her time in selecting the material that she wanted, touching and feeling each bolt until she had what she wanted. “I don’t know how much of each to get. I have a girlfriend who I might be able to talk into making me dresses from the material. Do you think that she would know how much to give me to make a dress?” she asked Ares talking of the woman who ran the booth.

Ares spoke to the woman and then looked to her again. “She wants to know what type of dress you are thinking of having made from each. She says you’ll need more material the longer and more detailed it is. Though she does say if you have left over material you could get it made into a pillow or a throw of some sort. I think she called it a patchwork,” he gave a shrug.

“Then tell her that it’s for a very long, detailed dress. If there are leftovers I can have scarves and as she said, throw pillows made. I just love the material, and I have no idea if I would ever come here again, so yes, please.” She was traveling, but this wasn’t a place that was on her itinerary at all. It was a hidden jewel as far as she was concerned.

Turning back to the woman Ares smiled and started to talk. The vendor’s eyes went wide, and she was practically vibrating. Nodding happily the older woman grabbed his face and kissed him on each cheek, twice. Making a face, he pulled back and shrugged at her. “She’s very excitable apparently.”

Ava laughed and shook her head. “I think that she’s just very excited about the money, isn’t she? I will pay you back, I promise,” she assured him. She leaned against him when he wrapped his arm around her again and watched the woman as she cut large bolts of fabric down to size for them. Looking up at him she grinned, “This is very nice. Thank you.”

“You are very welcome,” he said quietly. He brushed a kiss across her forehead and gave her a squeeze. “I did tell her to give me the whole roll of the green one, though. That’s a gift from me to you to do with as you wish. I like it against your skin, so make lots of outfits from it please.”

“Thank you,” she looked up at him with happiness in her voice. “I love it,” she admitted happily. “I will ensure that I have lots of nice things made from it so that every time I wear it or touch it I will think of you and this moment. And just how perfect it is.”

“You are even more welcome,” he chuckled. He gave her a squeeze before letting her go to pay for the purchases. Taking the bags, he gave a small bow and spoke a little more with the woman. When the vendor blushed and waved them off, he turned to Ava once more. “Come on, Ava darling.”

“Where are we headed now, and are we going to be carrying these bags with us all over the bazaar, or are you going to send them where they need to be so that we aren’t bothered by them?” Ava asked with a happiness about her that was infectious.

Grinning, Ares shook his head at her. “I’m going to send them to the house. But we need to step out of sight for a moment.” He pointed towards a street, “We’ll duck through here and find an alley. Then I’ll send everything to my place; well, everything but the food.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. And yes, we have to keep the food so that you can feed me. Maybe a blanket as well so that we can have something to sit on while we eat?” It would be lovely no matter what, that much she knew without a doubt. He would ensure that it was.

“We’ll pick up a few more things along the way. There’s a table about three blocks from here where we can pick up a blanket.” He led her down the street and then between buildings. Stopping, Ares looked around and then the bags disappeared from his hands. “Alright; let’s go.”

“Wow- That’s just- Wow.” She grinned happily, shaking her head in amazement at the display of his abilities. “I don’t know if I will ever get used to that,” she told him with a grin.

“It definitely takes a while. The human mind tends to think in straight lines. They don’t process change, or ‘different’ well.”

“Well, I think that I’m taking this pretty well all things considered,” she replied quickly. “I’m not yelling or screaming. Heck, I’m asking you to do things because it fascinates me. That-” she shrugged and said, “That, and because honestly I like watching you flex your muscle, so to speak.”

“That is not flexing my muscles, so to speak,” he grinned at her. Pulling her close to him he kissed her gently. “Later I’ll really flex my muscles and see if you notice the difference. But for now, we need more food, a blanket, and then we have somewhere else to be.”

“Sounds good to me. Let’s get out of here so we can enjoy our meal. It smells amazing, and I can’t wait to try it.” She wanted to try the goat. Heck, she was looking forward to all of the food that they had.

“We just need a few more things,” he said. Taking her hand once more he led her back into the market. They collected some cheese, bread, wine, and water. They got their blanket as well as some fresh dates and a little bag of dried fruit. “I think that’s everything we need,” he looked into their bags and looked to her. “Unless you see something else around here you want to try?”