by Multiple
“I don’t want you.”
“Such a fibber.” He pressed her tighter to him, his hands, big and warm, rubbing over the bare skin of her back.
Despite her adamant stance, he was right. She lied. Her burgeoning arousal, evident by the rock hard nipples digging into his chest, all the proof he needed. But she couldn’t let her hormones rule her again. The last time it cost her life.
“I feel nothing for you.”
His hands dipped lower and cupped her ass cheeks, hoisting her body until her face was almost level with his.
“What are you doing?” she asked, more breathless than she liked.
“Proving you wrong,” he growled, dipping his head. He kissed her and Ysabel completely forgot why getting this close to Remy was a bad idea. Forgot everything except her need for more.
Her arms twined around his neck, her mouth opened for his tongue and a fire of a different sort, a pleasurable one that burned hotter than her nightmare, swept her body. He kissed her like he wanted to eat her alive. She kissed and nibbled at him, just as hungry.
The cold tile of her vanity distracted her when he seated her on the cool, polished surface. She ignored it as he pushed his thick body between her thighs. The leathery material of his pants provided a soft friction that impeded her from touching him skin to skin. Digging her fingers into the waist band, she tugged him closer, wrapped her legs around his torso and wantonly pressed herself against the hard bulge in his front.
Fingers tangled in her hair, he tilted her back, kissing her with a passion that left her breathless. Sucked at her tongue until she panted and mewled with need. When he pulled back, she keened in loss only to cry out in pleasure as his mouth travelled down the column of her neck and pressed scorching kisses in the deep valley of her breasts.
“So fucking beautiful,” he murmured against her skin, rubbing his bristle against her flesh, a teasing touch that made her arch. Her nipples, pointed and aching caught his attention. He plucked one with his lips, teasing the bud, sending coils of heat and desire to her cleft.
Raised in a time where sex was done, but not spoken of, she didn’t know what to say, what to beg for other than more. She needed him to ease the tightness inside her. To…
Lips still latched around her nipple, he plunged two fingers into her channel, and she screamed – a primal sound of pleasure as her body exploded so quick she couldn’t catch her breath.
And still he didn’t relent, stroking her with his fingers, sucking at her tender flesh until she writhed beneath him again, tilted her hips hard against his hand, begging silently for more.
She heard the sound of a zipper lowering. Felt the hard thickness of him as he slapped his shaft against her wetness. Too far gone to stop things or even coherently remember why she’d thought bedding Remy a bad idea, she waited for him to bring her to climax again.
A roar split through the sounds of their pants.
“What the fuck?” he cried, letting her go to turn and face the beast at her bathroom door.
Sighing, more in disappointment than anything else, Ysabel sat up and peered over his shoulder. She stared down the snarling creature in the doorway. “Meet my cat, Felipe. I should probably mention, he doesn’t like strangers.
*
Understatement of the year. The gigantic, furry, striped monster with saber teeth and red glowing eyes was her cat? “Holy fuck, woman. He’s the size of a bloody car.”
“Shhh,” she hissed as she hopped off the vanity and made her way around him to pet the head of the scary beast. “You’ll hurt his feelings.”
Hurt his fucking feelings? Was she loonier than his mother? No, but she did keep surprising him at every turn.
While she crooned nonsense to the giant hellcat, Remy did his best to buckle his pants, all the while aware of the feline’s big bright – not really friendly – eyes watching.
Miffed he’d gotten interrupted, and after she’d come apart so gloriously in his arms, his remark emerged a bit scathing. “Where do you keep the giant furball’s litter box? Or have you trained him to use the toilet?”
“Felipe is an outdoor cat who comes and goes as he pleases. Mostly goes when the lady kitties are in heat, don’t you, my big furry baby.”
Remy rolled his eyes as the creature craned its head for a scratch and began to purr, the sound on par with a lawnmower – missing a muffler, twenty years out of tune. And he could have sworn the damned thing smirked at him as his witch, still naked, rubbed against his fur.
Looking closer, Remy itched to grab his sword, especially as he recognized the intelligence in the hellcat’s eyes. This was no ordinary kitty she played with.
“Would you get Felipe a steak from the fridge while I get dressed?” she asked, flouncing off naked, her ass cheeks jiggling. Stunned speechless for a moment, the view truly incredible, he didn’t have time to retort before he found himself alone with the cat. A cat who stood and showed him his tail and ass end as it wandered away.
Emerging from the bathroom, he watched it saunter into the kitchen, and Remy stalked after it. “I know you’re not a pureblood hellcat. So what’s your game? And what do you want with my witch?” he growled in a low voice.
The huge cat shrugged, the gesture so human like, it took him aback.
“Did you find the meat?” Ysabel hollered from the bedroom. “I had the butcher deliver some this morning because I had a feeling Felipe was going to pop in.”
“I got it,” Remy snarled as he tore open the fridge and pulled out something bloody wrapped in brown, wax paper. He tossed the hunk of meat at the feline, trying not to wince as the huge jaws opened and snapped shut on its meal. I guess I should count myself lucky he didn’t take a bite of me while I was distracted. So distracted he never heard a gigantic feline arrive. Pet or not, he already didn’t like the creature.
Remy leaned against the counter with his arms crossed. “I’m telling you right now to stay out of my way. She’s mine.” He staked his claim in a low tone lest his words carry. He didn’t need Ysabel freaking out over his caveman announcement. Because if one thing became certain in that bathroom, and before he’d even touched her in a sexual manner, he wanted her.
Holding her as she burned alive, victim to a curse, he’d felt so many things– helpless, afraid, angry. He wanted to hunt the other souls down, right that very minute and bring them back to Hell so she wouldn’t hurt anymore. He wanted to ask Crax to let him aid in their punishment, knowing they’d hurt his witch. Hell, he even wanted to take Lucifer to task for putting such a ridiculous clause in her contract to start with.
He and the cat stared each other down, kind of disconcerting considering the giant beast also polished off the raw meat all the while, maintaining his gaze. It licked its chops and Remy snorted. “She has no idea does she? She thinks you’re just some plain ol’ cat.” The damn thing practically laughed at him, chuffing at his statement. “How long have you been hanging out around her?”
“I’ve had Felipe since he was a baby,” she answered, coming into the room wearing jeans and a halter top. “Do you often talk to animals? And of even more interest, do they answer back?”
“Just thinking aloud,” he lied. “So you found him as a kitten and took him in. Pretty brave considering his mama can track a flea through a swamp and would kill anyone who touched her kittens.”
“His mother was dead. I found him hiding in the brush nearby, half-starved and covered in snake bites. Even though he was just a baby, he was a fighter, weren’t you, Felipe?” she crooned scratching his chin again.
Yeah, he couldn’t hold back his snort or rolling eyes that time.
“What?” she asked, catching him in the act.
“You do realize he’s a three ton killer right?”
“Who would never hurt his mama, would you, baby?” She rubbed her nose against him, and if it weren’t for the fact Remy was insanely jealous of her treatment of the creature – who was definitely more than he let on – he would have thought it funny.
His witch possessed even more facets than he knew. That of baby talking, crazy cat lady was surprising – and cute.
“Don’t call me when he decides to bite your face off one day.” He said it but didn’t believe it. Much as it disgusted him to admit, Felipe wouldn’t hurt the witch. Although, he’d probably tear apart anyone who tried. I should count myself lucky he didn’t tear off a limb when he caught me fooling around with her.
“I’d be more worried about somebody else losing dangly bits,” she replied with a sly smile and a pointed look at his covered groin.
It took a little more fortitude than he liked not to cover his man-parts at her subtle threat, especially when the damned feline bared its teeth. “You know, I liked you a lot more a few minutes ago when you were just moaning, ‘Yes! Yes, Remy, you big stud muffin. Give it to me.’”
The blush in her cheeks totally delighted him.
“I said no such thing,” she huffed.
“But you thought it,” he replied with a wink.
“You caught me during a weak moment. It won’t happen again.”
“Oh yes it will, but next time, we won’t get interrupted.” He’d make sure of it by dragging her to his place and locking his door; bars, chains, deadbolt and more if needed.
“But aren’t you the one who loves an audience?” And yes, she said it with a straight face.
“Witch.” He said it in a warning tone.
She smirked. “What, demon? Not used to your sex dolls talking back?”
“If you weren’t hiding behind your cat…”
“You’d what? Take me over your knee and spank me?”
“Yes. Then I’d lick those red cheeks. Then your pussy before I tossed you onto your bed and fucked you.”
That threw her for a loop judging by the flare of interest in her eyes and the way she bit her lower lip. “You know what, I’m almost still aroused enough to let you. But, not only will Felipe tear off an important part if you try, we have work to do. This whole daily barbecue thing is getting old real fast.”
Way to slap him with reality, however, she was right. He needed to track those souls for her. Save her from the curse. Buy groceries for a month. Block off the kitty’s access to the apartment. Then he could put his plan into action, a pleasurable plan that would result in chafing in sensitive places and a smile so silly he’d put clowns to shame.
First though, work. Because he couldn’t do a thing until the job was done.
But she is so worth the effort. And the aching blue balls. Sigh…
Chapter Nine
As they travelled to a bar where Remy’s source claimed some medieval spirit was harassing the girls, she couldn’t help but relive what happened in her bathroom. And she didn’t mean the fabulous climax Remy gave her and the second one that got interrupted.
He’d heard her scream, caught her in the midst of her personal nightmare, and he didn’t run away or wait it out. He held her. Stayed with her while it ran its course, and though his fire demon status protected him from the flames, she still appreciated the gesture. Most males would have walked away.
As if that weren’t astonishing enough, he got angry. She couldn’t deny a certain pleasure in hearing him condemn Francisco’s and the other’s actions, in knowing he wanted vengeance for her death. It made her…like him.
It also made her vulnerable, so that when he kissed her and touched her, she didn’t fight. For the first time in five hundred years, she let a man caress her intimately – and she enjoyed it. Wanted to do it again as a matter of fact.
But I can’t just throw myself at him like some crazed old witch. Desperate wasn’t sexy, even if that was how she felt. Besides, judging by the way she kept catching his eyes on her – filled with male appreciation and a smoldering heat that promised wicked things – it was only a matter of time before he seduced her again. She just needed to exercise some patience.
She also needed to practice reining in a surprising jealousy. As soon as they walked into the strip joint, with naked breasts hanging out everywhere and more cheeks than she could count with dental floss tucked between them, the green eyed monster had her narrowing her gaze. Something in her posture must have given her away.
Tucking her into his side, Remy dipped his head low enough to murmur. “Sheath your claws, my sexy cougar. These slags can’t hold a candle to you.”
Startled he’d read her so easily, she peeked up at him. He winked. She warmed. And then he ruined the moment. “Of course, I wouldn’t be against you getting a glittery thong and dancing around a pole.”
“In your dreams, demon.”
“You have. And might I say,” he crooned in the shell of her ear, “that your finishing move atop my pole is the best I’ve ever seen.”
Shaking her head at his crude, sexual one-liners – and blushing at the backwards compliment – she left his side and strode into the den of iniquity. Talk about a dump.
On the far edge of the ninth circle, where the lowest of the low lived, any attempts at niceties evaporated. The lighting barely illuminated the smoky tavern, which given how her feet stuck to the floor, probably counted as a good thing. The dancers were listless, their bodies all marred by some type of imperfection, from a lopsided set of breasts, to the legless female who swung around on her arms.
Then again, the patrons weren’t much better. A more disreputable group she’d never seen, and she’d seen a lot as Lucifer’s assistant. The dregs of society seemed to have congregated in this forsaken place – and forgotten to bathe. She made a mental note to have the health inspection unit pay a visit. The dancers deserved better, and as for the men, there were always dirty jobs in need of dispensable crew.
Who cared if the place was a festering plague just waiting to infect? She needed to find Alvaro. It seemed, unlike the previous two souls, he liked his new home in Hell and didn’t stray to the mortal side. He also liked to make a nuisance of himself with girls just trying to eke out a living.
Given Lucifer’s policy on rape – which he considered on a wholly different level than sexual harassment – word moved quickly about the fellow who thought it was okay to pinch and fondle the girls at work despite their repeated ‘No’s. He’d even gotten kicked out of a few strip bars before this one.
And judging by the crack that sounded – a well-deserved slap she’d wager – Alvaro was moments away from getting the bum rush once again.
Given her diminutive height, Ysabel didn’t manage to see her prey until she landed almost on top of him. A taller demon fellow moved suddenly out of the way and brought her in direct view of Alvaro. His eyes widened in shock, but only for a moment before he grinned, displaying a gap toothed mien, which given the state of decay, made her vow to brush her teeth three times a day.
“Hello, Alvaro.”
Unlike her previous two escapees, he didn’t engage her in conversation. Waving goodbye, he slid out of his seat and bolted. As if Ysabel would let him get away so easily.
She took off after him, only to stop short when a large body stepped in her path. His size, while incredible, couldn’t hold a candle to his rancid stench and hairiness. Holding her breath, she tried to veer around the revolting frame, careful not to touch lest she need to cut off her hand to prevent infection, but the idiot in her path jiggled from side to side matching and blocking her attempts to get around.
“Would you move out of my way?” she snapped, glaring up at the brutish male who seemed determined to thwart her.
“You’re new,” the guy possessed of trollish ancestry, or so she assumed given his green hue, flat nose and tusks, stated. “Show me what you got.”
“I’m not a dancer.”
“Don’t care. You’re pretty. I like pretty things,” he rumbled reaching out a paw to grab her.
She evaded his grip, but it didn’t stop him from swiping at her again. The things she had to put up with because she owned two breasts. Time to show him to respect the ladies. She chanted under her breath, and waggled her fingers. The massive
male in front of her shrank, and shrank, then diminished in size some more until he stood waist high. She crouched in front of him with a smirk.
“Next time a witch tells you to move, don’t talk back.”
“Bitch!” he yelled.
She wiggled her fingers again and he squeaked before running off. But her fiasco with the troll had cost her precious time. Alvaro had fled. He also wasn’t the only one missing.
Just where did my demon guard go? Remy had also disappeared. He’d better not have gone off somewhere private with one of those sluts. Not that she cared. Really. A claim that screamed ‘Lie’ with every stomp she took as she exited the bar.
Hands on her hips she peered up and down the refuse lined street. “Stupid, good for nothing, testosterone laden…”
“You called?” Remy’s query came from behind her.
Whirling, she meant to glare at him, but instead gasped, “You caught him!”
He sure had. Hanging from Remy’s grasp, looking none too happy, was one village drunk named Alvaro. Back in the day, he’d claimed, to all who would listen, that he’d seen her flying her broom and dancing naked around fires. The fact he was a drunken wastrel who barely remembered his own name let alone recalled what happened five minutes previous didn’t matter to the people anxious to condemn her. It just added fuel to the charges against her.
Funny thing though, was the things he accused her of were true. He’d just never actually witnessed them.
“Of course I caught him. While you were busy playing with the patrons and taunting them with what they couldn’t have, I was out earning a kiss.”
“Only a kiss?” she teased, immeasurable happy for some reason that he’d not found a dark corner to screw a slut but instead, kept to their task. And now he wanted a reward, from me!
“Dammit. I knew I should have held out for more.”
“Argh. Someone get me some ale. The pair of you are making me sick.”
“Shut it,” they both told Alvaro at the same time. Pulling out her tag, she slapped it on his body and waved good bye as he got sucked back to prison.