Savvy Negotiator (Untraceable Succubus Book 2)

by Erin R Flynn

  “No, not at all, but getting echoes of emotions and owning a club, which is basically a living experiment in sociology and psychology, we put together a lot. You’re embarrassed that you thought of him when you’re the most leery of him, but also you’re worried about hurting someone’s feelings by admitting he’s best at something.” He waited until I nodded. “He’s ancient. I won’t be offended. There’s stuff I’ll do better than him.”

  “Now I’m dying to know too,” Dylan admitted. “What did you like that he did, sweetie?”

  I swallowed loudly and bit the bullet, realizing it would only make things more awkward if I didn’t just spit it out. “He’s so fast that when he—” I looked at Aidan, not wanting to be rude as he was there and the compliment was for him. “I’ve never orgasmed like that from oral sex. You were like all fingers and tongue and lips and all at once, and it was fan-fucking-tastic.”

  “Would you allow me the honor again?” he asked after a moment.

  “Um, we’re not—I don’t know—” I rambled, ducking my head a bit.

  “Let me please you, Acadia. Nothing more. I’ll show the angels how to touch you like you desire when all you do is worry about all of our desires.”

  Shit, that was so sweet I melted. I nodded, glancing up at him from under my lashes. “Just that?”

  “I would do whatever you allow me,” he answered, looking confused again.

  “I could give you the address I’m staying at while here if you maybe sent more strawberries.” I gave him a hesitant look, not sure if that was demanding or extending an olive branch. I was trying to do the latter when the guy had gone into fucking battle with ISLE for me. That and being so sweet, crying because he hurt me and not caring who was around, was pretty swoon worthy after all.

  His lips twitched. “I found some delicious hot chocolate with strawberry marshmallows in it and thought of you.”

  “That does sound good,” I mumbled as he stood and came closer to me, suddenly nervous when I’d just made out with some angels in front of him and was completely naked. “Maybe we could have a mug later?”

  “Sounds wonderful.” He knelt behind me and leaned over, kissing my shoulder, his breath catching when I shivered. I moaned as his desire hit me. “No, not what I want. What do you want, darling?”

  I went with cheeky. “What’s easiest to teach your students?” I blinked, and he had me up and on the kitchen counter, spread out for everyone who wanted to see.

  “You’re sure?” he checked as he moved closer.

  “Thank you for checking,” I whispered, touched that he was taking what happened seriously. I nodded and then spent the next several minutes riding the oral sex bliss train as the ancient rocked my world in the way most men couldn’t. I actually pulled away when I couldn’t take any more, curling on my side on the counter and twitching.

  “Bloody fuck, you enjoyed that, love,” Evan chuckled, giving me a heated look. “You really enjoyed that.”

  I gave a happy groan as my body shivered again and I had another mini orgasm. “Shit, my body’s still going.”

  “May I carry you back to the fire, as you’re shivering?” Aidan asked hesitantly, smiling when I nodded. He lifted me in his strong arms, his posture and mood much lighter than earlier. “You need to eat to process what you fed before, right?”

  I nodded with a yawn. “And there’s a lot of work to do.”

  “Then let’s get you some sugar and see what we can do to help.”

  I smiled as I snuggled against him. “I kinda like you when you’re nice and listen instead of pushy and assuming.”

  “This very old dog can learn new tricks, I promise,” he murmured as my eyes fell closed.

  I told myself I’d just close them a minute, but that was never how it worked. I woke with a start and seemed to know somehow someone was on my systems, blinking around and rubbing my eyes.

  “She’s a fucking genius, I told you,” Dylan muttered as he leaned over Aidan who was in my chair. “She’s the one who hacked ISLE. I’d bet anything it was her. She’s doing stuff on her cases that we can’t even do and the head of our tech said wasn’t possible.”

  “Does she have a flaw?” Evan asked quietly. “She’s sexy as can be, funny, smart, a computer genius hacker now, badass spy and undercover hottie, and she was singing like a fucking song bird earlier. I mean, really, no woman is that bloody perfect.”

  “I do take off my clothes for other men and swear like a fucking sailor,” I drawled, leaning over the back of the couch and batting my eyelashes at them when they looked at me. “Plus, I’m horrible with returning calls, dates, and just about anything of normal adult responsibilities. Lewis handles everything from my phones to paying my utilities at my real apartment. And I can’t cook. I mean, I cannot cook.”

  Someone snorted loudly, and I saw one of the security guys. “She’s not kidding. You remember when you almost burnt down that one place—”

  “That wasn’t my fault,” I defended. “How was I supposed to know there was metal inside the cardboard container thing? Why hide it in cardboard if you can’t zap it?”

  “Because you’re supposed to bake the catering trays that are like that,” he drawled. “On a cookie sheet. It said right on the directions not to put it in the microwave. And the fact it was bigger than the microwave should have been a clue. You just shoved it in there like no one would notice.”

  “And be careful waking her up,” Kyle warned.

  “Hey, you so deserved that last slug,” I grumbled as I turned to Aidan, Dylan, and Evan. “I hit one of them with a pillow when they startled me. Then they’re yelling across the room or tossing shit at me, yanking my leg to wake me so the poor babies don’t get hit. Yeah, most people would slug someone if they shook your shoulder funny.”

  “You kicked me in the head the first time I woke you up, and I was super gentle,” Kyle drawled.

  “I have no memory of that. Did Kiera bring dessert?” I glanced around. “Where are the angels?”

  “There were too many cooks in the kitchen of wanting to help you, and since Dylan is actually ISLE and a cop—even if a supe cop—and Aidan is a councilman—”

  “He’s what now?” I asked, blinking at Kyle like I’d misheard that before slowly looking at Aidan. “You’re what?”

  He cleared his throat. “I am on the vampire council as an ancient, but more a junior or alternate member, as I’m one of the youngest and it is not my full time focus.”

  We stared at each other a few moments before I figured out what to say. “Did going to battle with ISLE help your standing, or was it some political move I don’t get as I suck at politics?”

  It was his turn to be quiet before shaking his head. “No, there is—I can’t see any way that helped me. I was incredibly pushy, which is frowned upon from a junior member. It panned out and I was right, you gave us what we needed to push the issue, and it would have majorly blown up in my face if you hadn’t maybe, but I see no gain from this for me. I did it for you, for all supes even as ISLE has gone off the rails from where it used to be.”

  “Thanks for answering,” I said when Dylan nodded he was telling the truth, but I could tell too. “It’s pretty mean to assume you did it for other reasons, but I probably would ask even if we were solid. I really don’t get into politics, and it all bores me. I mean, global politics and economics I find interesting, but all that other stuff is just the same bullshit that should stop.”

  I went for dessert, moaning when there was a selection of cakes, and then kicked them off my system.

  “Elijah asked for the money trail,” Kyle told me. “I’m assuming from the ISLE director to those we think are with him?”

  I nodded, clicking on what I’d found and pulling it up. “I’ve got ten confirmed transfers from his hidden accounts to others of upper rank working at ISLE, but I need a full agent roster for more and council people he wants me to check. I’m blindly chasing transfers then. I’ve got them all, but they’re not matched
up.”

  “Give me that, Lewis can get on it.” He sighed when I gave him a frown. “You’ve got more than enough on your plate. Delegate it. We’re about done in Canada on our end, so give us work.”

  I nodded, transferring it all to an external drive and tossing it over to him. “Where are you on the list of plates?”

  “We ran all the plates we pulled from the surveillance video you got of where she was working for the last week,” he answered, gesturing to something else up on the huge boards. “We’ve talked to ten so far as PIs working the murder. All confirmed that she only did ‘Headbands.’ So she fits the working theory.”

  “What is the theory?” Dylan asked, studying what we had so far.

  “That it’s someone who’s not getting what he or she wants,” I answered, going over to the boards with the six victim pictures, tapping them in order of murder. “Stripper that didn’t do anything else, experimentalist that didn’t give sex, prostitute we’re looking into, stripper at a club that did side sex but she didn’t, yoga instructor that maybe took off clothes for hot yoga but not sex even if the cops labeled her a hooker, and a hooker who only gave oral.”

  “Wide range,” Aidan grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “What led you to the theory?”

  “Pine cracked a joke about Goldilocks and there was no pattern so maybe he just wasn’t finding anyone ‘just right,’ but the level of rage after killing them execution style and humiliating them seems to sort of fit with that.” I shrugged. “We really don’t know, and the cops had next to nothing.”

  “Bullet matches, confirmed,” Kyle told me as I glanced at the last victim, Debra Meyer.

  I caught a glimpse of something on Pamela’s picture and thought back to the corner reports. “They all had ink, right? Didn’t the autopsies note they all had tats?”

  Kyle flipped through a bunch of folders on the dining room table, nodding after a moment. “Yeah, all of them.”

  “Let’s see if any of the ink is recent and if they got it from the same place,” I replied as I went back to my setup. “The killer seems to be bouncing back and forth. Stripper first, then not hooker that people might group with hooker. Yoga instructor to now hooker.”

  “Yoga instructor did do hot yoga,” one of the others guys told me.

  “What is your thing with hot yoga?” Evan asked with a frown. “I like hot yoga.”

  “I do too, but ultra conservatives group it with titty bars as most wear next to nothing doing it,” I answered, rolling my eyes. “You know, seeing all that skin will make people lose their minds and orgies will ensue or whatever crazy they have in their heads.”

  “Should we warn our go-go dancers?” he asked quietly. “Is that close enough that one of them could be hurt?”

  “Yeah, sorry,” I answered, giving him a sympathetic look. “I can’t even tell you how to warn them. There was pre and post death bruising, so he doesn’t just drug them but might lead them somewhere or they went willingly and then changed their mind. The dump scenes were cold by the time we got involved and they’re fairly public, so there’s tons of everything.”

  “Except cameras,” Kyle grumbled.

  “Yeah, except surveillance. We’re also floating a theory of pimps expanding or like the owner that was going to force me to dance for him and then pimp me out. He’s not the first to try that, and he won’t be the last.”

  He called Owen to warn him and decide if they should give the dancers a week off or so. I told him that he had to keep on the DL as the press had next to none of this, but yeah, it was smart. And nice of them to do as bosses. It really raised my opinion of them both that they would give paid days off to dancers just to keep them safe.

  I ended up working until really late, Dylan finally getting me to go to bed after I zonked out at my setup and woke with my head banging on the desk. Yeah, that hurt.

  It also made me too tired to argue when they both hinted they wanted to come stay at my place. I took the four of us through the portal to the parking garage where we’d started the crazy at, and Dylan drove his rental while Aidan drove my car and Evan his to where I was staying. I waved goodnight to Evan as we got off the elevator, and he pulled me in for a kiss which I enjoyed.

  Then I let the guys in, muttering they could sleep wherever, as there were a few bedrooms that were probably ready for guests. I really should be more specific because moments after I crawled into bed naked, I felt the mattress dip on either side of me.

  Right, of course they’d pick my bed as the one they wanted.

  15

  The next morning there was a knock on the door, and I went to roll out of bed but found a large, ancient vampire there. I fumbled to get over him, waking him with my knee somewhere bad if the groan he let out was any indication. Reaching for clothes, I dropped them when I realized who was at the door.

  “Still sleeping,” I grumbled to Owen and Evan as I let them in. I didn’t even wait, wanting my comfy bed with the huge bear heater that was super awesome now that it was getting cold. “I have my own fluffy bear.” I giggled as I climbed into bed.

  “What was that?” Dylan asked as I slid in next to him. “Are you making bear jokes again?”

  “Yes. Shift and let me snuggle against warm fur,” I teased him as his arm came around me. I moaned as his desire hit me, squirming as a few more hit me after hearing me moan. “Fuck, fuck, yes, someone fuck me. Oh shit, yes, wake me up with cock.”

  “So four of us wanting her sexy ass immediately overwhelms her,” Aidan muttered as he moved his hand over my mouth. “Stop thinking of naughty things so we can find out if she really wants us to kiss her good morning.”

  I answered by rubbing my ass against Dylan’s huge, hard dick that was pressed up against my back.

  “Sweetie, I’m going to put it in you if you keep teasing me, and we’re trying not to make the same mistakes,” Dylan muttered as he held me still. He kissed my shoulder and tried to settle me, but I didn’t want that now that such hot desires were overwhelming me.

  I met Aidan’s gaze as I licked his fingers and rubbed my nipples over his naked chest since he’d turned on his side to face me. He licked his lips as he watched me move until Dylan moved his other arm around me too.

  “Sorry, crap, it’s so tempting,” Aidan grumbled as he rolled out of bed and looked away from me. “How do you ever have anyone sleep over or date?”

  “I don’t,” I answered honestly, settling down as they chilled, Dylan trying his hardest to behave while holding me naked. “I think I’ve repeatedly told you I only play with someone once and move on. I don’t date. I don’t have sleep overs. I’ve never had a boyfriend or lover. I had one guy I ever called that, a vampire who was young like me, but then I found out he was feeding me and being patient because he wanted to sell my virginity.”

  “And on that note, time to go work out,” Owen replied as he grabbed my ankle. He must have shared a look with Dylan because Dylan let go in time and Owen dragged me to the edge of the bed. “I’m stealing a kiss because you’re naked and I’m not perfect.”

  “It’s not stealing if you warn me,” I chuckled as I tilted my head to receive it. “And I have morning breath, so the joke is on you.”

  “So worth it, love,” he groaned as his lips touched mine. I leaned back so he moved over me, his hands misbehaving as I squirmed on the bed under him. He wrapped me around him and walked us over to the bathroom, setting me on my feet. “Clean up or I will ravage you.”

  “I’m sort of shocked you didn’t,” I admitted.

  He shrugged, turning away as if he hadn’t already seen me naked. “You said friends. We agreed to that to work out with you this week, and now we know you’ve never dated, so we’ll get to courting you when you’re ready.”

  I stared at the door when he closed it. That was so ridiculously sweet I didn’t even know what to say. We’d started by having sex and me getting evil revenge on both of them, and now they were acting like this was a teen romance movie or something.


  One that was on crack, but whatever, the point was the same and it was cute.

  It also made me come back out in a towel, shy for some reason like I didn’t know what to do. I quickly threw on my workout clothes and a thick hoodie for over along with grabbing my stuff before turning to Aidan and Dylan who were both dressed like they were leaving.

  “No offense, mates, but this is our thing with her,” Owen told them. “You both know her better than us, and we’ve not been pushy on that, but she agreed to let us join her for this.”

  I nodded, glancing at Dylan. “And you’re supposed to be in protective custody or whatever. You can’t just be showing your face around Denver after what happened.”

  “Right, yeah, didn’t think about that,” he muttered, glancing around awkwardly. “Um, can I get my bags and clean up until you have work? Do you mind if I hang out and help at that home base house?”

  “Yeah, that’s okay,” I agreed, fidgeting a bit. “I mean, yeah, you can stay here as long as you keep out of trouble. I told Jade she could have a date here with Greg tomorrow night while I’m at work since this place has the hot tubs and whatever. They’ve helped me out a lot already.”

  “He works for us and is a good guy,” Evan promised. I wasn’t sure why he did that. Were they worried about a strange man in my apartment?

  They realized I was a demon, right?

  And that I’d slept with all of them before knowing them?

  I glanced over to the fireplace and living room, peeking over to the balcony as well and picturing what they could do for the date.

  “You’re thinking of how to set your friends up with some sort of romantic picnic, aren’t you?” Aidan asked quietly. He smiled as my gaze snapped to his as I felt my cheeks heat. “I’d be glad to call someone to help with that if you could use the portal to pick it up.”

  I studied him before giving a slow nod. “But?”

  “Would you tell me what you liked of it?” he murmured as he came closer. “Maybe we could have a picnic soon too, if you’d like? Do you prefer to eat in?”