Demon's Soul (Blood Moon Book 2)

by Natalie Aejaz

  Alone.

  The villas were at the rear and with minimal security, because they had enough of that crap in the zones. Anyway, no clubgoer was stupid enough to venture to this side. He nodded at the security guards and then crossed the garden, walking past a water fountain to reach the villa entrance. When they first set up the business, this zone was used to house guests, but as the complex grew and their income along with it, some of the owners had taken a villa each. Each structure was in an individual compound, surrounded by thick walls and greenery that made them private. When he entered the space, he could shut the damn world outside and have the time alone he craved. His little sanctuary. He couldn’t wait to be in there tonight.

  He left the gate open on his way to the office, because he had intended to come back here after checking the results of Junaid’s new system. As he entered his compound and closed the gate behind him, he had already pulled his black suit jacket off his shoulders. As he approached the swimming pool, a scent wafted toward him. A female? His horns…twitched. Interesting. They hadn’t been stimulated by a female for long. He turned the corner that led to the pool.

  And then he stopped.

  The woman sat at the edge of the pool, her feet dangling in the water and a bottle of beer at her side. She was out of place, not just because she’d dared to venture into his private domain, but because she was in the premises of Eclipse, where women went for the most expensive clothes and accessories they could afford. This scrunt wore a floral dress that finished above her knees and a denim jacket over it. He was no expert in women’s clothing, but the dress looked as if it’d come straight off a rack—a cheap one. Her hair was probably dark, but it was marred by uneven blond highlights, done in a budget parlor or at home. Still unaware of his presence, she picked up the bottle and took a swig, and his eyes fixed on that scrawny neck, mesmerized by its movement. Why the hell was he so fascinated by her when he should be pissed that she’d dared to sneak into his villa and disturb his sanctuary?

  “What are you doing here?”

  The sound of his voice startled her and—what the hell?—the idiot scrambled to get up and slipped, falling into the swimming pool and taking that beer bottle along with her. And now, she was struggling in the water. What the fuck was she doing at the edge of a swimming pool when she couldn’t even bloody swim? He threw his jacket to the side and dived in. Designer clothing ruined because of some idiotic trespasser. He pulled her into his arms, and even though she was drenched in water, she was surprisingly light. No, not surprising, because he could feel bones as his arms pressed around her.

  He didn’t even bother trying to be gentle as he dragged her to the end of the pool. At the steps, he pushed her ass, ignoring the shot of pleasure that went through him at the contact, so she could get out. As she sat there panting and staring at him with wide accusing eyes as if it was his fault she’d fallen into the pool, he climbed out.

  He towered over her. “Stand!” Her hand went for the rail, and as she tried to get up, she slipped. For fuck’s sake. He took her by the arm and pulled her up to stand before him. And as he stared at her, the bright green of her eyes, something inside him caught. “What are you doing here?” he asked again.

  She lifted her hand to her face, smoothing her hair with fingernails that had been bitten down but still managed to get specks of dirt underneath them. “I was trying to get into the club and ended up here. I’ve never been anywhere so nice, and, well I—” She glanced at the water. “I only wanted to put my feet in there for a bit, enjoy the beer and then leave.” The damn beer. He must remember to get that sorted in the morning. “I’ll get going.”

  But there was a look in her wide eyes as she glanced around the area. Longing. He believed her when she said she hadn’t been anywhere as nice as this before. “You can hang out a bit longer.” What the hell, it would only be a few minutes and then she’d be out of here. “Fancy another drink?” Seeing as hers had ended up in the pool. When she stared at him, her face blank, he raised his voice. “Fancy another drink?”

  “Sure,” she squawked.

  “I’d stay away from the edge of the pool, though. I don’t fancy jumping in after you again.” It was a warm evening, so they both would soon dry off. He pulled off his shirt without thinking and then heard a gasp behind him. When he turned, her eyes were fixed on his body and not just because of the tattoo that covered the whole of his back. A fit physique came with being a supernatural, and he didn’t need her to tell him she was impressed. Again, that interest stirred inside him, and this time, it went to his libido. What the fuck? He hadn’t been attracted to anyone for long, so why was this female having an effect on him? He went over to the bar on the other side of the pool. It appeared to be untouched, apart from that one beer. “You didn’t take anything else?”

  She shook her head, making wet hair fly around her. “I didn’t want to take anything expensive. When it didn’t belong to me.”

  Strange woman. “Neither does this pool.”

  “It was empty, and there was nobody here. If I had left without you finding out, it would have made no difference. You wouldn’t have even known.”

  It made sense, because he wouldn’t have noticed the missing beer if he had arrived later, but still…weird logic. Well, whatever helped her sleep better at night. She picked up her bag and then hovered by the lounger; he guessed she wasn’t keen to sit by the pool again after her little unplanned swim. “It’s all right. Sit down.”

  “But I’m wet—”

  “Believe me. The loungers are used to it.” His hand hovered over the beer, but he went for the champagne instead. As he’d hoped, her face lit up as she took the glass. He then went to the cupboard at the other side of the pool, where the towels were kept. He placed them next to her on the lounger. “Feel free to use them.”

  She pulled off her jacket before picking up a towel to rub it through her hair, and he couldn’t help but notice how her wet dress clung to her breasts as she did. He forced his eyes away and sat on the lounger next to hers to sip his drink.

  “So,” she murmured. “You’re the demon?” He glanced at her. “I mean, you’re one of the club owners, aren’t you?” She looked down at the glass in her hands. “I’ve been here a few times before.”

  “I’ve never seen you.”

  She swallowed. “I stay away from the crowd.”

  “Then what’s the point of coming to a place like this?”

  “I have my reasons.”

  He took another sip from his glass as he tried to ignore the scent that emanated from her wet body and wafted toward him. They’d finish their drinks and then he’d ask her to leave. She’d had her bit of luxury. “How often do you come here?” And there he went, making conversation.

  She bit her bottom lip, glancing around the area. Everywhere but him. “Not that often. The managers don’t like it.”

  “Why?” Yes, she wasn’t as well dressed as the posers who frequented the place and came in their smartest gear, many of them making a point of never being seen in the same outfit twice. She would stand out here, for the wrong reason, but as long as she paid her entry fees and didn’t cause any problems, there was no reason for her to be pushed away. “Why would they stop you from coming here?”

  Her cheeks flushed. “Because of my job.” Her discomfort put him on edge. Her job?

  “What do you do?”

  She shrugged. “What some of the staff you employ here do. But apparently, they’re classier than I am.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m a sex worker.”

  His fingers tightened around the glass. He didn’t know her, but something pissed him off at the idea of this fragile thing selling her body to all sorts and putting herself in danger. And then a horrible thought struck him. “Who do you work for?”

  Please don’t say James… “Hell, I don’t work for anyone. Always self-employed.”

  At least that was something. “Do you like what you do?”

&n
bsp; “I’ve no other choice at the moment…but I’m only going to do it until I’ve got enough money to get out…it gets a bit heavy sometimes, and I don’t always find customers.”

  And now he noticed the marks on her arms. Bruises and cigarette burns. When she saw where his gaze went, she grinned. “Mosquito bites.”

  He nodded, pretending he didn’t know any different, although part of him wanted to find whoever had done this to her and give them the same treatment…but what of the girls he was about to report to James? Wouldn’t they suffer even worse than this? He took another sip of the drink, not wanting to think about it. “And you live nearby?”

  “I share an apartment with another woman in the same line of work. It’s not flash.” She glanced around her, smiling. “Definitely not flash, but hey, it’s somewhere to sleep at night. And with the money we make, we’re not going to get any better.”

  “So you come here looking for customers?”

  Now her cheeks flushed pink. “I’ve said too much, haven’t I?”

  She wasn’t one of James’ girls, but her being here affected business. “You know we don’t allow independent workers here.”

  “I’ve applied for a job in one of your pleasure zones before, but I didn’t get hired.”

  He could imagine why. The men and women hired by the club for that kind of work were suitable for the covers of exclusive magazines, their bodies fit and healthy. The scrunt looked like she hadn’t had a proper meal for God knew how long. “I don’t think you fit the profile of our workers.”

  “I know. The dancers who work here are on the hot and sophisticated side, aren’t they? But it was worth a try.” She grinned, glancing down at her old dress. “Shame, because I splashed out on a new dress for the audition—a red sexy number. I missed a fair few meals for that.”

  As he imagined her in a sexy red dress, his horns twitched again, and the thought crossed his mind. How much does she charge? He pushed that question away. Eclipse had areas where sex transactions were processed, because that was the nature of the business—but the ones involved in that type of work here didn’t do it because of a lack of options. The managers in charge of the pleasure zones guaranteed that. But still, Blade had never been comfortable with the idea of trading bodies for cash and kept away from those areas as much as he could. As for paying for it himself—there was no bloody need when enough beings lusted after him—and he wasn’t about to exploit a woman who did such work because she had no other choice.

  Now her damn eyes fixed to his horns, two little bumps that were barely visible underneath the mass of long dark hair, but the way she stared at them, he might as well be bald. “Mind if I touch them?” she whispered.

  Yes, he fucking did. “I’d prefer if you didn’t.” He shifted his head back when she reached out. “I said no!” She fell silent, staring down at her glass. “Look, I didn’t mean to come across so harsh.”

  Her smile returned, making him wonder how well-practiced it was. “It’s all right. My fault. I shouldn’t have been so preumps—persump—”

  “Presumptuous?”

  She laughed. “Yes. That.”

  “Well, I shouldn’t have over-reacted.”

  “I wish more guys were like you. Decent.”

  “I’m not decent.” That she would think that made him uncomfortable, especially considering the thoughts about her that had flashed through his mind. And the only reason he hadn’t wanted her to touch his horns was because it would have made it impossible to stay away from her.

  “You are. I imagine you’re not the kind who would book a girl’s services, rough her up and then refuse payment.”

  Shit. “Do many guys do that?”

  “Not many, but enough to make me want to get out of this as soon as I can.” She tilted her head, staring at him. Was it his damn imagination or did her pupils dilate? That burning in his belly begged it to be the latter. “You know what, demon? I’d do you for free.”

  What? He swallowed. “It’s all right.” Idiot. She didn’t really offer, did she, so why the hell was he being so uptight?

  “I mean it.” She stood and then sat next to him so their thighs touched. Despite their limbs being wet, a heat emanated from her…and damn it, her soft scent overpowered that of the chemicals used to clean the pool water. “You’ve been nice to me. Few people are nice to girls like me.”

  He shook his head, even as an image flashed through his mind of pushing her back on this lounger and fucking her. “Not very clever, making such offers.” He tried to make light of her words. “I thought you needed the money?”

  “I do.”

  “Then why are you giving your services away for free?”

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted to be with a guy. You know, without being paid for it.” She stared at the water, her voice soft. “And I want to be someone else, even if it’s only for tonight…”

  He stood, not just to get away from her but to grab his discarded jacket. Her green eyes remained fixed to him the whole time. He pulled his wallet out of the jacket, taking a wad of cash from it. He returned to the lounger and held it out to her. “Take this.”

  Her eyes widened. “I don’t usually charge that much.”

  “Take it.” He shoved the money toward her.

  “You’d get a whole night and more in return for that.”

  More images flashed through his mind, of her naked underneath him. A whole night…he ignored the heat that pounded through his body. “I want nothing from you. Take this and leave.”

  She glanced between him and the money, confused. “You’re just going to give me all this cash?” When he nodded, “Why? You don’t even know me.”

  He wished he had an answer for that question. He wasn’t the type to take on charity cases, but he didn’t want her missing any more meals. “Just think of it as your lucky day. Now go.” She leaned back on her hands, her chest jutting forward. “Look, I told you,” he said, now getting pissed—at himself—because he couldn’t resist her much longer. He leaned past her to place the cash in her bag, and as he did, she drew a thumb over one of his horns. Gods. Despite himself, he released a low moan, which he quickly covered with a hard tone. “What are you doing? I want nothing in return for the money.”

  “And I don’t want the money, not tonight. I want to…live.” She stood and—what the fuck?—pushed him so he fell into the pool. He should have been pissed as he rose to the surface but instead could only stare as she sat at the edge, her eyes bright and pupils dilated. Fuck it. He wasn’t a saint. He paddled closer and took her by the waist, lowering her into the water. She squealed and held onto him, her body tight against his.

  “Don’t worry,” he said, his voice rough. “I’ll look after you.” And then he closed his mouth over hers. She moaned softly under his kiss as he held her waist with one hand, keeping her steady and afloat. He moved the other to the back of her head, pressing his lips harder against hers. She squirmed against him as she moved her hands over his chest, lingering on the dark hair before she held onto his shoulders for support. He pulled her even closer, so she knew he wasn’t about to let her sink. His erection pressed against her thighs, wanting to slip between them and enter her heat. But for now, he held back his need as he entered her mouth with his tongue, shifting them toward the shallow end of the pool at the same time. When their feet found the floor, her hands traveled back down, following the trail of hair from his chest to his trouser waistband…and lower, to massage the expanding bulge. “Fuck!”

  The next thing he knew, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed her back against the side of the pool, his body between her thighs. He held her head with both his hands as his hard cock ground against her, pushing his tongue between her lips. Her mouth was eager, and when she sucked his tongue, he shivered as he imagined her giving the same treatment to his cock. Her body was warm and pliant, and he pressed even closer, his erection jammed against her core.

  “Demon,” she whimpered. As she clung to his s
houlders, he moved his hands to the neckline of her dress, but resisted the urge to rip it apart, using the buttons instead. Once the top few were open, he edged the black lace of a bra cup aside and stared down at the perky bud that grew erect under his gaze. Keeping his eyes on her face, he lowered his head. He gave her stiff nipple a gentle lick, watching her reaction. She drew in a deep breath, and her hips jolted. He shifted his hand from her waist and to her other breast, slipping his fingers inside the lace and dragging his thumb over the nipple. Another gasp. “Demon!”

  “Blade,” he grated before he went to work sucking her nipple. Damn, she tasted so good.

  “Blade…”

  The sound of his name on her lips drove something inside him…and when she wrapped her legs around him, he humped her like a bloody teenager as he kissed her again, both his hands cupping her breasts and working her nipples. As her thighs tightened around him, her hands went to his head, and she smoothed her fingers over his horns until they stood on end. Shit. He couldn’t decide what was harder—his cock or his horns. His voice was unbelievably deep when he spoke. “Carry on like that, and this’ll finish before it’s started.”

  She giggled, a strange sound among all this heat. “Get me out of this pool, and I’ll take some of the edge off.” He wasn’t the kind to take orders from a female, but then she pressed closer, her core squirming against his cock and making it even damn harder. He took her by the waist and lifted her over the edge of the pool before he followed. “Get your back on the lounger, Blade.” Something made him obey, and he lay back as she told him to. She bit her lip as she straddled him, placing her hands on his shoulders as her core made contact with his erection, the heat burning him even through wet material. The curse he released seemed to please her, because she smiled and then lifted the hem of her dress, shifting it up over her thighs. They were wearing too many clothes, damn it, but when he took his hands to her dress to pull it off her, she slapped them away, playful. “No,” she admonished. “You just lie there and do nothing.”