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We cross the street, me holding a handful of Kassam's shirt to guide him. It's a silent refusal to hold his hand after the stealth orgasm, but he seems more amused by my actions than anything. I guess if you're Hedonism, you're hard to offend. You're just always having a good time. I know this area of town like the back of my hand, thanks to multiple visits to my mom's shop, and long before I see the neon sign of the hand with an eye in the center, I can feel the warmth of my mom's presence pouring over me, helping me relax.
Mom will know what to do. She might not believe that her daughter's gotten mixed up with a god—not at first—but Mom always has an answer. She'll help me figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do here. I could desperately use some guidance.
I open the door to Mom's shop—Fortunes and Futures—and the scent of incense wafts over me. Her store is empty, but that's not surprising. Mom's store always seems deserted, but she has some die-hard regulars that pay the bills. It's not unusual for one of her customers to come in and spend several hundred dollars on crystals in one swoop, plus she does her readings. The store itself is small, with one wall full of crystal bins and shelves, and another wall covered in occult books of all kinds. I wince at the seashell collage she has hanging on the wall next to a terrible painting I did, both of them missing components to be completed. The seashell collage needs a border, and the painting has a big thumbprint at the edge where I got impatient for the paint to dry, and that I promised to cover up with a tree or something.
But that’s me—lots of promises and no delivery.
I move to the glass counter by the register, peering inside, and in the counter itself, my mom keeps the pricier items—silver and gold charms, out of print tarot decks, and the larger, pricier chunks of crystal. Hanging on the wall is a terrible oil painting of a phoenix that I did back when I was in my brief “painting” phase. I hate looking at it because there's no moon in the sky, or stars. It's just a flaming bird rising against a field of dark blue. I've always meant to go back and finish it but…it's just another abandoned project. I turn away, glancing at the back of the shop. There's a small door to the back covered in occult symbols and glow-in-the-dark stars, and I know that's the room she does her readings in.
My mom is nowhere to be seen. She's in the back, then. I turn to Kassam and bat his hand away before he can touch one of the many candles she has for sale. "Don't touch anything."
He arches a brow at me, those silver eyes flashing with amusement. "But you know me. I love to touch."
Heat floods through my body again, and I'm reminded of the bathroom at the coffee shop. And last night. And, well, every time he touches my hand. "Kassam, please," I beg, because the last thing I need is a naughty god pushing my boundaries in my mom's store. While she might not disown me if she finds me on my knees in front of him, I might certainly want to die of embarrassment. "Let me focus, just for a while, all right? Then we'll have some fun."
The god's eyes gleam with enthusiasm. I've got his interest now. "What kind of fun?"
"Snacks and back to my apartment?" I offer. I can't believe I'm having to bribe a grown man with cookies and kisses. Also, I can't believe I'm getting turned on at the thought and my stomach is growling. I know it's his presence that's doing this, but it still feels bizarre. If he really is cursed with hedonism, I'm going to have to figure out how to work with this until he gets home…without getting killed.
Or getting arrested for public indecency, since those gray sweatpants he's wearing are currently stretched tight over a massive bulge. My mouth waters at the sight, and I stare at his body, my hands itching to touch him as he runs a hand down my arm. "Must we wait? I can tell you want me now, my little light. Your body is practically singing for my touch."
It is, and that's a problem. I pull him down against me, give him a hard, quick kiss, and then head for the display of crystals, grabbing the entire box of loose quartz and hauling it against my chest. It helps, but only a little.
Kassam just leans against the counter and grins, all sexy confidence. Oh god, even that is incredibly hot. I am in such, such trouble. "Just behave for a short time, Kassam. That's all I'm asking."
