Rock Hard (22 page)

“I’m glad Hux could help,” she said sincerely. “But I hope the guys don’t wear him out, taking turns trying to beat him to a pulp.” She brightened instantly. “Maybe we could go there later, and I could do some fighting too!”

“You can’t touch them like Huxley can,” Marduk reminded her.

She smiled as she pushed past him and held open the door. “That’s true,” she teased. “But I can touch you!”

Marduk looked sucker-punched. While color moved up into his neck, Tess gave his tall body a good long once over, and the bulge in his leathers grew. Sparring with Marduk could have some decided benefits. Tess watched and barely controlled her mirth as he attempted to discreetly adjust his erection before they both headed outside. Enlil was waiting beside the bikes.

“So,” Enlil rubbed his hands together. “Bacon and eggs and…”

“Coffee!” The two men intoned together. Tess couldn’t hold back her amusement this time at the look on their faces. She’d never once before considered coffee orgasmic.

“Let’s move, boys, before you find out there’s a coffee machine in the house, and I never get you out of here.” She could have sworn Marduk took a short step in that direction before changing his mind and swinging his leg over his seat.

“Point the way.” He kicked the engine to life with a roar, and Tess eased herself up behind him. He was fresh from the shower, his hair still damp, but his natural smell of threshed wheat and ozone had her burrowing her nose in his back.

“Helmet.” His voice was gruff, and she knew if she had the courage to reach around she’d find him hard again. Tess pulled the helmet over her head.

The problem, she pondered, was him. Well, all right, it was her, too. She was okay with staying away from men for the rest of her life, but he was making it so effortless for her to like him. He was trustworthy, not taking her further than she wanted to go. For such a powerful god, he could easily do whatever he wanted, but that was one of the things she liked about him. He didn’t use his power in bad ways, and demonstrated amazing restraint. It was pretty seductive.

She actually trusted him. And what’s more, Tess trusted her other gods too. It had been a very long time since she’d put herself out there for anyone but family. Once again, she wished for her sister. She knew, instinctively, that Holly would love these supernaturals as much as she did. Tess peaked around Marduk’s large frame.

“Next left,” she yelled over the whine of the bike, then remembered her head-connection.
Next left.
Tess threw back her head and laughed. She hadn’t felt this free in a long time.

If Tess was going to continue to be a part of the god’s lives, and it looked like that might happen, then she wanted to know all about them. Over breakfast, she decided, it would be time for more background.

She hadn’t really thought about it, but why had the gods been slaves at the auction in England? Where had they been before that? And now that they’d solved the puzzle about Enlil’s blood connection, what was the deal with Marduk becoming tangible? Then, just last night, a new mind fuck. What was that red, glowy thing all about? She figured that was the easiest thing to start with, so she wouldn’t hesitate to bring it up over breakfast.

Arriving at the diner, the gods parked their bikes, settled into a booth, and ordered what Tess could only describe as a huge pile of food. She had her doubts whether it could all be consumed.

“I’ve got a question for you, Marduk.” Tess shoveled scrambled eggs into her mouth, but couldn’t keep up with the speed at which he and Enlil were downing theirs.

“So good!” Marduk’s eyes might as well have rolled back in his head. He completely ignored Tess and looked for confirmation from Enlil.

Enlil was on board a hundred percent. “I’m calling the waitress to put in another order. Do you think if I offer to blow the chef, he’ll stay and cook for us all day?”

“You guys!” Tess had completely underestimated how much the two could eat. She understood the food attraction, but where were they putting it? She couldn’t imagine being on Earth for so many years without eating, but still, they needed to stop ignoring her. She had things she wanted to know. Stabbing another forkful of eggs, she jumped in before they got going again.

“Marduk! Why did your shoulder glow red last night?” Two utensils came to an abrupt halt. Enlil’s actually dropped with a clatter onto the table. The blond god slowly turned—was that a growl?—and blazed an incredulous, accusing stare at Marduk. Thunder rumbled nearby.

“I was going to tell you.” Tess watched Marduk face Enlil’s angry disbelief. He answered the silent charges, sounding resigned. “It was the first time it happened and…”

“How could you withhold this?” Enlil’s ferocity started to build. Tess looked down. Even the wind god’s plate of food was forgotten as his eyes sparked dangerously gold. “Here is our other answer.” He threw his napkin to the table. “You should have shared this with us right away.” His look was furious. “And why did it have to be you?”

“Excuse me! It was pretty much a shocker to me, as well.” Marduk was now becoming irate. “And pardon me for saying that it’s kind of personal and not the stuff that fucking bed time stories are made of!” Both of their voices were going nuclear.

Tess interrupted, afraid they would come to blows. “Outside,” she hissed. “Outside, the two of you, right now!” The last thing she needed was a scene in her home town cafe.

The thunder god threw a fifty on the table. “Enough?” he barked. Tess nodded blindly as she headed for the door. The three marched rigidly outside.

“What was that all about?” Tess had waited until they were on the sidewalk before having an eruption of her own. “Do you guys attempt to make a scene no matter where you are?”

“I’m sorry, Tess,” Enlil gritted between clenched teeth. “But Marduk should have let us know about the glowing.” Marduk watched his friend’s eyes go to Tess, then back to him. Enlil’s body seemed to deflate. If the asshole had just thought before he spoke, it would have been obvious why Marduk had not filled Tess in. Marduk nearly snorted at Enlil’s dawning consternation. Right. Not an easy reveal. Let the wind god be the one who ruined her day.

“It’s just that the red aura is a…it indicates…”

Marduk crossed his arms over his chest, enjoying the god’s inability to complete the thought.

“It gives us a clue as to why Marduk has regained his body,” Enlil ended lamely.

“Do you want to share?” Tess glared at the pair.

“Uh, not until we’re more certain of the, um, repercussions. Also,” his eyes hadn’t lost their golden tint as he faced Marduk, “we need to find the rest of our brothers and fill them in on this breaking news.” Marduk knew Enlil was daring him to disagree, and his emotions were still not quite under control. Low thunder grumbled nearby, but at least no storm seemed imminent.

“Fine,” Marduk agreed, turning to Tess but very much put out. “Take us to Huxley’s studio.”

“It’s only a couple of blocks from here.” He could see that Tess was decidedly unhappy with the non-disclosure of information when she deliberately turned her back on the pair. “We’ll walk.” She set off briskly down the sidewalk.

They reached the gym, and noticed Hux had put out the “closed” sign. It was a good thing because, upon entering, they were met with the sight of gods flopped on mats everywhere in various states of sweaty and pulverized. Her brother was bloody and gasping for breath. From an outsider’s point of view, it would look like Huxley had done an awful number on himself. Hard to explain. Hence, the closed sign.

“Up! All of you.” Enlil took charge. If the gods found it unusual that Marduk would stand back while Enlil barked orders, they didn’t let it show on their faces. One by one, they came to their feet, and Enlil motioned them all to a spot at the far end of the gym. Tess approached Huxley.

“You look like hell,” she stated, unconcerned because he was obviously still standing.

“Thanks.” Hux reached for a towel and mopped blood and moisture from his face. “You try fighting them! I’ve never met anybody that could keep up with me before. Now I’ve got eight guys who want to take turns making me their punching bag.” Far from looking disgruntled, Huxley actually looked like he was enjoying himself.

“What’s up with the group huddle?” he asked, angling his head toward the god pack.

“You got me,” Tess responded in frustration. “One minute they’re eating their way through the menu at the diner, the next they’re ready to beat the crap out of each other over something I said.”

“Must have been a big something.” Huxley stared at her intently. “What did you say?”

“I mentioned that Marduk had, uh, glowed red when we were…” Damn it, she didn’t want her brother to know she’d been in the hot tub with the hunky god. “When we were hanging out last night.”

“Hanging out? As in being with him after everybody else had gone to bed?” He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. Tess sighed. It was pretty telling that being alone with a male was tougher for her brother to believe than Marduk having a bad case of crimson.

Tess studied the tips of her boots. “You might say that.” Did she catch a small upward twitch of her brother’s lip?

Their conversation was cut short by the staccato of raised voices at the other end of the room. Turmoil reigned within the group. Tess was just able to catch words here and there like “safe” and “find” and of course a whole boatload of “fuck’s”. Before long, however, the mood seemed to change. Suddenly, there was some back-slapping, with Marduk on the receiving end, some jeers, catcalls, and suggestive nudges, while cautious glances were sent in her direction. What the hell was that all about?

“I think last night’s cherry shine might have had something to do with you.” Huxley didn’t sound displeased.

“I was afraid of that,” sighed Tess. “Things just keep getting weirder and weirder, and you…” She punched her brother in the arm, causing him to wince. She’d obviously hit a bruise. “You seem to be taking it all in stride like this kind of shit happens every day.”

A grin lit up Huxley’s face. “Are you kidding?” He did some glowing of his own. “I’ve been waiting for this, like, my whole life!”

“Asshole,” Tess grumbled good naturedly, aware that her little brother deserved some happiness. But enough of this! The day was getting away from them. She approached the two material immortals. “Time to get moving,” she barked authoritatively, intending to take no crap. “We still need to make a trip to Bangor, or had you forgotten?” She intensely disliked the new way all her gods were studying her, much like a bug under a microscope.

“And you guys can stuff it!” She stalked her way through the misty group, not feeling magnanimous. “If I could touch you…” A collective groan kept her from continuing immediately. She closed her eyes, tapped her foot and started again. “If I could touch you, I’d enjoy kicking your half-naked mugs all over this gym.” She went low before any of them had a chance to think, swiped one booted foot behind Marduk’s knees, and caused him to drop like a rock. It was her turn to look smug.

“I’ll meet you outside.” Tess turned and sauntered away, but not before a burst of male laughter ricocheted around the group. She couldn’t help but sneak a look back. All the gods were convulsing hysterically.

But the one most amused was Marduk, still flat on his back, sporting an enormous shit-eating grin and laughing until she thought he’d split a gut. So he liked her cheeky side, did he? Well, buckle up, baby. For being so secretive, Marduk was in for some torment today.

Anshar decided to tag along, and was a little more receptive to her mood and intentions than the other two. His exact words as they rode the bikes into the city were,
Marduk, you are so going down. Harder than you did in the gym…and I don’t mean that in the good way.
Tess’s flush, hidden by her helmet, went unnoticed.

First stop, cell phone store, where the twenty-something clerk hit Enlil and Marduk with the full sales pitch complete with terms like 4G, android, and dual core processor. By the time they had new phones in hand, Tess was pretty sure they couldn’t tell their ass from megabytes, megahertz, or megapixels.

She knew they’d catch on fast, but it was glorious fun seeing these two all-powerfuls baffled by their new little gadgets. Anshar spent the whole time trying to take pictures of himself with the display models, garnering predictable results.

Next, she squeezed the three of them into a tiny booth at the smallest restaurant she could find. Marduk’s claustrophobia was something Enlil shared, and they were soon turning green, making her feel a little mean. Naturally, Anshar was rooting for projectile entertainment, which earned him dagger-like stares and more of that bizarre thunder that had been prevalent lately.

“What’s with the thunder, anyway?” She decided to make a deal. “Tell me about it, and we can eat somewhere else.” When Enlil and Marduk attempted to look innocent, they succeeded only in pitiful. “I know there’s something strange about it, and I’m betting it has something to do with god-behavior. Am I right?” Tess sipped her water.

“I’ve told you Enlil and I are both storm gods. Well, I’m a thunder god, and he’s more like the wind that whips up to help.” Marduk cleared his throat, getting a fuck you from Enlil. “It seems that since becoming physical again, my control over the elements has been linked to my emotions. If I’m agitated, you get thunder.” He shrugged it off and looked longingly at the door.

“That’s so cool!” Tess remembered a few times when there’d been thunder in the past few days and found herself liking that she could “agitate” Marduk.

“We need to get out of here.” Enlil had obviously reached the end of his tolerance. Marduk again threw a fifty on the table, and Tess gave him an incredulous look.

“What?” He questioned her stare. “We took up a table and disappointed the nice young waitress. Now she won’t have to be upset.” He hustled out the door right behind Enlil. Tess stood for a moment. That was another question. Where did they get their money, and why did it seem like there was no shortage of it?

Once outside, the gods procured pretzels and foaming mugs of root beer from a street vendor who hadn’t minded braving the late spring cold. Tess, busy with a hot dog, at one point during their feast, reached over to swipe a spot of mustard off Marduk’s lip and, without thinking, slipped the digit into her mouth, sucking it clean.