Relieved, I let out a little bark of laughter. "No. Not at all. You'd be surprised how many men do."
"Really?"
"Yep. Almost every one of the strippers where I used to work were married. Their husbands would come and watch their wives dance. Then they'd bring guys back to their house. Sometimes, marriages don't work out without a little help."
"Is that how you made yours work? You speak of him almost reverently, when you do."
"Ryan was almost perfect. I miss him every day. I never thought I would see myself settle down, let alone have children. I would have given him the stars in the sky if he'd asked. But no. I would dance and the thought of me showing myself off, exposing myself, excited him. But that's as far as it went."
Daniel nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"So, what was it you wanted me to do for you?"
"If you do find yourself interested in another guy and decide to start dating… Please, tell me? Don't keep it from me. I'd rather hear it from you than find out. Does that make sense?"
It did. Perfectly. "If your ex had told you she wanted to date her personal trainer, you would have encouraged her. Instead, she went behind your back, and it bothered you."
"Ate me up inside. And you're a hundred-percent correct. I would have. Instead, she thought she was being sneaky, but it was so easy to tell. She thought I was a fool. Maybe she was right. I should have confronted her the first time I found out."
Nodding, I gave him a sad smile. I wasn't the most sympathetic person in the world, I was a fucking demon. But I still felt bad for Daniel. He deserved way better than that.
"Tell you what. Since we're in a relationship, I'll let you meet them first and see what you think about them before I even think about dating them. We'll kind of do it together. That sound good?"
He blinked at me and tucked his lower lip under his teeth, finally wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "Did I mention how glad I am I met you?"
"Once or twice."
"Thanks, Kara." He let out a sigh that didn't sound like relief.
"What?"
"I hate going to these things."
"Oh. I didn't know. I wouldn't have dragged you along."
"Don't be silly. I have to go anyway."
Something wasn't clicking. "Your kids?"
"Yeah. They go to Brentworth. You can meet them this weekend if you want. I'll have them until Sunday. Much to their disappointment, I'm sure."
"So, what was the sigh for?"
"Seeing the ex."
"She's gonna be there?"
He nodded.
"Oh, this gonna be fun."
"Your check, sir."
∞ ∞ ∞
We were even later because we had to park three school districts away from the front fucking doors. Five minutes late equated into twenty with the fifteen of walking. I shot Daniel a dirty look. He kept laughing. "Think of it this way. We're fashionably late."
"My feet hurt," I lied. I could have walked the entire distance barefoot over metal Legos and not batted an eyelash, I just wanted the promise of a foot rub later. And leg rub. And various points in between.
"I'll massage them for you when we get back."
Score. I smiled as my ploy worked to perfection. "I'm holding you to that."
"Deal," he replied, and ran his fingers down my back. It had warmed up a little, not quite warm, but I wasn't shivering and turning blue, either. The blouse I wore was completely backless, and his fingers sent a shiver up my spine. "You look amazing."
I smiled at him over my shoulder and pulled my skirt down for the tenth time as we walked under the ancient oak trees. Their leaves were just starting to change colors, and they reflected the light from the streetlamps beautifully. The smell of fall was lightly perfuming the night. It was officially my favorite time of year.
It was eerily quiet, too. Too quiet, in fact. The only sound was our footsteps as they clicked against the concrete of the sidewalk splitting the perfectly manicured grass marking the academy grounds. Instinctively, I went into defensive mode. We were being hunted.
"What's wrong?" Daniel stopped and looked around, sensing my unease.
"Nothing," I lied. "Let's keep going." I grabbed his hand and started taking longer strides toward the front gate.
"Now you're freaking me out. Especially with the attacks."
I stopped walking. "Attacks? In this neighborhood?"
He nodded. "There was even one in our subdivision a week ago. It's been all over the news."
"I don't watch television." I didn't. Tried a few times and got so bored, I fell asleep. Movies were a different story. I liked movies.
"How do you get your news?"
I blushed in embarrassment. Keeping up with current events wasn't a big priority when you would never grow old and die. "I don't."
He blinked in surprise. "Well, I'll let you know of any potential dangers in the area in the future."
I nodded, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Subtle currents in the air warned me a fraction of a moment before the attack came. I spun Daniel and covered his back with my own body, spreading myself as much as I could. Claws raked my back, and I hissed in pain, pushing my human toward the door and turning to face the attacker, but meeting only empty air.
"What the fuck happened? You're bleeding!" He rushed over, and I turned away, trying to keep him from seeing the wound that was probably already healing.
I held up my hand for silence and listened. Whatever had hit us moved inhumanly fast. Vampiric speed. I should have taken the attack head on to get a look at what we were dealing with. From the speed of the attack, I had to guess vampire or elf. Vampires were territorial and might be trying to drive me out of town. Elves just didn't take kindly to anything demonic and would often attack on sight, unless some sort of agreement could be bartered or bought. Demons left each other alone, unless it was a challenge for power.
"You missed. You might as well come out, and we can discuss this or end it."
A shadowy figure stepped from out of the shadows of an oak some distance away. I took one step toward it, and it vanished, not into thin air, but in a burst of speed. It had to have been a vampire.
With its departure, it took the vague feeling of danger with it, and I relaxed, taking a deep breath and judging Daniel's reaction. He had seen the vampire vanish, too.
"What the fuck was that?"
"Nothing good, but it's gone now. Let's get inside." I fervently hoped that would be the end of it and Daniel's questions. I hadn't even remotely planned on telling him what I was. I should have had a contingency plan in place in case something like that happened. But I didn't. I'd grown too complacent. Other than the occasional visit from supernatural beings to Full Exposure, I'd stayed completely away from the community. The ones who visited the titty bar usually took one look at me and ran. Not to brag, but succubae weren't pussies. Most of the others gave us a wide berth. The vampire that attacked us probably didn't know what I was.
"Why do I get the feeling that you know what's going on but aren't telling me?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Of course, I do."
"Then trust me when I tell you, you don't want to know."
"Can you at least tell me why the gouge marks on your back are completely gone, along with all the blood that was pouring from your wound?" He stopped walking.
I turned to him, closing the distance between us. "I'm going to give you time."
"Time for what?"
"Time to decide if you want to know. It comes with an epic warning, too. Everything you think you know will get thrown out the window, and it might even change how you feel about me. Think about that for a few days. If you still want to know, I'll tell you. Deal?"
He nodded, not quite believing me. I could see it in his eyes. "You're kidding, right?"
"No. You saw what just happened." I turned around and headed for the school. I'd meant what I said, even though I was being a little melodramatic. Deep down, o
n some level, humans believed in the supernatural. There was a reason books and movies about demons and vampires were so popular. Humans wanted them to be real. Unfortunately, they went from being afraid of them to wanting to fuck them. Worked out well for us, not so much for the humans.
"Okay. I'll think about it." He fell into step with me and took my hand.
At least he wasn't afraid of me. Yet. Only time would tell, and it wouldn't be the first time a human had found out what I really was, freaked, and ran away. Or attacked me. Or sent a priest to my house. One even tried to set me on fire. A demon. Dumbass.
In fact, Ryan had been the very first to accept me without hesitation. He'd been a little freaked out when he found out, but that didn't stop him from loving me. I missed my Ryan every damn day.
I looked down at Daniel's hand and smiled.
He noticed and frowned. "You were worried I was going to freak out, weren't you?"
"It wouldn't be the first time."
"If you were dangerous, I'd probably already be dead. And don't think I didn't notice you protecting me back there."
"You're really not afraid." If he was, I would have smelled it on him. There were two scents that we loved above all others. Lust and fear.
"Nope. Not of you. Whatever that thing was, yes. I couldn't even see it move. How did you know it was going to attack?"
"Could just feel it, don't know how to explain it."
"Spidey sense."
I laughed, having seen all the Marvel movies. "Yep."
"Cool. I'm dating a superhero."
I stopped walking and tugged his hand, halting him in his tracks, too. I shook my head. "No, Daniel. I'm no superhero. More like a villain who just doesn't care about money or power. I just want to be left alone, especially now, since I am responsible for the welfare of my offspring. If you stand out too much, you draw attention. Too much attention, and you get killed. And everybody around you. Low profile is my motto. I just want to be happy."
"Funny. You just sounded like a superhero."
I growled in frustration. "Daniel, I'm a bad guy!"
He pulled me closer and kissed my forehead. "No, you're not. You might not think you're a hero, but you're my hero. Shall we go inside?"
"I don't know if there will be room in the school for all those people and your over-inflated opinion of me." I let a little smile curve the corner of my mouth. "Come on. Let's go."
"Vampire?"
"What?"
"Are you a vampire?"
"No. Now quit guessing. I'll tell you in three days if you still want to know."
"Deal."
Chapter 6
"Kara!" Karen shouted my name from across the school gymnasium and clicked her heels across the polished wood until she was standing in front of Daniel and me. "Did you run into traffic? I didn't think you were coming!"
"We got held up at dinner and then had a bit of a walk to get here. We were only five minutes late, and it turned into thirty."
"Uh huh. You two were making out in the parking lot!"
I could have kicked myself for not thinking of that excuse. "Thanks for bringing the kids."
"Oh, no problem! I put them to work helping set up. Punch is over by the stage!"
"Hey, Mom." Ryn slithered up behind me and hugged me from behind.
"Greetings, girl child."
"Did you have fun on your date?" She gave me an impish look.
"I did."
"So did I. Hi, Ryn."
"Hello, Mr. Lewis."
"Oh, just call me Daniel."
She blushed and nodded.
I think my girl child has a crush on my boyfriend. I grinned in pride. "Where is your brother?"
"Talking to the cheerleaders." She rolled her eyes.
Again, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of pride.
"Well, have fun. If Mrs. Stanton bitches about me, she's lying, and I didn't do it."
"All right. Stay out of trouble, youngling." I patted her on the head.
Ryn took off, and Daniel chuckled at my awkwardness. "Why are you so rigid around your kids? They're not going to bite."
"On the contrary. They are half me and may very well bite one day. I suggest you use caution and keep your hands and feet away from their mouths at all times."
After the incident outside the school, he didn't know if I was joking or not, until I chuckled evilly. The relief was real.
"Ryan raised them. They were with him morning to bedtime. I worked nights and hardly ever saw them. Then when he died, I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to be a mom. I still don't."
"Well, a good place to start would be calling them by their names instead of girl child or offspring." He chuckled softly.
"When I look at them, I am so proud and in awe by who they have become, I can't seem to get the words out."
He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. "And that makes you a great mom."
My cheeks were ablaze.
"They really are good kids, Kara. So stinking smart. Like scary smart. And they're more like mini adults than kids," Karen whispered, almost in awe.
"Thank you. Wish I could take credit."
"Hello, Daniel." The voice behind us wasn't snide, but it was close. Disdainful might have been a more apt description.
He tensed beside me, and I wrapped my arms around his and turned us to face his ex. It had to be her. No other woman on the planet could have caused him to react that way. I hoped. "Oh, you must be Samantha. I've heard so much about you." I threw in an amused chuckle. It was worth it to see her face when she saw me clinging to Daniel's arm.
"Uh… Who are you?"
"Samantha, this is Kara."
She blinked at me repeatedly in shock. "You had a long-lost daughter?"
"Ha. No. I'm his girlfriend."
"You brought your teenage girlfriend to your children's school? Have you lost your ever-loving mind, Daniel?"
"Oh, boy. I'll be over there." Karen pointed at the punch and took off like she saw a display of Girl Scout Cookies.
I wasn't a tall woman, demon, whatever. Five-and-a-half feet to be exact. When she had the ball sack to berate Daniel in the middle of the school in the middle of the open house, I figuratively swelled to twice my height. She stepped back as she felt the anger flow from me. If she was lucky, I wouldn't release my lust and have her banging the corner of the punch table until she got arrested. So many of my powers had started flooding back now that I had the lust to spare, and I would gladly use them to make her life a living hell.
"Actually, my kids go here," I said evenly.
"You. Have children? Adopted from a previous marriage?"
I was done. "Ha! You're hilarious! But with a little makeup, a good foundation, and a little less time in the tanning bed, you might not be." The truth was, Samantha was very pretty. Her hair was almost as dark as Daniels, sleek and pulled up in a neat ponytail. Her eyes were green, skin perfect, lips glazed and soft looking. She was flawless, for all I could see. Her outfit left a little to be desired, and for that I was grateful.
Her mouth dropped open, she shivered as my words sank in, and then her eyes widened as she started sputtering.
"Articulate, too. Come on, Daniel. Let's go get some cookies and punch."
"See you Friday, Samantha."
There was a frustrated stomp behind us as we walked away, followed by a strangled, "Gah!"
"Gonna hear about that one later," Daniel chuckled.
"Sorry." I wasn't. But he didn't need to know that.
"Don't be. Totally worth it."
The school's principal managed to intercept us on the way to the punch bowl. "Evening, Mrs. Dell. Wasn't expecting to see you here tonight."
"Hi, Mr. Marshall. Are my children adjusting to Brentworth okay?"
"Oh, yes. Just fine. Your son, Karl, is a gifted soccer player. And your daughter is the rising star of the girls' team, too. I must say, I was delightedly shocked to see two players of such magnitude from the same family."
> Of questionable lineage, I finished for him. In my head. "Thank you!" Go fuck a goat, you piece of shit. "We were just about to get some punch. Won't you join us?" Please say no.
"Sadly, I am making my rounds. A lot of parents want to speak to me this evening."
Suck your butt, you mean. "I can imagine. Well, I won't keep you then." I stepped around him and pulled Daniel with me.
"I don't think he likes me very much."
"He doesn't like anybody very much."
"He liked my check, though."
"He likes everybody's checks." Daniel laughed and grabbed the ladle out of the punch bowl and pulled two clear plastic glasses off the stack beside it. For what we paid to send our kids to the school, there should have been a punch fountain and cookie cannons. But at least they looked homemade. I snagged a chocolate chip while Daniel loaded our glasses.
"I should have brought some vodka," I muttered as he handed me mine.
"Aren't you a little old to be spiking the punch bowl?"
"Who said anything about sharing?"
He clinked his glass against mine. "Happy new school year."
"How do you like the cookies?" Karen rejoined us, leaving her little circle of friends shooting me dirty looks standing next to Daniel.
"Very yummy. Did you make them?"
"Of course! The PTA provides all the snacks and drinks for events like these."
"And by PTA, you mean you, right?"
She blushed. "Hard to find good help these days. Especially with everyone so busy with extra curriculars."
"I'm actually going to the kids' soccer games this weekend."
Karen and Daniel both stared at me.
"What?"
"Just trying to picture this," Karen said with a scared smile.
"And how it's going to end." Daniel was grinning.
"Probably with me drinking. Either of you want to go with me?"
"Can't. Taking my kids downtown," Daniel said apologetically.
"And we're planning the Fall Festival this weekend." Karen actually pouted like she wanted to go.
"No worries. I'll survive."
"It's not you we're worried about." Daniel raised his glass in a toast.
Succubus Soccer Mom: A Reverse Harem Tale Page 6
