"Yes, and so was his brother." Hmm, that was interesting.
"Were you what caused the rift?"
"I was part of it. There were many more issues than desire for me," she explained.
"And my father?" Lucy demanded.
"I'm sorry." Eve looked away as tears rolled down her lovely cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Lucy."
"Sorry doesn't really cut it, Eve," Lucy said acidly. "However, I'd like to thank you for finally revealing yourself. I will no longer glorify you in my dreams."
Eve was silent, and as harsh as Lucy's statement was I agreed. My mother was weak. Maybe more in Lucy's case than mine, but she was weak. Her Dragon protector now made sense.
"Everyone is looking for you," I told her. "You have fallen down on the job and now some big clusterfuck is looming and I have to fix it."
Her eyes went wide and she gasped. "What?"
"You heard me, Mom. Why have you not done your duty?"
"It hurts," she whispered.
"Tough titty." Lucy shook her head with disgust. "Pain sucks and then you go eat dinner. I've been doing it for thousands of years, Mommy. I don't buy this poor me crap. You're selfish and playing some kind of game, but if my sister. . .who I just freakin' found dies because you're too narcissistic to do your damn job, then I'll kill you."
"We're True Immortals," I whispered to Lucy.
"You can't die?" she asked, relieved.
"Not really, but neither can she."
"Whatever," Lucy snapped. "I'll just fuck her up real good then."
I realized in that moment how bad my sister's existence had been. I'd been without a mother for twenty-one years, but I had a father and sisters and grandparents who loved me in their own warped way. Lucy had none of that. She had nothing, yet she was still here. She still laughed and felt compassion, love and anger. She climbed Mt. Everest and sold real estate. . .She was amazing and would never be alone again as long I was around.
"That'll work," I told her and hugged her to me hard.
"One more question, Mommy," Lucy said emotionlessly. "Why did you abandon us?"
Eve shook her head and sighed. "I couldn't take care of you."
"Couldn't or wouldn't?" she snapped.
"I..." Eve was cut off by a violent explosion.
"Motherhumpinshithatscocksuckercrap," a welcome and familiar voice shrieked as the owner fell from the sky in a massive cloud of glitter and sparks. "I am missing Downton Abbey for this shit and I'm not happy," Mother Nature shouted as she righted herself. "Hi Dixie." She giggled and waved.
"Hi, Grandma Gigi." I waved back and blew her a kiss.
"That's your grandma?" Lucy whispered in a strangled voice.
"I prefer Gigi, but you can also call me Mother Nature, sweet child," she said as she bestowed a wet kiss on Lucy's cheek. "I've been watching you and I think you would make a fabu pole dancer. I officially invite you to Nirvana. You are tough as nails and I do believe you could help me knock Dixie's sisters Lust, Wrath and Greed into line. What do you think?"
Lucy was speechless, but she nodded her head vigorously. I grinned as I thought about Lucy handing it to the nastiest of the Seven Deadly Sins.
"Good. That's settled," Mother Nature said as she adjusted the neckline of her gown that was showing an obscene amount of cleavage. "Now about you," she hissed as she turned to my mother.
"Don't," Rhonda warned shakily.
"Don't what?" Mother Nature asked pleasantly. "Don't turn your Dragon ass into a handbag and matching pumps? Or how about a skintight bustier and booty shorts for my upcoming pole humping competition?"
"Pole dancing," I corrected her.
"That's what I said."
Lucy giggled and I gave her a quick elbow.
"Gaia," Eve said, using Mother Nature’s given name. "She is just protecting me."
"From what? Yourself?" Gigi sneered. "You have played with my boys and my granddaughter. That gives me gas, but now you're playing with destiny. I won't even begin to tell you what malady that causes my lower regions."
"Thank Hades," I mumbled and Lucy choked.
"I have done what I needed to do to survive." Eve stood and faced my grandma. "I have done nothing wrong."
“No, my dearest temptress. . .you have simply done nothing at all. There's a big difference. While you've wallowed in your perceived pain, those that wish to destroy balance have been quite busy. Your lack of balls has put your daughter, my sons and the mortal world as we know it in peril. Plus," she hissed, "I'm missing my program. If I miss Long Island Medium, there's no telling what will happen to Asia."
My family's obsession with balls made me involuntarily check to make sure I hadn't physically grown any.
"What are you doing?" Lucy asked as I discreetly grabbed my crotch.
"I’ll tell you later," I whispered, relieved that I was still nutsack free.
"What do you expect of me?" my mother cried. Her distress was real, but it didn't move me. Rhonda went to her and held her gently.
"I expect you to do what you were created for," Mother Nature said in a voice that was chilling. "I expect you to dump your baggage and step up. Now," she roared as the tombstone bearing my name crumbled to the ground. "Your daughter is not dead. She will not die, but you, my little temptress, are walking very close to the edge."
"We will not listen to this," Rhonda said angrily. "Eve does not deserve this. We will take our leave."
The Dragon threw her huge arms in the air and my mother and her protector vanished.
"Well, that was stupid and shortsighted," Mother Nature quipped and giggled.
"What are you talking about?" I asked as Lucy's mouth gaped open.
"It's not wise to fuck with Mother Nature," Gigi said.
"I thought it was fool," Lucy whispered.
"It is," Mother Nature agreed. "But fuck is simply more fun to say. Don't you think?"
"Yes," Lucy acknowledged. "It is."
"My kind of girl," Gigi said as she patted a happy Lucy on the head lovingly. "Well, my job here is done." She lifted her arms and prepared to blast off to somewhere.
"Wait," I yelled. "Do you have anything else to tell me?"
"Absolutely not," she sniffed incredulously. "I have no intention of turning us all to dust. I won the last fifteen pole dancing marathons. I'm on a roll. Not gonna screw with those odds."
"But. . ." I stopped myself and swallowed back the words that had almost left my lips. The Kev was right. I was in charge of my own destiny. I would discover the rest of the journey. Alone. "I love you," I told her instead.
"And I you," she cooed. "And you too, Lucy. I take you on as a step-Gigi. Can you cook?" she inquired.
"Kind of," Lucy answered.
"Good enough," Gigi shouted as a funnel of turquoise glitter engulfed her. "I'll expect you next month. You'll teach me to cook and I'll teach you to hump a pole like a stripper. Dixie, you come too and bring your man. He has a wonderful ass and I'd enjoy grabbing it."
On those alarming parting words she disappeared.
"Holy shit," Lucy uttered.
"Yep. That about covers it."
Chapter 32
Lucy slept soundly in her new room after Janet fussed over her for an hour. Myrtle was on a date with Timmy the Bear shifter doing Satan knew what, Carl was sewing sequins on matching tutus for himself and The Kev and the baby Demons were watching a monster truck marathon and beating the Hell out of each other. All was right with my world at the moment. I was exhausted. All I wanted was my bed and my dreams about Hayden. The thought of Gigi grabbing the Angel of Death's ass brought a smile to my lips. I wouldn't mind grabbing his ass either. Another week till I could see him. I couldn't wait.
Pulling on some clean panties after a quick shower was about all I could muster up the energy to do. I fell to my bed, yanked the comforter over my head and sighed with pleasure.
"Hello Dixie."
WTH? How could a bad day get worse? Let me see. . .the Angel of Light could show up in my bedroom wh
en I was wearing nothing but panties.
"Leave," I snapped as I secured the comforter around me.
"Now that's just rude," he replied.
"No. It's rude to show up uninvited when I've had a shitty day."
"I didn't think I'd get an invite," he said sulkily.
"You were correct, Angel boy."
"So I invited myself."
"Look, Elijah. Hayden is my soul mate. You’re hot and all, but I'm good with the man I love," I told him.
"You kissed me," he informed me triumphantly.
"No, actually you kissed me," I shot back.
"Semantics," he said dismissively.
"Elijah, I love Hayden."
His eyes flashed and he advanced on the bed. "You think the Angel of Death is capable of love?"
"Yes, I do."
"You never had a chance," he said sadly. "You have so much good in you from your mother, but it's been tainted by your evil side."
I could certainly tell him a few things about my mother's goodness, but I was too pissed off about the rest of what he'd said.
"You think you're not evil?" I raised an eyebrow and waited.
"I'm the Angel of Light. I am goodness and love," he insisted.
"Blah, blah, blah. It seems a little evil to me to hit on your brother's soul mate."
He was taken aback at either my snarkiness or my accuracy.
"I never had a chance with you," he pouted. "You could have been perfect and good."
"Give me a break." I rolled my eyes and groaned. "There is no such thing as pure good or pure evil."
"Of course there is," he huffed indignantly. "I'm pure goodness."
"Nope."
"I am."
"Nope."
"Yes. I. Am," he roared and knocked all the pictures from my bedroom walls.
"That wasn't very good," I muttered and grinned.
"All right. Fine. I'm just pissed that I never had a chance." He crossed to the other side of the room and dropped into a beanbag chair.
The simple fact that the Angel of Light was sitting in a rose-colored beanbag chair was enough to keep me giggling for a while.
"What?" he demanded.
"Nothing. Is it because I'm a True Immortal?" I asked. "Is that why you want me?"
"No. Yes. I don't know," he admitted. "You're beautiful and you're Balance. I was hoping to tip the scales."
"And that's good?"
"No," he said sheepishly. "I suppose not."
An alarmingly depressing thought crossed my brain. Did Hayden want me for the same reason?
"No, he doesn't," Elijah ground out morosely.
"Did I say that out loud?" I gasped.
"No. I can read minds, especially when they yell as loud as yours does. As much as I loathe to admit it, my bastard brother loves you. The evil part and the good part."
"Was that so hard?" I asked, smiling. A huge weight lifted from my heart and if I wasn't mostly naked I would have hugged the Angel in my room. As annoying as he was, I did kind of like him.
"Actually it was. However, he will be pissed." Elijah grinned evilly.
"Why?"
"He'll be able to scent that I was here."
"Now that is evil," I informed him and wondered how angry Hayden would be.
"It is, isn't it? That was fun." He threw his head back and laughed. He really was beautiful, but he wasn't for me. "Dixie, I may not win your hand, but I will do my duty to help you keep balance. If you ever need me, just think of our kiss."
"Are you for real?"
"No, but it is fun being a little bad." He grinned like a naughty child. "You simply have to call my name and I will always come."
"Thank you. Elijah, are your wings black?"
"You're most welcome and, irony of all ironies, they are. It figures that the Angel of Death would get the golden wings. I have to go. I do believe evil is on his way."
He stood and vanished in a shower of golden mist.
I sighed as I realized that it was very true that he and Hayden had been the ones who had fought over me as a child. I pulled my covers tightly around me and wished the other part of his statement had been true, but there was still a week before Hayden was permitted to see me.
"Where is he?" a furious voice demanded.
"Oh my Hell," I shouted as I jumped up and banged my head on the lamp next to my bed. "What are you doing here?"
"Is he under the bed?" Hayden demanded, his eyes narrowing.
"Are you being a dick?"
"Did you just call me a dick?"
"No, I asked you if you were being one," I replied. I wanted to jump him so badly it hurt, but he was going to have to lose the ‘tude.
"You are practically naked and I can smell the bastard's scent. I am going to kill him and then I will spank you," he snapped as he looked under the bed.
"Will you make love to me after my spanking?" I asked as I watched him tear up my room.
"Yes, of course."
He froze and then slowly glanced up.
"Would you like to talk before you completely destroy my bedroom?" I inquired politely.
His chest heaved and he barely held onto his control. Bad boys were freakin' hot. I smiled and waited.
"You're different," he said as he slowly made his way toward my bed.
"I had no choice. I grew up."
His eyes flashed red and his movement ceased. His desire was extremely evident, but he held back.
"Did anything happen between you and my brother?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Hell Dixie, I'm hanging on by a thread here. You've got to help me out." His breathing was labored and the muscles were taut in his neck.
"Are you sorry for being a dick?"
He ran his hands through his hair and sighed dramatically. "Yes, I'm sorry for being a dick."
"Nothing happened with your brother. I'm in love with you."
His grin set my panties on fire, but I backed away. "You cannot storm in here and accuse me of cheating ever again. There will be times work will keep us apart and you will lose panty privileges if you behave like a Neanderthal. We clear on that, buddy?"
"First you call me a dick and then you call me buddy. Do you think that's wise?" His expression was feral and I was losing my inner battle with making him wait.
"Will it get me a spanking?" I asked sweetly.
Yes," he said in a gruff voice. "It will."
"Then I suppose it was very wise then."
The sexual tension in the room was almost suffocating and I was happily drowning in it. Hayden unhurriedly pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor. He kicked out of his shoes and went for his jeans. His broad chest and six-pack abs were gorgeous and made me shiver all over. Need coursed through me, but I wanted the rules to change.
"Freeze," I said as he glanced up at me in confusion. "I want to undress you."
His smile was sinful and he dropped his hands to his sides. "Be my guest."
I crawled off the bed and approached. As I ran my hands lightly over his torso, my fingers tingled and my stomach clenched with desire. I pressed my naked aching breasts to his chest and rubbed my body on his, eliciting the exact response I wanted. However the plans I had for him would fly out the window if I didn't pull back. Regaining what little composure I had left, I unbuttoned his jeans and slid them and his boxer briefs down his long muscular legs. The blond hair teased my fingertips as I massaged his thighs.
On my knees, I came face to face with something huge and beautiful. I squeezed my legs together tightly in anticipation what was to come. I'd dreamt of Hayden taking me over and over and I planned to live that fantasy tonight.
Learning the ropes by the seat of my pants had become my normal and I decided to keep going with that method. I took his erection in my hand and licked it softly. He tasted like the best kind of sin and the drop of liquid on the head was salty and delicious. His sharp intake of breath and muttered curses made me bolder.
I wrapped
my lips around the head of his cock and sucked gently. My cheeks hollowed and I swirled my tongue around the tip.
"I won't break," he ground out through his teeth as he threaded his hands in my hair. "Suck me harder."
I did.
And he went wild.
The sheer potency of having a being so powerful at my mercy was heady, but loving the person I was giving pleasure was far more staggering on levels I could have never imagined. The sounds coming from deep within his chest sent white-hot sparks of heat through my body and I increased my speed.
"Dixie, stop," he demanded as he pulled himself from my mouth with a pop. "I want to come inside you." Dropping to his knees in front of me and pressing his forehead to mine, he held my head immobile as brushed sweet kisses on my lips.
"I am a jealous man," he hissed as he took my aching nipples between his fingers and applied pressure I could feel between my legs. "You're mine."
"That's okay." I moaned as I bit down on his neck and sucked. "I accidently blow up kitchen appliances and I like expensive shoes."
"I can live with that," he growled as he picked me up and threw me on the bed. "I rarely use the clothes hamper and I suck at leaving the toilet seat down."
"That's not gonna work," I said as I took his throbbing erection in my hand and stroked it.
"I'll try and do better with that one," he grunted as he took my distended nipple into his mouth and sucked hard.
"I don't really cook." I moaned and ran my nails lightly over his testicles.
"I like Chinese takeout," he muttered as he slid down my body and did sinful things between my legs.
"I like Indian, but we can compromise," I squealed as his teeth and tongue sent me into a violent orgasm.
"I need to fuck you." His eyes were wild and his hands were everywhere.
"I wanna be on top."
"No need for a compromise there." He grinned and rolled to his back. All six foot six of my beautiful lover was laid out before me and I trembled with need. His eyes blazed red as I slowly and deliberately straddled him. Taking him in my hand, I put him right where I wanted him and slid him inside me. The stretch and slight burn was like coming home and my head dropped back to my shoulders as I sheathed him completely.
"I love you, Dixie," he promised as my body rocked on his. "I will love you to the end of time."
Hell On Heels Page 24
