He growled as I nipped his jaw. “Asteràki, you never do things the easy way. Yes, I agree to your dating. The gods help any man who dares look at you.” He plucked the necklace from under the collar of my shirt. The black ring dangled from the end. “I want you properly wearing my ring so that they know you are mine.”
“Oh, I think you’ve marked your territory, caveman. I’ve got the tattoo to prove it.” Giggles spilled from my lips when he pulled me to him and swatted my ass, mumbling about sassy females. “What does it mean?” I asked. “The asky thing you call me.”
He chuckled. “Asteràki means ‘little star.’ Even before I could admit that I loved you, your light drew me like a moth to a flame. I felt your presence before I ever saw your face. I feel you like the warm caress of the sun on my skin when you are near. I should have known that the blood of Apollo runs through your veins, but you destroy my focus.”
“How appropriate, I’m your own personal chaos-maker,” I laughed. “At least, life will never be dull. What was the other thing you called me? The ass-moo thingy. You’ve called me that before, haven’t you?”
He laughed out loud and then repeated the phrase several times until I could pronounce it. “Yes, I have called you that before. When you recovered, and we were together after the hot springs. I will tell you what it means when you agree to wear my ring again. Now stop distracting me. I need to hear you say the words. Tell me.”
“Fine, I’ll tell you,” I huffed. “You’re bossy.” His irritated expression made me smile. “Oh, that wasn’t it? I know. You’re stubborn. Still not right? It must have been that you have a hot body.”
“Lia.” He growled and kissed me senseless. “Tell me.”
When he let me up for air, I could barely remember what we had been talking about.
“You never give up, do you?” I asked in faked affront, then wrapped my arms around his neck. “I love you too, Bennett. I promise I’ll try to keep myself safe. I’m done living with my head in the sand, but I won’t live in a bubble either. That means you’re going to have to be ok with me being on the front lines. I’ve taken up the sword, and I will use it if I have to. I’m going to find the twin Houses. I don’t know how or where. I don’t know what will happen when I do find them, but I need answers.”
He groaned and mumbled about the gods saving him from strong-willed females. “My warrior princess, I never give up when there is something I want. You should know this. If you are planning for battle, I will teach you what you need to know. I will be by your side to face whatever may come.”
“Are you sure?” I asked nervously. “I’m jobless since I sold the gallery. I have a horny teenage pen living with me along with a twenty-something mother hen. My powers are still a mystery, and my control sucks. There’s a portal in my study.” I tilted my head back as I needed to see his face as I itemized all my baggage. For once we were going to lay all of the cards on the table. There would be no more secrets between us. “Oh, and let’s not forget that I’ve been given a quest. Then there’s a prophecy about me that nobody is sure if it means I’m going to perform a miracle or doom us all. Are you sure you want to sign up for all that?”
The whole world paused as I waited for his answer.
Bennett cupped my face. “If you come with the package, tell me where I must sign. I love you, Lia. That means we are in this together, no matter what.”
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T.L. Callahan
First published in United States of America by Dragon Mountain Press LLC 2018
1
Callahan, T.L. Unearthing Gaia: Paldimori Gods Rising 2
Copyright © T.L. Callahan 2018
T.L. Callahan asserts their moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
PB ISBN: 978-0-9991225-4-9
EB ISBN: 978-0-9991225-3-2
Edited by Book Nanny Writing and Editing Services
Cover design by: Covers by Juan
Artwork by: janko_m
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Under no circumstances may any part of this book be photocopied for resale.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Publisher: Dragon Mountain Press LLC, 1250 W. Ohio Pike # 199 Amelia, OH 45102
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Prologue
July
“Kinky isn’t a crime! Lia shouldn’t do the time!”
I marched back and forth in front of the police station where my best friend was being held behind bars and thrust my sign in the air. Mr. Skittles Says Free Lia or You’ll Find his Rainbow in Your Shoes, it read. The crowd were giving me weird looks and I had to explain my cat had inherited my obsession with Skittles. He coughed up rainbow hair balls. They didn’t think it was funny, but Lia would have gotten it. I missed her.
The sun blasted down from its peak in the sky heating the parking lot under my feet until my sandals felt like they were melting. Sweat beaded my forehead. The alcohol I’d downed last night seeped from my pores in a nauseating sour-sweet smell. Luckily, the breeze was one thing you could count on when living in Washington. As a sudden wind whipped my long hair around me, it brought a moment of welcome relief.
The crowd gathered on the sidewalk buzzed with gossip, but I ignored them all. The tension in this town had been building for a while: the gossip turning more vicious, fights getting more frequent. I wasn’t sure when it had started, but our normally placid little town was on a witch hunt. Unfortunately, they thought Lia was the witch.
All of that weird stuff people were saying she did—it was all a lie. I knew my friend. Ever since we’d been a couple of sleep-starved college freshman doing manual labor by bringing the seniors their donuts. One massive collision had resulted in donut casualties all round and a lifelong friendship. As for the kinky sex stuff—well, that was no one’s business but hers. Not that I thought my straightlaced friend was into that either.
I’d had my share of runs through the rumor mill having grown up in Port Lawson, but nothing like what my bestie had been through over the last couple of months. Even the thought of the things she was accused of made me sick. If I hadn’t already had my stomach pumped at the hospital this morning, last night’s dinner of salad and donuts would have been making a reappearance.
I’d gotten the SOS drunken phone call from Lia on her way home from the airport last evening and had been waiting on her apartment steps with chocolate when she arrived back. She’d jumped from the back of a black Lexus before it came to a stop and was ugly-crying on my shoulder before I could say hello. A guy in a pilot uniform got out of the Lexus and, cussing at her recklessness, grabbed Lia’s arm before she toppled us both onto the driveway. He introduced himself as Captain Jack Mathews, a pair of sexy dimples framing his amused smile. Lia had insisted it was a girl’s night in and we were raiding her stash of alcohol. The captain had declared us trouble and appointed himself as our babysitter.
The alcohol flowed as Lia told me about the tropical island pa
radise where she had gone to compete in that mysterious game. Most people would have picked up a souvenir like a shell necklace, but she, apparently, had picked up a stalker. The details were sketchy. Most of the time she had ranted about some guy named Bennett, who was the biggest a-hole she’d ever met. I let her talk and cry it out. My own worries about Dan’s weird behavior lately seemed small in comparison.
Everything after that was a blur. I’d woken up in the captain’s shirt with a red-faced policeman hovering over me. His much nicer partner had escorted me—under protest—into the back of an ambulance. Now here I was. A one-woman picket line defending Lia’s innocence and sexual preferences for all.
“Free Lia!” I shouted and spun on my heel.
And slammed into a solid wall of muscle. Tresses of hair flew into my face. Pink feathers slipped loose from their clips and fluttered to the ground. The scent of spiced wine filled my nose making me lean closer to the warm chest underneath my palm for a better sniff.
“Are you molting?” A velvety smooth voice traced down my spine like a caress.
I pushed my hair back and looked up into midnight-blue eyes full of laughter. The wind gusted and pushed me against the man’s solid frame. His lips tipped in a devilish smile that set off a tremor in my body like an earthquake.
My overly active brain started firing off random thoughts. Pretty. Tell him he can help you shed a few layers. We don’t talk to strangers. Look at those lips! No one likes a forward woman.
His smile slipped a little as I continued to stare at him. I shook my head, as if I could physically dislodge my thoughts, and took a step back. “Hi. Hey. Uh ...”
“If you’re looking for another way to greet me, ‘What’s up?’ would definitely apply,” He grinned and pushed his shoulder-length wavy blonde hair back out of his face. “Jaxon Baines. And you are?”
“Dia King.”
“A unique name for a unique lady,” he said in a husky voice that sent another tremor through me. His hand covered mine where I had been absentmindedly rubbing his chest. “You can pet me all night long if you want, sweetheart. I’ll be sure to return the favor.”
I was mesmerized by those sinfully plump lips as they formed every word. The world around us had ceased to exist. All I could hear was the ever-present noise in my head. The hum of activity, like a thousand buzzing bees, and the random thoughts that peppered me with too much information. Get closer. Run away. His eyes look like deep ocean pools. Talking to strange men is a bad idea. Did he proposition me? I don’t see a wedding band. Why is he wearing a suit? Grab that tie and reel him in for a kiss!
He was still talking. “I’m staying at Vern’s Hotel. Room nineteen.”
I blinked in confusion for a moment, wondering if I had heard him correctly. Great Mother have mercy, he went right for the mattress mambo invite.
He chuckled, breaking the spell, and heat crept across my chest. I’d never reacted like this before to any man—not even Dan. I jerked my hand away and put more distance between us. He smirked, like he knew exactly what he was doing to me.
“Wow, you’re really forward. I mean, I’ve met a few guys like you, but usually they at least want to buy me a drink first. Not that that works either. The free drink is nice, though. I’m just saying you may want to warm a girl up before going straight to ‘Hey baby, want to come back to my hotel room.’”
“For the record, I didn’t say it like that.” His hot gaze scanned over my Little Mermaid tank top that said: Today is Leg Day. The smirk was back as his eyes dipped down to my less-than-impressive chest and stopped to take inventory. I gave it a minute—guys seemed to be fascinated when you don’t wear a bra, no matter the size. His eyes, when they met mine again, promised that he appreciated the view and planned to show me just how much.
Lust bloomed in my core so quickly my knees wobbled. He twirled one of the feathers that had fallen from my hair between his fingers. Then brushed it against my cheek.
“But I don’t believe in denying my desires. Why waste time with games when there is so much more we could be doing? I bet we can put this feather to good use.”
“Uh huh, ok then.” I took a ragged breath, trying to ignore the mental image of him trailing that feather down my naked body. You have a boyfriend. Remember Dan, the guy you plan to marry? “I mean, that is totally out of line. I’m not looking to hook up with you.”
“Technically I wasn’t looking for a ‘hook-up’ either. Then I bumped into you and my plans changed. I would love to see this beautiful hair spread across my pillow.”
He twined a lock of my hair around his finger and leaned down to place his lips next to my ear. I gulped heavily, my heart beating as fast as a humming bird’s wings.
“Mmm …” he said, “… you smell like strawberry shortcake. I bet you taste just as sweet.” He brushed the feather down to dip into the scooped neck of my shirt. His warm breath fanned across my ear as he said, “I’m very curious to see if the rest of your body is this same golden color all over.”
The next thing I knew my picket sign had whacked him on the head. Down Jaxon Baines went. I don’t know which of us was most surprised. He looked up at me, his face a comical mask of shock and awe. Pink glitter in the shape of a paw print stuck to his cheek where the sign had struck him. More glitter fluttered through the air coating his hair and suit.
He shielded his eyes, giving me a once-over. “Good gods, you’re like a psychedelic pint-sized menace-to-society.”
“Oh, thanks! Glad to know I’m sending the right message.”
Jaxon Baines threw back his head and laughed. Great Mother, he was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. Then the wind gusted, nearly knocking me on top of him. It whipped around him, like in a wind tunnel, brushing the glitter from him.
His laughter died as he got to his feet. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off as several women rushed to his side. They fussed over him offering to help him in any way possible while shooting scowls at me. I knew at least one of those women was married but, there they were, flirting away. Unbelievable. Jaxon gave me a wicked little smile that said, “See, works on everyone but you.”
My gaze dropped to the ground as an old familiar pain knifed through me. It was stupid to feel like this. To feel like an outsider, always different. I didn’t want to be one of those women who threw themselves at men. But the looks they’d given me brought me right back to my childhood. When I was the dirty gypsy girl or the poor kid whose mom was crazy.
You choose your happiness, Dia. It doesn’t matter what they think.
I notched my chin in the air and raised my sign. I had my teaching career. I had Dan, and we were going get married and start a family one day soon. I had my best friend Lia. What else could I want? Jaxon was a flirt who was used to getting women to fall into his bed. I wouldn’t be caught off guard again.
One of the women giggled and clung to Jaxon’s arm. I straightened my spine. It is your civic duty to clue these women in to the walking hormone factory and his nefarious intentions.
“Ladies, don’t be fooled by the pretty face. He’s the wham-bam-don’t-call-me kind.” Jaxon frowned at me—when I finally looked at him again. “You deserve better.”
They all stared at me in confusion.
“Ladies, I’m fine.” Jaxon jumped in to break the awkward silence. He somehow extracted himself from the women’s clutches. A dazzling smile crossed those sinful lips and I could almost hear the IQ levels drop. It was a shock to the system how quickly he could turn on the charm. He was a danger to women’s sanity. “I hate to rush off, but I’m actually late for an appointment. Thank you for your concern.”
“Oh, are you here on business?” one of the women asked.
“Will you be in town long?” another asked. “I can be your tour guide.”
“I’m Lia Davies’ lawyer.” Jaxon picked up his briefcase and about a dozen women ogled his butt. He answered the woman, but his gaze was on me. “I can’t say how long I’ll be around. I wo
uldn’t mind someone showing me the best spots for food in town, though.”
The women started arguing over who would be his guide. I counted down the seconds to disaster. There was the screeching. Yep, the hair pulling. Oh wow, that was an elbow to the stomach. I sighed as the tangle of women hit the blacktop. And this is why I needed to warn them. Hurricane Jaxon was here and was going to rock this town.
Jaxon eased around the fighting women toward the police department door.
“Hey, wait,” I called out, just before he could slip inside. He turned with that megawatt smile in place, but it slipped when he saw that it was me. The irritating grin came back out.
“Did you change your mind about the wham-bam-don’t-call-me night of fun?” he asked, amused.
“Not happening.” I glared at him. “I want you to stay away from the women in this town.”
“What makes you think they’ll stay away from me?” he asked, looking truly curious. “I hate to break it to you, little peacock, but those women aren’t looking for anything more than a good time either.”
What had he called me? Gah! He was so annoying.
And he was wrong about those women. They might say they were fine with a hook-up, but most of them would still be thinking they could be the one. The one woman who could change him and make him stay. That all he needed was the right woman to love him. I’d seen those women and the devastation that came when it didn’t work. Women like my mother.
Paldimori Gods Rising Box Set Page 30