in exchange for the amulet.”
“How do you know all of this?”
“I’m a house cat.” Bessie shrugged her shoulders. “I get around. I hear things.”
“Can you help me get around too? I do not think I have the energy to transform, and I suspect I would not blend in around here in beast form.”
Bessie giggled. “Yeah, well you wouldn’t blend in the way you’re dressed right now either. Darius was right. You need a new wardrobe.”
“The styles in my memory are too old, and the styles I saw today were forgettable.”
A devious gleam sparkled in Bessie’s gold eyes. She reached up and opened a cubby door above the machine that made coffee. She withdrew a metal ring with something that looked like a key.
“I have a great idea. We’re going to my apartment. With your exotic looks, I don’t think you can pull off the steam punk look like I can. But even when you can flash on anything at will…like we can…you still need to dress with style. And I have a closet full of style.”
Shaila barely restrained a grin. Darius had commanded her to stay. What was that phrase he’d used?
Hell, no.
CHAPTER SIX
Darius was glad he’d taken his motorcycle, even though the ride to his lab was very short. The bite in the air helped clear his mind.
Papa Shadi’s return was his first priority. Darius could see only two courses of action to attain that goal. One would be to sneak back into the Troy estate and try to rescue his grandfather again. Not the best choice now that Darius no longer had the element of surprise. The other option was to find the amulet and trade it for his grandfather -- a difficult task, and one with no real guarantee that Lilith would honor her end of the bargain.
Darius chose the second option, but he needed more information to make it work. He needed to research the discovery of Shaila’s tomb. Then he should be able to track the movements of the items catalogued during the excavation. Since Lilith had provided nothing to go on, the next best starting point was Mr. Artie Johnson. He could go through Artie’s satchel at home, but only from the lab could he tap into the government man’s computer and email accounts. That was going to take some stealth work by ALICE.
Shaila was the factor that aggravated him the most. He’d taken a huge risk, leaving her at his house alone. But she was part of the reason he’d needed to get out of there. His simple life was gone. Well designed plans failed. His solitude invaded.
Darius remembered her kiss and the way she’d crawled up his body. His blood responded to the memory with an unexpected rush. He shifted his weight in the seat to control the pressure building. The sudden movement nearly sent his bike off the road. How in hell am I going to control a stubborn, unpredictable goddess?
Even though he needed her, he knew that he could never hold her captive. Part of him hoped she’d be gone when he returned. The other part prayed that she’d chosen to stay.
* * *
The sun hung low between the buildings. He’d been gone longer than he’d planned. With a sigh, Darius rolled the Harley into the garage.
The first thing that hit him upon entering the kitchen door was the rich smell of fresh brewed coffee. His houseguest was there, sipping from a mug of hot, black coffee. With each swallow she shook her head and grimaced.
The second thing took a bit longer to register in his brain. He smelled leather. And Shaila was covered in it: from halter-top to pants. Every inch fit like a second skin. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until it came out in a whoosh.
“Where did you…” He licked his lips indecisively. “How did…”
Shaila put her coffee down and held her arms out. In seconds, the leather melted away. For the barest of moments, she wore nothing at all. Then, fabric appeared out of nowhere, sliding across her body and wrapping into place. A simple black dress, but again it hugged every curve of her body
“How do you know all of this?”
“I’m a house cat.” Bessie shrugged her shoulders. “I get around. I hear things.”
“Can you help me get around too? I do not think I have the energy to transform, and I suspect I would not blend in around here in beast form.”
Bessie giggled. “Yeah, well you wouldn’t blend in the way you’re dressed right now either. Darius was right. You need a new wardrobe.”
“The styles in my memory are too old, and the styles I saw today were forgettable.”
A devious gleam sparkled in Bessie’s gold eyes. She reached up and opened a cubby door above the machine that made coffee. She withdrew a metal ring with something that looked like a key.
“I have a great idea. We’re going to my apartment. With your exotic looks, I don’t think you can pull off the steam punk look like I can. But even when you can flash on anything at will…like we can…you still need to dress with style. And I have a closet full of style.”
Shaila barely restrained a grin. Darius had commanded her to stay. What was that phrase he’d used?
Hell, no.
CHAPTER SIX
Darius was glad he’d taken his motorcycle, even though the ride to his lab was very short. The bite in the air helped clear his mind.
Papa Shadi’s return was his first priority. Darius could see only two courses of action to attain that goal. One would be to sneak back into the Troy estate and try to rescue his grandfather again. Not the best choice now that Darius no longer had the element of surprise. The other option was to find the amulet and trade it for his grandfather -- a difficult task, and one with no real guarantee that Lilith would honor her end of the bargain.
Darius chose the second option, but he needed more information to make it work. He needed to research the discovery of Shaila’s tomb. Then he should be able to track the movements of the items catalogued during the excavation. Since Lilith had provided nothing to go on, the next best starting point was Mr. Artie Johnson. He could go through Artie’s satchel at home, but only from the lab could he tap into the government man’s computer and email accounts. That was going to take some stealth work by ALICE.
Shaila was the factor that aggravated him the most. He’d taken a huge risk, leaving her at his house alone. But she was part of the reason he’d needed to get out of there. His simple life was gone. Well designed plans failed. His solitude invaded.
Darius remembered her kiss and the way she’d crawled up his body. His blood responded to the memory with an unexpected rush. He shifted his weight in the seat to control the pressure building. The sudden movement nearly sent his bike off the road. How in hell am I going to control a stubborn, unpredictable goddess?
Even though he needed her, he knew that he could never hold her captive. Part of him hoped she’d be gone when he returned. The other part prayed that she’d chosen to stay.
* * *
The sun hung low between the buildings. He’d been gone longer than he’d planned. With a sigh, Darius rolled the Harley into the garage.
The first thing that hit him upon entering the kitchen door was the rich smell of fresh brewed coffee. His houseguest was there, sipping from a mug of hot, black coffee. With each swallow she shook her head and grimaced.
The second thing took a bit longer to register in his brain. He smelled leather. And Shaila was covered in it: from halter-top to pants. Every inch fit like a second skin. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until it came out in a whoosh.
“Where did you…” He licked his lips indecisively. “How did…”
Shaila put her coffee down and held her arms out. In seconds, the leather melted away. For the barest of moments, she wore nothing at all. Then, fabric appeared out of nowhere, sliding across her body and wrapping into place. A simple black dress, but again it hugged every curve of her body
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