The self-hatred coiling inside me kept me frozen. I had no doubt my feet would eventually move, or one of the women would approach me, and I would give in to my weakness.
It was going to be an endless immortality if this cycle of self-hatred and denial continued.
Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair and tugged at the ends of it as my eyes fell on a woman standing across the clearing. She had her arms crossed over her chest and a red cup in hand. An amused smile curved the corners of her lush, pink lips when her brown doe eyes met mine.
The fire danced in her irises as she surveyed me. The movement caused her chocolate hair to sway around her shoulders. The slight up tilt at the end of her slender nose made her more alluring.
She took another sip of her drink and licked the wetness from her lips. I hadn’t considered it possible, but I hardened further as lust hammered through my veins. I forgot all about trying to deny myself as I imagined grasping her hair as I pulled her close for a kiss….
No!
Not a kiss. That could never happen, but I could hold her hair and slide its silky depths through my fingers while I peeled away her clothes to reveal what lay beneath. Unlike everyone else here, she wore a pair of brown pants and a navy blue sweater that fit snugly across her breasts.
Somehow, the clothes were sexier than if she’d been wearing nothing. But then, once she was naked, I probably wouldn’t agree with that anymore.
Extremely beautiful, she looked entirely human, but the raw sexuality oozing from her screamed demon. If she was a human, I couldn’t have her. Demons could handle what I did to them if I kept it in control, but I would never risk being with a human again after Sarah.
The idea of not possessing this woman caused my nails to bite into my palms until they bled. I’d hate to turn her away, but I would if it was necessary.
When she set her cup down on a table by a tent, I braced myself as she sauntered across the clearing toward me.
Chapter Four
Aisling
The man caught my attention the second he emerged from between two tents to stand at the edge of the circle. The other demons didn’t often smile when they came to the bonfire, but they were relaxed and eager to plunge into the hedonism openly offered here. This man looked tormented and lost as he stared at the others with a clenched jaw and sweat beading his brow.
He looked like he was waging war with himself, but what kind of battle could he possibly be fighting? This was a place for fun. Even the humans who came here did so because they were eager to experience the ecstasy the demons so readily offered.
I didn’t know what to make of this guy as I sipped my mjéod and studied him taking in the activities with a look of disgust and yearning. Usually, such a tortured soul would have me walking away. I didn’t have time for someone who didn’t know what they wanted, and if they sought anything more than sex, I had less time for them.
I found myself strangely captivated by this guy as a range of emotions played over his face. Maybe it was because he was gorgeous with his short brown hair and chiseled jaw. About six inches taller than my five-eight height, he was broad through the shoulders and chest. He wore clothes, but the way they hugged him emphasized the layers of muscle beneath.
When he turned his head and his eyes met mine, I sucked in a breath at the vibrant, indigo color of them. His eyebrows rose as he surveyed me. I shifted when I found myself growing aroused by the intensity of his gaze.
I sipped my mjéod as I tried to decide what to do. Tormented wasn’t my thing when it came to men, but this one had my curiosity running wild. Curiosity killed the cat, but was she purring when she died? Because I had a feeling this guy could make me purr, and though a part of me was screaming run, the biggest part of me was ready to let him pet me all over.
I’d never seen him before, which meant either a new group of soldiers had arrived at the wall, or he was part of the group from the Wilds who was supposed to return today.
He had a soul; I could see it. It was a beautiful, shimmering white light with golden edges that radiated warmth, but there was also a streak of red going down the back of it. I didn’t take the red as anger; I’d seen the souls of angry people, and that anger was a festering thing inside them.
This red was more a steel rod of strength running down his spine. Without speaking to him, I guessed he was kind and strong and possessed the spirit of a warrior. The soul meant he had to be human, but power oozed from him in a way it never did from humans.
I forgot all about purring as I tried to figure this man out. Who and what was he? Was he like me—a human who later learned they were part demon—or was he something more? One thing was certain, I’d never get the answers to my questions by standing here and staring at him.
Deciding that tormented could be my thing for a night, I took another sip of mjéod, set my cup down, and strolled across the clearing toward him. His shoulders went back as his gaze dipped to my breasts. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling; he may look like he preferred to be somewhere else, but I had him.
I didn’t stop when I reached him; instead, I trailed my fingers across his chest and back. Slowly circling him, I admired the breadth of his shoulders and the way his pants hugged his firm ass. I couldn’t wait to sink my nails into that ass as he thrust within me.
“Do you like what you see?” I asked as I stopped before him.
“Yes.”
When he said the word, I spotted two upper fangs. Not human, but what is he? And how can he have a soul and fangs?
“Do you like what you see?” he inquired.
“You’ve made me curious.”
“Curious about what?”
I smiled at him as I rose on my toes to grip his shoulders and turned my head so my lips brushed his ear while I whispered, “As to what your mouth is going to feel like between my thighs, because you are going to tongue fuck me until I say you can stop.”
He growled as I smiled at him. When my hand brushed his, heat flared through me, and I nearly yanked my hand away to gawk at it. I learned I was part demon when I stopped aging two years ago and developed the ability to produce fire. Since then, I’d screwed numerous male demons, and a couple of humans before then, but I’d never experienced anything like that.
It scared me, but at the same time, I found myself yearning for more of him as my toes curled in my boots. I was part demon, but I wasn’t into the exhibition many of them enjoyed. However, that didn’t matter as I was close to pulling his pants off and taking him right here.
The obvious bulge in the front of his pants wasn’t helping to keep me focused on finding somewhere private to enjoy him. Suddenly, the hundred feet to my tent seemed like miles.
“Come,” I murmured, and taking his hand, I led him into the maze of tents.
“Are you human?” he asked.
I glanced at him over my shoulder. “Do I look human?”
“Yes.”
“Do I act human?”
He hesitated before responding. “I’m not sure.”
I laughed and squeezed his hand. “Do you want me to be human?”
“No,” he grated in a voice that did funny things to my insides.
“Then I’m a demon.”
I wasn’t expecting him to come to an abrupt halt before pulling me around. My eyebrows shot up, but my protest died when I saw his hooded eyes and the serious expression on his face. A vein in his forehead stood out as he stepped closer to me. I held my ground against him, but that might have been worse as his chest pressed into mine and fire spread through my veins.
What was it about this guy that kept me here? If any other man acted like this, I’d walk back to the fire and find another or go home alone, but I wanted to ease his tension. I used my free hand to stroke his arm; I smiled when he shivered and his eyes closed halfway.
“It’s important I know what you are,” he said.
“And why is that?”
“Because I’m afraid I’ll hurt a human.”
Those words were like a cold bucket of ice over my head. “Are you violent then? Because I’m up for many things, but I don’t mix violence and sex. I already taught one demon that lesson when he decided slapping me was the way he liked to get off. From what I heard, it took him a week to regrow the balls I tore off him before burning them.”
His eyes widened before narrowing. I fully expected him to walk away after my admission, and good riddance, because I was not about to deal with that again.
“Is that demon in this camp?” he demanded.
The anger in his voice surprised me, but it must have surprised him too as he blinked before shaking his head. We didn’t know each other, but I suspected if I said yes, he would hunt the bastard down and make my castration of him look like a party.
“No. I think he’s still in Virginia, but I’m not sure,” I said. “Either way, I’m not into violence.”
He clasped my hand and turned it over. He ran his fingers over mine in a caress that was so out of place with demons, it took my breath away. I’d enjoyed a lot of sex over the years, but I couldn’t recall the last time someone touched me with such tenderness. It made my knees wobble as my desire for him grew.
Damn it, what was this man doing to me, and why was he so different than all the other demons?
“What are you?” I inquired.
He gave me a sad smile. “I’m a demon.”
“Hmm,” I said, but I didn’t entirely buy it.
Either way, I didn’t care. Sex with him might not be the best decision I’d ever make, but I’d made it.
“I’m a demon,” I said and tugged his hand as I started toward my tent again.
Chapter Five
Hawk
I admired the sway of her hips as she walked, but I had to utter the words that might chase her away. “What’s your name?”
She shot me a playful smile over her shoulder as she released my hand and removed her shirt. My breath sucked in when she revealed her pale skin and black bra. Her full breasts nearly spilled out of the bra as she reached up to drape the shirt around my shoulders. When she gave both ends a little tug, I caught the scent of something sweet and realized it came from her.
As much as I admired her lithe body and ample breasts, I wanted to cover her with the shirt so no one else saw her. I glanced around, but no one was nearby.
“Does my name matter?” Her voice held the faint hint of a Southern accent.
With most of the women I’d been with, no, it didn’t matter. Tonight… “Yes.”
“It’s Aisling, but you can call me whatever you want.” She stopped outside a small tent and pulled back the flap to reveal the shadowed interior. “Here we are.”
I ached to go in there, but she had to know the truth before this went any further. The knowledge of what I was had scared away some demons before, and I didn’t know what I’d do if she turned me away, but I’d vowed not to keep what I was from any of my partners.
The idea of returning to that fire and finding another made my stomach twist with nausea, but if I didn’t feed soon, then I would become a risk. I wanted her more than I could ever recall wanting another, but I forced the words from my throat.
“I’m a canagh demon, Aisling.”
She frowned as she released the flap. I glanced at the tent behind her; I assumed it was hers if she’d led me here, but she seemed confused. Didn’t all demons know about the canaghs?
I supposed it could be possible not to know about certain types of demons as there were hundreds of different species, but the canaghs were numerous and deadly. Every other demon I encountered had known what I was when I said it, so why didn’t she?
“Is that your tent?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Do you know what a canagh demon is?”
“No. What is it?” she asked.
“Have you heard of an incubus before?”
“Yes.”
“Canagh demons are where the legend of the incubus and succubus came from in the human world. Just like them, I feed on sexual energy.”
“And you’re going to feed on me if we have sex?”
“Yes.”
Her gaze ran over me as she placed the tip of her finger on her lip and nibbled it. “Will it hurt?”
“It might weaken you, but I won’t take enough to cause any permanent damage.”
“And can you cause permanent damage?”
I refused to lie to her. “Yes, but I don’t do that.”
She removed her finger from her mouth to run it down the front of my shirt. “And how do I know I can trust you?”
“If I meant you harm, would I tell you this? I could have kept it from you.”
“Good point,” she said as she tapped her fingers against my chest. “So why didn’t you keep it from me?”
“Because I refuse to feed on someone without their knowledge.”
“How noble of you,” she murmured as she traced the line running down the center of my stomach. “Will I like it when you feed on me?”
“You probably won’t know until it’s over, but I promise you’ll experience a lot of pleasure.”
“I’m going to hold you to that promise.”
She turned away, pulled back the flap, and swept inside the tent. I stood for a second before following her inside. The rustle of the flap falling back in place was the only sound in the small tent. I searched for her in the darkness, but it was as if she’d melted into the shadows.
Then a flame emerged as she lit a lamp and turned it up until it revealed a cot against the wall and a small table in the center of the room that had one chair pushed into it. A trunk sat at the end of the bed; the open lid revealed the neatly folded clothes inside. Another trunk was against the far wall, and though the top was closed, I suspected it housed weapons.
The golden glow of the lamp she set on a small nightstand near the cot danced over her skin as she sashayed toward me. She stopped in front of me and ran her hands down my stomach before resting them on my waist.
“I don’t think you need this,” she said.
Her deft fingers undid my holster before pulling it away. She lowered my guns to the ground before tugging her shirt off my shoulders and tossing it aside. Unable to stop myself, I grasped a piece of her hair and let the silken strands slide through my fingers. She removed the rifle from my back and set it against the wall of the tent.
Tugging her hair free of my hand, she turned away and undid her bra. My teeth ground together as I admired the sway of her breasts while she walked. She undid her pants and kicked off her boots. Stopping before the table, she turned to face me as she slid her pants down her round hips and long, shapely legs. She pulled them off one leg before using her toes to kick them off the remaining leg.
The flame danced over her skin as she sat on the table and slid back a little. Spreading her legs, she gave me a good view of the brown curls between them. Hooking her finger, she beckoned me toward her. I obeyed her command as the enticing scent of her arousal fanned my hunger into an inferno.
When I was only a few feet away from her, she pointed down and smiled at me. “You’re going to feed on me in more than one way,” she said. “It will be easier if you’re on your knees.”
I quirked an eyebrow as she gave me a sultry smile. Over the past year, I’d become accustomed to demons knowing what they wanted and asking for it, yet there was a challenge in her sparkling eyes. I was more than ready to answer that challenge.
I didn’t know how many others she’d been with, but she would never forget me or this night. Stopping before her, I rested my hands on the table next to her hips. She leaned further back and planted her hands behind her; the movement caused her hardened nipples to rise toward me.
“So that you know—” I skimmed my knuckles down the valley between her breasts before bending to tease one of her nipples with my tongue. “—I expect to see that beautiful mouth of yours on my cock tonight too.”
* * *
Aisling
Co
nfusion tickled at the edges of the passion he so easily stoked to life within me. I somehow managed to keep my smile in place. Demons didn’t talk about beauty; hell, they didn’t talk.
Any other demon would have followed me in here and been banging me already. They wouldn’t be staring at me with that ravenous look while they caressed my breasts and teased me until I was on the verge of begging for mercy.
At eighteen, I volunteered to go to the wall, but I hadn’t started messing around with demons until I was twenty-three. That was when my body suddenly started going through all kinds of changes; the biggest being the astonishing ability to create small balls of fire in my hand, but I also found myself moving faster, seeing better, hearing better, and feeling more sensitive to things like touch and the world around me.
When they learned what I could do, the demons brought me into their fold, and I discovered I was a descendant of one of the demons who walked the earth over six thousand years ago—a time before the angels fell from Heaven. Before the gateway opened, I might never have experienced any changes, but with the gateway open, I was more one of them than a human now. And I was immortal.
At first, I dug my heels in and refused to believe it, but it didn’t take much time for me to accept what they were saying. The sudden balls of fire helped with that, as did all the other changes my body was going through. I didn’t eat, go to the bathroom, or sleep as much.
My sex drive amped up, and at first, I was hesitant about being with a demon, but once I decided to try it, I discovered how much I enjoyed it. No matter how casual it was with a demon, they always made sure I found my release too.
I’d slept with a couple of humans before becoming a demon, but they never quite fulfilled me. I realized why when I discovered I wasn’t entirely human; I’d needed a beast to make me come.
Kiss of Death: Hell on Earth Series, Book 3 Page 3