Read Online What a Goddess Wants by Stephanie Julian - Free Book Online Page B

be. We might be considered mercenaries, but we have to believe in the cause.”
    “Do many of your people leave Cimmeria for this plane?”
    “No.”
    “So what do your people do?”
    He couldn’t answer that question truthfully. He had sworn an oath he would never break. “We exist. Like you.”
    “Exist.” Her mouth twisted in a sad little curve. “That’s a good word. Don’t you ever want to go back?”
    His answer was immediate and didn’t require any thought. “Not if you paid me. I love it here. There’s always something to do, always someone to do.” There was that wicked smile again. “What about you, Lady? Would you leave this world? If you could?”
    She blinked, as if processing his question. Then she frowned as her gaze turned inward. “I don’t know. After the gates to Invol were lost to us, it wasn’t an option. I… I guess I’d have to give it a lot of thought. I still have duties that I perform for the Etruscan races. Ones I enjoy.”
    Good. He needed to get her onto another subject so he sank back, trying to get as comfortable as he could on the hard chair. “Like what?”
    “Well, I’m a damn good midwife.” Her back straightened and her little chin pointed higher. “I’ve yet to lose a baby or a mother.”
    “Good track record.”
    “I think so.”
    He shifted on the chair again. Wouldn’t have to worry about falling asleep on this thing. His ass hurt too much.
    “Cal, why don’t you come sit over here?” She patted the bed beside her. “You’ll be more comfortable.”
    Yeah, he would be. But he’d be way too close to her. Because even though they weren’t talking about sex, the time they’d spent on his bed played on an endless loop in the back of his mind. He thought about the softness of her skin. Of the warmth he’d felt and shouldn’t have.
    Neither of them could afford for him to be distracted.
    “I’m fine here.”
    Her lips kicked up into a smile. “No, you’re not. What are you worried about? It’s not like we haven’t had sex. And since we’re stuck here all day and I can’t sleep…”
    She let her implied suggestion hang there, tempting him closer. Her soft grin shouldn’t have lit a fire in his gut, but it did. His cock stiffened in his pants, pulsing with blood and heat. He wanted her. Hell, all she needed to do was be in the same room and he wanted to tear her clothes off.
    And why the hell shouldn’t he have her? She was right. She couldn’t sleep, so neither could he. They were safe here, at least for the time being.
    Why couldn’t they relieve a little stress? That first time had damn near blown his mind. He could only imagine how good it would be if he let her use her hands…
    But if something happened to her on his watch…
    He tried to tear his gaze away from hers but couldn’t manage it. “Why don’t we just watch a little—”
    “Are you afraid of me?”
    He heard the indignation, but that twinkle in her eyes made him grin. Afraid? “No. But you’re paying me to protect you, and I can’t do that if I’m fucking your brains out.”
    “Well,” her smile turned wicked, “we didn’t exactly discuss payment for your… protection services.”
    His cock throbbed.
    Holy hell, if she smiled at him like that, with that heated look in her eyes, he’d take whatever payment she offered.
    Lust tightened his balls and his cock hardened even more. His body urged him to crawl onto the bed, strip her naked, and fuck her, hard and for the rest of the day, until the sun sank and they could safely head out.
    But where the hell were they going to go? Was there anywhere he could take her that she’d be safe from Charun?
    His place was warded out the ass but not against someone like Charun. The most Cal had been able to manage had been to rig an early warning system where deities were concerned.
    That’s what had tipped him off about Tessa.
    But was there anything he could do about Charun personally? Anything he could do to stop the god from