Accidentally Aphrodite - Dakota Cassidy Page 0,84
those torturous moments.
She’d never see Khristos again. She’d never hear his voice, never laugh with him, never see his smile. Never get back the chance to say to him what she’d really been afraid of when she’d sent him away.
And it had been more unbearable than death.
Grabbing his hand, she looked up at him, cupping his jaw and running her thumb over the sharp, stubbled plane. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I sent you away. I’m sorry…” she sobbed.
He pulled her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to her palm. “I don’t care if we end up being nothing alike, Quinn Morris. I don’t care if you like to read poetry and I’d rather let a semi run me over twice. I don’t care if you think this all happened too fast. I don’t care if you still aren’t convinced that anything deep can happen in so little time. I don’t even care that you like those stupid pillows on your bed that are, by the way, of absolutely no use to anyone if you can’t put your head on them. And I don’t care if you don’t want to hear me object to them. That’s just who I am. But that’s who you are, too, and I want to wholeheartedly object to the idea that because we only just met, we can’t feel this connected. When I saw you nailed to that damn wall…” He paused, his eyes grim, his tone gruff.
His lips thinned and he clenched his jaw before he continued. “When I saw you, I knew none of it mattered. None of it. Know why it doesn’t matter? Because I saw my life flash right there in front of my damn eyes. And I’ve had some lifetimes. It’s a lotta life. I want to try this thing with you, Quinn, and in all my years, I’ve never said that to any other woman. I’m not the wrong damn life choice. I’m the right one. So just damn well say yes.”
Her throat constricted and her eyes filled with tears before she stood on tiptoe and brought her lips just inches from his. “Yes,” she whispered before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him for all she was worth.
He pulled her tight, molding her body to his, as she melted into him, sealing the deal.
And then everyone standing at the crumbled bedroom doorway holding their collective breaths, and those who had no breath to hold at all, cheered.
Epilogue
Six Months and Ten Days Later—Ten Utterly Implausible Paranormal Accidents And Counting, A Brand-Spanking New Aphrodite, One Relieved, Living-In-Boca-In-A-Cute-Condo Ex-Aphrodite, One GG/Goat Herder Pleased As All Hell With Her Deceptive Yet Very Successful Tour Bus Stunt, Three New Amazing Friends Who Lunched And Shopped (some more reluctantly than others) With Their New Goddess Friend On A Bi-Weekly Basis And Possessed More Fangs And Fur Than A CW Show, One Still-Somehow-In-All-The-Chaos Human Study Buddy On Her Way To Being A Vet-Tech The Likes Of Which The World Has Never Seen, One Manservant Grandfather Who Remains The Best Gods vs. Vampires Chicken-Wing Maker Bar None, The Sweetest Teddy Bear Of A Demon Doubling As A Defensive Linebacker Ever, And A Vegetarian Zombie With A Joyfully Discovered, Surprising Love Of Classic Literature all gathered together on a beautiful, cloudless spring day to celebrate a surprise under the guise of a game-day feast…
Quinn hugged Marty and Wanda and gave Nina a quick punch on the shoulder—just to show she cared.
Nina flicked the end of Quinn’s braid and smiled. “Ya look good, Aphrodite-Lite. It’s a good day to kick your people’s asses, right?”
Quinn threw her arms around Nina’s neck and squeezed hard—to which Nina responded by untangling herself with a scowl. “You and the huggy-kissy shit. You act like we haven’t seen each other in a hundred years. I just saw you last week, for shit’s sake. Remember, when we fucking trudged through that stupid outdoor mall and made like girls?”
Quinn laughed. “I do. You bought me an ice cream. It was delicious, Marshmallow, remember?”
Nina scowled, fighting a grin. “That was just to shut you the fuck up, so I wouldn’t have to hear you go on and on about Hot Dude. One more, ‘OMG, he’s so sensitive to my deepest girlie feelings’ gush, and it was either yank your tongue out of your flippin’ head or feed you. I chose feed, because if I don’t, these two flappy-lipped whiners get upset with me.”
Marty, wearing a football jersey and a cute pair of leggings,