by Devin Hanson
I felt scar tissue under my fingertips and ran my nails over the ridges. He growled and buried his face in the hollow of my neck. I felt his teeth and gasped. I bucked my hips against his, grinding into his pelvis and the swollen hardness there.
I needed him. My insides felt full of liquid fire and sparks jumped everywhere we were in contact, driving me even further into a panting, groaning frenzy. I felt his fingers find the zipper on my dress and draw it down, exposing my side to the cool air.
Immediately his hot hand slid inside. The contrast between the air and his skin made goose bumps rise on my skin. I squirmed beneath him and got the dress shoulders down and off my arms. He pushed up and gazed down at me, his gray eyes hot with hunger, before lowering himself and kissing his way down my chest.
Somehow, I got that damn bra off and almost cried out when his lips closed over my nipple for the first time. His tongue flicked and sent shudders through me. I fumbled at his belt and the button of his slacks, then slipped a hand inside. He was hard and heavy, and I could feel the blood pulsing through him as I squeezed him as hard as I could.
He groaned and pulled back. I had a moment of despair, thinking I had gone too far and he was putting an end to it. Then his hands pushed my dress aside, reached under my hips and found the thread of my thong. There was a brief flash of pain as he ripped my underwear off, then his mouth closed around my sex.
I yelped as I felt his tongue slide up inside of me. Shuddering waves of pleasure washed over me as his hands pinned my hips in place. He changed his focus to the nub of my clit and I writhed on the couch, crying out and clenching my hands in his hair, simultaneously trying to push him away and hold his head in place.
I felt myself coming before I was ready. I wanted it to go on longer so I could enjoy what his tongue was doing to me, but I had lost all semblance of control. My orgasm peaked and I bucked hard enough to finally dislodge his mouth. I gasped after air once he stopped, limp in the aftermath, with all the strength of a newborn kitten. He picked me up in his arms and carried me across the lounge. I wrapped my arms around his neck, still trembling, my eyes half-closed and only partially aware of what was happening.
David kicked the door to the bedroom open and carried me over to the expansive bed. He dropped me on the duvet and I stared up at him, still fogged from pleasure. My hair had come undone at some point, and it pooled around my head, wavy from being pinned up.
I watched hungrily as he stripped off his shirt. The scars on his stomach and chest were lit in the half-light coming through from the lounge, barely visible as white lines on the tan of his skin. He leaned over me and kissed me deeply. I could taste the salt musk of myself on his lips and I groaned as he trailed down to the lobe of my ear.
Remotely I was aware of him shucking out of his slacks, and I helped as much as I could when he turned his attention to getting my dress off. The thumping beat of the music was piped into the bedroom and set my blood to surging again. I pulled him down to me and opened up to him.
He thrust into me, filling me and then some and I gasped. I dug my nails into his back and hooked my ankles onto his hips, pulling him close. I could already feel the climax building inside me again and the deliberate pace he set was starting to drive me crazy. I needed him to lose himself, to go wild and take me as hard as he could.
David had other plans. He teased me, moving slowly and shallowly, then burying deep enough inside me to make me cry out. Everything he did sent waves of pleasure through me, but he never did it long enough to unleash the growing release.
Finally, I felt his motions start to lose their calculated restraint and he let loose the strings of his control. That was enough to set me off and I bucked and writhed beneath him as he took me with all the pent-up abandon he had been holding back.
I hardly felt the heat of his release, and it wasn’t until he slowed his movements and rested atop me that my own shuddering came to a stop. He drew from me and rolled to the side, breathing hard. I curled up and rested my head against his chest. Beneath my ear, his heart pounded. I felt wrung out and drained, but also full of a glowing upwell of energy building within my chest and extending out to my limbs.
“God damn,” I sighed happily. “I needed that.”
He levered up at the waist to a sitting position, ignoring my protest. “Come, let us shower.”
All I wanted to do right then was curl up in a ball and go to sleep, but I let him pull me off the bed and lead me into the bathroom. We paused in front of the mirror and he pulled me to him, cupping my breasts and tweaking my nipples.
I groaned an objection and he grinned before going to start the shower. I pulled of my garter and stockings and joined him in the shower. It was large enough for half a dozen people, with nozzles coming from two directions.
I got my first clear look at him and swore. “Jesus. That was inside me?”
David chuckled. “Most of it. I think I will enjoy having you work for me, Alexandra.”
I worked some soap into a lather and moved to him, holding and washing. “Is this something you do with all the girls who work for you?”
“Careful, or you’ll get another round.”
“Mm. Maybe I want that.”
The water was steaming, turning my skin pink. I pressed against him, working my hands, and went up on tip toe to kiss him. I could feel him growing in my grasp and I made an excited noise in my throat.
Suddenly, David grabbed my arms and spun me around, pinning me against the shower wall. His hand delved between my legs and I gasped as his fingers sought my inner wetness. The soap on his hand made everything slippery, and I arched my back, giving him better access.
His hand left me and smacked down on my ass cheek, making me yelp. He positioned himself behind me and I felt him press forward as his hands circled around to squeeze my breasts. My groan rose to a gasped cry as he drove deeper into me than he had in the bedroom. I felt a shudder start in my legs and I pushed back into him.
He pulled one of my legs to the side and lifted it up, giving him a better angle. He pushed into me and I braced myself against his thrusts, with one hand wrapped around the back of his neck to keep my balance. The chill of the shower tiles pushed against my chest hardened my nipples and the force of his thrusts scraped them over the grout lines, sending streams of sparks flashing down to my groin.
The playful control of our earlier lovemaking was gone and his thrusts were hard, almost punishing. I cried out with every thrust and slammed my hips back into him. Neither of us lasted long. Before I had a chance to get tired from the position, I came hard and felt him shudder against me a moment later.
I got back on my own two feet and leaned back against him, breathing hard as the hot water pounded down on us, stinging against my nipples. He kissed my neck and groaned.
“Enough, Alexandra. You’ll drain me dry.”
I laughed and turned around to kiss him. “Would that be bad?”
“You sure your birthday hasn’t already come?” He stretched and shook his head, scattering drops of water from his hair. “Never mind.”
We finished showering without further incident and I dressed as best I could, minus my thong. I presented the tattered scrap of cloth to him with a smile. “A memento.”
He grinned and handed me a manila envelope in return. “Payment.”
I felt the weight of the envelope, and for a moment I thought he was talking about paying me for the sex. Then I remembered his promise of half payment up front for the job I was going to do for him. “This is from your hoard?” I quipped, trying to cover the pause.
His smile slipped and I saw him glance across the bedroom to a closed door leading to an adjoining room. “After a fashion.”
“Can I see what all the fuss is about?”
David shook his head. “Not yet. Will that be enough to get you started?”
I hefted the package. Even if it was filled with singles, it would be enough to pay my rent. “Yeah.”
The closed door int
erested me. I wondered just what a being as ancient and powerful as David Caradoc was hiding. And who would be crazy enough to try to steal it from him.
“Well.” I went up to peck a kiss against his cheek. “Thank you for the entertainment.”
He gave me a mock bow. “I called you a cab. It should be waiting outside the lobby. Would you like accompaniment?”
I raised my eyebrows at him. That was some old-school courtesy. “I’ll be fine. Thank you.”
He walked me to the elevator and I pushed the lobby button. David watched me as the doors closed, a pensive frown on his face, then smiled and waved just before they sealed.
It took me the whole ride down the elevator to convince myself that I wasn’t dreaming. The heavy manila envelope in my hand and the cold air swirling up under my dress were real, though. I had just had wild sex with something ancient. Something old and powerful enough to not care that I was half-demon.
I felt more alive than I had ever felt in my life. It was the early hours of the morning, and I should have felt hungover and exhausted. I should have been consumed with fear about what would happen on my birthday. Instead, a burning energy filled me. I felt like I could run all the way back to Ethan’s house, heels or not. I felt like shouting and dancing, like screaming defiance into the dark of the night.
The cab was waiting for me, and I climbed in, lost in thought.
Whatever was coming in the next couple days, things would never be the same for me again.
Chapter Seven
The next morning, I rolled out of bed with the dawn. Four hours of sleep and the night’s alcohol consumption notwithstanding, I felt bright and alive, full of energy and ready to take on the world. I went for a run, which I never do, down the hill from Ethan’s house to the bank where I deposited David’s advance.
It felt strange handing over the stacks of crisp twenties to the teller. Money and I have a long-standing agreement to leave each other well enough alone. I don’t think I’ve had more than three digits in my bank account in my entire life.
That errand out of the way, I ran back up the hill, stretching my legs and enjoying the cool morning air. The run was easy, despite the steepness of the slope, and I reached my destination with a pleasant sheen of sweat and not yet out of breath.
Ethan was sitting at the dining room table when I entered, and he looked up with a haggard look on his face.
“Alex! I was about to call David. Are you all right?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I went to the sink and poured myself some water in one of Elaida’s garish mugs before settling in across from Ethan. “You look like shit. Have you checked your temperature?”
“I haven’t been sleeping much the last two nights,” Ethan shook his head. “I’ll be fine. Christ, Alex, I was worried about you.”
“What, David was the perfect gentleman.”
He raised an eyebrow at me and I couldn’t hold back a grin.
“Seriously?”
“He’s a very attractive man,” I said demurely and sipped at my water.
“At least tell me you got the job.”
“Yes.” I leaned forward. “Did he tell you anything about it?”
Ethan sighed. “No. Just that it was something he thought you better suited for.”
“An accurate, if simplistic summation,” I nodded and reached back to lift my hair away from my neck, fanning at the damp sweat with my other hand.
“You went for a run?” he asked. “It’s barely seven.”
“I had to deposit the cash David paid me with. Hey, speaking of, I need wheels. Any leads on a cheap set?”
“You could try Craig’s List,” he said and frowned at me. “It’s over a mile to the nearest bank.”
“Yeah, but I bank at Chase, so more like two. That’s a good idea, I should have thought of Craig’s List. Could I trouble you for a ride if I find something promising close?”
“I have work I can do from home, but I have a client meeting at noon.” He nodded and tossed back the last of his coffee. “This work David is having you do, is it safe?”
“Having second thoughts about setting me up with him?” I got my phone out and pulled up the Craig’s List site. I needed a way to get about LA quickly and reliably. I couldn’t pay for uber every time I needed to follow a lead, and with my useless car broken down again, I didn’t have a choice.
“I didn’t… ugh. Damn it, Alex. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
It was my turn to raise an eyebrow at him. “Believe it or not,” I said, “I can have sex with someone without turning into a sopping mess.”
“I’m not talking about the sex!” Ethan leaned back and took a deep, slow breath. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to shout. What I mean is, I don’t want to get a call from the police asking me to identify your body.”
“This is Los Angeles, not Detroit. He just wants me to look into some people for him. I’ll be fine, Ethan. It’s sweet of you to care, though.” It was quickly becoming evident that buying even the cheapest of the beater cars on Craig’s List would eat up the majority of my cash. I didn’t want that. In a month, when my newly acquired car inevitably broke down, I would be in exactly the same position I was in now.
“He is a sweet man.” I looked up from my phone to see Elaida walk into the room, dressed in a babydoll chemise, with a filmy shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She draped herself over Ethan’s shoulder.
I cleared my throat. The way her breast was pushed up against Ethan’s arm suggested she hadn’t been lying about her assets. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to spill out. “Elaida, how nice to see you again.”
She bared her teeth at me, letting me get a good look at her oversized canines. Charming. “Ethan says you found work!” It was said enthusiastically, but I caught the underlying tone of disdain. “Don’t let me interrupt you two,” she gushed, and tilted her head around to nibble at Ethan’s earlobe and stick her tongue in his ear.
Ethan jerked in surprise and I caught the flash of irritation on his face before he schooled his features back into a pleasant smile. He gave her a quick peck on the lips. “What will you be doing today? It’s Sunday.”
“Oh, I’m sure I’ll find something to occupy my time.” Elaida trailed a hand down Ethan’s chest.
“Tempting,” Ethan grunted, and caught her hand before she reached his waist, “but I have to work.” He kissed her fingers and set her hand back on his shoulder.
Elaida pouted. “Always so busy, and always so secret.”
I kept my eyes firmly on my phone. Trouble in paradise already. I fought down my urge to mock Elaida for her ham-fisted flirtation attempts. Maybe a car wouldn’t be the right answer. I backed out and started searching for motorcycles. I had gotten a provisional motorcycle license after getting out of high school at my then-boyfriend’s encouragement. We had broken up shortly afterward when his adolescent dreams of forming a biker gang backfired and earned him six months of community service, but I knew how to ride. Fortunately, the rainy season in Los Angeles lasted for about a week once every three years. It should stay safe to ride a bike for the next couple weeks.
“When I started dating a private investigator,” Elaida complained, “I imagined it was more fedoras and dark alleys, and less staring at a cellphone.”
I looked up and met Ethan’s eyes over the table. He had his phone out too, and Elaida was standing behind him, her arms crossed under her breasts.
“Sign of the times,” I quipped. “Turns out chasing down criminals with your six-shooter is the job of the police.”
“Who’d ‘a thunk it,” Ethan deadpanned. “Now we’re more likely to shoot someone with a camera.”
“Definitely a fall from grace.”
“Probably use your cellphone camera too,” Elaida said petulantly.
I opened the camera app on my phone and snapped a picture of her. “Consider yourself investigated,” I said in my best Boston accent.
Ethan chuckled. Elaida scowled at me. A win both wa
ys.
My Craig’s List searches weren’t very promising. There were motorcycles available nearby, but even the cheapest ones were several thousand dollars. Maybe a scooter then? I updated my search and my heart sank. I was not going to ride a moped, no matter how cheap they were.
My eyes lit on a posting and I made an interested sound in my throat.
“What’d you find?” Ethan asked.
I handed him my phone with the posting open. It was a three-wheeled scooter, one of those European jobs with two wheels in front for stability on turns. Best thing was I didn’t even need to refresh my motorcycle permit to ride it. It wasn’t my dream bike, but it would certainly serve to get around the city while I did my work for David.
“It’s pretty cheap, too,” I said. “The owner wants twelve hundred for it, but I bet I could talk him down.”
“A Vespa?” Elaida’s lip curled, an expression I was beginning to expect was her default one.
“It’s cute,” Ethan grinned and handed my phone back. “Even better, it’s only about twenty minutes from here.”
“I’ll give the number a call,” I said, and got up from the table.
Without her heels on, Elaida no longer towered over me. I slapped her ass as I walked by, heading for the front porch where I could get some privacy for the call. She hissed at me and I grinned back. I was feeling great. Elaida’s prissy scorn only cemented my desire to get the scooter.
I swung the front door shut as Elaida started bitching to Ethan, complaining about how he had no time for her. The quiet of the early morning was only just now starting to be broken by the rumble of distant traffic. I called the scooter owner, waking him up. His irritation quickly switched to cautious politeness, and we set a time to meet an hour from now. I hung up just as Ethan came out onto the porch, pulling a light jacket on over his shoulders.
“Please tell me you need to leave right away,” he said.
“She’s got great tits though,” I smirked at him.
“Jealousy is an ugly thing,” he grimaced at me.