by Lexi C. Foss
He tipped back his cup, reaching past me to place it on the damaged table. Wrapping his arm around my back, he pulled me closer to him. His eyes slowly surveyed my face before he dipped his mouth to mine, softly claiming my lips. I brought my hands flat against his chest, trying to remember why this was a bad idea.
The moment his mouth touched mine, all coherent thought left my mind, replaced with need. A groan escaped his lips as my mouth captured it, swallowing it like the whiskey. My fingers ran through his inky dark hair as my tongue pushed past his lips, dueling against his in an ageless dance. My hips rolled, inviting him to do more, which he didn’t seem to understand.
One moment led my utter ruin in a charge of sexual tension, and the next, he took control, exerting dominance. His fingers trailed through my hair, controlling my head as he turned it to allow better access to devour me. My hands lowered to his shoulders, unable to touch his flesh enough as I continually rocked against him, moaning unsexy noises like a bitch in heat as he claimed my mouth in a toe-curling kiss.
He pulled away, and my mouth chased his, needing him to continue what he’d started. Or maybe I had started it? Who cared? I felt his mouth twisting into a smile as his hand tightened in my hair, wrenching my head back, exposing my throat.
“Who is your mother?” he asked, and my nose wrinkled up.
“Who cares?” I whispered, listening to his husky laughter.
The music of his deep, rich laughter filled the room, slithering up my flesh as his other hand slipped under the shirt I wore. Pleasure swept over me, and I moaned unabashedly as my body tightened with desire fueled by my need for him.
Rhys brought my mouth back to his, hovering against it with what I needed and desired most just out of my reach. “Who is your mother?”
“Elizabeth Rhianna Cordova Silversmith,” I uttered, chasing the pleasure his lips promised. He stiffened, and my mind began to buzz with voices, voices whispering spells that worked on my flesh but did little to ease the pressure between my thighs.
“Elizabeth is dead, Remi. I know. I watched her die,” he growled, studying my face.
“She escaped, along with a few others. Beneath the stairs inside the library was a secret passageway that led deep into the woods where no one was looking. Into the shadows, the Silversmith goes, for the Van Helsing wants to consume our souls. From witch’s light, and faraway fright, the Van Helsing comes with all his might, but Silversmith knows how deep to go. Hide from them now. Hide from them all, for we remain the strongest house of all.” I sang it for him, my off-tune hum in synchronized movements with my hips as he studied me.
His mouth brushed against mine, holding me in whatever thrall he had over me. My skin glowed, and his eyes lowered, studying the runes before he shook his head, dropping his hands to my hips.
“What are you, Remi Silversmith?” he growled, rocking my body against his. “Tell me to stop. Tell me you don’t want me. Tell me to stop this, and it ends now.”
I swallowed as my mind slowly took in what was happening around me. My body was strung tightly, pulsing with the need to release the tension he’d created. I could see the tick hammering in his jaw, his pupils dilating with lust as I leaned over, claiming his mouth to stop my brain from stuttering over the reality of what was happening.
He moved swiftly, lifting my body against his before placing me on the table, wrapping my legs around his hips. My hands pushed against his chest as he continued kissing me like I was the air he needed to breathe. His fingers captured the bottom of my shirt, lifting it over my head easily as he broke the kiss, slowly lowering me to the table. His hands trailed from my hips to my belly as he peered into my soul’s depths, devouring it with the look burning in his eyes.
My stomach coiled with tension as a wild fluttering began within me, as if butterflies had taken flight and searched for a way to escape. His mouth lowered, clicking his teeth against the piercing in my nipple, pulling against it. I hissed at the pain mixing with pleasure, lifting my hips to roll them as my eyes closed. Absolute pleasure rushed through me from his heated kisses and nibbles.
A knock sounded at the door, and I opened my eyes as he reached between our bodies, stroking against my pleasure zone until I trembled from the pressure. His fingers pinched my clit through my pants as sinfully dark blue eyes slid up to hold mine. I exploded as his other hand lifted, covering my mouth, and he groaned like he was in pain during my sudden release.
“Van Helsing. Cole just walked into the bar!” someone shouted from the other side of the door.
Rhys yanked me up, and my head spun as he grabbed the shirt he’d tossed on the floor, pulling it over my head. He picked up one hand, pushing it through the sleeve before doing the same to my other. His hand lifted, pushing his fingers through his hair as he smiled victoriously at me.
“Don’t cuss at me too much, Love. That bloody bastard will see it as foreplay.”
“What the hell just happened?” I asked through swollen lips.
“That curse your friend mentioned? It’s not real, but the one about our lines being connected most definitely is. If you stay with me, I’ll tell you more about it. If Elizabeth is your mother, you shouldn’t be trying to find her. She will find you. That woman is relentless when she puts her mind to it.”
The door opened, and the tattooed male from earlier in the night entered, his heady stare falling on me as he invited himself inside. His lips curled into a dark smile while he slid his attention down my body to where Rhys held my hips.
“Sanctuary, brother,” Cole smirked. “Unless, of course, you intend to break Van Helsing law by denying me entrance?” Cole asked, his eyes sparkled while he studied the way I watched him.
“Granted,” Rhys growled as a tick slowly pulsed in his cheek. His dark blue eyes never left mine, not even when his mouth curved into a dark smile. “Cole, meet Elizabeth’s daughter, Remi Silversmith.”
“Elizabeth’s dead, we buried her corpse after we burned them in their home,” Cole said coldly, sending a chill racing down my spine as unease entered my mind. “She can’t be a Silversmith. The coloring is all wrong. Move, asshole,” he ordered, grabbing me and yanking me toward him.
I lifted my hand and shoved Cole back, watching as his mouth curved in a smile that caused my knees to grow weak. He grabbed my wrist, and I moaned, whimpering as the room changed, and both brothers boxed me in, kissing me while hands caressed me. It felt like I’d stepped on a livewire sending waves of need rushing through me.
Their lips caressed my skin, and I moaned, grinding my body against them. Rhys cupped my breasts from behind as Cole suckled one into his mouth, his hand sliding down my naked flesh. My clothes vanished, leaving me with two very virile, very naked men who were kissing and stroking me until my entire body literally ached with pleasure.
“Tell me your secrets, and I’ll bring you to heaven with so much pleasure you’ll never wish to leave my cock, little girl,” Cole growled hungrily.
“Enough, Cole,” Rhys warned harshly, yanking me toward him and out of the illusion Cole had woven. “You’re here under sanctuary, brother. Tread very carefully from this point forward.”
“She hasn’t chosen a side yet, has she? That makes her fair game, and she did just murder the little half-breed witch I owned.”
“A witch who held a lot less power than Remi does. She is a Silversmith by blood. That much you can’t argue. You saw it as clearly as I did tonight. She had every right to give orders, and those orders weren’t followed. So Remi took her life.”
“If she were a fucking alpha, brother, then that would be true,” Cole snorted, stepping closer, lifting his hand to cradle my cheek. He studied my face carefully through narrowing eyes, running his thumb over my full bottom lip. “She’s a little too wild for your uptight ass to handle, anyway. She’s got a dark side, and I want to play with it. Care to join me, brother?”
“Remi remains here until she decides which side she wants. She is an alpha, and you know it. Regardless of hous
e status, that stands. Your half-breed should have listened to her, and she wouldn’t be dead right now.”
I was getting whiplash from their conversation, yet I hadn’t looked away from Cole, who was smiling. He screamed King of Wickedness, right down to the tattoos that sat on his face. His power wasn’t muted, it continued to pulse like a steady beat through the room, even though it wasn’t directed at me since he’d let me go.
“You like what you see, pretty one?”
“Undecided,” I admitted.
Who the hell looked like sex incarnate while rocking face tattoos? They weren’t supposed to be sexy, but on Cole, they were. His head canted to the side, and the smile that played on his mouth promised pleasure. Shit, everything about both men screamed sex god in pretty packages. Nyx would be in heaven!
“You need help deciding?” Cole asked, slowly stepping closer until I was between the brothers. His hands lifted to my shoulders, while Rhys continued to hold my waist. “You remember the last Silversmith we took together, Rhys?” Cole continued, lowering his lips to my throat while slowly nipping against the racing pulse.
“I’m not interested in sharing anything with you, Cole. I don’t think she is interested in being shared, either. Are you, Love?” Rhys asked, his nose slowly rubbing against my ear as their bodies’ heat pushed against mine.
My heart pounded relentlessly against my chest. Cole leaned closer, brushing his lips against mine as he smiled. The hands on my hips held me tightly, brushing thumbs over my flesh to reassure me, while Cole claimed my mouth softly, slowly seducing my senses. I moaned as images flashed through my mind. Cole had me seated on his lap, while Rhys sat between my legs, devouring me. Cole held my thighs open, allowing Rhys to stroke his tongue hungrily through my apex’s arousal. I watched with a hooded gaze as Cole’s fingers began running in a circular pattern against my clit. Rhys’s fingers entered my body, filling me until I was bucking against them, coming undone around their sensual assault. I shivered violently, pushing the images away as I tried to determine reality from fantasy.
Freaking incubus demons! Even worse, brother incubus demons.
“Enough,” I moaned as my head dropped back against Rhys’s chest. Cole stepped back, smiling, but the look in his eyes floored me like he hadn’t been unaffected by that vision either.
“She’s a very dirty girl, with a sinfully delicious imagination. She was imaging you eating her naked pussy, and it is very naked, indeed, brother. You’re in over your head with this one, Rhys. When she becomes too much to handle, send her my way, and I’ll turn her naughty little thoughts into a reality she’d enjoy.”
“You finished yet, asshole?” Rhys growled, and yet he didn’t release me.
“Nah, I’m just getting started,” Cole laughed darkly, letting his eyes drop to where Rhys continued running his fingers over my hips. “I’ll see you soon, Sunshine.”
“My name is Remington, not Sunshine.”
“Remington, what a beautiful name for a little Silversmith,” he chuckled, leaning closer to inhale my scent. “Fuck me! You’re a newborn. No wonder my asshole brother is trying to claim you. I’m guessing Eliza didn’t get to the part where we’re the bad guys, did she? Since you’re not immortal, I’m going to guess that you know nothing of our world or history. Fuck me, if we didn’t hit pay dirt with you.”
“You didn’t hit shit. I may be young, but I’m not stupid. I’m aware I am in the hands of my bloodline’s mortal enemies. I’m very aware of who and what you are. I’m also aware that I’m on neither of your sides, so stop with your demon mind tricks, or I’ll make your blood boil with mine. I do promise to enjoy the pretty screams you’ll give me. Now get your fucking hands off of me, both of you.”
“You sure you want me to do that?” Rhys chuckled against the side of my neck, kissing it softly. “I’m not sure how much more this room can take of your curse. You broke a two-hundred-year-old table that was an heirloom.”
“Who is to blame for that?” I countered crossly.
“Touché, but if I release you from my touch, you’ll either face plant on the floor or land on Cole, which he is hoping happens. If he’s touching you without me grounding you, I can’t get you out of his thrall. Decide. It’s your choice what happens to you.”
“Come on, pretty girl. Come play in my world. I promise you’ll like it there,” Cole smirked, crossing his arms over his chest, watching me carefully as frustration played out on my face. “I’m much more fun than Rhys’s stuffy, prim, and proper ass is.”
I didn’t trust either of them.
Not one iota.
However, I really didn’t trust a man who could sacrifice his men just to make a point. Cole planned to murder his brother. If I hadn’t intervened, he very well might have accomplished it.
“I think I’ll stay with Rhys for now, Cole. It was a pleasure to meet you, though, and should I need a gorgeous evil villain, you’ll be my first choice.”
“Who says I’m the evil one, Sunshine?” Cole asked, lifting a brow as Rhys snorted behind me. “Oh, don’t let his suit and ties fool you. He’s as evil as they come. He just hides it much better than I do. Enjoy your evening. Do try to pull that stick out of my brother’s ass, yeah? He’s a bloody fucking thorn in my side. It was my pleasure meeting you, Remington. Such beauty and grace have long been forgotten in this day and age. Though, maybe pick your clothes better, and stop letting this wanker dress you. I can send something more… appropriate for you to wear if you’d like. If not, I took it upon myself to pick up your belongings from your hotel. They’re being held at the bar since weapons are frowned upon here, especially Silversmith weapons. You have an eye for fine detail, and I must say, I am impressed by your craftsmanship to your personal weapons. I did, however, take one as my price for delivering your things. Goodnight, my lady,” he said, bowing at the waist before his eyes lifted. A cold smile played on his lips as he stared over my shoulder. “I’ll be back soon, promise.”
He left the room, and I spun around, lifting my hand to slap Rhys before he could deflect it. “Do not ever use your magic on me again, or I’ll return the favor tenfold, and I only know the nasty spells of my bloodline. If I kiss you, it will be because I want to kiss you. If I tell you things, it will be because I want you to know them. Use your demon mojo on me, and I will get evil on you, and you know it, so don’t push me. You have things I want to learn about my history, but more than that, you know my mother. Which means you may know who took her or who would want to take her. If you help me, I will help you. That is my offer. Take it or leave it, Van Helsing.”
“I only used my influence when I kissed you, and only a sliver of it. I can’t make you want me. You’re a Silversmith. You’re immune to that part of what I am because you cursed me. You’re my cure for the incubus magic within me. Yes, I can enhance your libido, and you can enhance mine. That is because we were united, and our bloodlines are the fuel on the fire that ignites when we touch. What Cole did, that is more incubi driven. We’re uncertain of why he can wield it against Silversmiths. It has only ever worked on halflings until you. You saw me between your pretty thighs, didn’t you?” Rhys dropped his gaze to the pulse on my throat that gave away my lie before I even whispered it. He smiled devilishly, lifting his hand to touch my cheek. “Cole wasn’t lying entirely. I’m not a good guy. I don’t play by anyone else’s rules. When I give my word, I keep it. And the list of who wouldn’t want your mother captured or dead is much shorter than those who do.”
“Was there a yes in there somewhere?” I asked, exhausted from driving from Seattle to Spokane, across the entire state of Washington. Then to show up to a mess at my mother’s house, ending up a prisoner because I hadn’t listened to Winchester, who would never let me live this down if I survived it.
6
Rhys held my hand as we vacated the sanctuary and made a beeline to the waiting sleek, black Suburban. He had an entire caravan of knights outside the vehicles dressed in dark clothing and tactical gear. It
appeared as if Rhys expected an assault or was escorting royalty instead of one exhausted Silversmith and a nymph who was currently touching his knights in inappropriate ways.
“Nyx, stop groping them!” I complained, trying to yank my hand back to point my finger toward her, yet Rhys refused to allow me to use of my hand. “It’s inappropriate.”
“And fun, you should try it,” Nyx giggled
“I’ve done all the groping I want to do tonight. Thank you very much!” I groaned tiredly, noting Rhys’s lips that twitched with my words.
“You groped him?” Nyx smiled, wiggling her eyebrows meaningfully.
I watched as my bag was brought out to the back of a Suburban and tossed inside. My gaze slid to Nyx, who waited for my reply. My teeth worried my lip while I decided what to tell her. I’d been more than groped and had done more than that to the male currently holding my hand.
“I made out with him.”
“Is that what we’re going with?” he asked, tracing his thumb over the pulse on my wrist. “I’m pretty sure you got a little more than that tonight, Silversmith.”
“Indeed, it is. That’s all the information anyone needs to know about what happened in that room tonight.” My eyes dared him to argue it, his sparkling with amusement before dragging his tongue over his very rideable lips.
“I need more details than that! Did you make her pretty kitty purr? It needs to purr. She’s growing cobwebs, and it’s such a waste. And considering who Remi is, and what she is, she needs to use those pelvic muscles. Did the curse happen? We’re you inexplicably drawn to one another with the need to bend that ass over and spread those—”
“And that’s enough from you!” I squeaked abruptly, pausing at the sound of Rhys’s rumbling dark laughter. Leveling him with a chilling glare just made him smile wickedly, and his damn thumb found my pulse on my wrist again, stroking it slowly.
“The curse is true. And yes, it has ignited between us, Nyx. Unfortunately, we were disturbed, and our liaison was interrupted. Considering how much magic Remi wielded earlier tonight, I’m sure we will have time tonight to pursue the end of what we started.”