Dominick hated that she spoke of herself that way. Like she wasn’t worthy of every single thing he could give her. He swallowed the growl that threatened to spill from his lips. She didn’t know that she had a mate, so he couldn’t expect her to accept his presents with ease. It still made him angry with anyone who had given her the idea that she wasn’t worthy. Perhaps it was her succubus nature that caused her heartache.
“Victoria, you are a lovely woman who absolutely deserves to receive gifts, and you’d better get used to it, missy. I have more things planned for you in the coming days.” Thick silence hung between them. Before she could turn him down, he plowed forward. “We’ve met before, you know. You stole my breath even then. Let me woo you a little, please.”
Her sigh was loud. “I can’t let you get attached to me. What we have isn’t real and you know that, right? I appreciate the gift more than you can know, but pretending that I mean something to you is wrong.”
“How about, just for right now, we pretend we could be friends? Talk to me for ten minutes, that’s all I’m asking for.”
He waited, fingers crossed. Would she give him that little bit of time? Once again he wished he were something more powerful than a wizard. If he were a demon or something stronger he could’ve stormed the castle and thrown her over his shoulder. Being nothing more than a glorified human meant he couldn’t overpower her, couldn’t force her to see what they were to each other. The lack of control made him twitch.
He was pulled from his thoughts by the most beautiful words he’d ever heard. Victoria’s soft voice was music to his ears as she whispered, “I’d like that.”
The constriction around his chest loosened, allowing his first deep breath in days. He settled down into his chair and smiled. What to talk about? “Tell me what the tree is doing now.”
“The buds are just starting to open. I love watching the leaves slowly unfurl—it’s like watching a miracle occur.” Her breathy sigh was tinged with amusement. “My favorite part of spring is coming though. The smell of honeysuckle makes my heart warm and I can breathe easier.”
“Tell me what you were thinking the minute you realized what I’d sent.”
“Hmm… I was thinking that you were crazy to send something so unique and expensive. But, then I thought that I was glad you had.” Her chuckle was like a fire burning through his body. “It truly is the most amazing gift anyone has ever given me.”
“I’m so happy you are enjoying it. Are you in your office now? Is it sitting on your desk?”
“Will your next question be about what I’m wearing?”
He laughed. “No, but if you want to tell me I’ll definitely take the information for future use.”
The sound of her low, sensual chuckle had his cock hard in a moment. He swallowed a groan. He wanted to hear that sound as she slid down his body. The thought of her licking a path to his engorged dick while he watched had him squirming in his chair.
“Oh, you’re a bad boy. I can hear your breathing change. What are you thinking? Hmm? Were you thinking about last night and how I felt under you? Or how you made me come? It felt so good too.” Victoria’s voice had taken on a silky smoothness that had his hard-on deflating. This was her work voice and not the one he wanted to hear.
He sighed. “Please don’t do that. I want to talk to you—the real you. I don’t expect anything from you right now other than a few minutes of talking. Be you, Victoria, just you.”
Stunned. That was the only word that could come close to how Vic was feeling after the heartfelt plea from Nick. She’d felt the icy grip of irritation flow over her when she’d heard his breathing change. She’d been with enough men to know what that meant. He was turned-on and had been thinking about her. Old habits kicked in, sending her mind to someplace safer, away from the feeling of loss. To hear him nearly beg for her, her and not the sexy persona she used for work, was dumbfounding. When was the last time she’d spoken to a male and he’d actually wanted to talk to her?
She cleared her throat and felt a slight blush creep across her cheeks. “All right, Nick. I’m sorry. I thought that’s what you wanted. I mean, you sent me a present and then called. I just assumed you wanted a freebie before Thursday.”
“You know what they say about assuming anything, right?”
She could hear the smile in his voice and felt better for bringing his mood back to playful. Grinning, she answered him. “Yes, and I’m sorry I implied you were an ass. So you asked where I have the Etraza tree, right? I have it sitting on my desk right now. I’ve been staring at it instead of the spreadsheets that I currently have open on my computer. But I’ll be taking it to my room with me tonight so I can look at it before I go to bed.”
He chuckled again and she swallowed a sigh. For the first time ever, she really wanted to know who she was talking to. Would he tell her?
Before she could ask, he spoke again. His next thought stumped her. “Tell me something about your office that no one else would know.”
“Huh. Something about my office? I keep an emergency stash of chocolate behind a set of books on my shelf.” She grinned.
“Chocolate? Really, that’s the best you could do? Why do you hide it?”
“Because Gynger can sniff out candy from down the hall. If I want to have any for those moments that will be fixed either with chocolate or someone’s death…well, you get the idea. I try not to dirty my office with bodies if I can help it.”
“Oh well, then. Chocolate is a must in your office.” He laughed and she felt it burn a path from her ear to her toes. His amusement was lethal. “What’s your favorite type of chocolate?”
“Hmm. Honestly I’m not picky. I love Godiva dark chocolate, but in a crisis any will do. How about you? Do you have any secret stashes in your office?” She twirled an errant curl around her finger while spinning in her Italian leather computer chair. She stopped mid-spin when she realized what she was doing. Grinning? Chuckling? Spinning in her chair? What the hell is wrong with you? She cleared her throat. “You know what, Nick? I have to go. We’ll have to pick this up some other time. Thank you again for the present. I really do appreciate it. Bye.”
She hung up before he could respond. Her heart rate was higher than normal and her palms were sweating. Clearly you’re experiencing fear. Interesting. She swiped the dampness on her pants and tried to forget the last few moments. She couldn’t become attached, for more than one reason, but the most important reason was her heart. If she gave in and cared, it’d rip her apart when he decided he’d gotten whatever it was he was after.
Renewing her self-imposed iciness was more difficult than she thought it would be. With the soft glow of spring shining from the Etraza tree and the light scent of honeysuckle in the air, she couldn’t just banish the thought of him. With a shake of her head, she focused on the accounting for the week. Nothing could come of being friendly with Nick, unless she wanted heartache and hurt feelings. Keeping her mind on business was the best thing she could do. He’d soon be bored with trying to woo her, and she’d have her normal life back.
The small voice that whispered quietly in the back of her mind wasn’t so sure. You know he isn’t one of those other men. Give him a chance. Fuck. Even her own subconscious was working against her.
Chapter Seven
Another sigh left her lips and she grimaced at her own melancholy. You have it bad over a stranger. Annoying but true. She’d spent the entire weekend jumping each time the phone rang, hoping it’d be Nick then admonishing herself over the stupidity of pining after a client. It was a rookie mistake, one she’d warned every single one of her employees about. Don’t become attached. That was the mantra, drilled into their heads from the moment they signed their paperwork. Now she found herself doing exactly that, and wasn’t that a sad state of affairs?
“What are you laughing at?”
The silky tones of Gynger’s voice dragged Victoria from her thoughts. She’d ranted and raved at her friend in an attempt to get Nick�
��s real name. In the end she’d hidden in her apartment to save them both from her anger. Now it seemed that her friend wanted to take her life in her hands. Spinning in her desk chair, she pinned Gynger with a scowl.
“I’m not laughing at anything. Knock much? Do you often just wander into someone’s apartment without the decency of ringing their doorbell?”
“Don’t get all haughty with me, Vic. I did ring, and I knocked. You’ve been sitting there for over five minutes staring into nothing. I was going to throw something at you but thought better of it.” Vic watched a shadow of concern move across her friend’s face. “Come on, you have to stop this. He’s not going to hurt you, but you can’t know who he is yet. You’d eat him alive and spit out his bones before giving him a chance.”
“Really…you think I’m mad at you because of him? Oh, Gyn, you don’t know me very well do you?”
“Victoria. I’ve known you for fifty years. I can tell you that you bite the corner of your left pinky nail when you’re nervous. You roll your eyes every time someone calls you ‘baby’. You have a bad habit of mumbling nonsense in your sleep, and I know you’re running scared from your feelings about this male. I know you, hon. I know you’ve kept yourself frozen behind your walls of indifference. Come out, even if it’s for a little bit. Vic, I’ve missed you. The girls miss you. Hiding from everyone isn’t going to make your life better.”
Victoria wanted to argue that she wasn’t hiding, but she knew that would be a lie. She’d been hiding for most of her succubus existence, and not only from the men she serviced. That didn’t mean that she’d be crawling into bed with another man though. She’d made sure that she would never have to do that again. Her demon side could now feed in the comfort of her apartment without all the messy attachment that came from real sex. Why would she give that up? The anonymous donors of their lustful energy never wanted anything else from her. But you never get anything extra from them either. She sighed and wanted to bury the little voice that was becoming louder with each passing day.
“I know I’ve been a bear the last few years. I never meant for it to affect our friendship.” She sighed and ran her hands through her hair, pulling slightly to focus her thoughts. “I’m sorry. Look, I just don’t want to get my hopes up over some guy who doesn’t even know me.”
“But he wants to, Vic. Really, he wants to know you, and not just in the sexual stuff.”
“Sure he does, just like all the other clients I have. Don’t you ever get sick of being someone else, Gyn? Doesn’t it get to you that they don’t really make love to you? They don’t crave you. They crave whatever female they have in their heads. I don’t even know if I’m actually seeing myself anymore when I look in the mirror. I become so many other females each night.” Victoria couldn’t hide the pain in her voice. She knew she was admitting to far more than she wanted to, but perhaps it was time to face her fears and her hatred of what they did.
“It doesn’t bother me, hon, because I’ve been a succubus my entire life. I knew what I’d be doing each night from the time I could form memories. And you know what? I know that someplace in this big world is my mate. I’m biding my time, learning new techniques and new fantasies for when I give it up for my mate.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “Don’t you want to eventually have someone who loves you? I think someone is trying, Vic. I think that Nick is truly interested in you, but you have to give him a chance.”
Desperation piled on her shoulders, bowing them until she was nearly doubled over. The whisper left her lips before she could stop it. “What if I can’t be loved?”
“Oh, hon.” Warm arms wrapped around her shoulders, helping to carry some of the weight. “You, more than anyone else I know, deserve some love. You’ve spent years and years making it all better for us. It’s your turn now. Give him a chance. Let him see you for who you really are. He’ll accept you and your demon side, and if he doesn’t at least you will have tried.”
A shudder shook through Vic’s body. Could she open herself up to someone? She was lonely, and not just for friendship. Would Nick want to actually see her and not just whatever female she could portray? There was no way that thinking about it more would answer the question. Steeling her spine and taking a deep breath helped. Take the step, girly—give your heart a chance to find something other than more iciness.
“Do you know how I can call him before Thursday?”
The squeal that reverberated through her office nearly deafened her. Gynger’s shrill screech was enough to wake the dead. “Oh my gods! I knew you’d break down and call him.”
Victoria sat back and watched her friend dance around her office like a little girl. She couldn’t help the smile that graced her lips. When Gynger decided to spin around in a messy version of a few ballet moves, Vic figured she’d better get the other woman to stop. “Okay, you got your celebratory jig in. Now. Are you going to help me?”
Pulling a small piece of paper from her pocket, Gynger grinned, flashing impish dimples in both cheeks. “Here are his numbers, both home and office. Use your office phone so he’ll recognize that it’s you calling.” She squealed again. “I’m so happy for you. There’s nothing like finding your—”
The silence sitting heavily between them was telling. Vic swallowed the growl that threatened to vibrate from her chest. “Finding my what, Gyn? My mate? Is that what you were going to say?”
Anger bled through her veins, burning off the hope and amusement that had been there moments before. Manipulation was nothing new to her. She did it often to others, but having her friend do it to her was not something she’d expected. They just couldn’t leave her alone, could they?
“Yes. Victoria. Your mate. And, you know what? I know you’re pissed. So be it. I’m sick of watching you limp through life being a ghost. You don’t connect with anyone, ever. Not me, not the girls. For once someone will be able to shake up your little world and hopefully pull you from it.” She took a deep breath and scowled when Victoria started to say something. “I’m not done. Is he your mate? I have no idea, but I do know that he wants you and no one else. He spent thousands of dollars getting us to move him through the ranks to get one night with you. Do you hear me? He bribed, promised, begged all of us to get him to you for one chance of talking to you. He wants you, and I won’t stand here and watch you throw this opportunity away without a fight.”
Watching Gynger spew her thoughts had thrown Victoria and her anger into a tailspin. Was she reacting in anger because of fear? Had she really been that hard to live with? Been a ghost? Yes, and you know it. She sighed. “Fine. I agree that I’ve been a harsh bitch lately. I’m not saying he’s my mate. I refuse to admit to something like that, but I do enjoy talking with him. Give me the paper.”
Gynger extended her hand with the paper nestled in her palm. “Promise you’ll give him a chance, please?”
“Fine.” Vic touched the paper as if it were going to bite her. “I’ll give him a chance, but if he fucks with my heart I’m eating him.”
Ginger laughed. A flicker of something flashed in her eyes before she spoke. “Fair enough. Oh, and I cleaned out a few slots on Thursday if you want to give me a few of your clients.”
“I don’t need to do that.”
“I know. But you also don’t need to feed as deeply after Nick.” She snorted at Victoria’s undignified sputtering. “No, don’t deny it. I saw you running the stairs, offloading energy last week, and I know you haven’t actually fed from any other men since that night. He juiced you good, so why not give me some of your clients and you can spend more time with him this week?”
The idea of actually relaxing and not messing with time, not hopping from one male to another, was too tempting. Victoria nodded. “Fine. But just for this week.”
“Good. I’ve gotta run and get ready for my night.” As quick as lightning, the other woman wrapped her arms around Vic’s waist. The impromptu bear hug squeezed the air from Vic’s lungs. Gynger whispered, “I’m so happy for you, and
please be nice to him. He really likes you.”
Before she could respond to her friend’s statement, Gynger was off and running down the hallway. Her giggles could be heard throughout the floor. Vic tried to stop the grin but couldn’t. She hadn’t seen her friend so happy in years. Guilt oozed into her heart. Had she locked herself down so much that it was affecting others?
Glancing at the small piece of paper still grasped in her hand gave her a little jolt. She could call him, chat for a few minutes and get that same contented feeling she’d had on Friday. Yes. No. She’d call him, but not so soon after getting his information. Gyn was sure to tell him about the conversation, and she couldn’t look desperate. She could wait a day or two, let him know that she wasn’t totally into him before calling. The dull ache in her chest mocked her. She’d wait because her head said that was the best move, but her heart knew that she should have picked the phone up already.
Chapter Eight
“Matthew, you are an ass. There is no way I’m allowing you or any of your brothers to take any piece of my business.” Icy anger flowed through her words and Victoria drummed her fingers on her desk. “You have no say in what Sin does. I hired all of you. You’re still my employees. You’d better talk to your siblings. If I hear again that you’ve been trying to convince some of my incubi to leave me I’ll challenge you, rip you to shreds and eat your still-beating heart from my manicured hand. Do you hear me?”
Whatever the male started to say was silenced as she hung up the phone. She growled. Fuck. It never ended in the business side of her life. If it wasn’t office drama and missing toilet paper it was paranormal, supernatural fuckheads. She’d found out about the plan for a bunch of the incubi to leave and start their own company earlier in the day. “Pissed off” was a mild term for how she was feeling, but she wasn’t going to beg them to stay. That wasn’t the topper for her cake of shit though. Once one of them had let slip that they were trying to pirate technology through her techno-wizards, she’d blown a gasket. No one stole from her, ever.
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