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Chapter 3

Affaire

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Piper and Jove didn't meet much again after their encounter. They didn't share many scenes together. Production of the movie was going well. Everything was work, work, work. No time for personal stuff. That was how she liked it.

Filming the scenes was out of sequence. She went from Pocahontas's capture to her converting to Christianity, learning English, her wedding to John Rolfe, and her hellish time on the ship to England. Most of the movie was filmed in Vancouver, but for some major scenes that take place in England, that was where they had to go. Which she liked. They landed first in London, where she had always wanted to see, and then went to the town where the studio was. Her hotel suite was spacious and beautiful, especially with the view of rural England.

She had offered Caroline to pay for her to come over so they could have a pleasant time together. Piper could arrange to take a few days off from work. And maybe they could take their relationship to the next level, but Piper kept that part to herself. Her girlfriend wanted to, but she was very busy at work. And Caroline wasn't sure she was ready to take that next step, Piper surmised. Or so she thought.

The hardest part was Jupiter came with them. It had appeared that Jove Caelum was a significant producer for the movie, so he had to tag along. So, the most gorgeous god was obligated to see her whenever. That was what she initially thought before she didn't see him again. Could the name belong to a real mortal? Could Jupiter be gone?

Everything was okay.

Most of the movie was already filmed. All the scenes in England were done, so the cast and crew threw a party at the hotel.

The evening sky outside was dark with clouds. Piper walked into the hotel pub. It was an elegant, contemporary lounge. Not as one to dress formally unless the occasion called for it, so she dressed in a navy blue single-strap satin dress that reached down to her ankles. Strappy black heels made her taller than her natural five foot five inches. A slit cut through the left side of the skirt to show her toned leg. She didn't do much to her hair. She kept it down and made two braids—one higher and one lower—with a blue eagle feather tied into the upper braid. Asymmetry was her style, apart from her Cherokee, laidback, tomboy, practical way. Sometimes, playing dress-up was fun.

She met up with her coworkers, and then, after the first shot of vodka, the fun was getting started. Maggie, who played Emma, a lady who befriends her character, was going wild. Jerome, who plays John Rolfe, was flirting with the bartender. Some even considered going barhopping or going to a club to dance. A loud clap of thunder had some of them jumping out of their skins.

Just then, they all saw someone new enter the lounge. Piper's heart stopped when she saw that it was Jove. He was dressed in a dark pinstriped suit with a blue tie. His long, wavy black hair lay freely on his shoulders. His manly beard was nicely trimmed and complimented his Mediterranean-toned. Then, to her surprise, he walked somewhere else on the other side of the bar.

"Wow, Jove is one tasty dish," Maggie said dreamily, staring after him.

"I know, right," Tiffany, who plays a minor character, said. "I wish I could be in a scene with him. Is he married? Does anyone know if he is?"

Jerome shook his head. "No idea." He scratched the stubble on his chin dimple. "Not much is known about him. I tried to google him, but nothing. But there is something familiar about him. I don't know what, but—Whatever. What 'bout you, Piper?"

She hadn't been listening much. She mainly had the corner of her eye on the god. It seemed like he was having a business meeting. She couldn't make out the people he was talking to. It still bothered her why he wanted to work on some movie.

"Piper? Piper? Oi!"

She snapped her head back. "What?"

"We were asking if you know anything about Jove Caelum," Maggie said.

Piper shook her head. "Nope. I don't know anything about him." Her gaze returned to the god in question again. He was still conversing with those unrecognizable men while drinking brown liquor. His electric blue eyes locked with hers for a second before she turned away. She finished her drink before ordering another one.

"It would appear that Ms. McLean wants to get to know Caelum some more," Maggie thought out loud impudently.

Piper shot daggers from her kaleidoscope eyes. Not near as intimidating as Annabeth's gray stare.

"Come on, Pipes, don't be such a prude."

"I'm not a prude. I have a girlfriend, you perv," she threw back.

Jerome's smug look morphed into a confused, shocked one. "Girlfriend? Are you saying you are… you're…?"

"Gay? Yeah," Piper answered brashly. She watched him mentally wrestle with that knowledge. For some time, she had the impression that Jerome Sinclair was into her. During their kiss scene, his tongue seemed a little too rambunctious. "I'm bi. I like women as well as men," she finished.

He sighed internally, with the possibility of some lewd thoughts of what guys think about bisexual girls.

Tiffany asked how long Piper had been with her girlfriend. Piper answered by saying three months.

"Have you two said that you're exclusive?" Tiffany asked.

Piper turned away to stroke one of her braids. "No…" she reluctantly answered.

"Well, if you two haven't made any sort of commitment, where is the harm in indulging yourself in—"

"I'm still not going to cheat on my girlfriend! So stop pressuring me!" she raised her voice, putting her charmspeak into it.

"Sorry!" the three of them said in unison.

Pounding the rest of her drink, she excused herself to get away. She wandered around the hotel bar, making notes of the occupants. Some guests were trying to have a decent time, businessmen holding meetings and making deals, and a high-rolling prostitute looking for clients.

The outside was calling to her with no rain yet. Feeling a little hammered. She searched her purse for a golden drachma to send an Iris Message. She had a few but couldn't see anything to make a rainbow with. Then she grabbed her phone. First, she thought of Annabeth but was in a different time zone and couldn't recall what time it was for her and Percy. It was the same for Hazel and Frank. Piper could call one of her half-sisters. Was she close enough to any of them?

Finally, she thought of the right person to help get her out of this. Only she had left her a text. Piper's head was still cloudy from the booze. They haven't talked since she arrived in England—weeks ago. And now Caroline had ended it like that. By text. Saying she didn't feel like the relationship was going anywhere and that perhaps they should see other people.

The rain started to fall. Piper jammed her phone back into her purse. The terrace railing offered her support to help her process her emotions. She felt all alone. She had no one to talk to. There was no way to avoid this problem without getting punished.

"Is something bothering you?"

She whipped around, nearly jumping out of her skin. There he was. Jove freaking Caelum. Jupiter. Sometimes, Piper forgets how big he was supposed to be. In battle or on his throne, he was twenty feet tall—give or take. Now mortal-sized, he was still tall, with muscles bulging against his three-piece suit. He was a god… in all meanings of the word. His electric blue eyes told her so. What was that expression in them? Concern?

The noise of the rain brought Piper back to her surroundings as the rain was not falling around her or him.

God of the Heavens, she thought.

"Are you okay, Piper?" he asked, stepping respectfully closer.

She sighed a deep sigh. "I'm fine," she said.

Jove cocked his head slightly. Two glasses appeared in his hands. A fizzing gold drink sat in the champagne flutes. "Champagne with nectar?"

"Hmm…." It sounds like an intriguing cocktail. How would the bubbly taste with her favorite foods mixed in? The gold color did look appetizing. "Maybe just one."

The drink was the most delicious thing she ever had. The tingly bubbles spiced up the various flavors of her happiest memories so much that she had no idea what they were.

"So, who were those people you were talking to?" Piper found herself asking.

He took a quick sip of his drink. "That was business. I won't bore you with it."

"Movie business or godly business?"

"A bit of both, sort of."

Piper nodded her head. She looked around the darkening hills getting rained on except them. She turned to him to say, "So, how is Olympus? If I may ask?"

They ended up talking for a while. The nectar-infused wine made Piper feel relaxed and a little giddy.

"So then I told him, 'If you do it again, I'll turn you into a mare and lock you in a stable full of stallions during mating season. To see how you like it.'"

Piper keeled over laughing. Tears leaked from her eyes. She spilled a little of her champagne.

"Yeah, so Bacchus never tried to do that again, I'll tell you," Jove said, laughing with her.

"Who would've ever thought Mr. D would be so reckless," she sarcastically said. "That reminds me of when Leo tried to sneak a peek in on Jason and me. So I threatened him that I'll turn him into a girl." She pretended to hold up a knife.

Jove burst with laughter. "You are a pistol, Ms. McLean," he said.

Whatever the reason was, she found him almost irresistible. When she took another sip of her drink, she looked at her glass. She had drunk plenty of it, and it still wasn't half empty. Her senses came back to her, towing a scary thought. "You're trying to get me drunk, aren't you?"

He snapped his head to her. "I am not," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you keep refilling my drink?"

"Because I thought you enjoyed it."

That was it. No more tiptoeing around the subject. Piper put her glass down on the metal barrier. Staring straight into his eyes, she asked, "Why are you here?"

Jove's eyes dropped as he faced out into the rainy hills. "I'm sure you know why," he said.

Piper started to shake her head. "I knew it." She started to laugh nervously. "I knew it. You can't control your urges."

"I've been trying to," he protested, turning back to her. "Three thousand years ago, I would have shape-shifted into an animal and just taken you regardless of your wishes."

"So what? Does that mean we can just go at it now because you're keeping a 'respectable' distance?" Piper sighed mournfully, looking away. "We shouldn't do this,"

Jove leaned in close. "Why?" he asked. "We are both consenting adults with no attachments—"

"No attachments?!" She snapped her head up, staring wide-eyed into his electric blue eyes. "Lord Jupiter, you're married—to the most jealous, vengeful goddess in the world! If we do this, I will get pregnant whether we want it or not, and Juno and all the monsters will go after the baby. And…" she looked away again, twisting her hands.

The king god glared at her, staring through her. "That's not all, isn't it?" he said.

"You are Jason's father. My late boyfriend's father. I know we broke up before he—and we didn't do anything, but… but he was my first love. And I feel like I'm betraying him with his dad."

He looked down at her with more sympathetic eyes than she'd never thought she'd see on Zeus. He faced away again from her. "I have seen so many of my children die. Perseus, Hercules, Helen…. None of them died as honorably or tragically as Jason. He was one of the most mature heroes I sired. And he had the most respect for the gods. He even promised to have every single one honored. Even the minor ones. Pity how he never got to see that promise come true."

She tried to hide the tears threatening to well up in her eyes.

He turned back to her. "I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. I just couldn't help myself. You're just so beautiful and fierce and—"

"I AM NOT MY MOTHER!" she roared. Surprisingly enough to make Jove back away. "Flattery doesn't work on me! If you want sex, go do it with your wife. That's what she's there for. Not me!" She was fuming, then shaking. Why was this affecting her so much? Why did he have to come to her and look so handsome? Act so gentle?

Mother, why do you always make this so difficult?

"If you wish for me to leave, use your charmspeak and tell me to leave. I will listen and do as you say."

Piper's kaleidoscope eyes studied his face. He wasn't trying to be as demanding, authoritative, or powerful as Zeus, God of the Heavens, Lord Paramount of Mount Olympus, King of the Gods. He was acting more… caring, as she could sum up. He reminded her of Jason.

So then, overwhelmed by a sudden urgency to let go and lose herself, she slowly stepped closer and grabbed his necktie. Electricity tingled up her arms, sending exciting energy through her. The kiss made the surge much more electrifying. Jove's lips were warm and slightly chapped. The vinous taste of the champagne-nectar and ambrosia filled her with the nostalgia of caramel popcorn she and her dad would share while watching a movie, a piece of breakfast she and Annabeth would steal from each other at camp. All of Piper's happiest memories. Jove's hands were rough, but he was holding back. Trying to keep from hurting her even as he threaded them through her hair. Her braids came undone as she wrapped her arms around him. He was fisting the hair at the back of her head, driving her mad.

It was inebriating, and something clicked inside Piper with a clenching feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was drunk with a significant amount of blood loss in the head. She wanted more.

They broke apart long enough for a silent meaning to pass between them. Piper took Jupiter's hand into her own to lead him inside.

The elegant hotel lounge blurred past with the lovely melody of the piano filling Piper's ears as she felt like she was floating to the elevator. The mindless blur continued all the way up and down the hallway to her suite, where she stumbled for her key. The hand of Jupiter helped her slide the card in.

He shut the door once inside before pinning her against it for another searing kiss. The clenching feeling in her gut returned as he moved his lips down her neck, where he earned a moan from her, and to her strapless shoulder. The kisses he left on her collarbone made her legs start to bow. His fingers snuck under the single strap of her dress.

She pushed him back. Clothes began vanishing from existence when they reached the bedroom and fell into bed, deprived of any barriers.

Jove was heavy on top of her, yet he remained gentle. She wasn't letting him do all the work. She, as a daughter of Aphrodite, found herself knowing all the techniques of love. Rolling her hips to meet every one of his thrusts. His technique was hitting all of the right spots. Despite that, she tried to flip them over. It was a shock that she managed to get the god on his back beneath her. He took that as a clear sign of being a bit more bellicose. His true nature, she supposed, was coming out.

The tumble went on. They struggled against each other. He was stronger and fighting only served to further inflame their passion. A lesser woman would scream and cry from underneath him. Piper, however, knew what to do. The underlying threat of violence added a thrill that fueled the urgent need inside her. She clawed at his large back, feeling solid, hot, glorious muscles flex under her fingers. Their hips danced against one another. He swore in Latin, and a few other languages Piper didn't understand.

"Ah! Yes! Jove!" she moaned in his ear. "Yes. Right there! Right there!"

"Piper!"

The sound of her name flowing off the god's tongue almost sounded like a prayer. The Mighty Jupiter was worshiping her. Unthinkable.

Piper was vocal in bed. Her charmspeak spiced her moans, and he used that to increase his passion as his mouth ravished hers and expert hands conquered her over slippery skin. They moved against each other like warriors. Flesh against flesh. Groaning and moaning, pulling, and scratching. Suddenly, their fingers somehow interlocked for his powerful thrusts to grow even more ferocious until they exploded in sensual gratification.

After a breather, they went a few more rounds. Each was better than the last and just as combative. If Piper was going to Tartarus, she didn't care, for she was in Elysium. Staring up at his face before her final climax made her believe she was in Elysium.

When the battle was over, they lay there catching their breath. Jove reached out to pull her close, bringing her head to his chest while he brushed her disheveled hair. The sudden tenderness in the gesture made her edgy. It was odd because he had been nothing but tender since she ran into him. And he was like that up until things were heating up. Piper still expected him to turn into the wrathful Zeus, who would have them and leave them whenever he saw a woman.

She suppressed a groan after thinking that. She, Piper McLean, daughter of the goddess of love, former big-time movie actor, and one of the demigods who saved the world from Gaea, had fallen for mythology's most infamous playboy. She had let him into her bed and let him have his way with her.

The worst part: she enjoyed it. It was, by no surprise, the best sex of her life. Weird. Her brain was saying how bad it was, but her heart was saying otherwise.

Peering up at his face, Piper couldn't tell if he was asleep or not. Do gods need sleep? She half-expected him to disappear when he was done. Now, he seemed so peaceful and relaxed. It was painful to see how his features were similar to Jason's. And the way he was holding her was too much!

Nausea hit her! She suddenly felt so filthy. She could handle lust. She could handle aggression. But she couldn't handle this tenderness. She wanted to escape. Wanted to flee from there.

Why? her Aphrodite logic said. Too many thoughts and scenarios and exhaustion.

Somehow, she couldn't move. A part of her was too comfortable feeling Jove's flesh against hers. His strong arms held her protectively. She must've pleased him well. How should she feel about that? Strange content made her lay her head back down on his chest.

He must've thought she was asleep. Because he planted a gentle kiss on the crown of her head. The gesture made her melt into the most peaceful state of mind.

Apollo drove the Sun past the dawn. Piper woke up feeling the pleasant aftermath of the night and a cold side beside her.

On a minor note, she remembered that the feather she wore in her hair last night fell out.

A/N: So, that was something. If Jove was an ordinary man, it could've been okay if Piper hooked up with him—if he wasn't Jason's father. Now, it was Hera's trickery that brought Jason and Piper together, but after they realized it, they eventually did grow some love for one another. They would kill for each other. And that was what Piper did when he was killed. She hunted down Medea and killed her for Jason. Of course, she felt like she was betraying him. Whether their romantic feelings for each other were real or not, it is an ethical conundrum if you want to get with your ex-partner's parent. But if the parent is a god, that is more complicated. But in real life, the answer should be no!