by C. M. Owens
He laughs as though that shit is funny. “Do I see a repeat of old times?” he taunts.
“Nope. I have a hell of a lot more restraint now than I did then. I haven’t forgotten how all that turned out.”
He looks over at Kimber just as I do, and we both see her jerk her head away after being caught staring at me. That’s really not helping my resolve.
“Difference is—Kimber isn’t Alyssa. And there’s no one else she wants more than you. Just some food for thought.”
My brain is in overdrive as it is. I really don’t need anything feeding it.
Chapter 13
KIMBER
Stop looking at him, Kimber.
“So, Dice’s mother is very interested in me,” Karma whispers next to my side.
“That’s because Dice is paying you a lot of attention lately.”
She smiles bashfully while looking down. “It’s weird, you know? I’ve spent so long hiding that I never realized what I could be missing. But an incubus in bed… Just wow.”
I burst out laughing before I can help myself, and unfortunately that draws attention to me. Within seconds, groping hands start finding me, and I come close to breaking bones. But, as always, Gage decides to swoop in.
He brushes two off, and then he takes me and pulls me to him just as Dice pulls Karma against him. I have to turn away when their kiss grows to be a little disgusting. But I almost look again when I realize what a good distraction they are.
Gage’s body pressed close to mine while I’m fighting uselessly against the weight of the heady air.
“You should get out of here. The younger you are, the more it affects you,” Gage says close to my ear, and the chills rise as I involuntarily tilt my head to the side.
I’m already drunk off of seduction. Leaving is pointless and he knows it.
“What good would that do?” I mumble, backing up against him.
He hisses out a breath as his hands go to my hips, and I arch my body to press against him better.
“I can put you to sleep with just one word, and the effects will be gone by tomorrow.”
Sighing, I turn in his arms, and I let my eyes meet his. “What’s the deal, Gage? You were all over me, and then you disappeared. Now you’re acting as though you want me, but you refuse to even attempt it. Am I so much worse than Alyssa?”
Yeah, I know that sounds pathetic, but a girl can only take so much confusion.
He groans while dropping his head back, but he pulls me as close as I can possibly get. What is torture is the fact that I can feel the fact that the succubus spell in here is getting to him.
Finally, he drops his head back down, and he searches my eyes while his narrow. He gives no indication about what he’s thinking until he finally says, “Ah, fuck it.”
In a blur of motion, I’m spun around and pressed against the wall just before Gage’s lips find mine in a bruising kiss. My hands go to his hair, and my fingers tangle in the soft strands of inky black locks. I’m moaning and silently begging with every breath because the heat in my veins is almost too painful to take any longer without some sort of relief.
“Guess some things never change,” Thad jokes from somewhere close by, but I don’t know or care what he means.
Gage presses his forehead to mine, breaking the kiss and panting for air. The he straightens up and looks around. I’m sure he’s about to bolt, but then suddenly I feel the tingling sensations that steal my breath when he vaporizes us together.
“I’m sick of fighting this,” I hear him growl, and then I’m suddenly on a bed, my body popping against the mattress as a smile breaks across my face.
“I don’t know why you were fighting it to begin with,” I say as he pulls his jacket off first and then unbuttons his shirt and tosses it aside.
He bends and captures my lips in another kiss, and I bite down on the metal of his lip rings, grinning when he thrusts his fabric-clad hips against me.
“Because, Kimber,” he says in that velvety voice while sighing, “you’re not a girl to simply pass the time with. And I don’t have any luck with the kind of girl you are.”
Something in that comment is so raw, and I can’t help but smile while reaching up and touching his skin.
“Well, luck changes. And I may not be a unique experience for you, but you’re one for me.”
His hooded eyes heat instantly in that statement, and the flames idle in his irises. I’m almost burning up to my core, and he bends to kiss me again.
“You sure you want to do this here and now? With the air of a succubus in this moment?” he asks, sliding his hands down my thighs.
“Positive,” I say in a shaky breath. “Another new experience for me. You’re a few years ahead of me, so I assume you can show me a number of new things.”
His grin is definitely one I could get used to seeing.
Music thuds in the background, slow and daring, and Gage’s speed follows the seductive beat as he starts kissing down my neck, flicking his tongue against my skin. My body arches off the bed, but then he stands, leaving me bereft.
I start to scream at him, because I’m so sick of this bullshit, but then he grabs me at the waist and picks me up, throwing me against the wall hard enough to crack it behind me. His lips find mine again, as he holds me at the hips, treating me as though I’m weightless as my fingers go back into his hair.
“Gage! Kimber!” Dice calls, sounding a little panicked.
Gage smirks and the sounds disappear. “No one and no sounds can get in anymore,” he says against my lips. “No more interruptions.”
The hungry kiss resumes just before the sound of my panties being ripped resonates in my ears. My legs tighten around his waist just before I hear the jingling of his belt. The candles in the room flame up, shedding a glow against us, but I’m too wrapped up in Gage to notice anything beyond him.
Without any warning, he thrusts in hard, keeping me pinned against the wall, and my breath catches in my throat as he fills me. His guttural groan vibrates against me as he remains still, his lips paused against mine as he keeps me impaled.
“Of course you feel like nirvana,” he says against my lips, and I can’t help but smile. “This isn’t going to last nearly long enough.”
I hold on as soon as he pulls back, thrusting in harder this time. I cling to his shoulders as his body owns mine. He doesn’t hold back. He gives me everything with each harsh rock of his hips, and I cling to him because I have no idea what happens when this is over.
In a blur, I go from against the wall to on the bed, and his body covers mine, never separating our contact. He pulls my hips at an angle that gives him more depth, and my eyes roll back in my head from the overwhelming stimulation that induces.
His name comes out in a praising tone when I start to feel the building deep inside my stomach, unfurling into something carnal and explosive. My nails slide down his skin as he pushes my dress farther up on my waist.
His grip becomes almost painful as his brutal rhythm ensues, and I cry out as fireworks detonate behind my eyelids. My whole body shakes as ecstasy rocks through me, tingling every fiber in my body.
Then Gage grunts and stills deep inside me, panting for air as he drops to my body. I find myself smiling in the crook of his neck as he cradles me to him.
“Should we go see what the annoying incubus wants now?” he mumbles into my hair.
I tighten my legs around him while shaking my head. “Probably, but I really don’t want to walk out of here. It’ll give you time to freak out and ignore me again.”
He groans while pulling out of me, and I wince when I lose the intimate contact. Hell, he never even got to fully undress.
“I won’t be ignoring you anymore, Kimber. Now you should be worried about me getting addicted.”
If him being addicted leads to more times like these, I can certainly get behind that notion.
“At least I won’t be the only one with obsessive tendencies,” I quip, smiling when he leans dow
n to kiss me softly.
“This can be messy,” he says on a sigh. “Kane isn’t overly fond of me. Drackus will want to roast my balls.”
That has me laughing while rolling my eyes. “Kane only gets crazy over Ella. I was only Kane’s daughter briefly. Drackus… I know how to handle him. Don’t worry.”
He gives me an are-you-fucking-kidding-me look.
Okay, so maybe I downplayed how Kane’s reaction will be, but I don’t want to freak Gage out like all the rest of them.
“Are you scared of my father?” I ask sweetly, batting my lashes for effect.
“I’m not scared of him. I just dread dealing with him when he goes all dark Drackus and needs to be contained until he cools down.”
Sighing, I shake my head. I really don’t want to talk about my father right now. Total mood killer.
“So you’re really not going to freak out and ignore me once you realize it was actually me in that bed with you?”
“I know who I just slept with,” he says, his brow pinched in confusion. “But like I said, I try to stay clear of girls like you. Girls that I can easily fall for. But there’s no turning back now. I just hope your first love doesn’t decide to come out of the woodwork anytime soon, because I’m not ready to give you up just yet.”
He’s deflecting. Or he’s using humor to lighten the truth. Either way, it only has me all the more fascinated by him. He’s nothing like I expected him to be. I watch him as he redresses, putting his clothes on without using magic.
“I’ve never been in love, so I don’t foresee that being an issue.”
His head pops up, and he studies me for a minute. “Good,” is his simple response, and he returns his attention back on redressing. Sighing, I lean over and pick up the scraps of lace.
“Sorry,” he says, laughing when I hold up my tattered underwear.
I cock an eyebrow at him. “A little help? This dress is too short to be walking around without underwear.”
He laughs lightly, but winks at me, and the shards of lace become whole again. As I shimmy back into them, Gage is suddenly in front of me, tilting my head back and kissing me deeply, letting the bar of his tongue play in my mouth.
“I promise to explore your body a little more thoroughly when we get out of here, and we will stay locked up for as long as we possibly can before we start the strikes,” he says, grinning against my lips. “But for now, we should go see what had Dice using his frantic voice.”
That has me laughing again, but my laughter turns to a gasp when the room around us rocks and vibrates.
“The hell?” Gage says before waving his hand and dropping the soundproof/entry-blocking spell.
That’s when we hear the explosions, the rattles of fists colliding, and all the telltale signs there’s a major fight going on outside our door. Gage and I exchange a wide-eyed glance before he takes off and kicks the door off, splintering it with the force.
I was right. It’s sure as hell a fight. Everyone is releasing magic, and the once glamourous beauty of a home is now in shambles like a battlefield.
I throw my hands up just as a blue orb nears, but Gage’s hand sticks out in front of my face, and the orb extinguishes as though he has the power to control all else. I look over at him to see his jaw tense.
“Don’t suppose I could convince you to get out of here, could I?” he asks, catching a man midair and tossing him across the room as though he weighs nothing.
I snort derisively while grabbing a girl by the head and tossing her backwards when she gets too close.
“Didn’t think so,” Gage mutters, sighing as he starts unleashing his orbs on two guys tangling with a very irritated incubus.
Red streaks light up the room, and I look to see the old and strong succubus forcing out her energy.
Thad is still in his human form, but he’s fighting through the madness. The problem is, I don’t know who to fight. I didn’t know any partiers to begin with, and I don’t want to accidentally kill the wrong person.
“This is my home!” Liza roars, jumping down from the balcony and rattling the floor on impact as she releases her power a little more. “What the hell do you want?”
Gage spirals through the air, catching several orbs like they aren’t deadly before they can strike Liza. She winks at him, but he doesn’t acknowledge the flirty succubus. I look over to see the battle separating as Gage’s hands light up with his own orbs.
“This is a warning,” one of the dark users hisses. “Anyone who comes after the rings has a death wish. Anyone who aides the fools going after them will die just as quickly.”
In less than a blink, the entire room becomes smoke, and Gage is suddenly up against me, holding me to his hard body as he searches the air we can’t see through. Little by little, the smoke clears, and all that is left are wounded people standing, and dead people on the floor. Son of a bitch.
Gage takes my hand as we walk over to a trembling Liza. Her hands are shaking violently and she’s pale. Very, very pale.
“Take mine,” Gage says, sticking his hand out.
She quickly takes it, feeding off any lust he might still have in his system, and slowly her color starts to return. Thad comes up, offering his hand as well, and Karma kisses Dice to replenish him.
“Damn bullies,” Liza grumbles, looking better, but still nowhere nearly as strong as she did when we arrived.
“Need you to take a small vacation, Mom,” Dice says as he nears, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.
“Absolutely not. This is my home, and I’m not the least bit afraid of cowards that come in.”
“Can you cast a protection spell for her?” I ask Gage.
“I can’t until everyone is out, but I will.”
Dice argues with his mother about her safety, and I lace my fingers with Gage’s. “If they know we’re going after the rings—”
“Then they’ve probably already moved them,” Gage groans in interruption.
“Not the biggest one,” Karma says, coming up beside us. “We can still hit the biggest one, and we can get new leads from there.
“We need to get back to the house and regroup,” Gage says.
I’m in disbelief. We were so damn close.
Chapter 14
GAGE
“My mother shouldn’t be in on this,” Dice grumbles from the back seat.
“She’s the only one the witch with the insider information trusts,” Kimber sighs. “Did she tell you her name?”
“Says she goes by Sadie now. I’m not sure what she used to go by. It’s not uncommon for immortals to change their names over the years, but it sounds like she has a shady past,” Dice answers.
It’s not like I can judge, but I don’t trust just anyone. “Karma shouldn’t be around, and neither should you,” I tell Kimber.
“I’m not running,” she growls. “Or hiding.”
“Me either,” Karma adds.
Great. Fucking great. The only way this witch can have insider information is if she was at one point involved with the rings. And not as a slave. Not with this sort of information. How else would she have known how to open all the cell locks? A prisoner wouldn’t have had that sort of intel.
“Oh damn,” Kimber groans, looking at the cars already at the house.
“Shit,” I say in a breath.
“Looks like our king and queen have decided to join the party,” Dice says, amused now.
Asshole.
“So you and the queen…” Karma’s words trail off, and I roll my eyes.
“Long time ago,” I mutter.
Reaching over, I grab Kimber’s hand, lacing our fingers together, and I notice her shy smile as she looks down at the connection. If she’s determined to do this, then I’m going to make damn sure she stays safe.
“Mom’s already here,” Dice says, leaning up. “Make sure she gets the hell out of town. Use your mojo on her if you have to.”
I nod into the mirror. I’m strong enough to spell her a
way from here if I have to, but I’m sure she’ll leave after she’s connected us to her witch. We only stayed behind because I had to wait on everyone to exit before I could cast a protective spell on the house.
“Drackus is here, too,” Kimber says as we sit in the driveway and stare at the small safe house that will be much too crowded on the inside. I really should have kept that protection spell in place.
“And motherfucker. Shaylan is here, too,” Dice says on a gasp.
“Who?” Kimber asks, even as I grip my steering wheel
“Shaylan. He’s a demon that works with Drackus,” I tell her, unaffected.
“And Gage has knocked him back to hell a time or two.”
That makes me smirk as we get out of the car.
“We can’t use a demon—not a whole demon. They can’t be trusted,” Karma hisses.
“This one can,” I tell her. “Drackus has leKyage on him. So Shaylan can be trusted as long as Drackus has what he does.”
She doesn’t argue, but I can see the worry in her eyes. Kimber lets go of my hand as we head to the house, and I tilt my head to question that action.
“Kane and Drackus are both in there. The last thing we need is focus on us when there are much bigger issues at hand right now,” she explains.
I don’t like the explanation, but I have no choice but to accept it because she’s right about the fact it will detract from the more important matters. I swear I have the worst luck with timing.
We walk in, and immediately the conversations start. Alyssa walks over to Kimber, inspecting her with an endearing touch. I remember a time when I couldn’t stand being in the same room as her because it hurt. Now… I’m not sure what’s changed, but it doesn’t bother me that she’s standing so close.
Kane barely offers me a glance, but he crosses his arms over his chest as he talks to Dice. It looks like everyone is here.
Chaz—Alyssa’s duster friend—is standing far away from Amy—his ex-girlfriend/lycan. Apparently she found a new night stalker to bond with, because those glowing blue eyes are definitely possessive as they look down at her.