Where a Goddess Belongs

by Stephanie Julian

  But right now, she wanted him to give her what she needed. Without hesitation, she grabbed the hem of her shirt and tugged it up, breaking their kiss only long enough to get the shirt over her head then leaning forward again to crush their lips together. She tasted his surprise in his sudden hesitation but he got back with the program fast enough. His hands slid up from her waist to her ribs, pausing there as if asking permission. She gave it by leaning even closer. He took the hint and covered her breasts with his hands. Moaning into his mouth, she arched until he cupped her breasts completely and squeeze. Yes, that’s what she wanted. What she needed. More. He took the hint and squeezed harder, pinching her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and sending a blast of sharp pleasure through her body. When she gasped into his mouth, he stilled until she thrust her breasts even more fully into his hands. That finally seemed to cut through the last of his resistance. One hand slid behind her back and pulled her even closer while the hand on her breast tightened. Tinia’s teat, she hadn’t realized how starved for affection she’d been. How much she’d needed this contact. But she knew just anyone wouldn’t have satisfied her. There was something about these two men... And no, she hadn’t forgotten about the other man. She knew Den was still at her back. She felt his gaze like a physical caress, watching her and Jacoby. She sensed that he was biding his time, not feeling ignored. He was waiting for an opening. Probably because he knew Jacoby needed a little more convincing. So she’d be sure she had Jacoby fully on board before moving forward. That would be no hardship. Especially not while Jacoby teased her nipples into tight points that were begging for his mouth. They ached, tight and hard, and, if he didn’t move his mouth there soon, she would— Jacoby pulled back, leaving her gasping in surprise, which turned into moan when he strung a line of stinging kisses from her chin to her jaw and down her neck. He added a couple of bites that made her shiver, which made him bite harder. She’d have marks. And she’d smile every time she saw them. Tilting her head to give him more access, she felt the hand he had on her back wrap around her hair and tug. Sensation sizzled along her scalp, zinging to her nipples and down to her clit, already needy and tight. She needed him to put a hand between her legs and relieve that needy ache. Wanted to put her hands on hard male flesh and rake her nails down his naked back while he pounded into her. Actually, she wanted two sets of hands on her body. Yes, she was greedy. And so very, very horny. As Jacoby continued kissing his way down her body, she turned her head to look over her shoulder at Den. She wasn’t surprised to see him watching them. But the inferno of heat in those ice-blue eyes made that ache between her legs intensify. She moaned unintentionally, surprised by the need in the sound. Jacoby pulled away a second later, his breathing labored, and she tightened her hold on him, silently urging him to continue what he’d been doing. She wanted more. Needed more. She no longer cared who was watching. Frankly, she hadn’t before but she’d been conscious of the fact that Den and Jacoby had been. But now... She wanted everything they had to give. “We’re at your service, Lady.” Den’s voice made her stomach tighten into a solid ball while her blood flowed like lava through her veins. “Whatever you want. Had he read her mind? Her lips curved in a smile that made that dark light in Den’s eyes shine even brighter. And that dark well of power she constantly battled for control receded slightly under the onslaught of Jacoby’s kisses and the obvious lust in Den’s voice. “We’re here to serve you.” Service. No, that’s not what she wanted. She didn’t want adoration either. She wanted what she’d been missing all these long centuries, what she’d yearned for and had never found.

  She wanted what her sister had found. She wanted to be loved for who she was, not what she was or what she could do. That realization threw her out of the moment and she blinked and drew in a quick breath. Den’s gaze narrowed and she could tell he’d realized something had changed. “Kari?” Jacoby retreated another few inches, pulling away from her hold, and she felt his gaze on her now, watching her intently. She looked between the men, looking for something she knew she wasn’t going to find. “Are you okay?” She nodded quickly. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry, I just—” now’s the time to start this.” Tinia’s teat, that was a lame excuse. And a complete lie. Now was the perfect time. If they were going to disappear, they’d need her at full strength. And nothing recharged her batteries more than sex. So why the hell are you turning down freely offered sex? Damn good question. Den and Jacoby exchanged a glance and Jacoby released her a second later. She immediately missed the warmth of his hands on her body and wanted to smack herself silly. “You’re right.” Jacoby sounded remorseful but not at all angry. “I’m sorry—” “Oh, no. Please don’t be sorry. I’m really hoping we can do this again...somewhere more private.” She smiled at both men to make sure they understood she meant to include both of them and was relieved when they both smiled back, though Jacoby still looked unsure. “We want that, too, Lady Kari. But for now, I think we need to get the hell out of here.” She didn’t disagree with Den. She simply hated being denied what she wanted. And she wanted these men. “Then I guess we should be on our way.” “I’ll start packing.” Jacoby headed toward the bedrooms at a pace that should’ve made her head spin. Damn. He practically ran away from her. That was a serious blow to the ego, wasn’t it? And you really need to get over yourself a little more. Turning back to Den, she found him watching Jacoby with frustration plainly visible on his face. Well, at least she wasn’t the only one. His gaze snapped back to hers when he realized she was staring at him and gifted her with a lopsided smile. “Lady—” “Please don’t call me that, Den. My name is Kari. I’d really like you to use it.” And now she was being a total bitch. But when they called her “Lady,” they reminded her that they thought of her as something “other.” Something apart. She didn’t want to be separate. She wanted to be a woman, not a goddess. At least to these two men. And in a few months, she’d probably be bitching about the fact that she was going to be replaced. Damn it. Den’s head kicked to the side for a few seconds before he nodded, which looked almost like a bow, which made her want to roll her eyes. Ugh, she had to stop this shit. Seriously. “Whatever you want...Kari.” Oh. Wow. Her heart skipped a beat at the renewed heat in his eyes. And she wanted to squeeze her legs together to ease the ache between them. They so needed to get far away from here so she could indulge herself in them for an uninterrupted stretch of time. Like, say, a few days. “Is there anything you want me to pack for you? Anything you want to take with you?” “No. If you recall, I only had the clothes on my back when we left.”

  Want more than you can give. “I’m not sure “Then why don’t you wait for Jack and me in the living room? We’ll be ready to go in a few minutes.” “Can I help?” He shook his head. “We just need to get our weapons. Neither of us brought anything with us we’ll miss if we leave it behind. The only thing I need is to know my mom will be safe. Everything else is just stuff.” Oh. This man had a heart a mile wide, something she was sure the Mal had tried to beat out of him. And yet, he’d managed to maintain it. His strength drew her like a moth to a flame. If you’re not careful, you’ll get your wings singed. And then there was Jacoby, who held the weight of the world on his shoulders and hid the stress from the world. That man had hidden so much, had dark places in his soul that called to her but he wouldn’t let her in. She wasn’t sure he ever would. With a bright smile to send Den off to get ready for their departure, she wandered back to the living area and sat on the couch, quietly and out of the way. Which made her feel twice as useless as normal. Her nose wrinkled. She really needed to shake off this pitiful-me attitude. It wasn’t doing anyone any good. So, what could she do to help them get ready to leave? She really didn’t have anything here she wanted to take with her. They’d kidnapped her with literally only the clothes on her back and these just happened to be the same clothes. They’d provided her with others but she this was her favorite skirt. Good thing she’d decided to wear it today. Or maybe her sister, Nortia, Goddess of Fate,
had given her a mental clue that she should choose to wear it today. It was true that fate could be a bitch. But it was also true that family stuck together. Mostly. When she heard the slight noise from outside, she had to wonder if that, too, was Nortia, alerting her to the fact that someone was approaching. She turned to look out the front window and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just the same trees that had always been there. But were there a few extra shadows lurking? Yes, she was pretty sure there were. And they were moving. The air was not. Guess their time had run out sooner than they’d expected. Obviously someone had been monitoring their discussion and must have sent someone earlier today. Unless they had someone like Sal who could use magic to send people elsewhere. She’d thought there was only one of Sal remaining. Truly the last of his kind. Or was he? What other secrets could the Mal be hiding? Probably more than she wanted to know. Since she didn’t want to risk calling out to Den and Jacoby, she got up off the couch and headed for the kitchen, getting a glass out of the cupboard and going to the faucet in front of the window. As she filled a glass with water, she checked out the shadows in the backyard. Yep, definitely a few out here, too. If she opened herself up to the emotion of the others outside, she could probably figure out how many they were dealing with but she was still a little raw from dealing with Jacoby’s emotions. Too much and she could overload and would be no good to them when they needed to leave. Then again, they probably should know what they were up against. And why they weren’t moving in already. What were they waiting for? At this point, it probably didn’t matter. She had faith that Jacoby and Den would do what they could to get her out of here. And she wouldn’t let anyone harm them. The Mal really hadn’t done their homework on her— Someone grabbed her arm and she almost shrieked like a little girl before she realized it was Jacoby, standing just out of sight of anyone on the other side of the window. He held one finger to his mouth and motioned her back. As nonchalantly as she could, she turned from the window and walked toward Jacoby. That’s when she felt it. A presence she couldn’t mistake. Her stomach clenched in on itself and her skin crawled. An intense sensation of dread threatened to steal her ability to breathe.

  She barely felt Jacoby grab both her elbows to steady her as she swayed on her feet, every one of her senses attuned to the evil somewhere outside the cabin. “Kari, what’s wrong?” He didn’t sound worried but that quickly changed when she didn’t respond. She couldn’t respond. Fear held her hostage. “Kari?” Jacoby accompanied his sharper tone with a shake that managed to break through the black fog that seemed to surround her. Blinking, she met his gaze. As she watched his eyes narrow, she knew she must look as if she’d seen a ghost. Or more precisely, a demon. “What’s wrong?” He kept his voice so low she almost couldn’t hear him and it took her several seconds before she could speak. Her throat burned like she’d swallowed acid and her heart pounded so hard, she wasn’t sure it didn’t hurt. “Kari? Christ, what—” “There’s something out there.” She could barely hear her own voice but she definitely heard her fear. And so did Jacoby. Grabbing her arm, he dragged her behind him. Even through the black pit of terror eating away at her guts, she recognized the change in him. He’d gone from man to soldier in the blink of an eye. She’d never seen this side of him and she watched in awe as he reached above his head and ripped out the cords to the camera. Then he herded her out of the kitchen and back into the living area. Den stepped out the bedroom a second later, gun in his hand, his expression set in the same lines as Jacoby’s. Focused and intent. No one would ever mistake them for anything but soldiers right now. With Jacoby’s hand on her arm urging her to keep moving, Kari forced herself not to freak. But it was hard to do when an actual demon from Aitás, otherwise known as the Etruscan version of hell, showed up at your door. Her sister goddesses had faced them and lived to tell the tale. She would, too. Shaking off a bit of the fear, she kept her feet moving in the direction Jacoby was pointing her. Straight to Den. “Stay behind me.” Den not only had a gun in hand but another one stuck in the back of his pants and a knife on his belt. “If I tell you to run, don’t hesitate and don’t stop. Call the lucani when you can. Make sure they’ve got Jacoby’s sister and my mom. Make sure they hold up their end of the bargain.” “You can do that yourself when we get out of this.” Den’s quirky little grin eased a tiny bit more of that fear. “I have no plans of not finishing what we started, Kari. I just need to know you’ve got our backs.” Nodding, she got a true smile from Den. “Then we’re good.” His smile disappeared. “If you get the chance, run. We’ll keep them off you as long as we can.” She nodded, though she knew she wouldn’t leave them. They wouldn’t be able to handle the demon without her and she refused to run while they risked their lives for her. “Jacoby’s got your back.” Den ran his hand over his gun and it made a metallic snick that made her shudder. “Don’t leave yourself open to attack. Do whatever you have to to get away. And don’t stop once you start running. Jack?” “Yeah.” Another gun cocked, this time at her back. She really hated that sound. It was so cold and so...brutal. Of course, magic was just as deadly and infinitely more terrifying. Her own magic could be vicious if used the wrong way. That was a secret she’d prefer not to share but if she had to use it to save these two men against a demon, she would. All bets would be off. “We’ve got a car stashed a few miles away.” Den spoke to her in an almost inaudible whisper, moonlight streaming through the windows and highlighting the lines of his face. “Due south. If we get

  separated, head that way. If you reach the car before we do, take it and don’t wait. Jack and I are fully capable of finding our own way. The key’s hidden under the mat in the backseat.” His gaze flipped to Jacoby for a second before settling back on hers. “Don’t get caught.” His rough demand made her smile. “Same goes for both of you.” He nodded then looked at Jacoby. “Five plus whatever the fuck that creepy thing is. I’d say incapacitate but we both know we can’t come back. Butch and Sundance, man. Wasn’t that your fantasy?” “Hell, I haven’t seen that movie in years.” Jacoby scoffed and she heard amusement in his voice. “Besides I can’t swim, you know that.” They were making jokes. Shaking her head, she couldn’t believe they were so calm in the face of danger that made a goddess shiver. Then again, maybe it was better they didn’t know exactly what they were up against. She certainly had enough fear for the three of them. Because she knew what a demon like the one that was out there could do to them. “I know this seems like it should be obvious, but don’t let it bite or scratch you,” she said. “Their venom is a paralytic and you’ll be defenseless.” Both men nodded then Den headed for the bathroom. She had a second to wonder why then realized the small window would be just big enough to Den to get through, meaning she and Jacoby would have no problem. If there was no one waiting there for them. The window slid open without a sound, as if someone had made sure it wouldn’t. She was pretty certain that was no coincidence. These men had tried to take every move into account. Now they needed a little luck. Which they seemed to get. Den made it out the window, silent as a cat. There was no way she would be as graceful or as quiet. And if she used her magic, the demon might get a whiff of it and pinpoint their location, so that was out. As she climbed out, Den grabbed her around the waist and lowered her to the ground, where the leaves crunching beneath her feet sounded like an explosion. She would’ve stayed frozen in place if Den hadn’t motioned for her to follow him as Jacoby followed noiselessly behind. They headed for the trees surrounding the cabin, no sign of a path in sight and the footing unsteady. She had to focus intently to stay on her feet because of the uneven ground. The cute little sneakers she’d found in her closet hadn’t been made for this kind of terrain and didn’t provide a lot of protection but there was no way in hell she was going to mention that. If she had to, she’d walk out barefoot and grateful. And when Den said run, she’d run. They were at least five-hundred yards from the cabin when she heard the sound of crashing footsteps from behind them. Just before Den grabbed her hand and starte
d to run. She had a second to suck in a deep breath and then all she could concentrate on was making sure she didn’t fall or trip. She didn’t want to slow them down. She could tell Den was holding himself back for her, which meant she had to go faster for him. It sucked that she was the one holding them back. It really sucked that she was actually getting winded. Damn it, she was a goddess. She shouldn’t be out of breath. Just added insult to injury when you considered that she was fairly obsolete to begin with. Yet the only reason these men were now in danger was because they wanted her to pass on her powers to her replacement. Her toe caught an edge and she stumbled for several steps. Den’s tight hold on her hand kept her upright. Her skin crawled as the most overwhelming wave of fear hit her. Now she did go down. She tripped over her feet and went to her knees, teeth clenching with the force of the impact. The air rushed out of her, leaving her gasping and in shock. But she had no time to take stock. Den literally yanked her back to her feet and pulled her along.