“Briefly,” Candy repeated. “So what happened?”
“Come to find out, he was not so good with marriage, or relationships, or sex. Don’t get me wrong,” Dani demurred. “He was…uh is, a lovely man. It’s just that I found out a little late he didn’t know how to be married any more than I did. His idea of marriage was that we’d both work, I’d cook, and then we’d spend the rest of every evening reading.” Dani looked a little pained. “He didn’t appreciate the fact that I became honest and told him I believed we should be more adventurous…”
“With sex,” Candy provided. “Damn girl. I’ve only known you for a few hours, and I’ve already figured out that you have hormones shooting out your fingertips. Fucking moron,” she muttered.
“Well, yeah. I figured there had to be more to the whole thing than what we’d done, since I’d read plenty, and have had some very, uh, interesting talks with patients.” Dani shrugged. “So our sex wasn’t awful, it just wasn’t inspired. We only did missionary position.” Dani paused to think. “Orgasms? I thought I did, but now that Huxley has given me one, I’m pretty sure I never had one before. As a doctor, I understood the particulars of the act, so I just patiently kept waiting for it to get better.”
“So your husband was your first and only?” Candy prompted.
“He was. But I’m not stupid. After he told me that my libido was out of whack and suggested I look into some drugs to take care of it, it seemed prudent to part ways.” Dani had at least gotten that right.
“After my divorce, I buried myself in work and never found the time to explore with anyone else…up until now.” Dani didn’t tell the agent she’d taken the “you’re a freak,” rejection thing from her ex a little too hard to try for another relationship.
“So Huxley?” Candy led again.
“Huxley.” Dani-Lee sighed. “The first time he showed interest, he actually kissed me, which makes me wonder what his reluctance with lip-locking was all about tonight. It was in a dressing room at a lingerie store. And he touched me too. You know?” she added.
“It felt really good, and I let him know how much I liked it, but he stopped, so I figured I must have been doing the pushy thing.” Dani-Lee’s eyes clouded a little, remembering his off-putting diatribe afterward.
“Any other times?” Candy clearly wanted the whole picture.
The doctor nodded. “When we visited Northampton, he was extra sweet. He kept us out of danger by finding this little efficiency motel room, and I got to fall asleep in his arms.” Dani grew teary, remembering. Despite Huxley’s obvious sexual experience, Dani felt sure them sleeping together had been a first for him. He’d seemed a little freaked, but besides some spooning in the dark, she’d managed to keep her libido at bay and not jump his bones. She continued for Candy.
“We were still groggy in the morning and he started getting amorous, almost like he forgot himself. We kissed like crazy, and it was so good. We’d just gotten to some hot touchy-feely, above the waist stuff, when we were interrupted with an appearance by one of the gods.”
“Did you tell him you liked it that time too?” Candy kept probing.
“Absolutely. I made sure he knew it.” Dani had figured it could only help for him to know; even if he considered her too forward, she needed to be honest. “And I also told him how much I liked it after he kissed me and used his fingers on me yesterday after a workout.”
Candy blinked at that revelation. Yeah. Huxley had let down his barriers again, but that situation got truncated by Candy’s appearance on the compound’s outer grounds.
“Okay. So here’s how I see it.” Candy’s face took on a speculative cast. “Huxley is a decent guy, and he obviously has feelings for you that he just can’t come to grips with.”
There was still something the savvy agent seemed to have figured out, but wasn’t telling her. Dani sighed and let it go.
“You want my advice?” Candy asked.
“Please.” Dani-Lee looked at her earnestly.
“Take what he can give you without question, and I guarantee that if you play it cool, you’ll end up getting more.”
Dani’s next question would make her sound more like a teenager than a doctor, but what the hell. “Should I still be honest and tell him I like it?”
“Absolutely. A guy—any guy—likes to know he’s a hit in the sack. But a caveat with Huxley… Don’t pressure him with what he’s not ready to give. I swear that before you know it, he’ll come around.”
“It sounds like good advice. Thanks, Candy.” Dani felt warmer inside, now that she’d had it from someone who obviously knew about men. She couldn’t help it; she yawned big. It was after two in the morning and even though they had a full day of rest prior to King Nergal’s next three in the morning conversation with Ereshkigal, the house would still be stirring fairly early in the morning.
“I think it’s time for lights out.” Candy read her fatigue.
Dani nodded, shedding her clothes and slipping into bed. Candy turned out the light.
“Thanks, Candy, for letting me talk.”
“No problem, Doc. Any time.”
****
Candy waited in the dark for the fifteen minutes it took before Dani’s breathing became slow and even, indicating that the doctor slept. The whole Huxley scenario had been hot as hell, and now she needed to take care of business.
It sucked she couldn’t use her vibrator, but it remained stuffed deep in her duffel, and she couldn’t risk that the noise would wake up her roomie. She remembered the camera surveillance in the room that she had agreed to, and wondered about infrared. She shrugged, undeterred. Fuck ’em if they wanted to watch.
Fingers would take a little more time but, as Candy slipped her hand under the waistband of her pajama boxers, she found herself already wet. And the face that popped into her head as she worked herself to a fast climax? Not Huxley’s.
Chapter Eleven
“She checks out,” Lahar told the handful of gods and Huxley who convened in Marduk’s office the next morning, facing off against a stoic and silent Candy. For the time being, Hux wasn’t on the hot-seat, and he enjoyed his brief respite. It wouldn’t be long before it was his turn to be grilled.
“Bullshit,” Enlil spouted. “I don’t trust a thing about her.”
“I retrieved her car and put it in the garage last night,” Huxley interjected. “And Ishkur found her ID a few minutes ago, right where she said it would be. Her name really is Candy Lane.”
Lahar continued. “I put in a call to Shamash. He hacked into a few networks and found out she’s employed by the DEA all right.” His eyes pinned to Candy’s blank face. “But there are no pictures of her anywhere, and no mention of what kind of work she does for the agency.”
Enlil regarded Candy again, skepticism written all over his face. “That might make sense, if she’s a deep-op agent. So my question is, who the hell introduces herself while on a job using her own name?”
Candy sent the wind god a look that contained all sass, and Huxley put a hand up to hide his grin. “One who’s pretty sure she’ll never get checked out because who the fuck thinks the name ‘Candy Lane’ is for real?”
She’d had her ankles crossed, leaning back against Marduk’s desk, but had drawn herself up at Enlil’s jab. “If I came on to you as a hooker or a drug dealer and told you my name was Candy Lane, would you be all, ‘Oh. I think I’ll Google that?’ Or would you just assume the name was fake as shit and move on with business?”
Marduk caught Huxley’s eye and gave a nod. Hux believed her, and clearly the boss did too.
“Listen my friend,” Marduk assuaged. “I think she’s who she says she is, and if she wants to help find Ereshkigal, I say we sign her up.”
Candy smiled broadly in response. “I feel good about this. And I’m not losing any money. At least until later today, I’m still on the bitch—Worthington’s—payroll.”
Marduk had called time out on a disgruntled Enlil but then turned to Hux
ley, making him ‘fess up to the amount of debt he was in. A few calls were placed. The total due sped on its way to the cunt by courier, but Huxley still internally squirmed. He had yet to tell any of them why Miranda really wanted to find him. He only hoped she’d take the money, and spare him having to come clean.
Huxley had told everyone the truth, in part, but left out a lot of the more fucked-up puzzle pieces. Eventually Candy would confront him. She’d met Worthington, and if she was as good of an agent as Huxley assumed, she would come to her conclusions about why the Maine bitch held out so persistently.
In the meantime, it looked like she could afford to chill, because the gods weren’t looking to throw her back in her cell. But man, she needed to lay off the coffee. Who drank that much and still looked relaxed? Candy had to be on her fourth cup, but her body stayed loose while her brain remained fully engaged, listening as Marduk finished telling her everything about Ereshkigal’s disappearance.
“I won’t lie. This missing person…uh, goddess gig sounds damned intriguing. And if what I’m hearing is correct, none of you guys, or your hottie king, can go after her because of some fucked-up energy shit that you give off, which leaves you with Huxley, Dani, and me.” She sat back smugly. “I want in on the action.”
Enlil cranked up his complaints again. He didn’t trust her. It was no place for a human female among the dangerous immortals, blah, blah, blah. Huxley simply waited for Candy to blow. One, two…
“What are you?” She finally yelled, jumping to her feet. She strode forward and poked a finger into Enlil’s big chest. “God of the pussy’s? Why don’t you want me involved? Are you afraid I’ll do all your work for you and your job will be outsourced?”
“Watch your mouth, female.” Enlil growled, and Huxley marveled as the god’s horns briefly poked through his skull. Shit. The small agent really got to him.
“Say what?” Candy blinked at the semi-show, shocked for a moment, before being overcome with glee. “Are you shitting me? Horns? Is that meant to impress or intimidate?” she asked cheekily. She threw her gaze toward Enlil’s crotch. “Or do you do it because you can’t come up with anything more interesting?”
Enlil roared his displeasure, but being turned half bull, he was without a witty comeback as all of his energy went into holding back a total transformation.
Such a shame. Huxley hadn’t been this entertained in a long time.
“Keep her away from me,” the wind god finally barked out as he got back his control. He stormed from the room. Candy chuckled, and an answering snort emerged from across the desk.
“You probably don’t want to poke that hornet’s nest any harder,” Marduk said, his dark eyes lighting with the pleasure of seeing Enlil off balance. “It’s been centuries since anyone has challenged the wind god any way but physically,” he informed her. “And, oh, it’s a total bonus that his antagonist, verbal sparring partner is a five foot four, fresh-mouthed female.”
Candy grinned. She hadn’t taken that the wrong way. Instead, she lifted her middle finger in the direction of the door, showing her level—not—of intimidation. This got her another chuckle.
Hux, Marduk, and Candy finished their coffee in a companionable silence, the other gods having filed out after the fireworks subsided. She still looked completely relaxed.
“It’s a shame you’re so well ensconced here,” she mused at Marduk. “You’d make a kick ass addition to my team back in LA. I wonder what my boss and the guys would think of having gods on their side?” She snickered. “Ah well. It’s too bad there’s one serious prick in your group, or I might just ask.”
Huxley snorted then stood and took his leave. He headed for his room to contemplate the upcoming trip to Boston to find Ereshkigal.
****
Dani-Lee came out of her room and stomped down the hall to stand in front of Huxley’s. She raised her hand to knock, but hesitated. What the hell was she doing? She mentally worked on her speech again, and when she felt sure she had it, Dani worked up the courage—again—to announce herself. Before she knocked, the door swung open and there he stood, with his hair damp from a shower, smelling rapturously like butter-soft leather.
“Dani.” His voice turned gruff with surprise. “I didn’t expect you,” he said, inanely.
“I live here, Huxley, remember?” Dani-Lee teased with a little half smile that quirked up to one side.
“That’s not…I mean, I know.”
Dani put him out of his misery, while putting herself into some. She stared intently at her feet. “I know what you meant, Hux. You didn’t think I’d have the guts to come back here this morning. Well, I just wanted to tell you that you…performed unbelievably last night.” She felt a blush rise up her neck, but being a redhead, she was used it. Her honest sharing could not be stopped. “Nobody’s ever made me respond like that before.”
Getting no reaction, she finally raised her head and blinked her big, brown eyes right at him.
“Ever,” she added succinctly.
“That’s umm…good. I mean shit.” Huxley grabbed her hand and yanked her inside his room. He slammed the door behind them and whirled around, backing away from her immediately.
“What the fuck, Dani?” He ran a hand back through his wet hair. “Don’t get the wrong idea, here. Last night was meant to be fun. Nothing heavy or serious.” His face screwed up into worried lines.
Okay. Maybe she had hoped for a little more, that by seeing him this morning, there’d be some clarification of intent as to why he couldn’t stop touching her. And “having fun” just didn’t seem to cut it. But he clearly wouldn’t admit anything. Even to himself. Not yet. She was disappointed, but also determined not to cry, deciding instead to hang on to Candy’s advice. She’d keep to Huxley’s rules, stay honest, and hope things worked out.
“I know,” she shrugged, barely able to keep her tone light. “I just…I wanted to let you to know it was good.” She swallowed a huge lump in her throat. “And to thank you.” She turned around, groping blindly for the doorknob. His hand grabbed hers.
“Tell me you didn’t just thank me.” Huxley hissed.
Dani floundered, out of her depth now that she hadn’t been able to make a fast getaway. Dammit. In the emergency room, in surgery, she was all about being in charge and in control. But she sucked with personal interaction. Even so, Huxley was making her believe she did something wrong. She needed to leave.
“Yup. I did. That’s all. Bye ‘til later. I haven’t had breakfast.” She quivered under his touch.
“Shit,” he moaned. “Sure. Okay.” He swept his free hand back through his hair, making it stand on end, and shook his head as if to clear his brain. “Uh, sorry if I…listen. I think I’ve handled things badly with you. Life is a little weird right now with the king and queen stuff, and the bit they sprung on me about my bloodlines. I haven’t been thinking straight or acting like myself.”
Dani looked over her shoulder and recognized the angst in his attempted half smile. Maybe the sun would start shining again. Her heart went out to him. He was going through a confusing time. She wouldn’t add to it, so she did what people usually did when confronted with a conflicted friend. “I think you might need a hug, Huxley,” she whispered. “Can I give you one?”
If any six-foot-three male could look terrified, Huxley exhibited just that. He backed up a few steps and stood very still. Dani-Lee turned to face him and continued to speak softly.
“Hux. It’s okay. It’s just a hug. But you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
She watched him forcibly shake off his…fear? Ridiculous. He’d practically kidnapped Dani from her room last night, licked her pussy until she screamed, and he couldn’t stomach the idea of a hug?
“No. It’s fine.” Huxley inched stiffly toward her. If only he realized how much he looked like some of her patients when faced with the prospect of a needle. She used the same voice on him she used to soothe them.
“It’s going to be fine, Huxley. Ev
erything will work out. You’ll be a wonderful prince, and you won’t let anybody down.” She curled tentative fingers around his ribcage, moving his great, big body close. “We’re all here for you, every one of us. We’ve all got your back.”
She stroked the hard muscles of his shoulders in a half patting kind of a way, and felt him loosen just a bit as she gently pulled him in.
“Understand this, Huxley. We’re with you. We’re family. You’re not alone.”
He sighed at the top of her head, and he went limp in her arms.
Yes, she’d settle for this with Huxley. She’d settle for this while she waited patiently for more.
Chapter Twelve
Ereshkigal looked around the stark room. It had to be an old warehouse or a commercial building that was slowly being turned into apartments. But she’d never heard any sounds of construction. Perhaps it was one of those projects on hold while the human economy got back on its feet.
Her room loomed large; perhaps thirty-by-forty feet, although Ereshkigal admitted she was very bad with figuring distances. The floor had once been a highly polished wood, but now lay sadly worn. Above her head, wooden beams with metal trusses had yet to be covered by a finished ceiling, but the walls had all been sheet-rocked, if not yet painted.
The one room she had access to—without a door—was the bathroom which held very outdated porcelain fixtures, stained and rusty with age. The only saving grace was that everything worked.
Damn. Not a lot she could tell her husband when she talked to him next. She didn’t even know when that would be, because Beletseri and her crew now kept blackout material on all the windows, allowing no natural light into the room.
She’d told Nergal about the Citgo sign, which hopefully he understood. Matthew, however, had astutely realized she’d been able to see the large landmark out of the bathroom window when she tipped the cracked medicine cabinet mirror. He’d made sure the error was not compounded.
Royally Screwed Page 12