Accidentally Aphrodite - Dakota Cassidy Page 0,66

one more thing on her plate. To handle it in the proper state of mind.

But she couldn’t regret making love to this amazing man, this man who had wise words and even wiser insights about who she was. He was decent and patient and nothing about this would ever make her regret her choice.

For tonight.

Tomorrow was a different story.

Tomorrow, he’d realize this was impulsive on both their parts. Realistically speaking, she knew sometimes in the heat of the moment things happened, and she wasn’t going to allow herself to get carried away like she had in so many relationships before.

Of course, Khristos would feel the same way, and they’d carry on. Surely their time together was coming to an end anyway. And if someone was really trying to hurt her, the OOPS women would help. She knew they would.

But for tonight, she was going to lie next to this man made out of granite and enjoy the warmth of his delicious body against hers as he took her mouth in another kiss.

Just for tonight.

Chapter 13

“Khristos! Wake up!” she whispered urgently, forcing herself to look away from his sleeping form, as gorgeous as if he’d never experienced bed head.

He frowned, attempting to pull her to him, but she put her hand on his chest. “You have to get up and get dressed!”

He scrubbed his hands over his eyes. “What’s going on?”

She pointed to her stomach. “I feel it. Like really feel it.”

He sat up, the covers falling away from him and giving her the first glimpse of his chest in the full light of day. And of course it was perfect and tan and thick with cords of muscle.

Of course.

“A match?”

“Yes! Now hurry up! Get up and get dressed!” She didn’t give him the chance to answer, or allow herself to linger with him for very long. This morning, she’d resolved to accept their moment for what it was, and rather than turn it into something it likely could never be, cherish the experience and keep right on moving.

He hadn’t been a bachelor for centuries by chance—he was a bachelor by choice, waiting for the right person to come along. After hearing what his father taught him about love, she’d realized he wasn’t someone who took the idea of finding a forever love lightly. That’s what made him such a terrific, honorable man.

Khristos would want to woo the woman he fell in love with, get to know her, really know her. Not jump right into bed with her. They’d known each other less than a week. That wasn’t who Khristos was. It wasn’t who she was—or who she hoped to be now that her future had changed so drastically.

So no muss, no fuss, no regrets.

He slid from the bed, totally naked, but she turned her back to him as quickly as possible and grabbed a scarf from the drawer of her dresser. “Hurry—we need to move on this. I’m almost certain someone’s waiting to be matched. Dress warmly, it’s cold out today—looks like we might get more snow.”

She pretended that she didn’t hear his protests as she yanked the door open and ran for the living room. Anything was better than seeing him get out of that bed, full-throttle naked.

Nina handed her a cup of coffee, Buffy sitting on her shoulder. “You okay this morning?”

She looked down at her feet so Nina wouldn’t see the red heat on her cheeks. “Of course I am. Slept great, ready to tackle another match. Sorry I woke you, but something’s happening.”

“Oh, you did not sleep,” Nina razzed.

“How do you know?”

She tugged her ear. “Vampire hearing. But I appreciate you trying to keep it to yourselves.”

“Could we not talk about this?”

“Aw, c’mon, Mini-Goddess. What’s the fekkin’ fun in that?”

Quinn gulped and took a deep breath. “Please.”

Nina lifted Quinn’s chin with a cool hand. “Hey, kiddo. What the fuck?”

No. She couldn’t do this right now. “Nothing. It’s nothing. I’m just tired and this match is making me crazy and I don’t want to muddy my emotional waters by talking about anything but this match that needs making.”

Nina gave her a guarded look. “Okay.”

Quinn’s mouth fell open as she set her coffee down and quickly braided the length of her hair. “You’re just going to let it go? No badgering, name calling, threats?”

Nina grinned. “Just like Frozen.”

Quinn giggled and rubbed the vampire’s shoulder. “Aw, nice Nina is nice.”

“Fuck you.”

She giggled again, straightening as Khristos came out of the bedroom dressed in low-slung jeans, work boots and a