by Синтия Иден
Provided, of course, that she was feeling like helping out the long arm of the law.
“I need you to see something on the body,” Todd told her softly, trying to pull back the anger that flared within him.
Anger because she’d lied to him—Christ, a fucking sex demon.
Every man in the world probably wanted her.
He wasn’t the sharing type.
And just how many other humans had she bewitched with her seduction? Was he just another in a long line for her? While she was—well, much more to him.
“What?” Cara’s cry was hoarse. “I don’t know about your idea of a good time, Todd, but—”
“You know exactly what my idea of a good time is.” He wanted her then so badly he ached.
And she still looked angry as all hell.
Oh, yeah, he’d royally fucked things up.
No choice.
Proving her absolute innocence was paramount now.
Keeping away the other assholes on this earth who wanted her—well, that would be his goal number two.
Her plump lips parted as she drew in a deep breath, and if Gyth hadn’t been glaring at him, Todd would have leaned forward and kissed her right then.
“Don’t even think about it,” she said.
He leaned forward another inch anyway. Just a breath of space away from her delectable mouth. He’d never seen a mouth that sexy before, and he knew it tasted as good as it looked. Pushed too far, he taunted, “But isn’t that why you sent your sweet smell out to me? Because you wanted me…to want you.” And he did. Didn’t matter to him that the lady was dangerous. A huge unknown element. He. Wanted. Her. Period.
And when this case was finished, he planned to take a few days off and spend them in sheer wild sexual bliss with her.
Provided that he hadn’t pissed her off too much in the meantime.
“I—shit.”
Her mouth even looked good when she said that.
Sexy demon.
Sex demon.
“I really do need your help, Cara,” he said, trying to take his mind off just what being a sex demon entailed. He didn’t want to think of her with another man. Other men.
He wasn’t a virgin. He’d had more than his share of willing partners, so he sure as hell didn’t expect Cara to be pure as the driven snow.
But he did not want to think about her with other men. Not even for one fucking moment.
“Rein in the scent.” He reinforced the order by tightening his fingers around her delicate wrist. “I don’t want the cops in the bull pen going crazy.”
“You have no idea what I could make them do,” she told him, voice rumbling.
Oh, he was starting to figure it out.
“The last victim, Thomas Monroe, was stabbed.” Gyth’s harsh words snapped Todd back to the case.
Cara blinked. “But that doesn’t make any sense. Not if you truly think the killer’s a succubus, anyway.”
They were pretty damn certain that was who they were after.
“A death like that,” Cara continued, “it wouldn’t yield a succubus any power.”
His breath caught. “Explain that to me, nice and slow.” ’Cause he sure as hell didn’t know what she meant, but he knew he didn’t like it.
“Look, killing isn’t really our way.” Her lips twisted. “Anymore, okay? Once upon a time—”
“And that would have been when?” Gyth asked.
“Middle Ages.”
Shit.
She read his expression easily. “While I personally wasn’t around then, demons always have been. Get used to that fact, Todd. Your life will be so much easier once you start realizing there is much more to the world than you thought.”
Maybe. Or maybe things would just be five times harder.
He’d bet his paycheck on option two.
“A lot of demons killed back them. Succubi got a reputation.”
He’d read a bit about that earlier. Right after the captain had chewed his ass out and he’d made a frantic trip to the occult bookstore two streets over.
“A lot of innocents were killed back then, blamed for what the demons were doing. The attacks also brought attention to the Other. Not really something that my kind wants.”
“So the demons decided to take a break from killing?” Not likely.
“There were some ancient demons. Those who’ve been on earth from nearly the beginning. They don’t rule over anyone, but back then, they—they kept an order, so to speak.” She nibbled on her lower lip. “I haven’t heard anything about those guys in years, don’t even know if they’re still around.”
Great. So if the big bosses weren’t controlling folks anymore, then he’d probably keep finding demons with appetites for murder.
“But long ago, those guys sent out the cazadores del alma.”
Gyth stepped forward. “I’ve heard of ’em.”
“Yeah, I haven’t.” Todd realized he was still holding Cara’s wrist. Stroking her pulse point with his thumb.
He dropped her hand. Put some space between them.
“They’re soul-hunters. Born of witch and demon, those guys are incredibly powerful. Have few vulnerabilities. And they’re basically the boogeymen who come after Other when things get out of control.”
“Do these boogeymen ever go after humans?” Gyth asked, eyes hard.
“Not that I know of.” Her brows lowered. “Anything’s possible, though.”
Todd was trying to assimilate the information as quickly as he could. “So let me get this straight. Succubi stopped their sex death party in the Middle Ages because the cazadores del alma were sicced on them?”
“Basically.”
“And you’re saying none of your kind has killed since then?” Not buying it.
Cara hesitated. “I’m saying succubi don’t normally kill. Not anymore. There’s no need. The sexual culture today is so much more open. Hell, we can get a little rush of energy just by going into a bar—”
Understanding dawned. “Or by singing to a hungry crowd.”
“As long as humans are there, yes,” she said—and did a faint flush color her cheeks? “If there aren’t humans in the crowd, it won’t work. Demon power doesn’t infuse us.” A slanted look at Gyth. “Shifter strength can work, just not as well.”
His head was aching. Temples pounding. And he’d thought working the cases before was tough. “Fuck it. We’re going to see the bodies.”
She shook her head, sending the blond locks flying. “I told you, I didn’t want—”
“Cara, I need your help. House needs you—just look at ’em, okay? I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t damn important.” And just the idea of letting her into the Crypt was unorthodox as hell, but he was desperate. With every word she’d spoken, he’d become more convinced that a succubus was out in Atlanta, killing. And to catch a murderer, or a sex demon, well, he just might have to use…a sex demon.
The knowledge Cara could provide to him was priceless, and he wasn’t about to let her slip away. Not when he needed her so much.
For the case.
And for…well, hell, he just needed her.
She swallowed. “Todd…”
“Cara, I need you.”
Her gaze held his. One breath of time. Two. Then, “All right.”
Relief had his shoulders dropping.
Smith had wanted someone with more “expertise” to look at the print on House’s body.
Looked like she’d just gotten the perfect expert.
“What do you think?” Danny McNeal asked quietly as he and Dr. Emily Drake watched the threesome file out of the interrogation room.
Emily stared through the thin mirror. “I think I’m not going to be able to help you very much on this case.” Her palms were sweating, but her voice was perfectly controlled.
“Could that woman, Cara Maloan, be a killer?”
Yes. “I can’t answer that question.” Her shoulders were stiff as she turned to face him. “I’m sorry.”
<
br /> A line appeared between his brows. “What? Why can’t—”
“Doctor-client confidentiality.” The words were soft.
McNeal’s eyes widened, then, “Shit.”
Nice sum up, but McNeal had always seemed to possess a special talent with words.
“You didn’t go inside,” she said softly. When Todd had called him out, she’d felt the electric arc in the air as McNeal tensed.
A growl. “Can’t prove she’s involved yet.” A pause. “And Brooks has never been wrong on a case before.”
But he’d never had one like this before, either.
Emily glanced back over her shoulder just as the door shut behind Colin. Damn, but this case had taken a bad turn. Cara was a sweet woman. Smart. Unquestionably beautiful.
But sad. So very sad on the inside.
And, even though she couldn’t tell McNeal, Cara was also a woman with the complete capacity for killing. Emily had learned about Cara’s darker side months ago—when the succubus had finally confessed about her sister’s murder…and the ensuing death of her sister’s lover.
Emily’s fingers curled into fists. She sure hoped Todd knew what he was doing. Colin wouldn’t slip up—he’d never let his guard down around the other woman.
But Emily was trained to observe other people. To read their emotions, and when she’d watched Todd, she’d seen the hunger in his eyes. The need for Cara.
A need that could prove to be very, very dangerous.
A need that had proved fatal for another.
Chapter 10
“Ah, not so fast, Gyth.” Todd brought his hand up, and barred the entrance to the elevator.
Cara frowned at him.
“What the hell are you doing now, Brooks?” The shifter glowered at him.
“Getting time with my lady. We need to talk, alone.” The words held an unmistakable edge.
Gyth’s face hardened. “If the captain finds out…”
“Then he can call my ass out again—but I’m talking to Cara now. Take the stairs.”
Todd stepped back and the doors slid closed, blocking the sight of the shifter’s stony visage. Then he turned around and locked his stare right on her.
All alone now. She looked at him and said, “Asshole.”
Todd blinked. “Cara, I told you, I had to—”
“You could have warned me!” She wanted to hit him, hard. “You didn’t have to let that jerk shifter haul me off to the interrogation room—”
“I had to fight like hell to stay on the case, Cara.”
“I thought you said I was clear—”
“You were! Baby, I wouldn’t have slipped into your bed otherwise.” Blazing eyes. “But then we found out that we weren’t just looking for your run-of-the-mill killer—we’re looking for a succubus—and you’re the only one in the area who fits that bill.”
Damn it.
He stepped closer to her. His left hand shot out. Punched a red button on the elevator control panel.
The big box shuddered to a halt.
“Wh-what did you do?” But she knew.
“We’re clearing the air here, Cara.” He exhaled heavily. “The captain knows about our relationship. Hell, Gyth knew I’d been with you the minute I walked into the station.”
The quiet words rocked through her.
“I don’t make a habit of talking about my sex life.” His mouth tightened. “I came in today because I was on duty. Apparently, Gyth has one hell of a nose. He”—Todd’s jaw clenched—“smelled you on me.”
Yeah, those two-faced shifters could do that.
“Kissing and telling—that’s not my style.”
“But then I’m not your usual ‘style,’ now am I? You think I’m some kind of freak because I happened to be born a demon and—”
“You’re not a damn freak!” She winced at his yell. “Or a monster or—”
“What am I, then?”
His mouth snapped closed.
“What am I? What am I to you? A suspect? An itch that you want to scratch? A—”
“You’re mine!” Nearly a roar.
She shook her head and wondered if her ears would stop ringing soon.
He grabbed her, crushing her against him. “I hate this case. I hate bringing you in. I hate seeing you scared and angry. I hate wanting to rip my partner apart because he questions you—and I hate myself because I have to stand there and watch—because if I go too easy on you, the captain will sure as hell suspect you’re involved—and that you’re using your sex demon powers to slip into my mind and make me weak!”
Wow. She knew her eyes had to be wide—and that her mouth was hanging open in surprise. “Todd, I don’t—”
“There’s the case, baby, then there’s you and me.”
Well, that was the way it should have been—but…“I keep finding myself in the middle of your case, Detective.”
“I know. And it fucking sucks.”
He had no idea. He wasn’t the one who kept popping up as a suspect.
“Cara…” Almost desperate. His hands were too tight on her. “Christ, woman, I—” His mouth crashed onto hers. Rough, Demanding.
So right.
A hot flush of excitement spread through her. She was still angry with him, she didn’t like the way he’d confronted her during the interrogation, but—ah, damn it, yes she still wanted the guy.
The sensual power flowing from Todd in waves wrapped around her.
The man sure had some kind of potent sexual energy.
And she was the one who was supposed to be dangerous.
He ripped his mouth from hers, breath rasping out. He freed her hands, only to raise his arms and slap his palms on the wall behind her head, effectively caging her.
She tasted him on her tongue—and wanted more. “A-aren’t you nervous?” She asked, wetting her lips and watching his gaze drop with a helpless surge of pleasure. “I mean, you’re all alone here with a demon. There’s really no telling what I could do to you.” He’d sure gone running fast enough this morning.
“And you’re all alone with a man who wants you so badly he can hardly think.” His mouth hovered over her lips. “Are you nervous?” The question was whispered right back to her.
Yes.
His scent surrounded her, just as she knew the tempting lure of her pheromones surrounded him.
“Is any of it real?” He asked, and there was a spark of unmistakable anger in his eyes. “The lust, the need…is it all a trick?”
“I told you before.” She hadn’t lied then, wouldn’t lie now. Screw her pride. “I want you. Have from the moment I opened my door to you.” Her head shook, a little sadly. “That’s no trick.”
“But what about how I feel?” His right hand dropped to capture her jaw. His thumb brushed over her lip. Pushed just past the edge of her teeth. “Are you making me want you?”
Her sex clenched with hunger just from his touch. He stood so close to her that she could feel the hard ridge of his aroused cock pressing against her.
His hand moved, drifting down her neck until his fingers rested lightly over the pounding pulse in her throat. She tried to answer him as honestly as she could, saying, “My pheromones, my scent, they’re designed to lure…”
“You mean the way you smell like sex and paradise? Yeah, baby, that’s a damn big lure.”
“I don’t release the full scent with you. I mean, I have, when we were making love, there was no way to stop it then, but now, and before, I’ve tried to control it.” Okay, she’d let it slip in the interrogation room—but he’d pushed her too far. And he’d certainly caught the scent plenty of other times—but not the full onslaught.
“Just the scent of you arouses men.” His voice was thick with tension.
“It can.”
“You said you weren’t using your magic on me.”
“Not to hypnotize you.” She hadn’t.
Damn, but she wanted the man to kiss her. That mouth of his was so close—
“Wha
t about the dreams, Cara? Those sweet, wild-as-hell dreams I had?” His fingers eased over her collarbone. Slid down the vee at the top of her shirt and paused in the valley between her breasts.
“I-I didn’t mean to—”
He brushed open the edges of her shirt. Slid his fingertips under the lace of her black bra. Her flesh was so sensitive that when he found her nipple, she gasped with the pleasure that arched through her.
Even as she realized that the seductress was being seduced.
“Didn’t mean to what?” he whispered, then his mouth finally took hers. Lips touched. Pressed. His tongue thrust deep. Tangled with hers.
Only to withdraw too soon.
He gazed down at her, and there was no mistaking his need. Or her own.
“What didn’t you mean to do?” His voice was gravel rough.
She could still taste him on her tongue. “Come to you, that way. I-I…in the past, I’ve had to focus my power. Project.” Hunt. “When I closed my eyes, I just went to you.” And it had been wonderful.
“It was all real then?” His fingers strummed her tight nipple.
“Yes, in a-a sense.” She licked her lips. “The pleasure was real, but it was just a dream.” She hadn’t actually been in his room. Hadn’t felt the warm, naked contours of his body.
Well, until last night, anyway.
His fingers stilled on her breast. “How many other men have dreamed of you?” He growled the question at her.
Anger was in his tone. But so was…hurt? Cara lifted her hands. Curled her fingers over the hard muscles in his arms. “They don’t matter. The only one that matters now is you.” She meant that.
Dreams, fantasies, they were like wisps of smoke. Being with Todd, it was real, he was real, and the way he made her feel—
Like a real woman.
Not just a demon.
It was her turn to stroke his jaw. The faint sting of stubble rasped along her palm. “I want to be with you. Not the cop and the demon.” She was tired of the allegations. Suspicions. “Just the man and the woman.” Maybe it wasn’t possible, but, damn it, something was between them.
And she wanted to find out just what it was.
Could be hard, hot lust. A lust that would burn out with the pounding mating of their bodies.