by Cassie Ryan
“Are you trying to convince yourself that it’s not a bad thing you’re stuck with me?”
She shrugged. “I think you’re missing the bigger picture. We’re stuck with each other and all that entails, for the duration.”
“And you don’t think I have any idea what that entails, right?”
“Pretty much.”
Noah sighed and tried to ignore the persistent throbbing from the wounds in his side. “Look, normally I wouldn’t mind bantering with you. And under other circumstances, it might even be fun, not to mention that I have a million questions I’d love to ask you for future books. But right now, I’m fading fast.” He swallowed hard and rested his head against the edge of the broken truck window behind him. “Why don’t we find someplace to rest and recover a bit and then we can pick up where we left off?”
Jezebeth turned those milk chocolate-colored eyes toward him as she studied him with a frown.
“What?”
“I expected you to avoid the discussion entirely or do the male thing and just tell me to be quiet.”
Noah chuckled. “Where’s the fun in that?”
A slow smile curved Jezebeth’s lips as she turned her attention back to the road.
6
Jez drove for hours, checking on Noah periodically after he fell asleep to ensure he wasn’t in mortal danger from the loss of blood or other injuries he’d sustained while defending her from the pestilence demon.
Guilt bit at her for not stopping immediately and tending to his injuries, but if they were caught, he’d end up dead. She preferred the risk of painful injuries, which also by definition meant she hadn’t gotten him killed.
It had been several hours since Noah had poofed the last demon back to Hell with the kosher salt balloons, and she was confident they hadn’t been tracked. If they had, they’d be dead by now.
She winced as she realized all her thoughts led back to that outcome tonight. “Get a grip, Jez. You’ve stayed hidden for this long, what’s a while longer?” A nearly hysterical chuckle threatened as she reminded herself that now she had a human companion to protect.
What had Lilith been thinking to send such an inexperienced human to accompany her? But then Lilith never did anything without a reason, and in the queen’s own way, she did care about her subjects.
Jez sighed. She’d just have to trust that there was more to Noah than she could readily see.
A billboard up ahead advertised gas, food, and lodging two miles ahead. She had no idea what town they were in, or even what they were close to. She’d been busy taking every odd interchange and unlikely road she could to lose the demons, and in the process, she’d gotten herself good and lost. She had no doubt they were still somewhere in Texas since she hadn’t seen any “welcome to a new state” signs.
Which unfortunately meant all the portals to Lilith’s lair even remotely close to Texas were out of the question, since the demons would be waiting for her there. She’d worry about where they could cross after she got Noah cleaned up and they both had some rest.
The exit to the gas, food, and lodging loomed ahead, and she slowed and steered the truck onto the off ramp. She followed the signs and found herself on the main road of what appeared to be a one-stoplight town. A large sign that simply said MOTEL caught her attention. She headed toward it, pulled off into the gravel parking lot, and shut off the truck.
The motel was a small one story that couldn’t have more than fifteen rooms. The office/restaurant was on the far end and the sign over the door boasted the best chicken and dumplings for five hundred miles.
“Guess we’ll see about that.” Jez pulled a jacket over Noah’s still-sleeping form and hopped out of the truck, clicking on the alarm behind her. She scanned the area around her for any signs of demons or even a human threat as she approached the front door of the office. Other than a stray cat nosing around near the Dumpster, the night seemed quiet.
Jez hadn’t materialized a watch, but from how long they’d been driving, it had to be nearly four A.M.
She glanced in through the front window of the office and saw a thirtyish blond man at the front desk with his boots up on the desk and a black cell phone clutched in both hands, his fingers flying over the keys.
Jez concentrated on the man and a slow tingling marched through her. When she glanced down at her hands, they were petite and definitely female. She breathed a quick sigh of relief. Sometimes when she plucked their most desired mate out of someone’s mind, she ended up in male form, and she’d never quite gotten comfortable in male guise. It was like walking around in clothes that were several sizes too big.
Jez caught a quick flash of her reflection in the glass and jumped to the side of the window before the man noticed her standing outside.
“Damn it.” Apparently, the man wanted Kate Beckinsale, and now Jez resembled the gorgeous actress in every respect. Although she was a little more Kate in Van Helsing than Kate in Underworld.
Under normal circumstances, Jez wouldn’t think twice about using someone else’s form to get what she needed to survive. After all, that’s exactly where most of Hollywood gained the worst of their reputations and the appearance of never taking responsibility for their baser acts. Jez might be the only succubus or incubus who could change forms since each of her kind had a different talent, but demons and the other supernatural denizens such as Djinn, vampires, were-creatures, and the like could and often did. And celebrity forms were très popular.
Which meant it was usually others in the guise of the rich and famous who performed the more sensational acts that were splashed all over TMZ and E! News. Well, except for a choice few, who tended to get into plenty of trouble without any help from Hell or any of its inhabitants.
Jez glanced at her hands again and shook her head. The last thing she and Noah needed was a rumor in a small town that they were traveling with Kate Beckinsale. They needed anonymity, and just a touch of forgettable—which Kate could never pull off.
Jez concentrated on morphing her features—just enough to leave a slight resemblance to the things the man was most likely attracted to, but enough so no one would ever mistake her for Kate Beckinsale. She added a few inches in height, reduced down a cup size, and added simple jeans and a V-necked top.
When she was satisfied, she took a deep breath and headed inside.
As soon as the door hit the bell stationed just above the door frame, the man dropped his feet to the floor and sat up straight, tucking the cell phone into the front pocket of his jeans.
Jez smiled and hoped she’d guessed right with the softening of her current features. “Morning.” Jez smiled wider at the sound of the very different voice that emanated from her own mouth.
The man’s hungry blue gaze raked up and down over Jez before he sat up straighter, flexing his muscles under his tight black T-shirt and blatantly meeting her gaze with a small smile. He was cute in a nerdy sort of way, but Jez would bet he spent more time thinking about women than actually being with one.
“Morning,” he finally managed in a breathless rush. “You looking for a room? The restaurant doesn’t open up till six A.M.”
Jez made a mental note as she glanced up at the large clock on the wall, which confirmed her guess: 4:14 A.M. “A room, please. I’ll have to come back to try out those chicken and dumplings.” Jez winked and leaned her elbows on the top of the desk, leaning over just enough to reveal her now-reduced cleavage.
The man’s gaze was drawn downward as if she’d had magnets installed on her nipples and then his head bobbed back up, a blush flowing up into his cheeks as he realized he’d been caught staring.
“Will it be just you in your room?”
Jez gestured toward the truck sitting outside. “No, my . . . brother and I. He’s pretty beat, so I figured it was time to stop and let him get some rest.”
“Brother? Cool.” The man smiled and nodded as he stood, easily towering over her five-foot-nine form. “I’ll just need some ID, beautiful, and I’ll
get you two all set up.” He gave her a clumsy wink and Jezebeth almost felt embarrassed for him, until his words penetrated her brain.
Jez’s temples began a slow throb. She’d forgotten all about the humans’ love for identification. In more recent times, it was becoming harder and harder to get around this restriction. But maybe she could work something out. “We were mugged back in San Antonio and haven’t been able to replace our ID yet. But I have plenty of money.” Jez smiled, turning on the charm, dropping her voice to a sexy, husky whisper. “I can assure you neither one of us is a criminal or dangerous. At least not in a bad way.”
The scent of the man’s arousal wafted through the room like thick, heady cologne and satisfaction curled through Jez’s gut.
“How about you and I work something out?” The man smiled and held her gaze with mischief sparking inside the blue depths of his eyes.
Normally Jez would take him right here on the floor, get the room, and not give it another thought. But the idea of having sex with this man while Noah lay injured in the truck just didn’t sit right with her. However, that still left them without a room. “What exactly did you have in mind?”
He gave a nervous laugh and held a hand up between them. “I didn’t mean anything like that.”
Jez cringed at the thought that she’d sounded reluctant enough to give away her thoughts. “Will you be around here for a few days? Maybe we could go for a drink sometime?”
Jez smiled and tried not to look too relieved. After all, she was supposed to make him think she was interested. “We’ll probably only be at the motel for a night, but we might be in this area for a while. We’re traveling on business.” Well, we are . . . sort of.
He grinned and studied her for a long moment. “You don’t look like a criminal to me. You actually look a little like Kate Beckinsale.”
Jez forced a smile. “Really? I’ve never heard that before. Must be my new haircut.”
The man laughed and grabbed one of the hotel’s business cards off the desk, turned it over, and scribbled a name and number on the back before handing it to her. “I’m Jim. I always work the graveyard shift, so I’m available earlier in the evening. Give me a call. Any time.”
Jez took the card and dutifully looked at the back while Jim pulled the room number four key off a hook set in the wall and laid it on the counter between them.
“Eighty dollars for the night and I can set a wake-up call for you if you’d like.”
Jez pulled a hundred-dollar bill out of her pocket and slid it across the counter. “Thanks for your help. I look forward to that drink.” She winked as she picked up the room key and made her way out toward the truck and to Noah.
Sharp pain lanced through Noah’s side, ripping him out of a very deep sleep. He winced away from the pain, snapping his eyes open, to find Jezebeth sitting next to him on a bed.
“Hold still. I have to get all the glass out before you bleed to death.”
Her touch was cool and gentle against his bare skin, and as full awareness returned, Noah realized they were in an older motel room, and he was currently lying faceup and naked on the bed. Blood rushed due south and his cock swelled to life, which at least gave him hope there was enough left inside his body that Jezebeth hadn’t meant she was literally afraid of him bleeding to death. He reached for the sheet to cover himself, and Jez batted his hand away.
“Hold still.” Her tone was gentle but firm.
Another sharp pain sliced through him, followed by a tinkling sound when she dropped the piece of bloody glass into one of the tumblers provided by the hotel. “I’m a succubus, remember? I’ve seen naked men before.”
Noah did remember, only too well. He was a confident man, but wasn’t sure he wanted to have a comparison between himself and a host of millions going on inside her head. “Can’t a guy have a little privacy?” Noah inwardly winced when his voice came out sounding more defensive than he would’ve liked.
Jez straightened and frowned down at him. She reached over and pulled the sheet over him, just enough to cover his erection but leave the area she was working on bare. As her fingers brushed his shaft through the sheet, Noah stiffened as lust pumped through his veins, making him even harder.
“Sorry, I’m not used to worrying about things like that. Usually when men are with me, they’re more worried about not getting hard.” A hint of pink colored her cheeks and Noah frowned as shock and surprise warred with curiosity inside him.
He’d embarrassed a succubus? Could this day get any more strange?
He was afraid he’d just jinxed himself with that thought.
A sharp sting shot through Noah’s hip as she pulled another piece of glass out, and he sucked in a quick breath, gritting his teeth until the pain passed.
Jezebeth held a towel near his side and poured peroxide over the wound, causing a warm bubbling sting to radiate across his skin. Noah concentrated on the perfect lines of Jezebeth’s face and the long sweep of her lashes to keep the pain at bay.
“If it’s any consolation,” she said conversationally, “you have a very nice cock. So you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
Noah stiffened and grabbed the sheet as if she would rip it away at any moment to reexamine him. He cleared his throat, not sure how to react to her blatant observations. A change of subject seemed terrific right about now. “How long have I been out? And how did I get in here?”
Jezebeth’s dark brows furrowed as she glanced up at him and a look of confusion chased across her face. “I didn’t mean to offend you. Really. Usually men are very happy to hear that they have a nice—”
“I’m not offended,” Noah cut her off before she could start talking about his cock again. What was it about this woman that made him feel awkward and embarrassed? He wasn’t a naïve virgin by a long shot, but her invasive and blatant attitude toward his male parts threw him off balance.
“For someone who isn’t offended, you sure do look pissed off.” She wiped off a pair of bloody tweezers that Noah realized she’d been using to pick out bits of glass from his skin.
He loosened his grip on the sheet, but left his hand in place to weigh the material down as he scrubbed his other hand over his face. “I’m sorry. I barely know you and I wake up to find myself naked and wounded in a strange motel with you talking about my body parts as if I were a prize stallion you were evaluating for breeding.”
She nodded once as if his hurried words explained everything. “I apologize again. I’m not used to spending time with people I’m not trying to have sex with.”
Noah’s pride prickled and he stiffened again.
What was wrong with him that she didn’t want to have sex with him? Hadn’t she just said he had a nice cock?
He pinched the bridge of his nose as he sternly reminded himself she was a succubus, and he had no interest in having sex with her. Which meant her opinion of him in that regard shouldn’t matter anyway.
Liar! his subconscious accused as vivid memories of how Jezebeth had felt in his arms when he’d kissed her surfaced as if they’d happened only seconds ago.
For some reason, his ego still stung even after that rationalization, so he remained silent, unsure of what to say next.
Jez smiled, but her expression remained guarded. “I guess my small-talk skills need a bit of work too.” She kept her gaze down as if studying his injured hip. “Can you turn onto your side so I can get these last few large pieces of glass out? I can cover your ass if that makes you feel better.”
He scowled at her and held the sheet tight to his belly to cover his raging erection as he rolled to his side, exposing his bare ass for her view. “No need,” he bit out, as pain lanced down his side, twined with irritation with himself when curiosity burned through him to know what she thought of his ass. Given that he’d just scolded her for such blatant observations, he doubted he’d find out unless he asked. But he’d be damned if he allowed that question to pass his lips, so he tried to relax and stare at the stained flower wal
lpaper and the open door to the tiny bathroom.
When Jezebeth’s cool touch landed on his ass, near the painful area on his hip, he jerked as arousal shot through him like a geyser. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
“I’ll try not to hurt you, but we need to make sure all this glass is out. Especially since it’s my fault you got peppered with it.”
Noah breathed a silent sigh of relief that she thought she’d hurt him, rather than driving him crazy with lust. He smiled as he remembered Jezebeth in her ridiculous club-hopping form with her huge breasts spilling out of the tight bustier as she chucked bottle bombs over the bar. “That was pretty quick thinking, by the way, with the bottle bombs. I haven’t had much of a chance to tell you, but I was impressed.”
Her hands stilled on his skin for a quick second as if he’d surprised her, before she began to move again. “Thanks.”
An awkward silence fell between them punctuated by sharp slices of pain as she removed more glass from his hip, and even sharper curses from Noah that had less to do with the pain and more to do with her innocuous, cool touch. Not to mention the fact that he was mostly naked and his cock so hard it could drive nails.
Which reminded him that he still didn’t know how they’d gotten here. “How long have we been here?”
The bed moved and he glanced back to see the last movements of Jezebeth’s shrug. “A few hours.”
He pushed up on his elbow and laid his head in his palm, turning his head so he could watch Jezebeth work. She leaned over him, her face so close to his hip, he could feel her warm breath feathering over his skin as she pulled his skin taut with one hand and gently pulled out chunks of glass with the other. Her movements were quick and efficient and, for some odd reason he couldn’t quite fathom, made him want to roll her beneath him on the bed and peel her out of the conservative sweater and jeans she wore, to unwrap the girl next door beneath.
She’s a succubus!
He ground his teeth at the tiny voice inside his head. She was definitely a succubus, but she fascinated him, and he couldn’t pinpoint why. “So how does your succubus glamour work?”