Demons Imps and Incubi (Red Moon Anthologies Book 1)

by Cori Vidae

  He had no idea what to say to her.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Benji killed the engine and looked out to the desert. Red and purple bluffs broke up an otherwise flat horizon. Dry shrubs and cacti studded the hard-packed dirt. The emptiness called to him, promising solitude. It didn’t matter that he’d die out there as surely as any human.

  He sighed. His presence at the Tiki Lounge today held as much chance of ruining things as helping. He wasn’t stupid. He knew humans well enough to understand he’d hurt Kiki’s feelings at the coffee shop. That was the last thing he wanted to do, but what explanation could he give? He’d had “something he needed to do,” one of the cheapest and most see-through excuses ever voiced.

  If she was angry at him, she wouldn’t want him around, especially on his day off. She could tell him to get lost. She—

  A rap on the window beside him made him jump. He turned, and there she was. Kiki peered in at him, a perplexed expression on her face. Her hair was up in an artful bun, her bangs curled. Her makeup, though less than usual, was flawless. She gripped a dishtowel tight in both hands.

  Benji opened the door and climbed out. Kiki backed up. “Hey, Benji. Whatcha doin’ here on your day off?” Her voice was cheerful enough, but it was the same tone she used on her customers.

  He made himself meet her gaze. “I… Um. I was hoping to pick up some extra hours. If that’s all right.”

  She twisted the dishtowel absently, lip between her teeth. “Yeah. I guess that’s all right. Manny was asking about taking off early, anyway, but I didn’t wanna bother you.”

  “You don’t bother me, Kee.” He took a tentative step toward her. She stiffened minutely. “Look, Kiki, I’m sorry about yesterday. That was a shitty way for me to leave, and I didn’t mean to make you think that I don’t like you. I do. I just…”

  She searched his face, as if unsure if she should believe him. He fought the urge to reach out and touch her. Her voice was soft. “Benji, why did you ask me to have coffee with you?”

  “Because I wanted you to have coffee with me.” It wasn’t a lie; he just hadn’t realized the truth of it until now. “I wanted to spend time with you. But there really was something I needed to take care of. I’d forgotten. When I remembered, I had to go. It couldn’t wait.”

  Kiki tilted her head, frowning. He continued before she could ask more. “A friend of mine is dealing with some things, and it hasn’t been very pretty lately. Something came up unexpectedly and I was supposed to be somewhere yesterday. I know I should have told you at least that much, but… damn it. I couldn’t think straight. I do care for you, Kee. More than I should. It kind of scares me. Between that and remembering my friend’s problem, I got flustered. I’m sorry.”

  His heart hammered. He was afraid to look at her, but more afraid to look away for fear of undermining his confession. Kiki studied him for a long moment, her hands loosening around the towel. A slow smile pulled at her lips. Her eyes matched it.

  “You did seem uncomfortable,” she said. “I thought I’d misunderstood. Scared you away.”

  “No.”

  He took another step toward her. She let him. He took her hands in his. “Would you give me another chance? I’ll try not to fuck it up this time.”

  “Yeah. I’d like that.”

  “Good. Good. Um, dinner this time?”

  “When and where?”

  He blinked at her stupidly. He had no idea what she liked to eat, and since he only consumed human food when he needed to pretend to be human, he didn’t know which restaurants in the area were good. She saved him, smirking. “Let’s keep it simple. Chinese take-out and a movie at my place? Tonight?”

  His breath shuddered out of him. He nodded, not trusting his voice.

  “All right, then. Say, an hour after work?”

  “Y-yeah.”

  She squeezed his hands and stepped back. Her cheeks were pink. They stood in silence a moment, until she jerked her head toward the restaurant. “Well, best get to it, huh?” He nodded and followed her in.

  Manny was happy to see him, but happier still to leave early. Benji waved off his thanks and set to work. The place wasn’t crowded, to his relief. He’d just wrapped up three Tikiburgers and was working on an Aloha salad when Kiki peeked into the kitchen. “Benji, I’ve got a friend just arrived. Been a while since I’ve seen her and I’d like to catch up. Think you can come out to help Leanne with orders every now and then?”

  “No problem. You two need anything? I can whip something up. I’m between orders.”

  She smiled at him. “Thanks, hon, but we’re okay for now. Maybe check in on us in a little while?”

  “Will do.”

  She ducked back out. He watched her hug a petite Oriental woman who stood at the bar: pale skin. Long, jet-black hair. The tension of a coiled snake. He recognized Ming Song immediately. She wore a complicated suit of black leather and silk. The cut and embroidery were distinctly feminine, but the overall effect was anything but soft. Beside Kiki’s flowery shirt and chunky pink jewelry, she looked like an insect; eerily lovely, but dangerous.

  Kiki grabbed a couple of bright blue drinks with umbrellas in them. The women disappeared into the Volcano Room, the Tiki Lounge’s cozy private-party den. Benji texted Beirak to confirm Song’s arrival. Then he slipped out of the kitchen to help Leanne take a new round of orders.

  Kiki and Song stayed tucked away for hours. No one bothered them. Benji brought them Aloha salads and more drinks. Finally, they meandered over to the front doors as the dinner crowd started to trickle in. They chatted a few minutes longer, then hugged and Song left.

  The smile on Kiki’s face slid away. She looked worried, but her usual cheerfulness bubbled to the surface as she set to checking on tables. The rest of the evening passed quickly. Benji didn’t get a chance to talk with her again until it was time to close. He locked the front doors after Leanne and turned to find Kiki leaning against the bar. He approached slowly, unsure what he should do with his hands. “How is your friend?”

  Kiki shook her head. “Not great. She’s been dealing with some unpleasant business issues lately. But she’ll be okay. We had a good time catching up.” She brightened. “Thanks for taking over for me.”

  “Of course.”

  Cleaning was a somewhat subdued affair. Kiki played her pop music loudly, as usual, but she didn’t swing her hips to the beat. Benji caught her glancing at him now and then as she worked. He avoided her gaze, afraid she’d ask him to dance again. Not that he didn’t want to; quite the opposite. But he suspected it might be better if they didn’t.

  It felt odd to wait for her as he usually did. He passed the time by polishing the lava lamps. When he walked her out her car, he scanned for danger. No thralls. No new, unknown spells. He tried not to hope that the Ancient One’s threat was over.

  Benji held Kiki’s door for her. She smiled up at him as she settled behind the wheel. The grin was shy; the sparkle in her eyes was anything but. “What kind of movies you like?” she asked.

  He shrugged. He didn’t really care for them at all, really. “Surprise me. What would you like from the Jade Oasis?”

  “My only request is crab-cheese wontons. Other than that—” She winked at him. “—surprise me.”

  Benji cursed mentally, but nodded. He followed her out of the parking lot. He stopped at his apartment long enough to change into something other than his work garb. The soft flannel and corduroys were hardly fancy, but she’d said simple and relaxed. He showered, dragged a comb through his hair, tied it back, and raced over to the Oasis.

  Sensing his inexperience with Chinese food, the patient waitress suggested something that sounded more like a snippet of poetry than something to eat. He agreed and was back on the road fifteen minutes later. He pulled up at Kiki’s apartment complex with two minutes to spare, then promptly had an attack of nerves.

  This was ridiculous. He was a Dromtsiir. She was a human. He wondered if others before him had struggled s
imilarly before becoming addicted to human love and sex.

  His throat threatened to close. Sex. Shit.

  Was that something he’d have to worry about tonight? Did Kiki want that? His old roommate, Alex, had insisted on watching pornos in the living room, without care for being caught with his pants open. Benji had seen things in those films that he’d tried hard to forget. Now he turned to them frantically, trying to remember what was considered normal and what was taboo.

  He lurched out of the car and grabbed the food, resolving not to think about it. He wasn’t clueless; he knew the basics. The details would come.

  Kiki met him at the door. For a moment, Benji just stared. She wore a pale pink sun dress and no shoes. Her hair fluffed around her shoulders, and she’d kept her make-up simple. She blushed under his inspection.

  “You’re lovely,” Benji stammered.

  “You’re pretty handsome, yourself,” she said, and motioned him in.

  The kitchen table was set for two, with candles burning merrily. Soft music drifted from another room. A bottle of wine sat on the counter. This was her idea of simple and relaxed? His gut churned.

  Kiki was delighted with the food selection. Benji hardly tasted it, or the wine. She did most of the talking, thankfully. He made appropriate mm-hmmms and oh-noes where it seemed he should, and nodded to keep her going. But he couldn’t focus on a damned thing she said because her exuberant hand movements made her breasts bounce and press against the thin material of her dress. Trying not to look, he ended up staring at his plate.

  Finally, she deemed dinner to be over and rose to clear away the mess. Benji practically fled to the bathroom. He angled his hips so that she couldn’t see the problem he struggled with. Alone in the tiny room, he peered into his pants in horror. Damn this traitorous human form; he had an erection. He’d had them before and knew what he was supposed to do about it. The very thought made him cringe.

  He thought of the bathrooms at the Tiki Lounge, of Beirak’s sweaty human form, and finally of the Ancient One and the rancid garbage he’d lain in while fighting it. That helped, but didn’t soften him completely. He couldn’t wait in here all night; Kiki would get suspicious. Shifting himself to a hopefully less noticeable angle, he washed his hands and went out to face her.

  He found her curled on the couch, legs tucked demurely under her. More candles gave the room an inviting atmosphere. She watched him walk stiffly over to her and tried to hide a grin behind her wine glass.

  Benji settled beside her. He crossed his legs and folded his hands in his lap. He cleared his throat. “What are we watching?”

  “Casablanca.”

  He’d seen it before and didn’t hate it. He couldn’t hide the twitch of his lips. “A romance?”

  “But not a naughty one.”

  “That’s a shame.” He closed his eyes and bit his lip, heart thudding. The fuck, ‘Jiishnael? What are you doing?

  The couch dipped sharply. His eyes snapped open as Kiki crawled onto his lap. Before he could make sense of it, her lips found his. More surprising than that was the calm that settled over him as he tangled his fingers in her hair and kissed her back.

  She giggled when they parted long minutes later, breathless and flushed. Wriggling in his lap, she found the evidence of his arousal. His breath left him in a hiss. She arched an eyebrow, then leaned in and whispered against his lips.

  “What do you say we put this big boy to use, huh?”

  He didn’t have the sense to even think of hesitating.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Benji followed Kiki with a racing heart. Now that she wasn’t writhing on his lap, reason closed like a fist around his throat. It wouldn’t take long for her to figure out he’d never done this. What would she think of that? Not many humans kept their innocence into their late 30s.

  Should he lie? He could try some of the things he’d seen in Alex’s pornos. But what if she didn’t like it? What if she didn’t like the way he looked? He wasn’t small by human standards, but what if she wanted a “hung” lover instead of average? He remembered that term being used a lot in the films. It hadn’t looked terribly comfortable for either party.

  Nausea rolled through him. Supposing she didn’t care, and this actually happened, there was another problem. He didn’t need the films to tell him about the mess; this body had been aroused before. The first time he’d ejaculated had been accidental. He’d only tried to tuck his erection so the damned thing wasn’t obvious, hoping it would go away on its own. Wrestling it through his pants had caused just enough friction, and the result had been disastrous. He’d been practically chased out of the theater.

  Since then, he’d discovered tricks to soften himself without touching. But they didn’t always work. To his horror, he learned that as revolting as ejaculation was, it also felt pretty damned amazing. He had a love-hate relationship with masturbation. He usually refused to do it, but sometimes the urge was too strong and he’d palm himself in the shower so he could clean up practically mid-orgasm.

  He jolted back to the here-and-now when Kiki caressed his face. They stood beside her bed. Worry dimmed her smile. “You okay, Benji?”

  He flushed. “Um, yeah. I just, um…”

  She tilted her head. “Aw, hon. We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready for it.” It was her turn to blush. “I admit, it is moving kinda fast. It’s just that you’re so damned cute. And I haven’t felt this way in a long time.”

  Benji stepped closer to her. “Kee, it’s not what you think. I do want you. It’s just…” He steeled himself. He couldn’t lie. “I’ve never done this before.”

  Kiki’s expression melted to shock. His heart lurched at the sight. “No,” she whispered. “I mean… you can’t possibly be a virgin. You’re gorgeous! And so sweet. How could no one…?”

  He shrugged. “Just never happened.”

  Her smile returned, but hesitantly. She cupped his cheek. “And you’re sure you want to?”

  In the back of his mind, Benji realized he’d stopped being truly horrified by the thought of sex with Kiki days ago. These last remnants of hesitation were just nerves; he didn’t want to disappoint her. Feeling suddenly reckless, he grabbed her hips and pulled her flush against him. She gasped, then writhed against his erection with a soft chuckle. “Yes.”

  Kiki didn’t need any more encouragement. She stepped back and turned. Glancing at him over her shoulder, she whispered, “Unzip me. Slowly.”

  Benji did as she asked. He slid her dress down her arms, reveling in the softness of her skin. When the garment pooled around her feet, he traced his fingertips down her spine. She shivered. She saved him the embarrassment of trying to unsnap her bra. Her dexterous fingers had it off within seconds.

  She turned back toward him almost shyly. Benji’s breath caught. He must have looked stunned, because she grinned wide again. Taking his hands in hers, she placed them on her warm breasts. She made him squeeze gently, then guided him down her sides to her hips. He immediately went for her breasts again. She giggled and moved toward the bed. He followed eagerly.

  No sooner was he on the bed then Kiki pushed him onto his back and straddled his lap. The sight of her pink satin panties sliding over the bulge in his pants nearly drove him mad. He leaned up to kiss her again. She tugged his shirt over his head. Running her hands down his chest and stomach, she gave an appreciative hum. Benji blushed.

  She spoke against his lips. “What exactly would you like to do?”

  “I don’t know. Anything. Everything?”

  She chuckled. “How about I lead this first time? Then we’ll switch.”

  “Yeah. Good idea.” He let her push him back down.

  Kiki explored him slowly with her mouth and hands. She kissed and sucked along his neck, over his collarbone, and down his chest to his stomach. Her fingers traced down his stomach to his hips. She licked a long line across his abdomen, just above the waistband of his pants. Benji half expected to be revolted at the hot dampness of her to
ngue on his skin, but the unexpected pleasure of it delighted him. She worked her way back up slower, lavishing attention on all the little places that made him groan and whimper.

  When she started adding teeth into the mix, he was nearly undone. He grabbed her face and kissed her roughly, licking in to taste her. “I really like the biting,” he rasped. Overcome with a desire that had teased him for days, he bit her lower lip, then sucked it.

  Kiki laughed shakily when he released it, then returned the favor. Benji moaned helplessly. He tried to turn them over so he could explore her as she had him, but she pinched his nipple and used his distraction at the sharp pleasure to press him firmly back in place.

  “Stay,” she commanded. Her eyes were dark, half-lidded, as she kissed down to the edge of his pants again. Benji couldn’t look away.

  She teased him, running her hands and lips over his belly and thighs, always close to but not touching his aching cock. He shivered at the feather-light touches, rolled his hips to seek firmer strokes. But no matter how he tried to rub against her, Kiki was always one move ahead. He made desperate sounds that he’d never admit to later.

  His heart trip-hammered when she began to work his belt loose. He reached down to help, but she pressed his hands flat to the bed. “I said stay.” He nodded rapidly and grabbed fistfuls of sheet.

  She had his pants open quickly. A soft gasp made him tense, lifting his head to look at her again. Her lips curved into a wider grin as she stared down at him. “Oh, Benji. You’re beautiful.”

  Pride swelled in his chest to chase back the last remnants of his uncertainty. It slipped to shock as Kiki licked him slowly from balls to tip. His head fell back. He groaned. When she sucked him into her mouth, he lost all coherent thought.

  This was better than anything the films had promised. He didn’t even try to stop the helpless whimpering, or the fragmented, half-begging commands that fell from his lips. Kiki chuckled around him. The vibration made him arch up off the bed.