But Vice quickly stamped out her fledgling hope. “You will remain in your bedroom, alone, for the duration of this night.” His tone lowered ominously. “I don’t want you forgetting this lesson easily.”
Claudia moped silently. This was going to be a long night. And the stiff leather saddle chafing against her bare pussy lips wasn’t helping one damn bit.
Chapter 4
The next morning Claudia hurried to the dining room, praying everyone had not left. Last night she’d heard the men’s voices until late. She presumed from their loud haggling and hoots of laughter they’d spent the night playing cards and drinking heavily. At some time between cursing that the unfeeling bastards choked and devising a plan to draw the attention of one of them, Troy or Neil, she’d fallen asleep.
She skidded to a halt as soon as she spotted Neil finishing a cup of coffee. He rose to leave. She panicked. “What’s the hurry, Neil? Join me for another cup of coffee.”
Neil pulled up his cuff and glanced at his watch. “Sorry, love, but I’m already running late.” His lips lifted at the corners into an adorable smile. “Besides, how can I be sure you won’t somehow get lost again while under my care?”
Claudia flushed as she gave all her attention to the teapot. “I hope I didn’t cause trouble for you.”
Neil stepped behind her and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I spent the whole night with a throbbing erection, but Vice made sure we all passed out before he did. So I’d say I paid my penance.”
“I guess now I owe you double. Stay home and we’ll see what we can arrange.”
Neil chuckled as he kissed the top of her head. “Sounds very tempting, but I’d rather wait until I can have you for the whole night.”
Claudia sighed as he promptly turned on his heels and left. She was just contemplating what she would do for the rest of the day when Troy strolled in. “Howdy. Hope you brought my stuff back in one piece.” It was cruel to tease him.
He shook his head as he sat beside her. “Vice was right. Your punishment was not nearly harsh enough.”
Claudia gasped in outrage. “That was beyond evil. I couldn’t get off that bubble of need Vice had placed me in the entire night.” She narrowed her eyes. “You think it’s funny. Damn painful is what it is.”
“Don’t I know it? Damn, Claudia, you had us all serving sentence with you.” His quiet laughter still laced his voice. “You weren’t scared at all last night, were you? Not before we arrived and certainly not after.”
Hell no. She’d been trying to soothe Vice’s ruffled feathers, but the man obviously knew her well. He sat upon his horse with a storm swirling around him as though he’d just unleashed the demons of hell. It had not taken a brain surgeon to know she’d have to do some fancy footwork. Unfortunately, she’d never been good at dancing. “Why should I have been afraid? As I pointed out, I was never in any real danger.”
“Even at the mercy of Vice?” Troy ran his finger along her jawline. “You are either very brave or extremely foolhardy.”
Claudia blushed at what she supposed was an offhanded, undecided compliment. She was only as brave as nature allowed her to be. As for foolhardy? She was still here wasn’t she? “I just don’t scare easily.” So what was another lie to the mountain she was industriously building? She’d been trembling in her boots until Vice had so expertly redirected her fears and pain toward unbelievable desire. She still could not understand how that deadly concoction of strong emotions had mixed to form such a driving force of pure, unashamed need.
Troy leaned over and nuzzled her throat as he whispered tenderly. “You shouldn’t lie. Your pulse thumps just here”—he licked the throbbing vein—“when you do.”
Claudia caught his head and whispered brazenly. “It is not only lies that make my blood pound.” And it wasn’t. This man was driving her insane with his enveloping heat and just-showered scent. He was all man and entirely too attractive this early in the morning. What else was a woman to do? She kissed him.
Troy responded immediately. His arms looped around her, bringing her hard against his full, stiff form. Claudia went willingly, praying he would not leave her wanting. His tongue was a belt of fire that was whipping her into submission. The hard length of his erection was stabbing into her middle, demanding her attention. She stroked his cock through the thin fabric of his suit trousers.
“Damn, woman. If you do that again I’m going to fuck you right here on this table, and the servants be damned.” Claudia groaned as she challenged him with another hot caress. Troy caught her hand with a growl and pushed her back into her own chair. “Vice hasn’t left yet. He won’t appreciate seeing us fucking on his dining table for breakfast.”
Pouting in disappointment, Claudia was about to offer that they go to her room when she decided it would not be wise. “I don’t want to tick Vice off again. God only knows what he’ll do to me this time.” She certainly didn’t want to spend another night in that lonely hell he’d banished her to. And there was no way she was willing to test him. The man had unbending authority that defied the laws of nature.
Troy grinned simply. “So you have learnt something.”
Claudia’s mind was still contemplating Vice’s unyielding dominance. The man’s control was complete. She’d seen it in wild horses. Most submitted eventually to the trainer’s hand, but a few would gladly accept insanity over surrender. Vice was such a man. She chewed her toast uncertainly. “Troy? I was wondering about that chain Vice keeps. What is its purpose?”
Troy’s eyes widened, much like Neil’s had done when she’d broached the subject with him. “You’ve seen it?”
Claudia nodded. “He said it was from his mother. There something strange about the pendant, though. It holds some sort of power, doesn’t it?”
“I’m sure Vice has told you whatever he feels you have a right to know.”
She was fucking the man. By her estimation she damn sure was entitled to a whole more then the hogwash he’d fed her so far. “Oh come on, Troy. I refuse to be part of some fanatical sexual fantasy you guys have managed to conjure up. That piece of silver has something to do with sex. I felt it. I won’t be a mindless experimental lab rat.”
Troy’s emerald eyes bore into her. “But you are not mindless, are you, Claudia? You are not being controlled and manipulated.”
Claudia tapped her fingers on the table impatiently. “That is beside the point.” She drew in a deep breath. There was no telling how much these men confided in each other. Well, If Troy was shocked by what she was about to reveal, then so be it. But he wasn’t taking one step out that door without her getting explanations. “For God’s sake, Troy, Vice can speak into my mind.” No reaction. It could still be shock. “He sends these sexual commands into my head without his lips even moving. Don’t tell me I’m hallucinating. I know my mind, and that man has been visiting it like it’s some goddamn play park.”
“Calm down, Claudia. You’re becoming hysterical.”
Damn right, so spit it out, Troy. “If you don’t talk up then you can bet your sexy ass I’m going to ask each and every person I come across until I do get some answers.”
“Okay, dammit.” Troy’s fingers furrowed into his neatly combed hair, mussing the glorious mane to disarray. “I’ll tell you what you want to know if you can answer a question of mine. Truthfully, Claudia, no less will be acceptable.”
Claudia nodded, tongue-in-cheek. The predominant deceit she protected was her nonmarital status. God, please don’t ask me that.
“When Vice ‘commands,’ as you call it, in your head do you follow his instruction to the letter without pause?”
Sighing in relief that her secret was still safe, Claudia shook her head. “I wouldn’t call it controlling me to such a point that I cannot think for myself. He…mm… prods.”
“Are you able to defy these so called ‘prods,’ or are you powerless to comply?”
“That’s two questions, Troy.”
“Can you resist, Claudia? A
nswer me honestly, and I will tell you what you want to know. Has Vice ever had complete control of you?”
Claudia thought about the two times he’d instructed her to undress, at their first meeting and last might. She had defied him, at least to a degree. Hadn’t his eyes flared up in surprise? Then there was her virginal-ass-fucking incident. Hadn’t he been forced to gentle her with soothing words when his forced nonverbal seduction had not worked? “No. There wasn’t a time when he manipulated me entirely. There was nothing done that I could not have stopped or wanted to, especially”—she blushed as she continued—“not my orgasms he seems to control.”
Troy leaned back in his chair and stared at her incredulously. “So each time you submitted willfully. There was never any forcing.”
“I’ve already told you. I allowed whatever happened between us, all of us, because I wanted it to. No one made me do anything.”
“Unbelievable.” Troy whistled softly. “I think you may just be the one he’s been waiting for.”
Whoa. If anyone had been doing the waiting, it was her. For heaven’s sake did nobody notice that she was close to half a century old? “Whatever you’re thinking, you better unthink it fast. I’m not ‘waiting for’ material.”
Troy grabbed her in a hug. “You’ll never know how relieved I am that you exist.”
Was he pleased that she’d been born? How phenomenal. These Scottish men sure had the strangest compliments. “Well, thank you, I think. I’m also glad I exist.”
“You don’t understand, Claudia.” He drew her closer and kissed her soundly.
She pushed him away. “Then explain so I can understand.”
“You’re right about your suspicion. Vice is different. He can speak into the minds of women. But no other could resist him until you.” He slapped the table as he laughed boisterously. “Dang, girl, you’re just the one he needs to break the spell.”
Spell? “Don’t go spinning some Scottish half-baked folklore now, Troy.”
His voice dropped conspiringly. “Vice could control any lass he chose from an early age. Of course, as a youngster he went for the college, double-D-cup-size-breasted girls. But this power in him was not easily appeased. His bodily needs became far more advanced than his age that even I sometimes can’t believe he’s just thirty-three. His taste in women matured and grew much like the women themselves.”
Claudia pressed her lips together. That explained the odd weight and age requirements. She could not be sure if this information pleased her or made her uneasy. But there was no denying Vice exercised his mind and body in a more proficient and mature manner than his age suggested.
“When Neil and I met Vice, he was already in a dark place. He’d developed a special fondness for the most unattainable women.”
“Are you telling me you all fucked me because of some freak nature in Vice?”
“God, no.” Troy’s eyes rounded owlishly. “What I meant was that he always tried to get those ladies who were beyond his reach. At first Neil and I had fun, joining in the most entertaining fuck-fest of our lives, but Vice’s desires grew darker still. The beast within him was never satisfied.”
The beast? Scotland certainly had a healthy trend for bizarre beliefs. “What did he or it or whatever want?”
“Anyone it couldn’t have. He began to prey on those who defied him at first. By forcing his will on a person he could force her submission even if she was happily married and unwilling to commit adultery.”
Claudia gasped. “You mean he could have broken up homes simply for the thrill of sex?”
Troy nodded. “Initially Vice was merciful and erased the shame of the act from the woman’s mind. She could go home and continue to live gaily without anyone, even her husband being none the wiser. But there came a time when that was not enough. The dark being within Vice began to purposefully leave her memory intact. If she chose to remain silent, it was a secret she would have to keep for life. If she chose to reveal everything to her spouse, they could either get past the incident or let it crush them. Whatever the outcome, there are some people out there who are aware that a man preyed on them sexually and he could return at any time.”
All this was simply too incredible for Claudia. “So if he had all these ladies eating out the palm of his hand, then why was he seeking one who could resist him?”
Troy shrugged. “He longed for a woman to come to him willingly. After having used his dark powers for so long, there was no telling where the true person he was fucking ended and the mindless puppet began. Plus, some part of his morality must have raged against his inhumane behavior. Vice became his own worst enemy as he battled the beast within himself. For a long time now, Vice has not been intimate with anyone. He could not be.”
“But me, we…” Oh Lord how they had fucked.
“Yes, Claudia. Both Neil and I suspected you may be the one Vice needed when his body responded to you. But we chose to err on the side of caution and wait. Little did we know you could be such a dragon when seeking answers.”
Claudia refused to believe she held any special hold on the man. His cock was simply selective. Though why it had chosen her she could not say. “What about this chain he carries? Maybe if he destroys it, it will cease to have power over him.”
“That amulet, Claudia, is not the problem. It was meant more as a cure. His mother fashioned it especially for her twins to safeguard them. But removing the talisman unleashed the sexual prowess within both of them.”
“You’re telling me his mother knew he was a nymphomaniac. So put the damn thing back around his neck.” Troy was speaking about things that made her uncomfortable—sorcery and witchcraft. Those things didn’t exist, did they?
“It would bind him. Vice would become half a person. This power that resides in him is a part of who he is. He simply needs someone who satisfies him fully and accepts him unconditionally—you. You can control his beast.”
Oh, wonderful. Claudia snorted. “What exactly is this beast that you keep mentioning?”
“My demon blood.” The dark voice answered from the doorway.
Claudia spun around surprised. “Vice.” No man had the right to be so alluring and devastatingly gorgeous. It made her teeth ache from grinding just looking at him. His black eyes and hair certainly looked like he was the very spawn of the devil. Taut, flexing muscles beneath his dark clothes made her nails sink into her palms.
“My mother performed a dark ritual and called on the demon of lust to impregnate her.” He threw his hands open. “Here I am, son of a devil father with Sin as my twin.” Suddenly his eyes narrowed, and the air around him crackled like live electricity. “So run, little Claudia, and take cover. Because once this demon has finished devouring your flesh, it will suck out your soul and leave you as lifeless as a rag doll.”
Claudia shivered as she stared into his eyes. A violent whirlpool raged in the cold, cruel depths and was drawing her helplessly in. She swallowed thickly as he spun around dismissively and strode out. “Dear God, what have I gotten myself into?”
Troy touched her arm, making her jump. “Don’t be afraid, Claudia. You have been with him. Do you honestly believe he will ever harm you?”
Truth be told, she could not be sure. A demon? What ever was she going to do? Wild horses could not drag her away from this place where she’d found happiness for the first time in her life. Neil made her laugh like she’d never done before. Troy had found and reserved a niche in her heart with his deep, earnest honesty. She sighed heavily. And the one person who possessed her completely was no man but a demon. Fuck. I’m royally screwed.
* * * *
It did not take long for Vice to race to his office. Escape had been all he could think of. He paced the large space like a caged beast. He hated seeing Claudia’s eyes flare up in fear. Disgust? Of course she had to have been horrified. But she deserved the truth. Once his body was satiated, he would have to release her into the arms of her husband. A possessive, selfish part of him didn’t want to let
her go. The logical part of him told him he had no choice. He would eventually destroy her. Throwing himself into his chair, he sighed heavily.
Hadn’t he done just that to his own twin? The greed in him had been so great, he’d removed her protective amulet without her knowledge and literally sold her to a man he knew would become her master. And to what end? So he could be fully liberated once his twin was freed of her confinement. What would happen when she became consumed by the demonic impulses? Would her husband, Devon, cease to be enough for her?
As though thinking about his sister could conjure up something tangible, he spotted Sin’s name among the long list on his computer screen, [email protected]. He clicked the mouse to open her e-mail.
Hey there, my evil half. I’ve been going crazy trying to reach you. You’re somehow between land lines, and what’s up with your cell?
Vice dug his iPhone out his pocket. Black. Damn, when had he last charged it? Before Claudia came bursting into my life for sure. He threw the useless device on the desk and continued to read.
I hope you like the “package” I referred to you. Quite a delight isn’t she?
God, Sin had no idea just how delightful a package Claudia truly was.
Sorry to be the harbinger of bad news, but I have to warn you. Mr. Slater has been snooping around and has discovered Claudia is with you. The thing is, he disappeared yesterday, and I thought you best be warned. Devon almost had to drive his fist through the man’s face because he’d become such a nuisance.
Vice was hardly surprised. It was only a matter of time before Claudia’s husband demanded the return of his property. But now that Vice was face-to-face with the possibility of losing Claudia, his body and mind raged against it vehemently. How would he live without her?
Speaking about Devon, I have some happy news. We’re pregnant! Can you believe it, future uncle Vice?
Vice whispered the words, stupefied. Uncle Vice. He liked the ring of that. At least from Sin’s tone he could safely say she was nowhere near tiring of her husband. One less thing he had to feel guilty about. Sin truly loved the man he had arrogantly forced upon her.
Vice's Domination [Demon Twins 2] (Siren Publishing Menage and More) Page 6
