Rock Hard (14 page)

“And then?” Tess was still not sure where all this was headed.

“And then we try to find the magic,” he grinned flippantly, throwing the word back at her, “that will allow each one of us to regain our physical presence here on earth. It’s what we’ve spent the last 300 and some odd years trying to accomplish.”

“Seems like a pretty tall order,” she muttered. “We don’t even know why I act as a catalyst. Oh, I know you think I’m related to Enlil, but where does that leave you and me?”

She became aware that he was staring down at her with far more intensity than before.

“I know where I’d like it to leave us,” he said and suddenly looked predatory. Tess’s heart sped up. “Haven’t you noticed how the elements react when we touch?” To prove his point, he nudged her foot, where it rested close to his, and she felt a low rumble beneath her. Instant wetness gathered between her legs, and she swallowed back a potent mixture of lust and trepidation.

“Uh-huh, but you could just be doing that, since you’re in control of that stuff.” Tess was both aroused and confused. Her libido was suddenly in overdrive, and she was not sure what to believe any more.

“You can tell yourself that. Or you can hope, as I do, that there is something more going on.” She watched him carefully as he leaned down to inhale the scent of her hair. Her stomach flip-flopped.

What should have been an innocent gesture became completely erotic when Marduk did it. She dropped her eyes and couldn’t help but notice that his cock had sprung to attention behind the tight denim of his borrowed jeans. Their combined pheromones were raging.

Tess couldn’t handle the quick change. He’d gone from harmless buddy to full on lust-monkey in seconds and, even though her body followed, her mind wasn’t ready to make the leap. She moved as far away from him as the steps would allow.

“I told you already,” she croaked. “I’m not looking for a relationship, sexual or otherwise.”

“Perhaps I can change your mind,” his breath came close as he leaned his head over and nuzzled her neck. Her nipples responded, despite her fear. She was unable to move. He placed the first small kiss behind her ear. It was nice. It was so nice. Tess let herself get lost for the time it took his lips to move down toward her collar bone. When his hand came up to her neck to hold her in place, Tess crashed back to reality and slapped him away.

“No, I said!”

Marduk stopped, confused. Was she playing some kind of game? It didn’t seem like it. He knew Tess had enjoyed his caress, he could see evidence of her desire through her thin T-shirt. Playing hard to get didn’t seem her style.

He moved his left arm over her shoulder and let his right drop to her knee, all the while intent on finding the softness of her lips. He needed to taste her so badly. Surely one kiss wasn’t too much to ask?

Tess lurched back, smacked her elbow solidly into Marduk’s solar plexus, then turned her hand and thrust it up beneath his nose. Cartilage cracked with a satisfying give, and Marduk roared in pain.

“Let’s see how quickly you heal from that,” Tess yelled, jumping hastily to her feet. “I said no!”

Marduk leaned his head back to stanch the flow of blood, which was already in the process of sealing itself off, and looked up to where she stood. “I didn’t think you meant it,” he railed, both pissed off and proud that he’d chosen a woman who could take care of herself. His body stilled.

Did he just think, “chosen a woman”? He would have laughed if it wasn’t so painful. If this was his woman, then heaven help him, and hell help him, too. He certainly had his work cut out in order to win her over. The way Tess stood, Marduk knew she expected anger or retaliation. He exhibited neither.

“Apologies if I mistook the situation. I’m leaving now, but I’ll be back tomorrow to figure this out.” He kept his voice civil. “Do me a favor,” he implored. “Lock your doors and don’t go anyplace until I come for you.”

“Yeah, sure,” Tess agreed, obviously thinking that she was keeping her sarcastic thoughts of
yeah, right
to herself. Marduk barely kept a straight face. His strong willed woman was not about to listen. She would do as she pleased. He’d have to post an invisible guard to make sure she stayed safe.

****

Dagon watched the show from his towering perch in a tree across the street, having been careful to maintain enough distance that Marduk and Enlil would not pick up on his energy. He had witnessed the little “we’re gods” demonstration and had then seen the she-devil bloody the nose of the mighty Marduk. It was all he could do not to tumble from his seat in hysterics. The woman had a lot of spirit!

When his employees—he liked that term better than minions—stole her away, he might even keep her for a while to enjoy for himself. He wasn’t averse to a little pain mixed with his pleasure.

Chapter Twelve

Dagon knew what needed to be accomplished next. The minute he returned to Plymouth, he had Matthew and Lenore call all of their people. He met the group in a large room toward one side of the house that doubled as meeting space and gym.

They were all dressed like they’d just come from church. Ten men and three women, looking nothing like the assassins he had hoped for. Disappointment struck deep. Preparing this group for battle was going to…suck. Dagon was deceptively charming when he approached the first of his recruits.

“Do you have a smart phone?” Dagon wondered aloud. The individual lowered his head to take the small device from his pocket, and Dagon knocked him to the ground with a single blow to the back of his neck. That accomplished, the god stepped back, tugging on his cuffs, looking smug, when the downed man grabbed him by the ankle and yanked him to the floor. Stunned yet pleased, Dagon allowed the young man to straddle him and raise a fist before calling a halt.

“You will not strike me!” Dagon looked deep into his attacker’s eyes and was rewarded with instant obedience. “Now get off and help me up.”

The now confused man did as he was told, then backed up a few steps, wondering what had just happened.

“Rule number one,” Dagon captured everyone’s attention, “the gods we are dealing with can compel you to do anything, even kill yourselves, if they get the opportunity to look you in the eyes. So never, under any circumstances, are you to make direct eye contact. Do you understand?”

There was a chorus of astounded agreement in the room.

“Your name, sir.” Dagon demanded of his new sparring partner.

“Stuart,” came the gruff reply.

“Well, Stuart, I must say I’m pleased. I was expecting no fight at all, considering the way you all look.” He waived his arm around the room at the plethora of business suits.

Lenore interrupted. “The dress code is part of their training, sir. We don’t want anyone mistaking our employees for thugs. But I assure you, they are battle ready at all times.” She turned toward the group. “Weapons,” she called, and before Dagon had a chance to twitch an eyebrow, knives, guns, and throwing stars were revealed inside jackets, under vests, and tucked into waistbands.

“Impressive.” Dagon’s delight grew with each passing moment. “And tomorrow we will see just how well your training pays off.” He liked the look of expectancy that came over their faces. “I’ve been told that you’ve studied the descriptions of the rogue gods we are after from the information I entrusted to your predecessors several centuries ago.” There were gasps from the group.

“Ah.” He turned to Lenore “I see you have not yet revealed my identity.” He relished the dramatic and gave a practiced bow to his onlookers. “I am Dagon. Leader of the Puritans that drove out the evil in 1628, and the very same leader who, with your help, will eradicate those same devils now, but this time forever.”

Before he could get carried away by their obvious adoration, Dagon gestured for them to find a seat. “We have work to do, and things to set in motion.” He turned to Lenore. “Give me the layout of this structure, the current use of every room, and what precautions you have taken against an inevitable attack.” Dagon would rearrange and fortify the residence to suit his own needs. For now, he turned to the group. He would give them the workout of their lives.

****

Tess stretched in the late morning light and turned to look at the clock. Ten thirty! How had she slept so late? The events of the previous day came crashing back into her brain. No! She groaned. This couldn’t be happening to her. Was she a magnet for lunatics? Just as her life was getting back on track with a good job and her own apartment, some weirdos were going to derail everything. Well, she wouldn’t let it happen.

In the sanity of a new day, she could see how they had duped her. Hell, she could have been under hypnosis from the very beginning! Well, not the very beginning. She tenderly touched her swollen cheek.

Tess sat up slowly and shuffled her feet around until she found her old slippers. First things first, a good hot shower and then she was going about her day as she wanted. Grocery shopping was high on the list. Damn! Her car was still down at the beach. She’d leave it for today and catch a cab first thing in the morning so she would have it for work.

As she stepped under the hot spray of the shower, she wondered what to do about Marduk…and the others, of course! Should she acquiesce and go to his home, or ignore the whole thing and tell him to find someone else who could make him into a real boy? She smirked at her Pinocchio reference, although she kind of liked the idea of being the one to pull his strings.

Running the soap over her neck, she remembered the feel of Marduk’s mouth as he’d kissed her there. What would it have been like if she’d let him continue? Her nipples hardened, and she teased the tight buds with the rough facecloth, imagining it was Marduk’s hands wielding the scrap of material. She lowered her hand to the juncture of her legs, and…that’s where her imagination stopped. She had no business thinking he’d be any different than Gage, and he was twice the size. She’d get more of the same.

God indeed. Marduk was just another man, and would be capable of inflicting even greater pain than she’d already endured. Look at the damage to her cheek from just one encounter. There was no way she was going to be a victim again.

If only she could call Holly. Tess sighed. Her sister would know what to do. She got out of the shower and slowly dried off. Why couldn’t her life be more normal?

While getting dressed, she shook off her gloom and thought out her day. Her meeting for alcoholics should come first. She removed the schedule from the drawer of her bedside table. Rats! She’d missed the morning meeting, but the one this evening was closer on Hancock Street so it would be easier to walk. Done! Grocery shopping would be first.

When she locked the door behind her, Tess sheepishly did a quick scan of the road. What had Marduk said? Don’t leave the house. He hadn’t said why, and wasn’t that just typical. Why did she get the sense that he was trying to keep her safe from something? When her perusal uncovered nothing but a couple of kids on bikes and a guy carrying a box of donuts, she shook off her very mild trepidation and headed to the grocery store.

It was a pretty good hike down Newport Avenue, but she used one of those wire-cart carriers with the wheels, and it made for a nice walk in the warming day. There were a good number of other strollers out enjoying the sun and everyone gave a friendly nod. She was really beginning to like Quincy.

She expected, upon her return, to see a slew of gods lounging on her doorstep, but oddly enough, no one was about. Was Marduk still recovering from his nose wound?

In retrospect, perhaps she had been a little harsh. Tess just didn’t want him getting the wrong idea or thinking there could be anything physical between them. Although, if she were honest with herself, his magnificent body hadn’t been far from her thoughts since she’d gotten out of bed.

Could she seriously be considering letting him touch her? Did she think that gargantuan god-man could wield a gentle enough touch to keep her from melting down into a total mind-fuck panic? It was really too much to ask of any red-blooded male. Or red-blooded god. No matter. She had been ruined by her past, and she knew it.

Tess ate a late lunch, then, without a second thought this time, left her apartment and took her laundry to the coin-op, where she read month-old magazines and waited for a machine. She was not generally aware of the population around her, but she could have sworn that the donut guy from the street this morning walked in and out of the Laundromat a couple of times, passing quite near before glancing in a dryer and leaving again.

She only noticed because he was wearing a business suit on a Sunday. She could understand church in the morning, but what about sweats to chill out after? Overactive imagination, much? It was a close-knit neighborhood, so why shouldn’t he do his laundry here?

Several hours and three loads later, Tess was back at her apartment once again. Still no Marduk. If it weren’t for her boo-boo, she’d think she’d imagined him. In spite of his absence, the day had flown by. It was amazing how much time a couple of errands could take.

She ate a light supper, applied a little lip gloss, and fluffed her hair. Somehow, night had fallen, and she was just going to make her meeting. Grabbing her purse, she flew out the door without a backward glance.

****

Anshar swept into the room where Marduk, Enlil, and Shamash sat hunched over several computers.

“Is she behaving herself?” Marduk asked, knowing that all must be well if Anshar had returned.

“She arrived home a few minutes ago and will most likely have a light repast and then watch television.” Anshar sounded pretty sure of himself. “Most humans don’t stir from their homes on Sunday night when they have to work the next day.”

Work the next day… Did she have to work the next day and, if so, what kind of work did she do and would they be able to watch her and keep her safe? It was time to confront Tess and look for a few more answers. Marduk stretched in anticipation.

“I’m headed over there,” he said easily as he got up from his chair. “I’ll let you know if I need any help.” Enlil stood as well.