by Jill Myles
“Look, you’re starting to weird me out,” I said.
As much as I wanted to find out what had really gone down last night, I had a pretty good idea by now, and the thought of spending more time with my one-night stand was proving to be a huge mistake. “So while it’s been swell, I really must be going—”
His hand clamped over mine again. “You’re staying.”
I was? Every fiber in my being protested that notion, yet I found that I could not disobey him. Weirdest thing. “Right. I’m staying.”
I sat.
Noah’s hand patted mine again. “I think we have a real problem on our hands.”
“And why is that?”
He leaned in close and whispered in my ear. I leaned closer, too, my breasts pressing against the hard countertop and my body tingling with excitement. Would he lick the shell of my ear? Would I burst into an instant orgasm if he did?
“I think you died last night.”
Talk about killing the mood.
This title is also available as an eBook
MORE PRAISE FOR JILL MYLES’S
TEMPTING DEBUT,
GENTLEMEN PREFER SUCCUBI
“Debut author Jill Myles just wowed me! She’s written an outstanding first novel—I read Gentlemen Prefer Succubi in one breathless sitting. Want laugh-outloud scenes, scorching eroticism, and pulse-pounding adventure? Don’t miss this book!”
—Kresley Cole, New York Times bestselling author of
Kiss of a Demon King
“Witty, sexy, and wickedly fun. Jill Myles is a captivating new voice, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.”
—Ilona Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of
Magic Strikes
“A fabulous rollercoaster ride filled with sex, adventure, humor, and just enough darkness to keep the reader guessing. A combination of old myths and brand-new interpretations blend together seamlessly in this erotic and fast-paced romantic urban fantasy. Jill Myles made me wish I had written this book! Hot, delicious, and witty, the hottest new star in the genre has just landed.”
—Kathryn Smith, USA Today bestselling author of
Night After Night
“Gentlemen Prefer Succubi is a lavish confection of a book, its deliciousness frosted by dark-winged angels and vampires with bite. Don’t miss this supernaturally sensational divertissement of sex, Sucks, and total satisfaction.”
—Ann Aguirre, national bestselling author of
Blue Diablo
“Jill Myles pens a deliciously sexy and fun debut. With stiletto-sharp humor and two heroes to die for, Gentlemen Prefer Succubi is a temptation no reader should resist.”
—Meljean Brook, national bestselling author of the Guardians series
“You can’t read one page any more than you can eat just one potato chip. Jill Myles is inventive, addictive, and wickedly entertaining.”
—Charlene Teglia, award-winning author of Animal Attraction
“Sexy vampires, fallen angels, and a reluctant succubus … oh my! Gentlemen Prefer Succubi is amusing as hell!”
—Michelle Rowen, author of Tall, Dark & Fangsome
GENTLEMEN
PREFER
SUCCUBI
JILL MYLES
The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as “unsold and destroyed.” Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this “stripped book.”
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are
used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or
persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2010 by Jill Myles
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ISBN 978-1-4165-7282-4
ISBN 978-1-4165-8814-6 (eBook)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wrote this book in 2005. In the five years between now and then, this list has grown exponentially and continues to grow every day. Getting a book published has truly been one of the most thrilling experiences of my life, and so many people have helped me or supported me along the way. I’d say that it takes a village to publish a book, but I’m pretty sure everyone uses that phrase.
Thanks to my Pocket team—my brilliant editor, Micki Nuding, who wields an editing pencil of greatness, and her fabulous assistant, Danielle Poiesz—I cannot gush enough about how wonderful it is to work with both of you. There should be some sort of national holiday involved to celebrate your combined awesomeness.
Thank you to the art team for the beautiful cover art that quite possibly made me stand up and prance around, waving my hands and squealing at the sight of it. The bellybutton sweat on the model nearly did me in.
Thank you to Carolyn and Ashley Grayson for finding this book a home. And to Holly Root, who preserves my sanity on a daily basis—you rock, you really do.
Mega-thanks to Jane Litte and Vernieda Vergara, because we have sent enough emails between us to make servers tremble. You guys keep me sane. Thank you to Meljean Brook, Roxanne St. Claire, and Kasey Mackenzie, who constantly let me bounce questions off them, even the weird ones. And to Ilona Andrews—I couldn’t have done it without you. Or I might have, but there probably would have been a lot more panic attacks along the way. You’re a great friend, and I’m going to stop teasing you about the mustard paper … someday.
Thank you to the pfriends (no typo) who are some of the best cheerleaders around—Jodi Meadows, Holly Mcdowell, Rae Carson Finlay, and Heather Marshall. Also, a thank you to my Purgie people—the Purgatory thread over on Absolute Write. I’ve never met a more supportive group! And a special shout-out to Gretchen McNeil, who is the fastest reader in the west.
To my Mom and Dad. You are the best supporters ever and I love you both. Please understand if I come to your house and rip out all the sex scenes in my books, though. And to my sister Jennifer, who is my biggest fan (you can keep the sex scenes in your copies, you dirty bird). To my cousin Betsy, who once said I could take a book from her shelves and I ended up sneaking away with a suitcasefull. You and several dozen paperback romances started me down this road.
And finally, I’d like to thank the Greek historian Herodotus. Because you wrote two paragraphs about an obscure Egyptian queen named Nitocris, and that was enough to set my mind on fire with a story.
To my husband, who allows me to be the world’s w
orst
wife. You’re my hero.
GENTLEMEN
PREFER
SUCCUBI
CHAPTER ONE
It had obviously been one hell of a night if I couldn’t recall why I was waking up in a Dumpster.
I blinked a few times, staring at the sky overhead. A Dumpster? Surely not. But between the flies, the stench, and the garbage bags surrounding me, I didn’t know what else it could be. My left hand rested on something clammy and wet, and I hoped that it was an old newspaper and not something more sinister. I didn’t even want to think about what was tickling my bare toes.
I sat up, cradling my throbbing head and trying to think. What the hell had happened? I didn’t normally find myself comatose and drooling amid piles of garbage.
Shit. My boss was going to be sooo totally pissed at me.
Something itched against my breast and I reached up to scratch, finding a hard plastic card shoved into the side of my bra.
A room key for a hotel. The Grand National here in New City, Wyoming.
My mind regurgitated a series of drunken memories from my bender last night. I’d met a man at the bar of the swanky hotel just as the sun was cresting into dawn and I was polishing off my latest martini. He’d walked into the bar and, since the place was deserted, headed straight for me and bought me another drink. I’d let him. I mean, hell, free alcohol.
He was even hot to boot, which was a nice change from the creeps that normally tried to pick me up. I vaguely remembered an amazing body, a voice that could stop traffic, and the bluest eyes I’d ever seen.
That wasn’t the only thing I remembered. My brain flashed another image into my head, of a rather large part of my date’s anatomy. Which I’d seen in close detail.
“Ohmigod. I’m a slut,” I moaned, burying my face in my hands.
I’d never had a one-night stand before, but by the time I’d met my Blue-Eyed Casanova, I was eight or twelve martinis into an all-nighter and three sheets to the wind. I couldn’t remember a darn thing except those eyes and that smile. And his dick.
That bothered me on levels I didn’t even want to think about. I sighed and brushed a wet wad of trash off my hand and straightened my thick, smudged glasses on my face. At least they hadn’t been wrecked in my night in the garbage.
“Who’s there?” a warbling voice called, and I clambered through the trash to the edge of the Dumpster, peering over the metal side.
A bearded older man—homeless, if the stocking cap and reek of whiskey were any indication—stared up at me in surprise. A familiar cute black-and-pink handbag was tucked under his left arm.
“Hey, that’s mine.” I pointed a grimy finger at the purse. “Give it back.”
Much to my surprise, he handed it up to me with a wide-eyed expression. “I thought you were dead. Sorry.”
What an odd statement. I frowned down at him. “Sorry, no. Do you have anything else of mine I might be needing?” My legs were devoid of pantyhose, and my bare toes wiggled between the garbage. My shoes were nowhere to be seen, and I wasn’t even sure I still had panties on—all of which was making me extremely nervous. Resisting the urge to cry, I swallowed hard.
“I didn’t take them. I didn’t take anything else.” The bum sounded rather miffed that I had the gall to accuse him of stealing.
I ignored him and began to dig through the garbage, trying not to think too hard about what I was touching. Sure enough, my favorite pink-and-black Steve Madden pumps were there underneath a pizza box. I shook them out to be safe.
With my belongings in hand, I swung a leg over the side of the Dumpster and began to climb out. I’d probably given the bum a flash of panties (if I still had them), but I didn’t care.
He took a swig from his brown-bag-covered bottle. “You were dead, you know,” he pointed out. “You weren’t breathing.”
I slid down onto the pavement with a thump, losing a few strands of chow mein that had stuck to my skirt. “Um, what exactly makes you say that?” I asked as I put on my shoes.
“I’m serious,” he protested. “I checked. You weren’t breathing. I even saw your boyfriend dump you here. I wouldn’t take a purse from a live girl.”
I looked up from picking a noodle off my shoe. “You did? Blond guy? Blue eyes?” Big package?
The bum shook his head and took another swig of alcohol. “Naw. Black-haired. Real tall. Nice coat. He kissed your cheek and dumped you in there.”
I didn’t recall Bachelor No. 2. Good lord, what had I done last night? My date had definitely been blond. An image flashed through my mind—a memory?—of us in the shower, my arms twined around his neck while he lifted my bare leg to fit around his hips …
I wanted to cry. I didn’t know if I was upset that I’d slept with a stranger, or that he was hot and I couldn’t remember very much. I sighed and rubbed my neck. A sharp pain shot through my skin, like I’d rubbed it raw during my sleep. I touched the spot with careful fingers and found it sticky. Yet another gift from the garbage. Ugh. I looked over at my drunken companion. “What time is it?”
The bum checked his plastic wristwatch. “It’s eleven a.m. Tuesday,” he announced.
“No, it’s not. Today’s Monday.” I remembered it, because we were scheduled to be short a docent at the museum today. Monday.
“It’s Tuesday,” he repeated. “You’ve been in that garbage since yesterday. Dead.”
His story was getting pretty tiresome. I decided to change the subject. “Say, do you have any napkins, old man? Clean ones?” I touched the sore spot on my neck again and winced.
“I do. Cost ya five dollars.”
I glared at him. “How about you give me the napkins and I don’t call the police?”
He shrugged. “They give me three square meals a day and a bed to sleep in. Go ahead and call ’em.”
Obviously I wasn’t going to win this one. I sighed and pulled my wallet out of my purse. All the money was in place, crumpled dollars sandwiched between a few receipts, my ID intact. That was a good sign, and my spirits perked up a little. I held a five-dollar bill out to him. “Here. Trade you.”
He held out a stack of Burger King napkins in return and took the money. “Thank you kindly, miss.”
“Don’t mention it,” I said, swabbing at my neck and sizing up the alley as I tried to discern my location. It looked to be downtown New City, still outside the bar I’d found. The alley was strewn with garbage, murky puddles splotched the pavement, and mine was but one of many Dumpsters. Still, it looked like the entertainment district that I remembered being in before my memory blanked out, so that was comforting. I tossed down the napkin and stopped short when I saw the smear of dark red.
Blood?
I ran my hands along my neck in alarm. Nothing but smooth skin met my fingers—no cuts, no scratches, nothing. Maybe someone had spilled a daiquiri on me—I gave my neck another quick touch just to make sure there were no open wounds. Nothing.
“Well, it’s been fun, but I should be running along,” I announced to the bum, wiggling my fingers at him in farewell. “Thanks for the napkins.”
“Anytime, dead girl.” He took another swig, eyeing me as if I’d bite him.
I stumbled away, wobbling in my high heels. First, coffee. Then a bus home and a hot shower.
I turned the corner and saw two unexpected things: First, my alley wasn’t behind the bar at all, but behind the rather large, sumptuous hotel that I sure as heck couldn’t afford on a museum salary (but had a key to in my bra). And second, I ran smack-dab into Blue Eyes, dressed in a suit, a cup of Starbucks in his hand.
He stopped and stared at me in shock.
I did the same.
He broke the silence first. “Jackie?”
“Yes?” I felt stupid for responding with that, but my memory was full of holes. All I could remember were random, naked parts of his body. My eyes flicked down to his crotch. Yep, he was my guy.
“You’re still here?”
I wasn’t sure whe
ther to laugh at his comment or cry. Boy, talk about uncomfortable moments. “Am I not supposed to be?”
He smiled, and my legs turned to Jell-O. Lord, he was gorgeous. “It’s just a surprise to see you again. You left in quite a hurry.” He stared at my hair with a look of surprise.
My date seemed … different somehow. I studied him, trying to decide what it was. It wasn’t just the clothing—I seemed to recall a lot of his bare, tanned chest pressed against my pale, fleshy one. It was his eyes. They weren’t the same beautiful shade of blue as I remembered from last night—or yesterday, whatever—but more of a washed-out silver. It was disappointing to see him in the daylight and realize that he’d had beer beauty. Sure, he was still a gorgeous hunk, but there’d been something utterly … carnal about him that my drunken self had been unable to resist. My brain flashed other images—his fingers digging into my waist, my breasts bouncing in the air. I straddled him, rocking my hips atop his as he drove his hard cock deep inside me …
I buried my face in my hands, trying to stop the onslaught of memories.
“You have noodles in your curls.” He reached out to touch a filthy hank of my hair.
“I do?” I felt around the mess myself. Sure enough, a long spaghetti noodle had entangled itself in my reddish-brown hair. “I think I fell asleep in someone’s dinner. You know, when you left me in the Dumpster?”
“When I awoke, you were gone.” He touched my cheek in a tender gesture, his fingertips brushing against my thick glasses. “I thought you were mad at me. That you regretted what happened between us.”
At the smile, my heart thudded in my breast and my nipples tightened. I remembered that slow, sweet grin. He’d flashed it at me just before he’d lowered me to the hotel bed. He’d sucked on my nipples through my plain white bra, teasing them through the cheap fabric. The tips of my breasts hardened with the memory and I crossed my arms over my chest.