What a Goddess Wants (24 page)

“But you made the baby breathe. I saw what you did, Tess.”

Her lashes lowered as she remembered those few seconds when she thought she might lose the boy. He’d had an obstruction in his esophagus that had cut off his air supply. With the tiniest surge of her power, she’d dissolved it before he’d suffocated.

There were so few
Fata
in the world, so few being born. They couldn’t afford to lose the babies. “I didn’t realize you were watching so closely.”

“I was watching you.”

She smiled in spite of her fatigue. “You say the nicest things.”

He moved closer and bent his head close to her ear. “No bullshit, Tess. Are you okay?”

Truthfully, she wasn’t, but she couldn’t allow Eric or Flavia to know that. First rule of being a goddess: Never let ’em see you sweat.

“I could do with a recharge.”

His eyes flared with heat. “I’ll recharge your battery any time, Goddess.”

Sweet Mother Goddess, the man could turn her on with just a few words. What she wouldn’t give for a few hours alone with him. Hell, right now, she’d take a few minutes. As if he’d read her mind, he took a step closer. Then another.

She had to tilt her head back so she could keep eye contact, her breasts barely brushing his chest. The look in his eyes suggested he was about to ravage her, and she wasn’t about to turn him down.

Instead, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her against him, tucking her head under his chin. His hands slid under her shirt at the waistband and splayed across her back, his cool skin warming against hers. She’d meant to ask him why his skin always felt chilled but she’d never gotten around to it. There was always some other drama.

“Tessa.”

Eric’s voice tried to cut between them, but she held on to Cal as he stiffened. “Is something wrong?”

“Flavia would like to speak to you alone.”

She pulled back to give Cal a smile. “We’ll finish this later.”

He nodded but didn’t say anything. Instead, he shot Eric a look. Something passed between the men and they headed for the door in unison.

Damn, the testosterone show was about to start. Too bad she’d have to miss it.

***

“Tell me again who you are and why you’re here.”

Frentani had led Cal down the hall to an office and shut the door before turning on him with a scowl that probably intimidated other men. Cal fought back a sneer. The good doctor felt he had a prior claim on Tessa. Tough shit.

But this was Frentani’s domain, and Cal was not an unreasonable man. He was willing to trade some information. And Tessa obviously trusted the guy, so he couldn’t be that bad.

“I’m Tessa’s protection.”

Frentani scowled harder. “And why does she need protection?”

Cal crossed his arms and leaned against the door at his back. “You’ll have to ask her that. If she tells you, fine. Now, I need to know if you’ve got a drug that’ll knock her out so she can sleep but not dream.”

“Why?”

“Because she needs the rest.”

The doc’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, I can see that.”

For a few seconds, Frentani stared at him and Cal thought maybe he wasn’t going to answer, which would just piss him off. Then the guy surprised him.

“No. I don’t have anything that’ll work on her. The deities look like us, but their physiology combined with their magic makes them damn near immune to everything except certain specially made drugs. Only those created by the deities themselves.

“Since the Etruscans were cut off from Invol, they’ve been unable to get the ingredients for any drug they might have made to help themselves. As far as I know, none of the medicinal herbs had been brought over from Invol . Only Fufluns’s vines produce grapes capable of being made into wines that can intoxicate a deity, and he can only grow those in a specific area of Tuscany.”

“You know an awful lot about deities.”

“I’ve made it my business to know.”

Yeah, Cal bet he had. Probably because of one beautiful blonde goddess still in the room with Flavia.

“Look, maybe if you tell me exactly what’s going on, I may be able to help.”

Cal hesitated, but he knew in his gut that the guy would do anything for Tessa. Then again, so would he. And right now, she needed to get some rest.

“Tessa’s being hunted by Charun while she sleeps. So far he hasn’t caught up. But when he does, he’ll consume her powers and may be powerful enough to leave Aitás. Apparently, this would be a very bad thing for the world, but my main concern is Tessa. She needs to rest or she’s going to burn out while I figure out how to get Charun off her ass.”

Frentani paced a tight circle as he listened, scrubbing his hand through his hair as if he wanted to tear it out.

“Why the hell didn’t she tell me?”

Because she’s a goddess and you’re still just a man.

Cal had enough sense not to say that out loud, considering the same could be said for him. “Doesn’t matter.”

Bullshit.

All right, yeah, it mattered, but Cal didn’t want to get into a pissing match with the guy, especially since Tessa would be pissed. And she didn’t have the strength to be pissed at him right now.

“Look,” Cal continued, “I’m running out of options. Do you have any suggestions?”

Frentani continued to pace, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck. “One, but she’s not gonna like it.”

“Depending on what it is, she wouldn’t have to know.”

The doc sighed as he came to stop in front of Cal. “Find one of the Roman deities and ask for Nectar. The Etruscan and Roman deities are closely related. Physically, the Romans are pretty much copies of the Etruscans, although they’ll never admit it. Their Nectar should have the same sedative effect on the Etruscans that it does on the Romans.”

Damn. Why the hell hadn’t
he
thought of that?

And double damn, who the hell did he approach?

They’d just sent the obvious choice packing. Aurora had seemed eager enough to be helpful.

Where the hell had she gone and could he track her?

“If I go after Aurora, Tessa will need somewhere safe to stay. She needs to rest. She hasn’t had more than a few hours sleep in the last week.”

“I think I might have a solution.”

Cal shook his head. “‘Might’ isn’t good enough.”

Frentani looked right into his eyes. “This facility is only known to the
Fata
at the Hawk Mountain enclave and to Sal. Any others who come here are brought by Sal. It’s built directly over the ley line that runs through most of this county. My mother laid the wards herself, and she’s a
strega
. Do you know what they are?”

Cal nodded. “Yeah, I know about
streghe
.” Etruscan women blessed with magical Goddess Gifts such as healing and visions, they were closely in tune with the earth and its power. Witches, by most standards.

“Then you know the wards will hold. Plus, I have a room—”

Cal’s eyes narrowed, hands clenching, and Frentani gave a rueful laugh. “Yeah, ya know, I kinda figured it was like that between you and Tessa, but I didn’t…” He cleared his throat but held his ground as Cal continued to glare at him. “So like I was saying, I’ve got a safe room.”

“And that means…?”

“That means it’s sunk into the earth and lined with lead.”

Cal’s breath caught in his throat for a second. “Impenetrable to magic?”

“Yes.”

“Has it been tested?”

“Yeah.”

“Does Tessa know about this room?”

Frentani shook his head. “Need-to-know only. And those who’ve stayed there usually don’t want anyone to know they had to use it. It’s a well-kept secret even among the Etruscans.”

“And Charun won’t be able to find her there?”

“No.”

Cal looked into Frentani’s eyes, trying to see just how certain the guy was. The doctor didn’t blink.

All right. All right, he could do this. He could leave her here, just for an hour. Or three.

She’d be fine.

***

“I’ll be fine, Cal. Everything will be fine.”

Tessa stood next to him, a sweet smile on her lips as he stood next to the solid iron door, closed to give them a few last minutes of privacy. As far as Cal could tell, the room was everything Frentani had promised. Tessa should be safe here.

He couldn’t allow himself to believe otherwise because he needed to leave. Now. The sun had set, and he could move around outside without fear of getting toasted.

But it also meant Tessa was at her weakest. It’d scared him that she hadn’t put up a fight when he’d told her what he had planned.

“I’ll be gone a couple of hours, four tops.” Fewer if he could manage it, but something told him this wasn’t going to be a hit-and-run mission. “Get some rest.”

Tessa smiled at him as if he were a puppy. Hell, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d patted his head and told him he was a good boy. And he’d lap it up like a good dog.

Shit
. When had the tables turned? When had he become the one who needed reassurance? And when the hell had he started to worry about his jobs like they were important to him?

When you started sleeping with this job.

Yeah, that had probably been a mistake, but it’d been the best damn mistake of his life. One that threatened his sanity.

He didn’t want to leave her, and he couldn’t tell whether he had a legitimate reason to worry or if he was just being paranoid. Not all paranoia was a bad thing. Too much, though, and you started to lose focus.

Tessa couldn’t afford for him to lose his focus.

As if she’d read his mind, her smile dimmed until it became a bit sad. “Be careful, Cal. I’ll be very upset if something happens to you.”

He saw worry cross her expression, and he couldn’t help wondering if she was concerned about what would happen to her if he failed. If she cared about his safety. Then she leaned in and kissed him as if she couldn’t bear to see him go. Her mouth opened over his, and her tongue touched his lips, asking for entrance.

Like he’d ever deny her.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her flush against him. Her hips tilted into his; her breasts pressed into his chest; and the pressure stoked the fire in his blood. And this was no slow-burning ember. Hell no, this was an inferno that threatened to escape his tight control.

Lust flooded his senses with heat and made his nerves pop and sizzle. His brain short-circuited when her tongue slid past his lips to tangle with his. He felt the warmth of her fingers on his scalp as she threaded them through his hair, each one a brand.

Christ, he was about to incinerate.

With a groan, he pressed her against the door and lifted her. Her feet left the floor as she wrapped her legs around his waist, pressed her mound against his erection, and short-circuited his brain.

Right here, right now. He needed her. Right fucking now.

Turning, he thrust so hard that he heard the door creak behind her.

“Shit.” He pulled back to look at her. “Did I hurt you?”

Christ, he didn’t want to hurt her. He tried to draw back even farther but she refused.

“You’re killing me, Cal. Hurry.”

She curled her hands around his neck, brought his lips back down to hers, and opened her mouth to him again.

Not hurt. And so hot for him.

The heat of her skin, of her sex, seared him even through their clothes. He had to have her. Forcing a hand between their bodies, he pushed her skirt up roughly, causing her to moan his name.

“Tess, unwrap your legs, babe.”

She didn’t hesitate to do exactly what he told her, and he stripped her underwear down her legs as fast as he could with one hand. As soon as they hit the floor, her legs wrapped back around his waist and his hand clawed at the button on his jeans until it parted. Or it tore. He didn’t care.

His engorged cock made it interesting getting his pants down one-handed, but finally he managed to bare enough of himself to get inside her. They groaned in unison as he filled her in one motion, his need for her allowing no hesitation. He had to be right here, right now, and he froze, absorbing every sensation.

But Tess was impatient and started to ride him, pulling up and sinking down like a pole dancer. Only way better.

She felt so good, so fucking good, he let her have the control. Her tight sheath made every movement heaven and hell, the friction enough to make his eyes roll back in his head.

He had to break their kiss to drag in air and buried his face in her neck, drawing in her sweet, sun-warmed scent as she rode him faster.

Her quickening breath brushed over his shoulder, warning him of her imminent release. He pumped into her on her next downward stroke and felt his release hit him like a gunshot to the lower back. His hips thrust forward, nailing her to the door and making her cry out as she came all over his cock with a rush of heated wetness and a tight, rhythmic clasp.