Sex Symbol

by Tracey H. Kitts

  James turned even redder.

  “I’m sorry, James, but surely you can see the humor in this?”

  “Sure.” But his lips had formed a tight frustrated line. He was not happy and I didn’t really care. He’d come here to start trouble and deserved what he got.

  “Well,” I said, regaining my composure, “since you’re back in town I guess I’ll be seeing you around. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a lot to finish before we close up.”

  His smile was as forced as any I’d ever seen. “See you later then.”

  Once he was gone Justina burst out laughing again. “I know,” she panted, “it’s awful, but I can’t stop. He, he, had that coming. Motherfucker. Ha. Ha.”

  Mandy was not only used to the language around the shop, but she fit in perfectly.

  “So, besides being her ex, what makes him such a motherfucker?”

  “Come here, sweetheart, and I will fill you in,” Stina said, still laughing softly.

  *

  It was hard to believe that James had moved back. However, by the end of the day some of the shock had worn off. The shock of having him meet Eramus right off the bat was another thing entirely. In a way it was a relief. Now I didn’t have to worry about them eventually coming into contact or having to introduce them at some other time. I never thought I would feel this way, but I wished that James had stayed in Biloxi.

  It should not have been so hard to focus on Eramus and our date, but it was. Having your ex show up and meet your new boyfriend is upsetting, no matter how it goes. And all things considered, I think it went as well as it could.

  I had no idea where we were going tonight. All Eramus had told me was that we were going to “a club”.

  “That means you should wear something sexy, but not slutty,” Justina informed me.

  On the drive home I mentally went through my closet with her advice in mind. It had been a while since I’d been to a club of any kind. I’d been to a few bars, but that’s not the same thing. I wasn’t much for crowds. They always made me feel nervous. But the thought of being in a crowd with Eramus was kind of exciting. I wanted to be seen with him. I wanted people to know that he was the one I was with.

  I still couldn’t believe James had come to the shop. A few weeks ago I might have been glad to hear he was back and that his relationship with Rachel was over. But now it didn’t really concern me. I just wanted him to leave me alone. I wanted Eramus. No matter how much it might still hurt me to look at James, I did not want to be with him.

  By the time I got ready, it was almost time for Eramus to pick me up. I’d finally decided on a pair of tight black slacks and a dark purple top. It made my eyes look more brown than green and I thought it went well with my hair. The top was clingy and reached to mid-thigh. Since Eramus liked my hair down, I left it that way, hanging in curls that I didn’t bother trying to tame. I went heavier on the eyeliner than usual, making my eyes look smoky and somehow wild. Normally I didn’t stand around admiring myself, but I was having a hard time looking away from my reflection. Not because I thought I was “all that”, but because there was something different in my eyes. My skin glowed in a way it never had and my eyes seemed to sparkle. I looked more alive than I think I ever had.

  As I applied lip gloss I smiled, remembering that my underwear matched the purple top. A thrill ran through me when I remembered that Eramus hadn’t seen my tattoo yet. Since he liked roses so much and it was, in a way, roses that had brought us together, I was saving it. I had no doubt that we would eventually end up in bed together. I wanted to wait until we made love to show it to him.

  I lifted my shirt, about to inspect the tattoo just for fun, and the lights went out.

  “Shit.”

  I looked out the window. There were no storm clouds in sight. Night had settled over the landscape like a pale gray cloak. Stars were beginning to sparkle. It was beautiful. And the moon was nearly full. Some idiot must have hit a transformer. That happens out in the country more often than you might think.

  Oh well, at least I was already finished getting ready. The power would probably be back on by the time I got home and putting on my shoes in the dark was no problem. I stood in the beams of moonlight coming through the window and lifted my shirt. As soon as I did so, I laughed.

  “I must have used the stupid glitter soap,” I said to myself.

  Justina got me glittery soap for my birthday and I must have picked it up by accident when I was in the shower, because my rose tattoo practically glowed in the moonlight. It was beautiful. It looked almost surreal, but before I had time to examine it further, someone knocked on the door.

  I pulled my shirt down, stepped into my heels and hurried downstairs. When I opened the door I was expecting Eramus. What I wasn’t expecting was for him to look even better than he had a few hours ago. His hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and he’d changed into leather pants. Damn. One smile and I was his. His smile wasn’t just a greeting, it was a promise of things to come. That subtle curing of lips spoke of things done in the dark and I considered asking him to just stay at home with me and skip the club.

  Without taking my eyes from him I reached for the table beside the door and grabbed my purse.

  “Ready?”

  That was a loaded question. Boy was I ever ready.

  “Yep.”

  I closed and locked the door behind me.

  Eramus laughed. “Don’t you need a coat?”

  I looked him up and down once more and considered the cold wind nipping at my bare arms.

  “You’ll do,” I said, taking him by the hand. I wanted to wrap him around me and by the way he growled in response, I think he understood my desire.

  “That’s fine with me, but I think you might freeze on this.”

  Eramus indicated the motorcycle in my driveway and I laughed. Normally, he drove a sleek black car similar to the one Ozzy had, only a larger model. Eramus wouldn’t have been able to fit behind the wheel of Ozzy’s car, not enough head room.

  I stepped back inside and took a leather coat from the closet beside the door.

  “Does this look okay?”

  “Fine.” Eramus put his arm around me and led me back outside, taking care to lock the door again. “Don’t worry, I’ll still keep you warm.”

  His voice rumbled through me, making me feel hotter already. It had been ages since I’d been on a motorcycle. I was almost as excited about that as I was thinking about Eramus between my thighs. After all, that’s the way we’d have to ride. Lucky me.

  When we got to the bike I noticed his coat. I’d never seen Eramus wear a coat before. Even though it had been cold, he usually didn’t bother. Seeing him slip on the long leather duster made me wish we lived in Alaska. It hung nearly to his ankles and matched his black pants. The coat was made with a split up the back which parted as he straddled the bike and reached for me.

  “Need help?”

  “No, I’ve got it. I have ridden a motorcycle before,” I teased.

  “Oh, really? You’ve had your legs wrapped around some other man for extended periods of time going down the road?” He made it sound dirty on purpose and I laughed.

  “That’s right, baby.”

  “You know, we can take the car if you prefer to not get your hair messed up.”

  I fluffed my curls. “I don’t think it can do much damage. My hair naturally looks wild.”

  He smiled. “I doubt you’ll feel much of a breeze behind me anyway. I’ll probably block it all.”

  I put my hand on his shoulder and swung my leg up and over the seat. The small seat behind him was elevated so that I didn’t look like a dwarf riding behind him. But he was right, I couldn’t see over his shoulder. I wrapped my arms around him and Eramus put his hand over mine, covering them both.

  “Hold on tight.”

  The feel of his body next to mine was both comforting and arousing. He was so much bigger than me that I had no choice but to open my legs wide. I felt exposed because
my posture reflected my thoughts so well. My only regret was that we had clothes on. Even through the leather and our clothes his heat burned into me. Suddenly I was so wet that once again I almost asked him to forget the club and stay at home. I don’t think I’d ever wanted anyone the way I wanted Eramus. I didn’t just want to have sex with him, I wanted to be a part of him.

  We were halfway down the road when I got the nerve to say, “Thanks for today.”

  He paused at a stop sign. “What do you mean?”

  “For the way you handled James.”

  Eramus shook his head and turned back onto to the road. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s not think about him tonight.”

  “I’m not. I just wanted to say thank you. He kind of had me cornered before you came.”

  He patted my hands. “You’re welcome.”

  Eramus went back to watching the road and I rested my head against his back. I enjoyed the soft rumble of the engine, the way it vibrated through my body and his. I wasn’t even cold. The scenery passed by in a blur as I opened his coat and put my hands inside. I wanted to run them down the front of his pants, but managed to control myself. Instead I focused on the drive.

  After a few more turns I was convinced of one thing—we were lost.

  “Where are we going exactly?”

  “The place is called Mixer’s. Actually, a lot of shifters hang out there. I hope you don’t mind. It’s not a shifter bar or anything. There’ll be other people there. It’s usually a mixed crowd, no pun intended.”

  “Then why do shifters hang out there?”

  “Maybe they just like the place. I really don’t know. I guess I should have asked you first.”

  “No, it’s all right. But why did you decide on Mixer’s?”

  For a moment the only thing I could hear was the roar of the engine and the wind passing by. I thought he wasn’t going to answer, but he did.

  “Because I don’t want you to be afraid of me. I thought that if you were around a few other shifters, maybe you’d be more comfortable.”

  I rested my head against his back again and thought about what he’d said. Did Eramus still think I was afraid of him? We rode the rest of the way in silence while I continued to ponder this question. He excited me, sure. But was I afraid on some level?

  When we pulled into a parking lot, I lifted my head. A huge brick building stood in front of us. It was two stories high and had a neon purple sign that said “Mixer’s”.

  I stepped off the bike and Eramus turned to face me, but remained seated. I decided to take advantage of being on almost eye level. I wanted to see his reaction to what I had to say.

  “I’m not afraid of you, Eramus.”

  There was sadness in his eyes like I hadn’t seen since that first night when I was chased into his yard.

  “You say that now, but I could hear the way your heart raced when I told you where we were going tonight. It flutters the same way when I mention the full moon, or anything along those lines. You’re trying hard and I appreciate that. But you are still afraid of me.” Eramus pulled me to him, spreading his long legs so that I could rest against the front of his body.

  “I hope to change that. I want your heart to beat faster, Lucy, but not with fear.”

  I ran my hands inside his coat just as the front of my body came more firmly in contact with his. Eramus took my face in his hands. His eyes turned amber as he lowered his lips to mine and a thrill ran through me. At first he nipped gently at my lower lip, then he brought it into his mouth with a low growl and my knees buckled. Eramus held me tight against him as he slowly devoured me with his kiss. He sucked and nipped at my lips until I moaned. When he finally slipped his tongue inside my mouth I cried out, wrapping my arms around him and grinding my body against his.

  I pulled back only long enough to breathe against his lips, “Take me back home, Eramus.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “I need you.”

  I think we were both shocked by my words. Not “I want you”, but “I need you”.

  It was true. I wanted him to devour all of me, not just my lips. It was sweet that he had waited and not pushed the issue of sex. But I needed to be with him. My body was so aroused that my skin ached for his touch. I wanted him to take that big body of his and wrap it around me ’til I couldn’t breathe.

  The sound of gravel crunching beneath someone’s shoes brought our conversation—if you could call it that—to an end.

  “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  James stood there, smiling at us from the other side of a sports car. Well, fuck me.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chance encounter

  Retreating from the warmth and safety of Eramus’ arms was not an option. I simply turned enough to address James. The way Eramus continued to hold me let me know he was thinking along the same lines.

  “So, you’re dating bikers now and…other things?”

  Whatever James was implying, I did not like his tone. I felt Eramus stiffen and sit straighter behind me.

  “Whatever you’re trying to say, James, you’re pissing me off.”

  He raised his eyebrows at my comment, but the chickenshit didn’t step from behind the car.

  “I just didn’t figure you for a gravedigger, that’s all. Or didn’t you know that a lot of them come here?”

  “Them?”

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean.” In all the time we had been together, James had never used that tone of voice with me. It caught me off guard. What the hell was his problem?

  “Okay, call me stupid if you want to, but what do you mean?”

  “Maybe your boyfriend can explain. Or didn’t he tell you this was a werewolf hangout?”

  “Fuck you.” The vehemence of my words was surprising. “How dare you follow me here and then act like this.”

  When James didn’t even bother to deny that he’d followed us it felt like fire ran through me. I tried to take a step forward, but Eramus kept his arm around my waist. He stood up and stepped in front of me.

  He ran his hands through his hair, smoothing it back as he moved toward James.

  “If you’ve got something to say, I suggest you say it.”

  James looked toward me as I leaned around Eramus enough to see what was going on.

  “He’s dangerous, Lucy. I did some checking around after I left the shop today and—”

  “Stop right there,” I said, moving in front of Eramus again. “You have no right to check around on anyone here. I trust Eramus and whatever you’re about to say, if it is another insult you better think it over very carefully.” James just looked at me for a minute, pleading with his eyes for something I couldn’t understand. “The words that come out of your mouth next determine if I will ever speak to you again. Understand?”

  After what felt like several minutes he said, “Good night.”

  Eramus put his arm around me and pulled me close against his side. He didn’t say anything until we saw James leave the parking lot.

  “We can go if you want.” His voice was soft and kind. I knew he didn’t mean we could leave for the purpose I had suggested earlier, but because I was upset.

  The tear running down my face startled me. I wiped it away with determination.

  “Fuck him. I need a drink.”

  Eramus turned me around, tipping my face up to his. “Are you sure? We can do this some other time.”

  I’m not sure why I hugged him, it just felt right. When I answered him, my voice was muffled against his shirt. “For a while now I’ve let James ruin my life. I’m not going to let him ruin tonight or anything else anymore. He can’t upset me if I don’t let him.”

  “Lucy,” Eramus said softly, “if he doesn’t know I’m a werewolf, he knows enough. That was obvious from what he said. Aren’t you afraid he’ll spread rumors?”

  It took me a minute to understand what he was saying.

  “I don’t care if people know who I’m dating.”r />
  His smile was gentle. “Don’t you mean what you’re dating?”

  When I reached up to touch his face it was like electricity passed between us. Lust ran through my veins like fire, spreading down my arm and throughout my body.

  “I see you almost every day but I still go to sleep each night with the hopes that I’ll get a glimpse of you in my dreams. Screw what people think. I’ve never wanted to dream about someone so much in my life.”

  It may have been a strange answer, but it was the truth. Every time I closed my eyes I wanted to see him just as much as I did when I opened them. Touching him was a temporary high and like any drug I craved him more with each touch. He was the sweetest dream I could imagine and I had no desire to wake up.

  “That’s the sexiest thing anyone’s ever said about me. But what if I turn out to be a nightmare?”

  Laughter carried across the parking lot and we both turned to see Justina standing beside the door. I wasn’t sure how to answer his question anyway. I suppose it was just as well that we were interrupted once again.

  “Does everyone come here except me?” I asked.

  “Let’s go see.”

  Once she saw us, her laughter stopped, but not like we had ruined her fun or anything. Chase was propped against the nearest car, puking like he was getting paid for it.

  “They’ve got this really nasty drink and I made him try it,” she laughed.

  “Bitch,” he said between retching.

  “You must have tried the fire poker,” Eramus said.

  “That’s the one.”

  Chase hurled again and I had to turn away before I did the same.

  “Do you come here often?” Eramus asked.

  Justina laughed again as she handed Chase some tissue. “No, this is our first time. Someone came in the bar and was telling Chase about the drink.” She shrugged. “You know us and our weird drink fetish.” She directed that comment toward me and this time I laughed too.

  “They think they’ve got to try every weird drink they hear about,” I explained to Eramus. “Chase was already this way, but when she moved here he found a partner in crime.”

  It was pretty clear that neither of them were at Mixer’s for the “wildlife”. Even though they both knew what Eramus was, I think he was relieved to find out why they were there. Guess he didn’t want to feel like a tourist attraction.