When Hunter Meets Seeker: (An Arcane Society Novel - Paranormal Demon Romance)

by Betty Shreffler

  As Anya neared, the same hair raising sensation shimmied over her skin. She eyed the woman with interest. What demon was she? Stunningly attractive. Check. Seductive eyes. Check. Whispering sweet nothings into Jackson’s ear. Check. Jealous possessive expression. Check. Succubus. Check.

  Anya set the bucket on the table with an added thump. Jackson’s attention whipped toward her.

  “Who’s your friend?” Anya smiled.

  The woman’s own smile spread wickedly across her face.

  “I’m Serena. I work here. I was just offering your friend here a tour of the place. You should join us.”

  Anya’s brow raised. She had no interest in getting a tour, but now she had to. Jackson was in the crosshairs of a sex-hungry succubus surely looking for her next victim.

  “I’d love to.”

  “Wonderful. Grab a beer. Bring it with you,” she suggested all too sweetly.

  She and Jackson followed Serena to a door off to the side of the dance floor. It opened into a dimly lit hallway that turned into another and then another. Had she known the tour would be through a maze, she would’ve starting tracking their steps and turns. Another two turns and they entered a red and black room with equally tacky red and black furniture and far too many doors along the walls. Apparently the room was supposed to have sex appeal, but between its stench and porn-like atmosphere she wasn’t impressed.

  “Wait here. I’ll have some drinks brought out for you as well as some sweet delicacies.” The last word escaped her lips with a little too much sexual orientation for Anya’s comfort. Not to mention her fiery eyes glued securely to Jackson’s body.

  As soon as she turned the corner, Anya slapped Jackson’s shoulder to snap him out of the apparent daze he was in.

  “Jackson. She’s a succubus demon. Stay away from her!”

  “What? Her, no. What’s a succubus again?”

  “She gains strength and energy by feeding off your arousal.” Anya glanced downward.

  “Oh.” Jackson nodded. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

  Anya rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t at first until you become addicted to her seduction and she starts draining you physically as well as your wallet. Succubi are greedy and dangerous demons, Jackson. Stay away from her!” Anya stood. “We should get back to the club before she returns.”

  If only they’d moved sooner. Serena rounded the corner with a tray of drinks and chocolate-covered fruits along with a young, attractive guy plucked from a modeling ad. She set the tray down on the coffee table in front of them.

  “Please help yourself to whatever you’d like. Your friend Joe paid for you to enjoy the VIP treatment.” She waved her hand over the options of drinks and forbidden fruits. Jackson reached for a glass of what appeared to be whiskey and then plucked a chocolate-covered strawberry from the tray.

  Anya let out a breath as her demon alarm system rattled her brain and body.

  “Have a seat, Awn. Might as well enjoy yourself. Joe paid for it.”

  Anya sat back down and pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to ease the growing headache.

  “After you’ve enjoyed your refreshments we’ll continue the tour and take each of you to an area that will be more befitting to your tastes.”

  Anya’s gut wrenched. “Tastes?” she asked, eyeing the newcomer with curiosity. Evidently the pretty young man had been brought out to entertain her. By the sensation crawling across her skin there was no doubt he was an incubus. Two in one club. Go figure.

  Anya glanced over at Serena, who’d managed to slip into Jackson’s lap and was massaging her fingers through his hair as his eyes glazed over with pleasure. Anya stood back up, irritated. The longer they remained, the more uncomfortable the feeling in the pit of her stomach became.

  “Thanks for the VIP treatment, but I think it’s time we get back and find our friends.”

  The attractive, blond young man stepped closer. “Your friends are enjoying their own VIP treatment. Why don’t you come with me? There’s more to show you.” The perfect male specimen put his hand out for her to take.

  Anya looked at Jackson, whose head had rolled back with an enamored smile spread over his face. Serena continued whispering in his ear, surely enchanting him with her abilities.

  “Jackson!” Anya snapped.

  He tilted his head and looked at her, irritation filling his eyes. “What?”

  “It’s time to go.”

  He shook his head. “Go on and go if you want to. I’m staying here.” His dazed eyes flashed over Serena as he grinned and bit his lip.

  Anya stepped forward. The blond incubus grabbed her arm. She whipped her head toward him, her eyes piercing him. He instantly dropped his hand.

  “Your friend wants to enjoy the VIP room. Serena will escort him out later,” he told her politely.

  “I’m not leaving without him.” Her eyes narrowed.

  Jackson stood up as Serena slid off his lap and tugged his hand toward a door. “Jeez, Awn, you’re being a buzzkill. Go back out. I’ll see you later.”

  Before she could protest further, Serena slipped him through one of the doors, eyeing her with a victorious and wicked smile as she closed the door behind them.

  “He’ll be fine. Serena takes very good care of VIPs. Now, why don’t I show you around the rest of the place? Bring a drink if you’d like.”

  Anya’s stomach knotted. This was her opportunity to follow through on her declaration. Kill the demon in front of her and then kill Serena and cause who knows what kind of problems with management and possibly the police, or let them live. She eyed the tall, spiky-haired, smooth-skinned, toned model in front of her.

  “Lead the way.”

  Against her better judgment she grabbed a drink off the tray and swiped a strawberry, popping it into her mouth.

  The pretty incubus smiled a mouth full of perfect, white teeth and motioned toward a door.

  She swallowed the juicy, delicious strawberry. “I’m not interested in a show,” she announced.

  The incubus let out a humored laugh. “I didn’t think you were. My name’s Ryan. I thought maybe I’d give you a massage, show you around and then take you back out to the main floor. Figured I will have at least satisfied my duty of entertaining you with those activities.”

  Anya contemplated the idea. A massage from a ridiculously pretty male wouldn’t be so bad, even if he was an incubus demon.

  “All right, but if you get too handsy, I’ll knock you on your ass.”

  Ryan smiled. “Deal.”

  Chapter 3

  Ryan guided them to a separate door and opened it for her to enter. She walked into a room that smelled divine, as though she’d entered a very expensive spa. She pulled the scents into her with each deep breath. Her muscles relaxed instantly. Surprisingly, she didn’t twitch when Ryan rubbed along her arm before gently taking her hand and guiding her to the petite bed in the middle of the room.

  “Have a seat. I’ll warm the oils.”

  Anya sat on the edge of the silky, red, sheet-covered bed and glanced around the room. It was set up just like a spa with a massage bed, a cabinet for oils, a hot stone and towel warmer. Pretty paintings on the walls, quiet soft music and dim lighting. She couldn’t help wondering what each door led to and what kind of room Jackson was in or the fact that this place kept surprising her with its selection of rooms and activities.

  “This club offers a lot more than what it advertises.”

  Ryan returned with a bottle and a hot towel. He gently brushed her hair to the side and placed the warm towel around her neck. The heat warming against her skin soothed the dull ache in her head.

  “It does. I enjoy working here. Every day is different. The club and bar bring in enough business, but the VIP clients have grown. We’ve recently added a few new luxuries to accommodate different tastes.”

  Anya caught a glimmer of Ryan’s eyes brightening to their natural demon green before it faded and disappeared as if it didn’t happen at all.
The slight transition reminded her of what she’d already forgotten. She was locked in a room, alone, with an incubus. A sex driven, powerful demon who won over their victims with seduction. Her body tensed.

  “You and Serena keep mentioning client tastes. Makes me wonder what kind of activities go on with VIPs other than strip shows and massages. Sounds like you might be offering happy endings for your clients. Was that the owner’s idea?”

  Ryan moved to the side of her and set down the oil. His eyes glimmered brightly. “Time to undress. I’ll step out, so you can slip comfortably under the sheets.”

  If that wasn’t a complete aversion to a question, she didn’t know what was. She eyed his back as he stepped out the door. Was she really going to get a massage from an incubus? She hadn’t only turned her back on her duty, she was staring danger in its face and saying, F-off. The stiff, gray-haired board members of the Arcane Society would be turning in their seats if they knew what she was doing. The thought brought a smile to her lips. Yes, she was going to do it and enjoy every minute of it. She didn’t have anything to worry about anyway. As an Arcane Hunter she had the good fortune of being immune to an incubus’s seduction or any other demon’s tricks.

  She slipped out of her shirt, jeans and shoes and tossed them on the nearby chair. She slid under the red, silky sheet just before Ryan tapped on the door.

  “Come in.”

  He walked back in, smiling with satisfaction. He’d probably expected her to still be clothed and ready to leave. He folded the sheet away from her right leg and lathered his hands with oil. As soon as his warm hands touched her foot her brain melted. She gurgled with drool and mumbled ooohs and ahs. His warm hands moved up her leg to her calf, kneading his thumbs into her sore muscles. When his hands reached her thigh she squirmed slightly at the uncontrolled arousal that tickled her. She’d been in one of the long periods of celibacy and apparently her body thought now was the best time to remind her of it.

  She saw the slight glimmer of green fill his eyes and leave as he eyed her with apparent interest.

  “You’re enjoying this more than I expected you to.”

  His hands moved to her behind, kneading the tender muscle just below her right cheek. Her nipples hardened and her arousal spread further than she was comfortable with. She wiggled out of his warm, delightful hands, holding the sheet to her chest.

  “I think you’ve more than fulfilled your duty of entertaining me. It’s time I get back and find my friends.”

  Ryan slid the sheet up, placing his hand on her thigh. He leaned in closer, putting his pouty lips uncomfortably close to hers. “Are you sure that’s what you really want?”

  Anya’s stomach tightened. She glanced down at his hand, then back to him, raising a brow. “Remember the deal? I will put you on your ass.” She nodded her head to the door. “Step out.”

  Ryan’s face grew serious, confusion filling his eyes. Surely he couldn’t determine why she’d slithered out of his seductive grasp so easily. He moped to the door and stepped outside it. She quickly dressed, ready to find Jackson and the others and leave as soon as possible.

  She walked out into the red and black waiting room and nearly lost her legs beneath her when the man talking to Ryan looked at her. He was undeniably the most beautiful man she’d ever laid eyes on. A mixture of Asian, Brazilian and American wrapped into a tall, messy dark-haired, black-eyed, perfectly toned package with a smooth face of an angel. His eyes locked on hers and the arousal she had so carefully tucked away came back with a vengeance, taunting her between her thighs. She swallowed as the same arousal seemed to cross his face. Her nipples hardened at the desirous look glossed over his eyes. She lost all train of thought. Her brain turned to instant mush and all she wanted to do was pounce and give in to that burning desire that so cruelly plagued her.

  With some sort of apparent hesitation, his eyes broke away from her. He glared at Ryan and then leaned in, sharing a private word with him. Ryan shook his head no and the man seemed pleased with his response. The ridiculously sexy mystery man returned his attention to her and as soon as his eyes locked on hers again the fire in her belly rumbled, pushing its way to the surface. She felt flush and surely her cheeks revealed it.

  He smiled at her and his perfect plump lips gave way to shiny white teeth and a darker more seductive look in his eyes. He walked toward her and her legs didn’t budge. She was frozen in ice. He approached her, standing quite close, and she could smell his delightful musky scent. She wanted to touch, caress and fondle every part of him. His dark-gray t-shirt lay against a solid chest and revealed toned biceps beneath the sleeves. The front of the t-shirt was tucked into his jeans. Jeans that covered long legs and a round bulge, sizeable and enticing. A necklace hung from his neck with a wooden sparrow dangling from it and a leather bracelet covered his right wrist. His eyes narrowed in on her, studying her—studying him—and then it hit her. The sensation crawled across her skin, leaving misery in its wake. The stunningly handsome man in front of her was a demon.

  “I’m Dex.” He pointed to a camera in the corner of the room. “I work security.”

  She glanced at the camera and then back at his beautiful face as the words caught in her throat. She knew English, she really did, but he’d just made her forget her entire vocabulary.

  “…nya,” she managed to mumble. Her head started to clear as her cheeks warmed. She shook her head. “Sorry, I’m Anya. Nice to meet you.”

  Dex’s head tilted and he gave what appeared to be an expression of affection. “No worries. You’ve had alcohol and a massage. I’m sure your mind is pretty relaxed about now.”

  Relaxed! Ha! Nope, not relaxed. Firing on all cylinders and a bit stunned is more like it.

  “I’ve had two drinks and my leg massaged. That’s not quite a brain-melting experience in my book.”

  Dex’s eyes studied her closely, seemingly interested in something about her. “Only a leg massage?” He glanced at Ryan, whose back she saw disappearing down the hall. “You didn’t like the massage Ryan gave?”

  “Nope. It wasn’t my choice to come back here. I came to Donatello’s with a few friends. One of them paid for me and my friend to enjoy the VIP treatment. What goes on back here”—she waved her finger, motioning toward the doors—“isn’t for me.”

  A grin spread over his face. He seemed pleased with her response. His eyes glimmered and with a slight shift of his head the demon green appeared and faded just as quickly.

  “What do you like and how do you like it?”

  Anya swallowed the tennis ball in her throat. Her muscles tightened as intense heat ignited in her belly, traveling to her thighs and remaining there pulsing like a damn sex beacon. Her brain couldn’t grasp the direct sexual connotation of his question. She stood staring, stunned and equally aroused. She may be immune to an incubus’s seduction, but this incubus had extraordinary gifts. Gifts she admittedly wanted to explore.

  When she didn’t answer, he stepped closer. Her legs came back to life, moving with her as she instinctively took a step back, putting space between her and this all-too-tempting demon. Her back hit the wall and his lips raised into a seductive smile as his arm lifted above her head, supporting him as he leaned in closer, his face much too close to hers.

  His free hand came up and caressed her lip with just enough sensuality to send arousal whipping through her body.

  “I can take my time figuring it out, and based on the looks of it, I think you want me to.”

  This demon was sure he had her in his crosshairs. Her eyes narrowed. She put her hand on his chest, surprised by the strength of it and her body’s reaction to touching him. She pushed forward, removing him from her very intimate and personal space. His arm dropped and his body tensed.

  “I’m interested in the way out. Let’s leave it at that.”

  The demon green started to flicker in his eyes. He blinked and it was gone. His expression shifted from surprised to composed. “I’ll escort you out.”

&nbs
p; Anya moved away from the wall, motivating them toward the exit of the waiting room. “I appreciate it.”

  Dex led them down a dark hall with, of course, more doors. He glanced over at her as they walked side by side, studying her with an expression of fascination. Her desire aggressively fought her thoughts. The tension between them too obvious to ignore. She avoided looking at his handsome face, chiseled jaw, and tasty lips.

  “Sorry for coming on strong. You’re a beautiful woman. I admit, I wanted to kiss you back there and I’ve only just met you.”

  This demon wasn’t giving up, and unfortunately part of her didn’t want him to. What would it be like kissing an incubus? From the looks of him she imagined his kiss would be intoxicating and addictive. He stopped walking when she didn’t respond. She stopped too and turned to see the cause. His eyes flickered with green and he moved in fast, placing her face in his hands and pushing her body against the wall with his.

  His tender lips sent sparks of fire trickling across her skin. The warmth and taste of his kiss was like creamy chocolate poured over a sweet slice of fruit—delicate and delicious. His hand tangled in her hair and rubbed along the nape of her neck as his kiss deepened. With his free hand he gently thumbed her waist as he placed his hand around it, pulling her in closer to him. His body heat emanated off him, cozy like a warm fire. She wanted to wrap herself in his arms and feel the flames against her naked body.

  She heard a door click open. He gently pushed her inside the room connected to it. He kicked the door closed with his boot as his hands discovered her body. A gentle graze over her breast and her arousal exploded, a pent-up hunger on the verge of devouring the incredibly sexy man touching her. As their lips parted, needing air, her lips burned from the fire of his kiss. Her head swam with dizziness. The room a blur. She could only feel, touch and smell. All else evaporated like mist.

  She pulled at his shirt, lifting it. Her eyes absorbed the chiseled smooth chest and eight pack. Her hands dove for his abs, clawed at his belt and jeans. He pulled her shirt over her head and took in her petite breasts. He grinned as he pawed at the front clasp. Her breasts fell free as the clasp opened, the fabric falling to the sides. His eyes darkened, green flecks filling them, as he worked her out of her jeans.