He snarled and jerked me onto his lap.
I didn’t land like I expected. I ended up on my stomach across his lap instead of sitting. My head spun from the whirl and the emotional roller coaster I’d been tossed on.
A hard slap landed on my ass.
“What the fuck?” I tried to squirm off but a large hand pressed between my shoulder blades and pinned me.
Another slap followed the first, the sting sharp as it spread over my sensitive flesh, even through the dress.
“You’re right. This does make me feel better.” Val spanked me again. “But it could be better.” He hauled the hem of my dress over my hips. The side seam tore in his haste. He hissed. “You’re not wearing panties.” He caressed my smarting cheeks.
I stopped thrashing. The calluses on his hands left a track of delight over the pain. To my horror, I moaned and lifted my hips to his touch. My traitorous body knew exactly what it wanted—a dominant incubus to pleasure it at will—but my heart ruined everything.
He traced the crack between my cheeks with his fingertips until he reached the apex between my legs. “So wet.” His voice grew husky. He continued to slide his finger between my nether lips, never actually entering me.
“Val.” I sounded so needy, and I was. His finger drove me nuts.
He flipped me onto the bench, spreading my legs for his viewing pleasure, before climbing over me. “Pia,” he whispered, then gently pressed a kiss to my mouth. “I want you so badly.” He slipped my dress back over my hips. “I really wish I could give you everything you want.”
My eyes popped open as he rose to his feet. I couldn’t bear the sadness in his face. “Val?” It wrenched my heart. I’d seen that look in the mirror once, just before I’d broken it.
“But I don’t know how.” He shook his head and returned to the party.
What had I done? I dropped my face in my hands. The heat of our passion still warmed my skin. I wanted love but—but… A tear splashed on my palm, then another, before a sob wracked my chest. They flowed freely, all the pain I’d buried under sex and mind-numbing activities rose to the surface, staining my flesh with heartache.
Val dug these emotions out. I’d been dead inside for two years, trying to protect my heart, but all I’d done was shield myself from living. I wiped my eyes and blinked away the tears but another sob came. Crying never solved anything but I couldn’t stop.
I kicked off my other shoe and stormed inside the party, tact and grace be damned, they’d never been part of who I was. The torn dress dragged on the floor now that I’d lost my shoes and the guests parted to let me through.
Val stood with Cecile, speaking quietly. A hush fell as I made my way across the room and he turned. He tilted his head, his lips parted as if concerned.
Before he could utter a word, I grabbed his lapels and pulled him into my embrace. He’d always been the one to initiate things between us. All my barriers were down and I poured my soul into this kiss. Slow and deep and open, I needed for him to understand that I felt enough for the both of us.
I let go. The shocked silence held everyone still in time. Even the orchestra had stopped playing. I whirled about.
Sin and my father stood by the exit, drinks in hand as if they’d been talking.
Lifting my dress so I wouldn’t trip, I advanced on Sin. “Can I stay with you tonight?”
“Pia.” My dad tried to hug me but I sidestepped out of his reach.
Not meeting his gaze, I stared at the floor. “I can’t speak with you, yet.” I’d say things I would regret. He’d forced me to shop for suitors when I wasn’t ready. No one comprehended my emotional troubles. I needed time away. Long fingers took my hand and I glanced at Sin.
He frowned but towed me out of the building. “What the hell? You look like shit. Did he hurt you?”
Yes. No. “Fuck you, Sin. It’s all your fault, anyway.” Sin was my go-to guy when I needed to feel safe. I’d never been this frightened in all my life. I’d just torn down the fortress shielding my heart and given it to a male who didn’t know what to do with it.
Sin straddled his Harley.
I held out my dress. “How am I supposed to ride?”
Sighing, he pulled out a switchblade from God knows where and sliced my dress short. “There.”
Barefoot and wrung out, I climbed on behind him, resting my head on his back. “Ready.” He’d taken me on his bike before. Sometimes he liked to drive all night. I could go for a long ride right now. I was tired of thinking and feeling.
He took me to his nest instead.
Without saying a word, I left him to park his bike and went down to his rooms, only to be greeted by an evil giggle. It curdled my insides. I stared at the open doorway to Sin’s black magic workshop. I’d forgotten about the demon. Turning around, I decided to wait for Sin upstairs.
“I can smell your heartbreak,” Amel shouted. “Set me loose and I’ll kill him for you.”
Clenching my teeth and strengthening my spine, I marched into the workshop then stopped promptly over the threshold.
Amel was held by chains, each extremity and his throat tethered to the solid stone of the cave. He sat behind a cage, still inside the pentagram.
Overkill much?
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon, dick-for-brains.” Sin controlled Amel on this physical plane. For now. Once the demon figured out how to escape, I was dead meat.
“Why do you think you deserve love and happiness? Whore, betrayer, infidel. “
“What do you know about love?” I shouted and crossed my arms over my chest. Not in defiance but to keep him from seeing how my hands shook.
“More than your incubus, obviously. Too bad he has all his lovely wives to return to.” The demon’s dark gaze bore deep into me. “What do you have?”
I spun around and pushed the door shut to block his horrendous laughter. Nothing like having a demon point at my weaknesses and laugh to give this evening a perfect ending. On trembling legs, I wandered into Sin’s bedroom and showered. Tomorrow, I would confront my family. Tell them they need to back off and let me breathe. Maybe sort through the shredded pieces of my soul and see if anything was worth saving.
I crawled into bed and turned on Sin’s big screen TV then located the cartoon channel, anything to numb my brain. I listened to the elevator descending, followed by the clomping of Sin’s boots.
He stopped beside the bed, handing me an ice cream container and spoon. “I’m told that’s what females need when they’re sad. Don’t let any melt on my bed.” He entered the bathroom and I could hear the shower being adjusted.
I stared at the container. Chocolate, my favorite, and I eyed the bathroom. Was Sin developing empathy or had he been hiding it all this time? The thought scared me. I needed him to be a rock. No changing.
He came out wearing nothing and flopped next to me. “Are we going to have sex?”
I scooped some ice cream. “No.” And ate it while watching a yellow sponge on the television.
Sighing, he rolled onto his back. “Are you going to get upset if I don’t stay here tonight?”
I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“For the ice cream? That was Gigi’s idea.”
“No, for restoring my non-faith in you. Go ahead and boink your vampire honeys. I’ll be terrible company.” I slumped into the bed and pulled the covers higher.
“Why is this all my fault?” He pulled the spoon from my hand and licked the ice cream off.
“You sent me to see Val. That stupid payment thing.”
“Which you still haven’t completed.”
“Are you serious?” I snatched the spoon back and shoveled a large scoop in my mouth. “You know why he’s here.” I spoke around a glob of melting ice cream.
&
nbsp; “Rumors, hearsay. I don’t place much merit on these things.”
“He came to find a new wife. My sisters applied and were refused.”
“No, that’s not the only thing. Val could have gone to any city wife hunting. You’ve let your heart fog your initial mission.”
“My dad said Val also wants to set up his pharmaceutical shipping offices in Lake City. He also said you knew this.”
“Nothing else?” He rolled over on his side. “What happened when you went in to meet him?”
I blinked tears away, the memory painful. “He fed from me.”
“And?”
“He asked my dad if he could court me. See, if you’d never sent me, we never would have met, and I would be happy now.”
“You didn’t seem that happy before. Was he that bad?”
“No, I’m the one who sucked. Again.” The ice cream container was half-empty. It never had a chance. I offered Sin another spoonful. “I don’t act like a succubus should.”
“Other succubi are boring. You’re not predictable.” He licked off the spoon. “I have some creative ideas for this ice cream.”
“I bet you do.” I handed him the container.
“Not even curious?”
“No.” I had too much on my mind. Ice cream and cartoons weren’t helping. “What are you going to do about tall, dark and evil in the other room?”
“Amel?” He shrugged. “He’d make a kick-ass bouncer. After some training, of course.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Once I’m sure of my control over him, he could guard the nest during the day and I wouldn’t have to pay Lothar a fortune for his shifters anymore.”
“People would think twice before double-crossing you.”
“They think twice now. With Amel, they won’t even consider it an option.” He made a content noise in his throat. At least one of us was happy.
I sighed and turned away from him, hiding the tears welling in my eyes.
“You have it bad for Val.”
“Yeah. What am I supposed to do?”
“Marry him. It’s obvious you love him.” Sin sat up and kissed the top of my head. “He’ll take care of you. He’ll come around and love you like you deserve.”
“I fucked it up. There’s no going back.”
“Well, I agree. There’s no going back but you have a heart of a warrior. Go forth and conquer. Will you be a coward and hide in my bed forever?”
The ice cream didn’t sit in my stomach so well. I squirmed under his intense stare. “You won’t let me, will you?”
“No.”
“Is that why you sent me to meet Val? Resorting to matchmaking? Sin, you’re watching too much Oprah.”
He grinned and actually looked his physical age, except for the fangs. “When I met Valerio, your father wanted my opinion of him to see if we could work together in the same city. Val seemed…lonely.” He met my stare. “Kind of like a succubus I know.”
“Stop meddling in my life. Being shallow and simple is fine with me. Go make someone else sticky with the ice cream.” I dismissed Lake City’s master vampire with a wave of my hand. I was lonely. I had liked it that way.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Day two of my cycle
The next morning I rolled over and found an unconscious Sin next to me. A note was taped to the headboard, which instructed me to use his car, go home and get my shit together. I squinted at the bottom of the note where he scrawled something almost illegible. Oh, the ice cream worked great. We’d do that next time I came over.
Okay, I had something to look forward to. Not. I pulled a black T-shirt on with a Jolly Roger on the front from his drawers and belted it like a dress. Familiar with the layout of the nest and with the shifter guards paid to watch the place during the day, I made my way to the garage.
Sin owned a few cars. Ever since I rolled his Mercedes, he made me drive his old Mustang. It started like a dream each time, though. I’d had a lot of time to think last night. Too much.
Each of my suitors appealed to me in different ways. John had a sharp wit that always made me laugh, Cooper’s gentle, caring nature nurtured my soul and Sin’s strength gave me safety. What did Valerio Hunan have to offer me? In a matter of days he’d taken over my life. Stomped right in, commandeered the wheel from my hands and directed me straight into hell. He also gave me everything my suitors did, all rolled up into one hot incubus.
I’d never find someone else this compatible. He had jealousy issues, which I wasn’t sure how to deal with, but he was always game to play with me. Not once had he tried to hold me back. Hell, he was the one who initiated things with Cooper. He even hinted at bigger, better things we could do together, and not just in bed.
Why did I have to say love? Even mortal men run at that word. Val probably had less of a defense mechanism to use than humans when faced with this dilemma. Our people didn’t consider love important. Most of them, anyway. My family was an enigma.
As soon as I pulled into my parents’ driveway the door opened.
Margie, my quietest mother, waited in the opening, a shawl around her shoulders and a steaming cup of coffee in her hands.
I ran my hands over my makeshift dress and crossed the driveway on tiptoes, the cold morning air hurrying my steps inside. I didn’t know what to say to her. Not after my performance last night.
She handed me the cup of coffee. “I’m glad you didn’t keep us waiting all day.”
My shoulders drooped as the weight of my guilt settled on them. I took a long swig of the coffee before following her into the kitchen. Sam and Estelle both sat at the table. A half-eaten plate of muffins sat between them. “Moms.” I nodded to them, steeling myself for harsh words.
“Pia, sit down.” Estelle pointed to the chair across from them. She eyed my clothing, distaste in her gaze, but didn’t say anything about it.
I did as I was told and set my coffee between us. Folding my hands in my lap, I waited. My guts twisted.
My moms glanced at each other as if trying to decide who would go first. Usually, when they were angry they’d yell on top of each other.
“Sweetie,” my birth mom, Sam, started, “what’s going on?”
“Val broke our courtship last night. His wives told him I’m too young to marry and he agreed.” It was the simplest answer. Maybe if God smiled down on me, I would get away with it, but, being descended from demons, I didn’t think God would be so kind.
“That’s nonsense. I married your father when I was your age.” Estelle waved her hands as if dismissing class. “Is he pussy whipped?”
“Mom!” My teeth rattled as my jaw hit the floor.
“Well, is he? There’s no other way to say it.” A bright pink flushed her cheeks and she hid behind her coffee.
Margie laughed in silence, and her body shook with the effort.
I grinned. “I don’t think so.”
“Then there has to be some other excuse for him to break things between you.” Sam leaned her chin in her hands.
My grin faded. “He wanted to announce our engagement at the banquet.”
They glanced at each other, confusion obvious in their expressions.
“I said it was too soon. We’d just met.” I pleaded to them with my hands.
“Well, it’s just the next step in a courtship. It doesn’t mean we’d be booking a reception hall next week.” Estelle set her cup on the table hard, sloshing some coffee over the edge. “Engagements can be broken. Engagement bands slip right off—they’re not like removing marriage tattoos.”
“But I—I mean, I didn’t…” At the time I didn’t know if I loved Val. Now, I knew for sure I did. Had I made a naïve mistake in refusing the engagement? Maybe I was too young. “He doesn’t love me.”
Their confusion vanished. Finally, someone understood. I ran to the wrong person last night when I went home with Sin. I should have returned with the moms.
“Love isn’t an easy thing, Pia.” Margie sat next to me and wrapped her arm around my back. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
I blinked. “What do you mean?”
“Most succubi don’t choose that path. It’s a rough road to travel when you have to have other partners besides the incubus you love. Me and Sam were lucky because Estelle and Flynn had already decided what they wanted when they started this family.”
“With Val, I’d be coming in behind, as sixth wife.” I stared into my coffee. No visions of my future enlightened me though.
“Neither of your sisters have chosen this path either. It’s easier to focus on other things to detract from relationships.” Margie smoothed my crazy curled hair. I never took the time to tame it this morning.
“Like careers and feeding from strangers.” I was beginning to understand Val’s wives a little. They didn’t want someone with my family background rocking their boat. If Val and I fell in love, where would that leave them? Would he want their love as well? Not a fair trade for most succubi.
I shook my head. “None of this matters. We’re through. I’m sorry I acted like a jerk last night.”
Estelle patted my hand. “It’s okay, honey. It’s genetic. You get it from your father, just like your hair.”
I laughed and finished my coffee.
Sam looked from me to her sister wives. “But she loves him.”
They both grew quiet and stared at me.
I cleared my throat. “Why would you say that?” The last thing I needed was for my family to go into DEFCON 1 because of my heartbreak again.
“That look on your face before you kissed him last night. I’ve seen it before on your other mothers and I’ve probably worn it myself.”
Margie hugged me tighter. “Honey, if that’s true then the rules change. Tell us the truth.”
Starved for Love Page 19