by Jill Myles
Noah gripped my hips and withdrew slightly, then plunged into me again and again, each stroke driving me wilder. My leg muscles started to clench with the onset of orgasm, and I cried out his name with each thrust.
Sensing my nearness, Noah whispered my name and pushed into me fully, the hard, single drive of his cock sending me over the top. My whole body tensed in the throes of an intense orgasm. It went on for what seemed like forever and then began to build once more when Noah thrust into me again, slowly, lovingly. I nearly climaxed again in that moment.
Then Noah thrust into me with all the force of his body, and I gladly received each hard, rough thrust with a cry of pleasure, spiraling back up the stairs of delight before I’d even had a chance to descend.
Just as my body locked into its second intense orgasm, Noah shouted my name and thrust one last time, orgasming too. He fell on top of me, sweaty and breathing hard, and I wrapped my arms around him in satiated pleasure.
Reality returned faster than I’d have liked. We were in the middle of Remy’s living room, making stains on her expensive couch, and Ethel was probably upstairs, clucking at all the noise we were making.
My face flamed with embarrassment and I poked Noah in the shoulder. Not that I wanted to-he felt wonderful, so heavy and thick on top of me and inside me. “Um, Noah?”
He slid off me and stretched, not embarrassed in the slightest. “Yes, you’re right.”
“I didn’t say any-”
“If we’re going to fix this mess you’ve created, we need to start moving soon. There’s less than an hour before the vamps all retire for the day.” Noah moved toward the nearby windows and opened the blinds. Early-morning sunlight poured in.
I frowned, pulling my clothes back on. So much for Noah being sensitive to my feelings. I would have felt used for a minute there, except for the fact that I had used him and not the other way around. “They’re probably already asleep. The sun’s up by now.”
He shook his head and retrieved his pants from across the room. “There’s a time window where his kind interlaps with mine-just about two hours. Clean yourself up and dress quickly, and we should make it.”
“You’re not much for pillow talk, are you?” I sighed after him, then hurried upstairs to change.
Twenty minutes later, I was hanging on to the chicken bar in Noah’s Ford Explorer for dear life. I squeezed my eyes shut as he ran another red light (third one in a row) and honked his way into an exit-lane merge.
“My God, you’re going to kill us! What is it with you and Remy and the awful driving?” I screamed as the car screeched to a halt and I slammed up against the window. I squeezed one eye open to glance at my surroundings, almost afraid of what I’d see.
Noah gave me a cross look. “Did you want to get here fast or didn’t you?”
“I wanted to get here whole, is what I wanted,” I muttered, climbing out of the car and shaking out my jittery legs. I’d changed into jean shorts, sneakers, and a black T-shirt from Remy’s closet advertising Trojan Latex Condoms. Okay, so it wasn’t perfect, but all my clothes were at my apartment, and everything Remy bought for me had sequins or feathers or exposed way too much skin.
Club Midnight looked very different in the cheerful morning sunlight. No crowd waiting outside, empty parking lot. “Do you think it’s closed?”
“Not to the right people.” Noah pocketed his keys and strode up to the front door, pushing it open.
I scrambled after him. It wasn’t that I wanted to go in, as much as I didn’t want to be left behind in the middle of vampire territory. “Wait for me!”
He didn’t, but I managed to catch up to him in record time and cling to his sleeve. The entryway was deserted and stank of old cigarette smoke and weed, and empty beer bottles lined the walls. No one was around.
Noah took my hand and pulled me through the main room of the club. “Door to the back?”
“Yeah,” I said, clinging to him. I admired Noah’s calm as we made our way through the den of the enemy. My own heart was thudding at a rapid, frightening pace, and my body still throbbed despite Noah’s loving. That meant that the Itch was going to rear itself again very soon. My hand clenched against Noah’s at the thought.
I forced myself to focus on the situation, since no mean, nasty vampires were flinging themselves at us. Yet. “Gee, it seems like everybody went to bed already. Maybe we should come back later-”
“Don’t chicken out on me now, Jackie,” Noah warned, pushing through the door that led to the dark room where I’d met Zane last time.
It shouldn’t have surprised me that Zane was still there, smoking a cigarette and leaning against a table, looking as calm as could be. Perhaps a little sleepy, but I doubted that made him less dangerous. In his dark trench coat and his sexy, tousled hair, he looked like a movie star slumming it in the bad part of town.
Until he smiled, baring his fangs. “Back with reinforcements, I see. One visit a night wasn’t enough for you?” He took a long drag on the cigarette and then ground it out underneath his thick boot. “You must have a thing for fangs.”
I flushed and stepped closer to Noah, letting his broad form protect me. “We’re here to get Remy, so you might as well tell your queen that we want her back.”
Ohpleaseohpleaseohplease, don’t make me see the queen again.
Zane laughed aloud and arched a brow at Noah. “And what brings you here?”
Noah squeezed my hand to silence me, and gestured to the door that Zane was blocking. “Is the queen still in the building?”
“She is. What makes you think that she’d be interested in seeing one of your kind?” Zane crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his head at Noah, still amused by the two of us.
“I have a deal to offer her.”
Huh? I jerked Noah’s hand and tried to whisper quietly, “What sort of deal?”
His dark eyes focused intently on Noah, Zane acted as if he hadn’t heard me. “What sort of deal?”
“I’m afraid that my business is hers alone,” Noah replied stiffly, hostility radiating from his body.
They were locked in a stare-down.
Zane shrugged at last. “Suit yourself. I’ll take you to her.”
Noah gently touched my cheek. “Stay here, Jackie.”
“Stay here? Are you on drugs?” But my feet stayed planted as he went to the other door and knocked quietly. Zane opened it, flashing a quick smirk my way.
“Noah,” I protested, “don’t leave me here with him.” I pointed a finger at Zane. “In case you hadn’t noticed, all these vampires want a bit of Suck action, and it makes for awkward conversation.”
Noah laughed and returned to kiss me on the mouth possessively, no doubt trying to brand me as “his” in front of Zane. “He’s going with me. You’ll be here by yourself.”
“Oh.” So I wouldn’t have to see the scary demon queen. Relieved, I went to a booth to wait. “Don’t take too long, okay?”
The smile Noah sent in my direction was slightly wistful, his gaze lingering on me. “I won’t.”
Both men disappeared through the door that led to the lower chambers, leaving me to wonder.
Time passed with excruciating slowness.
I couldn’t tell how much time had passed, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, anyway. I felt like a huge coward for allowing Noah to go see the scary queen by himself, and tried not to think about what was going on. What sort of deal could Noah make with a vampire queen? Blood? Money? Both?
I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and jumped to my feet.
Dear lord, don’t let it be the queen.
The door opened and I squeezed my eyes shut.
“Jackie?” Remy asked. “What are you doing?”
My eyes flew open in surprise. “Remy! You’re free!” I leapt up from the booth to hug her.
She stood there silently, letting me hug her without moving. I pulled away questioningly. “Remy?”
She moved for the door leading out, ignor
ing me. As she reached for the doorknob, I glanced back and saw Zane in the doorway that led downstairs, watching us. I scowled at him and turned my back. The sooner I was out of his presence, the better. “Remy,” I said again. “Where’s Noah? Is he coming?”
“No,” Remy said, her voice soft and exhausted. “He’s not.”
Fear trickled through me. I turned to Zane in disbelief. “He’s not? Why not?”
“You a little slow on the uptake, Princess?” Zane looked me up and down, then gave a small shake of his head. “He offered a trade to the queen. Himself for your friend.”
I went numb. “He did?” I turned to Remy, seeing Noah’s protective smile in my mind. The way he held my hand to reassure me. His gentle caresses. “He gave himself to her?”
“I told him not to,” Remy said, her normal ebullient personality vanished. “He wouldn’t listen. At first she wanted you in exchange for me. Her plan was to get a new succubus under her wing to train as she liked. She knows she can’t do much with me, since I have a long-standing agreement with my master. But you’d be perfect for her plans.” Remy’s bleached eyes met mine, and I realized what she’d been through.
The fear that had been trickling through me turned into a full-blown panic attack. “Me? Why does she want me?”
“She doesn’t. At least not now.” Zane strode forward, shutting the door behind him. “Once your friend Noah heard that, he offered himself in your place. Nitocris didn’t waste any time-she’s waited centuries to get her hands on another angel, even a fallen one.”
I was going to be sick. “What do we do now?”
Remy snorted angrily. “We go find the damn halo and bring it back to her.”
I put a hand to my forehead, trying to will my racing thoughts into order. “Right. Halo. Crap, we can’t give it to her, Remy.” That would be disastrous all around.
“That’s why you’re going to give it to me,” Zane said, his mocking voice close to my ear. “I’m coming with you. Queen’s orders.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Excuse me?” I stared at Zane. “You’re not coming anywhere with me, jerk-off. Got that?”
“You don’t have a choice,” Zane said, and I felt his hands encircle my neck.
I froze, but he only began to rub my shoulders, as if trying to relax me. Relax? Ha! I skittered away from him, shooting him a scathing glance.
“If I don’t come back with the halo, the queen’s going to destroy your friend. If she catches wind that you’ve abandoned me, left me behind, or worse, conspired with the Host rather than her, your friend bites it. Understand?” He leaned toward me, that arch smile pulling at his mouth.
“Yeah, I got it. Let me guess, the queen has spies everywhere, right? This is like a bad B-movie. I’m waiting for Bruce Campbell to come rushing through the door, trailed by zombies.” I rubbed my forehead, feeling the onset of a headache.
“Your friend is very flippant, Remy. She must get that from you.” Zane sounded amused. Did nothing get under this asshole’s skin?
“Trust me, Jackie was like that long before we hooked up.”
I would have been offended if I hadn’t heard the thread of amusement in her voice. It sounded like the old Remy I knew, not the shell-shocked, exhausted one who had emerged from the dark depths.
“I can’t take credit for anything except her taste in fashion,” she added.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t take too much credit in that,” Zane murmured. His lighter flared, illuminating the hard angles of his face as he lit another cigarette. “So what’s the plan, girls? Lead and I’ll follow.”
“Back to my place,” said Remy, her jaw set grimly. “We’ll get some equipment and do some research in the daylight hours, dumping you in my basement until the sun goes down.”
“You sure do know how to sweet-talk a man.” Zane chuckled, then took a drag on the cigarette. “I can hardly wait.”
“I’ll bet.” Remy sounded disgusted. “Let’s go.”
The ride back to Remy’s mansion was an interesting one. She wasn’t talking to me. At all. I couldn’t tell if she was mad and blaming me for what had happened to Noah, or if she was pissed that we had a vampire hitching a ride with us.
Zane had given me the passenger seat and had taken the back without asking. Which was good, because I didn’t want to play second fiddle to him. He sat back there without a word the entire time, and his presence alone put me on edge.
I sat silent myself, Noah’s capture still sinking in.
A soft snore punctuated the uncomfortable silence. I turned around and stared. Zane was slumped over in his seat, legs sprawled out. His mouth hung open, and another loud snore escaped.
Remy glanced in the rearview mirror and breathed a deep sigh of relief. “He’s out. Daylight’s finally kicked in.”
I frowned. “So daylight doesn’t kill them? I guess I’ve seen too many Dracula movies.”
She fiddled with the knobs on the A/C for the millionth time, a sure signal that she was stressed. “They don’t die as soon as day hits, no. Just like Noah’s kind-the Serim-don’t turn to dust as soon as the moon comes out. It’s a gradual process that puts their bodies in hibernation until the next cycle that evening-or morning, depending on your company.” Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror again, watching Zane snore peacefully. “He’s going to be out for the next twelve hours or so, which gives us plenty of time.” She flashed her turn signal and exited onto an unfamiliar street.
Uh oh. “Time for what, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Remy shot me a look. “To work on getting that halo for ourselves, of course.”
I held my hands up in the air. “Whoa, Nelly. I don’t want any freakin’ part of that thing, understand? I just want to get Noah back.”
The car cruised down one street and then another while I waited for Remy to respond. She said nothing, her hands tight on the wheel. We seemed to be heading steadily toward the slummy part of New City. Graffiti lined the brick walls of run-down shops, and I noticed a lot of unsavory types hanging out on street corners or by Dumpsters. A police car cruised silently past us in the other direction.
“Um,” I tried again, rolling up my window like the chickenshit I was. “So why are we visiting the projects?”
She stopped at the curb by a run-down strip mall. Remy turned off the car and pulled the keys out of the ignition, handing them to me. “Meet me back here in two hours. I need to get a few things.” She opened the driver’s-side door and hopped out, glancing around and then crossing the street in her high heels from last night, fearless as ever as she approached a seedy pawnshop, complete with hoodlums loitering at the front door. One of them nearly fell over at the sight of Remy sashaying to the door.
“Remy!” I slid over into the driver’s seat and rolled down the window. “Remy! Where am I supposed to go with a freakin’ you-know-what in the backseat?”
She turned on the sidewalk and glared at me, shaking her head. She mouthed “research” and disappeared inside.
Crap. I rolled the window up again, fast, and turned to check on Zane. He snored on, apparently unable to hear how much my heart was hammering in my throat. Damn it. What was I supposed to do for the next two hours?
Inspiration struck and I started the car, heading for my old apartment. I wondered if the doorman would even recognize me.
The doorman did know my face-not surprising, I guess, since the last time he’d seen me, I nearly attacked him with the onset of the Itch.
Bobby blushed and waved me in with excitement. “Miss Brighton! I’m so glad to see you’ve returned. How was your vacation? You look so beautiful.” He nearly fell over himself, trying to open the door for me.
“It was great, Bobby.” I let him think I’d been on some sort of makeover vacation. Whatever. “How have things been here?”
“Lonely,” he blurted, then turned fiery red. “I mean, we’re busy of course. I’ve made sure that your mail is taken inside your apartment each morning, Miss Brigh
ton. Wouldn’t want the other tenants to know you’ve been away.”
Okay, the crush had just taken a stalkerish turn. Warning bells rang in my mind, and I forced myself to reach over and pat his cheek. “You’re sweet. Do me a favor and go watch my car for me in the garage? It’s the blue Explorer and my, um, cousin is passed out in the backseat. Drinking binge.” I shook my head and tried to look tragic. “Do you think you could watch him for me?”
“Of course, Miss Brighton,” Bobby breathed, looking like he was about to blow his wad in his dress slacks. “I’ll get someone to cover the door for me right away. Don’t you worry about a thing, Miss Brighton!”
Oh, I wouldn’t. If the car was stolen with the vampire in it, that’d solve two problems at once. I just didn’t want Bobby wandering up while I was in my apartment. I smiled at him and headed for the elevator on the other side of the lobby.
Heads turned as I walked. Onlookers stared. Were they wondering who I was, or had someone recognized the old, frumpy me and now wondered who had done my amazing surgery? Either way, I was starting to get used to the overly attentive looks and I ignored them. You know you’ve got a weird life when the attention of an entire floor is focused on the way you walk, and you couldn’t give a rat’s ass.
The elevator was empty, and I made it up to my floor without event. The building was very quiet-one of the reasons I’d decided to live in such an expensive apartment complex-and it made me nervous. Given my new lifestyle, it was reasonable to be wary. After all, last night I’d rubbed elbows with angels, vampires, and a demon queen, and they all wanted to kill me right now.
I headed down the long hall to my apartment. There was nothing stacked up outside my door, which meant that any mail or packages or newspapers had indeed been thoughtfully placed inside. I put the key in the lock and turned it, pushing the door open with a flick of my wrist.
And then gasped. Wall-to-wall roses covered the living room, the cheap bouquets you’d buy at the store down the street. Some were wilted, having been here for several days. There were four sets of balloons decorated with kisses and hearts, and several cards were lined up on my table. I picked up the first one.