Randal skimmed his tongue along my inner thigh and gripped my knees. His eyes locked with mine. A yearning to taste me seemed to be darkening his cool gray eyes as he continued to slip his tongue closer to my center, spreading my legs wider without much resistance.
Anticipation tightened my core once he reached the indent between my hip and thigh. The second his mouth descended upon the slick area between my legs, a hiss of air passed through my lips and I hung my head back, consumed in sticky passion. My entire lower region seemed to pulse for more of what he was offering, while tiny shockwaves spread through my stomach. Why had I been so prudish when it came to this part of sex?
Running my fingers through Randal’s hair, I moaned and ground my hips against his face as he continued in his attempt to pleasure me like the skilled master he was. Sparks of satisfaction showered through me as his tongue picked up speed. Risking a glance at him, I noticed he had been watching me while he worked his magic. There was a dangerous glimmer reflected in his eyes that let me know he was enjoying himself as much as I was. The sight of it was all I needed to see in order to release the tension building inside me.
Moaning and quivering, I melted into the mattress as my body shattered apart in the most glorious way, and then pieced itself back together again.
Heat submerged my face once Randal released me. I lay still, fighting against the desire to bury my face in my hands. I couldn’t believe I had allowed him access to my most intimate parts, or that I had enjoyed it so much.
When I finally gathered the courage to look at him, there was a satisfied grin stretched onto his face. He tugged his boxer briefs down in one fluid motion, and I saw exactly how much he had enjoyed himself. Forcing away the embarrassment trickling through me, I sat up on my knees and smoothed my hands across his chest. Pushing him against the pillows, I climbed on top of him, ready to lose myself in the feel of him once more.
With languid muscles, I made my way to the kitchen. Sleep was calling to me, but I needed my tea first. After the day I had, there was no way in hell I wanted to be sucked into a nightmare with my wraith. My wraith? When had I started thinking of him as mine?
I grabbed my favorite mug from the cabinet by the sink and filled it with water. After warming it and adding a few teaspoons of the strange tea Lexy had made for me, I headed back to my bedroom. Randal was stretched out across my bed, still completely naked, with his arms tucked behind his head.
His lips curled into a half smile as he appraised me with hooded eyes. “You are incredibly beautiful.”
My cheeks heated from the intensity in his eyes. “Thank you.” I carefully crawled into bed beside him, trying not to spill my drink.
“Has the tea been effective?” He nodded to my cup.
“Yeah.” I couldn’t be more grateful for that little blessing either. This tea gave me one less thing to worry about.
“Good.” Randal smoothed a hand along my thigh. “Drink up. You look as though you might need time to recharge after such exertion.” The sly smile twisting his lips hinted at what he was really implying.
“Are you saying in a roundabout way I look like crap, or are you trying to tell me I need to build my strength up for round two?” I sipped my tea. It was still a little on the hot side, but that was when it tasted best.
He tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear. “You look nothing other than beautiful, but yes, you will need to gather strength for round two tomorrow night.”
“I have to work tomorrow.” I’d said it as an excuse to not go down that path with him again, but when I thought about it, I wasn’t sure if I had a job any longer. Did nearly killing my boss and having him turned into a vampire qualify as grounds for being fired?
“Even after everything that happened tonight, you still plan to work tomorrow?”
“I was scheduled to. Besides, I’m not sure Landon will be able to come in, which is completely my fault.” I needed to call and make sure he was doing okay. While I was at it, I should probably check to see if he was planning on opening Spark, as well as if I had a job anymore.
I chewed along the inside of my cheek, unbelieving how the last twenty-four hours had unfolded. Landon needed to know I intended to do whatever I could to help him adjust to the new life I’d shoved him into. It was the least I could do.
“I was hoping you would take the night off and recuperate.”
Pursing my lips together, I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn’t deserve to recuperate from anything. Couldn’t he see that? “Recuperating is the last thing I need. What I need is to be there for someone I screwed over royally, because of this stupid wraith,” I said with more bite than necessary. It wasn’t Randal’s fault. “I’m sorry. I just need things to go back to some sense of normal.”
“I understand.” He kissed my forehead.
With a sigh, I leaned against my pillow and took another sip of my tea. Clips from the night flashed through my mind as the quiet surrounding us pressed into me. I thought back to Landon’s reaction to being told what he had become. The way his lips had quirked into a smile and the glimmer of excitement in his eyes reminded me that he had wanted to be a vampire.
Even before he mentioned knowing a vampire and allowing her to feed from him, I could sense a level of excitement building within him. While I damn sure didn’t understand his giddy reaction, I wouldn’t beat myself up about the events of the night because of it.
I took another sip of my tea. It tasted bitter on my tongue. Cupping the mug between my palms, I turned to glance at Randal. His eyes were closed, but I knew he wasn’t sleeping. While I finished my tea, I thought about topics we could discuss, but I couldn’t settle on one. Randal’s breathing seemed to even out, and I wondered if he truly was asleep. Would he enter the dreamscape I created for myself? I shifted through the places I could create, wanting something special in case he happened to make an appearance. Only one place came to mind—the lavender field he had created for me in Avalon Bay.
“What are you thinking about? You seem lost in thought.” His voice shattered the silence we had been trapped in, as well as my thoughts, startling me to the point of almost spilling my tea. Gaining control over my racing heart, I took another sip before answering him. It was nearly cold now, which made it taste even more bitter. My eyes shifted to find he was staring at me.
“I was thinking about the dreamscape you created for us while we were in Avalon Bay.”
A small smile graced his lips as the memory resurfaced for him as well. “That was the moment I knew I cared deeply for you.” He reached out and brushed his fingertips against my forearm. “I made a vow then to do anything in my power to save you from the wraith.”
My throat constricted at his admission. It brought the cost of the spell Lexy wanted to use front and center in my mind. This conversation was heading in dangerous territory.
I focused on to the beginning of his admittance, trying to forget the other. I let the emotions from his confession sweep over me. “I felt something similar then too.” It was true. After waking from the dreamscape, I realized I cared for him more than I had thought possible. There was something intimate about it.
“Is that so?” Randal’s fingertips drifted away from my forearm, landing on my upper thigh where he made lazy circles against my skin.
I nodded. “That was when I knew I wanted to see where this thing between us would go.” I lifted my stare to find his. Even though his eyes were barely illuminated by the low light of the lamp on my nightstand, I could still make out the intensity of his emotions swirling through them.
“After tonight’s events, I cannot express how pleased I am to hear those words come from your lips.” He cupped my face, his thumb slipping over my bottom lip as he held my stare.
“What do you mean?” What had happened tonight that made him think any differently? He knew I wasn’t the jealous type when it came to Natalia. I had stressed that to him plenty.
“I know how you feel about him.” He surprised me by saying.
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My heart pounded at his words. I knew exactly who he was referring to without him having to utter his name—Landon. “How?”
Pain sliced through the cool gray of Randal’s eyes, causing me to regret my question. I should have asked who. I should have denied where he was going with this conversation. I should have reassured him. Instead, I asked how he knew about my feelings for Landon, which was the same as admitting them.
“As I have said before, when you have been around as long as I have, it becomes quite easy to spot such things in people.” He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “It was something in the way you looked at him tonight after he was told what had happened and didn’t react the way you assumed he would. There was something in your eyes then; it made me wonder if you felt a sense of relief that went beyond what the situation called for, or quite possibly a sense of regret for not having done what you did sooner.” He paused. “You have always wanted to be with him, haven’t you?”
I was at a loss for words. How had he picked up on all of that in such a short time? My silence did nothing to better my case, it didn’t ease the pain flickering through his eyes. Neither would a lie.
“Yes.” There was no point in denying it.
Randal’s eyes closed as though he were wincing in pain. “And you stayed away because of what you are.”
It wasn’t a question, but more of a statement, one that made me think he knew exactly what that felt like.
“I wasn’t good for him. Nothing could ever happen between us because of what I was. I knew that,” I answered him anyway, the rawness of my words burning my throat.
“And now, things have changed.” Randal’s eyes lifted to meet mine. The heartache swirling through their cloudy color tore at my heart. “Landon is no longer human and fragile, and he is not susceptible to your succubus allure or powers. There is a chance for the two of you to be together now, when before there wasn’t. Will you take it?”
“No.” I didn’t hesitate in answering him. “I have what I want, what I’ve always wanted.” As I said the words, the truth sank in.
A relationship with Landon wasn’t something I wanted anymore. Randal was what I wanted. With him, I was happy; with him, things were more than just lust. He was the first person to make me feel everything I did for him without any guilt overshadowing it.
Randal’s lips twisted into a smile that brought light back into the cool color of his eyes. “I have what I want as well.”
“Good.” I swallowed the remaining sip of my tea, and set the mug on the nightstand. Flipping the switch on the lamp, I turned out the light. I moved across the few inches separating us, and snuggled into his side.
Chapter 16
Unable to fall asleep as quickly as I would have liked, I lay awake, wrapped in Randal’s arms, thinking about all he had said. After sometime, my eyes finally fluttered closed, but I didn’t drift off into a dreamscape created by him or myself. There was no field of lavender or endless beach. Instead, I found myself again on the patch of land near the frozen pond and cabin on the hill.
How the hell was I back here? I had drank the tea before falling asleep this time. I was sure of it. I took in my surroundings. Something about the place had changed, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
The frozen pond was a few feet in front of me. The thick forest with bare-branched trees still managed to hide the little slice of hell from the world. Even the shack was still perched on the hill, looking as though it would crumble any second. Something was different though.
“There you are, sweet succubus,” a familiar voice muttered. It was too close for comfort. I could feel the coldness from it lapping at the back of my neck. “I’ve been waiting for you to drift off to sleep.” The wraith’s sub-zero breath slipped along the back of my neck.
I spun to face him, not liking his close proximity. Everything about him seemed to be more solid than I remembered. His dark hair still fluttered across his forehead in an unfelt breeze, and his eyes still glowed deep red, but he had lost the sense of smoke and vapor. In fact, he was nearly whole. The red pulsing light, which always seemed to mimic my heartbeat, started flashing like a strobe in conjunction with the early morning light cutting through the dark sky. Wisps of fog wound their way between my legs, seemingly attached to the red pulsating light, giving it a more ominous look.
“How are you here? How am I here? I drank the tea.” The words nearly stuck in my throat, because I couldn’t comprehend the situation no matter how hard I tried.
The wraith’s lips twisted into a wicked grin, exposing his perfectly straight teeth. For a split-second, I thought he might have been attractive when he was alive. “I’m much stronger now.”
Did this mean the tea Lexy had given me didn’t work anymore? What about the other things she had created to help me keep him at bay? Thoughts were coming at me like angry little bees, buzzing through my mind. As my heart pounded in my chest, my lungs became constricted. I couldn’t breathe.
“Don’t worry.” He started toward me. “I plan to toy with you for a while before completely savoring your soul.”
Fear oozed from me. I knew my sudden panic would fuel him, but it couldn’t be contained. I didn’t like the expression twisting his features, or his words. I risked glancing away from him to take in my surroundings. I had only been in this dreamscape once, but still knew there was no place to hide.
Unless I ran into the woods.
Who was to say they were real though? My mind was quick to remind me they could be part of a creepy mirage.
The birds from the last time I questioned a scenario flashed through my mind with crippling clarity. The woods were real, they had to be, which also meant the cabin was real as well. I debated where I should run. While I knew I could reach the woods faster than the shack, I also knew I would have to keep running once I got there. This would make it hard to concentrate on much else. If I went for the shack, at least I could barricade myself inside and focus on waking up.
That was my plan. Next, I attempted to figure out how I could distract him. I needed to get him talking, to absorb him in a conversation until I could find the right moment and make a run for it. If I had learned one thing about the wraith while trapped within the confines of these torturous nightmares with him, it was that he enjoyed talking about what he wanted to do to me. “What do you mean by toy with me?”
“Exactly what you think I mean.” His lips twisted into a sinister smile. I flinched as he stepped closer, raking his eyes over me. “I haven’t gotten everything I want from you yet, my sweet little succubus.” He ran his tongue along his bottom lip.
Bile rose up the back of my throat. There was no way in hell I would let him touch me in the way he was meaning. Screw talking in-depth about what he wanted to do to me. I dashed to the hill without a second thought.
My bare feet dug into the hard-packed soil as I made my way up the hill toward the cabin. When I was halfway there, I cast a glance over my shoulder to see how much distance I had put between us and was relieved to see the wraith still standing near the pond. Obviously, the element of surprise had been with me.
Triumph pumped through my blood, causing a giddy smile to stretch onto my face the instant I reached the top of the hill. I was a few feet away from the door when I heard the wraith erupt into a fit of laughter. It echoed through the air, causing goose bumps to sweep over my skin. As I reached for the rusted metal doorknob, I realized why he was laughing.
The door was padlocked shut.
I pulled and jerked, attempting to gather enough force to bust it free. When it didn’t budge, I resorted to slamming my palm against the rough wood, praying it would open.
The wraith’s laughing grew closer. He was making his way up the hill at a carefree pace. Anger mingled with my panic, fueling my rapidly pounding heartbeat. I hated him. I hated everything he stood for. Most of all, I hated what he was doing to me, what he would do to me.
My eyes skimmed the shack. There were two
windows caked in dust on either side of the door. If I could bust one open before he reached me, I might be able to hoist myself inside. Maybe I could use something to block the window, or maybe there would be a weapon.
What could you fight a wraith with though? Wraiths were already dead.
Moving to one of the windows, I wiped my palm against the glass and smeared the dust away so I could see inside. What I saw chilled me to my core.
The entire house was filled with ghosts.
A rainbow of auras floated through the one-room shack in the shape of people. Men, women, and even a few children were congregating inside. What the hell was this place? A storage container for the dearly departed?
While some seemed more animated than others as they flew around franticly, searching for a way out, others appeared stagnant as they slumped in a corner or lay on the floor, unmoving. I wondered if those ones had given up finding a way out. I didn’t have much time to think about it, because the wraith was breathing against the back of my neck, his icy fingers trailing along my spine.
“Do you like what you see?” he whispered. “Don’t worry. You’ll be in there before long too. No need to rush,” he teased.
I swallowed hard. “What is this place?” My muscles tensed from his close proximity, urging me to run, but I knew it would be fruitless. I was trapped between the wraith and the rough wood of the cabin.
“It’s where I store the souls I’ve overtaken.” He breathed against the back of my neck.
Shivers slipped along my spine as I inspected those trapped inside, counting them as best I could. There appeared to be hundreds. Either this wraith had gotten around, or he was older than I thought.
“Aren’t they pretty?” He tugged on a few strands of my hair. “I bet you never thought my collection of souls would be so vast.”
Succubus Kiss The Complete Series Page 45