Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 161535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 538(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 161535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 538(@300wpm)
I clutch Dingle against my chest and stare, open-mouthed, as Kalos returns to my side.
The god leans in close. “He doesn’t touch you,” Kalos says, voice low. “No one touches you but me.”
That might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. My knees go weak.
Dingle squirms out of my grasp and I barely manage to hold on to his lead. I just keep staring at Kalos like I’ve never seen him before. Did…did he just fight another god for me? Staked his claim like I’m his territory?
Why does that make me so unbelievably horny?
“Take the goat,” I say, and hand him the leash.
He glances down, barely grabbing the rope as I drop it. “What—?”
In the next moment, my arms are around his neck, and I fling myself against him. I plant my mouth on Kalos’s and kiss him, because I might die in the next moment if I don’t.
He’s stiff against me with surprise—he wasn’t expecting that. He remains utterly still as I nibble on his mouth, tasting him. For a moment, he's utterly stiff, but I'm determined. I twine my hand in his hair, slanting my mouth over his. Then…his lips part under mine, his hand going to my waist. He clutches me against him, his grip shockingly tight, as if he'll die if he lets me go.
I gasp in surprise and pull back, staring up at him.
What…just happened between us? What did I just do?
His expression is completely neutral. "Not here,” he says, voice flat. “Not now.”
I put my hands to my mouth, mortified. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“Let’s just return to the inn before Gental changes his mind,” Kalos says in that strangely stilted voice. “Come on. We’ll come back out for supplies when the festivities have died down.”
Humiliated, I nod and walk with wooden steps back to the inn, all the fun in the day gone. What am I doing? I’m losing my damn mind is what I’m doing.
Why on earth did I kiss the god of disease?
Chapter
Sixteen
I’m absolutely mortified as we return to the inn. It’s like with every step, my head clears a bit more. I realize I’ve been prancing about in the streets, acting like a fool. I took cups from strangers and drank them. I flirted with men. I drooled over Gental.
I freaking kissed Kalos.
And he hated every second of it.
I’m not sure which part is worse—that I’m disappointed that he hated my kiss, or that I did it in the first place.
Like a naughty child caught in the act, I hang my head and turn meekly back to the inn. I trudge up the stairs and into our room down the hall, and sit on the edge of the bed, my hands folded.
Kalos is silent as he shuts the door behind us and releases Dingle. The goat does a happy little prance, then heads to our packs in the corner and settles down atop one. No doubt he’s tuckered out from all the celebrating. I wish I was. I wish I could just close my eyes and go to sleep and pretend this day never existed, but I’m too wide awake.
I’m absolutely wired with mortification.
He turns to look at me, and I stare at my hands.
“Did you get any supplies?”
I shake my head.
He sighs heavily. “Of course not.”
“I’m so sorry. I just…it’s like I got out there and lost my mind.” I wring my hands in agitation, a movement that’s definitely not like me. I have to do something with my hands, or I’m going to lose control and burst into tears or something equally embarrassing. “I don’t do that kind of thing. I never—”
Kalos lifts a hand into the air, silencing me. “We won’t discuss it.”
“I just want you to know I’m deeply sorry that I kissed you,” I blurt out. “It will never happen again, I swear.”
His mouth flattens as our eyes meet. “Good. Fine.”
“I know it’s not what I was brought here for—”
“Didn’t I just say we wouldn’t discuss it?”
“Right. Sorry.”
We stare at each other in the silence, and my skin prickles with discomfort. Meekly, I get to my feet and head for our packs in the corner. I shoo Dingle off the first one and pull it to me. “I think I’ll just do inventory on what we have. Do you think the party will be finished tomorrow?”
“No,” he says, and he sounds utterly weary. “It’s going to go on for as long as Gental is here. Like I said, he’s hedonism. He’s going to infect all of them with his relentless pursuit of pleasure. This place will be a mess until he goes.”
Oh. Oh.
Is that why I kissed Kalos and partied in the streets? I’m so stupid. He said that Apathy affects everyone around him, so why not hedonism? “I’m sorry,” I say again. “I wasn’t thinking.”