Hermes' Boundary: Touched by a god series, #2

By Ellie Keys

Some gods have it all.

Some don’t.

Hermes is one of those gods that is part of the group that has it all.  Or at least he believes he does.  His existence changed when his uncle, Hades, stepped in and gave him something to do with himself.  He figured running the clothing business, Touched by Us Inc., was more than enough to occupy his time and keep him from losing his mind with boredom. 

All of that changes when he meets one of his new aunt’s friends.  Ty’Quishia Johnson is a mortal that is unlike any other that he has ever met before.  She is unwilling to fit in the mold that he has thought every other woman he’s encountered should be.  This take charge, bossy, speaks her mind woman has him wondering if maybe he was wrong about everything.  As they start down a path filled with intriguing liaisons and carnal releases, he finds himself in a place he never thought he would want to be. 

Will the threat of a prophecy fulfilled be the undoing of the best thing that has happened to him in all his centuries as a god?

Or will he finally willingly accept his fate?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Life in "E" motion
• Release date: May 7, 2015
• ISBN: 9781513064574

Book preview

Hermes’ Boundary

Copyright ©2015 Ellie Keys

All rights reserved.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons: living or dead, places, events, or locales is purely accidental. The characters are reproductions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.  This book contains content that is not suitable for readers 17 and under.

Cover design by Donna Sabino

Please be aware that this book cannot be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without written permission from the author, Ellie Keys, by emailing her at [e-mail] or within the sharing guidelines at a legitimate library or bookseller.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.  Purchase only authorized editions.

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction, sharing, or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/) and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250, 000.

I’ve been searching for someone that evidently can’t be found.  I stare into a different set of eyes nightly, sometimes three times a day.  I’ve spent so much time looking for something I don’t think will ever be found.  Fuck it! I’m going out with a bang.

~ Hermes

I really could give a rat’s ass what people think about whom and what I represent. I love what I see staring back at me in the mirror.  Yes, my name is one that wouldn’t regularly belong to a white girl.  Momma loved everything black, including my daddy.

~ Ty’Quishia

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Gifted with speed, cunning and able to move between realms, he is one that will suffer long. 

He is one that will know not matters of the heart. 

He shall not find one for his own. 

he will forever walk alone. 

A heart lost will be his only salvation.

His price to pay.

Acknowledgements

A special thanks to Author Nicole Garcia for lending me Cupid and Valentina Hart's voices. Thank you for the assist with the funnies! To the women that have supported me through all the transitions: Lourie, Ebony, Kim, Lavida, Samaris and the rest, you make my heart sing with love. 

To my amazingly wonderful, handsome and forever support son, Isaiah, who is my biggest fan, I love you dearly and will forever be in your corner, rooting for you.  Thank you for just being you and being the best at it. 

Thank you to the Stephanie’s Book Reports crew for just being wholly amazing and reading through all of the craziness that comes from this head of mine. 

Finally, to the fans that have waited or just taken the time to make this purchase: thank you.  Thank you, a thousand times over for supporting me and for the kind words of encouragement.

Ellie

Initiated (1)

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Las Vegas; Hermes

Hermes stood in the corner and waited while the mortal woman talked to the mortal child.  He’d never been one to have a desire to be close to anyone in that age range, especially not a little female.  He hadn’t had to deal with one since he was one himself.  The mortal they called Qui (spoken key) was the one talking to the little one named Renneé.  They sometimes referred to her as R.J. Why he didn’t understand.  They were discussing some project the little one was worried about.  The woman, he guessed he should start using her name since his uncle had him spending time with her, was trying her best to remain calm despite the fact the little one, Renneé, was obviously distraught.  The woman was named Ty’Quishia Johnson, which was a surprise because he hadn’t ever heard of a mortal with her skin pigment ever being given a name so unique.  Once one met the woman, then they would realize that she needed to have a name that separated her from all the others in the world.  She is as unconventional as they come. 

Qui’s hair was changed with some chemical the mortals use to change their hair from time to time.  Was it called hair dye?  Yes, that's what it was called.  Her hair was now a fiery red tone that was close to Scarlett’s hair color.  Her normally brown with almost amber tones hair color could not be seen with the flame like color she had on her head now.  Hermes felt like those colors in a mortal's hair was like them putting on one of those wigs or falls that he heard so many of his models talking about.  Her slight frame showcased decent curves.  She had barely a mortal male’s handful of boobs in the red shirt that had one of those built in bras.  Her signature bracelet sized earrings were in her ears and so was the link necklace she was known to wear daily.  He remembered them being referred to as hoops; the earrings. The costume jewelry had changed from gold to silver, but it was her go to set.  The actual bracelets she always wore matched her necklace. 

Her ass, he could go on for days about the curve and shape of that ass and how everything she put on made her ass look delectable enough to bite into.  Hermes stopped staring at the five foot four object of his current desire and tried to focus on something else.  He knew the reason behind his need for her.  She was different.  He enjoyed the ones that had a certain quality about them that said weren't like the others.  He’d even had a woman with that name.  Unique hadn’t been as unique as her name had stated.  She’d been just like every other woman that had come before her.  That one had been about as unique as the carbon copy of every other woman that panted after a man that appeared to be well endowed in more ways than one. 

This woman, this mortal, didn't fit that description in any way, shape or form.  This woman was so much more than any of those women could ever dream of being.  Looking at the woman that stood before him was effected  He had to stop that train of thought.  Thinking of her made his rod want attention.  He was keeping that under wraps for multiple reasons.  There was no way that little body could handle all of him if he wasn't in control of himself.  The other reasons were just as valid in his mind. 

The first had everything to do with the little person that was still in the room.  The second had to do with the roommate from hell that went by the name of Chelsea, who he couldn't give two fucks what her sir name was.  She stood in the way of him having a true go at this Qui woman and it was pissing him off.  The last thing was the prophecy that hung over his head ever since he made the mistake of pissing off those bitches and his male gene donor.

He had a right to decide what warm, welcoming center his piece entered. The Fates, evil bitches that they are, had cursed him something good with that damn prophecy.  The youngest one had her foreseeing panties in a century’s old knot and made sure to scare the ever living hell out of him with what she inspired.  It wasn’t his fault that his rod hadn’t reacted to her attempts at getting a rise out of him.  There was only so much that he could do to assist.  He'd tried to pretend that she was someone else, but the sickly sweet scent that clung to her brought him face to face with reality more often than not.  In the end, it just hadn’t been enough. 

The problem was that she and her sisters were all cut from the same cloth.  Being in the clothing industry, he was able to sample all types of new and exotic cloths.  If it was the same old fabric with the same old design, then it wasn’t worthy of gracing the shelves and racks of his and his uncle’s chain of designer garments.  He applied the same principal with the women in his life.  None were able to spend a great deal of time with him. It was always a night or two at the most.  If they were fortunate enough to hold his interest, then they would last a surprising week. He could count on one hand how many had been blessed enough to boast that privilege and he didn't need a thumb to keep the count.  In all of his years, he found none had gone longer than that.  He didn’t believe in taking chances in that area.  They begged, they pleaded, they bartered, they bargained, but they were, each and every one, cut loose when the time came.

With Ty’Quishia, everything was out of the norm. Here was this petite, little thing with this larger than life personality.  She didn’t even appear to be trying to compensate for her slight height.  Her loud and boisterous attitude was just the way that she was.  She tended to say whatever she thought and made no apologies for whatever it was that bubbled up out of her.  Presented before him was this white, yes, white, woman that could shock the world with the way she carried herself.  This blue eyed beauty with tan skin popped her gum, snapped her fingers when she made a point, and rolled her eyes at least every twenty minutes just because. 

When people saw her, they took notice of everything that was different about her.  On any given day she could decide that she wanted to wear her hair braided, earrings that were loud enough that they could be cymbals and bracelet things called bangles which were just as loud.  She split her time hanging out with and fitting in with both groups of black and white people.  If a mortal looked at her, they would believe that she was personifying something that she was not.  That mortal that assumed such a thing would find that they were dead wrong.  She would tell anyone listening to kiss her natural, white ass if they thought that she was fake or a wannabe. 

She grew up in a rough trailer park. Most of her friends in the area she where she lived were of the black persuasion; the lower class black persuasion, so that was all she knew.  Her mother loved everything about black people and took pleasure in giving her daughter a name that was representative of the race she held close to her heart.  Not many knew that Qui’s great grandmother was white and her great grandfather was black.  Qui’s great grandmother was killed when her grandmother was very young so her great grandfather took care of her.  His family rallied around their precious little white/black baby and raised her not to see the color of a person’s skin.

Oh no you don’t, Ms. Rennie.  I don’t think so.  You get your little self in that room and fix yo’ face right now.  I’m not dealin’ with that.  I said that we had plenty of stuff to do your little thing for school.  Money don’t grow on trees and I, for damn sure, ain’t made of it.  Don’t you go crying to Chels, either.  I said 'no' to the hearts and rainbow stickers with pink poster board and that’s final.

Hermes watched as she moved around the room, mumbling to herself and the little one went off crying about how unfair she thought her mother was being.  He heard in her thoughts how a rude, little mortal named Candis had teased her for not being able to afford nice things like the other little being had.  Hermes didn’t know why this bothered him so much, but he just couldn’t have the little mortal dealing with such things.  She’d had enough to deal with in her short time on this earth.  He quietly snapped his fingers and the things the little one wanted appeared in the supply case where her mother kept all of her arts and crafts. 

As his eyes landed on the beautiful roundness of Qui’s backside, he felt a familiar tremor.  These days he didn’t know if it was from his uncle or his mistress.  If it was because of Hades, it could slant either way.  Good or bad, he wasn't ready to make his exit just yet.  The trivial things mere mortals worried over always entertained him.  At any rate, he never knew which would be the case when he dealt with the Lord of the Underworld.  If it were Scarlett, then it was almost always bad, for him.  She really wanted him to be happy and had gone out of her way to try and find him someone.  He laughed when she'd originally approached him about it.  When his uncle responded less than pleasantly at his laughter, he quickly straightened himself up and took what it was she was saying seriously.

H., did you ever think that the thing that you try to steer clear of is the one thing that you might actually need?  I believe that might actually be the case.  So, I’ve decided to make that my side project until the baby comes, then I will have something else to focus on.  Until then, I’m going to work steadily to prove it to you, she’d said to him as they watched Cerberus gnaw on a bone.

Neither of them knew if the bone was from a human or an animal, but Cerberus seemed to enjoy it, whichever it was.

Hermes, be open to this or else, was all that his uncle had said on the matter before he’d dismissed him. 

Sometimes he wished that he could turn off the internal call button he was born with.  It was tuned in to every one of his brethren and, in many cases, mortals as well.  If he thought about it, he had rarely...only one other occasion when he couldn't hear the thoughts of a mortal.  He didn't think of that woman unless it was absolutely necessary.  Most mortal minds were open to him.  It was as if every soul on earth had a message for heaven or hell. Some didn't even know they were calling to him. There were only a handful that didn't fit into that group of people. 

Some had extenuating circumstances that caused them to get a pass or blocked him.  Scarlett didn't count as a mortal anymore.  She was with his uncle and shared the Lord of the Underworld's ability.  She was now in the other category.  He was privy to her thoughts and that of all of her friends.  All of her friends' minds were open to him except for Qui's.  Scarlett had let him know her theory on that one as well when he let it slip that he was curious why he couldn't hear her thoughts. 

You said that this happened to you on one other occasion, right? she'd waited for him to nod his head in acknowledgement. When he did, she continued, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the only other time that you couldn't hear the thoughts of another was because your own feelings were in the mix.  Your emotional connection interfered with your ability to clearly connect with the mortal or mortals in question.

He'd laughed it off when she initially told him her theory.  She'd gone on to say that she thought any deep rooted attraction would be enough to re-wire his ability.  He'd thanked her for listening and trying to help, but left her theories where they were.  The more time he spent trying to decipher the code that would unlock Qui's mind, the more plausible Scarlett's theory became.  He was hardwired to want the one thing that he couldn't.  He acted just as Zeus' son should in that right. It was expected for him to sew his oats and sew them he did. 

The other mortal's mind that he couldn't tap into, he'd believed himself to be in love with her.  He'd been racking his brain trying to find something, anything that would connect the two women.  They were two very different individuals.  That was one similarity and the only one, other than the fact that they were women.  They couldn't have been any more different if someone purposely had their two genetic markers in each hand and listed all of the things that would be on the opposite end of the spectrum. 

Maribelle had been this delicate creature that wanted everything handed to her.  She wanted to be taken care of, needed a man to do for her.  He was young and thought that her need for him was a desire to have him in her life.  He thought that she adored him because of who he was to her, not what she could have