Page 16 of Tributary

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Asa

I’M TANGLED TOGETHER with a goddess. Her hair, sweaty and knotted, is wound around my arm. I have her pulled tight against my chest as I try to regain my composure. I’m not sure what the hell that was, but I’m not about to let go of her until I get to do it again.

I’m still somehow half hard, and I slowly rock my hips against Diana’s ass, but she groans. “I need an hour. Or a month.”

“How about I give you 15 minutes?” I love the sound of her laughter, so I try to get her talking again. “So what’s with all the hunting names? Diana…Hunter…”

“Yes, and Archer and Fletcher. It sort of became a joke by the time Ma was pregnant with Fletch.” She wriggles and turns so she’s facing me, her fingers toying with the hair on my chest and sending tingles through my body. “Dad’s always saying he’s not sure how he managed to land a woman like Ma. That he needed the goddess of the hunt on his side to keep her.” She shrugs. “My mother liked that idea.”

“I bet she did,” I say, gathering her hair back from her face so I can look into her brown eyes. I can see flecks of gold glint in the low light in the hotel room. I kiss the tip of her nose. “Can I ask about today yet or do I need to give you another orgasm first?”

She groans. “Ah, fuck it. I lost a contract today. My only contract, really. So I’m back to square one.”

“You were selling plants at the hospital?”

I feel her stiffen. “I’m not giving you details, ok?” I nod, continuing to rub her shoulders. “I had a contract with the neurology researchers, and it ended. Some sort of bullshit state regulations about growing licenses and red tape.” She sighs and starts to back out of my arms. “It’s always something.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to raid your minibar.” I watch as she walks across the room naked. She really is a goddess—her full hips and round ass make me think of all the wicked things I want to do to her when she gets back over here.

She brings a pair of beers and snuggles back into bed beside me. I clink my bottle against hers, and she snorts, taking a long pull of the amber liquid. “Not as good as mine,” she says.

“Definitely not,” I tell her. “Why not sell your beer if your plant deal fell through?”

She shakes her head. “I’m not going into it with you right now. I’ll have my certification and licensure soon enough. Then I’ll be back here in the Iron City.”

“Maybe I’ll see you here,” I prod. “I’ll be around for a long time if my researchers predicted right. And they always do.”

She looks at me sideways. “What’s your deal, anyway? You’re like a bank, basically?”

“Not quite the same thing.”

“My mother thinks you shit gold doubloons.” The things that fall out of this woman’s mouth never fail to surprise me, and I laugh in delight.

“I’m glad. Maybe she’ll help me convince you to see me again.” And then I wince, noting the change in her demeanor. She stiffens and the light dims in her eyes.

“I told you, this is just sex,” she says, swigging the rest of her beer. I can tell the magic has gone.

Diana gets out of bed and starts dressing.

“Hey,” I say, but I know it’s over and she’s not climbing back in. I think about my meeting today, and then I realize what’s been bugging me since I read Andrea’s file on Diana. Everyone in the room today was listed as an author on the research articles about their technology—the whole team was there to meet the investor. Diana’s name was all over all those research papers with Jay Buford, but her name never came up once in all his time partnering with Wexler Holdings.

The mood is already spoiled for tonight, so I might as well press the issue. “Does Jay Buford have anything to do with your meeting today?”

I’m not prepared for the fire in her eyes when she whips her head around. “What did you just say?”

“Jay Buford owns the patent for that drug the FDA just approved for epilepsy. You were meeting with the chief of neurology today…”

She starts rushing to dress, her hands shaking as she buttons her shirt. “I can’t believe you,” she mutters. “What, did you have your spies create a folder about me? You want my vaccination records, too?”

“Diana, wait.” I get out of bed and pull on my boxers, trying to stop her before she starts mashing the elevator buttons. “You can’t leave like this. You’re upset.”

“Watch me,” she snaps, and dives into the elevator. I stick a leg out to prevent the door closing, but I’m too late and the door slides closed. I realize I have no way of contacting her here, no way of even making sure she reaches her hotel safely.

I pull on my boxers and text Andrea to launch a full exploration of our contract with Jay Buford and his business. Then I sink into bed and try to figure out how I’m supposed to make headway dating a goddess who only wants me for sex.

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