by Dee Carney
His heart pounded while his mind raced with a million questions. How did she know that admonition? She couldn’t have. Absolutely, im-fucking-possible could she have repeated the same words his brother often threw at him when they tousled as youngsters. But the eerie way she said them, echoing her brother down to the finest detail, only his brother—only Teddy—would have said it like that.
She closed the door before he had a chance to stop her. The tremor in his hands, the shock paralyzing his voice, kept him from pounding on it and demanding she come back and explain herself.
Jason clenched his jaw and fought the vertigo gripping him. Several seconds passed before he regained his senses and the ability to walk away. Only Kelly’s presence prompted him into doing so. Either way, leaving now was definitely a temporary 10
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retreat. One way or a goddamn other, he would find out more about Sabrina and what she knew about his dead brother.
* * * * *
Sabrina stumbled to the bedroom and the voices almost stopped altogether. They knew better than to come this way. They dared not show themselves when He was about to arrive for a reason that barely made sense. With this perfect silence, she could hear herself think, could maybe form a coherent sentence too. She’d solve the mystery of how she got home from the market some other time. Or maybe not. Too often she found herself in the sanctuary of her apartment with no memory of her travels. Losing time happened more and more lately. She’d ask Him about it, but they rarely talked anymore.
Stripping, she walked to her place of comfort, pulling her shirt over her head and fumbling for her bra afterward. Her bared breasts grew heavy, the nipples tightening into buds in anticipation of what would come. Removing her jeans took a little more dexterity, but she had them and her ballet flats off by the time she crossed the threshold of her bedroom. Simple cotton panties hit the floor before she crawled onto the four-poster bed.
Blessed sanctuary this bed with its sky-blue sheets and comforter. With the smell of fabric softener that bloomed like a cloud the moment she disturbed it. Three large pillows lined the head, in repose against lavender walls. It was a girl’s room—white lace running along the bed frame, matching, lacy white curtains covering a single window. Candles sat in neat rows along her bureau while aromatherapy oil waited for the bedside lamp to be turned on and heat it into wakefulness.
In the middle sat the queen-sized bed. A bed for rest. And for loving.
She knew all too well how He’d take her when He arrived. She didn’t question that He would. He had a sense for these desperate times, almost to the point she wondered if He didn’t orchestrate the attacks Himself.
Cool air passed over her sex after she got into position. It touched the moisture pooled between her thighs, and she almost groaned. She didn’t want this, but at the same time she so very, very did. He treated her well most times, touching with the gentleness of a true lover, loving her body with the expert skill of a wanton lothario.
Most times.
If she touched herself right now, she’d come. Her skin was flushed, her pulse thrumming with anticipation. Cream ran down her thighs, and her pussy clenched with unfulfilled need. He’d take care of her sexually, as He always had, and she’d be rid of the voices for a while. Not a bad price to pay, all in all…assuming He came in a good mood.
It was those bad moods that she had to be wary of. Dark moods that encouraged Him to take out His frustrations against her. Some anger that left her black and blue in the morning and forced her to hide the bruises beneath clothing. Offering a small 11
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prayer of neither thanks, nor quite gratitude, but grudging acceptance that He at least kept her sane for a few days longer.
She looked forward to their trysts. If anyone knew about them, they might easily accuse her of being twisted or some sort of glutton for punishment. Fair trade if you asked her. She got smoking-hot sex without the hassle of a permanent boyfriend or husband impinging on her independence while also putting a temporary hiatus on her curse. Win-win.
Breath held, she waited for the first sign of His presence. Like the other voices, He approached from behind. Another disembodied spirit never to be visualized and she wasn’t so sure she wanted to see what He looked like anyway. If His physical form repulsed her, she couldn’t afford not to accept His attention. The voices were her lot in life. So was He.
She never questioned why He could make himself corporeal while the other voices couldn’t. She never asked why He wanted sex, or for that matter, sex with her. His voice rose above the rest one day, His offered asylum and she grasped on for dear life.
These days, at least once, maybe twice a week He came to her. In the beginning, she expected Him nightly and He delivered. As time passed His lust waned, her curse mellowed. By now, her body knew His in a way that should have been discomforting.
That she could masturbate to a fantasy of Him on one of His nice days should have been disturbing. But sex was sex, right? Who cared if she never saw the face that got her off? In her mind, He could be tall and handsome, maybe with dark, but tender eyes.
Maybe with a small growth of stubble on a strong, cleft chin. Lips that had yet to touch hers were firm, often demanding bruising kisses.
Kind of the way she imagined her neighbor’s kisses might be.
She sighed.
Yeah, the neighbor with the blonde girlfriend. The guy who always waved when they passed. Who was always kind. If she broke down and got a real boyfriend one day, she’d want someone sort of like him. He seemed nice.
Something in the back of her mind tickled around that thought. He was nice. Nice enough to…
She couldn’t remember, but was certain he’d done something nice for her recently.
Something beyond the call of duty. The details of it hovered just outside her recollection, though.
The air stirred, thickening to the point where she felt her body work a little harder to breathe. Goose bumps erupted along her skin a split second before the cool caress of a phantom breeze traveled over her. The steady thump of her heartbeat sped up to a thrilling speed. The door slammed closed of its own accord, hindering any retreat she might take.
He had arrived.
A trail of touch started at her ankles where He traced and circled the fragile protrusion of her bones. His touch moved up her skin, outlining her calves, caressing 12
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the back of her knees. She elevated herself, getting ready for Him to mount her, but He took his time. He slid his hands between her thighs, brushing against them so lightly her pussy clenched, desperate for Him to find it and provide the same delicate attention.
I’ve been away too long.
Eight days. The voices attacked with a vengeance because His scent no longer marked her.
Have you missed me?
No. She’d never miss Him. She’d never admit that aloud either. She did miss His protection.
A soft, noncommittal sound escaped her throat, but caught when the cool tips of His fingers probed her clit, sliding the hood back until the nub lay exposed. His finger drew a small circle around it, pulling all sensation to that singular location. All of her focus, every thought concentrated on that sensitive spot until the pleasure of it was almost too much to bear. Her hips rolled of their own volition, no longer under her command. Chasing, demanding more of that gloriousness.
He spread the fingers of His other hand, as gentle and as cool as the first, against the small of her back, holding her in place. Ensuring she endured what He offered.
She shouldn’t enjoy His attentions. The first night like this, her mind screamed for her to rebel against this sin, but her body had other ideas.
“Why?” she’d cried the third time they’d ever coupled. Why did He extend orgasm after orgasm to her before filling her with Himself? He could have thrust between her legs and finished the deed, but that never happened. Even on the cruel nights He made certain she came again and agai
n, wringing her body dry until she lay gasping and trembling against the bed. Too sated, too spent to move for several minutes afterward.
Release yourself to me, Sabrina.
Her head jerked in a nod. Because He wouldn’t be satisfied until she found release, Sabrina blew out a breath and let go. She used a single hand to cup her own breast, captured the nipple between two fingers and rolled it with the same force He stroked between her legs.
An orgasm raced through her body, escaping with such pressure she cried out, called to a god who bore witness to this lewd act. Her toes curled, her back arched as He toyed with her clit. Dots of perspiration peppered her skin, the violent tremors not strong enough to shake them loose.
Another wave seized her, threatened to drown her beneath a crushing weight, but He caught her right before the decadent crest, pushed His cock into her pussy before she succumbed. If His intent had been to stave off another mind-shattering orgasm, it didn’t work. Her body bucked, accepting His girth and length with barely a pause.
Instead of mellowing beneath the change, He set off a series of detonations that brought with them another explosive orgasm.
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As always, He slowly began to thrust. A methodical withdrawal and push forward that almost made her scream with impatience. He slowed down, manipulating His fingers to match the easy pace, almost making her grateful her clit received a temporary reprieve.
It wouldn’t last. He let her become used to Him, used to another orgasm hovering just outside of her reach before He picked up speed. Not much. Just enough to make Sabrina release her nipple and reach between her legs herself. Their hands met and He let out a soft chuckle, a sound that echoed in her mind.
So responsive…so…mine.
Together they circled her clit again, building up intensity, forcing her heart to pound faster, harder. When she came, it snuck up on her. Caught hold of her lungs and squeezed until she couldn’t breathe. Locked on to her vocal cords until she couldn’t scream. Her body trembled, a throaty moan filling the air, the only things her body could manage.
And still He picked up pace.
If she knew His name, she would have screamed it by now, but He appeared to love her hoarse cries of “Oh, God…yes…please…” Wanton sounds. Decadent sounds.
Sounds of being well fucked.
Her forehead rested against the pillow and she gasped, trying to match His speed now. The bed slammed against the wall, and for the hundredth time she vaguely wondered if the people in the next-door apartment marveled at the prowess of her lover. She did.
He never tired. His hips slapped against her ass, always moving, always rolling.
Always, always wrenching another orgasm from her, each one more powerful than the last. Already she knew tonight would be one of those nights. Tonight He would use her until all sensation left her legs. Until her pussy was raw and sore.
She gave in and let Him have his way. He would anyway, regardless of how much she encouraged or discouraged Him.
Yes, having Him was as good, if not better, than having a boyfriend.
Her eyes fluttered closed, her body braced against the ever-increasing power of His thrusts. Sabrina released herself to Him again. Let Him use her pussy until in another twenty minutes or so, the orgasms would become so intense, bright-colored spots appeared behind her lids. Then once the spots disappeared, on the border of hyperventilation, she would see only blackness. And then, one or two more orgasms later, she’d pass out altogether to wake and find Him gone, but His seed seeping from between her legs. Funny how the sticky fluid always remained.
Still, a little cleanup was a small price to pay to keep the voices away.
* * * * *
“I need a fucking cigarette.”
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Jason paced the room, stopping often to stare at the closed front door. So very tempted to throw it open, march across the hall and confront Sabrina. With the exception of his parents, no one knew about Teddy. No one.
Kelly held out a small tumbler of bourbon. Ice cubes clinked against each other as she offered it. They’d been trying to solve the mystery of tonight for the past two hours until Kelly had given up and poured a couple of drinks instead. “You don’t smoke,” she reminded him. “Here, take this instead. And while you’re at it, why don’t you sit next to me and explain why you are so fascinated with her? I don’t get it.” He looked over at the concern on her face and the corner of his mouth lifted in a small smile from the sight of her. She’d probably always have the ability to make his heart pick up speed. Kelly was beautiful. He liked his women petite, and she was the epitome of compact. She wore three-inch heels for almost everything, arguing they were evil inventions of men meant to push out her ass and elevate her breasts. Society forced her to compete with thin, model-types, she’d say, and someone like her needed the extra edge. He didn’t think so. Short blonde hair, big blue eyes. Cute kewpie-doll lips.
She’d caught his attention in a room full of salespeople almost immediately.
Too bad they’d messed things up beyond all hope of repair during their year together as a couple. While she might be willing to give it a third whirl, he didn’t have the heart to try. They just weren’t meant to be and he did neither of them a favor by forcing himself into a romantic relationship with her again.
He took the glass and sat down, staring into the amber liquid. Melting ice formed a widening translucent layer. “You never met my brother Thad, but he would have liked you. Any woman who offered up a drink when a man was feeling down, was a woman after his own heart.”
Her hand landed on his knee. “I’m sorry.”
Jason nodded. She knew about his deceased brother, but not the entire story. Not even Kelly earned that honor. “Thanks.” He let a beat of silence pass. “I know it’s impossible, but Sabrina said something to me that only Thad knew about.”
“What’d she say?”
“Just something from a long time ago. But I swear to you, no one knew about it. No one.”
She respected the way he avoided giving a direct answer and didn’t press. “Lucky guess, then?”
“How does a woman I barely know, out of the clear blue say something my brother used to tell me all the time? She’s supposed to be a nut, but Kel, when she looked at me, she knew exactly what she was saying. You could see she knew I knew what it meant.”
“Now you sound like the nut,” she muttered.
She was joking. He knew it, but a flare of anger rose before he could recall it. “I don’t know why I’m even talking to you.”
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The astonishment that crossed her face made him immediately regret what he said.
This was why they weren’t together anymore. Moments like this when she didn’t get him, evenings together when she admonished him for not understanding her job.
They’d always ended in arguments.
“I’m sorry,” he offered. “I just—” What exactly? He needed an explanation.
Couldn’t shake the feeling he should march back over there and confront Sabrina if for no other reason than to make certain she was okay.
“You’re going back over there, aren’t you?”
He looked up, surprised he’d been staring into the glass again. “What?”
“Thad is a no-go topic between the two of us, but you’ve got it written all over your face. You need to know what she knows about him.” She sounded bitter and he almost winced.
Kelly rose to her feet, looking at the different pieces of furniture in the room. When she spotted her purse on an ottoman, she headed for it. “Thanks for being my date tonight,” she said, slipping the bag onto her shoulder, “but I’d say the evening is over, right?”
He pursed his lips. If Kelly hadn’t bought and paid for the concert tickets while they were a couple how many months ago, they wouldn’t be here tonight and he suspected she knew that. “Look, Kel—”
&nbs
p; “Don’t sweat it, Jason.”
“Kelly, wait. Let’s not—”
This time she blew out a breath. “You’ve made it pretty clear that you moved on without me, Jason. You can’t even talk to me about your brother, but you can bet your ass you’re about to head over to that woman’s apartment as soon as I’m out the door.” He didn’t reply but Kelly didn’t need him to. She added, “Thanks for a lovely time and I hope you get out of this whatever it is you’re looking for.” That made two of them.
Despite her light protest, he did have the decency to follow Kelly downstairs first and see her into a cab. She offered him a light kiss, but he turned his head at the last second, forcing her to graze his cheek. That boat had sailed. He knew it; she now recognized it. Time for both of them to act accordingly.
As he waited for the elevator to rise, he realized perhaps agreeing to take her to the concert tonight had been a mistake. He could have just as easily paid for his ticket, or bought them outright. Instead, he’d taken her suggestion that they just go and enjoy the music together and he’d not thought too deeply into it.
Idiot.
Maybe he was being as much of an idiot by going to Sabrina’s apartment. He’d have it coming if she maced him when she opened the door instead of listening to the ramblings of a madman. What did he plan on saying, anyway?
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He knocked on the door and rehearsed a few openers in his mind. When she opened it a few minutes later, nothing useful had bothered to surface.
“Yes?” She peered at him beneath the simple gold security chain there more for show than actual security. Any burglar worth his salt could use a bolt cutter or any druggie cranked up on juice could kick down the door without slowing.
“Sabrina, hi.” God, he sounded like an idiot already. “I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Jason, from across the way.” He held out a hand and pointed to his apartment.
She followed the movement with her eyes, but soon brought her attention back to him. “Yes?” she repeated.