Free Embrace the Desire by Spring Stevens

bouncing around inside his skull.
    Mine.
    • • •
    Varick chuckled as Payne nervously pulled at the chain collar he wore. As her brother, he would have a hard time staying out of the Burning. He knew he had a job to do. Protect them both while the transition was taking place.
    He watched her and smiled as she studied Payne’s hands. Good, at least she wasn’t completely captivated by Payne’s remarkably handsome face. And he would give credit where credit was due.
    He finished his hamburger and licked his fingers. Human food was most tantalizing, although it sometimes did not agree with his diet of blood, something that hadn’t changed since he had been given his godpowers back. Payne stood and stepped from the table. Varick frowned and followed suit thinking that he may have to summon some lightning to hammer down on the Destroyer’s thick head. Gods above knew, Payne needed some sense knocked into him.
    • • •
    Payne briskly went out the diner’s door and took a deep breath. He was so cold on the inside his blood ran in rivers of ice. And Chanta was hot, like lava scorching his icy resolve. He didn’t like it and damn sure didn’t need it. But her eyes, her battleship steel-colored eyes were mesmerizing. Addictive.
    Even more than he remembered them to be. They were pools that he wanted to drown in.
    Gyth appeared at his side. If he didn’t know better, Gyth had attached a homing beacon to his ass so he could follow him around. And Payne seriously hated that.
    “I know you hate it, that’s why I plague you so often.” Gyth slapped Payne on the back. “In two days the Burning will begin and I expect all to go well.”
    Payne swallowed his anger, his pride and ego screaming at him for retribution. “Why did you pick me?”
    “She’s strong-minded and the beast she carries is even stronger. She needs a strong hand to guide her and you my friend have the strongest hand of any of my Destroyers.”
    “That’s bullshit.” Of course, Payne knew there were other reasons as well, but Gyth was not so inclined to speak of them. The god always had other reasons for everything he did or said. “I’ll do as you want this time. But don’t ever think it’s because I gave in to your little pets of pain and misery.”
    “The why doesn’t matter as long as she survives.”
    “You know that you are a complete jerk-off and I’ll repay you for the visit with the Algea.” Payne grinned. “And I hate you with an undying passion.”
    Gyth chuckled as he vanished leaving these words to trail behind him in the mist, “That my friend is why I like you as much as I do. It takes a hell of a . . . Destroyer to admit to a god that he hates him.”
    “No, Gyth. The reason you like me is because I am Damon’s son.”
    • • •
    Now that his next week and two days had been decided for him, how the hell was he going to approach this? He had never witnessed nor had he discussed the finer issues of the Burning with anyone. Varick could have told him the particulars on the subject, but no, it always had to be the hard way. And there was the simple fact that Payne really didn’t like women. They were good for two things, sex and betrayal.
    And he could do without any more betrayals and was so not up to par with the sex part.
    He grunted his disapproval as her smell filled his senses. He knew she was behind him and he turned as he crushed a bug on the pavement under his boot. She frowned as he held out his hand. Her heart shaped face was soft, kind, and gentle, and it was more than enough to make Payne lose some of his hard-ass exterior. Except he didn’t.
    “We didn’t get off to a very good start eight years ago. I am Payne.” Fuck, he really didn’t like to be touched. He held his hand out.
    She took his hand cautiously and her nostrils flared. “I am Chanta Timbers. And no, we didn’t. You’re the one Gyth chose for me. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.”
    Her hand was small, delicate. He looked into her