All Fired Up Read Online Free Page B

may leave.”
    He nodded. He would do his job, as he always did, without question, without issue, always focused on the day he would be free. This time would be no different.
    The goddess spread her fingers possessively over Eros’s chest and gazed at the god of love like he was a sweet to be savored. Completely occupied, Freya waved her hand. “You are dismissed.”
    Alrik again stood in front of Calleigh’s fireplace.
    The goddess was doing this on purpose. He knew it with every bit of warrior’s intuition in his bones. She would not forgive his rejecting her and most likely, would continue to make earning his freedom a most difficult task. He clenched his hands. No one would stop him from getting his revenge.
    Especially not a woman.

Chapter Three
     
    Calleigh was sure Snickers had spent half the night jumping up and down on her head and the other half stuffing fur balls in her mouth.
    She unstuck her tongue from the roof of her mouth and squinted at the clock. 10:53 a.m. A pretty good start to spending the whole day in bed. At least she’d managed to get into bed after drinking an entire bottle of wine on an empty stomach. She lifted the covers. Even if she was still wearing her robe.
    What a dream. What a hunk. That body. Oh my. She wiggled her toes with the sheer pleasure of remembering. And all that smoke…so bizarre. And fun. Even dinner at Thai’d Up had never given her such erotic dreams, and their curry was hot enough to strip wallpaper.
    She yawned, rubbed her eyes and sat up. Bad decision. Her stomach pitched and the throbbing in her head made her moan. The bathroom seemed very far away. At least Snickers wasn’t on the bed to give her one of his famous disapproving looks.
    Speaking of which, where was the furry little dictator? He should be yowling his head off from starvation by now. She got up slowly, making her way to the kitchen without flipping light switches. The candle on the coffee table was out but a fire still flickered in the fireplace. Last night’s storm lingered, casting everything in a deep gloom. Perfect. Right now, dark was good.
    Still no Snickers. Maybe he’d caught another mouse. She opened the fridge, scrunching her eyes at the light, and grabbed a diet Pepsi. Nothing else appealed, but she knew she should eat something.
    If she’d learned anything at all from her nightlife-loving Uncle Seamus, it was that a good coating of grease was just the thing for a hangover. What she needed was a big cheese omelet, a side of crispy home fries, and some of the black sludge the diner two blocks down called coffee. She shut the fridge. After a long hot shower she’d head to Little Joe’s.
    Oh…a hot shower sounded fabulous. For being hungover and throbbing like a beating heart, her brain was working remarkably well. Better turn the fireplace off first. Her gas bill would be through the roof.
    Setting her soda on the counter, she shuffled into the living room. She grabbed the key off the mantle, knelt and turned the fire off, swaying slightly.
    “A-ha. I thought there was magic in that fire when the wood did not burn away.”
    The key fell from her hand and clunked onto the hardwood floor as she pivoted. Her robe twisted underneath her and she plopped onto her backside, barely managing to keep her legs together. She swallowed, praying her stomach wouldn’t embarrass her.
    The fantasy man from her dream wasn’t a dream. He was still here, sprawled on her sofa, the blue flannel sheet still draped around his waist. National Geographics littered the floor, and Snickers snoozed on his chest like a fat fluffy traitor. Her fantasy man was real and even hotter than she remembered.
    She pointed, her finger shaking. “You…you shouldn’t be here. You’re a figment of my imagination. Why aren’t you gone?”
    “I tried to explain that to you last night before the wine bested you. And I told you, I will not leave until the three changes have been granted.”
    “You mentioned that.” She