Tall, Dark and Paranormal: 10 Thrilling Tales of Sexy Alpha Bad Boys

by Opal Carew

  She needed—no had to have more.

  Reaching between them, Kai undid the button of his jeans but he grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away before she could claim him. He arched one eyebrow and slowly shook his head as he gave her that wicked grin.

  “You first,” he whispered.

  Asmodeus sat up and captured her lips with his before she could protest. Wrapping one strong arm around her waist, he held her against him as he moved to the edge of the bed. Kai locked her legs around his waist and her arms linked around his neck as she kissed him. Her fingers threaded through his dark hair as she teased the edge of his tongue with hers. Kai nipped his lower lip as one large hand found her breast and squeezed.

  With Kai wrapped around him, Asmodeus stood from the bed and carried her over to the long bank of windows. He set her down on the wide stone ledge before stepping back and leaving her panting.

  “What are you doing?” Kai asked as she trailed her index finger over the hard planes of his defined abs. She grabbed the waistband of his jeans with both hands and pulled him back to her but Asmodeus ensnared her wrists, again shaking his head.

  “It seems you can’t behave yourself, Ms. Kelly.” Standing in front of her, he positioned himself in between her open legs. The skirt was hiked up to her waist, but fabric spilled over and covered the top half of her thighs. “I’m going to have to make sure you keep your hands to yourself.”

  Kai gave him a puzzled look and gasped when he urged her backward and the skin of her back met the cool glass of the window. He held her arms out to the side so they were pressed against the drapes that framed the window. Asmodeus slipped each of Kai’s hands beneath the silk, tasseled ropes that tied back the curtains, clearly wanting to use them to his advantage.

  Her entire body hummed with anticipation. Asmodeus held her gaze, while he took his time securing her wrists and tightening the ropes. Kai shivered as she watched and took in every wicked inch of him. If sex could become a person—it would be definitely look like him.

  His broad, muscular chest was covered in a dusting of dark hair that tapered down and disappeared beneath the unfastened button of his jeans. Every single bit of his body was built to satisfy a woman—and he’d been with countless women. For some bizarre reason that fact didn’t bother Kai because somewhere deep in her gut, she knew this unusual man was made to be hers.

  Asmodeus placed a tender kiss at the corner of her mouth and whispered, “They’re not too tight are they?”

  Kai, her breath coming in short, quick gasps, said nothing but shook her head as she wiggled impatiently. She hooked her legs around him and grinned as she pulled him toward her but once again he shook his head. With surprising tenderness, his hands rested on her thighs as he pushed them apart gently. He stared at her as his talented fingers found their way beneath the folds of the skirt and whispered up her legs.

  He captured her lips as he brushed his thumbs along the tender flesh of her inner thigh and kept moving upward until her reached her hot, wet center. Kai let out a gasp as his thumbs flicked over her clit and he grinned against her mouth.

  “That’s the spot,” he murmured.

  “Yes,” Kai breathed. “That’s it.”

  ”There?” He asked wickedly as he ran one finger along the center of her damp panties. He applied more pressure to the tiny nub as he flicked her nipple with his tongue and scored it gently with his teeth before moving to her other breast. “Or there?”

  With her hands tied out to the side, the cool glass against her back and his hot, wet mouth on her bare skin, Kai’s body was on fire, burning from the inside out. She’d never been more turned on or in a more erotic situation in her life and she never wanted it to end.

  Asmodeus dropped to his knees and pulled her backside to the edge of the stone windowsill and the movement pushed her skirt up, baring her pink panties to the cool air. Panting and squirming with need, Kai watched as hooked his hands over her legs and trailed kisses up the inside of her left thigh. She spread her legs more, wanting to give him better access to what he surely desired.

  Her aura glowed over both of them with an even brighter intensity than normal and she had no doubt it was fueled by her desire for him.

  Pulling her panties aside with one finger, he blew tantalizingly on the swollen, sensitized flesh and looked up at her with glowing eyes. Hands still tied, Kai wiggled her bottom toward him, her hands flexed and her fingers curled as she begged to touch him and just when she thought she’d scream with frustration... he dove deep.

  His hot mouth covered her and Kai screamed as his tongue flicked back and forth over her clit. His arms, hooked over her thighs, held her down as he mercilessly continued his assault, tasting her and teasing her to the edge. With each lick and suckle he’d bring her closer but ease off just before she hit the peak.

  Shuddering with wave after wave of white-hot pleasure, Kai screamed his name, begging for more. Asmodeus plunged his tongue into her over and over and suckled her clit until the toe-curling orgasm ripped through her.

  Limp and completely satisfied, Kai rested her head against the glass and fought to catch her breath. Body quivering, she kept her eyes closed for a moment to try and regain her bearings. Her eyelids finally fluttered open as Asmodeus untied her wrists and she let out a short laugh as he placed her hands into her lap in an almost business-like manner.

  “I’d say you’ve earned the title Demon of Lust,” Kai said through heavy breaths as she sat up and pulled her skirt down to cover her legs. He walked to the bed and retrieved their shirts, which would have been fine if it felt like he hadn’t been avoiding looking at her. “Asmodeus? What’s wrong?”

  “You should put this back on,” Asmodeus said flatly as he handed her the peasant blouse without sparing her a glance. Her aura light still lingered over his body. “Right now.”

  He stalked over to the fireplace and she finally got a glimpse of the rest of his tattoo. The chain of circles went up both arms, across his shoulders and there was a bigger circle at the center with some kind of design in it. But he pulled on his t-shirt before she could get a good look at it.

  “Asmodeus?” Kai hopped off the ledge, her legs still felt rubbery so she leaned against it as she put her shirt back on and tied it at the waist. “Look at me.”

  “They’re coming back,” he said without turning around. “I can hear them down the hallway so put yourself together. We’ll be going before the High Priestesses any minute.”

  “Okay, fine.” Kai looked at the wall where the door used to be and then back to him as dread clawed at her. “Why won’t you look at me?”

  Silence stretched out between them as he refused to answer her. Kai stormed over to him and grabbed his arm as she spun him to face her. Her heart sank when she saw the cold, detached look on his face.

  “What is it, Kai?” Asmodeus folded his arms over his chest and leveled a questioning gaze at her. A bored tone edged his voice. “I gave you what you wanted, didn’t I?”

  Kai flinched and she stepped back as though he’d struck her and he may as well have. The words and his suddenly cold demeanor hurt as much as any punch in the gut would have—maybe more. An empty, aching feeling radiated through her chest as she gaped at him. As she struggled to make sense of his behavior, the light around Asmodeus flickered and went out—leaving him dark once again.

  “Why are you acting like this?” Her voice was barely audible. She wrapped her arms around her chest in an effort to keep from shaking, but it was no use. “I don’t understand. Two minutes ago we were—”

  “We were doing something I’ve done with countless women over several millennia.” His voice, flat and unfeeling, cut through her like a knife. His brow furrowed and something that looked a lot like regret flickered briefly over his features. “It was just sex. That’s all.”

  She searched his eyes for answers. Why was he doing this? Why would he be loving, tender and passionate one minute and then cold and cruel the next? Given everything they’d
gone through together, the least he could do was be kind. But what did she expect? Kai scolded herself and hugged her arms tighter. Did she think this man—this demon—was going to run off and spend his life with her?

  How could she be such a fool? Kai had never been the type of woman who could separate her libido from her heart, and she hadn’t realized until just this moment that Asmodeus had a hold over both.

  Anger, hurt and confusion filled Kai and without thinking about it, she hauled off and smacked Asmodeus across the face with her right hand. Hard. The force of the blow shimmied up her arm and rattled her hand. She grimaced as the iron band of the ring practically broke her finger but Asmodeus didn’t move, didn’t flinch. Nothing. Kai stilled and looked from her hand to his face. The ring hadn’t burned him.

  “Asmodeus,” Kai murmured in an almost reverent tone as she turned her wide eyes to his. “The ring didn’t burn you.”

  The crease between his brows deepened as he flicked his attention to the ring and then to Kai. He ran his fingers over his cheek as he held her surprised stare. “Come to think of it, it didn’t hurt you when we were... “ Kai trailed off and blushed as she took a step backward, needing to put some space between them before finishing the thought. “... when we were fooling around.”

  The two of them stood there staring at one another and though they were only a few feet apart, it felt like much further. Everything was changing faster than Kai could keep up with, and the one thing that had been keeping her sane was thinking she had Asmodeus in her corner.

  Until now.

  “That doesn’t make sense,” he murmured. Asmodeus reached out to take Kai’s hand but she tucked it in her pocket. His brow furrowed and the muscles in his jaw clenched when she avoided his touch. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”

  “No.” Kai shrugged. “Doesn’t feel very good does it? Feeling confused and not knowing which end is up—it sucks. I have no idea why this stupid ring doesn’t burn you anymore. I also don’t know why you’ve suddenly turned into Mr. Freeze. But there’s one thing I do know.”

  “What’s that?” He asked quietly.

  “You may not be human,” she said through trembling lips, “But you sure can be hurtful like one. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, though, should I? My mother said the Dark Ones would hurt me ... didn’t she? I guess she was right after all.”

  He opened his mouth to say something just as a crackling noise erupted behind Kai. She spun around to see the door once again materialize in the wall and a moment later, Isadora opened it with a big smile on her face but it vanished as soon as she set eyes on the two of them.

  “Shit,” Isadora sighed and looked the two of them up and down. Shaking her head, she held the door open and gestured for them to come with her. “Leave you two alone for a little while and all hell breaks loose. Not sure if you’ve been fucking or fighting—or both—but you better put your bullshit aside. The High Priestesses are ready to see you.”

  “Let’s go.” Kai nodded and swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand as she swept to the door without giving Asmodeus a second glance. She stuck her right hand in the pocket of her skirt and fiddled with the ring as she gave Isadora a strained smile. The cool bottle of the travel potion clinked against the ring and gave Kai a modicum of relief. If things got really bad, she could use it to disappear, at least for a while, and she knew exactly where she’d go.

  “You okay?” Isadora asked softly as she wrapped her arm around Kai’s shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

  “I’m fine.” Kai straightened her back and flicked her eyes briefly to Asmodeus who was watching her intently. “I’ve changed my mind about something, though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “As soon as we figure out how to get the ring off my finger, I’m giving it to Asmodeus. He can take it and go straight to Hell.”

  Chapter Ten

  As they approached the massive altar Asmodeus had every one of his senses on high alert. Directly in front of the gleaming, black stone altar, the three High Priestesses were seated upon their thrones, which were made of branches. He’d refrained from using his abilities since he’d gone into hiding with Kai but he was more than prepared to use them here—if necessary.

  The Witches Council had a long, tumultuous history with the Brotherhood mostly due to Satan’s on-again off-again affair with Willow, the oldest and highest ranking priestess. For the past millennium, Willow and Satan had been in the off- again phase and, at the moment Willow was staring at Asmodeus as if he was guilty by association.

  He subtly took stock of the cavernous Council chamber and noted the only way in or out was the door that they had entered through and, like the door in the bed chamber, this one vanished the moment it closed. The stone walls were covered in thick blankets of ivy and a gurgling stream ran along either side of the flagstone path that led to the altar steps which were made of a series of fallen tree logs.

  There were no windows to speak of but at the peak of the vaulted ceiling, there was a bright spinning light that strongly resembled the afternoon sun. However, he knew the environment was enchanted to create this appearance. The sound of birds chirping and frogs croaking floated around him and the entire space made him feel as though they were in a forest instead of deep inside Larrun Mountain.

  Kai walked alongside him to his right and hadn’t said a word to him, or spared him a glance, since they left the bedchamber. Not that he could blame her. The smack she’d given him still stung but it wasn’t his face that hurt. The look on her face when he’d rejected her was worse than any punch she could throw, but he knew it was for her own good.

  He acted the way he did because it was the right thing to do. He should never have succumbed to his desires and feasted on her body and soul. It was a deplorable lack of self-control and judgment but in that moment, with her beautiful, nubile body brushing against him... he simply could not stop himself.

  Carnal lust and his basest desires had taken over. He was lost in the fresh lavender scent of her skin, the silken whisper of her lips and the sweet, honeyed taste of her pleasure as she came apart in his arms.

  Yet, after it was over and he saw the weak glow of her aura flickering over her limp form like a bulb about to go out, Asmodeus was horrified by what he had done. He had absorbed an appalling amount of her light and they hadn’t even fully made love. He knew then that he could never have her again—not at all. He had to cut her off and the best way to do that was to make her hate him.

  Isadora stopped at the foot of the altar, her head bowed in deference to her leaders, but Asmodeus knew she didn’t really give a shit. It was all for show and to quell their overblown egos, but damn if his old friend wasn’t a good actress.

  “My mistresses,” Isadora said in a strong voice. “These are the individuals who are seeking your guidance and knowledge.”

  Stepping aside, Isadora motioned for them to approach the altar steps but Kai didn’t move. Asmodeus glanced at her and the frightened look on her face made his chest ache.

  “Step forward,” Luna bellowed. The smallest of the three, with pale blond hair that flowed to her waist, she sat on the edge of her throne with an irritated look on her face. “Girl. Come here.”

  “My name is Kai.” Kai squared her shoulders and tilted her chin as she walked toward the steps but stopped at the base. “I--I am a Custodian of the Light.”

  “We shall see,” Willow said softly.

  Asmodeus moved in behind Kai, but kept his eyes on Willow. Her bright red hair was tied back in a long braid and her sharp dark eyes were fixed on him.

  “No one told you to approach, demon,” Willow bit out.

  “You have no control over me, Willow.” Asmodeus kept his tone even and calm but inched closer to Kai. “I am here to get the ring and return it to the Underworld where it belongs.”

  “Ha!” Raven clapped her hands and pulled her feet up on the chair. She linked her arms around her knees and played with the fabric of her p
urple skirt. Long black hair flowed over her shoulders in thick waves and her coffee colored skin glowed with the illusion of youth. “What makes you think the Ring of Solomon belongs in the Underworld, Asmodeus?”

  “Raven, you know the power it possesses.” Asmodeus smirked.

  “True.” Raven giggled and her lavender eyes twinkled with mischief. “It will be no fun at all if you get to take it back there. I was kind of hoping the Fae would get their hands on it, but Willow is still so pissed at Satan, that she’d probably give almost anything to—”

  “Enough chatter,” Willow, said impatiently. “Kai, Isadora has told us about your unique... situation. I explained to her that I had to see the ring for myself before we could go any further. I have to be sure that you are entitled to the information you seek.” She crooked one long finger at Kai. “Come here.”

  “Do as she says,” Luna added tersely.

  Kai glanced over her shoulder at Asmodeus but before he could follow her, Luna waved one hand in the air and chanted something under her breath but Asmodeus saw it and countered. The witch wanted to play dirty but he was in no mood.

  Asmodeus called on the power deep inside him, heat flashed over his body as he raised both palms. A fireball shot toward Luna and exploded in mid-air as it met her spell. Kai yelped and stepped back, away from the steps but Asmodeus didn’t miss the fact that she was holding her right hand to her chest and it had begun to glow.

  Luna swore and rose from her seat but Willow, who hadn’t taken her eyes off Asmodeus, placed one hand on Luna’s arm and urged her to sit. Raven giggled and rested her chin on her knees as she looked between them.

  “I suggest you keep your spells to yourself, Luna.” Asmodeus’ voice boomed through the room. “I have no time to screw around and very little patience.”

  “Funny,” Willow simpered with a quick look to Kai. “That’s not what I heard.”