Chapter 16
Ava sat at the bar in what had become her usual seat, shooting daggers at any man who dared to approach her. Dressed in sweat pants and an oversized T-shirt she expected to be left alone. Thankfully her ‘get lost’ glare caused most men to turn tail and slink off in the opposite direction.
Overwhelmed, sexually frustrated, and squirming in her seat, she knew the cure for her ailment. One night with Duncan would squelch her yearning and improve her attitude tenfold.
Wondering what she’d done to deserve such bad karma, she adjusted her ponytail and rested her chin on her palm, feeling tired, bitchy, and confused. Her guest dragon had been gliding around her thighs and making figure eights between her breasts.
Certain the dragon intended to drive her over the edge until she caved and threw herself at Duncan’s feet, Ava tried to ignore the constant movement. Thoughts of the virile guardian, sex, and being bound to another being for life circulated in her mind.
A deep ache in her core caused her to shift uncomfortably on the barstool.
“Ava.”
The deep, smooth rumble of Duncan’s voice shot straight to her most sensitive parts, making her quiver with unbridled lust. “We need to talk,” he said.
Swiveling around on her perch with caution, she faced the one man who had the ability to break through her cocoon of indifference. He faced her, looking as tightly wound as she felt. Wearing a form-fitting black polo, black jeans, and boots, he looked positively sinful.
“What do you want to talk about?” Her intent hadn’t been to be coy, but words escaped her, an affliction she rarely suffered from until meeting Duncan Pierce.
He searched her face, his clear, blue eyes questioning. Her would-be mate was also at a loss for words. This gave her a sense of relief. His usual take charge demeanor had been replaced with a tentative countenance.
Duncan inhaled deeply. “I need to be with you.”
Surprised by his bold words, she paused for a few seconds. “I feel the same way, Duncan. I burn for you inside.”
“I can’t tolerate being apart from you, Ava. Give us a chance.”
“I admit the dragon you gifted me with is driving me insane.” She teased her bottom lip then smiled.
“I could put a stop to that.” His devilish smile played across his face in slow motion. His heated gaze sparked desire that traveled all over her body. Her skin sizzled and she could barely contain her composure.
Determined to keep her cool, she clasped her hands firmly behind her back to keep from touching him. As sure as the sun rose in the morning, the feel of his skin beneath her fingertips would drive her over the edge.
“Duncan, I need to figure out how to survive in this realm and make my own way.”
His eyes flashed and darkened with determination. “As I’ve said before, I will protect you. You are my mate.”
“You won’t always be around. I have to stand on my own two feet here.” Her voice softened as she shook her head.
“What are you afraid of, Ava—great sex—commitment—love?” He placed his hands on her shoulders. Desire swept over her like a raging firestorm.
“I’m not afraid of anything.” The heat rose from her neck to her face in what had to be one hell of a crimson flush.
“Good.” He smiled with confidence. “Let’s spend some time together. We can take things slow.”
“I don’t know . . .”
“Then it’s settled. I’ll take you out on a real date, and we’ll get to know each other better.”
Ava’s heart melted a little as she saw the look of hope on his face. Maybe a date wasn’t such a bad idea. Maybe she would be able to retain her independence and still be with him. She inhaled deeply and took the proverbial plunge.
“A real date would be nice.” Excitement swept through her at the thought of being with him again.
“I’ll call you—soon.” He planted a sweet kiss on her lips. “Until then.”
Her heart beat double-time as she watched him leave. His long, determined stride ate up the distance to the exit before she had a chance to think about what had just happened.
Her dragon did one more figure eight and rested above her heart. Even it knew she was hopelessly in love with the man.
~ ~ ~
Open Audition
K-SEX is holding open auditions
for Hostess of our new late-night talk show,
Sexual Healing
If you have a sexy voice and experience
advising others on sexual matters,
YOU could be our next love goddess.
“This has you written all over it.” Carman shoved the ad in Ava’s face and tugged at the blankets covering her.
“Get out, Carman.” Still a little groggy from lack of sleep, Ava placed a pillow over her head and moaned. Carman’s voice sounded as though she was speaking through a megaphone.
“Get out of bed and quit feeling sorry for yourself.” Carman grabbed the pillow, but Ava wasn’t giving it up without a fight. The two continued to struggle until Carman wrestled it from her and smacked her on the head with it.
“Ow, that hurt,” Ava whined.
“It’s a feather pillow. Grow up.” Carman pulled the rest of the covers off, grabbed her hands, and jerked her out of bed. She landed on the floor with a thud, rolling from side to side and holding her head.
“This is the perfect opportunity for you to use your talents without making a scene,” Carman said.
Ava clung to the bedpost while glaring at Carman. When she tried to sit back down, Carman grabbed her hands and yanked her upright.
“You want to make your own way in this world, don’t you?” Carman questioned. “It’s time to step up and make that happen.”
She had no response for that. The only thing she knew for sure was she wanted Duncan Pierce in her bed and in her life. Restless, frustrated, and lonely, she couldn’t sleep and had no appetite. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
In response to her thoughts, the dragon wrapped around her waist shifted position. Why couldn’t the damned thing just stay still? Any thoughts of sex or Duncan and the dragon became frenzied, moving constantly. Carman’s voice interrupted her thoughts, providing a moment of respite.
“Here, this will help. I made it strong.” She picked up a cup of coffee from the nightstand and waved it under her nose.
Wanting to rid herself of the pounding in her head, she took the cup and swallowed. “Ugh. That’s awful. It’s bad enough that you woke me up, but now you’re trying to poison me.” Ava noted the whine in her voice. She sounded like a freaking two-year-old begging for candy.
“I said it was strong. Drink up and get into the shower,” Carman ordered. “After you’re done, come downstairs. We need to strategize on how to get you this job.”
Ava headed toward the shower remembering how she’d sworn she’d never get a job, but as much as she hated to admit it, Carman was right—this did seem to be perfect for her.
Ava had expected Duncan to show up or to at least call. No word from him in three days made her certain that she’d blown her chance with him. She told herself that he was probably dealing with the demon invasion, but her insecurity kept rising to the surface. The distraction of a job might keep her mind off her troubles.
~ ~ ~
Having never interviewed for anything in her life, Ava willed the dragon to be still and pushed thoughts of Duncan out of her mind. It was an almost impossible task, but she needed to keep her thoughts free of him in order to concentrate on the job interview.
She wanted to give their relationship a chance but had been too prideful to take the first step. Three days of no contact felt like an eternity, with his absence tormenting her day and night.
After consulting with Mona on what to wear and eating a hearty breakfast made by Ahlma, she mentally prepared for her interview. Carman drove to the studio, acting as her own personal cheerleader.
She squared her shoulders and strode into the lobby, her expression a mask of self-assurance. Anxiety took control of her nerves as she observed at least twenty women of various shapes and sizes waiting in line to interview.
The crowded area reeked of stale coffee and sweet perfume. Feelings of insecurity and self-doubt dominated her thoughts, causing her to rethink the interview. The tiny thread of optimism she clung to gave her the strength to continue. Taking a deep breath, Ava moved forward, examining the competition.
Some candidates oozed confidence as they rehearsed their pitches in honeyed, seductive tones. Others looked as though they’d just rolled out of bed and decided to interview on a whim.
However qualified some of them might be, Ava had a major advantage over them—being a real sex goddess.
Dressed in a clingy teal halter dress with her hair falling in waves around her waist, she looked the part. Ignoring the murderous glares of the other candidates in line, she walked confidently to the front. Once she interviewed, no one else would have a chance.
A skinny little man with an unfortunate comb-over and a name tag reading ‘Tony’ moved from one candidate to the next as he gathered information and made notes on his clipboard.
Ava tapped him on the shoulder. Tony looked her over from head to toe through his thick horned-rimmed glasses, eyes wide and appreciative. The little man licked his lips and whistled through his teeth then jotted down a few notes before he started firing off questions.
“Name?”
“Ava Smith.”
“Experience in radio?”
“No, but I have a lot of experience giving advice in matters of a sexual nature.”
“Terrific, but you also need to have logged in some time on the air.” Tony gave a long-suffering glance to the heavens and sighed. “Give me one good reason why I should move you to the top of the list.”
“Well . . . I do have experience in front of an audience,” she said.
“I’ll bet you do,” Tony said as he openly ogled her cleavage. Ava wasn’t certain what he meant by that, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t a compliment.
“As a judge.”
“A judge . . . really? What kind of judge?”
“I pass judgment on men who don’t satisfy their women sexually.”
“Lady, I don’t have time for this bullshit. Sure, you’re hot, but no one is going to see you, and your looks won’t help you here. Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.” Red-faced and shaking his head, he moved to the next person in line.
Ava placed her hand on his bony shoulder. “You would dismiss a real sex goddess and hire one of these pretenders? You would pass up someone with my special abilities? By the way, do you have a girlfriend?”
“Uh . . . I’m kind of in between girlfriends right now.” His face and neck turned a blotchy crimson color as he stared at his feet. His single status was no big surprise to Ava, and she used this information to her advantage.
“I could help you with that, too. As a real sex goddess, I have the inside track on what drives women wild.”
She leaned over, raised her eyebrows, and gazed into his eyes. For a moment he just stared at her with a stupid look on his face, his mouth agape like a large-mouthed bass on a hook.
“Okay, okay, I get it. You’re an actress in character, right?”
He stopped to consider her once again. She could practically envision the little cogs in his brain working overtime, churning and spinning.
“Not bad. You had me going. For a minute there, I thought that you actually believed you were a real goddess.”
“I am a real goddess, and I can prove it to you.” Ava gave him her best sex goddess smile. She could hear the increase in his breaths—he was actually panting. A tiny bead of sweat trickled down his temple.
“Follow me. Anyone as persistent as you deserves a shot.” Tony took off down the hall and opened the door at the end, motioning her to step inside.
A man dressed in a polo shirt and khakis stood up from behind the massive desk and motioned for Tony to shut the door, and the little man did so, standing in the back of the room. The manager held out his hand to her.
“Hi, I’m Rodney Longstreet.” He had an easy smile, a firm grip, and the demeanor of a used car salesman. “I’m the station manager here at K-SEX.”
Ava’s heart raced. After she was done with this guy, he’d beg her to take the job.
“Hello, I’m Ava Smith, sex goddess at your service.” Smiling brilliantly, she sat down on the leather chair in front of his desk and crossed her legs. Rodney’s lecherous gaze swept over her body.
“Love that confidence, Ava. How ’bout you give me a read.” Handing her a script, he draped one leg over the corner of the massive desk and sat. “Whenever you’re ready, sweetheart.”
Summoning her best, sultry, take-me-to-bed voice, she began.
“Hello, lovers. It’s time for Sexual Healing with Ava, the luuuv goddess. I’m here to help you turn up the heat and have your lover begging for mercy. Listen to me and your partner won’t even think about looking elsewhere for the ‘Big O.’ So sit tight and take notes ’cause nothing’s off limits here. And if you’re under eighteen, get your booty to bed and save the questions for your mama.”
“Very good. You have a smokin’ sexy voice, Ava.” His gaze once again locked onto her breasts, making it clear that there may be some drawbacks to this job. Rodney made her skin crawl.
“Most women either have the sexy voice or the sexy body but, baby, you’ve got the whole package.”
“I’ve been told that my looks are irrelevant, since this is a radio job and no one will see me.” If she could’ve, Ava would’ve made his family jewels disappear for calling her baby, but right now, she needed this job. She could handle this pervert later if need be.
“You’re right. The looks are just a nice bonus. What about giving advice on sex?” He crooned, licking his thin lips. “Are you competent in the area of sexual advice?”
“Of course.” This was the singular most stupid question she’d ever heard. She’d been handing out advice for nearly a millennium. “I am a sex goddess. I told you that before.”
“I can’t argue with you there.” Rod’s gaze continued to roam. “Normally I’m not in such a rush to hire someone, but the hostess we originally hired eloped last week, and she’s not coming back.”
Ava suddenly had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. What if she actually landed this job? She didn’t have any experience in radio despite being qualified otherwise, and she sure as hell didn’t have any experience with employment.
“I’m going to give you a shot, Ava. You are by far the best candidate I’ve seen today. Tony, have Buddy run her through the show so she’ll know what to expect.”
He reached over and grasped her hand in both of his, holding on just a little too long. His touch turned her stomach, and she quickly withdrew her hand.
“Congratulations, Ava. You’re on at midnight.”
“So soon?” The breath rushed from her lungs. She had hoped to have time to prepare and compose herself. Her heart pounded wildly as she searched for words.
“Do you want the job or not?” Rodney tapped his pencil impatiently on the desk. “There’s a ton of other women out there who would love to be sitting where you are right now.” He raised his eyebrows and his lips formed an arrogant line.
“Yes, of course.”
“Good. You have nothing to worry about. Buddy will be right there with you to walk you through the whole process.”
“Great.” With her insides doing somersaults, Ava hoped that this Buddy character was not as slimy as her new boss.
“Don’t disappoint me now. Remember your employment here is on a trial basis.” When she rose from the chair, he followed suit, placing his hand against the small of her back. She moved quickly toward the door, ready to be free from Rodney’s attention.