Love Goddess
Author: Alice Gaines
Cover Art: Karen Fox
BIN: 06824-02197
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
Theme: Magic, Sorcery, and Witchcraft
Book Length: Novella
Page Count: 65
Tatiana's magic isn't working. She can bring humans together for sex, but the love just isn't happening. Could it be she really needs her old partner... the man who shattered their dreams when he became the heir apparent to the throne of their realm?
Lucius has been ordered to bring Tatiana home to select a mate, whether she agrees or not. Problem is, he hasn't mated yet, either, and the passion they shared still simmers between them. When he succumbs to his desire for her and they make love, she believes he's changed his mind about his "duty."
Will Tatiana lose her life's work bringing love to humans as well as her freedom? Or will the couple find a way to stay together?
Alice Gaines
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2014 Alice Gaines
Tatiana leaned back in her chair, stretching her feet out in front of her. Twisting her head to one side and the other, she did her best to work a kink out of her neck. Maybe the lizard had a point. She'd managed quite a bit of success with the sex part of getting her people together, but they never seemed to go beyond the physical.
When she'd started on this pathway, she'd had a male partner. The hierarchy would never have accepted her into training to become what humans thought of as gods if she hadn't. When Lucius had abandoned her, the males in charge had predicted she'd fail, and now she was proving them right, damn it all.
"If you had a mate, you'd understand," Larry said.
Oh, right. The world's answer to all of women's problems... a man. "I don't need a mate."
"You spend all your time watching other people fuck. Doesn't it drive you crazy?"
"I get laid."
"Oh yeah?" Larry said. "When?"
"Let's see..." The last time had been the Wednesday before. No, Tuesday. She'd gone to the pet shop to buy Larry's grubs and crickets. The guy behind the counter had had a cute smile, so they'd hung a "closed" sign on the door and had ducked into the store room. The whole encounter hadn't taken very long, and he'd turned out to know more about reptiles than women's bodies. Still... she'd had an orgasm. Eventually.
"See? You're not even having sex any longer," Larry said.
"I've forgotten more about sex than you'll ever know."
"My point exactly. You've forgotten."
"All right. I'll get all dressed up tonight and go out and find a guy. Don't wait up for me." Good idea, even if the chameleon had given it to her. She needed more than a quickie to keep her on her toes. All she needed was a really good shtupping to return to the top of her game.
"That's not going to work any better than the other times you've tried it," Larry said. "You need a mate."
"Exactly what I don't need," she said. "You haven't met any males of my kind. They're not like humans, who you can reason with about women being equals. Most humans, anyway."
"Is that so important?"
"You're male. You wouldn't understand."
"How do you know? You've never checked my cloaca."
"Nor do I intend to."
Larry rolled his eyes, and on a chameleon the roll was really impressive because they could swivel around independently of each other. He could express his disapproval all he wanted. She worked only in service of humans, and cloaca-checking had definitely not appeared in her job description anywhere.
"Your name is Larry," she said.
"You called me Larry, and I didn't correct you," he said. "It's pretty lame when you think about it."
"So, you want to be Lorinda?"
"Call me anything you want. Just get your head screwed on right, would you?"
"Do I have to remind you you work for me, not the other way around?"
This time, he or she or whatever it was, turned a brilliant blue. Show-off.
"I'll get my head screwed on, all right, by getting my pussy screwed," she said. "I'm going to find the biggest, hardest cock in this city, and I'm going to ride it all night. Then, tomorrow, I'll get to work on that couple, and you'll see I can make humans love each other."
He shrugged his shoulders, which made his scaly, lizard head bob up and down. He was a cute, little bugger most of the time... when he wasn't giving her Attitude. Maybe just this once, she could convince him she knew what she was doing. Lord knew, her pussy could use some expert loving.
* * *
Of all the jobs Lucius had inherited on the death of his older brother, searching the human dimension for wayward gods had to be the most odious. And Tatiana of all people. They'd promised each other since childhood they'd serve as partners. Then his life had changed on one disastrous day, and he'd betrayed his promise. Now he had to bring her home, trailing after him with her head down like a disobedient child.
He wouldn't normally search for a god in a loud, crowded bar like this one, but once their kind became habituated to their human surroundings, they tended to pick up the habits of the creatures around them. Tatiana would no doubt seek out a place like this... what amounted to a mating ground... to find some relief from the itch constantly plaguing an unmated adult.
He hadn't taken a mate yet, either, and plenty of near naked human females surrounded him, many showing obvious interest. The excitement of seeing Tatiana again had had quite an effect on his sex drive. They'd been so close, never apart for this long before. But then, they'd parted with such anger on her part. Who knew what kind of welcome she'd give him this evening, especially when she found out why he'd come?
He sensed the moment Tatiana stepped into the club, and he immediately retreated into the crowd. They'd had such a strong connection, she'd detect his presence as soon as she got close. He'd keep low-key for as long as he could. If she was still angry with him, it wouldn't do to upset the mortals around them by making a scene. With any luck, he could lure her into a back room to issue the order she was to return to their dimension and mate, whether she wanted to or not.
When he spotted her, all the blood drained from his head and went directly to his groin. He'd expected the reaction, of course. Both of them in their sexual prime and unmated would naturally become aroused in each other's presence.
She stood taller than he remembered. Her nose would graze his chin if he put his arms around her... something he only planned to do if absolutely necessary to assert his authority. She stopped in her tracks, and a shiver of sexual awareness made the clingy material of her gown seem to shimmer. Probably a trick of the sequins molding her body, but effective in sending a signal. She sensed him the way he had her. Only a matter of time before she spotted him.
He'd use those moments to observe her in what had become her natural habitat. She moved easily among the mortals around her. One might say regally... not much of a leap given her family's social stature, almost equal to his own. Her long legs and plush figure caught the attention of the males she passed, as well as some of the females. She had a rolling walk that fairly advertised "I came here for sex." Add the fullness of her breasts and tight ass, and she could be any man's wet dream. Including his own if he couldn't keep himself under control.
Someone rubbed up against him, and he glanced down to discover he'd caught the attention of a mortal woman. A small blonde stepped back, steadying herself with a hand on his arm as if she'd bumped him "by accident."
"Sorry." She stared up at him from under her lashes. "Crowded in here."
"Are you all right?"
"I might have twisted my ankle," she said. "Just a bit."
He slid an arm around her waist. "Can I do something to help?"
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