by LJ Vickery
Lenore danced forward. “Me, me,” she chortled, licking cream cheese off her lip. “But before we go up, if it hasn’t happened already, may I be the first to welcome you to Casa-del-immortals. And let me add, you are going to make one kick-ass addition to the Goddess League.”
“Goddess League?” Verrie raised her eyebrows.
Charlie, the demure little blonde spoke up. “Sometimes, when our husbands get out of hand and start throwing their weight around a little too much, we women have to step in and head them off at the pass,” she giggled. “So we created a group that intervenes. It’s not healthy if they get to make all the decisions around here.”
“Unless it’s in the bedroom,” Addie-May poked Charlie in the ribs.
It took Verrie a split second to connect that comment with the “special” room she’d seen in the basement. Huh. A nice couple of subbies? Wouldn’t they be surprised to find she was just the opposite? Some definite fun to be had in the future…but only if their husbands were up for some group playtime—not necessary but diverting to contemplate.
“I’d be honored to join your Goddess League once I’ve been properly accepted as a mate. For that,” she looked upward toward the doorways leading away from the staircase, “I’ll need to set things straight with my intended. So, if you’ll excuse me?” She looked to Lenore who didn’t hesitate to raise her palm for a high five before turning and leading her up the stairs.
Halfway down the hall, Lenore paused in front of a door and flourished a hand at its closed surface. “Your reluctant groom’s suite, M’lady,” she smirked. Before Verrie could make a move, Lenore raised her fist and knocked.
“Muze? You have company.”
A sleepy voice, completely devoid of emotion answered her query. “Go away, Lenore. I’m resting.”
Oh, so it was going to be like that. Minutes out of her company and he’d already wrapped his protective thicket around himself again. Well, screw that.
“Dumuzi, open the door. It’s Verrie.”
“Go away.” His voice acquired a bit of an edge. That was good.
“I’m not leaving,” Verrie replied. “Now unlock the door and let me in.”
“No.”
She almost laughed at the one-word reply. He was trying to maintain a hold on his impassivity, but it wouldn’t last long. She looked at Lenore.
“May I?” the platinum blonde offered.
Verrie didn’t know what the goddess had in mind, but she gave an affirmative nod, and damn, she wished she’d had her phone ready. Sienna would have loved this snap-chat. The five-foot-two spitfire, dressed in a hot pink micro-skirt and six-inch silver heels, raised one sparkly shoe, and let loose at the door with a resounding thud, smashing it in with one, well-placed kick. Executing a sweep of her arm, she smirked, “He’s all yours.”
“Thank you, Lenore,” Verrie couldn’t keep the shit-eating grin off of her face as she crossed the threshold. Damn. She was going to get herself some of those awesome strong-lady powers…and a pair of those killer shoes. She closed the broken door as best she could.
One glance to where Dumuzi lay on the bed and Verrie saw he’d somehow managed to ignore the wood-bashing incident. She snorted. Before she was finished with him, it was the only thing he’d be able to ignore.
“Dumuzi?” She let the full purr of the inner kitty―she now knew she had one from long-ago Sham―vibrate across her vocal chords.
“What?” He had one arm flung over his face, and he wasn’t budging.
“Are we still on track to get married?” She saw him flinch. Ah-ha, not the question he’d been expecting.
“Mated. But, yes, we are,” he grumbled lazily.
“Well, then,” she licked her lips. It was a shame his eyes were closed, and he hadn’t seen that. “Are we still going to…get naked together?”
Okay. A decided stirring in Mr. Swamp-master’s jeans.
“Yeah, I guess that’s going to happen too.” He kept his voice nicely devoid of emotion, but his pants were still busy tenting and wasn’t that a good “tell.”
She let the silence draw on for several minutes until he gave up his pretense of muteness. “Why are you asking?” The question barely trickled through his pursed lips.
“No reason, except…” She moved forward quietly and sat on the side of the bed. She felt him tense up at the mattress’s movement. “I think we ought to get the sex thing out of the way. Especially if you plan on ignoring me after the ceremony. I’ve been warned. The ladies say sex performed after the formal rite is almost unavoidable. And since you want to remain aloof, you can’t want that.” She shrugged, so the bed moved. “So, that being the case, you’ll be leaving me completely horny…which will make me want to jump your friends…or your friend’s wives. However, if we take the edge off now, perhaps I can behave myself.”
Was that a growl she heard from her aloof man? Just what she’d hoped for. If it was one thing she’d picked up on, the gods were very possessive of “their” women and couldn’t sanction intercourse with another male…or female.
“You won’t be having sex. Period,” he grated, and Verrie laughed, a light, trilling sound.
“Is that so?” she mocked. “I’ll have you know, I’ve got a healthy libido that has gone far too long without gratification, and if the ceremony gets me all ramped up, I’ll probably go on a tear.”
His twitchy cock looked mighty tempting. Verrie wished the maddening god would just give in already.
“So, you think it’ll help if you do it…now?” He tried to keep his voice cool, but Verrie heard the underlying heat. She let out a pent-up breath. Yes! He was going to comply.
“I do.” She reached for the button on his jeans, only to have his hand come down and clamp over hers to keep it from moving.
Now what? Hadn’t he just given things the green light?
“What are you doing?” his hitherto even voice broke like an adolescent’s.
Really? He was asking that? Never into head games, she had enough of his vacillation.
“Fine then. If you didn’t want to, all you had to do was say so,” she snapped. Verrie yanked her hand out from underneath his, scooted to the side of the bed and jumped up. “I need to use the bathroom if you’ll excuse me.” There, let him stew for a few minutes. It wouldn’t hurt.
Verrie washed her face, found a toothbrush under the sink, and brushed her teeth before allowing herself a few extra minutes to relax on the toilet. Getting up, she straightened her clothes determinedly and walked back into the bedroom to stand over her reluctant mate.
“No more bullshit. If you want this, and I’m not allowed to touch your pants, you do it,” she ordered. “Unfasten your jeans. Right now.” She rocked her schoolmarmish tone and…bingo. Just as she surmised. Her poor Dumuzi looked almost relieved to have her making the decisions.
Without a fight, he popped the button to his pants and lowered his zipper. She already knew he was flying commando, and that worked to her advantage. She got a tantalizing peek at a lush, fiery trail that led southward, the material still shielding her eyes from his entire glorious nether-mane. Damn. She couldn’t wait to see her real redhead in all his glory. Their closet tryst had been too dark for a real look.
“Now, get off the bed and stand in front of me.”
The god moved quickly for someone who was supposedly disinterested, and when he stood no more than a foot away with his hidden penis still hidden she issued her next order. “Take your dick out of your jeans and hold it toward me.” Verrie was exciting herself, mouth watering with anticipation. She could hardly wait. She’d already tasted his salty sweetness once, and her panties were wet thinking about doing it again.
His shoulders finally relaxed, and he gave a reluctant but sultry grin.
Thank the gods, he was going to join in to play the game in earnest. He drew forth his turgid shaft with languorous agony, the bulbous head of his beautiful pink cock finally slipping free. Luscious. He stroked it competently.
&n
bsp; “Lovely,” she breathed. “I see you’re really good at handling yourself, but can you handle this?” she taunted, dropping to her knees at his feet.
“Feed that big prick into my mouth. I haven’t had breakfast,” she teased. A groan escaped him and he moved closer. Holding his prick at an angle, he ran his rod of velvety soft steel back and forth across her lips. She opened for him, and he slowly pushed in. Verrie sucked hard, just once, then abruptly drew away. His dissatisfaction was demonstrated with a growl. She had him now.
“Put your hand on the back of my head and fuck my mouth,” Verrie demanded in her naughtiest voice, and the god moaned his approval.
She swallowed his exquisite length as he thrust, opening her throat, and taking him deep. He fisted a hand in her hair, first pushing, then pulling. On his withdrawals, she tickled her tongue up the underside of his solid shaft, teasing the long vein that ran from the base to just under the smooth head. She swiped at his creamy slit, then followed his drive back down, inhaling him again and again as he found his rhythm.
Somewhere along the way, she cupped his balls, and it didn’t take long before she felt them draw up into his body.
“I’m going to come, Veronica,” he hissed, attempting to pull away. She grabbed his solid ass with both hands, digging her nails into his flanks, forcing him to stay in her hot mouth. No way he’d deprive her.
Verrie closed her eyes, waiting, and relished the first spurts of his release deep in her throat. She moaned around him, sucking and listening to his now strident cries as he emptied himself, and she savored the taste and texture of his release. God, there was nothing better.
She drew away slowly, giving him some final licks and relishing his aftershocks. She’d been so excited, she’d probably marked his smooth ass with half-moons, but she didn’t regret it. And being a god, he’d get over it. She briefly allowed her eyes to close and inhaled his earthy scent. Okay. Marduk had been right. She’d certainly found her happy place with Dumuzi. There was something to be said about fate. She slowly began to work her mouth from his cock.
“Are we done here?” Dumuzi’s voice cut through her fog.
Her first thought was, “What the fuck?” He could dismiss her when he’d been sucked to satisfaction? Oh, hell no. They were absolutely one hundred percent not finished, and she was going to let him know it. “We are so far from…” He thrust his still hard dick between her protesting lips, effectively silencing her.
“Let me rephrase that,” he interrupted, his voice sounding not indifferent as she’d feared, but, well… pleased. “I meant that as a statement to say you’re done here.” He pulled his cock out and lifted her up from the floor in one swift motion. Her face was suddenly even with his intense, growling visage. “I’ve played this your way, and it was fun, but I like being in charge.”
Her pussy clenched, and wetness bloomed. Wow. She should have figured from what happened in the closet, Dumuzi wasn’t going to let her have total charge. Something new for Verrie. She’d been the sexual dominant with Dwight Dickhead, her one and only lover, until he’d booted her out because of her “freakishness” not only in the head but in the bedroom. Yeah. It was on him that in the end, he couldn’t own up to liking his natural submissiveness.
She’d always wondered how it would be… Verrie looked deep into Dumuzi’s firm and assertive eyes. Yup. He meant business, and she was going to have to submit. The thought actually thrilled her. The only question was, how was she going to “top” from the bottom?
Chapter Seventeen
Everybody, to me.
“Are you shitting me?” Dumuzi blinked, mere inches from Veronica’s incredulous eyes. He knew she’d heard it too. “He wants us back in that freaking meeting room, now?”
Dumuzi had remained a peaceful, laid-back soul for years and years, but all that hard-won placidity had disappeared in the last twenty-four hours, culminating in this moment. And he wasn’t about to waste it. He was ready to rip Marduk’s head from his shoulders. Seriously? Another cock-block? How many did this make for the thunder god who was going to regret he had a tongue…or a mind with which to speak? This was so not happening.
Dumuzi needed—right now…not hours from now—to be buried deep within Veronica’s welcoming pussy, pushing his way into her wet core. Not pushing around policy with his fellow gods. Surely, Marduk and company could solve whatever they needed to without him? Had he ever, in the past two thousand years, rocked the boat and gone against the tide? Hell, no. He’d always just let them flap their jaws and complacently gone along with whatever they decided. That record was about to be broken, right the hell now. Enough was enough with the interruptions.
Busy here, Marduk, Muze sent out, nipping his intended’s chin and receiving a delicious shiver in return.
Not giving you a choice, Marduk barked back. We have visitors. This can’t wait.
Marduk threw up a mental wall, so it would do no good to argue further, the boss god wouldn’t even hear him. Fuck. A quick decapitation or a slow evisceration? Muze would have to think on it. Marduk had however long it took him to get downstairs to remain intact.
Dumuzi gently placed Veronica’s feet on the floor. Exhaling a pained sigh, he quickly zipped his pants.
“Don’t think this resets your opportunity to ‘lead,’” he warned, sending a quick hand around to grasp her sweet little ass and give it a predatory squeeze. He wanted to roar. She’d had his cock in her mouth twice already, and he had yet to get her out of a single piece of clothing. That would change the very next instant they were alone.
“Wouldn’t think of it,” she breathed, and it sounded sincere.
“Fine.” He was satisfied he’d be in charge when the next private opportunity arose. He didn’t mind her dominance…as long as he had equal time. “Then let’s go see Marduk,” he huffed, every inch of his body on edge, crying out for hers. “And he better make it fast.”
He took Veronica’s hand, pulling her to the door. Halfway there, her stomach gave a deep rumble. Dumuzi stopped. He laughed. Sexual tension broken.
“Okay, with a quick stop in the kitchen so you don’t pass out from hunger when Marduk gets long-winded…because I’ve decided not to kill him.” His sudden need to provide for her, protect her shouldn’t have surprised him considering her Chosen status, but he was nonplussed nonetheless.
“I’ve just had my protein for the morning,” Veronica teased with a satisfied purr. “It’s you who’re going to need the calories…for later.” She dropped his hand and exited the room with an exaggerated sway of her hips.
Damn. Hard again. The sexy, bossy woman made his whole being come alive with her innuendo. Dumuzi couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so aware, mentally or physically. Way back in ancient times, he’d successfully shut himself down, never again over the centuries seeing the world in color. And now? Not only had colors suffused his existence since Veronica’s arrival, they were accompanied by bloody fireworks.
When the whole “find your Chosen” thing had first been unveiled, he’d assumed he could remain aloof from whomever he was supposed to partner. Dumuzi shook his head. What a fucking dolt. None of his mated brothers had been successful with that during their mating frenzies, so why had he thought to be any different? Maybe because he hadn’t really been paying much attention…but now? Well, now his eyes were open—wide open.
He followed his authoritative woman down the hall, catching up with her as her foot hit the first step downward. Roaring his best he-man roar, he scooped her up aggressively and threw her over his shoulder.
“Muze! What are you doing?” she squealed.
“Establishing my dominance,” he mock-growled, giving her a slap on her derrière. He expected an argument or perhaps hands beating his backside in return. What he wasn’t prepared for was her howl of laughter.
“This isn’t dominance, you cave-creature…”
Hmph. Smart woman, realizing he’d never be a cave-man.
“…this is strong-arm tac
tics.”
Dumuzi grinned because it sounded like Veronica was enjoying herself.
“And now you’ve thrown down the gauntlet,” she snickered, wiggling her behind―which was mere inches from his face―provocatively. “I’m a master at this, Dumuzi,” she chortled. “You’ll never come out on top.”
“Sweetheart, you’ll be begging for me to be on top before I’m finished with you.”
“Oh, you did not just call me sweetheart? You will pay for that, mister…”
The banter continued all the way down the stairs and into the kitchen where he allowed her―still ass-up, over his shoulder―to snag a couple of bagels before heading to the now too familiar meeting room, setting her on her feet only before they entered.
In the collective gods’ first four hundred years in the compound, they’d used the room perhaps once a month. Now, it had become a multiple-time a day occurrence. Figures. Just when he had better things to do.
“Thank you all for coming…again.” Marduk, the asshole, actually smirked over at him as they found a spot on the wall that wasn’t occupied. “I’m sure I didn’t interrupt anything important.”
Oh, he was so going to pay.
“As you can see, Marla and Jeremiah are back with us.”
Dumuzi felt Veronica wedge herself firmly behind him, peering out at what was probably a very odd sight. Despite her sexual dominance, she really was fairly timid, he could see how she might be freaked. How often did one have a full-sized male lion in the house? It was a good thing Sienna, Riley, and the feisty Frank hadn’t been invited to the meeting. Sienna, for one, would be all over the fierce feline with multiple questions and eager hands. Dumuzi wasn’t sure how Jeremiah would take that.
The vegetation god smiled and stroked Verrie’s arm reassuringly, but she still kept herself partially hidden. In this situation, it wasn’t a case of like mother like daughter.