“Hold on.” I paused outside the fudgery. “What did he say? Didn't he say something about my end of the deal?” I tried to remember our conversation in my car, but most of it was hazy.
I found myself walking while absently eating my fudge. It was, by necessity, finger-licking good. However, halfway through my chocolate binge, I started to get sick of sweets. That had never happened to me before. I'd never eaten enough to get sick of them. Didn't even know it was possible. But mid-bite, my mouth decided it wanted something savory.
That's when I slammed into something solid.
“Son of a bitch!” someone growled.
The solid thing turned out to be a man's chest, and I had automatically braced myself against it. Simultaneously, something liquid and cold ran down my chest. I gasped and pulled back. The guy had been drinking something with a lot of ice—not surprising in that heat—and had spilled it down my dress. But he hadn't gotten away entirely unscathed. My fudgy fingers left prints all over his white shirt and some of his drink had splattered him as well.
I looked from my fingerprints to the modest V of the man's neckline and found a nice physique to stare at. Tan skin, a shade lighter than mine, covered some impressive muscles. Impressive enough that I looked down before I looked up. Trim waist, thick thighs. Okay, now the other direction. Up led me to some sexy, corded forearms, displayed by rolled up cuffs. Then, hello, biceps! Over an expanse of shoulder big enough for me to sit on, I headed for the neck. He swallowed. I finally met his stare.
Blue eyes. Nothing to hate there. Especially with those thick lashes framing them. And they weren't just blue. They were arctic blue with sapphire limbal rings. The man had the eyes of a husky. He also had cheekbones that looked as if a god had smacked a hammer at some slate. Nice nose—lean but not too lean. Oh, and his lips looked as if they'd just been bitten. A lot.
“Damn it all.” Those lips moved.
I refocused on his eyes.
“I'm sorry, cher. I didn't see you. I think I ruined your dress.” He looked down and swallowed again.
I looked down, at myself this time. His drink had soaked me to the skin, making the silk of my dress cling to me. The cold beaded my nipples. In short, he got quite a show. But after the ogling I'd been doing, I didn't mind.
“It's all right.” I waved at his shirt. “I gave as good as I got—which is usual for me.” I winked at him.
He burst out laughing, setting his husky eyes to shining.
And that's when I felt it. The draw. A connection that tingled between us. I could almost see it spark and arc from him to me. Like lightning. Something unmistakable and undeniable. Love at first sight? Hell no. But it was enchanting. Literally. Yup, I had just slammed into my destiny. Here he was. One of my boys. The magic between us was so much more than I'd been expecting. And so much sooner.
“Oh, fuck,” I muttered and stepped back. “It's you.”
One third of my destiny gaped at me. “Excuse me?”
“Don't act as if you don't know who I am. This is a setup, isn't it?” I looked around. “Where is he?”
“Who?”
I grimaced at him. “Hades.”
Oh, that got his attention. He grabbed my upper arm and leaned in. “Who are you?”
I jerked my arm out of his grip. “Manhandle me again, motherfucker, and what I won't be is yours!” I elbowed past him and stomped down the sidewalk.
Men gaped at me. Mostly at my breasts. How could I blame them? I was hot and covered in the remnants of arefreshing beverage that made my clothes stick to me. Of course, that would be my introduction to the Cerberus I was destined to mate. Ugh! Just my luck.
“Hey!” The hound caught up to me.
“Nope!” I pointed at him. “I'm not ready yet. I just got here, and I intend to have a little fun before I settle down. Break in the new body. I don't need the kind of commitment you three are gonna impose on me. Not yet.”
“Holy shit,” he whispered. “It's you. You're her.”
“Yeah, yeah. You're real bright.” I rolled my eyes.
“But how do you know that you're our mate?” He swung in front of me to stop my progress, but he held up his hands to show he wasn't going to touch me. “And how do you know Hades?”
“I know Hades because he sent me here. I was in the Blessed Isles before this.”
“The Blessed Isles,” he whispered. “Whoa. So, you're a pure soul. I mean, of course you are. We wouldn't get paired with an evil woman.”
“Not exactly a pair, are we?” I lifted my brows.
