“It’s nice up here,” Bones murmurs, making himself comfortable beside me. My mind flashes back to the first time I brought Kieron here. It was an unthinking, almost instinctual action, and it surprised me. In all the years I’d known Bones, I’d never brought him up here, but for some reason I wanted to show Kieron right away. Guess that shoulda been my first clue that the rules were different as far as he was concerned.
Bones snuggles closer to me, and we both let our minds drift in silence, listening to the harmonizing, alluring lullabies below.
“I can see why you like coming up here,” Bones whispers after a while. “You’re much calmer here…much more at peace. I can actually feel it, the difference in you.”
I let out a long sigh and meet his honey-brown gaze. “Yeah. I think it’s the sirens’ songs. Just hearing them makes me feel all warm and soft inside. Happy.”
Bones chuckles softly and runs his fingertips up the length of my bare arm. “Ever notice how you seem to be susceptible to the charms of every demonic creature out there other than me?”
I hide a guilty smile and look away. If only he knew just how susceptible I am—correction, was—to his seductive allure, he’d never say that. Until Kieron arrived on the scene, Bones was all I thought about.
“How do you know I’m not?” I tease lightly.
“Because believe me, I’ve tried. If my powers worked on you…if I had my way…you’d forget all about him and be only with me—”
“Bones…”
He holds up his hand. “I know, I know. You love him. I get it. I don’t need to hear it again.”
“I do love him,” I whisper. “But I also love you. You know that.”
“Yeah, but not the same way you love him. You only care about me like a brother.”
I shake my head. “No. That’s not true. I’ve always loved you more than that. I just can’t—” I bite my lip. I can’t believe I just let those words slip out. Don’t rock the boat, Lucky.
He turns his body to mine, resting his hand on my hip, pulling me closer to him. “Can’t what?” he whispers seductively.
I close my eyes and bite my lip. Oh, who am I kidding? Not only has the proverbial boat already been rocked, it’s capsized and is rapidly sinking to the bottom of the ocean, pulling me down with it. It’s time to tell him. He deserves to know. He’s willing to risk his life to help me, and who knows…maybe I won’t even survive the rescue attempt. Maybe neither of us will.
It’s now or never.
“Bones,” I say, looking deep into his smoldering eyes. “I love you. I’ve always loved you. You are the most special demon I’ve ever known, and the nearest and dearest to my heart. Of everyone. Ever. If I was just me…how I’m supposed to be, not this broken, lesser version of myself, then you would be the one for me. No question. But as I am…It’s too difficult…I can’t do it…” My voice breaks off and I look away, unable to continue.
“What is?” he asks gently, cupping my chin so I’m lost in his gaze once more.
“Loving you. Letting myself love you. Being with you on that level…physically. I-I’ve never been with anyone like that—”
“You’re a virgin?” Bones’ left eyebrow rises just the slightest bit.
“Well, yeah. It’s no big deal really, and I don’t care about that aspect of it. I just know that if you and I were together, really together, and then every night I had to see you be with other women the way you were with me…” I lower my head, remembering the suffering I endured watching him make love to dozens of women while I was under the Altrumina’s wicked spell. How much it hurt. How sick I felt.
“…It’s not my fault,” I quickly add. “Or yours. It’s hers. You know how her emotions infect me. It’s a Sapie curse.”
“Lucky,” he breathes. “Don’t you know there’s a difference? Don’t you know that if I was with you, it would be because I want to be with you more than anything? Because I love you? Because I only feel really complete when we’re together, and that other part of me is just for my survival? So that I can exist…to be with you?”
My heart slows to a crawl and the pounding in my ears drowns out the sirens’ singing as he moves to within mere millimeters.
Bones loves me, I know this. But only as much as one demon is capable of loving another. And it’s nothing compared to what I felt from Kieron. For whatever reason, Kieron’s love makes me feel whole, while my feelings for Bones constantly tear me apart.
But there is another truth I cannot deny. Most likely, we won’t survive much longer. At least I won’t. And although I’m okay with dying, do I really want to leave this world—and my body—without knowing what it’s like to be with Bones? To feel his love inside me and rushing through me the way so many others have? After all we’ve been through together, don’t I at least deserve that? And if by some crazy chance we do survive and our insane rescue attempt is successful, then I can be with Kieron, and seeing Bones with other girls won’t hurt as much, right?
I’m as weak as a recovering drug-addict being offered a fix. I know it’s bad for me. I know I shouldn’t indulge. I know the consequences could be disastrous.
I don’t care.
I don’t care if I’m being foolish and self-destructive. I don’t care that I’ll regret it later. I don’t care that Bones’ love for me could never be enough. He can never be mine. His heart will never belong to only me, no matter what he says. The best I can ever hope to be is one of the thousands of women he showers his affections on, regardless of whether he wants to do it or not. And believe me, he wants to.
Right now, I don’t care.
His warm, soft lips cover mine before my eyes are even closed. My mouth responds to his, and our breaths and movements instantly synchronize as one. The intense heat of his body lulls me to a state of submission. His fingers caress my skin in a sublime dance of seduction, but this time I know there’s no stopping his masterful caress, even if I wanted to…which I do not.
“Bones,” I breathe in his ear as I run my hands through his luscious bronze locks, pulling his head closer to mine.
“Lucky,” he moans softly, covering my face with his hot kisses as his hands deftly unlace the back of my halter top. He flings it aside, and a wave of ecstasy washes over me as he presses his bare flesh on mine. Still kissing, I struggle to take off my boots while he unbuttons his jeans. I let out a muted giggle.
“What is it,” he murmurs in my ear, one hand stroking the side of my breast.
“I can’t get these damn boots off,” I whisper.
Bones cocks an eyebrow and flashes a half grin. “Allow me.”
He slides down the length of my body and nimbly removes my knee-high boots, one by one, setting them aside before giving each foot a quick, tender rub. He fingers my leather pants, and before I know it, he’s peeling them off my body. He slowly makes his way back up, kissing my calves, my thighs, my abdomen. He slides his half-naked body the rest of the way and finds my mouth once more.
My body yields to his. He removes his own jeans, revealing his magnificent manhood, and I cannot help but gasp. I’ve seen Bones nude countless times. But never like this. Never as the virile god he’s Created to be.
“Know that I love you,” he whispers in my ear as he gently slides himself inside me. I gasp with pleasure as he fills me up. I feel him in every inch of my body…from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
Every thrust brings me to point of near explosion, and ecstasy floods through me, tingling my senses, firing my nerves. Bones’ eyes lock on mine as he takes me deeper and deeper with his rhythmic movements. For what feels like hours, Bones makes love to me on my mountainside retreat. I don’t ever want him to stop, but eventually we collapse in a tangled, sweaty embrace of blissful satisfaction. With one arm still under my neck, Bones washes my face with gentle kisses. “Do you know you are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen?” he whispers, nuzzling my ear.
“So are you,” I whisper back, tracing a finger over his moi
st, golden chest.
“I love your eyes.”
“I love your smile,” I purr.
“I love your hair, your skin, your taste…” He covers my mouth with his again, and soon he’s making love to me once more. I’m so lost in euphoria I barely notice the triple moons merging as one. Bones skillfully brings me to the brink of ecstasy and holds me teetering on the edge, before sending me tumbling over the other side in a delirious state of otherworldly bliss. I smile as I wrap my legs around his torso and bury my face in his neck, savoring his musky, masculine scent.
“I love you.” I’ve never felt so contented…so wonderful inside.
“And I have always loved you,” he whispers back, stroking the side of my face. He looks deep into my eyes and straight into my soul.
I glance up at the sky and let out a small groan. “I have to go. Can’t imagine this would go over too well with you-know-who.”
We are both fumbling to put on our clothes when Bones glances down at me, almost shyly. “Are you…okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
I finish dressing and stand up, throwing my arms around his neck. “Nothing has ever felt so good in all my life. So right. So perfect in every way.”
He nuzzles my nose with his. “Perfect.”
“I have to go. See you tomorrow.” I turn to leave. I’m cutting it close…I need to hurry.
“Lucky—?”
I pause and glance over my shoulder. “Hmm?”
Bones bites his lip and shakes his head. “Never mind. See you tomorrow.”
Chapter 13. Liora
Tristan leans over to me and whispers, “What’s wrong, Liora? You seem distracted about something.”
I give him a quick side glance and wait until Mr. Sodenberg looks away before whispering back, “I’m just kinda worried about Corrine. She hasn’t been here all week. It’s not like her to miss school—” I snap my mouth shut as my English teacher turns around and shoots an unfriendly glare in my direction. I bury my face in my book and shift uncomfortably in my seat. For some reason my hips are sore, like maybe Lucky fell off Diablo last night or something.
A moment later a small piece of paper appears on my desk, and written in Tristan’s neat handwriting is, “I’m sure she’s fine, but if you want, we can go check on her.” I flash him a grateful smile and nod.
When the bell rings at the end of class, I reach for my phone and try calling Corrine again. Still no answer. Since Corrine doesn’t have a cell phone of her own, her house line is the only one I can try. And either it’s not working, or no one is home. But I can’t shake the nagging feeling that something isn’t quite right. Although she and I have been drifting apart lately, I still care about her and hope nothing is wrong. It’s one thing to miss school if she’s sick, but she hasn’t even tried to get in touch with me for homework assignments or anything. Considering how hard she’s working to improve her grades, this is unsettling. Maybe she’s mad at me?
Tristan and I start down the hall. But instead of turning down the corridor leading to our World History class, I take his arm and lead him toward the parking lot. “You wanna go now?” he asks, both eyebrows raised.
I nod and bite my lip, casting my gaze downward. Why does he suddenly look so ugly? “Yeah, I just want to do a quick drive by and make sure everything is okay.”
“Sure, let’s go—” He takes a step toward his car, but I hold him back.
“Wait…I was wondering if maybe you wouldn’t mind loaning me your car?” I smile widely, knowing my request is nothing short of insane. His Jaguar probably costs over a hundred grand.
He furrows his brow. “Why don’t you want me to drive you?”
I sigh. “It’s ‘cause of Corrine…she’s really embarrassed about where she lives. I think I’m the only one in the whole school who’s ever been to her place, and believe me, she was humiliated. If she’s sick or hurt or something, I don’t want to make her feel any worse than she already does…”
“I don’t think I like the idea of you going alone. What if something really is wrong?” he asks, squinting his sky-blue eyes.
I shrug and look away. His scar seems darker than usual. Garish, almost. Must be the shadows from the trees. “I’m sure she’s just sick, and her phone is out of order or something,” I mumble. For some reason, I really don’t want him coming with me to check on Corrine. Normally, I want him next to me all the time. But now I feel like I need…space.
“What is it, Liora? You seem different today, somehow.” Tristan studies me, and I shift uncomfortably.
“Same ol’ me,” I reply with a casual shrug. But in a way he’s right…I sort of do feel different today. Not sure how or why, almost as if there’s some deep anticipation or excitement buried inside me…like I’m stronger, more cohesive somehow. I’d chalked it up to finally getting a really good night’s sleep, since this morning I awoke feeling refreshed and recharged for the first time in weeks. The lingering, sickly feeling I’d been living with seems to have been replaced with a feeling of robust health.
But as I gaze upon Tristan, I wonder if something else is changing. At first, I never wanted to be away from him for even a short period of time. But now I’m suffocated by his overbearing presence. Why is he everywhere I am? Why does he do everything I do?
“I’ll drive you to Corrine’s,” he says, as if that settles everything. I can’t very well argue; it is his car, after all. And my place is in the complete opposite direction. Plus, I’d run the risk of seeing Tatiana and facing her wrath. No thanks.
“Fine,” I say.
We’re both quiet as we head toward the back road that leads to the outskirts of Dove Creek. Paved road becomes rubble, houses become shacks. “She lives around the corner, last one on the row…Stay here and I’ll be back in a jiffy,” I say, opening the car door once he stops.
“Wait,” Tristan says, getting out. I give him a confused glance as he lopes around the side of the car and wraps his arms around my waist.
“What’s up?” I mumble, trying not to let my annoyance show. Why does he have to be so damn clingy?
“Just wanted a kiss first.” He lightly licks his lips and lowers them to meet mine.
I return his kiss halfheartedly and am the first to break away. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
Tristan gives me an odd look as I turn and head down the path, but I don’t care. I’ll talk with him about his smothering behavior later. Right now my focus is on Corrine.
I just round the corner when I hear, “Hey, pretty girl. Wanna come inside for some homemade lemonade?” A fat, balding man wearing jeans and no shirt stands in his half open doorway, scratching his portly stomach and drinking from a brown paper bag.
“Gross,” I mutter, and pick up my pace.
Loud and obscene shouts come from Corrine’s trailer, and my heart stops. But then the yelling is followed by raucous laughter, and I let out a long breath. A moment later, the busted screen door swings open violently. A woman I recognize as Corrine’s mother stumbles down the two wooden steps followed by a skinny man with a long, greasy mullet and pockmarked cheeks.
“Well lookie what we got here, Jolene. Some pretty ‘ung thang here lookin’ like Bambi who lost her mama,” the man says with a salacious smirk. “Did you lose your mama, sweet Bambi?” His eyes feast over my body before settling on my chest. The curvaceous woman with overly-bleached hair and wearing clothes two sizes too tight, laughs as if it’s the funniest thing she ever heard. She almost trips over her five inch spiked heels and grabs the skinny man for support, all the while puffing on a cigarette. I stand there unmoving, not sure what to do.
“Wait a minute, don’t I know ya?” she slurs, blowing smoke in my direction. I try not to cough as I nod.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m a friend of Corrine’s. My name is Liora Greyson.”
Her eyes narrow and she steps closer to me. The man watches us curiously as she glares at me with an intoxicated anger.
“She been telling you lies? That why you her
e?” Corrine’s mother spits out, and takes a long drag from her skinny cigarette.
“Ma’am?”
“She’s a liar. A dirty little liar and she spreads her filthy lies everywhere. I won’t stand for it. I won’t tolerate it, hear me, missy? The tongue of the devil!”
“Uh, yes, ma’am.” I figure it’s best to just play along. She seems totally out of her mind.
“So go on now. Git. Denny and me are off to get party supplies, and I don’t need the likes of you stirring up more trouble. That girl needs to learn her place and I won’t be havin’ no lies. Hear me? So go. Go on now. Git. And don’t come back.” She waves me off with a handful of long, bright pink fingernails.
“Uh, yes ma’am. Sorry.” The man still hasn’t stopped staring at my chest, and I hurry away, disgusted. They stumble off towards an old white pick-up truck, and I duck around the corner out of sight.
Once I’m sure they’ve gone, I return to the trailer, surprised to see Corrine sitting on the front porch, her head held low, her stringy hair covering her face.
“Hey,” she mumbles as I sit beside her. “Sorry ‘bout that. She’s been on a tear lately.”
“Hey, Corrine,” I whisper. She raises her head, and I gasp. “Corrine! What happened?” Her black eye is purple in some spots, yellowish in others. Her nose has a funny bump to it I don’t remember seeing before, and her puffy mouth bears a vicious gash on her lower lip.
“It looks worse than it is. Promise. But I didn’t really wanna show my face at school, for obvious reasons.”
“But—but—what happened? Were you in an accident or attacked or something?” I stammer, unable to get over my shock. I never expected to find her like this, and my heart aches.
She shrugs and drops her head again. “It’s all very Afterschool Special.” She lets out a deep sigh. “Drunk mom has druggie boyfriend. Druggie boyfriend tries to have sex with drunk mom’s daughter. Daughter fights back and tells mom. Daughter gets the crap smacked out of her. You know…the usual.”
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