Succubus Obsession

Succubus Obsession Simone Bern Celine is a succubus—a demon who gives her lovers pleasure so intense it leads to their obsession, even death. What she can do to a man frightens even her. Erin has been moving from woman to woman for a very long time. He meets his match in Celine, a woman who hides secrets both dark and delicious behind an angel‟s face. But then, he has secrets of his own. Maybe obsession isn‟t such a bad thing…

Ellora‟s Cave Publishing

www.ellorascave.com

Succubus Obsession ISBN 9781419936456 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Succubus Obsession Copyright © 2011 Simone Bern Edited by Ann Leveille Cover design by Syneca Photography: Kiuik and Denis Kuvaev Electronic book publication November 2011 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora‟s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora‟s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher‟s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author‟s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author‟s imagination and used fictitiously. The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book. The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party Web sites or their content.

SUCCUBUS OBSESSION

Simone Bern

Simone Bern

Chapter One The man stood facing a large picture window, his back to her. Broad shoulders curled slightly forward in the plain black t-shirt and his hands were clenched into fists, held stiffly on lean, denim-clad thighs. The room was dim and dull, weathered gray wood furniture blending in with dingy institutional white walls. On the other side of the window was paradise—verdant grass, jewel-colored flowers and a distant sapphire sea. She could feel his longing to break free like a physical force in the room. But this was a prison he could not escape through physical strength or scheming intellect. He turned and stared at her with lifeless gray eyes. His presence seemed to grow larger and at the same time more distant, until he was a giant standing at the end of a long hallway, daring her to approach. She moved forward, gliding with an effortless grace that was calculated to draw and hold his gaze. Golden hair cascaded over her shoulders and nearly down to the floor, only partially obscuring her naked body. The gray eyes brightened with desire, color and life flooded into his face. He became beautiful in that instant, when the power of his longing shifted onto her. She smiled and stopped less than an arm’s length away. “Hello, sexy,” he said. His fingers brushed her cheek then followed a wave of hair as it flowed under her chin and along the line of her throat. He hesitated when his touch reached a nipple peeking through the golden curtain. The rose-red tip seemed to fascinate him. His thumb slowly drew a half-circle around the areola and a tingle of desire started in her body. A large hand cupped her breast and, lifting it like an offering, he bent his head. Wet, flickering heat surrounded her nipple. She moaned and arched her back, thrusting her breast deeper into his mouth. Lust radiated from his entire being, pouring from his skin and filling the room with an almost tangible musk. She drew it in hungrily. Wanting more, she tore at his shirt and magically

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he was naked. Strong arms wrapped tightly around her and kisses full of fire scorched her mouth. Heat spread down to her belly and filled the space between her legs. She reached out with both hands and touched skin stretched tight over rippling muscles. Her fingers dug into his back and she pressed herself along the length of him, wrapping a bare leg around his naked thighs. He was a tall man and his erection was a rod that reached from her belly to poke hard into her left breast. He lifted his head and stared down at her. “I’m going to fuck those glorious tits,” he said, his glare daring her to protest. She had no wish to deny him and found herself lying between his muscular legs, black silk sheets rumpled beneath her knees. He moved so that his penis lay in the furrow between her breasts then, clutching a mound of full, rounded flesh in each hand, he pressed them together. Slowly his hips moved, sliding his cock against flesh and captured strands of her silky hair. She could feel the throbbing heat of his shaft, smell the pre-cum welling on the tip. Delicious, she thought, and licked her lips. “Lick me, woman,” he commanded and thrust his cock toward her face. Her tongue swirled eagerly around the hot, swollen tip, taking in the musky taste of him. She continued to lick his cock until it twitched uncontrollably. Then she took him in her mouth. He groaned and a large hand pressed her head down until his cock filled her throat. His hips began to pump again. “You’re mine, woman,” he grunted. “Your tits, your mouth, your cunt, I’m going to take them all.” Again there was an almost angry defiance in his voice that dared her to refuse. With a sudden shift she was lying on her back, her legs splayed wide. His mouth was hot and wet on her breast and expert fingers were working in and out of her cunt. He mouthed and sucked on her breasts while his hand worked her into a creamy lather. Her nipples were hard knobs of sensation that throbbed in time with the pulsing of her vagina. She moaned and writhed against the cool silk. “Come for me,” he said, making it both a demand and a plea. Her climax burst like a bubble of lava, hot and sticky. She sighed with pleasure, absorbing the abundant sexual energy.

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His body rose above her, showing off lean, hard muscle and a jutting penis. He smiled in satisfaction at her still-trembling form. He plunged into her with a groan of relief. His cock found the deepest point in her vagina and then withdrew but returned again and again to that sweet spot. Another shift and she was on her knees. His was behind her, riding her with wild abandon, without any of the normal consideration offered to a lover. He thrust, hard and deep, shouting words of lust, need, anger and hunger. With a final, anguished cry he released the knot of emotions that had kept him trapped in this dream prison. And she fed.

***** Celine opened her eyes to the layers of soft shadows that were deep night in the city. She tugged the long, white tank top she wore as a nightie more comfortably around herself. It had been a very good dream-feeding tonight. She had eased an angry, powerful hunger and taken much pleasure and energy from it. A succubus couldn‟t ask for more. Except there was still a tingle of arousal in her body—a deep, physical ache for a real body to press against, for solid arms to hold her. Unfortunately, that option was no longer available to her. A sound out in the building corridor caught her attention and she cocked her head to listen. In the relative quiet of the night her hearing seemed unnaturally sharp. Was that a voice, muttering? Footsteps, definitely. Probably just someone from a neighboring apartment, coming home late and drunk. Except the footsteps stopped outside her door. The knob rattled. Celine got out of bed and tiptoed down the hall toward her door. Halfway there, she froze. Her other senses had finally woken up and she could practically smell the rotting abscess of dark emotions outside her door. The knob rattled again and this time something clicked inside the lock. The old brass set had looked heavy and reassuring when she checked out the apartment a couple of months ago but now she wasn‟t so sure. Weren‟t these ancient designs easy to 7

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pick? That thought broke her terrified paralysis and she darted down the short hall back into her bedroom. Grabbing her jeans off the floor, she thrust bare legs into the coverings. Not even bothering with the zipper, she pulled on Keds and grabbed her coat. Snatching her purse off the vanity table, she moved to the window. Forcing the heavy window up the tight wooden frame took all her strength. She squeezed through as soon as the opening was large enough for her compact frame and stepped out onto a small metal platform. The rusty fire escape was an eyesore and had made her question whether she really wanted this Gastown location but now she was insanely glad it was there. She heard her outer door bang open and quickly slammed the window shut. Practically sliding down the shaky ladder, Celine tumbled onto the pavement. She was already fumbling for her cell phone as she ran out of the alley and onto the street. She dialed 9-1-1 and blurted out, “Someone‟s breaking into my apartment.” The polite exchange of information that followed seemed to take an eternity. They told her the police would be there soon. Celine leaned against the wall of the restaurant and finally took the time to do up the zipper of her jeans. The fact that it was chilly outside also registered and she shrugged into the blue fleece jacket. Then, staring at the glowing red closed sign of the store under her apartment, she forced her breathing to level out. She thought she could hear someone cursing four stories up in her bedroom. Probably she was just imagining it. She was on her seventeenth deep breath when a car with flashing lights and sirens on came flying down the street and pulled up in front of her. A large, bald man with broad shoulders and a bit of a paunch stepped out of the passenger side. “You the lady that reported the break-in?” he asked in a calm, soothing voice. “Yes, apartment 411.” He nodded grimly and walked toward her building. Another man slipped out of the driver‟s side door and joined the first officer. There was visible power in the second man‟s shorter frame and a confident grace to his walk. It occurred to her to wonder

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which of them was the more capable in a fight—the big bald dude or the smaller man who moved like a stalking cat. She was still gazing after the two policemen when the fire escape rattled. Celine crossed over to the other side of the street, peering through the blackness of the narrow alley to stare up toward her apartment. A heavy body slammed her into the brick wall as it raced past. Pain flared up her right hip and across her ribs. She leaned heavily against the wall, moaning softly. The hit had been deliberate, an expert hip check designed to cause physical damage. Celine was still struggling to get the pain under control when a hand landed on her shoulder. She jumped as a jolt ran through her and the hand immediately withdrew. Turning, she stared into brilliant blue eyes. “Sorry, miss. Are you all right?” His lashes were impossibly long and thick but they were the only feminine quality to his face. The sharp angles of his cheekbones, wide mouth and square jaw made her think of Russian gangsters. It was a face that demanded a strong reaction and hers was an instant surge of lust. She managed to keep her smile small and polite. “I‟m fine, officer. But I think I just met the perp on his way out. He was in a hell of a hurry. Thanks for running him off.” He grinned and she sagged against the wall for reasons that had nothing to do with her throbbing hip. That smile was pure magic, it turned his darkly handsome features into something enchanting. His expression shifted again, becoming serious. “I‟m afraid we broke the door going in. Your robber actually locked it behind himself, would you believe that? And he tore the place up a bit, particularly your bedroom. Any idea what he might have been looking for?” She shook her head. “I don‟t have any valuable stuff, no drugs, no top secret information.”

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“What? You‟re not an undercover operative stealing government secrets?” He met her labored attempt at humor with a swift tease. “I run a bookstore, for Christ‟s sake. Can‟t get much more pedestrian than that.” Celine tried to match his light tone but couldn‟t quite manage it. She knew the man who had broken into her apartment wasn‟t after her things. He was after her. He wanted vengeance and satisfaction. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes to hide the fear in them. “Miss? Did he hurt you?” The policeman‟s hand went to her shoulder again. This time she didn‟t jump, although the touch sent a surge of sexual energy all the way down to her toes. Some men hit her that way, hard and fast. It was part of her notquite-human nature. Fortunately, his touch also overpowered the fear and sent healing waves of heat into her bruised ribs and sore hip. She opened her eyes and stared directly into his beautiful eyes. “A shove into the wall as he ran past. I‟ll be okay,” she replied and allowed warm gratitude to fill her smile. They seemed to freeze in that tableaux—her back pressed against the wall, his riveting face less than an arm‟s length away. The young officer leaned toward her. Then he stopped and shook his head, as if banishing an inappropriate distraction. He straightened and removed his hand from her shoulder. She immediately missed the contact and the warmth that had been flowing from him. Disappointed that he had the self-control to pull away from her, she told herself that it was for the best. A kiss would have been a dangerous indulgence. “We should go back up to your apartment,” he suggested. There was a heaviness to his words that suggested he wasn‟t just thinking about her welfare. Celine nodded and moved to lead the way. It would be so easy to break his selfcontrol and seduce him. Every drop of her demon blood yearned to do just that. As a succubus she fed off human sexual energy. She could sustain herself through dreams but living flesh was so much more potent and rewarding—at least for her.

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For her lovers it was the start of a very short road to their destruction. She had sworn to never again give in to those cravings, to never pull another innocent man into an obsession that would destroy his life. This gorgeous young cop was making it very hard to keep that oath.

***** Erin knew he was being crass but he simply could not tear his gaze away from the woman‟s shapely backside in those tight-fitting jeans. She was petite but there was nothing waif-like about her. Soft curves defined her, from those mesmerising full hips swaying in front of him to the loose tangle of blonde curls brushing her shoulders. Even her face was soft and curved. Big, round, green eyes, a button nose, plump lips and a small rounded chin made her almost irresistibly cute. Only the hungry look in her eyes, hinting at pain and need, saved her from being a postcard-perfect angel. Normally cute and angelic did nothing for him but from his first glimpse of her talking to his partner he had felt an intense urge to put his arms around her—and not to comfort an obviously distressed young woman. He had almost kissed her out on the street a minute ago. Her smile had gone straight to his gonads and he‟d been hit with a surge of irrepressible lust. His body was still urging him to do several completely inappropriate things to her right there in the stairwell. No, there was nothing comforting about his thoughts as he surveyed her delicious backside moving up the stairs. Marty was waiting for them at the door. Erin managed to shift his stare over to his partner‟s ugly mug. “Why don‟t you sit down and tell us what happened?” Marty said in his most gentle voice. “Sure. Not much to say,” the girl said as she sank onto the comfortable-looking blue sofa.

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Marty took the chair and that left Erin to sit down next to her. Not that he minded, she even smelled intriguing. It was a stimulating, earthy scent, like walking in the woods after a spring rain. Somehow he didn‟t think it was a perfume, it seemed such a natural part of her. “I got home from work at nine thirty—we stay open late at the bookshop on Thursday night,” she continued. “I had a snack, then went to bed. Something woke me up and I heard footsteps out in the hallway. Normally I wouldn‟t pay much attention to that but the person stopped right at my door. He didn‟t knock, just tried to turn the doorknob. I got up and walked toward the door but then it hit me, he was trying to break in. So I ran, went down the fire escape and called you.” “Can you think of any reason for someone to break in here?” Marty asked. She shook her head, hiding her face behind a curtain of golden curls. “Have you lived here long, miss…?” Erin asked. “Celine. Celine Benoit,” she supplied. “I just moved in last month.” “Maybe he was after something from the previous owner?” he suggested. “Do you know who had the apartment before you?” She shook her head again and this time the curls bounced and did not mask her expression. “Not a clue. But the building supervisor should know. I‟ll give you his name and number.” Erin knew he was staring but couldn‟t help himself. His gaze followed her every move as she found a pen and paper and wrote out the information. There was a blank look on her face that told him she was just going through the motions. His instincts tweaked. Celine Benoit did not believe that whoever broke into her apartment had anything to do with the previous owner. “That‟s mighty kind of you, Miss Benoit,” Marty said and stood up. “We‟ll call him in the morning. I don‟t think there‟s any real urgency to this. The burglar probably won‟t trouble you again.”

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Her eyes widened in the same fear he had seen flash across her face so briefly outside. “But my door is broken. What if he, or someone else, tries to come in?” “Now, miss, I really don‟t think—” “My shift is almost over. I can hang out here for the rest of the night if you like,” Erin cut in. Marty shot him a sharp, questioning look, which Erin ignored. “Come down to the car with me and we‟ll talk to HQ about that,” Marty said. He nodded to Celine. “Good night, miss.” Erin followed obediently and got a piece of Marty‟s mind before they even hit the pavement. “What the hell are you up to? Leave the girl alone,” Marty growled at him. “She‟s scared and we did break down her door. Besides, I think she knows more than she told us,” Erin replied with perfect honesty. His partner stopped at the car and turned to give him a full-on glare. “She‟s pretty and you want to get into her pants. Be a gentleman for once and leave her alone, you rutting little piece of shit.” “She sure has your daddy instincts going, doesn‟t she?” he shot back. Normally his partner was more understanding, even encouraging, of his weakness for attractive women. “That,” Marty stabbed a big finger in the direction of Celine‟s apartment, “is a sweet, innocent young lady. She deserves better than you.” “Somehow I don‟t think she‟s anywhere near as innocent as you think.” Erin grinned. “Want to bet on it? Fifty bucks says she‟s dirty in the best possible way.” Marty crossed his arms and his glare got several degrees colder. “Seriously, I‟ll just hang around, see if I can get her to talk some more…and I‟ll sleep on the sofa, if that‟s her call. But if she decides she‟d feel better with me lying next to her in bed, who am I to argue?” Erin shrugged, then had to quickly duck the blow aimed for his head.

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He backed away, laughing. “Hell‟s bells, man! You‟d take a swipe at your partner and friend over a woman?” “She deserves better,” Marty repeated but didn‟t try to stop him. “She deserves the best…which I am definitely going to offer,” he yelled and turned around to go back into the building. He did have a moment of misgiving as he mounted the steps two at a time. Maybe Marty was right. He liked women and he always tried to treat them right but seduction and erotic play were his two favorite sports, ones he excelled at. Constancy simply wasn‟t possible for him. But maybe book-loving Celine wasn‟t the kind of girl you fooled around with for a night and then walked away from. He‟d be upfront with her, he promised himself, before he stripped her naked and licked and sucked his way around her perfect curves.

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Chapter Two “Hello? I‟m back,” a cheerful male voice said from the doorway. Celine‟s pulse quickened and she could feel herself light up from inside. She wished the other guy had offered to stay the night instead. He would have been safe. She met him in the hallway and her gaze traveled from his stunning eyes to broad shoulders, down a flat belly and over slim hips. Celine couldn‟t remember the last time she had felt so attracted to a man. Maybe it was the uniform. He wasn‟t tall but he certainly filled it out beautifully. She couldn‟t stop herself from imagining what he would look like with his shirt off. There was a lovely muscular body hiding underneath the blue-gray fabric. The object of her lustful thoughts held out his hand. “By the way, I‟m Erin Thomas.” Celine took the offered hand and an incredible, delicious tsunami of sexual energy flooded into her. At the same time soothing heat spread through her body and eased a bit more of the lingering pain. The skin-on-skin contact was far more powerful than his touch on her shoulder earlier. “It‟s nice of you to offer to stay and protect me,” she purred. It was impossible not to flirt with him. “Uh, yeah… it‟s a tough job. But I‟ll do my best.” She had taken her jacket off and he was obviously trying not to stare at her breasts. His hand was clasped tightly around her fingers and there was a slightly dazed expression on his face. She wasn‟t wearing a bra and knew full well that her curves were barely concealed in the white tank top. The enchanting smile was back and so were her weak knees. This was getting too tempting, for both of them. She pulled her hand out of his, quickly—like tearing off a Band-Aid. 15

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“Have a seat.” She gestured toward the sofa. “I better go tidy up my bedroom.” Instead of listening to her suggestion, he followed. Erin started hanging clothes back into the closet while she picked colorful underwear up off the floor. “You just moved in, you said?” he asked. She nodded. “October first.” “What part of town did you live in before?” He might be a bit dazzled but that didn‟t stop him from being a cop. She didn‟t think it mattered so she told him the truth. “I didn‟t. I moved here from Chicago.” “Oh, an American.” “No, I grew up in Montreal,” she answered. “Cela qui explique votre nom. Parlez-vous français?” His accent was perfect Parisian French. Celine smiled and replied in the same dialect. Then she asked, “Quand résidiez-vous à Paris?” “I studied in France for a few years,” he answered. His eyes narrowed. “That wasn‟t Québécois.” She shrugged. “My mother was from Paris and she insisted that I learn to speak „properly‟ as she put it.” “Does your mother still live in Montreal?” She hesitated. Her mother had gone into seclusion decades ago and was pretty much comatose. You couldn‟t really call it living. “Yes,” she finally answered. Erin‟s expression made it clear that he was wondering about the hesitation so Celine added, “She‟s in a long-term-care facility there.” He nodded. “I‟m sorry to hear that.” A moment later he picked up the conversation again. “So Montreal to Chicago to Vancouver. What made you pick the west coast?” “I‟d been to Vancouver and Victoria on vacation and it was so beautiful I wanted to live here.” That much was true. But Vancouver was also about as far away from 16

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Chicago as she could get and still be in North America. She didn‟t want to go through the hassle of establishing a new European identity. Her last French passport was from thirty years ago. “It‟s not so great at this time of year, lots of rain, but the summers are amazing,” he said. “I‟m waiting for winter,” she replied with a grin. “I‟m a skier and I hope to make it up to Whistler on a regular basis. I hear they already have snow.” It was early November and she really was eager for the start of the ski season. His gaze traveled over her body. “Yeah, I can see you as a ski bunny. You‟ll fit in very well up there.” She snorted. “Except I actually do ski. I‟m not going to sit around sucking back lattes in front of the fireplace.” Erin chuckled. “Glad to hear it. Whistler and Blackcomb are great mountains. Some of the best skiing in the world is in Vancouver‟s backyard. And Cypress is a good local mountain if you want a quick hit during the week.” “You ski then?” she asked. He nodded. “One of my reasons for moving here too.” Celine waited, expecting him to suggest a future ski trip together. Men usually offered her anything she even hinted at wanting. Erin didn‟t say anything, just hung another dress in her closet. To hide her surprise she bent down and pulled a lavender bra out from under her bed, and nearly hissed with pain when her ribs protested. “Funny how the intruder focused on your bedroom and left the rest of the place untouched,” Erin said. “Yeah, funny that,” she replied, shutting the drawer. It was almost instinctive not to reveal herself to others. Although she knew it didn‟t take a succubus to create crazy ex-boyfriends, she felt guilty about painting Josh as a criminal when it was really her fault. They‟d had their first two nights together four

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years ago. Then a few months ago she‟d been incredibly stupid and had sex with him a third time. She‟d completely forgotten that they‟d already been together twice and, like so many things fae, three times set the charm…or curse in this case. After three nights, a man‟s obsession with her was like the worst kind of drug addiction, the kind that would make him willing to do anything to get just one more hit. Celine glanced up at Erin to see his lovely blue eyes staring at her. Standing in her bedroom, holding her black velvet “awards ceremony dress” against his uniform, he was so hot she wanted to kiss him into a puddle on the floor. His odd resistance to her succubus allure only made him more appealing. Adding to the temptation was the knowledge that even a few minutes in his arms and every ache and pain in her body would be healed. But she was tired of one-night stands and sick to death of the nasty complications her sex life brought. She hadn‟t believed her mother when she‟d said every succubus eventually gave up on real sex. Turned out Mom was right. After a while it just didn‟t seem worth the risks anymore and you satisfied yourself as best as you could with dream lovers. After her mistake with Josh, she‟d totally sworn off fleshand-blood men. “There‟s something you‟re not telling me,” Erin said quietly. “Who was he?” Celine sighed and sat down on the bed. His police instincts were clearly sharp and it would probably be best if she told him the truth, or at least the normal-sounding part of it. “He‟s my stalker,” she admitted. “I moved here to get away from him. Guess it didn‟t work.” And now she‟d have to confess her idiocy and get a witch to mind-wipe him. She hated turning nice young men into drooling idiots. Erin sat down next to her. Too close for her comfort. “Why didn‟t you say so right away? I‟ll get an arrest warrant out on him first thing in the morning.” He reached over to pat the hand that was lying on her thigh. She shivered as intense desire ran through her and quickly stood to put distance between them.

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“I‟m sorry. I didn‟t mean to frighten you. I‟ll go get comfy on the couch,” Erin said, clearly misreading her reaction. “Don‟t worry, no one will bother you tonight. I‟m a very light sleeper.” Then he smiled, a warm, inviting smile that promised more than just protection. “Don‟t hesitate to wake me up at any time, for any reason.” His expression made it clear that he was still hoping to spend the night somewhere other than on her couch. Mister Oh-so-helpful-cop was using all his charms to seduce a vulnerable young woman. To top things off, he didn‟t even consider it necessary to offer up a skiing date in order to win her over. The arrogance made her blink. Erin was definitely not a nice guy—and obviously not innocent either. She smiled as she wondered what else he had learned in Paris. At her smile he froze and sank back down onto the bed. “I‟m missing something here, aren‟t I?” He cocked his head to the side and the corners of his mouth twitched like he was holding in a smile. She wanted to experience that melting transformation again and her mind scrambled to think of something to say that would bring out the full force of his smile. It was a ploy and, even knowing his game, she was falling for it. In a flash she made her decision. He thought he could seduce her? The bastard was about to learn he was playing with demonic fire. She let out a throaty full-succubus chuckle. “Oh chéri, you are just too good to pass up.” His right eyebrow lifted. She knelt down on the bed next to him and ran a finger lightly down his cheek. “I was trying so hard to resist, but that would spoil your fun, wouldn‟t it?” “Resist what?” “You, of course.” His thousand-watt grin hit her like a lightning bolt and sent tingles all the way down to her toes.

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“But I‟m irresistible, didn‟t you know?” He said it without an ounce of humility. She had to give him his due, this guy had the bad-boy role perfected. He practically oozed sex appeal. She might sense it more powerfully than a human, but she didn‟t think she was the only one who could feel the sexual heat pouring out of his body. Celine leaned forward and kissed him. He wasn‟t slow to take up the invitation. His tongue stroked the inside of her mouth and hands pulled her toward him. They fell back on the bed. She grabbed his shoulders to hold him still while she devoured his mouth. Strong, hot desire surged inside her. He tasted every bit as yummy as she‟d imagined. Nibbling his lips, flicking her tongue in and out of his mouth, she teased him. When she tried to pull away, strong hands reached up to bring her head back down. She gave in to his hungry demands and tangled her tongue with his. Then she insisted on lifting her head, wanting to admire the lust in his expression. Erin‟s blue eyes burned with an inner fire that suffused his whole face. It made him shockingly beautiful. Her already powerful response surged even higher and something completely foreign woke inside her. It felt almost like fear. But a succubus couldn‟t be afraid, not of sex. And this was just sex, wasn‟t it? Erin didn‟t give her time to ponder the question. A heavy leg swung over and she was flipped onto her back. He took control of her mouth with a bruising kiss that demanded her full attention. Then a hand slipped into her tank top to stroke her breast while his lips wandered a teasing path across her cheek. An expert tongue found the sensitive spot just under her ear and coaxed a moan out of her. The hard bulges of both his gun and his erection pressed firmly into her thigh. The aroused hunger in his strong, compact body was more rich and delicious than anything she had ever tasted. “You want this, don‟t you?” his voice whispered in her ear. “Fuck yes, I want you.” Celine was filled with a desire to possess him so intense it hurt more than her bruised hip. She wanted him more than she‟d ever wanted a man in her whole life. Refusing to dwell on that realization, she reached for his belt and began to undo it.

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He lifted himself up onto his elbows and gave her an intense look. “But it‟s just for tonight, okay? I don‟t do long term.” She almost laughed. He didn‟t do long term? She grinned her wickedest grin and said, “Chéri, that‟s just perfect.” “I‟m glad we understand one another,” he replied with an answering grin. “Now get that luscious body of yours naked so I can properly appreciate it.” He stood up and began to unbutton his shirt. She tugged her tank top off over her head and wriggled out of her jeans. His shirt joined hers on the floor, exposing a wide chest, smooth and rippled with muscles all the way down his belly. When he put his gun carefully on the dresser and started to undo his pants she reached out to stop him. “Here, let me,” she said and unzipped his pants. She tugged him closer to the bed where she was sitting. Her mouth tasted the warm skin of his belly while her hands freed his throbbing penis. It no longer surprised her how often small men had perfectly glorious cocks. Erin‟s was both thick and long. Her fist tightened around his shaft and she heard him groan as she squeezed. Her other hand found his balls and gave them a gentle tug. His whole body jerked and she chuckled. Her mouth brushed across the sensitive tip of his cock, trailing a wet tongue. “Do you want me to suck your cock, officer?” “Oh yeah, you do that,” he said. Then she heard him mumble, “I think I just won fifty bucks.” She chuckled softly, guessing what must have occurred between Erin and his partner. Her mouth sank over the swollen tip and her tongue explored the ridges underneath. She licked and sucked gently then clasped her lips tight and tugged hard while both hands squeezed the shaft. Erin gasped and his fingers tightened in her hair. He moved to press himself deeper into her mouth. He rocked back and forth and she

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loosened and tightened her mouth and hands with his rhythm. He was panting with harsh, grunting breaths. She loved to do this to a man, loved to make him cry out with pleasure so deep it was a pure animal response. Every second of his intense erotic enjoyment also poured healing into her body and she could practically feel her ribs knit. Her hip didn‟t hurt at all anymore. A squirt of pre-cum hit her throat and she pulled away. She carefully licked his cock head clean and glanced up at him. “What do you want to do now, officer?” she asked, even as she was bending her head to give his balls a good licking. “Any more of that and I‟ll come all over your face.” His voice was rough but his hands were certain as they pushed her away. “Lie down. My turn to make you groan.” She swung her legs onto the bed and waited to see what he would do. Erin lay down beside her and gave her a long, passionate kiss. His hand cupped and stroked her breast, squeezing her nipple gently. Then his mouth moved gradually down her throat until it found the other breast. An expert tongue on one side and teasing fingers on the other were enough to make her squirm. Her legs parted, anticipating even greater pleasure to come. Obediently, his hand slid down her belly and up between her thighs. Fingers probed and found her clit, starting a gentle circular massage. At the same time the mouth at her breast became more demanding, sucking and pressing teeth into her flesh. “Oh fuck, you‟re good at that,” she gasped, practically sobbing with mounting desire. She knew she was about to explode and come on his fine, strong fingers. He suddenly withdrew both mouth and hands and she whimpered in frustrated need. He chuckled. “Oh but wait, I‟m not nearly done with you.” Both his hands moved to her thighs, pressing them farther apart to accommodate the width of his shoulders. He dove between her legs and speared her pussy with his tongue. Her back arched and she barely held in a scream. Erin licked her pussy, nipping and sucking the lips of her vagina until she writhed under his mouth. With a low growl,

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he dove back in and slid his tongue along her quivering clit, thrusting his tongue in and out. In and out. Oh glory he was good, so very, very good. She came with a shuddering climax and released the scream she‟d been holding back. Her body sank onto the bed and she opened her eyes. His cocky grin made her chuckle. “Do you have any idea how far up the ranks of both mortal and immortal lovers you‟ve just moved?” She said it in a joking tone but the reality was that not even her vampire lovers had managed to bring her to such a deep climax using only hands and mouth. And they were supposed to be the best. He shook his head, still grinning, and crawled out of bed. He stood over her, all glistening muscles and beautiful, glowing skin. Even with the waves of pleasure from her orgasm still moving inside her, she was hungry for more. She wanted to devour every inch of him from broad shoulders to slim hips and strong thighs. He removed a foil square from his wallet. Ripping it open, he withdrew the condom and rolled it down his erection. “Time for the real games to begin,” he said, eyeing her body with lustful anticipation. She stretched and wriggled. “Bring it on, chéri. I promise to keep up.” “I bet you will, my dirty angel,” he replied. His eyes gleamed and she could almost believe there was something not-quite-human hiding behind them. He joined her back on the bed but instead of mounting her as she had suggested with her parted legs and provocative wriggle, he lay down beside her. “I want you to do the work for a while,” he said. “Climb on and let‟s go for a nice long ride.” Celine giggled. His sexy playfulness was wonderful. Rising up, she straddled him. She stared deeply into his beautiful eyes as she sank down over his cock. Inch by slow, delicious inch she took him inside. When he was fully buried she squeezed the muscles

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in her vagina and released, squeezed and released. His hands grabbed her hips. He closed his eyes and his head rolled from side to side. “Oh man, that feels good. Maybe the ride won‟t be long after all.” “Don‟t tease,” she said, knowing instinctively that Erin would be able to hold on to control until she was fully satisfied. “Look at me,” she ordered. He opened his eyes. Celine lifted her hands and began massaging her breasts. Pinching both nipples between her fingers, she moaned and tossed her head back. She knew he was watching the show with avid interest and it motivated her to even greater exhibitionist abandon. She began to move on top of him, lifting her body up off his slick, hard cock and dropping back down. His hands tightened on her waist, supporting her and driving the rhythm harder and faster until she was gasping for breath. The intense pleasure grew until it filled every last corner of her being. She let her breasts go and grabbed hold of his hands, clinging tightly to him as her climax grew, making sure he didn‟t let the rhythm falter. He arched himself off the bed to spear powerfully up into her and she let out another scream as her climax tore through her. “Beautiful,” he breathed. “You‟re the sexiest damn thing I‟ve ever seen.” Giving her less than a moment to rest, he shifted so she landed on the bed and then rolled her onto her stomach. He moved behind and, propping up her ass so it waved in the air, stabbed his rock-hard penis deep into her still-throbbing pussy. “My turn,” he grunted. “My balls are screaming after that little show of yours. I‟ll tear myself apart if I don‟t come soon.” “Do it,” she said. “Take me any way you want.” His shift from controlled lover to this almost angry passion was a surprise, but a pleasant one. She liked the fact that he was losing control, liked his need and the commanding power of his body as her took her from behind. His hands pulled her hips hard against him as he thrust in. She could feel his glorious cock filling her completely.

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“You like being fucked hard, my dirty angel?” he asked, his voice hoarse. “Yes. Oh hell yes.” Celine admitted her craving for exactly the sort of punishment he was doling out. Erin‟s rigid, sweating body plunged into her again and again. His deep grunts of pleasure and the repeated wet slapping as he slammed against her ass made her shudder in excitement. His rough desire was quickly bringing her to another sharp climax. His shout of release was even louder than her scream as his final thrust sent them both over the edge into unbridled ecstasy. Erin slumped and they both sank onto the bed. He lifted the damp hair off her back and gently kissed the nape of her neck. “Do I still rank up there with those immortal lovers?” he joked, planting kisses on her shoulder. She shifted out from under him and looked him full in the face as she answered, “Yes, chéri. Definitely.” He gave her a sleepy, contented smile so different from his earlier cockiness, and snuggled up even closer. “Then maybe I can be convinced to give a repeat performance,” he whispered. She closed her eyes and turned her face away from him. And so it begins, she thought sadly.

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Chapter Three Erin woke up to the smell of fresh coffee. Celine was waving a cup in front of his face. He grinned and reached for it. His other hand went over hers and he pulled it to his lips before letting her go. “Thanks, angel,” he said and sat up in bed. She was already dressed and only his uniform remained scattered on the floor. Celine sat on the edge of the bed facing him and offered a faint, trying-hard-to-befriendly smile. His belly clenched as he recognized the expression. That was the exact look he used in the morning when it was time to say a final goodbye. He put on his best grin and reached out to touch a curl. “No time for some morning exercise, huh?” “I have to get to work,” she replied and wouldn‟t meet his gaze. He remembered her non-response to the hint that he had slipped in last night. He‟d thought maybe she‟d fallen asleep but now he was sure she‟d heard him and deliberately ignored the suggestion of a second night together. So this was how it felt to be dumped the morning after. It didn‟t feel good. “I see,” he said, and it was an effort to keep his face neutral. “Guess I‟d better get dressed then.” She nodded and stood up. “You can take a shower if you want, and help yourself to anything in the kitchen. You don‟t even need to lock up when you leave. Damn, I‟d better go phone the super about the broken door.” With that she left the room. Erin leaned his head back on the wall and took another sip of coffee. They‟d both been clear from the start that it would be a one-time thing. He might have suggested they get together for a second night but he did that sometimes. He might even stick

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around for a week or two if the woman was particularly hot. It didn‟t mean anything. None of them meant anything. Then why did he feel like such shit this morning? He heard her put down the phone and open the door. Just like that she was gone, not even a goodbye. Erin cursed and got out of bed. His shift didn‟t start for hours and he could sleep a while yet but the sheets smelled like her. He pulled on his clothes, left the half-finished cup of coffee on the counter and walked out. He‟d shower at home and make sure there was none of her scent left on his skin. It was a reminder he didn‟t need or want. He walked into the precinct four hours later and was greeted by Marty‟s glare. “How was your night?” his partner growled. Erin forced a cheerful grin. “Fabulous.” “You did, didn‟t you?” “Of course. What the damsel in distress wants, the damsel gets.” Marty was not amused. “You asshole.” Erin shrugged. “Drop it, Marty, she‟s fine. And you owe me fifty bucks.” His partner snorted. “I never took that bet, I know you too well. You could turn an angel into a whore.” “This one didn‟t need turning,” Erin muttered under his breath, then said more loudly, “Oh and I found out the real reason someone broke into her apartment. Apparently she has a stalker who followed her all the way from Chicago.” “Huh. So what‟s his name?” Erin sat down onto his chair and hit his own forehead. “Damn. I forgot to ask.” Marty gave him a totally disgusted look and threw a black notebook at him. “Well, there‟s her number. You probably forgot to get that too.” “She‟s at work. You can call her later,” he snapped.

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“Too chicken to even call her about something as important as a dangerous stalker? That‟s totally unprofessional, you dipshit.” “I‟m sure you want to check up on her anyway, daddy,” Erin snarled. “Let‟s drop this stupid conversation and get to work on the rest of these cases, okay?” Marty looked surprised. “You‟re not usually in such a shitty mood after a fuck. What happened? Did you fail to perform?” “I never fail to perform. Not possible with my bloodline. I had too little sleep is all.” His partner‟s eyes narrowed. “I‟ve seen you come in here singing with no sleep. So what‟s the deal?” Erin shook his head. “I just don‟t feel well. What do you want to do first, the corner store robbery or the stolen vehicle from yuppie town?”

***** Celine worked in a state of silent fury. It was difficult to focus on stocking shelves and ordering books, even dealing with customers was a challenge. Usually she loved helping customers but today everything just annoyed her. It was all his fault. That charming, sexy, still-making-her-weak-at-the-knees-just-by-invading-her-thoughts Erin Thomas. She was thrumming with energy but so pissed off at herself she couldn‟t enjoy the aftereffects of great sex. She knew she shouldn‟t have done it, shouldn‟t have let him touch her and certainly not allowed him into her bed. She had known she‟d regret it. But somehow, she couldn‟t wish the night away either. It had been fabulous and he‟d remain a precious memory for the rest of her long, long life. It had just hurt so damn much pushing him out of her bed that morning. He‟d done a better job than most at covering it up, but she could tell he was angry and upset by her coldness. Mister I-don‟t-do-long-term had obviously never met any of her kind before and was just as susceptible to her curse as any other man. She‟d done him a favor really, by teaching him a lesson about the emotional perils of one-night stands.

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Then again, she‟d been at it for more than ninety years and still hadn‟t learned, still hadn‟t managed to stop playing the game. She‟d been doing fine with dream lovers for three months but the first real temptation to come her way and she fell off the wagon. Damn him. Worse yet, she wanted him back with an ache worse than any she‟d ever felt. Double damn him. “Miss, do you have that book about zombies?” Celine pulled her mind away from useless thoughts. “Can you tell me anything more about it? There are a lot of books about zombies out right now. It‟s such a popular topic.” And a stupid one, she thought uncharitably. There were no zombies. The fae included vamps, weres, witches and a variety of demons like herself. There was also a host of gods and demigods but they generally acted like they were better than everyone else and didn‟t associate with the fae. Which reminded her that she had to call someone on the Council and ask for help in dealing with Josh. It was another unpleasant task she would have greatly preferred to avoid. When she finally locked up at nine that night, Celine had managed to put the worst of her bad mood behind her. It was simply too exhausting to stay angry at herself and besides, she was meeting her best friend for a late dinner. Her stride lengthened. She had just enough time to run home and get dolled up. Thinking about what to wear was far more entertaining than beating herself up over a man. The red dress, definitely. It was strapless and clingy, showing off her curves in the best possible way. She was still riding the energy boost from last night and Alicia was always interested in dancing until the clubs closed. Being a vamp, she had no problems staying up all night. Celine dialed for a cab before she even reached her door. They always took at least fifteen minutes to arrive and her preparations didn‟t require much longer. Within five minutes she was smoothing down her dress and stepping into four-inch black heels. Another five minutes to brush out her hair and apply lipstick, mascara and a touch of eye shadow and she was done. Celine winked at herself in the mirror, grabbed her

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small black purse and a black silk shawl and was ready to go. The cab honked at just that moment. Perfect timing once again. She‟d made reservations at Cloud Nine. The restaurant was on the top floor of one of the highest hotel towers in town. It had spectacular views and even rotated so no matter where you were seated you could take in everything from Mount Baker to English Bay and Stanley Park. There were livelier cities in the world—her own hometown of Montreal could dance rings around laid-back Vancouver—but for sheer physical beauty it was hard to beat. Celine noticed the slender, black-haired woman sitting at the bar. “Alicia,” she whispered and instantly the woman turned to face her with a huge smile warming her classical features. Alicia was across the room and hugging her within seconds. “Baby girl, it‟s so good to see you!” No one else got away with calling her “baby girl” but the endearment was an old joke between them. They had met when Celine was still in her mother‟s arms and Alicia had just been turned. Celine claimed they had actually been “born” at the same time. Alicia, of course, insisted she was far more mature. Personally, she figured twenty years‟ difference in age didn‟t matter much once you got to the century mark. “You look like an Egyptian goddess, stunning as always,” Celine said and kissed her friend‟s cool cheek. Alicia pulled away and scanned her face, then grinned. “And who‟s been a naughty girl? Decided to rethink the abstinence thing, I see.” Celine groaned. Of course her friend would notice the post-sex energy glow. “Come on. I need a drink first then I‟ll tell you all about it.” “I‟ve already ordered a bottle of very expensive red wine,” Alicia said, pulling her toward the bar. “And our table should be ready soon.”

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A few minutes later Celine was settled in a comfy chair with a glass of rich, velvety wine in her hand and a pair of eager black eyes staring at her. “Okay, first the bad part. Josh found me and came after me last night.” Alicia‟s eyes shifted to hold a concerned look and Celine hurried her story along. “I‟m fine but I called the cops. One of the police officers, Erin, is to-die-for bad-boy gorgeous.” “Just the way you like them!” exclaimed Alicia. “I can understand why you‟re lit up like a Christmas tree.” Celine took another swallow of the excellent wine and sighed. “Yeah, exactly the way I like them. And unbelievably good in bed. I really, really hate giving this one up.” “You are like the worst succubus, you know that, don‟t you?” Alicia teased but there was real sadness underlying her tone. “Fuck ‟em and move on. That‟s the motto for your kind. Get it tattooed on your arm or something.” Alicia paused, then gave a small smirk. “Besides, he couldn‟t be better than Randall. Come on, four thousand years‟ experience and vamp powers, who can beat that?” Celine chuckled. About a decade ago, at a particularly wild Samhain party, she and Alicia had made a pact to together seduce one of the most beautiful and powerful vampires. She still wasn‟t sure if his initial reluctance had been real or part of his own private game because when he did capitulate it was with a vengeance. She‟d never had another night like it. It had been an education even for a hundred-year-old succubus. Part of the night‟s power, though, had been the combination of the three of them. Women ran a distant second to men in her usual sexual interest but Alicia was special. They had never repeated their one erotic encounter and she wasn‟t sure if her friend was interested in another round but someday she would find out. Life was long. “No mere mortal, that‟s for sure,” Celine admitted. “But Erin is surprisingly close. I wonder if there‟s some witch blood in him. His hands and mouth are magic.” She gave Alicia a teasing smile. “And there‟s something to be said for a warm body.” Alicia laughed and waved an elegant hand. “Yes, body heat and pounding blood can be intensely appealing. Perhaps I should give him a try. Magic hands, hmmm?”

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Celine was surprised by the spurt of jealousy she felt. It was crazy because he could never be hers. Why not pass him on to a friend? She forced a smile. “Erin Thomas. Look him up.” Alicia must have noticed the hesitation because she gave her an understanding look. “Maybe in a few years. Let him…mature a little first.” It reminded Celine of why Alicia was still her closest friend. Not many vampires remained sensitive to subtle emotional cues as they got older. Succubi and incubi did because it was part of their nature to tune in to human emotion. Unfortunately, her own kind didn‟t do well in the same room together—the sexual energy flows tended to compete and the situation quickly moved from uncomfortable to explosive, and not in a good way. Which meant her long-term friends had to come from the other fae. However, over time most vamps became, not so much less emotional but narrower, still capable of intense emotion but only in select bands of feeling. Love, hate, anger, even greed and lust remained. But concern, delight—the smaller, softer feelings—got lost. Alicia had retained that aspect of humanity, at least with her. The conversation shifted to other topics and they finished the wine along with their shared tapas. Celine was feeling a heady mix of satisfaction and anticipation. “Where to now?” she asked. “A fae place or slumming it with the mortals?” Alicia grinned. “I think you‟ve had enough to do with mortals for a while. Let‟s hit the real nightlife. I want to show you off to the local vamps. We‟ve never been in Vancouver together before.” Celine nodded in agreement and picked up her purse to follow Alicia out of the restaurant. She had anticipated that her friend might take her to a vamp hangout. As she was living here now, it was a good idea for her to be introduced to the local vampires. It helped to avoid future misunderstandings. Succubi looked and smelled human to any vampire who didn‟t bother tuning in to their distinct energy signals, and it was considered rude to bite another fae without express permission.

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The unadorned black door was hard to see in the dark alley but Celine could feel the presence of at least fifty vamps on the other side. Alicia didn‟t bother to knock but pulled open the door, waved at the big dude hanging out in the entranceway and headed up the steep stairs toward the thumping music. Celine trailed behind her with only a faint stirring of trepidation. She got along very well with vamps individually and even in mixed groups, but that many concentrated in one place still made her heart beat faster. They were predators after all, even though they rarely killed their prey these days. Alicia waited for her at the top of the stairs and slipped an arm around her waist. Within seconds they were surrounded by smiling, curious faces—most of them young and beautiful. Her friend was obviously well-known, as formal greeting kisses slid over her cheek one by one. She introduced Celine to each new person and said something about her that Celine, with her normal hearing, couldn‟t catch over the sound of the music. It didn‟t much matter. Being here with Alicia put a clear stamp of “special friend” on her forehead. She began to relax and looked around with interest. The decor and attire were mostly black, the lighting was dim and no one was standing alone. Vamps were funny that way. They spent a lot of time by themselves but when they did socialize they always seemed to be clinging to at least one other body. There were several large u-shaped sofas with clusters of two, three and sometimes more people sitting on, or draped around, each other. The dance floor was so packed that everyone seemed to be rubbing up against the dancers around them. It wasn‟t necessarily a sexual thing, although it could be damn sexy. Celine thought it had to do with vampires‟ lack of body heat and them wanting to generate something akin to it. “Sit or dance?” Alicia asked in her ear. “Oh dance, definitely.” She could use some sexy vampire body rubbing right about now. They pushed their way onto the dance floor and soon were in the middle of the pack. Alicia was inches away and her arm was still around Celine‟s waist.

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“Did I happen to mention that dress is insanely sexy and the perfect choice?” her friend said into her ear. “You shine like a Samhain bonfire in this place. They‟re not going to forget you after tonight. How many vampire lovers were you planning to take?” Celine laughed with delight. Taking a vampire or two into her bed sounded like a good idea. Best of all, even though vamps and weres were not immune to her powers, they had a much greater tolerance. It took three to the power of three encounters for their obsession to become fixed. Which meant she could sleep with the same person more than twenty times before it became dangerous. It was almost like having a relationship. She leaned forward and kissed Alicia on the mouth, a full, sensual contact. “Thank you. I needed this,” she whispered against her friend‟s lips. “And you‟re always at the top of the invitation list.” Alicia‟s right eyebrow lifted in a silent question. “I thought you didn‟t do women unless it was part of a threesome and on a drunken dare.” Celine shrugged. “Not usually, but I‟d make an exception for you.” Just then a male body pressed up against her back. A strong arm reached around her waist, squashing Alicia‟s arm firmly between her ass and his groin. A pale, handsome face peered over her shoulder. “Oh please, let‟s make it a threesome,” he suggested, grinning. The music died down between songs and a second man chimed in, “You might have to start a waiting list. The two of you, naked together? There are rumors that even the great Randall was swept off his feet.” Celine and Alicia shared a surprised look and burst into laughter. The volume ramped up again and more bodies pressed in. Alicia let her go with good grace as they were pulled apart by other dance partners. A couple long dance songs later, a young man with messy blond hair and laughing blue eyes slipped in front of her. He smiled and took firm hold of her hips. Dressed as 34

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he was in ragged jeans and a black t-shirt, she would have taken him for a California surfer boy, except for the cool, pale skin. The others on the floor eased away to give them room and Celine wondered at the status of her new partner. Using the magically opened space, he led her into classic dirty dancing moves. Strong, slender arms directed her in synchronized slides and fast turns. Hips and thighs touched, melded for a moment, then broke apart. She grinned with pleasure, answering the laughter in his eyes. This was the most fun she‟d had on a dance floor in years. The music changed to a slower beat and the sexy blond pulled her in more tightly against his slender frame. There was now a sizzling intensity in his gaze and he moved with controlled, seductive grace. With each step they took together Celine could feel her already stirred-up emotions being skillfully coaxed up the heat ladder toward arousal. This pretty boy clearly knew how to bring a woman under his spell. That, and the unspoken deference shown by the other vamps, told her he was far older than he looked. When he molded their bodies together even more snugly and bent his head for a kiss the smoldering arousal he‟d teased into existence burst into flame. Fire and ice mingled, causing a shiver to run down her spine. Suddenly she knew without a doubt who he was. There were stories about this man‟s conquests going all the way back to ancient Greece. “Andreas,” he whispered in her ear. “Put me on the top of that list, or any other list you might be generating.” He flashed her a knowing smile and walked away. Celine took an automatic step to follow his slender back through the crowd. She wanted to ask exactly which list he would prefer. Then another dancer stepped in front of her, a black man in an elegant suit. He put his arm around her waist and his white grin was both hopeful and unapologetic. She shrugged and fell into the new rhythm. Tempting though Andreas might be, she wasn‟t ready to take up his invitation just yet. Her heart ached too much every time she thought about a certain gorgeous, dark-haired

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young man. She didn‟t really know Erin after only one night, and she certainly didn‟t owe him anything, but somehow he had laid a claim on her that would take time to dissolve. Before letting her go, this dance partner also had a suggestion to whisper in her ear. After him there were many more, women as well as men, touching her, asking her to dance and offering her drinks. Celine melted into one set of eager arms after another. She realized that she had been afraid for a long time, afraid of what she was and what inevitably happened to any lover she tried to hold on to. If only she could let loose like this all the time, she thought, slip from partner to partner in bed as easily as on this dance floor. The vampires were offering her that freedom. They were both more protected and more aware of the risks, as well as the rewards, of being with a succubus. Celine admitted to herself that she needed real lovers. Flesh-and-blood but resistant lovers. The pain and hunger that returned whenever she thought about Erin made it obvious that she couldn‟t risk being with a human again. Her heart was craving more connection than a one-night stand could offer. Therefore, she would seduce the fae and stretch her curse out over at least a couple of months, indulging her longing for something like a real relationship. Beginning with beautiful, blond Andreas, she‟d take a long, slow tour through the rest—vamps and weres, even witches. Most witches avoided involvement with her kind, they saw the end results of an affair with a succubus too often, but Celine knew she could overcome any such reluctance. There a couple witches that she wouldn‟t mind messing around with, in oh so many different ways. Over the years, of course, even that would become unsustainable. The fae population was relatively small and her curse would catch up to her eventually. Maybe she‟d learn to not care so much by then. She was snuggling on the sofa with a couple of new friends, one male and one female, when Alicia joined them. Celine reached out a welcoming hand. Her friend took it but frowned slightly.

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“Sorry, but I have a headache starting,” Alicia said. It was their code phrase for “time to go”. Celine nodded. The rules of that code were absolute and neither woman would ever try to prolong a stay once it was uttered. She suddenly realized that it was very late and she was tired. Alicia was right, it was time for them to leave. Staying would mean a full day locked up in one of the protected sleeping rooms attached to the club and Celine wasn‟t interested in getting quite that familiar with the local vamps, at least not tonight. She kissed cool cheeks and whispered promises to her new friends, wriggling away from hands that only reluctantly let her go as she stood up. When she and Alicia tumbled out into the cool night, she took in a big lungful of fresh air. Between the alcohol and sexual energy high she was decidedly muddleheaded. She muttered, “Whew, your vamp friends know how to show a girl a good time.” Alicia chuckled. “I‟ve rarely seen them quite so…stimulated. You add a shot of high-powered heat to every party but tonight you were burning up the room.” “Not all my doing. Andreas kissed me and that‟s enough to light anyone‟s fire. Besides, do you know how long the waitlist is to get into bed with the pair of us?” Alicia grinned and took her arm as they walked down the street. “I never said a word about that night, did you?” “Hell no,” Celine swore. “Mister My-privacy-is-sacrosanct? I wouldn‟t dare.” Alicia was silent for a moment and then chuckled. “I guess even the great and private Randall needs his share of locker room stories. We got bragged about, baby girl.” Celine straightened her back and put up her dainty chin. “As one of the few demons to make a mark in vampire history, I‟m proud to represent my people.” Alicia dropped her arm and bent over, laughing so hard she had to struggle to draw in a breath. She was wiping away tears when she finally stopped laughing and

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straightened. Celine was pleased that her little joke had made Alicia laugh but the reaction seemed a bit extreme. “The last demon to make a mark on vampire history,” Alicia explained in response to her puzzled expression, “was Kresnick. He called himself Van Helsing at the time.” “Van Helsing was a demon?” Celine asked. “You didn‟t really think a human could take down an insane vampire, do you?” “I never thought much about vampire stories,” Celine admitted. “Just figured they were a pack of lies.” Alicia shook her head. “Unfortunately, a lot of them have some basis in fact. Vlad Drakyula was real, and really nasty. The history books say he was killed during battle but in reality he used the chaos to slip away and go into hiding. Vlad continued killing humans but more quietly, until Kresnick finally caught him, centuries later.” Alicia took her hand and they continued walking. “Kresnick was a very persistent vengeance demon. The Slavs actually worshipped him as a god. No surprise, the guy was gorgeous. All golden skin, blond hair and magnetic blue eyes.” Alicia turned to stare at her with an expression fixed somewhere between concern and amusement. “A lot like you in that way. Please, promise me you won‟t go taking on rogue vampires?” “Not a chance,” Celine swore. “I‟ll make my fame by seducing vampires, not killing them. And I only want civilized vampires in my bed.” Alicia smirked and put her arm around Celine‟s waist. “Well, I hear Andreas isn‟t exactly civilized,” she drawled. “Legend has it he learned how to pleasure both women and men in the brothels of Babylon before he was turned.” “Vampire gossip, yummy!” Celine exclaimed in delight. “Tell me more.” “You obviously noticed that he is very a beautiful young man. The story is that slavers pulled him off a Greek fishing boat when he was only fourteen. Seeing that lovely face they, of course, sold him to a brothel—the wealthiest whorehouse in all of antiquity to be exact.”

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“That‟s awful! Poor Andreas!” “Don‟t go feeling too sorry for him yet,” Alicia said in a dry tone. “Apparently the sex trade suited him far better than fishing. He became their star attraction, luring princes as well as queens to his silken sheets. It‟s said a vampire lover turned him when he was nineteen because he could not stand to see such beauty fade. But Andreas was furious and killed his vamp father. It took Andreas a long time to accept his second life. Centuries of anguish and rage. You can feel sorry him now.” Celine frowned, remembering the joy in Andreas‟ eyes. “But he got over it, right? I mean, he seems to be enjoying the night life now.” Alicia shrugged. “We all either accept it or die. Personally, I like living as a vamp much more than dying of lymphoma. I‟m sorry my family couldn‟t know I was turned but otherwise it was an easy choice.” Celine was silent. Alicia didn‟t talk about her past much. Her friend continued, “Maybe if I‟d had the chance to live a normal human life and someone took that away without asking, maybe then I‟d be angry about it. We can‟t know what Andreas may have given up in order to become a vampire. I don‟t think religious beliefs were as ugly back then but he still might have feared for his soul or—” Alicia raised a hand and rubbed her cheek. “Damn, my skin is getting itchy.” “The sun‟s coming up. You have to go!” Celine stepped away from her friend. “You‟ll be all right?” Alicia asked. “This is a pretty safe city.” “Of course. I‟ll catch a cab as soon as I get to the main street, just a couple of blocks.” With a quick hug and a swing of black hair Alicia was gone, leaving only the lingering scent of her exotic perfume behind. Celine sighed and continued walking at her more mundane pace. Without Alicia‟s company for distraction, her aching feet complained about the high-heeled shoes with

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every step. Hopefully she could flag down a cab quickly. Like an idiot, she‟d forgotten her cell phone on the charger again. She was crossing a narrow, dark lane when a shape flew out and grabbed her throat, dragging her backward into the alley. Her expensive heels scraped on the pavement as she struggled to stay upright and lessen the tension around her neck. Fear threatened to swallow her. The madness pouring off Josh was palpable and choked her as much as the hands around her throat.

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Chapter Four “You bitch. You fucking tease.” His voice was thick with anger. “I‟ve got you now and no way you‟re going to deny me.” He threw her against the wall. Hands gripped the top of her dress and yanked. She struggled and a fist hammered into her stomach. Celine doubled over with no breath to even scream. He pulled her straight and forced a kiss on her. A hand clamped painfully over her left breast. She kicked and hit something. Her attacker grunted in pain then a hard boot smashed into her shin. The scream seemed to be ripped right out of her injured throat. His other hand was reaching up her skirt, pawing at her underwear. Suddenly his weight was gone. A body hit the opposite wall of the alley with a dull thud. Celine breathed in Alicia‟s perfume. “What… You should be at home!” Celine croaked in protest. “I heard you scream. Did you really think I‟d leave you at the mercy of this filth?” Alicia kicked the still-struggling man. Celine sobbed with pain and relief. She tried to tug her dress back up but it must have torn in the back and wouldn‟t stay in place. “Don‟t kill him,” she begged. “He deserves to die.” Alicia spat then turned angry, worried eyes on her. “I know, you think this is all your fault. Your curse drove him mad. But he was going to rape you. Nothing excuses that, even obsessed lunatics have a choice not to be complete bastards.” Celine shook her head. “Killing him could get you into trouble. Let him go, please.”

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Alicia looked down at the man who lay moaning at her feet. She picked him up and pinned his writhing body against the wall. Celine heard some dark mutterings then he was shoved toward the street. Josh took off in a shambling run. Then Alicia was stroking her face. “Oh baby girl, you‟re hurt. Let me kiss you and make things better.” Gentle arms wrapped around her and Alicia‟s lips found hers. The kiss was soft but deep, filled with both love and passion. Their tongues touched, at first tentatively then more confidently as they both remembered that night ten years ago when the magic of Eros had filled them and the power of Randall‟s wishes had made them lovers. Celine sighed softly as the intense pain began to fade. Alicia‟s kiss was providing the power needed for the hemorrhaging inside to stop and the bone in her leg to begin to knit. Alicia lifted her head far too soon. “I hear sirens. Someone must have called the police. Too many nosey do-gooders in this city.” She stroked Celine‟s cheek. “You‟ll be okay now, won‟t you?” “I‟ll be fine. It‟s you who has to hurry and get somewhere safe,” Celine muttered and pushed Alicia away. She‟d almost forgotten about the danger the rising sun posed. Her friend smiled, brilliant white teeth nearly glowing in the dark, then she disappeared. Celine heard the sirens pull up close and then shut off. She limped out of the alley and into the bright beam of a car‟s headlights. Blinking , she held up her arm to block the light. “Shit! Celine?” said a familiar voice. Then a hand touched her shoulder and sent a jolt of electricity through her body. Celine stepped into his embrace and dropped her head on Erin‟s chest. It didn‟t make any sense but his arms around her made her feel safe. “Miss Benoit? What happened?” Marty‟s voice came from behind her. “Was it your stalker?” Erin asked in a soft, concerned voice.

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She nodded. “He grabbed me and dragged me into that alley. He ran when he heard the sirens.” “Did he hurt you?” Erin asked. “Should we call an ambulance?” “No. It never got that far. I‟m fine, just a little shook up.” It was a lie. Her leg still hurt like hell and she was sure there were internal injuries that hadn‟t been fixed by Alicia‟s kiss. She thought about Erin‟s hard body pressed against her. He could heal her but she shouldn‟t use him that way again. Twice was getting too close to the point of madness for him. “We need to take you down to the police station and get a statement,” the tall officer explained. “You got lucky, Miss Benoit. We‟ve been trying to reach you to get more information so we could put out an arrest warrant on your stalker.” “I‟m sorry,” she said contritely. “I forgot my cell at home this morning and I was out with a friend all night. We left the club a few minutes ago and she caught a cab but I decided to walk a few blocks first. To clear my head, you know.” She let herself look a bit embarrassed. “I wasn‟t thinking straight.” “There‟s a club around here that stays open until five a.m.?” Marty sounded more than a little surprised. “A private club,” Celine hurriedly explained. “Very exclusive. My friend got me in.” “We don‟t need to talk in the street,” Erin said and nudged her toward the police car. “Come on. Let‟s get the formalities over with and then I‟ll take you home.” She stiffened a little at his suggestion but allowed herself to be led to the car. Erin slipped into the back with her. She was sure he wasn‟t supposed to do that from the glare that his partner threw him before slamming the door. Erin bent his head and stole a quick kiss before Marty managed to go around and get in the driver‟s seat. She couldn‟t help herself, she clung to Erin like a drowning sailor holding on to a lifesaver.

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Damn him. He was already under her skin and she was terribly vulnerable, grasping for every drop of energy he gave her. She didn‟t think she‟d be able to resist if he tried anything. Two times was still safe, she told herself. She needed him so much right now.

***** Erin couldn‟t believe it. Celine was in his arms again and obviously not feeling in the least bit cold toward him. He held her more tightly and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. She fit perfectly under his chin. He wasn‟t glad about the circumstances—that bastard was going to have a late-night accident sometime soon—but his heart was soaring at the results. He‟d have a second night with his dirty angel after all. They pulled into the station parking lot and Erin let Marty help Celine out. She seemed to wince with the movement and she was definitely limping. Whatever that stalker had done to her, it wasn‟t nothing. Just looking at the tear on the back of her sexy red dress made his blood boil. The bastard had been trying to rape her. When they got into the precinct he took Celine‟s arm. “I‟ll do the interview in room three,” he said and matched stares with Marty. His partner growled faintly but backed off. Before he followed Celine into the room Erin pushed the red button to the right of the door. Then he locked the door and pulled down the shade. He didn‟t say a word, just took his angel into his arms and held on. He didn‟t need to interrogate her, all he needed was to feel her body pressed against him again. She resisted for a moment and then melted, molding herself to him, her small hands clinging to his waist. Their heads moved in perfect unison, both seeking more contact. The kiss seemed to last forever, sweet and hot, filling him with not just lust but a whole host of emotions he didn‟t, at that moment, care to untangle. He tightened his arms and felt her wince. Releasing his hold, he tried to step back but she clung to him.

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“You‟re hurt, Celine. Maybe I should take you to a hospital.” “Only a bruise,” she said. “I don‟t need a hospital. Just kiss me again. Please?” Her green eyes were smoky with desire. And pain. He could see that too. But the palm pressed against his cheek was pouring heat into his body and there was no way he could deny her request. He bent his head and touched her lips with his. He tried to keep it gentle. She was the one who moved to press in closer, then forced open his mouth so her tongue could dance with his. When she unbuttoned his shirt and placed her hands on his bare chest, his body responded with a surge of desire so powerful it blew away all thoughts of restraint. Erin reached around and cupped her ass in his hands, lifting her up and onto the table. Her shapely legs wrapped around him and he fit himself tight to her body. The short dress rode up her thighs and his hands followed. His fingers ran over the smooth flesh, around and under her legs to dig into her buttocks. She moved her head away from him and tossed back her hair. The torn dress fell down in the front, exposing two perfect breasts and their rosy nipples. He could see no bruising. “Oh sweet angel, I gotta taste those again,” he murmured and moved to take a nipple in his mouth. He rolled it around with his tongue and it tightened into a hard nub. She moaned, pressing herself even harder against the bulge in his crotch. “We have to get you out of those pants, chéri,” she said. “No problem,” he replied. “I give you permission to do whatever you want to my pants and anything you find inside them.” She let out that throaty chuckle that sank right down into his balls. She was already busy loosening his belt. When his fly was undone his penis practically leaped into her hand. She gave it a squeeze then pushed down his underwear to completely free his equipment. Both her hands wrapped around his shaft and her thumb started to rub the tip of his cock. His body trembled from head to toe. “My, you are excited to see me,” she said.

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“Hard as a rock and willing to serve, ma‟am,” he teased. His cock was not only ready and willing but pulsing with eagerness to taste her sweet pussy again. He remembered the way she had used her body to milk his shaft and had to bite down on his tongue to stop himself from coming in her hands. He reached down between her thighs and ripped first one side of her flimsy panties and then the other. He ignored her sounds of protest and shoved two fingers up into her wet, juicy pussy. She gasped and he repeated the procedure. His thumb rubbed the lip of her vagina while two fingers thrust in and out. One of her hands was grabbing his shoulder but the other remained wrapped around his shaft, moving up and down in concert with his fingers. Then he changed it around and began to swirl his fingers while the palm of his hand ground against her pussy. Her grip on his cock tightened then fell away as if she knew she could hurt him. Within seconds she was whimpering. Her body tensed and he felt her vagina contract as she came on his hand. Pre-cum was squirting out of his cock at his intense arousal from watching her climax. He couldn‟t wait anymore. Erin pushed her back and she obediently lay down on the table. He spread her legs wide to better fit his hips and pushed himself inside her soaking pussy. She tightened around him and he held himself still, enjoying the amazing sensation of her muscles gripping and loosening around his shaft. “Do you have any idea how insanely good that feels?” he managed to croak through a throat gone tight with passion. She laughed and writhed on the table, her heels digging into his back to push him in even deeper. He started a small circular in-and-out motion and was rewarded by seeing her take her breasts into her hands again. That was the other amazing erotic memory from last night, the way she had played with herself as she rode him. Watching her stroke and rub her own luscious breasts made his cock swell to almost unendurable proportions. Seeing her like this, stretched out on the interrogation room table, her dress up around her hips, breasts bared to her uninhibited massage,

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was a whole new level of hot. He glanced down and watched his cock sliding in and out of her sweet pussy then moved his gaze back up to her sexy display. It was the pinnacle of erotic perfection. Still being mostly dressed in his uniform only made it more exciting. His body started to shake, fighting the control he was keeping on it. He didn‟t want to come and end this glorious moment but Erin knew he was about to lose the battle. He groaned. “I can‟t hold on any longer, angel.” She looked directly into his eyes and smiled the sexiest smile he had yet seen on her lovely face. “So fuck me, fuck me hard. I‟ll come with you. I promise.” At her words he pulled all the way out and then plunged in as deep as he could. He did it again and again. His angel was panting and moaning, urging him on. He could feel the explosion beginning in his balls. “I‟m coming,” he ground out. “Yes! Oh fuck, yes,” she cried and with his next thrust her back arched off the table. The sudden tight spasm that moved all the way down his shaft from deep inside her vagina sent him completely over the edge. His world contracted to that one point of intense ecstasy. He wanted to roar but managed to stifle it into a harsh grunt. The power of his orgasm rolled through him and blacked out everything except the image of Celine giving herself to him. Still shaking, he helped her sit up and wrapped his arms around her. She laid her head on his shoulder and he could feel her panting against his neck. “That was amazing,” he said softly. “You are amazing, chéri,” she replied. Eventually his limp, satiated cock slipped out of her pussy. He reached down to pull up his pants. She tugged the hem of her dress back down and folded up the top to cover herself. He started re-buttoning his shirt, knowing he was stalling. There was a question that had been eating at him all day and he had to ask it.

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“Why did you leave without even saying goodbye this morning?” He tried to sound calm but was sure an edge of hurt had crept into his voice. She looked up at him and there was such a mix of emotions on her face he knew he‟d never decipher it. “Just one night, we agreed. You don‟t do long term, remember?” Her voice was flat, not mocking or bitter. She slid off the table and sat down on the chair beside it. Her hands were clasped primly in her lap. She wasn‟t limping anymore, he noticed. “Yeah, I know but I did offer—” She cut him off. “What‟s the point?” she snapped. “One night or two, it‟s all we‟d ever have.” He got down on his knees in front of her and took her hands. “Well, maybe not. Who knows, right?” He shot her his best cocky grin. Erin couldn‟t believe what he was saying but something was nudging him on. “Maybe with a girl like you, I could—” She put her hand over his mouth. “No. It‟s not you. It‟s me. I‟m bad news. Believe me.” He didn‟t believe her. How could anyone as wonderful as Celine be bad news? He kissed her palm, twirling his tongue against the sensitive skin. She pulled her hand away, shaking, and wrapped both arms around herself. He‟d never seen such a picture of vulnerability. It tore at his heart. “Look, I‟m going to be brutally honest with you,” she said, gazing at him with those bewitching green eyes. “I could really fall for you. I had to walk away this morning or I would have ended up back in bed with you. This should never have happened and I have to leave here alone tonight. Or we‟ll both get hurt, maybe beyond healing.” Erin knelt on the floor in silence and let her words sink in and pierce his soul. She was right about one thing. Losing her would hurt more than anything he‟d experienced in his two hundred and eighty years of life. For the first time ever, he wanted, no, needed to be with one particular woman.

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“I love you,” he blurted out. She shook her head. “No, you don‟t. Trust me, that isn‟t love you‟re feeling.” Offended, he stood up and turned away from her. “You have no idea what that meant to me. I have never, ever said „I love you‟ to a woman before.” “And doesn‟t that tell you something?” she asked. “A player like you, two encounters with me and you‟re swearing your love? Come on. Can‟t happen.” He spun around to face her. “Why the hell not? You‟re the most beautiful, sexy, sweet, honest woman on the face of the earth.” She closed her eyes as if in pain. “No, I‟m not. Let it go, Erin. Let me go. Because this won‟t happen again. Ever.” He rocked back onto his heels, feeling like he‟d been slapped. He watched in stunned silence as she stood up, straightened her torn dress and walked toward the door. She turned at the last minute and his hopes rose. “Oh his name is Josh Roberts. He was not a boyfriend really, we just…dated a few times. One time too many. I turned a nice, decent young man into a crazy stalker. I really am bad news.” She looked incredibly sad but determined. “Please don‟t ever come near me again.”

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Chapter Five Erin straightened and smoothed down his uniform and wished he could smooth out his churning emotions as easily. Somehow he had to get through the rest of his shift. Anger surged, stifling the other, stranger feelings. He wasn‟t sure if he was angry at Celine or himself or the situation but at least it was an emotion he could deal with and he welcomed its familiar burn. Marty started to ask him something when he walked out of the interrogation room but one look shut him up. There must have been more than the usual amount of force behind his “just drop it” glare because that was the first time it actually worked on his partner. Another first. It was a night of firsts. Erin really wanted to hit something. Instead he threw himself into paperwork. The hours crawled by until finally it was morning and he could go home. At least he had four days off now. Maybe he‟d feel like a normal half-human again by Thursday. “Good night,” Marty said with careful casualness. Erin grunted and muttered something before stalking out the door. He got to his condo—twenty stories up in a gleaming glass skyscraper—ate a large bowl of cereal and headed to the bedroom, all with carefully controlled, mechanical movements. Dropping onto the mattress should have been a relief. Instead he stared up at the ceiling and felt the pain he had been pushing away all day swell up. She was gone. His angel didn‟t ever want to see him again. He didn‟t think he could bear it. He felt wetness slide down from the corners of his eyes and brushed it away angrily. He did not cry. He was a demigod, damn it, and he didn‟t cry. He was the son of Eros, the god of sex and eroticism, and women never turned him down. Never. Not ever. And the son of Eros could not fall in love. It just didn‟t happen.

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He wasn‟t wired that way. Celine was right. This wasn‟t love. It had to be something else. Maybe he was sick, some kind of hormonal imbalance making him act crazy. He started to laugh harshly. Wasn‟t that what love was? A hormonal imbalance that made people act crazy? Hours later Erin dragged himself out of bed and into his living room. He was dead tired but there was no way he was going to get any sleep, not without some help. A large, nearly full bottle of scotch had been sitting in his liquor cabinet since last Christmas. He dropped onto the black leather sofa and tipped the bottle into his mouth. He didn‟t drink much these days. More than a century of hanging out with Bacchus‟ sons ensured the novelty of drunken debauchery had worn off. Today, however, he couldn‟t see any alternative to getting rip-roaringly drunk. Celine was an impossibility. Women could not resist him. That wasn‟t self-flattery. He knew it was true and had proved it over and over again. She couldn‟t have walked out on him. And yet she had. He took another long pull from the bottle. She wanted him. No doubt about that. She had even admitted that she was afraid she‟d fall in love with him. So there was desire and emotion on her side. It should have been a slam dunk. He‟d even said he loved her for fuck‟s sake. How the hell could she have walked away after that? Erin took another drink. It was unthinkable. He‟d offered himself to a woman and she‟d walked out the door. The laws of his universe did not allow for that situation. The only way she could have left him was if he didn‟t want her. But he did. Oh man did he ever. That sweet, sexy body, that wicked smile, her laugh, her earthy honesty, her sense of humor, her vulnerability—he wanted it all, right here, right now and he never wanted to let her go. He held up the bottle to peer inside. It was nearly empty and he was no closer to finding either solace or enlightenment. Erin lifted the bottle to his mouth again and gulped down the rest. How could he, of all people, be hurt this badly by a woman?

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***** Celine was finishing up the last of the chocolate chip ice cream and trying to pay attention to the medical drama on the television when the phone rang. She almost didn‟t pick it up but then remembered that Alicia had said she‟d call in the evening. If she didn‟t pick up her friend would worry. Her voice cracked on hello. “What‟s wrong?” Alicia immediately asked. “Are you still hurt?” “My body is healed. The rest of me is a mess.” “Why? What happened?” Alicia‟s concern broke her already weak self-control and Celine started to cry again. She had done so much of that already it was a wonder she had any moisture left in her. She‟d called in sick that morning and spent the whole day on the sofa with bad TV shows and a box of tissues. “I‟ll be right over,” her friend said and hung up. Ten minutes later someone knocked at her door. The supervisor had gotten the lock replaced. She‟d have to remember to give Alicia a new key. Celine dragged herself off the sofa. Her friend took in the red, swollen eyes and tearstained face. “Oh baby girl, you‟re a wreck. Who did this to you?” “Erin,” she sniffed. “No, that‟s a lie. I did it to myself. We had sex again last night, that‟s twice. Now I can‟t ever see him again.” She broke down and started wailing. The pain was terrible. She didn‟t know it could hurt so much after only being with him such a short time. Alicia hustled her over to the sofa and held her until she cried herself out. Celine finally blew her nose and wiped away the tear tracks on her cheeks. She looked into the concerned dark eyes of her beautiful friend and tried to smile. “Sorry,” she said. “That was awful. I‟ll try not to do it again.”

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“Nonsense,” Alicia replied. “Crying seems to be called for in this situation. You really like this guy, huh?” Celine nodded. “He is so damned wonderful, in bed and out of it. He‟s as sharp as a knife, both hard and soft, gentle and tough, funny and…did I mention gorgeous?” “Yeah, some time ago.” “He said he loved me. He said he‟s never told any other woman that.” Celine sniffed and could feel her eyes tear up again. Alicia sighed and stoked her hair. “Of course he loves you. You‟re very lovable.” “No I‟m not,” she wailed. “I‟m awful. Terrible. Horrible.” Her friend looked shocked. “You most certainly are not. You just have a harsh gift.” She leaned in and took both Celine‟s hands between her own. “He will get over this. And so will you.” She nodded but couldn‟t bring herself to believe it. Not yet anyway. “Did you sleep at all last night?” Alicia asked. “Not much.” “Then let‟s get you into bed. I‟ll give you a sleep suggestion and you should drop off like a rock.” Alicia took her hand and led her into the bedroom. “Will you stay?” Celine asked hesitantly. “Of course. I‟ll be right here next to you,” her friend promised and patted the bed. She smiled faintly. “This isn‟t how I imagined we‟d go to bed together. At least, not after that kiss in the alley.” Alicia laughed softly. “We‟re friends first and always, baby girl. The other stuff we can pick up any old century.” Celine lay down and Alicia kicked off her boots to lie next to her. The slender yet strong arms of her friend wrapped around her and a low voice began to sing a lullaby in an ancient language. “I remember this,” Celine said sleepily. “My mother used to sing it to me.” 53

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“I know, she taught it to me,” Alicia replied and picked up the tune again. Celine tried to recall the words but she couldn‟t focus, only the voice was real. A thick, soft blanket of sleep wrapped around her and she let its peace take away the pain, at least for a few hours.

***** Erin woke up on the sofa and stared at the shadowy ceiling with clear eyes. Being a demigod had some advantages, like never getting a hangover, but he still felt half-dead, hollowed out and cold all over. Unfortunately, the fact that he‟d fallen asleep in the living room without a blanket had nothing to do with it. Celine‟s last words to him were still gnawing on his soul. He contemplated opening another bottle but decided to drag himself into the shower instead. Maybe the heat would revive him. He was in the kitchen wearing a towel and making coffee when Erin realized there was someone who could help him understand things. No point banging his head against questions he couldn‟t answer when his dad might be able to shed some light on the situation. The old man had been around since the dawn of time and knew a thing or two about women. “Dad, can we talk?” he said out loud on his way to the bedroom to get dressed. By the time he walked back into the living room, his father was there. They looked a lot alike. Similar face, same build. His dad looked maybe a few years older. Only Erin‟s eyes were clearly from his mother. “Hello, son. You look like shit.” Erin didn‟t smile. He sat down on a chair and asked, “Have you ever thought you were in love?” Eros laughed. The bastard actually laughed. “So it finally hit you, did it?” the old man asked. “What the hell do you mean, it finally hit me? We don‟t fall in love, you and me. That‟s not part of our nature.”

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His father was still chuckling. “I‟m the god of erotic love, boy. It‟s very much in our nature. You just weren‟t mature enough to get to that part yet. Besides, you‟re halfhuman and your mother certainly was capable of love.” Erin‟s lips thinned. This wasn‟t what he‟d expected. “I‟m two hundred and eighty years old and I‟ve never been in love.” “Before,” his father finished with a knowing smile. “And you‟re still young for a demigod. This just means you‟re growing up. So, who is the lucky lady?” “She turned me down. Walked away. She says she doesn‟t ever want to see me again.” There, he‟d gotten it out without tearing up like an idiot. His father looked surprised. “Now that is new.” “You‟re not helping, Dad,” Erin snapped. “Are you sure she meant it? Women often say things just to test us. Mind you, I‟ve never heard of anyone being able to actually walk away from one of my offspring before.” His gray eyes narrowed and he looked critically at his son. “Not if you really wanted to keep her.” Erin scowled. “Believe me, I wanted her to stay. I wanted to go to bed with her and hold her until morning. Forever, actually.” “Well, you know that forever isn‟t possible, son.” His dad sank down onto the sofa and finally looked serious. “Mortals live such short lives. A few years and they‟re gone. It isn‟t easy to let them go. Someone as old as me, falling in love doesn‟t happen much anymore. I‟ve been through it too many times. Your mother was the last. Though, who knows, maybe in another millennium I‟ll fall in love again. Eventually the pain does fade.” It was a revelation that made Erin rethink his entire set of beliefs about his father and himself. He‟d always thought that the way his father flitted from woman to woman was just the way they were intended to be. Masters of seduction and sex, not men with hearts that could be won…or broken.

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“You loved my mother?” he asked. “Of course. We had fifteen wonderful years together. Then she begged me for a child.” His father slanted him a sideways look that practically screamed I-should-havetold-you-this-earlier. “You were very much wanted, son. But she wasn‟t strong and human medicine was crap at the time. I left you with a good foster family and I visited as often as I could.” “Two or three times a year is often?” Erin asked and couldn‟t restrain the bitterness in his voice. His foster parents had been kind, decent people but he‟d never been loved by them, had always felt a little like a stranger in their home. He suspected their emotional distance was probably due to all the little ways in which he wasn‟t quite human. Not that he ever tried to bridge the gap either, it was his father who he had yearned to be with. But Eros‟ visits had been rare jewels, special moments that had both brightened his childhood and cut him deeply with every goodbye. “Not for a mortal or a child, I suppose.” His father had the grace to look uncomfortable. “I was still getting over your mother, you know. I loved her very much.” Erin sat back on the sofa and marveled at the idea of his father in love. At least that solved one part of the mystery. He was capable of loving a woman and feeling this awful mix of pain and longing. “Well, Celine did leave. She looked sad but she left,” he finally said when the silence between them had stretched out too long. “Strange. What exactly did she say? Did she give a reason?” “She said that she was bad news, that she could fall for me but being together would hurt both of us. She claimed she turned men into crazed stalkers.” Erin told his father the full truth even though it made Celine sound somewhat mad herself. His father looked thoughtful. “Son, are you sure she‟s human?” “Of course she‟s human! Heartbeat, blood, body heat, all that.”

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Eros sighed. “You have heard of succubi, haven‟t you?” Erin stared at his father and blinked. A succubus. Why the hell hadn‟t he thought of that? It fit perfectly with everything Celine had said and done, everything she was. It even explained how she could go from obvious pain to injury-free after their insanely hot sex. “Holy shit,” he said softly. “Lucky, lucky boy,” his father said with a smile. “They‟re scarce, you know, and the mortal world is pretty hard on them. Most go into seclusion when they‟re still relatively young. I‟ve only encountered a few myself. I bet she‟s quite something, eh? More than your match in the erotic arts department.” “Succubi drive their mortal lovers crazy. That‟s what she was talking about.” “Yes, but don‟t worry. As a demigod, and my son in particular, you won‟t go insane. At least not the usual obsessively mad to the point of self-destruction effect she has on others. I‟m not surprised you fell for her though, and fell hard by the looks of things.” Erin nodded mutely. “It won‟t be an easy relationship, son. The first few weeks together might feel like heaven but eventually tension will set in. Your need for new conquests will fight with your love for her—and, at the same time, she‟ll be constantly tempted by other lovers. Everyone wants to touch a succubus. She‟s got an even more irresistible sexual pull than you do. Her dreams will also take her away from you and she can‟t change that part of her nature no matter how much she loves you. Jealousy and temptation can tear you apart. There are ways to work things like that out, but you‟ll have to find them on your own. I think my job here is done.” His father winked at him. “Good luck, son, and please invite me over when she‟s around. I‟d love to meet her.” “I‟ll bet,” Erin muttered but his dad was already gone. Erin suddenly jumped to his feet, grinning. She could be his. They had a future together, an eternity even. All that other stuff his dad had said wasn‟t important, he just 57

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knew they could work it out. Erin squashed the impulse to run directly over to Celine‟s place. It wasn‟t even five in the morning yet. He bounced on his toes, full of energy, but knew he should wait until at least eight. She‟d be getting up to go to work by then. Erin dashed into his bedroom and changed into jogging pants. He‟d go for a run then hit the weights at the gym for a couple hours. Maybe swim in the pool. After he got changed and had breakfast, he‟d go see Celine. That was the plan.

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Chapter Six The youth was struggling. Panic made him awkward as he fought to free himself from the seaweed wrapped around his body like the tentacles of a hungry sea monster. She swam to him, her long slender tail pushing her effortlessly through the water. He noticed her approach and stilled, watching her draw near with fascination and tense hope. A mermaid’s kiss can save a man from drowning. Her hand reached out and cupped a smooth cheek. She wondered whether he truly was young or if this was just how he saw himself. Her kiss was gentle, almost chaste. She dropped down and coaxed a green strand away from his ankles. As she worked her way up his body he hung limply in the water, not protesting but not assisting her either. She glanced up through thick, dark lashes and saw how he was staring down on her half-naked form. The bulge of his erection was obvious in his tight swim trunks. She went back to work but allowed her hands to brush over that sensitive spot again and again as she continued to unwrap him like a delicate present. When she freed his arms they went around her as tightly as the seaweed had bound him. His mouth descended on hers and they drifted slowly up toward the surface. His kiss was still soft but full of desire. A hand touched her breast, hesitantly exploring the soft flesh, the hardening nipple. Then they were lying on the sand, out of the water, and she had legs again. He was above her, his blond curls framed by a perfect sapphire sky. Hungry brown eyes watched her face as she stroked his chest. It was good that he was so pretty and easy to please because, even in the dream realm, she could find little real desire or hunger. Only his need held her here, almost forcing her to fulfill her role as the tool that could release him from whatever trap his own frustrations had created. He lowered himself to kiss her and she accepted the salty, hot taste of his mouth. Moaning softly against her lips, he—

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***** Celine opened her eyes just enough to look at the alarm clock. Who the hell was banging on her door at seven a.m.? She‟d been in the middle of a dream too and the interruption had probably ratcheted up the frustration level of her dream lover to an even worse state than before she‟d been called to him. The gods only knew what he‟d end up doing in real life. She vaguely recalled Alicia kissing her goodbye and slipping out of the bed around five. Her friend would be holed-up in a safe place until the sun went down. So it couldn‟t be Alicia. Still trying to puzzle it out, Celine slipped her naked body into a blue silk robe and trotted to the door. “I‟m coming,” she growled as the insistent knocking picked up again. She opened the door and froze. Erin stood on the other side, grinning at her. She slammed the door shut and leaned against it, clutching her belly. How dare he show up at her home? Especially looking like a yummy treat in a leather jacket, tight white t-shirt and jeans. The dream had warmed her up and one glance at Erin made every sexually frustrated nerve ending tingle. Part of her wanted to tear the door off its hinges and drag him into her lair. She was dreadfully close to losing control. “Celine, it‟s okay. You don‟t have to worry. I‟m safe.” His voice was muffled but clear enough even through the wood. “Go away,” she said. “If you have one shred of decency in you, go away and leave me alone.” “Not a chance,” came his reply. “Look, I know you‟re a succubus.” “Shut up,” she hissed. The last thing she needed was her neighbors hearing that kind of stuff. They wouldn‟t believe it of course, but they‟d think she was crazy or hung around with crazy people. “Open the door so we can talk properly, please. I promise not to touch you until you‟re convinced it‟s safe.”

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She remained silent. There was no way she could promise not to touch him, that was the problem. “If you don‟t open the door, I‟ll shout out the whole story standing right here,” he warned. She still couldn‟t bring herself to move. “Okay then,” he continued calmly. “You‟re a succubus and through your dreams you dissipate intense sexual energies, energy which would otherwise flow over into the real world and cause disruptions or even damage to human society. The problem is, if you‟re with a flesh-and-blood man he quickly becomes obsessed with you. Three times and—” She yanked open the door. “Get in, you idiot. But I‟m glad you know the risks.” He was still grinning like a cat that ate the canary. She backed away as he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. Her eyes scanned him, devouring every inch. Oh mother of all gods, it wasn‟t the uniform. He looked even hotter in casual clothes. She forced herself to turn away and practically ran into the living room. She took the only chair and curled up on it, clasping her raised knees tightly with both arms. “If you know what I am and what happens to men around me, what the fuck makes you think you‟re safe?” she demanded. “Because I‟m not human. I‟m a demigod, see. My dad is Eros. Perfect, huh?” He was obviously thrilled to bits and almost gloating about his news. “You‟re the son of Eros? The Eros? God of sexuality, erotic love and all that?” It sounded insane but made a crazy kind of sense too. It would certainly explain his beyond-mortal abilities in the bedroom. “Exactly,” he said and reached out to her with both hands. She shrank back as far as she could. She wasn‟t convinced. A clever, obsessed man with a computer could possibly put two and two together and come up with such a story.

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He stopped and dropped his hands. “Do you need proof? I can call him, if you want.” “Even if you‟re a demigod, how do you know you‟re safe from me? I‟ve never heard of any succubus and demigod relationships.” He shrugged. “My dad says it‟s happened. And he‟s been around since Erebus looked at Nyx and felt his rod get stiff.” He shot her his trademark cocky grin. “By the way, did I mention that robe looks amazing on you?” Celine frowned. “Hold on a second, Eros was the son of Aphrodite and Ares in all the mythology I‟ve ever read.” She couldn‟t believe she was arguing about the parentage of ancient deities. He shrugged. “Greek revisionist garbage. Eros was one of the first gods, born out of Chaos. After all, without sex you don‟t get babies. Creation pretty much required him to be there first. But knowing Aphrodite, it wouldn‟t surprise me if she started that story. Then the Romans got downright silly—a baby shooting arrows? How stupid is that?” She narrowed her eyes. “So exactly how old does that make you?” “I‟m the youngest in the family. Only two hundred and eighty.” He was nearly three hundred years old? “You don‟t look a day over twenty-five,” she said. It was impossible not to drop into teasing. His eyes twinkled. “And you, my angel, could pass for twenty but I have a sneaking suspicion that you‟re a bit more experienced than that.” “One hundred and eight,” she muttered, then blurted out, “You‟ve really never told a woman that you love her before?” How could he be that old, and probably have had thousands of lovers, but never fallen in love? His face became serious. “Not until you. Do you believe me yet?” Celine wriggled with uncertainty. She wanted to believe him. Wanted to believe that she could feel him in her arms again without hurting him, wanted even more to

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believe that they could actually have a real relationship, but exactly because she wanted it so fiercely there was no way she could trust herself to know the truth. She looked up at him mutely. He nodded and said, “Dad, would you mind dropping in here for a moment, please?” She blinked. Yes, there really was a second Erin standing in her living room. He looked stunning in a top-of-the-line modern Italian suit that fit him to perfection. “I am very pleased to make your acquaintance,” said the new Erin. He held out his hand. He had the same cocky grin that made her knees go weak. She stood up and looked from one to the other. “Wow, talk about doppelgangers,” she whispered. The only difference she could see was in the eyes, gray versus blue, and maybe a hint of greater age in the guy with the suit. Celine took his hand and almost dropped to her knees. It took every ounce of her willpower to remain standing in the face of the sexual heat he was pouring into her. It was so exquisitely delicious she wanted to throw herself on him. Only the knowledge that the real Erin was standing beside her made it possible to resist the impulse. Eros smiled and gently wriggled his fingers out of her clasp. “Very good, my dear,” he murmured, then turned to face Erin. “I knew you‟d make your old man proud,” he said and disappeared. “Does he always do that—pop in and out like the Cheshire cat? I swear I can still see his grin hanging in the air.” Celine tried to bury the quiver in her voice under a joking tone but knew she hadn‟t succeeded. Erin had a funny expression on his face. A worried sort of funny, like he was afraid of what she was thinking. He must have some idea what touching his father had been like for her. “Yeah,” he said dryly. “Gods demand instant transport.”

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The wry humor snapped her out of the last of the spell. She looked Erin full in the face and smiled. Stepping closer, she laid her hand on his cheek. “You have much prettier eyes, chéri,” she said. A relieved grin bloomed on his face. “I‟m glad we‟ve got that figured out then.” “No doubt he‟s a close relative,” she said. “And I don‟t think he‟d leave you here if I was a danger to you. So I have to believe you‟re immune.” “Oh not immune, my sweet angel.” There was a wicked gleam in his eyes. “I am tormented by thoughts of you. Thoughts of those clever hands of yours and even more gifted tongue.” He brought her hand to his lips. Celine closed her eyes and enjoyed the sound of his voice and the feel of his mouth sucking on her fingertips. “Thoughts of your sweet, juicy body,” he continued. “The way you writhe and moan when aroused, your screams of ecstasy and the way your cunt feels when you climax.” She sighed with pleasure. “You‟re the one with the gift, Erin. I‟ve never met anyone who can give me so much pleasure with just their mouth.” She sent him a sly, appreciative look. “Not that I‟m discounting the rest of your…package. It‟s all very, very good.” “And that,” he nodded while peering down the length of her body, “is exquisite.” Celine glanced at herself and realized that the belt to her robe was undone. It had parted so that the blue silk was barely covering the tips of her nipples. The swell of her breasts and the golden curls of her pussy were clearly visible. “Does it make you want to do anything…special?” she teased. A hot glow was spreading up her body, filling her belly and circling her nearly bare breasts. It thrilled her to see the lust in his eyes. “It makes me think about doing this,” Erin said and dropped to his knees. His mouth latched on to a nipple through the silk. “And this,” he continued as his hands reached around and squeezed her ass.

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Sucking, licking, squeezing and stroking, he worshipped her body until she was a moaning bundle of white-hot arousal. His fingers found her cunt and began to move in slow circles—in, around and out, in, around and out. It made her want to scream. She dug her fingernails into his hair and abandoned herself completely to his expert teasing art. Finally he growled and bit the underside of her breast, a small sharp pain that coincided with a hard thrust of his fingers into her pussy. A few more thrusts and she felt the superheated desire swirling through her body contract and then burst, carrying her out of herself and into a universe of ecstasy. She cried out in joy and then whimpered softly with loss as she shrank back into her body. “Wow,” she murmured through a hoarse throat. “You take me to places I‟ve never been.” He grinned up at her, full of cocky pleasure. Thinking of cocks, and of his still tucked inside tight jeans, she knew what she had to do. She took his hands from her thighs and helped him stand, then tugged him over to the sofa. Sitting down, she quickly unzipped his jeans. “You may want to take your shirt off,” she said. “You‟re about to get very, very hot.” “Angel, I‟m ready to go supernova,” he quipped in reply. Celine chuckled. “Then prepare to explode.” She pulled his pants and underwear down in one tug and his rigid cock sprang quivering into the air. “In my mouth.” “I‟d like that,” he admitted. She gave his swollen penis a long, wet lick from base to tip and continued to lick him until he was slick with her saliva, preparing him for what was coming next.

***** He watched Celine‟s tongue bathing his cock and wanted to grab her head and hold her still so he could thrust himself into her mouth. He wanted her mouth so badly he

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had to fight himself into stillness, to let her stay in control. This was her game too and he had to let her set the rules sometimes. Sex was going to be different now, everything was going to be different. He had a girlfriend, an extraordinary woman who was his equal—even in this, the realm in which he had always dominated. He let out a shaky breath and cupped her golden curls as gently as he could. When his swollen, throbbing cock head bumped against her parted lips, he quivered in a combination of pleasure and painful restraint. His penis was thick and flushed dark with arousal. Then she stopped licking and wrapped both her hands around his shaft. She tugged up while gently squeezing, released the pressure slightly and moved back down his cock. Her hands worked his slick, wet cock. At times she‟d bend her head to lick him, small teasing licks that distracted him to the point of near madness. “Harder, oh baby, squeeze harder,” he begged, his hips automatically pumping back and forth, fucking her hands. She heard him and obeyed but only for a moment. Then the pressure eased off completely and he almost cried with frustrated need. She blew on his cock and the cool air against his sensitive, overheated tip was both a delight and a tease. He wanted so much more. He wanted Celine in every possible way and it was incredibly—almost unbelievably—wonderful that he could imagine years of discovering all the secrets of her luscious body and wicked mind. But for now, he longed to plunge his cock deep into her mouth. “Please, open up for me,” he asked, his throat tight with need. She tilted her chin up, a small amused smile curving her lips. “Are you sure you‟re ready?” she asked. As if there could be any doubt. Clearly it was time for him to take back some control. He reached down, putting a hand on either side of her face and moving so that his cock head pressed against her pouting lips. He nudged once, twice, three times and, like a magic door, she opened for him. He watched the distended head of his cock push past her lips into the wet, hot cavern of her mouth. Her tongue swirled around,

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exploring every ridge and nub. A long moan of pleasure escaped his throat and excitement suffused her lovely face. She opened wider, as if greedy for more of him. All the toying reluctance was gone and it was Celine who pushed her face toward his groin. Tangling one hand deep into her blonde curls, he gripped the base of his penis with the other and pressed forward. He didn‟t pause until his cock nudged the back of her throat. The tender muscles shivered around him. Pleasure speared down his cock, piercing his balls. He battled the urge to pound into her mouth, to take it as he would her pussy. “Can you take more of me?” he asked. In answer, her hands grabbed his ass and nudged him forward. His eyes feasted on the picture of his cock gradually disappearing down her throat. When she‟d taken as much of him as she could he stilled and savored the sensation. When he pulled reluctantly back out, her tongue brushed the bottom of his penis. He couldn‟t help himself, his hips moved and he took several short, hard stabs into her mouth. The small hands on his ass massaged the cheeks, tugging and pulling them apart and together. It drove him wild. “Oh fuck. Open wide again, baby, I need to go deeper.” He pressed in, not fast but not slowly either. In and out, again and again, he fucked her mouth while she played with his ass. Then one hand found its way to his swollen, aching balls and tugged. Exquisite pleasure mingled with shocked pain. He screamed and exploded, squirting cum down her throat before he could even think to ask if it was okay. She swallowed and held him in her mouth for a long moment before letting him slip free. He pulled up his jeans but didn‟t bother with the zipper before he sank down onto the sofa next to Celine. His mouth found hers and with his kiss he tried to show how very appreciative he was for what she had just given him. Even though he felt like every ounce of energy had been drained out of him and poured down her lovely throat, he wanted to do it again. Maybe not at that moment but later that day, that week, that 67

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year. He imagined taking Celine‟s mouth and her pussy in a montage of erotic moments, hundreds and thousands of times across the centuries, and felt indescribably happy. A blare of loud fifties rock music broke into his reverie. “That would be my alarm,” Celine said, leaning her forehead against his. “I should get ready for work.” “Play hooky,” he pleaded. “Let‟s spend the day in bed. I‟ll tell you silly stories and we can order in Chinese and we‟ll fuck like bunnies in between eating and talking.” She giggled. “You sure know how to tempt a girl.” He pulled away and looked her in the eyes. “So you‟ll do it?” She gave him a mock frown. “I don‟t like Chinese for breakfast.” “An omelet to start with then. I make a fabulous omelet.” She reached over to the side table and picked up the phone. Her glowing green eyes remained fixed on his as she left a message for her staff. Celine gave him a quick tour of her compact, well-organized kitchen and then he shooed her back to bed. Erin tossed together a thick omelet loaded with ham, cheese and peppers. He arranged a tray with one plate, two forks and two cups of coffee and marched proudly into her bedroom. A couple of centuries had given him plenty of time to learn how to cook but he‟d never brought a woman breakfast in bed before. Somehow it felt like an achievement.

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Chapter Seven Celine woke from her nap and stretched. She wanted to purr. Never in her life had she been so contented, so blissfully happy. She rubbed up against Erin‟s sleeping form and softly kissed his shoulder. It was still a surprise that he was really lying next to her, and might actually be able to stay for a while. After a tasty breakfast, eaten with much giggling in her bed, they had talked for a long while, sharing stories both silly and serious. They had talked about things they‟d done and seen, how the world had changed and yet stayed the same. Tentatively they‟d touched on future plans and dreams, both of them shying away from anything more than vague hints that perhaps they might share some of that time together. She couldn‟t really believe that Erin would be a part of her life for more than a few weeks, maybe months. It was obvious what he was—she‟d be crazy to expect the son of Eros to settle down with her like some tame mortal husband. He seemed equally hesitant to believe that she‟d stay with him though, and maybe he was right to doubt. She‟d never heard of a succubus in any sort of lasting relationship before, other than friendship. It was as foreign to her nature as forsaking all others would be for Erin. A heavy arm went around her waist and his mouth brushed her hair. “Sorry I dropped off like that, not enough sleep last night I guess.” “I haven‟t been sleeping well either,” she admitted. He chuckled softly. “Maybe it was for the same reason. Did you miss me?” Celine hesitated before answering. “Yes. It‟s never been so hard before. To walk away from a lover.” “Of course not,” he said matter-of-factly. “They weren‟t me.” She rolled over and punched him on the chest. “You gods and demigods think you‟re so much better than anyone else.” 69

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“Are you saying I‟m not?” he asked, all big, innocent blue eyes. She snorted. Now was not the time to bring up Randall. Mind you, she wasn‟t sure if Randall still held the number one spot anymore. His face became serious. “I guess gods don‟t have much reason to associate with the fae. We both have our connections to humans but not really to each other. And a lot of the gods and their offspring are pretty fucked up. About a century ago Zeus‟ son, George, got into a fight with several of Bacchus‟ boys and they bloody well burned down San Francisco. Talk about anger issues. Well, George has anger issues, while Harry, Barry and Jerry are just plain crazy.” “Maybe it‟s better for the world if we don‟t mix,” Celine replied. Demons, vamps and weres got into enough messes on their own without bringing in god-level powers. The witches, who tended to be the most reasonable and generally most broadly powerful of the fae, did most of the clean-up and policing for them. However, even they had been helpless in the face of the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed San Francisco. Erin lifted his head to kiss her. “Except for you and me, of course. We mix beautifully.” They shared a sweet, lingering kiss, moving over each other‟s lips and teasing with tongue tips and nibbles. Celine pulled back and could not restrain her happy smile. Erin looked back at her with such warmth that the small part of herself she‟d been keeping in reserve melted. She turned away, not wanting him to see how completely he had taken possession of her heart. He snuggled up against her back and she could feel the soft lump of a nascent erection pressing against her bum. A hand ran down her side and over the curve of her hip, coming to rest possessively on her thigh. “Hmm, I like this side of you too. Different bumps but just as sexy,” he whispered into her hair.

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Her throaty chuckle and a slight wiggle of her ass seemed to chase away the last of the softness in his cock and a hard rod now lay along her backside. She reached around and stroked him. “Now there‟s something demigods are very good at.” “Don‟t let my abilities fool you,” he replied. “Few, if any, are as good as me.” “But you have brothers,” she pointed out. “Five, in fact. That I know about. Plus three sisters.” “And possibly sons, even grandsons,” she added. What a strange thought, Erin could have grandchildren older than she was. “No, no kids.” “How can you be sure?” “I‟ve never been with a woman I cared about enough for her to end up pregnant.” She snorted and squeezed hard on his shaft. “It only takes once and how you feel has nothing to do with it.” “Not for a demigod. And my dad would never let me walk away from a pregnant girl.” “He would know?” Alicia asked. “Oh yeah, he would know. He knows every mess I get into, sometimes even before I do. Perils of immortal parentage,” Erin replied. “Fortunately he usually ignores my problems unless I ask him for help. But a grandchild? No, he wouldn‟t ignore that.” “How sweet, Eros is a doting family man.” “In his own way, I guess he is,” Erin said. “He just tends to lose track of time.” “We had unprotected sex at the station,” Erin remarked a few minutes later, dropping a kiss on her shoulder. “Any chance…?” “What? I gave you AIDS?” she asked drily. His head jerked up. “Huh? No! I‟m immune from human diseases and I assume you are too.”

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She nodded in agreement. Her kind would have gone extinct a long time ago if they were vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases. “I meant, should we be using protection for other reasons? Could you, you know, get pregnant? Because I‟m not sure I can help myself…” He looked down awkwardly and almost seemed to blush. It was endearing, she decided, that he‟d be so bold with sex but bashful about the possibility of getting her pregnant. Then she remembered what he had said about needing to really care for a woman before she could get pregnant. He wasn‟t seriously thinking about her as the mother of his children, was he? She needed to set that record straight right away. “That‟s nearly as unlikely as AIDS,” she replied. “Succubi are notoriously infertile. It took my mother over a century and a half of unprotected sex before she had me and I‟m her only child.” “Wow, hundreds of years between kids? No wonder there are so few of you.” He didn‟t look pleased by the news. “It‟s worse than that. I don‟t know of any succubi who had a second child,” she told him bluntly. “My mom went into seclusion as soon as I turned eighteen and probably hasn‟t had a flesh-and-blood lover since I was conceived. I‟m pretty sure she only hung on in the real world as long as she did because she needed to get pregnant.” Celine tried not to sound bitter about it but her mom had barely been there for her while she was growing up. Mom had begun spending more and more time in the dream world as soon as Celine started school. Only Alicia‟s help had seen her through the turbulent teen years, and a teenage succubus is not an easy person to have around. She owed Alicia a lot. “The state of the world today certainly supports the argument that there aren‟t enough succubi—and incubi—to keep it healthy,” Erin said. He was absentmindedly stroking her arm, as if in deep thought. “So many sex crimes, so much violence.” She looked around at him and frowned, then sighed. “I hate acknowledging that because it makes me feel like I‟m nothing more than a tool evolution created to keep

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humans safe from themselves. But I have to agree with you. The world would be a better place with more succubi. Unfortunately, we‟re only fertile twice a year, around the spring and fall equinoxes, and then our chances of getting pregnant are much less than a normal human woman‟s.” It was early November and they‟d definitely passed the fall equinox so there was no chance at all for her to get pregnant until spring at the earliest. Not that she had any serious plans in that direction. “Why is that?” Erin asked. Celine turned away, poking at the pillow. Her poor fertility was something she didn‟t want to think about. She supposed she‟d have to confront it soon. She was over a hundred, after all. “Basically, all succubi have one X chromosome that is normal and one that makes us what we are,” she explained. “But only the X chromosome that contains the genetic material to make a succubi will lead to a pregnancy. So, right off the bat, half our eggs are useless. Then, if our male partner contributes a Y chromosome, the child would be an incubus—if he managed to get born. Our bodies, for as yet unknown reasons, tend to reject boy babies. Most are miscarried very early in the pregnancy.” “That explains why there are even fewer incubi. Mother Nature has a strong preference for succubi,” Erin said. “Yeah, but she doesn‟t provide for them very well,” Celine said and knew old hurts colored that statement. “Succubi make lousy parents.” “You‟ll be a fabulous mother,” Erin said. She was about to snap back with an automatic denial when she realized she might just get a chance to be a good mother. If Erin actually stuck around, her child wouldn‟t have to deal with a mother fading away before her eyes. Erin reached over her shoulder and lightly traced her lower lip with his finger. She realized her jaw must have dropped.

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“Why so surprised?” he asked. “Don‟t you like kids?” “I like children,” she admitted. “I just always assumed that by the time I got pregnant, especially with the prevalence of condom use these days, I‟d be yearning for the dream world even worse than my mother.” Erin actually looked angry. “Angel, you can have your dreams at night, I know you couldn‟t keep yourself from them even if you wanted to, but I am not letting you sneak off to some dream lover during the day.” “As long as you‟re around,” she said softly, “I won‟t want to.” The dream world offered a pale shadow of what Erin could give her. It could never tempt her away from him. “Good,” he said and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She turned her head and he obliged by kissing her full on the lips. It was a soft kiss, full of unspoken promises. Promises she wanted desperately to believe in. If only she could. He‟d said he loved her but that confession was probably brought on by her demonic nature. Practiced playboys did not lose their hearts in the space of forty-eight hours, at least not without something else at work. His nature might have blunted obsession into infatuation but she could still see her curse at work behind Erin‟s emotional one-eighty. Still, if it took her powerful succubus allure to bring Erin to her side, she‟d damn well use every trick in the book to keep him there. It was enough that he could stay with her without becoming totally obsessed. At least when this ended, he wouldn‟t be the one paying the price. Celine opened her mouth and let her hunger flow into the kiss. He responded automatically, becoming more passionate, more demanding. She broke off the kiss and rolled back onto her side, spooning tightly against Erin‟s body. A hand settled over her left breast and began to play with the nipple. “Now what should we do for the next hour or so?” he asked innocently.

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His erection was a solid rod against her back. It was easy for her to arouse a man. His nose nuzzled the nape of her neck and soft kisses started landing in between her shoulder blades. Fingers continued to toy with her hardening nipple and her own desire flared into full heat. She had to admit he was as powerful as her in that regard. She wiggled her ass against his erection. “I was thinking maybe that,” she said and reached a hand around to rub her thumb lightly over the sensitive tip. “Or this.” “This and that sounds good,” he quipped. His hand left her breast and snuggled between her thighs. A thumb stroked the trimmed curls of her pussy while the tips of his fingers slowly massaged their way into her cunt. “And that feels wonderful,” she replied. She was getting wetter with every movement of his hand. She lifted one leg slightly and he burrowed in deeper. They had pleasured each other earlier but she was dying for a good, hard fuck. Dying to feel him pounding into her. “I want you, chéri. I want your cock buried in my cunt. I want you grunting and thrusting and coming inside me,” she said. He didn‟t require more encouragement. Erin shifted and she felt the hot, throbbing head of his cock entering her from behind. He pushed in relentlessly until he was as deep as their position allowed. One hand grabbed her shoulder and the other squeezed her ass. He began to move. “Is this what you want?” he grunted. “Yeah, but harder.” She lifted both arms over her head and braced herself against the headboard. He began to move more strongly and every thrust banged her hands against the hard wood. She took the punishment gladly. A searing fire was burning in her cunt, the heat growing more intense with every deep plunge of Erin‟s long, thick cock. She moaned and strained, pushing down to meet his every upward stab. “Yes, oh god, yes!” she cried out and climaxed with a sharp stab of pure ecstasy. 75

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He chuckled. “I‟m not quite a god, you know.” “Close enough for me,” she muttered, coming down from her orgasm. He was still moving inside her but small, almost involuntary movements. It felt so good. She wanted to stay there, resting on that sweet spot between satisfaction and renewed hunger. “Don‟t stop,” she said when he seemed to be bringing himself back under control. “That was perfect.” “Perfect for you, maybe,” he growled. “But I need to either stop or ride you like a demon until I explode.” She giggled. “I‟ll take door number two, please.” “As my lady commands,” he replied. Erin rolled her onto her stomach, pressing her face down onto the mattress and forcing her thighs apart with his knees. Lying down on top of her, he brought her now limp arms together above her head and grabbed both slender wrists in one of his hands. Bracing himself on the other arm, he began to fuck her hard but slow. She tried to tug her arms down but he wouldn‟t release his grip. She was pinned into place by both his weight and his strength. Surprise, and maybe a little thread of fear, made her struggle harder. Being a succubus meant she always took the lead, always got what she wanted in bed. Sexually restraining a succubus against even her faintest wish to be free should not be possible for any sane man. Erin ignored her struggles. “Oh no… you‟re not moving…until I‟m done…with you,” he said, stabbing deep into her pussy between phrases. “I want you…just like this…helpless…at my mercy…for my pleasure.” Celine closed her eyes and whimpered. But it wasn‟t in pain. Her body was trembling with intense arousal. Helpless to stop him, she only wanted more. The reaction shocked her even as she was swept away by the power of Erin‟s demands. Being dominated tapped into a new element of her sexuality, one she had never had an opportunity to explore. Her sexual adventures had occasionally involved something 76

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like a partnership with a very self-confident fae but no one had ever been able to subjugate her natural sexual primacy. Until now. She strained against the bonds of Erin‟s physical strength and was glad when, instead of relenting, he only tightened his grip and began to fuck her even harder. “Please…please…” She half-sobbed, half-gasped out the words. “More!” He grunted in acknowledgement of her submission and ground his hips against her ass to find that last half inch of depth inside her cunt. The harsh physical mastery broke through all her controls and her climax hit hard, as powerful and unstoppable as a freight train. She screamed. Erin obliged with another thrust and grind against her ass. Then he too roared with ecstatic release as he came deep inside her. Erin let her wrists go and collapsed on top of her before rolling off to nestle next to her. Their slightly sweaty bodies breathed in unison for several long minutes. “I got the sense that took you by surprise,” Erin said softly. “You overruled a succubus in bed,” she replied. “Surprised? Hell yes.” He chuckled. “You do communicate your desires very clearly. With and without words.” “But you ignored me.” “Well, the signals were kind of mixed.” He raised his head and brushed the hair away from her face to be able to look in her eyes. “I was right, though, wasn‟t I? To continue?” She raised an eyebrow. “Better to ask for forgiveness afterward than permission beforehand?” He snorted and looked mildly offended. “I‟m not asking to be forgiven for giving you one hell of an orgasm. Just checking in to see what the score is.” Celine suddenly realized that Erin was not, and would never be, under her control. He would say and do as he pleased, giving in to her desires only because he wanted to,

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not because she left him no choice. Erin truly was immune to her curse. Her eyes filled with tears. “What the hell?” he spluttered. “I didn‟t actually hurt you, did I?” “No, no,” she reassured him, touched by his confusion and concern. “It‟s just that…you really won‟t ever become obsessed with me.” He still looked confused. “And that makes you want to cry?” She laughed and reached up to brush away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. “Tears of joy. It‟s such a gift.” “I will never understand women,” he muttered. “Not if I live to be ten thousand.” “Erin, I believe you now,” she explained. “I believe you‟re here because you want to be and not because I poisoned you with an unnatural infatuation. I believe that you meant what you said, or at least said it without undue influence.” “What I said? Oh yeah, that whole confession of love thing.” He shifted and looked away. “Which, by the way, is still hanging out there like a sheet flapping in the wind.” Celine pushed him onto his back and rolled on top of him. “I love you,” she said and kissed him. “I love you.” Another kiss. “I love you.” Again a kiss. “Is that enough for you, mon chéri?” She grinned down at him, brimming over with joy. “Angel, it will never be enough,” he replied. He was smiling his high-voltage grin and this time her whole body, not just the knees, melted. The End

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About the Author Simone Bern lives in western Canada, but she typically resides in fantasy worlds of her own creation. Writing is her obsession, a passion which she willingly denies only for her son, close friends and the opportunity to dance or visit new places. She loves to travel, having explored much of Europe, Asia and North Africa. One day she hopes to ride her motorcycle across at least one continent. Simone prefers romantic stories with strong characters who are sometimes wicked, sometimes wild…and always hot.

Simone welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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Also by Simone Bern Cat‟s Game Healer‟s Price In a Dark Embrace Taking Chances

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