Whilst you remained embroiled with Underworld intrigue and Dagon’s wedding, I thought what better opportunity to pursue the trail Shamash and Lahar had uncovered for a Chosen, which as you all recall, led to the western part of the state. Our new brother, Huxley, had been recalled from there before accomplishing our goal, therefore I took leave to Northampton to investigate in his stead. He had everyone’s attention.
With very little difficulty, considering the information at hand, I uncovered the domicile of the female in question, followed her to her place of business, and ascertained she would be journeying to this island for an event known as a “photo shoot.” With the proper dates discovered for her sojourn, I lured each one of you out here with the promise of the books in Boston. I had begun to despair, and thought only the known sire, Lahar, would suit my plan. But, as your eyes now play proof, Enten has been presented to his Chosen, and is as solid as the earth beneath his posterior. The lucky sod.
Marduk suppressed a grin at the bit of slang Absu threw in as a nod to loosening up. It would serve him well to continue down that path if he had any intention of winning over his own present-day Chosen, when and if that opportunity presented.
Lahar and Dagon waded in from the water.
We heard. Dagon wasn’t in the least bit winded, but Lahar had swallowed some ocean.
The logical god of cattle coughed. “You couldn’t have warned me, Absu?”
What amusement would that have afforded? the new prankster inquired.
Yeah, Lahar. Anshar, clearly attempted to get everybody onboard with the improved Absu. You looked like Wiley Coyote dropping off a cliff. I could almost hear the incidental music as you plummeted.
“Great. Fine. I get it.” Lahar stood there, shaking the water from his neatly trimmed hair and beard. “Absu wins. So now what?” He looked down at his solid body. “Should I go introduce myself? I’m the only one besides Enten the woman will have to see.”
I don’t think so, Tess warned. It would be best if you hide in the trees for a while. She pointed up the beach. Enten’s going to have a hard enough time explaining to his Chosen what’s happening without two of you freaking her out.
Marduk chuckled. Tess knew what she was talking about. During her introduction to the gods, she had thought him a psychopath before he’d convinced her there really was such a thing as immortals.
“You’re right, Tess,” Lahar reluctantly agreed.
Taking advantage of the fact that the woman busied herself over Enten, he crouched low and darted with superior god speed up the beach to the unaware couple’s right.
Hell, Absu, Marduk heard on an open channel from Lahar as the god scouted a place to hide. I’m smelling ocean and…fresh air…sort of. He sounded slightly awestruck. Even the sticks and rocks beat no shoes, no socks, no feet, any day, he admitted. So I guess I should be saying thank you, instead of going with my first inclination, which had been to pound the shit out of you for my unexpected plunge.
You’re welcome, dear friend. Absu’s declaration sounded like all kinds of love for his group of buddies. Marduk shook his head. What a difference a prank could make.
Lahar crouched behind some scrub bushes, settling down while they all waited to see what would happen next.
Now the rest of us should go watch the show. Anshar looked suddenly giddy, and Marduk rolled his eyes. He could almost hear the all sky god plotting the ways they could tease Enten while he was in such a vulnerable position.
Don’t even think about it, hotshot. Lenore interjected, also knowing her husband’s love of troublemaking. She clearly didn’t want to make things worse for the hapless human female.
I promise to be mostly good. Anshar’s eyes sparkled but Lenore refused to back down.
Anything over the top and you and your serpent can sleep on the porch with the dog tonight.
Archie sleeps in my room. Dumuzi, the god of swamps who remained oblivious most of the time, snapped into awareness when Lenore mentioned the dog. Before that, he’d probably been thinking how nice it would be to stretch out on the sand and have a nap. But with his affinity for the Blue Hills’ resident dog, he protested. I don’t want Anshar’s serpent in my bed.
It was just an empty threat from my lovely wife. Anshar snickered, and the assurance instantly sent Dumuzi back into his state of perpetual relaxedness.
Marduk raised a brow, not so easily duped. If Lenore’s face was any indication, the threat of her husband sleeping with the dog had not been idly made.
So what now? Tess glanced at Marduk while Lenore tapped her lip, and others in the group shuffled. Enten’s next move could prove to be very tricky, and might make or break his current connection.
All of the gods had either a special power or an alter-ego. Anshar and Dagon turned into serpents when agitated or aroused. Enlil was a bull. Marduk just got a whole lot bigger, and Enten? Well, he was the original Mr. Freeze. The god of winter became coldness itself when bothered, and Marduk knew the question of the hour was how Enten’s new girlfriend would deal with that.
After conferring, the goddesses thought the couple should be left alone and given privacy to work things out. They were loudly overruled by the men, who had been without real entertainment for way too long. Television only did so much to assuage the need to witness the embarrassment of others, and this situation had all the earmarks of a really good sitcom. More and more, the gods enjoyed Absu’s big reveal. Dagon even took it upon himself to tease.
Wait until we find your Chosen, Absu, he warned. She’ll be purple haired, tattooed, and have an Appalachian drawl so thick you won’t be able to tell what she’s saying.
No, piped up Anshar. I think she should be from the Bronx.
What about a valley girl? Holly wasn’t going to be left out. She stuck her tongue out at Absu and revealed her barbell piercing. She’ll want to give you one of these to see if you can wrap your perfect vowels around it. She swiped her tongue suggestively.
Dagon growled. Should we go home now? The serpent shifter’s eyes smoldered as he looked at his wife’s mouth.
Later, lover. After we take care of everyone’s curiosity about Enten.
The group made its way slowly up the beach to where the lovely mortal sat, fully astride Enten, their big, chilly buddy.
Chapter Four
“You’re awake.” The female’s soft voice washed over Enten like gentle waves.
“I am.” He almost swallowed his tongue, getting his first glimpse of the woman poised above him. Holy shit. He didn’t know where to look first. Her mahogany eyes, fixed to his, were large in her dusky brown face and surrounded by the longest, thickest lashes he’d ever seen. But her mouth…pink as a conch shell’s secret whorls, pouty and plump, begging to be kissed. His eyes traveled to her long and regal nose, which had Enten believing the angel astride him had been born of kings. Her whole visage, surrounded by the softest looking riot of dark curls held him spellbound.
“Glorious,” he whispered, and color rose on her cheeks.
“No. Actually my name is Gloria,” she corrected. “Glory for short.”
Glorious. Glory. Enten revealed to his fellow gods. She is mine. He cried. My Glory. He wanted to roar it to the heavens. He had heard everything his fellow gods said, and now knew―because Lahar shared Glory’s blood―that she was not his relative, but his Chosen.
He drew in several deep breaths, his eyes on the vibrant woman. He needed to calm the fuck down, because really, he should be apprehensive. Once she got a load of who he was, and what he was, she could just as easily reject him as accept him. He scowled at the realization. What could he possibly do to make this warm, lovely bundle atop him consider an eternity as his mate? Just because his amulet would eventually declare “keepsies” on her, didn’t mean she would necessarily be onboard. Short of kidnapping, there was nothing he could do to force her to be his other half.
Back in ancient Mesopotamia, all goddesses had steered clear of him, physically, labeling him a freak, even amon
gst gods. Only in the vicinity of the Zagros Mountains of Asia, where the summer temperatures could reach one hundred and thirty degrees, was he considered slightly useful—not as a fuck, but as a cooling system. And even there, in the winter months, he was shunned once again. The goddesses weren’t trying to be mean, they simply found themselves drawn to gods of normal body temperature.
When Enten had finally lost his virginity at the age of two thousand seven hundred and ten in Merrymount, it had been to a stunning Abenaki woman coming down to trade from Maine. He thought he’d found his perfect match. But after professing an interest in his coldness, even a woman from the most frigid state in New England had moved on to seek warmer robes. He had been severely hurt by her leaving, and grown even colder thereafter.
Enten fought back his fears. Maybe it wouldn’t be that way with his Chosen. But so far, Gloria seemed hearteningly curious.
“How do you feel? Did you hurt yourself? Where did you come from? Hey. You speak English.” She regarded him with wide eyes, her face not ten inches from his own.
Enten wasn’t sure where to begin, but he was happy she had so many questions. It would give him an excuse to keep her snug up against him for a longer period.
“I’m fine. I don’t think I’m hurt, and yes, I speak perfect English. I’m from Quincy, which is right across the bay.”
He saw puzzlement wash over her face. “Then why are you dressed like…” She started to look down at his loincloth where their hips joined, and must have thought better of it. He could swear she almost blushed.
Enten had to think quickly before she moved away. He needed to explain his dress and his current position, but it couldn’t include anything about gods. At least not yet.
“My, uh, partner and I were out here practicing our acrobatic act,” he improvised. “You’ve seen famous performing groups before? Circus types?” Enten mentioned an avant-garde troupe he’d watched on television.
Glory nodded an affirmative.
“Well, we do things like that.”
Glory nodded. Good. She bought it. “We attempted a new routine where I’m tossed in the air and twist to land on my feet, but as you see…” Enten indicated his present position. “…I landed on my back instead.”
Glory lifted her head when he finished but looked up and around, not down at his body.
“Where’s your partner now?” She wrinkled her―what Enten could only think of as “royal”―nose.
Enten thought up an answer, quickly. “I can only assume that when I blacked out, he must have gone to…our boat…to call for help. Lahar?” Enten raised his voice and yelled for the immortal who was nearby, having heard through the god-chatter that Lahar had become physical too. “Lahar?” He got no response, which was frustrating. “He’ll be back soon, I’m sure.” And he’d better be. Who left a guy alone to sort out this kind of mess?
Gloria regarded him strangely this time, and Enten bit back a sigh. It was only a matter of seconds before she brought up his body temperature.
She looked into his icy blue eyes and narrowed her own, tipping her head, as if in speculation. “Huh,” she grunted. “A nice exotic cast to your eyes, prominent, chiseled cheekbones.” Enten could almost see her brain working overtime. What was she up to? “I wonder…if I brought you back to my work site…” She blew out a long breath. “Your face, not to mention…the rest of you, is photographer’s gold.”
She moved her body again, rubbing inadvertently against his still-erect cock. Enten couldn’t be sure that part of him even registered with her at the moment. He felt a little like a bug under a microscope, the way she regarded him.
“I think you’re extremely hot,” she blurted out, then bit her lip in obvious embarrassment for her choice of words.
Enten nearly choked. Had Glory meant to say that out loud? She must have, but damn, her adjective confused the hell out of him.
“Hot?” He didn’t know what to make of that.
Enten heard incredulous laughter from his brothers. Anshar’s voice stood out. Hot, says the human. She must be a fan of cock-cicles.
Dammit. Enten looked up and groaned. A circle of gods stood around him, teasing and gaping.
Shut it, Anshar. Enten groused.
Gloria must have seen and misinterpreted his distressed noise. “No, I mean, yes…”
Way to go, asshole. The lady tenders a compliment and you whimper like a baby. Anshar was not to be denied, and this time Enten growled.
Glory blew hair out of her face and reared back. “Sorry. I didn’t realize that would bother you. Let me start over.” She fixed a scowl on her face. “What I meant to say is, you’re just the type of man who would be perfect for the bathing suit spread I’m currently directing.”
Ooh, brother of mine. She wants to put you in one of those sizzling, little banana hammocks and have her way with you. Emesh sounded thrilled for his twin, and Enten, although remaining quiet this time at the goading, knew his brother would do everything in his power to see that Enten didn’t screw things up. His god of summer twin, besides being a consummate romantic, would make sure at least one of them got laid.
“Hot. Bathing suit spread…” Enten had trouble getting his brain to work, listening to Gloria on one level and the interfering, nosy gods in his head on another. He needed help. Where was Lahar, gods damn it?
“Yes. I’m sorry if I confused you.” Gloria gently extracted her hands where he still held them against his chest. She slowly moved to one side, off his body and onto the sand, and he tried desperately not to show how much he instantly missed her warmth.
“Here. We’ll try this again. I’m Glory.” She stuck out her hand, although that was a little silly considering how close they’d just been. “I’m in charge of a group of models on the other end of the island, and we’re doing a swimsuit shoot.”
Enten reached out his large palm. He tempered down his original response to her name. “Glory…is an appropriate name.” He murmured. Shit. What had been the second part of her introduction? He remained bewitched by the long, lean body stretched out on the sand beside him, but managed to find his own name. “I’m Enten.”
She cocked her head. “Enten. That’s interesting. So I’m right in assuming you don’t come from around here originally?”
Her idea of originally and his were very different. If he told her he’d been in the area for three hundred and eighty-four years, the word would take on a whole new meaning. He was as honest as he could be. “I was born in another country.” He wasn’t about to say which one. The current name for Mesopotamia wasn’t exactly popular in the United States.
“And your partner. You called him Lahar. Was he born in another place too?”
“He is my brother, and yes.” Lahar wasn’t his actual brother like Emesh, but the gods all considered themselves intertwined on a familial level.
Lahar, get your ass out here if you know what’s good for you. Enten tried to rouse the god again. He remained at a loss. He didn’t know what his next move should be. He’d never been a smooth operator like some of his immortal roommates, and he needed help. What should I do next?
Tess had obviously heard enough, and came to his rescue. Lahar, stay where you are, she ordered. Enten, just relax. It’s obvious Glory likes you. Try to smile a little. Get up and walk with her. Talk to her about her work, ask her about her life.
The goddess would not steer him wrong, unlike Anshar whose advice had been―Fuck her, you moron, before Lenore had acquired a piece of seaweed and stuck it in his mouth.
“Do you have any brothers,” Enten asked, and with an afterthought he continued. “Or sisters?”
“I had an older brother.” Glory’s wide eyes grew sad. “But he died when I was ten.”
“I’m sorry.” Enten got to his feet and reached for Glory’s hand, pulling her up beside him.
Don’t let go of her. Tess’s voice came from right behind him.
“Was he your only sibling?” Enten marveled at the feel of Glory’s wa
rm skin and kept hold of her as Tess suggested. He ran his free fingers over the back of her hand.
Glory tried to suppress a shiver, but Enten felt the tremor.
She is not enjoying my coldness. I should let go.
Don’t be ridiculous, Enten. She’s feeling attraction, not temperature. Tess chided.
“Yes. Douglas and I were the only two.” She sighed, and oddly, she didn’t pull away. Maybe Tess spoke correctly. “My parents didn’t get along. I’m surprised they had any children at all.”
Enten listened, hoping she’d continue to talk, and let him hold her hand forever.
“Do you mind if I ask you something?” she inquired, shyly.
Here it comes, thought Enten. The inevitable cold question. He nodded with a sinking heart.
“Why do you risk injury doing acrobatics?” She ran her eyes over him again, in a disappointingly professional manner? “You really are model material, and I bet you could make a lot more money posing in front of a camera.”
He was surprised and stymied she hadn’t yet mentioned his body temperature. He had to concentrate hard to answer her question. Could he tell her he wasn’t really an acrobat, and that up until an hour ago, he hadn’t had a body to model? The answer was, an obvious “no.”
Tell her you’ve always been camera shy. Tess coached
But I wouldn’t… Enten began.
I know you gods all have huge egos, but she’ll like it if she thinks you’re a little reluctant to show off. Tell her.
“I’m nervous in front of cameras,” Enten lied. He’d never had the opportunity to have his picture taken, but he’d seen plenty of models in magazines and on TV. He knew he looked better than most. He wasn’t vain, but he was a god, after all.
“Let’s see if we can get you over that.” Glory moved, and tugged him in the direction of her work. She made what almost sounded like a giggle. “I can’t wait for all the male models who preen over their physiques to pitch a jealous fit when I bring you on site,” she gloated. “And we have some lovely young ladies who will make you feel really comfortable in front of the camera.” She actually didn’t look too happy when she said that. “Or you can just watch.” Was she giving him the subtle message she was jealous of the female models? He’d have to make sure she knew they wouldn’t be a problem.
Frozen Stiff Page 3