by Cynthia Eden
Well, he was making friends left and right tonight. Todd lifted the drink in a small salute and wondered vaguely if the guy had poisoned him. “Good to know.”
The bartender’s eyes narrowed to beady green points. “Watch yourself, cop. You’ll find a lot of enemies here.”
Yeah, he already had.
Todd drained the whiskey in one long gulp and felt the burn of the alcohol slide straight down his throat.
Then he heard her. The first light whispers of her song spread through the bar.
The voices and the laughter died almost instantly when she began to sing.
He spun around, his gaze zeroing in on her. The band played behind her. No more grating guitar cries. Instead, the band members poured out dark, bluesy music on their instruments.
Her fingers curled around a microphone. Her voice trembled faintly as she sang, and her eyes met his.
He couldn’t have looked away then if the bartender had put a gun to his head.
Caught.
Oh, yeah, the lady had most definitely snared him.
Her voice grew stronger then. She didn’t belt out the lyrics or croon or any damn thing like that. She just ... sang, with a deep, husky voice that made his body tighten.
The song was a bit wild, the lyrics lusty and free as she sang about loving a man not meant to be. Her body moved slowly, the sway of her hips gentle and easy. Her left hand lifted, brushing against the air, and he could swear he felt that touch on his skin.
She wasn’t the best singer he’d ever heard. It took him two and a half minutes to realize that. Her voice wasn’t perfect on the notes. But she had something. A fire. A power that wrapped around the words and made even the freaks back in the corner stop to listen.
When the song ended, a taunting smile curved her lips. The room seemed to tremble as everyone watched her, and for a second, the light above her flickered and Cara actually seemed to glow.
He blinked, trying to clear his eyes, and in that moment, the illusion faded.
Cara stepped into the shadows, went to whisper to one of the band members.
Again. The order whispered through his mind. He wanted to hear her voice again. Needed to hear her. When she finally stepped back to the center of the stage, his shoulders slumped in relief. Then she began to sing again, spinning her web and rousing the hunger within him.
He didn’t go to her when she finished her set. Todd just waited at the bar, watching her every move.
His stare had been locked on her since she’d taken the stage, and when she’d sang, Cara realized that she’d been singing for him.
Power floated all around her in the room. It filled her, teased her flesh. She sang to take that power. To build the tension in the bar and to feed off the waves of energy given by the supernaturals.
Since she hadn’t been indulging in the pleasures of the flesh lately, singing was her only release. Niol knew that. He’d offered her the chance to sing at Paradise Found so that she could keep up her strength. Feeding from the crowd had actually been his idea. An experiment at first. One that had worked surprisingly well—well enough for her to decide to abstain from sex.
“Take a little from them all,” he’d told her, his eyes as black as night. “They’ll never know.”
And even if they did know, what would they do? She didn’t take enough power to hurt any of the patrons. She used her voice, injecting just the right amount of sex appeal and desire into her lyrics, and she let the crowd respond.
Then she took their excess sexual energy—it came to her as if drawn by a magnet because she was the one controlling the lust. Her lyrics made her a sexual Pied Piper, and she pulled the raw energy of the bar patrons’ lust right to her—and she used it to strengthen her own body. In a place like Paradise Found, where you could often even smell the scent of sex in the air, it was easy for a succubus to feed.
So far, her arrangement with Niol had been working very well for her.
Or rather, it had been working well, until the detective had shown up.
Keeping her focus had been nearly impossible when Todd was so close by. She hadn’t wanted to sing to the crowd. She’d wanted to be alone with him. Wanted to see if the passion between them would burn as brightly as she suspected it would.
Damn it, the man was a temptation that she couldn’t afford.
She walked to the bar. Stopped just in front of him. Her heart raced and her body trembled with the rush of power she’d gotten from the crowd. “What did you think?”
His gaze dropped to her lips. “I think every man in this bar wants you.” A statement given with absolutely no hint of emotion.
“I was . . . talking about my singing.”
“So was I.” He leaned back against the bar. “Why here, Cara? You could probably be singing in any club in Atlanta that you wanted. Hell, you don’t need to be on Niol’s stage—”
“This is where I belong.” She wouldn’t give him any more of an explanation.
His lips thinned. “But I don’t belong here, right?”
A little sadly, she shook her head.
“You know, I’m getting damn tired of feeling like there is some kind of secret shit going on in this town that I don’t know about.”
Understandable. For a second, she was tempted to tell him the truth.
But she really doubted the guy would believe her. Oh, yes, it would go something like, “I’m Cara, an immortal succubus. Just so you know, this whole bar is full of demons and vampires and witches. Oh, and your partner, Gyth? He’s a shifter. Yeah, he can turn into an animal at will.”
He’d definitely buy that.
“And just what is it that you think is going on?” She asked him instead, and motioned with a slight flick of her hand for a drink from the bartender, Cameron.
Cameron’s eyes faded to black for a moment as she stared at him and his glamour lessened. True demons had completely black eyes. Iris, cornea, even the sclera were all as black as night. But, so as not to scare the tender humans, most demons used a glamour to hide their real eye color.
Just as she hid hers.
Cameron pushed a martini glass toward her. Shot a glare toward Todd’s back.
Cameron had never been a particular fan of humans, but he was generally harmless. She’d known the other demon for years. The guy might look like he’d just cruised past twenty-three, but she knew the truth about him.
The two of them had so damn much in common. Too much.
She shook her head, a slight move directed at him, and Cameron stepped back.
Todd sighed, a rough exhalation of air. “Hell if I know what’s happening around here.” He caught her hand, rubbed his fingers over her knuckles. “Maybe I’m just paranoid.”
Or maybe not.
With her left hand, Cara reached for her drink. Took a quick sip to ease the dryness in her throat.
“You lied.”
She nearly choked on the sweet liquid. “Wh-what?”
His lips curved into a half smile and his dimple peeked at her. “You can sing.”
“I-um, th-thank you.”
His fingers smoothed over her hand in a featherlight caress. The band began to play again. The music was sexy, slow. Soon, she knew they’d switch into another driving, hard rhythm. Niol’s orders. He loved to mix things up at his club.
Besides, Niol subscribed to the theory that music tended to soothe the savage beast, and since so many beasts visited his club, he liked to play music that appealed to them all.
“Do you want to dance?” Todd asked, leaning close to her so that his breath feathered over her cheek.
Power still pulsed within her. A sensual energy that made her want to slide closer and rub her body against his. If they danced, she’d be able to do just that. She could touch him as much she wanted. She could feel the hard strength of his body along the length of hers.
Oh, but that sounded good.
Too good.
She took another sip of her drink. Then asked, “I take it I’
m not a suspect anymore?” She wanted a straight answer, just for clarity.
He paused, a barely perceptible hesitation, before he said, “Nothing is pointing to you right now.”
Not the answer she’d been hoping for. She really would have liked more of a “You’re completely clear, baby, I’ll never suspect you again” response. Her gaze held his as she tried to figure him out. “You’re not, by any chance, trying to seduce some kind of confession out of me, are you, Detective?”
A slow shake of his head. “No, I’m just trying to seduce you, period.”
Her fingers tightened around the glass.
“You want me,” he continued. “I want you.”
If only things were that simple.
He took the glass from her hand. “Dance with me.” One dance. Surely she could stay in control for just one dance. Cara turned away from him and led the way onto the already full dance floor.
Couples swayed together in time with the beat of the music. They looked like simple men and women, but Cara knew they weren’t. Spells were being cast around them. Whispers of seduction and temptation filled the air. When Todd took her into his arms and pulled her tight against his chest, she wondered if perhaps she’d underestimated his power.
His pull was strong.
Though she was tall, Todd still towered over her, but when he held her, he bent his head and drew down close to her face. His body was a solid mass of muscle. As they moved, she felt the hard bulge of his cock rising against her.
She didn’t pull back. Didn’t fake any kind of false modesty. She pressed against him and enjoyed the sensual touch. She wished then that she’d been born different.
Human.
Humans were so lucky. They could love and hate and fear and lust, and not have those emotions destroy them.
Unless they chose to be destroyed.
For her, there was no choice. Never had been.
His hands smoothed down her body, came to rest at the base of her spine.
“Todd . . .” She liked the feel of his name on her tongue, but she had to warn him, before things went too far. “I’m not a safe woman to want.”
“I know.” His hands were a heavy, warm weight. “But I’m not exactly a safe man.” His hold tightened, for just an instant, and a lick of pure passionate fire shot through her.
Her sensually aware skin tingled, her pulse raced, and though Cara knew she was playing a dangerous game, she couldn’t seem to stop herself.
He said he wasn’t safe. Was he talking about the fact that he was a cop? Or something more?
“I’m not a nice guy,” he continued, the words hard, but so soft they carried only to her ears. “I’ve done things—” He shook his head, “I’ve done what I had to do in order to bring criminals to justice. I’ve fought. I’ve lied.”
Todd’s confession didn’t particularly surprise her.
His lips thinned. “I’ve even killed.” His gaze met hers. “If you can’t handle that, you need to tell me now.”
She could handle it. The problem was that he wouldn’t be able to handle her. A pang of sadness filled her as she stared up at him. “You like to fight evil, don’t you? Like to make sure that the good guys win and that the bad guys get just what they deserve.”
“I do my job,” he said simply and his fingers pressed into her hips.
“Is everything black-and-white to you? Good or evil? Is that the only choice?” His answer was so important to her.
Because, like him, she’d done desperate things in her life. Fought. Lied. And as for the killing ...
“Not anymore,” he murmured. “Nothing’s simple any damn more and—”
A soft vibration shook his hip and reverberated through her.
His cell phone.
Todd’s jaw clenched and his fingers dug into her hips.
Her time to play and dream had ended. Cara shook her head and stepped away from him, breaking his hold. “You’d better check that.” The slow, moody music ended. From the corner of her eye, she saw Brock pick up his guitar. She knew what song would come next even before the screech of the instrument cut through the crowd.
Todd grabbed his phone, glanced at the glowing message and swore softly. “I’ve got to call Colin.”
Of course, he did. Evil never slept. At least not in this city.
“Thanks for the dance.” Her hand lifted and stroked down his cheek. A soft murmur of pleasure whispered past her lips as she felt the faint sting of stubble along his hard jaw.
He caught her hand. “It doesn’t have to end with a dance.”
“For me, it does.” His hold was tight, but not unbreakable. “I’m not the kind of girl who has flings.” Not anymore. Hell, she didn’t have much of anything anymore.
But once upon a time ...
“I could change your mind.”
So confident. Such a silly, human trait. She kept her eyes on his, feeling the rush of psychic power flow through her. Hypnotism had always been one of her gifts. “I could change yours,” she breathed the words as she decided to put an end to the game. No more temptation for her. No more wrong side of the town for him.
“Forget about me, Detective. Go back to your life. Fight your evil, and forget about me.”
In the past, she whispered her words and made men into puppets, eager to follow her commands. Long ago, she’d been so good at giving her sweet suggestions.
Until she realized she didn’t want puppets.
Todd’s eyes widened and he shook his head. Once. Twice.
Sensitive. She’d nearly forgotten about his latent powers, but he wouldn’t be able to resist her order, no one ever had, and—
“Your eyes . . .” The words seemed torn from him. “They aren’t blue. I thought they were ... but . . .”
Shit. He shouldn’t be realizing what was happening. The guy sure as hell shouldn’t have noticed that her eye color flickered with that burst of power.
What was happening?
Cara yanked her hand away from him.
He blinked.
The phone vibrated again with a hard buzz of sound.
“Go.” An order from her, one without any hypnotic suggestion because her suggestions weren’t working on him.
She could dreamwalk into his mind, plant a suggestion when his defenses were down, but she couldn’t control him when he was awake and aware.
Never. Happened. Before.
A man she couldn’t control. A human.
If her hypnotic power didn’t work on him, if he could still choose on his own, then that meant he hadn’t come to her just because of her pheromones and the soft, silent lure that a succubus sent out to prey.
Part of him, at least, and from the awareness in his eyes, she’d say a very large part, had chosen to want her.
Very, very scary.
And very arousing.
He wanted her.
“I’ll see you again.” He sounded absolutely certain.
When she’d told him to forget.
Her hands trembled.
He leaned forward. Kissed her hard, fast, and deep. His tongue claimed hers, seduced.
She was the one who should have seduced.
Then he was gone. Pushing through the crowd and leaving her alone.
As she’d been for so long.
Todd wasn’t precisely sure what had just happened. One minute, he’d been staring down at Cara, thinking about how soft her lips looked and how badly he wanted to taste her again.
The next, he’d been looking into her eyes and realizing that the color looked too dark.
Not blue any longer—black.
She’d been talking to him, whispering something that had seemed very important at the time.
He couldn’t remember the exact words, but he’d known something was wrong as he gazed down at her.
He’d shaken his head, focused all of his energy on her, and reality had snapped back to him.
Glancing over his shoulder, he found her still standing on the dance floor. A sa
d, almost lost expression covered her face. He hesitated.
Cara caught sight of him then. Her shoulders stiffened and a mask of indifference swept across her features.
Then she turned and disappeared into the throng of dancers.
Damn it.
He stalked toward the empty booths lining the rear of the bar. Lifted his phone and punched in the number for his partner. Colin answered on the second ring.
“Tell me this is important,” Todd barked.
“It is.” A pause. “We’ve got another body.”
What? Jesus, already? He rubbed his eyes, felt a throb in his temples that matched the loud beat of the drums in the background. “Where?”
“Dayton Hotel. Off Marcus Street.”
“I’m on my way.” The killer was moving too fast. He wondered what poor bastard had fallen into the woman’s grasp this time. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Marcus Street was close by. Hell, he’d probably be there in less than five.
The back exit was just a few feet away. He hurried forward, shoved open the heavy metal door, and stepped into the back alley.
The human detective burst out of the back door of the club. The killer froze.
Shit.
Their shoulders brushed, a quick touch. The killer hid a smile and grabbed for the door.
The cop hesitated. “What are you doing back here?”
Nosy bastard. If he didn’t watch it, his time would run out—and the detective would find himself just as dead as the other fucking idiots. “Gettin’ air.” It was dark in the alley, and the cop wouldn’t be able to see much.
Humans were so wonderfully weak.
And playing with them was so much damn fun.
For a moment, the temptation to attack the detective rose, sharp and hot—
But no, it wasn’t time yet for Brooks to die.
Not just yet.
The back door swung open and the killer stepped inside Paradise Found. Waited a beat as the door swung shut. Then smiled.
Perfect. Just in time to catch the best succubus singer this side of the Mississippi.