Goddess of the Rose (Goddess Summoning #4)(77)

She unwound herself from the chiton, filled a goblet from a jug of red wine and gingerly lowered herself into one of the steaming pools, sucking in a breath as the mineral water covered her back.

It had scared the shit out of her. She'd been kissing him and liking it. He'd tasted like man with something musky mixed in - something as alien as it was exciting. And he'd felt . . . she shivered. He'd felt like stone, only his body was warm and unbelievably powerful. And he'd wanted her. Desperately. She could feel his muscles bunch and quiver under her touch. She reveled in the hard length of his erection as it pressed insistently against her, and her own body responded with an answering heat and wetness that felt so damn good it made the back of her teeth ache. She'd rubbed against him, teasingly erotic, loving how easily she could feel his body through the thin silk of her chiton. The low, rumbling growl he'd breathed into her mouth had thrilled her. She was doing that to him! It was she who had held that incredibly powerful beast in her arms and made him tremble for her. She'd molded herself against him, fitting her softness to him. It had been like her dream, only better. She didn't have to wake up alone and limp from an unsatisfying solo orgasm. He was right there. She could have him - all of him.

Then the pain had mixed with the pleasure. She'd known he hadn't meant to extend his claws. He had simply been lost in her and passion had triggered an automatic response. She'd tried to tell him - tried to push him away. He hadn't seemed to hear her at first, and then . . .

She sighed and closed her eyes. Then he'd been horrified. He'd seen the fear in her eyes and he'd run, especially after she wouldn't let him get close to her. He'd misunderstood. Of course he would. How many women had looked at him with fear in their eyes? That's probably what that other damn Empousa had done. When he'd said that Hecate had no reason to make a rule stating that the Guardian and the Empousa could not desire one another, he'd been intimating that there had been nothing between the two of them, but she knew he was hiding something. They were all hiding something they didn't want her to know. The other Empousa had broken his heart. Maybe that's why Hecate had sent him away, so he could get over her. And maybe she'd fired the other priestess because she'd rejected him. Who knew why? Who knew the why of anything in this strange realm of dreams and magick and desire?

Mikki thought about the hopeless look on his face as he'd left her. She'd broken his heart, too. She hadn't meant to. It was just that she'd been so shocked - shocked and afraid - when his claws had scratched the length of her back and she'd felt the raw rush of lust that had been her response. She'd wanted to sink her teeth into his lip and demand that he f**k her right there, rough and fast, over and over. To feel his strength fill her and to know that his lust, his passion, his barely controlled violence was hers . . . Mikki shuddered with the pleasure of remembering how it had felt to imagine that she could claim him whenever she wished and that he would respond with that same flame until she was finally sated as none of the inadequate men in her life had ever been able to do. It had overwhelmed and intrigued and shocked her to get a glimpse of what would finally satisfy her - and know that "what" was not a man, but a beast.

The simple truth was that she hadn't been afraid of him; she'd been afraid of herself.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"I THINK we got a lot accomplished, especially for only working half a day." Mikki wiped her hands together and surveyed the neat beds of newly fertilized roses that framed Hecate's Temple. If she didn't look too hard or think about the weird sick feeling she carried around in her gut whenever she was near the unhealthy roses, the gardens appeared almost normal, especially in this area of the realm closest to Hecate's Temple. Here the roses were all in shades of lavender and purple, and even in their sad condition, their sweet fragrance filled the space. Water flowed from the huge multi-basined fountain to trickle steadily into the marble troughs that stretched from its base outward and all the way to the four corners of the gardens. Nera had explained that the fountain carried water to all of the rose beds. Mikki had never imagined such a beautiful irrigation system.

"The work proceeds well. Many of the women were smiling and laughing today," Gii said.

"That's just because rumor has it that I'm going to cast a spell to invite men into the realm." But Mikki smiled back at the Earth Elemental. The women had worked hard and done so with good attitudes, especially today. She was keenly aware of it, because she had been struggling all morning with a decidedly surly attitude, which she had gone to great pains to hide.

Damnit! Asterius had shown not one hoof or horn or hair all morning. True, she hadn't called him. There hadn't been any reason for her to. Most of the heavy work had been finished the day before. Today the women were focusing on deadheading and clearing out weak canes. Neither task required his brawn. But he could have shown up to say good morning or check in or something - anything!

Logically, she understood that he believed she had thoroughly rejected him after he'd hurt and frightened her. But the sad truth was that love and lust were not logical. She'd wanted to see him - expected to see him. And she didn't want to have to force him to come to her or even ask him to come to her. She wanted him to come because he couldn't stay away.

"Empousa, shall I dismiss the women, or would you rather they stayed while you cast the sacred circle and invoked the spells?" Gii said.