Chapter 14: Try Before You Buy (1)

Daji squints at me. Impossible to tell what she's thinking.

She's the original femme fatale. Tying myself to her could be the downfall of this place. The destruction of my grandparents' legacy, best case scenario. I'm trained to plan for failure and wild success. Maybe there's an in-between somewhere, but with gods, probably no such thing.

"Try before you buy?" she repeats, screwing up her face and looking adorable. "This isn't some mortal trick to avoid commitment?"

I flush. "I don't commit without really being sure."

"I am NOT that half-mortal wretch who didn't know the treasure she had," Daji huffs.

Suddenly, I see my relationship with Annabel flash before my eyes, but the memories are different. The colors are different than in my memory. It's as if Daji has projected a movie of my failed engagement into my brain.

Annabel and I meet at a tech networking event. We comment on how boring we found the featured speaker.

We exchange numbers and social media profiles.

We meet for coffee and to discuss a "business venture."

Right away, she wows me with her quirky sense of humor, manic pixie charm, and intelligence. We share the distinction of being labeled "gifted" as preschoolers.

We go to a bunch of art openings, sci-fi movies, and poetry readings because she secretly writes poetry. My dream girl.

All the while, the red flags show up. The "business partners" that keep calling her. The questions about my project. The offers to put me in touch with angel investors that never quite pan out.

Then, the complaints that she never sees me because I'm always working. The silent treatment. Talking smack about me to my friends, who happen to be my co-workers. Calling my mom to check where I am. Obsessing over my social media posts. Where I am. Who I'm with.

That breakup weekend I don't even want to think about.

Asking her to marry me because she apologized and begged for another chance. This time, I see the calculation in her eyes…

"STOP."

I roll off my bed and stalk over to the window, gazing down at the rolling green hills in the distance. A golden moon hangs in the night sky.

"This little flashback is convincing. Nice touches, making her look conniving."

Daji 's reflection appears beside mine in the window. The soft, furry fox ears don't even faze me. I've had her inside my head, after all.

"I know devious females," she says with a lopsided smile. "She never went to the lengths I went to with my rivals. You didn't give her that chance. You knew that, despite being the first woman you ever were serious about, she wasn't good for you."

My heart turns into a soft jelly donut. "We seemed like we were right for each other."

"Only because you didn't know I'd been waiting for you ever since I saw the pictures your grandparents used to keep in the office." Wrapping her arms around me, she purrs, "I won't betray you like that. If you want me to try before I buy, I'm willing. But I intend to buy, lover. Still, it won't hurt me if, how do you say, I take you for a test drive."

"Like a new car," I quip, feeling more comfortable shielding myself with snark.

She saw the pictures Gram and Grampa had of me? Did she really want me, even then?

This can't be real.

"Exactly." She spins me around and presses her lips to mine.

My resistance snaps. Maybe I should put up more of a fight, but I can't. My hands stroke her fox ears, and I'm lost.

We move to the bed in no time, and I lower her down, seeing her gorgeous body spread out before me. Lush figure, generous breasts, long legs. Every guy's dream, and she wants me.

Aroused and immediately feeling like the AC is broken because I'm hot all over, I plant my hands on either side of her body and trail kisses from her neck down to that wild, soft place between her legs.

My voice is husky. "Tell me what pleases you."

"Keep doing that, lover." She holds my head as I kiss and lick her soft flesh.

She tastes like peaches. Wasn't there something in the Daji legends about peaches? That she doesn't like them? Maybe not all of the myths are entirely accurate…

"Oh yes," she moans. "Just savor me for a while. There's no rush. I want to thoroughly 'test drive' you. That's so good. Keep kissing me just like that."

I've never been with anyone who's so direct and assertive about what she likes in bed. Her hand grips mine and moves it between her legs.

I think I'm going to melt in the inferno.

She feels like the finest Chinese silk beneath my fingers. And hot, wet Chinese silk at that. Moaning, she writhes, bucking her hips and opening more, reminding me of a lotus blossom. My mouth is on her skin, and I'm touching her pleasure center.

"That egg has nothing on this," I say. "You."

"That's sweet. You're sweet." Her fingernails dig into my wrist, directing me, showing me where she wants me to caress and explore. "This feels SO good. I'm liking this 'test drive' of yours. You take direction beautifully, as you should."

My mouth goes dry. I swallow, because I don't want to continue if my mouth isn't working.

"What is it?" She frowns. "You don't like the way I feel?"

"I need … I need water."

In an instant, she hands me an open mini bottle of champagne. French. Raising my eyebrows, I take a drink right from the bottle. "That'll do."

I sip more deeply, then hand it to her. D*mn, there is nothing more erotic than a goddess sipping champagne. Flashing me a smile, she tips the bottle and the bubbly flows all over her naked body. "Now, drink, lover."

She is going to be the death of me. Not in the way the stories about her say, but from blowing all my circuits.

"And prepare yourself," she adds huskily. "It's going to be a long night."