by Мишель Роуэн
“Darrak—”
He glared at her. “Back when I was really me, you wouldn’t have mattered to me at all.”
She inhaled shakily. “So you’re saying I do matter to you.”
He got closer to her again, so close she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin.
“The old me wouldn’t have stopped you the other night when you wanted me.” His gaze traveled over her face to her mouth. He pressed closer to her, and her hands went to his sides, unsure whether to push him away or not. “The old me would tear off your clothes and take you up against the wall any time it suited me.”
An excited shiver went through her at that blunt statement. “You made Leena leave.”
“Don’t try to change the subject,” he said. “Leena has nothing to do with this.”
“About you wanting to be as demonic as you used to be thanks to good old Theo’s influence?”
“I’m a demon. I should damn well act like one.”
“You didn’t kill Ben,” she reminded him. “You let him go.”
“Exactly.”
She tried to figure him out. It was difficult. “So is it mind over matter? Have you really changed, or is this all just a façade? In the beginning, you were desperate to show me you weren’t evil, that I could trust you.”
“And look what happened,” he said. “You trusted me, and I steal your body whenever it suits me.”
“I’m learning.”
“Not fast enough.” He traced a slow line down her suddenly sensitive arm. “Maybe it’s good that Leena’s not here right now. She’d never let me touch you like this, would she?”
“No, I don’t suppose she would.”
“Theo seemed surprised we weren’t wearing out mattresses together. When I told him we’d only been together once, he was confused.”
She felt breathless. “Glad you’re announcing these things to the world at large. Really fabulous.”
Darrak’s touch moved up her arm and over her shoulder, then slowly down to the base of her spine. “I told him that we have to be careful that things don’t get out of control between us. It’s too dangerous.”
“My mattress thanks you.”
He grinned a bit wickedly. “I do have needs, though. Even though they’re not currently being met.”
“Oh, really?” Heat rose to her cheeks at that statement. “From the looks you get from half of the female population in the city, I’m sure you could find some willing non-magically inclined woman to help you with your needs. Even that doctor from the other day. I’m sure she has a mattress ready to be worn out.”
“Yeah, I’m sure she does,” he said.
Cocky, thy name was Darrak the demon.
She glared at him, even though her body continued to respond to his touch. Her skin tingled everywhere he touched her. Currently, he was drawing slow circles on her back. “Then why don’t you find somebody and go knock some boots or whatever? I can stay a hundred feet away and put in earplugs. If you’re really that desperate to get laid.”
He was way too close to her at the moment. Why wasn’t she moving? Putting space between them would be a very good thing. It was difficult to think when he was this close.
“I would,” he said. “I could pursue other women. I don’t think I’d have much of a problem finding someone. Or a lot of someones.”
“So why don’t you, then?” She was breathing rapidly. It was like she had no control over this desire she had for him. Her body felt like it was on fire.
“It’s just that. .”
“What?”
“There’s just one little problem,” he said.
“And what’s that?”
His gaze closed on hers. “I don’t want anyone but you.”
Eden’s eyes widened, and she looked up at him to see if he was kidding. But there was no humor in his expression right now. He looked as intense as she’d ever seen him before. And there was an edge of surprise there, too, as if he hadn’t expected to make that admission out loud.
He didn’t want anyone but her?
“I. .” she began. “Darrak. . I. .”
“I’m really glad Leena’s not here right now,” he said.
“Uh. . why?”
He kissed her.
Oh, that’s why, she thought.
TWENTY-TWO
Darrak stroked her long hair back from her face as the kiss grew more intense and her mouth opened to his as though she had zero control over her current actions.
She’d dreamed of kissing Darrak many times — and doing a lot more than kissing, too. But reality trumped dreaming anytime.
Eden slid her hands down his back, pulling him closer, and noticed, not for the first time, that he wasn’t joking about wanting her. She slid her hand down between them, and Darrak broke the kiss off with a ragged gasp.
“Leena would not approve of that kind of behavior,” he whispered hoarsely.
“You’re right.”
“And yet you’re not stopping.”
“No, I’m not, am I?”
“She’d be angry with you right now,” he rasped.
“Good thing you scared her away then, isn’t it? Which, by the way, I’m furious with you about.”
“Okay, if this is furious. .” He swallowed hard. “I need to get you furious more often.”
“Shut up.” She found his mouth again and kissed him, a slow, deep press of her lips against his.
At the back of her mind she did wonder why she was being like this with him — how she’d felt this level of desire for him so quickly this morning. It had come out of nowhere, really. There was no black magic usage to blame it on. And the fact that she should still be angry with him made it not make sense for her to be molesting his lips to this extent.
It was dangerous territory she was treading on. And, well, fondling very brazenly.
They weren’t supposed to do this. She wasn’t supposed to do this.
But as Darrak’s mouth moved down to her throat, she couldn’t think about anything else. All she wanted was him. Despite the lies, despite the deceit, she wanted him so badly she could barely remain standing.
He pulled the straps of her camisole over her shoulders, pulling the thin material down and baring her breasts.
She looked down. So that meant when Darrak had borrowed her body, he’d neglected to wear a bra? How did she not notice this before? Out on the town without a bra. She was so embarrassed.
At least she was for the moment before he leaned over and circled his tongue around her right nipple. That cleared her brain of any embarrassment. Or, really, any other coherent thought, especially when he repeated the motion on the other side. She was sure her eyes literally rolled to the back of her skull.
She did manage to gather herself together enough to pull off his T-shirt and then run her hands over his chiseled torso. The kitchen counter bit painfully into her as he pressed her back farther, but she honestly didn’t care.
He moved his warm hands up her bare thighs and under her black skirt, raising it as he went. Hooking a finger in either side of her panties he pulled them down her legs.
“Darrak,” she managed.
“Leena would be so pissed at me right now,” he breathed.
“Very pissed. Uh, Darrak?”
“Yeah?”
“What are we doing?”
“What does it look like?”
“Oh, okay.” She nodded, kissing him quickly as his hands moved over her bared skin. “Never mind, then.”
Something about a spell, she thought. I’m forgetting something. What am I forgetting? Oh, who the hell cares?
Darrak picked her up in his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as they kissed, tongues tangling together. She wanted him. More of him. All of him.
The sofa pressed against her back as he lay her down on it, his mouth not leaving hers for an instant.
“Oh, Eden,” he said softly when he finally came up for air. “You’re so beautiful.”
<
br /> She looked up at him and traced her finger over his lips. “I want you, Darrak.”
Eden didn’t resist. Not for an instant. She had no idea how much she wanted this, wanted him. Then suddenly his clothes were gone and he was against her in the most intimate way possible, and for a moment she thought he’d stop like he had the other night.
She’d wanted him then, too, so badly, but it had been different. More of a driving need that had been doused by a glass of water in her face. This was. . this was more of an aching want. And there were no glasses of water within arm’s reach.
“Shit,” he murmured. “I think I need to stop, but I forget why.”
“No. . don’t stop.”
“Well, if you insist.”
“This is me insisting.”
He didn’t stop. He slowly, very slowly, pushed himself inside of her.
Damn. Had she really thought being possessed was as good as this? This was so, so much better. His mouth on her mouth. His skin against her skin.
So perfect.
Oh, yes. This is what she’d been missing. The feel of him. Only him. Her demon. The one who spent half his days without a body, and the other half trying to resist their attraction to each other.
“I don’t want anyone but you.”
Eden held on to him as they made love. She captured his face between her hands and looked deeply into his eyes.
“Eden,” he said, a frown creasing between his eyes, “what are we doing?”
She almost laughed. “As a former incubus, I think you’re fully. . versed in. . oh. . Wait. No conversation. I can’t. . talk. .” She gasped as a shudder of pleasure rippled through her.
Darrak swore, then pressed his lips to her collarbone. “You feel so. . so good. Too good.”
“Don’t stop,” she commanded.
“I couldn’t even if I wanted to,” he said, then a breath caught in his throat. “I can’t stop.”
“Good.”
“No. . I–I mean I really can’t.” He swore again. “Eden, this is wrong.”
“But it feels so right.”
Darrak tried to move away from her, but she put her arms around his neck and held on. Suddenly he was seated on the sofa and she was astride him.
“Damn,” he breathed. “This isn’t much better, is it?”
Eden really had to disagree. It felt even better now. She cried out as another orgasm crashed over her. He groaned low in his throat.
“You feel so good,” she breathed into his ear.
“Eden. .”
She kissed him, exploring his mouth and chin and jaw-line. He gasped against her lips then swore gutturally as he climaxed, his fingers digging almost painfully into her sensitive skin.
Suddenly a wave of golden light enveloped them for a couple of seconds before it disappeared completely. It reminded Eden of what had happened the first and only other time they’d been together like this. A literal afterglow.
It was the spell that the witch had cast, making Darrak a source to increase a witch’s black magic whenever they had sex. It was the very thing they’d been trying to avoid by not being together again so Eden’s soul wouldn’t be at more risk than it already was.
But she didn’t care about any stupid spell.
Or did she?
Eden stroked the dark messy hair off his forehead, not ready to move yet. They stared into each others’ eyes without speaking for what felt like a very long time. His arms remained locked around her waist, holding her tightly in place against him.
Leena really would be pissed to find them like this. So much for being their chaperone.
Eden brushed her mouth against Darrak’s, and he kissed her back softly.
“So. .” she whispered, trying to hold on to this feeling of bliss for a little while longer.
“So,” he replied.
“Lust elixir,” she said.
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
“The donuts?”
He nodded. “I’m thinking your orange juice, too.”
She was confused. “But why would Stanley do this to us? How would he even know where to put it?”
“Stanley’s working for Theo now. In fact, Stanley told me last night that Theo had developed an interest in his elixirs. Didn’t really make me suspicious at the time.”
“And now?”
“Very suspicious. Stanley hooked up with Nancy at Luxuria last night, so that’s likely how he got the info about the donuts. I told Theo about your orange juice addiction. The rest is history.”
Eden swallowed. “He did say that for the elixir to work it has to be a mutually lustful situation.”
He blinked. “And lo and behold, here we are.”
“Yes.” She squirmed a little in place.
“Okay,” Darrak gasped. “I really wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“Sorry.” She bit her bottom lip. “So now what?”
“Well, I would suggest you remove yourself from my lap before I get excited again, but it’s a bit too late for that.”
“I noticed.”
“I thought you might.”
She’d definitely noticed. And the fact it didn’t scare her that they’d done something they’d promised each other they wouldn’t do again wasn’t enough to make her budge an inch. Well. . maybe an inch.
She’d had two large glasses of the tainted orange juice. And by the way she felt, her dose of the elixir hadn’t come close to wearing off yet.
“You’d better get off of me or you’re going to be sorry,” he warned.
“I thought you wanted to be bad,” she breathed, brushing her lips against his again. “You’re a demon, aren’t you?”
“Trust me, I’ve met my daily quota of evil today.”
“Well, maybe I haven’t,” she whispered suggestively into his ear.
He groaned deep in his throat. It sounded like encouragement to her.
The phone rang. Eden ignored it as she kissed Darrak again, swept away by this mindless need she felt for him. She couldn’t resist it. She wanted to make love to him all day long and make up for lost time.
Suddenly, though, she found herself on her back. On the floor. Alone.
“Oof,” she exclaimed as the wind was knocked out of her from the fall from Darrak’s lap.
Darrak scrambled up off the sofa, looking down at her. “Sorry.”
His gaze swept slowly over her, but then he seemed to force himself to look away. A moment later he was clothed, the black garments appearing as though a magic brush had painted them on.
He grabbed the phone.
Don’t look at her, Darrak told himself sternly. Because if you do, you’ll pick her up and take her into the bedroom and you won’t emerge for the rest of the day.
“What?” he snapped into the phone.
“Good morning,” Theo’s voice greeted him.
His grip on the receiver was nearly tight enough to shatter the plastic. “You.”
“You don’t sound all that cheery. Everything okay there?”
Darrak willed himself to stay calm. “We found your little gift in the fridge.”
“Oh, good. Wow, that was faster than I thought. She must be addicted to that OJ even more than you said she was.” He snickered.
“Why did you do it, Theo?” Darrak tried to keep his voice even and conversational. It was a struggle.
“Just helping out a friend in need. I know you’re in a bad place. This kills two birds with one stone, forgive the saying. Gets your rocks off and helps push our Girl Scout to the dark side so you don’t have to worry about her so much.”
Darrak almost laughed. Theo’d done this to help him, not to hurt him?
What a pal.
“There are wards up around the building. How’d you even get in here?”
“I phased. Didn’t have a problem at all. Guess those wards don’t work on me. Or maybe Red secretly wanted me to get through so I could help you two to a morning of pleasure.”
He’d phased. F
ury simmered just at the surface of Darrak’s mind. He didn’t want to scream at Theo over the phone. What was done was done. Theo had wanted to help — a demon’s version of a kind gesture.
It didn’t make it any better.
He and Eden had been compelled to have sex, and it had triggered the spell. Whether or not that spell was triggered every night when he possessed her was still unknown.
In any case, triggering had occurred.
And, by the look of Eden — who’d drawn the crocheted afghan around herself, the remnants of lust for his very accommodating body burning in her eyes — that compulsion hadn’t yet worn off.
If Darrak concentrated, he could see it, the power lying just under the surface of her skin. Eden was turning into a five-foot-six nuclear power plant in serious danger of having a reaction if she wasn’t very careful.
Theo’s proverbial heart might have been in the right place, but he must have known this would enrage Darrak, hadn’t he? The other demon had always been a trickster, playing practical jokes and finding humor in the most unlikely places.
Darrak wasn’t laughing. And if he kept speaking to his old friend, he was sure to say something he’d regret.
After all, Darrak still needed his help.
“Tell Theo as soon as this elixir wears off I’m going to take that angelheart of his and shove it up his ass,” Eden said sweetly.
Darrak chose not to relate the message.
“Is everything still on for noon?” he asked instead.
“It is. So, anyhow, about the—”
“See you then.” Darrak hung up the phone. If Theo knew what was good for him, he wouldn’t call back. Not until Darrak had had a chance to calm down.
He turned to Eden. “Are you feeling okay?” he asked cautiously.
“I’m feeling a bit too good, actually.”
He clasped his hands in front of him. “Is it safe to approach you or, uh, should I stay over here?”
She gripped the afghan closer to her otherwise bare skin. “Don’t make it sound like this is all my fault. It was a two-way street in the red light district a minute ago.”
“You’re right.” Darrak moved closer and sat down on the sofa, then he looked at her. “You will never use your black magic again.”
“But what if—”
