Banshee Seduction (Montgomery's Sin Book 1)

by Diane Saxon

  Pulse racing, she met the determined green light in his eyes. His straight-lipped smile spread wide, revealing even white teeth, and she swore she saw a quick flash of fangs. As he took one slow step at a time toward her, the ball of fire in her stomach heated and spread, racing through her chest and up her face, tingling her skin, and shimmering through her veins. She glanced at her own hand, held it out to ward him off, but with a hard gulp of disappointment, she knew what was about to happen as her skin started to give off a beautiful golden glow.

  She raised her eyes to meet his intent stare, apology on her lips as he doggedly came closer. There was no way she could warn him, but with all the flashing cameras, someone was going to get a fireball on their picture.

  “Dear…are you okay?”

  “I…” How could she tell them? The sweet ladies who had taken such good care of her. She couldn’t take her eyes off the man heading toward her, determination in every stride.

  •●•

  He wanted her. Right there and then, and he didn’t care if there were in the region of sixty thousand people in the stadium plus however many watching on TV. He was going to kiss her blind. Adrenaline pumped through him in a frantic blast, energizing his dragon and pushing the beast.

  He leaped onto the wall, grabbed himself a handful of shocked Ginny, and hauled her into his arms as he laughed with the sheer joy of it.

  She exploded in a backdraft of fire all over him, washing over his scales, to make them writhe with pleasure under his white and navy uniform.

  Surprised, he clung onto her, convinced he could keep her there. She squirmed in his arms, her body soft and squidgy, her mouth keen and sloppy on his. With a horrible premonition, he squinted open his eyes and stared horrified into the frenetic, swirling mists of an overweight, middle-aged blonde. Her bright red lipstick smeared up her cheek where her enthusiasm had got the better of her as she’d slurped at his face, virtually consuming him in one passionate mouthful.

  “Bleurgh.” He almost dropped her, but realized just in time if he did, she would be on the wrong side of the barrier, running rampant among the players.

  “Hi, honey.” Her broad smile pulled across her face, giving her a strange distorted look similar to The Joker.

  Matt placed her cautiously onto her feet, frightened she might leap back into his arms, but she took him by surprise as she gave him a motherly pat on his face, licked her thumb, and scrubbed it over his cheek, presumably to remove the evidence of her lipstick smears. “You can thank me later.”

  “Thank you?” He’d never been one to stutter, but he heard the words bubble out of his mouth in small spurts. He let her go and watched her step back and pat her perfect hair into place while he tried to get his mouth to close.

  “Yes, honey. You should be more cautious when handling a banshee.” It was then he realized what the noise in his head was; it wasn’t the roar of the crowd but the screams of a thousand hysterical women.

  Confused, he tilted his head and inspected the small woman in front of him.

  “My niece. She’s not full banshee, you know. It’s why she can’t handle being a public spectacle.” She held her hand out to the other woman and pulled her forward. “My sister Lorna. I’m Ellie. You treat Ginny properly, or we’ll come and wail at you for the rest of your natural life, then follow you into the afterworld. We’ll howl and scream until your carcass has shriveled, your bones are dust, and your soul is a small black worm of writhing despair. You hear me, young man?”

  He couldn’t help but hear her. Her voice penetrated his skull and made his brain boil. “I do.”

  “Good.” She stroked a gentle hand over his shoulder and gave a scary smile, as if she were a nice, normal person, but he knew better. “Now, go join the boys while we find Ginny to make sure she’s waiting for you when you’re finished.”

  Desperate to get away, he dropped back down off the boundary line and raced onto the field, yanking his helmet back onto his head.

  “Shit.”

  “Nice choice, man.” Wolf patted him hard on his back, but somehow the contact didn’t have the same effect as the little woman’s had. She’d just put the fear of God into him. Not because he wasn’t going to treat Ginny right, not because he valued his soul so highly. But because he wondered where the hell they would send Ginny.

  He stopped dead in his tracks and peered over his shoulder. The Chameleons were yet to go for the extra point, but the women were gone.

  He hoped to God they weren’t going to take sweet, innocent Ginny to the locker rooms.

  •●•

  Ginny squinted, fascinated by the huge, hairy ass of an enormous player planted straight in her pathway through to the locker rooms. Was he supposed to get naked there in the narrow corridor part? She leaned in to get a closer look, morbid curiosity getting the better of her, and then jerked her head back, her stomach rebelling with utter revulsion.

  “Sweet suffering virgins.”

  The monster bent at the waist, cocked one of his enormous legs up onto a wooden bench, and gave her a bird’s-eye view of his loose, flaccid privates as they dropped down to dangle between his thighs. A sudden rush of nausea hit her as she spotted thick purple veins running through his jiggling tackle, while he raised his arm and scratched enthusiastically at his hairy armpit.

  Close to fainting, she whipped around, ready to run, and turned smack bang into yet another ugly giant. This one’s head was as bald as a coot and shiny with sweat.

  “Well, hello, baby.”

  “Oh, God.” Acid reflux burned the back of her throat and gave her hiccups.

  “I don’t know about God, but let me take you to heaven, sugar plum.”

  Light reflected off the top of his head, and she was pretty damn sure it wasn’t a halo she could see.

  Before she could evade him, he wrapped his arms tight around her and squeezed her with enthusiasm as he placed his thick wet lips on hers and…

  Poof!

  Exhausted, she lay limp on her own floral sofa in the safe haven of her apartment.

  She couldn’t open her eyes. She’d lost the ability to raise her eyelids and look around in case anything had followed her back to her place. At least God had heard her plea and zapped her pretty smartly back to safety—although he sure had taken his own sweet time. Perhaps it had been punishment for all the cursing she’d done recently.

  She considered dragging her limp carcass into her bedroom, but couldn’t summon up the energy.

  It had been a taxing day, but she’d gotten to see her dragon play football, and it would have to be enough for now.

  She let her limbs relax and drifted in absolute silence, a small smile turning up the edges of her mouth. The voices in her head temporarily silenced as she pictured the giant once more, fingers pressed against his lips to send her a kiss all the world could see.

  •●•

  Frantic, he peered down yet another hallway. Nowhere.

  Fuck it, if one of the other guys had gotten a hold of his mate, she was in for a rough time. No amount of her sweet singing would let her off the hook. Put a lone female in the region of players after a game while their testosterone levels were at their peak, and she sure as shit was going to have a job explaining she didn’t want sex with them. She could always make them bleed, but he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

  With a grim smile, he flung open the door to the locker room, hearing the raucous noise of men railing on each other. “Bear.”

  A huge naked man turned to face him, every millimeter of his body covered in a thick layer of black hair. His short squat neck sported a square head, and his deep dark mono-brow pulled low over his piggy eyes. Matt knew for sure this man was approximately 70 percent Neanderthal.

  “Hey, Matt.” The guy scratched his naked balls and flung a quick grin over his shoulder.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Bull reckons he had himself an armful of soft, pliable female who he sent up in flames. Literally.” The guy’s bellowing
laughter echoed in the locker room, and Matt’s heart stuttered.

  “Where’s Bull?”

  “Just there, man—and he’s talking bull too. I was here. I saw nothing. He’s making it up, man. He just can’t stand the fact his game was off, and you got the touchdown.”

  Matt automatically raised his arm to accept the hard punchy slap of a high five as he walked on past to investigate further, his heart stumbling with trepidation.

  “I swear, she was all like tits and ass— Hi, Dane.”

  He wanted to hit him so he couldn’t get up. The dragon inside unfurled and opened its mouth, ready to breathe fire, but the reasonable man stepped up first. “Bull. What happened?”

  “Some fiery bitch ran in, grabbed me, kissed me blind, and I kid you not, she exploded in my arms like a firecracker. The woman must have been a demon from Hell, and I sent her back there with one kiss.”

  “Probably the smell of your breath cremated her.” Wolf shot Matt a quick sideways glance, his yellow eyes full of questions, and his left eyebrow flicked up twice in quick succession. Matt shrugged in reply.

  “Matt.”

  He turned at the sound of Daniel’s quiet, calm voice.

  “Yep.”

  “The press is waiting for you. As is the head coach. He looks like he might want to rip your balls off right now, but I assured him I would bring you out for an interview.”

  “I…”

  “Now.” Daniel took hold of his elbow and guided him toward the exit. “Ginny’s fine. She’s back home.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I just…know.”

  “I need to see her before we leave.”

  “We’re leaving as soon as you’re done with your press conference and you’ve showered and changed, Matt. Don’t fuck up. You just had the best play of your life.”

  “Probably because Ginny was there. Maybe I can persuade her to come with us.”

  “Nope.”

  The hard glint in his agent’s eyes warned him not to argue, but still he had to try. “Daniel…”

  “Nope.”

  They lowered their voices as they approached the head coach and press, and Matt persisted. “The team can go on ahead. I’ll follow.”

  “They need you, Matt. You’re their leader.”

  “What about Wolf?”

  “He may be the quarterback, but he’s not as experienced and cool-headed as you. They need you.”

  Matt gave a reluctant nod and took his seat, ready for the interview. His mind raced while he tried to think how he could get to see his woman and stay on the road trip.

  The wily dragon sent tendrils of smoke signals with a sly idea through his head. Matt rubbed the spot above his heart. He needed to see his beautiful mate no matter what. She filled his every thought and soothed his soul. He might have been inebriated the last time, but he’d done it before, he could do it again.

  Chapter Eight

  Graceful wings fluttered to make his landing on her balcony soft and silent. Not so noisy when he wasn’t under the influence of alcohol. He gave himself a moment to shift from dragon to man. The cool chill of the evening brushed his naked skin, and without the protection of his scales, sent a shiver through him.

  She hadn’t drawn her curtains, and there was no light from within, but his night vision was sharp and accurate. He soon pinpointed her lush body, resplendent on the sofa in her living room. Poor baby, she must be exhausted. He pressed his forehead against the chilly pane of glass and sighed. His stomach clenched with a need so much deeper than pure desire.

  He tried the door and grunted with disgust. Why would she lock a door to a balcony so high up? No one could climb the building because of its unique shape. It wasn’t as though she had neighbors who could slide over from their balconies. No—she was all alone. He ran his gaze over the top of the building and wondered how she’d managed to be the only tenant. She had the best view of the city—it surely had to come at a premium.

  He peered through the window again, and his heart tripped over itself. She lay on her back, arms sprawled on the cushion behind her head. Her rounded breasts lifted so he could see her cleavage as it rose and fell with her even breaths. He swallowed hard, the spit drying in his mouth as she moved to make herself more comfortable. She crooked one leg, and her skirt slid up to reveal a pale, tender thigh. The sight stopped his breath in his chest. Her head rolled to one side so he could better see her sweet, full lips as she poked out her tongue and ran it across them, making them wet and shiny. Oblivious to the temptation she provided in her sleep, she sucked on her bottom lip and made him crave a taste of her.

  He leaned on the doorframe, weak with lust. She’d made him yearn like he never had in all his two hundred years. How was he to survive? He needed her. Lust spread, deep and hot, flushing his skin and pushing the chill of the night away.

  There was nothing for it. He was going to have to batter down her door.

  He considered knocking on the windowpane and waking up the sleeping temptress.

  But then she moved.

  She drew one arm down to angle it diagonally across her body so her hand slipped over her naked thigh and came to rest between her legs.

  The breath in his lungs stayed there for a moment before he blew it out in a puff of fire. Not quite hot enough to break the glass, the window was left with a streak of condensation to blur his vision. He wasn’t sure his heart could take it. He pressed his forehead against the windowpane again and watched her fingers slip higher, hitching her skirt to expose her pretty pink silk panties to his view.

  His knees almost folded under him. “Let me in, babe. Please let me in.”

  His inner dragon rumbled in agreement, and the nail on his forefinger lengthened without conscious thought. He stared at it for a moment and wondered at the dragon’s aptitude. After two hundred years, he still managed to surprise him. He poked the sharp talon through the old-fashioned keyhole and wriggled it around until he felt the give in it.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off the woman strewn on the sofa. Her hand still relaxed in her crotch, her nimble fingers at rest.

  She gave a small shudder as the lock clicked off, her hips flexed, her fingers slipped higher, and Matt stifled the deep-throated growl that threatened to escape. Desire thickened, rolling through his senses, making his hands tremble as he opened the door and slipped silently inside, leaving it open behind him.

  His erratic pulse beat loud in his ears as he dropped to his knees at the side of the sofa and stared down at her. A quiet moan glided from her lips and made him crave, but he held back and took the opportunity to watch her while she slept. A deep wave of protectiveness filled his chest and expanded it to overflow with an emotion beyond naming.

  Compelled to touch her, he leaned down to place a tender, openmouthed kiss just below her hand, where it lay slack against the top of her thigh. A shaft of pale moonlight slanted across her body as though it had waited permission to enter the room, and it gave an ethereal glow where it kissed her silken skin.

  Her fingers twitched, and he moved to soothe them with his lips, nibbling along the length of them as he came nearer to her groin. The scent of her arousal shot straight to his belly to make it clench tight as he held back the desire to simply take everything he wanted. It seemed he’d wanted her forever, and having been unable to have her, his want spiraled.

  She moved her fingers and turned her hand. He planted a gentle kiss on her palm before she cupped his cheek in her hand, and then stroked her way along his jawline to trail a delicate finger around the shell of his ear. “Matt?”

  A low chuckle rumbled in his belly. “You wanna hope so.”

  A piercing screech filled the air, almost bursting his eardrums as she shot up from her reclining position and cracked her head neatly against his nose. He reared back, dizzy with the impact. His head reeled; his brain bounced around inside his head. Even the Wolf didn’t have a headbutt like she did, and when they practiced, at least he had a helmet on. Perhap
s he should remember to wear one around her. A helmet. Nothing else.

  Through her piping whimper, she stammered out, “I thought I was dreaming. You gave me a fright.”

  He cupped his head in his hands and rocked on his heels while he waited for blood to pour from his nose.

  “Are you naked?”

  He wasn’t sure why she should be shocked. Why shouldn’t he be naked? He’d just flown there to see her and then shifted from his dragon form. What could she expect? “Yep.” His voice was muffled through fingers holding onto his face to ensure his nose hadn’t smashed off. There was no gush of blood, but it was very possible she’d broken it. Where the screaming banshee voices had failed to make him bleed, it appeared she was more than capable of making up for it with the sharp smack of her head.

  “Why?” She wriggled, and he felt her hands on his. She wasn’t exactly trying to peel them off his face, but neither was she gentle.

  “Because I had to fly here. I thought I wanted to be with you. Of course that was before you tried to knock me out.”

  He opened his eyes to stare into the silver shimmer of hers. Little bright sparks still flicked in his vision; stars glittered through the waves of black clouds. If he hadn’t had a concussion before, he sure as hell seemed to have one now.

  She tilted her head to one side, her lips quirked up at the edges. “Hi, handsome. I thought I wouldn’t see you until you got back from your road trip.”

  His chest constricted. The hard knock of his heart served as a reminder that he was still alive and hadn’t simply floated off to heaven after his last beating. She pushed the weight of heavy hair back from his forehead. Her fingers gentled as they skimmed through it.

  Transfixed, he stared into her beautiful face and said the first thing to come into his dull, thoughtless mind. “I thought you were going to touch yourself.”

  Yeah, definitely a concussion. He had no idea how his brain had allowed his mouth to throw the thought out there.