by Debra Dunbar
“Amber.”
Darci’s voice was raw, full of need, and I looked up to realize I’d been releasing my pheromones in a tide across the room. Most of the occupants of the restaurant were looking my way with intent, and my own friend was seriously turned on. Shit. How could I do this without even intending to? I had only to think of Irix and I was halfway to orgasm.
I ratcheted it down a few notches and grimaced. “Sorry.”
My friend shook her head, and the look in her eyes made me feel like everything would be okay — not just today, but for the rest of my life.
“Good Lord, girl. Anybody that does that to you isn’t somebody you should be running away from. Take this week to get your head on straight then go back home, or to hell or wherever, and reel that man in like a fish on a line.”
* * *
4
The line stretched all the way down the block and around the corner. Women in absurdly high heels and scanty bits of fabric chatted or typed numbly on phones. Further up the line, there were slumped shoulders, shoes draped over wrists, and sweat stained dresses. The men were worse off. They were drenched in perspiration.
I eyed the building with its graffiti–covered block walls and rusted sign proclaiming the club to be “Nations”. Hard to believe from the exterior that this was one of the hottest new clubs in the city. It didn’t seem all that impressive, but the music booming from the door was a siren song.
“Let’s go somewhere else,” Gabriella urged. “I don’t want to spend half my evening standing in line.”
I’d been introduced to Gabriella and Erica — Darci’s friends, who, after glaring at me suspiciously for a few moments, were finally making tentative overtures of friendship. I was used to it. Women were so competitive. Most I met were reserved until they realized I wasn’t a diva and wasn’t hell–bent on stealing their boyfriend material. There was no honor among sex demons, but I was only a half–breed. If a friend was interested in someone, I wasn’t about to go poaching. Plenty of fish in the sea.
“It probably won’t take that long,” Jordan argued.
I was a little concerned to see her among the group that met us at Darci’s tiny shotgun apartment. Outside of watching me like I was an exotic circus animal, she’d kept mum about this afternoon’s events.
“Hey,” she shouted to a couple, about twenty from the door. “How long have you been waiting?”
The man turned dead eyes towards us. “Two hours. Probably another one before we get in. Those at the back won’t be in before sunup.”
Shit. That was just insane. I was ready to agree with Gabriella when I caught Darci giving me an odd look. Oh no. No way. I’d done this before, but not before I’d known what I was.
“Amber, can you get us in?”
The three other girls turned to me in surprise. “What, are you a celebrity?” Erica asked. “Is the owner boning you or something?”
Not if I had anything to do with it. Still, I felt the monster stir inside me at the thought. Yes, please. No. No, no, no.
“Amber has a way with these things. She totally got us out of that speeding ticket this winter, and that time we were drinking beers in the park, the cop let us go. He even let us keep the beers!”
I squirmed. That had been before, when I thought I’d just inherited the Lowry sweet–talking skills. Now that I knew what was really going on, I was reluctant to use my special abilities. Darci should have known better than to ask me after my revelation this afternoon, but she’d been rather blasé about the whole thing. This was evidently just a perk, in her opinion.
“I don’t really think it will work this time… .” Lame. Of course it would work. It always worked. And my friend knew it, too.
“Oh, just give it a shot. What’s the worst that can happen?”
I knew the worst that could happen, and even though I tried not to think about it, visions of me fucking the doorman flashed through my head. Great, now the monster really was awake and wanting to come out and play. No. Absolutely not.
I took a deep breath and walked up to the front of the line, determined to do this like the human I’d always thought I was. Darci and her friends followed me, whispering encouragement. The doorman’s back was to me, facing some altercation beyond the roped area. As I approached, I saw two bouncers wrestling a short, stout man from the bar, his friends protesting loudly. I waited until the evicted guy and his buddies had staggered down the street before turning on the charm. No sense in trying to compete with a pot–bellied man so drunk he could hardly stand. I might be a half–succubus, but I’d stand a good chance of losing that competition.
“Hi.”
He turned, eyebrows rising as he saw me by the rope. I put on my brightest smile, and the doorman’s eyes did the usual male tour. Start at the top and work their way down, pausing significantly at the cleavage. I gave him plenty of time to take it all in while the elf in me preened. I was pretty. More than pretty. That alone should be enough to open doors.
Nope.
“End of the line is way back there. Around the end of the block.”
At least he sounded like he regretted it. His eyes snagged again on my lips before dropping back to the boobs. I sighed dramatically, and he was riveted by their movement.
“Are you sure? I’m from out of state and really wanted to come here.”
The monster inside me took that statement all wrong. I felt her banging on the cage. Yes, I do want to come here. More than once. With several partners. I pushed her back and smiled at the doorman, raising an arm to brush back my hair, fully aware of what that did to the breasts barely contained within the plunging neckline of my dress.
“I … I can’t. Fire code only allows so many in at a time. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait.”
Well, I tried. I turned to the girls and shrugged. Then I caught Darci’s expression. Right before she hid behind a perky smile, I saw the disappointment. I actually felt it. There was something here — someone here that she really wanted to see.
Don’t let your friend down. I can help.
Dratted monster. Would it hurt if I just let her out a little? Not much. Not enough to wind up naked on the pavement with the doorman. I gave a raised index finger to the girls, silently asking them to wait just a moment, and turned back around. The cage doors opened just a crack, and the monster emerged, meek and compliant.
“My friends and I would really like to party here. Won’t you please let us in?”
I felt tendrils snake from me, undulating as they encircled and caressed the doorman. Too much. It was too much, but I couldn’t help myself. I felt them roam across his skin, filling every sense, suffusing his very pores with need. He gasped and staggered back a step, his pupils so large his brown eyes appeared black. A nearly undetectable flush crept along his cheekbones, and his pants tented painfully outward. I should know, I was looking. And I couldn’t avert my gaze if my life depended on it.
He was gorgeous, I suddenly realized. Ebony skin with a shaved head and muscles on top of muscles. My eyes roved as his had done, and I liked what I saw. No. No, that wasn’t right at all. My monster liked what she saw. She wasn’t especially discerning. Yes, he was attractive, but not my type. No, not my type. Okay, he was my type, but I wasn’t going to seduce this man. What was I doing drowning in his eyes, envisioning his hands caressing my breasts?
You’re admiring your latest conquest, that’s what you’re doing. The monster was indignant. I’d insulted her, but I didn’t care. I was desperate to get her back under control, even if it meant we didn’t get to go to this fantastic club. Even if it meant I disappointed Darci.
“Yes. Of course. All of you. I only ask … please, please … .”
His voice trailed off, and I realized that he didn’t really know what to ask. Some bit of his brain must realize how crass it would be to beg me to suck him off right here in front of everyone, but another part desperately wanted me. Maybe I wasn’t the only one with two warring halves within.
> “Later,” the monster purred. And as impossible as it seemed, the man’s erection got even larger.
No. Not happening, I scolded the monster. It had only been four weeks, and she was already acting like I’d denied her for centuries. I’d give in, but not with a stranger minding the entrance of a dance club. If I had to live with some kind of weird sexual addiction, I’d do it on my own terms. The monster pouted, but thankfully didn’t push the issue.
He opened the door, wincing as if it hurt him to move, and I walked in followed by the four girls. They whispered behind me, and when I cast a quick glance over my shoulder, I saw Darci grinning in excitement. I led the way down a long hall, and Jordan jogged up on her four–inch stilettos to whisper in my ear.
“Sex magic. Holy cow, that was electric. How did you do it without any incantation? Without any spell components?”
I ignored her, pretending that the thumping music spiraling down the hallway had rendered me deaf. Great. She’d witnessed me bring an ancient tree back from death’s door and thought I was a kindred spirit. Line–jumping at a trendy club had clearly moved me even further up in status. Hopefully she’d get drunk and not remember anything.
“The tree thing was just amazing. A–maze–ing. Light everywhere, and I actually felt the energy pulse through me. What you did to that guy at the door was subtle. Don’t get me wrong; I’m impressed. That guy will be jerking it to thoughts of you for a week.”
He was lucky. If I’d actually slept with him, he’d be jerking it to thoughts of me for the rest of his life. I picked up the pace and tried to wedge myself past Gabrielle in the narrow hallway. My auburn–haired nemesis blocked my progress with her shoulder and craned her neck at an impossible angle. It was a real feat of agility on her part to remain upright, given her sky–high heels and twisted posture. I sent a pleading look toward Darci, using the silent communication best friends had when they were trying to get rid of a clingy, unwanted guy. With a skill born of years of field hockey practice, Darci body–blocked her friend, and I darted past Gabrielle to safety.
If the only thing I had to deal with all evening was Jordan’s dogged questions, I’d be thrilled. It was my succubus side that worried me. All that hunger and desire had been newly awoken at the club door, and I wasn’t sure how much control I had over that increasingly demanding part of myself. For a brief moment, I missed Irix. He scolded and nagged, awoke feelings in me that threatened to send my future over the edge of a cliff, but around him I felt safe. My succubus half trusted him, obeyed him. But he wasn’t here, and the monster was loose. Had I learned enough from him to control her on my own? I hoped so.
We crowded at the ticket counter, shelling out the astronomical fee and getting both hand stamps and neon wristbands in exchange. We’d agreed ahead of time to fork out the extra for the VIP area, which would give us a reserved table and chairs, and some assurance that no one would be doping our drinks while we danced. The table and chairs were completely worth it, since most of these clubs had no seating available for general admission.
I managed to keep one of Darci’s friends between myself and Jordan as we negotiated the entrance process and headed into the club. So far so good. The hot doorman was far behind me. Surrounded by Darci and her friends, I felt more human than I had in months.
My monster seemed subdued. She’d retreated. I was completely in control. This might not be so bad. I’d let her out briefly at the door, and nothing disastrous had happened. Maybe I didn’t need Irix after all. I could control that side of myself.
Nope. We sailed past the huge cement–block doorway and into the bar proper. The bass hit a chord that vibrated everything in my body. Heat shot through me, right down between my thighs. My monster broke her bonds and soared — free and unfettered. I could do nothing but go along for the ride.
“What do you want to drink?” Darci shouted, careful to position herself in front of me so I could read her lips over the deafening music.
It all ground down into slow motion — Darci’s elation, the flash of colored lights reflecting off her glittered makeup. The music vanished, leaving only the thump of bass, like a heartbeat in my ear. Men all over the club turned their heads, as if in some synchronized dance, and focused their attention on me.
No. Not me. Them. My other, saner half asserted herself, and the men returned their gaze to their dance partners.
“Captain and ginger.”
It was Irix’s drink. Longing hit me like a fist in my stomach, nearly doubling me over. I was here, in New Orleans, out of control. I needed him, but it was more than his guidance that I missed right now. I missed him — his rakish smile, his sense of humor, the way he looked at me as if I were the only woman in the world. I know it was all part of his charismatic act, but I really wanted to believe otherwise. Even though he teased and tormented me, pissing me off more than any man had ever done, I missed him.
I’d left him. Told him to go back to Hel, that I didn’t need him anymore and was just fine without him. And here I was wishing he’d appear from nowhere like a genie from a story book. It was just as well. Good riddance. All he wanted me to do was screw random strangers and discard them like yesterday’s news. I didn’t need him. I was completely in control, in a dance club with my friend, about to have a wonderful evening.
Darci shoved a drink into my hands, and I took a sip, appreciating the carbonated sweetness like I never had before. This would all be okay. I’d dance with the girls, get a bit tipsy and enjoy myself. The monster wasn’t attracted to women, I lied to myself. So as long as I hung with the girlfriends, I’d be fine.
“We’re going to dance,” Gabrielle announced, dragging Erica with one hand and Jordan with the other as she headed to the dance floor. Darci snatched my drink, plopping it down on our table, and pulled me along.
Squeezing past half–naked bodies, I gripped Darci’s hand. She was a vanishing lifeline in the closing press of flesh before me. Silk and lycra slid along my side, the music lending itself to a writhing seduction of movement. It was a succubus’ dream, and six months ago I would have lost myself in the caress of music and motion, letting it take my soul to a dark and carnal place. But now … . I held back, only allowing a small piece of myself to fly free. I’d need to find a partner soon, but not now — not my first night in New Orleans. I hadn’t seen Darci in over a year. I’d just revealed my deepest secrets to her. I didn’t want her to think I was some crazy slut, picking up the first guy I laid eyes on. Tomorrow. I’d find someone then. Quick. Discrete. Someone who wouldn’t make me wracked with guilt as I fucked his brains out.
We were hip to hip on the dance floor, practically wiggling our bodies up against each other in time to the music. I tried hard to focus on Darci and to stay safely surrounded by her friends — her very off–limit friends. My monster may have been sex–starved, but so far she hadn’t been the slightest bit interested in the girls I’d arrived with. Or any of the women in the bar. Now, that guy rubbing his thigh up against my ass was another story.
I turned slightly, hoping the contact was accidental. Nope. Now some other body part was rhythmically rubbing my buttocks. I couldn’t exactly tell which part, but from the narrowed gaze his dance partner was sending my way, I had a good idea. Sorry, girlfriend. I wasn’t doing it on purpose. Or was I? How much of the attraction was natural, and how much of it demonic? Was the guy just a player, or was I inadvertently pulling him toward me?
Stop freaking out. Darci had been right. I needed to just chill and refrain from assuming every guy that looked twice at me was under my spell. I stepped backward, crunching a sharp heel onto a foot, and heard a yelp behind me.
“Sorry!” I shouted, giving his dance partner a quick wink as I moved away. If the guy wanted to feel me up, he’d need to do it on my time, not someone else’s.
Darci grabbed my hand, pulling me into the middle of a cluster of incredibly hot guys. “These are my brother’s friends,” she screamed in my ear.
The rest was lost in th
e deafening thump of the music. I eyed the three guys, quickly eliminating the one Darci had her arm around as off limits. The other two … mmmm, two. I quickly slid my way in between them, making myself the middle of their sandwich. It was more like a Panini. The dance floor was wall–to–wall people, and these two men were pressed against me so firmly I could feel every muscle under their clothing. Some muscles were more prominent than others. I fell into a mindless rush of pleasurable sensation, where the only thing that existed was the feel of our bodies against each other, the warm scent of men surrounding me. Reaching around, I grabbed a handful of tight ass. This was awesome. And judging by the aroused state of both men, sex was as much on their minds as it was mine.
But where? I could hardly bonk two guys in Darci’s apartment. Having sex in some out–of–the–way spot in the club seemed kind of slutty. Normally that wouldn’t bother me, but I didn’t want Darci’s brother thinking I was one of “those” kinds of girls. Of course, having a threesome with two of his buddies would give me the same label.
What was I thinking? I couldn’t do this with Darci’s brother’s friends. Letting go of the one guy’s butt like my hand was on fire, I excused myself and wiggled free of their bodies. Air. I needed air. And a stiff drink. All these half–naked men and women, the seduction in the air, the heady beat of the music — I was going to be in real trouble if I didn’t slow it down.
I staggered over to our table, where Jordan had returned to sip a beverage as dark red as her hair. I hesitated, reluctant to be alone with her, but my need to get away from the dance floor trumped. Trying to ignore her, I grabbed my drink and took a sip.
Jordan gave me an odd look. “You okay?”
My glass clinked empty except for the ice. How had that happened? Taking a deep breath, I tried to convince myself that I was fine. More than fine. The girls could dance. I’d just stay here and watch. Later, when I was more in control, I’d find some guy and arrange a one–night stand. Not tonight. Tonight was for girlfriends. My succubus self would have to be satisfied with an appointment for sex in the next twenty–four hours. I smiled at Jordan and waved her toward the dance floor.