Free The Goddess Within by Amarinda Jones Page B

tongue good-naturedly at the woman in question.
    "I would love to meet you Mardi." Bugger, now he knew her name .
    "I'm married." Mardi pulled a furious face at her grinning friends.
    "She is not," yelled True.
    "I'm gay."
    "Only in the sense she is happy," added Clementine helpfully.
    "Take a chance Miss Mardi," the voice crooned low and soft over the line.
    Mardi swore softly as she raked an agitated hand through her hair. What if she went and he realised she wasn't who he thought she was? How embarrassing would that be? He was expecting someone 'luscious' and 'delicious.' To her mind she was neither. It would be like being on one of those dating game shows when the wall slid back and the contestants froze in horror. With that smooth, whisky voice Mardi knew she wouldn't be disappointed but maybe he would be. She was no super model. She was super average.
    "What am I supposed to do?" Mardi raked a frustrated hand through her hair. She did not want to be in this position at all. She liked control. She had none if she went along with this.
    "Go meet him, have sex, marry and have babies." To True it all seemed pretty obvious.
    "I'm open to all that," the man said with a chuckle. 11
    The Goddess Within
    by Amarinda Jones
    Mardi grabbed the handset from Zipporah and turned it off quickly.
    "I'm not going." How could she? It was just weird.
    "Chicken."
    "Bugger off." Okay so maybe she was a chicken but instinct told her meeting this man would change her life for good and change was not necessarily always as good as a holiday. Change could be awkward and difficult. Mardi was sure Wednesday had to be a bad day for change.
    "We work all bloody day week after week and it's a dull monotonous grind. If something spontaneous happens you should go for it and see where it leads." Clementine urged.
    "Come on Mardi do one crazy thing in your life."
    "I know you three—isn't that crazy enough?" Mardi looked as them knowing from experience they would not leave her alone until she agreed to meeting this stranger. "He could be something horrible like an axe murder or a karaoke singer or a politician."
    "We'll be there to watch you back."
    "No, you'll be there to gossip and perve." It would be exactly what Mardi would do if it was one of her friends.
    "Well yes but come on, we're your friends and you expect that." Zipporah reached over and plucked the handset from her hand. "We'll see you in ten minutes cowboy." 12
    The Goddess Within
    by Amarinda Jones

Chapter Two
    "Bloody hell!" Mardi's eyes opened wide in shock at the man coming towards her. "It can't possibly be him," she murmured in disbelief. The tall, dark haired man coming towards her was the man she had lusted discreetly over for weeks. Mardi had caught glimpses of him every day when she came to work. She always seemed to be getting out of her car just as he jogged by all hot and sweaty and male, legs pumping and firm butt well in her eyesight as she lingered longer each time at her car just for a glimpse. He was the lean athletic run ten kilometres a day type while she was the slump on the sofa type. He could not possibly want her. Opposites did not attract that much. They were almost different species.
    "I know that look in your eye." Clementine grinned conspiratorially. "You have lusted over him haven't you?"
    * * * *
    Stryker Reed made a beeline for the woman with the red hair. The opportunity to finally meet who he instinctively knew was the love of his life was too good to pass up.
    "Hello Mardi." Stryker was amused at the way she suddenly jumped when he said her name. He turned to the three women who watched him with undisguised feminine interest. "Ladies."
    "We were just leaving," one of them said as if satisfied that they had seen what they needed to.
    13
    The Goddess Within
    by Amarinda Jones
    Stryker smiled as Mardi blushed at their winks and hand signals of approval. Sweet and sexy.
    "My name is Stryker Reed." He sat down on the chair beside her and inhaled the soft scent