Chapter 18
She camped out at Jefferson Market Library from open to close for the next two weeks. On day two, she felt a tap on her shoulder around noon. She took out her headphones and turned in her chair to find Anne with a sad smile on her face, wringing her hands.
“Hi, E.”
“Hey, Anne. What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at work?”
“It’s my lunch break,” she said, her hands fluttering about like caged birds. “I’m here to say I’m sorry. So, so sorry.”
“Oh, Anne,” E said, needing to somehow calm the older woman. She stood and hugged her, letting the embrace warm her, hearten her, a little more. She moved them away from her table and into a dark, quiet hallway so they could talk without disturbing others.
“This isn’t your fault.”
“You don’t have a job now, and Mitchel bragged about catching the thief in our midst, when I know you didn’t steal anything. Couldn’t have.”
“Really, truly, fuck that guy,” E bit out before she focused back on Anne. “He made accusations to my academic advisor, which means if I want to graduate I have to get my thesis done in about one-third of the time I originally had to finish it all up.”
Her shocked gasp said it all. Anne had her own graduate degree, so she understood the amount of work it took.
“Don’t worry. I’m going to graduate if I have to be sleepless for two weeks. I’ll use every minute I have and get it done. Because I need to, and because screw him.”
Anne gave a weak laugh, but it was a laugh. “I came to say I’m sorry, and I did. Now tell me how I can help.”
“What?” E blinked at her. Plutus was helping in his own way, as she knew he would.
He was helping her relax, feeding her, making sure all the daily life things went smoothly so she could focus on getting the data synthesized then finish her writing.
She didn’t even consider asking for help from other people in her field.
Hell, she hadn’t even told Lisa what happened.
Shit, she would be pissed when she found out.
E added that on her mental to-do list then looked back at Anne.
She’d had her little epiphany about letting other people help her.
It was time to put aside her fear of pity and focus on the good people she managed to have in her life, because she sure as shit could use the help right then.
“You want to see what I’m doing? I don’t exactly know if there’s anything you can help with, but if you look it over, maybe you can think of something? ”
Anne beamed at her. She adjusted her glasses on her nose and said, “Let’s do this.”
Anne pulled up a chair. They whispered together, and in about fifteen minutes, Anne had E sending her all the finished chapters for review.
“I might not be able to do the writing, but I sure can edit. Send me the first draft of your final chapter when it’s finished and I’ll get it back to you in a jiff. ”
“Thanks, Anne.”
“Anytime,” she chirped before she rose to go.
E waved goodbye and as the woman walked away, she thought about how she’d maybe missed out on so much by not asking for help before.
She did the work, always would, but having a helping hand now and then wouldn’t hurt her.
It also wouldn’t mean she didn’t do it. This summer she’d learned: she shouldn’t always go it alone.
Heaving a big sigh, she turned and hunched back over her laptop. She’d worry about her posture later. Rubbing her eyes, she also thought she’d sleep when she was dead.
“That utter and complete fuckwit!” Lisa yelled into the phone. E left the library early, deciding to work at Plutus’s apartment for the rest of the evening so she could take the time to call her best friend.
“I know. Gods, he’s the absolute worst. Don’t ever, ever work for him.”
“Noted. But, also, how are we getting even? Need me to hop on a plane and meet him in a back alley with a baseball bat?”
“Lisa! Little bloodthirsty, aren’t you?”
“Hey, I am a New Yorker born and raised. You don’t mess with my friends.”
E’s heart squeezed at the truth in her words. “You’re the best, Lisa.”
“I know. So are you. Which is why we work.”
“I miss you.”
“Samesies.”
E swallowed then moved on to the other big topic. “Also, uh, you should know. I met someone.”
“Oh, do tell.”
Right then they pulled into Plutus’s garage, and she saw the god waiting there for her. “He’s pretty awesome.”
“Hopefully pretty, too,” Lisa quipped.
“Oh, yeah,” she breathed as Plutus opened the door.
“How are you this afternoon, little one?” Plutus asked as he took her hand to help her out of the car.
“Is that him?!?!?! Damn, that voice is enough to make me squirm. Good on you, girl. London is dead. Or maybe I’m dead from all this work.”
“I hope you get to meet him,” E said and Plutus smirked at her as he led her to the elevator, now very aware she was talking about him.
“I hope he talks dirty to you with that voice.”
“Oh, I do,” he purred. Of course he could hear Lisa through the headphones.
“Hey, Lees, I have to go. Got lots more work to do.”
“How can I help?”
“Will you double-check my numbers?” It still felt weird, asking for the help, but she did need it.
“No problem. Email me access to your data set, and I’ll run it through my software. Make sure everything is good on your end.”
“Thanks, friend,” E whispered.
“Any time, E. Every time. Now take a little break and go be with your deep-voiced mystery man. Later!”
“Byeee!” E called out before she heard the two deep tones meaning the call ended.
“Lisa?” Plutus asked as they stepped into the elevator.
“Yeah. She’s going to help double-check my numbers. Anne came by the library, too.”
“Anne?”
“Yeah. I mentioned her before, I think? She works, sorry worked, at the museum with me and was the one Mitchel gave The Book of Desires to before it bolted. A bit out of nowhere, but she came to apologize for how things went.”
“Not her fault,” Plutus groused, and the deep set of his brows told her he was thinking of Mitchel.
“True. I told her as much. She also offered to help by editing my finished chapters, which is a godsend.”
“I thought I was a godsend?” He enveloped her in his arms.
“I mean figuratively for Anne. You’re literally a godsend. Or just a god. Don’t know how that one works.”
“As Hecate made the book, I suppose she sent me to you in a roundabout way.”
“Is she still around?”
The elevator opened into his apartment and he led her inside as he answered. “Yes. Somewhere. I help her with investments from time to time but haven’t spoken to her in several years. Why?”
“Just thought I might need to send her a fruit basket or something.”
“The book caused you a great deal of trouble, E.”
“Yes, but it brought me you, so I wouldn’t change it.”
Plutus planted himself firmly and quickly so E bumped right into him. He whipped off his medallion, melting into the monster she loved right before her eyes.
“I wouldn’t change anything either, little one.”
“I know. You were super grumpy when we met, so I figure you were miserable before I cast that spell.”
He snorted. “You didn’t cast the spell. I did.”
“Tomato. Toe-ma-toe.”
Another snort. “Whatever you say, little one.”
Before she could reply, he lifted her high in the air and she landed with an oomph across his shoulder. “Hey! I have work to do.”
She managed to dangle her bag down and lay it gently on the living room floor before he stalked toward the bedroom.
He bent her over the bed, her toes barely reaching the floor, and Plutus landed a hard smack on her ass and she yelped.
He leaned over her, draping her in his scent and his weight.
“You need an orgasm. Maybe two. Then dinner. Then you can work all night long.”
“Who am I to argue with a god?” She asked, her voice dipping low with the sudden rush of lust coursing through her veins.
“Remember that next time,” he said, the bite of bossiness in his voice making her squirm in his hold. She heard the rustle of clothes, felt the wet nudge of him at the small slice of skin where her cropped shirt rode up and her jeans held tight thanks to the fancy leather belt he’d bought her.
Adjusting a smidge, he ground into her ass, hitting right at her cleft and giving her the most delicious friction.
His hands moved over her sides from under her shirt, snaking into her bra from the bottom and scraping claws gently to and fro across her nipples.
When she tried to push back, he rose up, pulled one heavy hand free from her bra, and shoved hard down in the middle of her back.
Then his weight was back, and his breath hot in her ear, as he said.
“Stay right there until I tell you you can move.”
She might have squirmed, but she didn’t try to do much more.
His hands roamed, amping up her need, until he took his arm off her back and undid her jeans, gliding them down her body until they, and her panties, circled her ankles.
She felt him move behind her, notch himself at her wet heat, then slowly push into her, inch by delicious inch.
He sat there, balls deep, for several moments.
“Fuck me, little one.” He stood there, firm and sure, as she just managed to push her ass back so she slid down the length of him, feeling every etch and rib of his golden cock as she did.
She dug her toes in, moving her hips back toward the bed so she got the luscious exit slide of him.
Plutus didn’t help or hinder her, as she fucked herself on him as best she could. Still, she didn’t have a great deal of leverage and couldn’t give herself what she really needed. “Please, Plutus. Please.” She began to whine.
“Does my little one need more, hhmmm?”
“Yes. God yes.”
He scooped up her hair in a fist and leaned down when she notched herself against his hips once again. “I’m the only god you call to, so say my name next time, love.”
She nodded, but rocked in an instant when he slid out of her then slammed back home.
He set a punishing pace, forcing her to claw at the sheets and groan incoherently in an almost embarrassingly short amount of time.
She didn’t care though, because she loved every second.
Plutus loved every second, too, she knew, thanks to tightening mate tie humming between them.
E clenched, shuddered, and screamed out her release, letting some of her stress and worry go along with her orgasm. Plutus followed soon after her, planting himself deep and leaning back over her.
Once they’d caught their breath, the god pulled out and spun her around, taking a moment to gently pull her panties and jeans back in place. His clawed hand snapped her button closed with a definitive click of metal on metal and she laughed. “Not going to clean me up first?”
“Nope,” he popped as he moved to pull up his own pants. “I like the idea of you sitting in me for the rest of the night.”
“Ugh. No thank you. Too wet. And too dangerous. I’m not getting a UTI because of you, thankyouverymuch.”
“Then clean yourself up,” he called out to her as he exited the bedroom, a teasing smile on his lips.
She snorted. If she asked, he’d clean her from head to toe. She knew that for a damn fact. With a soft chuckle to herself, she vowed to make him do that one day. Today, though, she had more work to do, and now, some clean up duties.