Rock Hard (6 page)

“You like milkshakes,” Tess stated teasingly. “I’ve never seen anybody add that much stuff to a cup of coffee.”

“Milkshakes?” Marduk went seriously still. “I’ve never had one of those.”

“You’re kidding.” She raised her eyebrows in wonder. “What planet do you come from? Don’t tell me you’ve never had ice cream, either, or I’ll think you really are an alien.”

“Ah, ice cream.” Marduk nodded his head and remembered the cold confection that had come in and out of his life over the centuries, starting with a frozen rosewater and vermicelli concoction in his early days as a god and ending with the cow’s milk confection they had made in winter while living in Merrymount. “I like ice cream,” he stated with certainty.

“Well, good,” Tess laughed. “Me too, and a milkshake is just some ice cream with milk and added flavor, like coffee or chocolate, all whipped up together.” He must have still looked puzzled, so she added, “You drink it.”

A smile split his face. “I would enjoy one of these milkshakes.” He had certainly enjoyed his coffee, which was now long gone. Tess had barely sipped hers.

“You don’t like yours,” Marduk asked, his mouth turned down at the idea of her not being pleased.

“No, I do! It’s just that I thought I’d go for a run after we’re through…” She looked at him, unsure of her next words. “…what are we doing here, anyway?” She pushed her hair back distractedly from her face.

Marduk cut her some slack. No need to talk of kidnapping plans. “We’re getting to know each other,” he grinned in response. “And in that case, you should know that I like to run, too.” He gave her a minute to assimilate before asking. “Could I join you on your run this morning?”

Tess laughed as she looked him over from head to toe, taking in the leather jacket and casual clothes he’d donned. “You’re wearing jeans and boots. I do about a six-mile loop and you’ll be a mess by the end.”

“Give me a minute to get back to my bike. I have some running clothes in a pack and can drop into the donut shop to change.” He had ridden one of a dozen brand new, super charged motorcycles from the god’s stable of acquired two-wheeled transportation. The gods had realized, as the year 1900 had rolled around, that the new-fangled automobiles couldn’t easily traverse the fire roads of the Blue Hills, but motorcycles were a different story.

Ishkur, the god of spring-fire, had purchased the group’s first bike in 1907 and had quickly spread the love to all his brothers. Now, they vied for the latest and fastest bikes, taking daredevil rides on route 128 at 3:00 a.m. when traffic was at its lightest—not that anyone would notice because both the bikes and riders were invisible.

Marduk had brought a motorcycle and an extra helmet today, in case he decided to make his move and coerce Tess into coming back to the compound. Now he’d make use of work-out clothes he’d spotted in the pack.

“Sounds fine to me.” Tess told him. She looked to be happy for the anticipated company and probably wondered if he could keep up. Wouldn’t she be surprised. She chirpily added, “I’ll wait.”

Marduk hopped off the wall onto the sand and began walking back the way he had come. He traveled into the trees, counting his strides, and when he reached a hundred, his body dissolved again. So a hundred yards was as far he could get from her without going all “poof.” Good to know.

Another fifty yards and he came to where he had left his invisible bike up against the guard rail. He rummaged in the pack that belonged to Lahar, a much leaner god than Marduk, and found shorts and a tank top he thought would fit, along with sneakers and socks. He shed his jeans right there. What did it matter? The passing traffic and pedestrians couldn’t see him. Lahar’s shorts hugged his groin a little too closely and the shirt was obscenely tight, but at least the sneakers fit. It would have to do. If he were gone much longer, Tess would wonder what had happened to him.

On the way back, he checked for footprints in the sand and, sure enough, he regained his body in exactly the same spot where he had disappeared earlier. He continued out of the trees, stretching as he had seen other humans do before they started running. Very odd, wasn’t running going to stretch things anyway?

Tess’s eyes nearly popped out of her head as Marduk appeared.
Oh my God, he might as well be naked again!
The small, bright yellow shorts he’d put on did nothing but accentuate the bulge between his legs…and those legs; highly muscled and sprinkled with dark hair, they screamed power with every stride. Her gaze went back to his shorts. No. She knew her face reddened.

She needed to skip the shorts and move her eyes higher. Damn. His white tank was so tight and sheer that she could clearly make out every ridge of muscle that covered his stomach and chest. That wasn’t any better! Athletically built didn’t adequately describe his body. Every inch of Marduk was ripped. Tess wondered if she would have any breath left in her lungs to run.

“So what do you say? Are you ready?” He leaped over the seawall in a motion so fluid it almost defied gravity, and reached for her hand where she sat. Tess tried to keep her eyes in her head. Marduk smiled and she blushed even brighter. She stifled a groan. The man would have to be blind not to have noticed her reaction.

“Ready.” Tess shook off her stupor and refrained from grabbing the offered hand. That’s all she would need to set off her libido again, his rockin’ body combined with the shakin’ earthquake she seemed to feel at his slightest touch. Tess scrambled to her feet and started jogging. She heard Marduk chuckle as he fell into step beside her.

The ensuing silence was companionable, each harboring their own thoughts. Tess mused about why she was letting this arrogant male accompany her. It could only mean trouble. She didn’t “do” men anymore, let alone an enormous, testosterone-filled version of yummy man-flesh like Marduk. She picked up the pace.

They headed down Quincy Shore Drive and turned right onto Sea Street. By the time they reached the cemetery, Tess was covered with a fine sheen of sweat that ran down her neck and disappeared into the V of her shirt. Her breath was coming in small bursts, as much from the shots she kept getting of Marduk’s fine ass in those tight running shorts when his longer strides moved him in front, as from the vigorous run.

Tess turned to the right, ascending a small hill up into the cemetery. At the top, she stole a glance at Marduk, who was now following her lead, and was amazed to see that he looked completely unaffected by the exercise. His feet seemed to fly over the ground and his breathing was deep and even. How often did he work out?

Tess prided herself on being in awesome shape, but even she couldn’t have maintained that fresh-as-a-daisy look he was sporting. Slightly annoyed, she came to a stop among the headstones and stately trees to take a drink of water from the bottle strapped to her waist. Marduk stopped ahead, giving her another clear view of his ridiculously taut-muscled backside.

“I’ve never been up here before,” he stated evenly. Tess was aware that Marduk was giving her a thorough once-over. Her throat moved as she sucked down more water. She tried not to be self-conscious, but her body couldn’t possibly be the sort he was attracted to. He had to go for the more curvy, luscious type…and nobody had ever accused her of being luscious. Tess tried to shake off her ridiculous disappointment. What did she care, anyway? She held out the bottle to Marduk when she was done. He took it and walked a few steps away.

Tess cleared her throat. “I’ve just discovered it myself. It’s called the Mount Wollaston Cemetery.” Tess watched his lips surround the mouth of the bottle where hers had just been. She couldn’t stop the small sigh that escaped. A satisfied spiral of desire lit her up from throat to pussy.
Shit! Where had that come from?

“I’m more familiar with the old Hancock Cemetery,” Marduk replied. And besides, he thought, Richard Wollaston was a traitorous bastard. Why would they name anything after him? He chuckled to himself. It was not like he could admit that he’d known Richard, and that there were people buried within the confines of the old cemetery whom he had known personally. Asking why so many things in Quincy were blessed with the asshole’s name was, therefore, out of the question.

Marduk walked back to where Tess leaned against a tree. As he got closer, he could feel her nervousness and see that she was looking around, obviously noticing, for the first time, their isolation from the busy street below. When he was almost close enough to feel her body heat, she edged slightly away.

“It’s okay, Tess,” Marduk reassured her in a soft, velvety voice. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

She snorted. “You better believe you’re not!” She spoke with a hard bravado that he liked. She was a contradiction of fragile femininity and tough talker. He didn’t know which he enjoyed better or which to believe. He surmised that the truth lay somewhere between the two.

He lowered his lids slightly and stared at her lips. “I hoped maybe you were beginning to like me.” Marduk moved forward another inch and Tess looked decidedly uncomfortable. “I know I’m starting to like you.”

Tess’s small tongue came out of her mouth again and played over her bottom lip. A surge of desire hit, and Marduk was hard in an instant. He did nothing to hide his burgeoning lust from her widening eyes. He stilled; poised to swoop in if she gave him the slightest encouragement. What he got was a…whimper?

Marduk’s ardor cooled fast. Was the noise that had come from her throat fear? He looked into her eyes and confirmed it.
Well, shit!
What the fuck was that all about? Was he scaring her? Now he was good and confused. Hadn’t his initial plan been to take her back to the compound, with or without her full cooperation? Now, seeing the terror on her face, every protective instinct in his body was on alert.

“What’s wrong?” he growled, frustration leaking into his question. He knew he was scaring her further, but he couldn’t help himself. She moved another foot away. “Am I overstepping some boundary I’m not aware of?”

“No, no.” She held one small palm up as if to keep him from moving closer. “It’s fine.” He watched her swallow hard. “It’s not you…it’s me.” Marduk could see her trembling. Her stance remained tense. “I’m, umm, not really comfortable around men,” she admitted reluctantly.

“Lesbian?” It popped out of his mouth before he had a chance to stop it, his jaw dropping at his lack of finesse.

“No! Not at all.” He heard the amused denial in her voice and, thank the gods, it broke some of the tension. “I guess you could say I’m just not comfortable with physical contact.”

His elation at her sexual preference was immediately dashed by the thought that she might be frigid. But was that possible? She had definitely been giving off “hot” signals while checking out his body. Not just when she saw the running shorts, but before in Boston. Had he misread the entire situation? Hmm. Something was not quite right, and it was buried so deeply in her psyche that he was unable to get a read on it.

“Trust me, Tess,” he demanded, looking straight in her eyes. He knew he could compel her to do his bidding, but that was not the way he wanted her.

“I don’t even know you,” she managed in a very small voice.

Marduk was aware that he shouldn’t pursue the physical desire he was finally able to feel. That wasn’t why he was pursuing Tess. The point was to find out why he could be visible around her. So why did kissing that perfect little mouth suddenly seemed so important?

“Just one kiss,” he groaned, picturing himself taking possession of her tongue. He heard Tess scream
no
in her head. Was she really going to refuse a kiss? What the hell! Marduk’s immediate need was so far greater than anything else, he lied to reassure her. “Nothing will touch except our lips.”

Tess tried not to panic. Could she trust him? She scanned his face, noting his rapidly changing emotions and the almost palpable glow that seemed to emanate from his skin.

He seemed sincere, and she admitted that she found him attractive. She’d been checking out his body; something she hadn’t dared allow herself in a long time. Could she quell her fear for just a few moments and see which of her warring emotions would win?

Tess steeled every nerve in her body and turned her face up to his. She didn’t protest any further as she watched Marduk close the distance between them and lower his head. She could already imagine the salty taste on his lips from their run. She could do this…or maybe not! She turned her eyes away at the last minute.

“Marduk,” she squeaked.

“What is it, Tess?” His voice had turned magnificently low and dreamy, but it wasn’t going to stop her from what she had to say.

“I think I’ve suddenly become a magnet for wacko’s,” she whispered. Marduk paused. “Umm…over your right shoulder…there’s a guy in a white loincloth heading toward us, and he doesn’t look happy.” Before the god could move, a voice cut through the silence of the graveyard.

“Marduk!” The cry was powerful and loud, shaking with anger. “Touch her and die!”

The statement echoed across the graveyard.

It was a toss-up which of the three was more shocked—Tess at the intrusion of the stranger, Marduk who was being cock-blocked by one of his own brothers, or Enlil, snarling and raging, who appeared stunned at the feelings blazing through his body for the first time in centuries.

Chapter Six

Enlil stopped and smashed his fist into a tree. Pain! Pain was good! It was what he was going to inflict on Marduk for daring to touch the girl. He growled. Enlil had been watching them, following the pair from a few hundred yards’ distance all morning, curious to see if Marduk would abduct the human, which Enlil clearly thought was the way to go, or if Enlil would have to take matters into his own hands.

What he didn’t count on were the ambivalent feelings that had overtaken him as he watched the two together. The more attentive Marduk had acted, the more enraged Enlil had become, and not because he wanted the girl for himself. No…it was more like he wanted to protect the girl, shelter her from the increasingly sensual attention that Marduk was pouring on.

He approached the couple, growling, circling, crouching low in a fighting stance. He had no idea what had overtaken him, but he’d be damned if Marduk harmed a hair on the mortal’s head.