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Marie filled her third cup of the rich Irish cream coffee that Kat had brewed, then replaced the glass carafe in its position, closed her eyes, and held the mug near her face to inhale the luscious aroma. “This is truly magnificent. I must bring some of it home with me when I return to Atlantis.”
Kat laughed and shook her head. “Better wait first and see what kind of reaction you have to that much caffeine. Three cups in an hour and a half may have you crawling out of your skin.”
They’d fallen into an easy friendship, as was only to be expected from two women who both loved her brother. Kat was passionate about her work, and her stories of life as a park ranger were fascinating and so completely different from Marie’s own secluded life in the temple that they raised a feeling akin to envy.
“You are so fortunate to have been brought up to such independence,” she said, placing her mug on the table. “The Goddess placed her mark on me when I was yet a child, and my family knew I was destined for the temple. My life was a regimented one of study and apprenticeship.”
Kat bit her lip. “I’m so sorry. Was it awful?”
“Oh, no, no. I don’t mean to give that impression. Free will reigns in Atlantis; though the Goddess marked me, I could have declined life as her maiden. But from the moment I stepped foot in the temple, her power infused me. My Gift is to heal and assist those women who are with child and their unborn children, and I am honored to fulfill that role.”
“Bastien said you were the boss?”
Marie laughed. “Boss? Not exactly. I am First Maiden, and my role is to lead and train the acolytes. Boss is such a funny human word, but I suppose some aspects of it apply.”
“Hey, don’t knock it,” Kat advised. “On Bosses’ Day, I send my supervisor a box of Godiva chocolates.”
“Chocolate? I could get used to the word boss for chocolate…”
A loud ringing interrupted their shared laughter, and Kat rose to pull a small silver telephone from her jacket pocket and snap it open. “Fiero. Yes. No, I have—but, that’s…Yes. Yes, of course.” She sighed. “Fine, I’ll be there in two hours.”
She closed her phone and muttered something under her breath, then turned to Marie. “I’m so sorry, but that was my boss, coincidentally. We’ve got a regional meeting tomorrow morning, and the person in charge of putting on an important presentation can’t make it. His wife just went into labor with their first child.”
Marie smiled. “Certainly that is more important than any meeting.”
“I agree, but it puts me in the hot seat. My boss wants us to meet tonight and go over his presentation so I can give it in his place tomorrow. I hate to leave you alone like this, but—”
“Do not give it another thought. I would love the opportunity to explore your beautiful lands, and I am very comfortable with my own company,” Marie said, attempting to reassure Kat even as she tried not to think about how vastly different her visit was turning out to be from what she’d imagined. Perhaps her misgivings back in Atlantis had been well-founded, and she should contact Alaric to return. She could visit another time, she tried to console the empty space inside herself. Just because her first adventure was not unfolding as planned—
Kat cut into Marie’s dejected thoughts. “I feel awful. We had so many plans—Bastien and I were going to take you to dinner at Thelma’s and introduce you around, and…Wait! I know. Ethan can take you. He told me last week he wanted the chance to get to know you while you were here.”
The floor under Marie’s feet seemed to shift at the sound of his name. Definitely not a good idea. “No,” she protested. “I’m sure he has many important duties. I can remain here or go for a walk by myself or even return to Atlantis and visit you when Lord Justice is safely returned home. It’s—”
Kat wasn’t listening, though, and was already speaking into her phone. “Ethan? Look, I’ve got to run out to an unexpected meeting, and I’ll be gone all evening. I was wondering if you—”
She flashed a brilliant smile at Marie. “You will? That’s great. I’ll…An hour? Sure. I’ll tell her. We were going to eat at Thelma’s and…Sure…I’ll tell her. Thanks!”
Kat snapped her phone closed. “He offered to show you around Big Cypress and take you to dinner before I even asked. You must have made some impression on him.”
“I don’t…Kat, I’m not sure…Ethan and I—”
Kat’s eyes narrowed. “What did he say? Was he rude to you? I’ll kick his ass for him, alpha or not, if he offended you. Ethan has this ‘all arrogant, all the time’ thing going on, because everybody bows down before him, and he needs to get over it. It’s nothing personal, though, if that matters
.”
Marie laughed a little wildly. Nothing personal? He wanted to lick her skin! It could not be more personal than that, could it?
She needed to pull herself together. She was First Maiden to the Goddess of the Nereids, and she would not be thrown off balance by one…one…surly kitten.
“On second thought, Kat, exploring and dinner with Ethan would be lovely. I’ll just go change my clothes while you get ready for your meeting.” Marie rinsed her coffee mug in the sink, her thoughts already on what she would wear. So he liked her hair, did he? Had fantasies of it spread across his pillows? A slow, wicked smile spread across her face. Perhaps she’d let him see exactly what he’d been fantasizing about. As she walked down the hall to her room, her fingers were already busy undoing the dozens of intricate braids.
FIVE
Ethan knocked on Kat’s door a good thirty minutes earlier than he’d planned to be there. So much for casual nonchalance. He’d tried to do some work, but memories of his too-brief contact with Marie had insinuated themselves into his mind. Flashes of her skin, her hair, her ocean-colored eyes.
That smile that had knocked him on his ass, figuratively speaking. He planned to have the upper hand this evening, though. Be the perfect gentleman. Calm, cool, and completely unflappable.
The door opened, and Marie stood there, smiling that perfect, kissable smile again. But he was prepared. He was unflappable. He glanced down, and the waves of her blue black hair and the dress she was almost wearing finally registered, and he sucked in a sharp breath.
