Starved for Love

by Annie Nicholas

  Starved For Love

  By Annie Nicholas

  After almost dying of starvation to remain faithful to a mortal lover, succubus Pia Blyton now shields her heart by feeding solely on men she won’t fall for. The only trick is, to create energy to survive, she must achieve orgasm. At least that rules out bad sex with her three lovers. Too bad she’s a sucker for falling in love.

  When her demon lover doesn’t arrive for their arranged rendezvous, Pia is forced to ask her vampire lover to step in before her energy becomes dangerously low. In return he demands a favor and Pia finds herself in the hotel suite of the mysterious Valerio Hunan, who seduces her with a devastating kiss. Too late Pia learns he’s an incubus who wants to lure her into marriage—a marriage without love.

  As an incubus used to bedding a variety of succubi, Val doesn’t understand Pia’s yearning for love. He needs a succubus wife to provide him with a steady source of energy. But he wants Pia for the passion and renewed interest in life she makes him feel. Can Pia convince Val that sex isn’t just for survival and love is for more than the weak?

  63,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  I celebrate my wedding anniversary in September, and that’s why I think of it as my month of romance. Even after eight years, the romance is still alive in our relationship, I’m married to my best friend, and I’m living my very own happily ever after.

  That’s why I’m thrilled we’re kicking off Shannon Stacey’s return to the hunky and delicious Kowalski men with the first of three back-to-back Kowalski contemporary romances this September. It feels like my very own celebration of romance! Meet Mitch Kowalski and enjoy the ride as he finds his true love in Paige Sullivan, in All He Ever Needed. Look for Ryan’s and Josh’s stories in October and November 2012.

  September is truly a month of romance at Carina Press, with all but one of our releases falling in this genre. If you find yourself wanting to remain in the here and now, be sure to check out contemporary romance Finally Home by Helen Scott Taylor. Catch up with the Men of Smithfield in L.B. Gregg’s contemporary male/male romance Men of Smithfield: Max and Finn. And take a chance on Rebecca Rogers Maher’s Fault Lines, a moving and emotional contemporary romance that had our team members calling it “amazing” and “gripping” while extolling its virtues at our acquisitions meeting.

  If you’re looking for adventure, intrigue and romance with a fantasy flavor, this month we kick off Sandy James’s fantastic Alliance of the Amazons series. Rebecca Massee discovers that not only does she possess incredible powers, she is one of four lost chosen sisters who must fight to keep humanity safe from rogue gods and demons. Can she sacrifice the man she loves if it means saving the world? Find out more in The Reluctant Amazon by Sandy James. Joining Sandy in the realm of otherworldly releases, Annie Nicholas’s Starved for Love is a delightful and thoroughly erotic tale of a succubus who wants nothing more than to be loved, and an incubus who doesn’t believe in anything but lust.

  Look no further than Fae Sutherland’s male/male space opera romance Sky Riders for a galactic adventure that will leave you longing for the days of Nathan Fillion, Serenity and Firefly. And if Sky Riders isn’t enough of an escape from planet Earth for you, then Blue Nebula by Diane Dooley will surely please science-fiction romance fans.

  Fans of comics, superheroes and The Avengers should check out our two newest superhero releases. In How to Date a Henchman by Mari Fee, our hero proves that it’s not always the superheroes who are the most heroic—sometimes it’s the henchmen who save the day—and get the girl. Yesterday’s Heroes by Heather Long poses the question of what might happen when two superheroes have different goals. Drawn together by passion, and on a collision course with fate, can Rory and Michael work together to change the future? And though not a superhero romance, J.K. Coi’s steampunk romance Broken Promises, a follow-up to Far From Broken, brings back super-spy Jasper and his modified wife, Callie, for a continuation of their romance as Callie joins Jasper in the world of spies, danger and intrigue.

  Also this month we’re rereleasing Christine d’Abo’s three erotic contemporary novellas into one bargain-priced bundle. Get all three novellas in the Long Shots Bundle for $6.99. BDSM, ménage, love and hot, sexy, intense encounters—this bundle has it all. Buy it now and find out what makes sex club owner Josh so appealing before he makes his appearance in his own novel, Calling the Shots, in October.

  Last, though the month of September is filled with romance of all designs, it also brings with it one rich, engrossing and compelling historical mystery in Tainted Innocence by Joss Alexander. Fan of authors such as Deanna Raybourn and C.S. Harris won’t want to miss this engaging debut novel.

  Celebrate my month of romance with me this September and try one or two (or five or six) of our new releases. You’ll find new authors to love and stories you can’t wait to share!

  We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to generalinquiries@carinapress.com. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  www.carinapress.com

  www.twitter.com/carinapress

  www.facebook.com/carinapress

  Dedication

  To my loving family and my writing group ‘Rats’ for pushing me to strive for more.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Day three of my cycle

  Sex and love should come in the same package, but for a succubus, that meant trouble. Sex equaled food and fidelity couldn’t be part of the equation. Humans couldn’t eat the same thing every meal and stay healthy, and neither could we.

  I thumped on the steel door of an industrial garage. Most people didn’t know the largest vampire nest in the Northeast was contained in an underground facility below this building. I kept up my third round of pounding. I knew the vampires were in there. The sun had just set. Someone needed to drag his lazy butt out of bed to answer the door. “I’m not going away!” Security cameras and microphones monitored the place 24/7. The jerks knew I was here.

  I needed to feed, and to do that, I needed to get laid. Like all succubi, I survived on the energy created in my body during an orgasm. I couldn’t even stay alive on bad sex. Finding attractive, skilled partners wasn’t a problem in Lake City, but I was a sucker for falling
in love. I couldn’t handle the guilt of a one-night stand, and if I tried to live off one male forever, I’d starve, which my instincts wouldn’t allow. I’d tried it once and would never allow myself to go down that road again.

  Neither would my parents.

  Rain plastered my short curls to my head. Normally, they stuck straight out, the different shades of autumn leaves. I’d be lucky if my suitor didn’t slam the door in my face at the sight of my drenched appearance. But I needed him in a bad way.

  I added a kick to my knocking. “It’s Pia, damn it. And it’s raining. Let me in.”

  The door finally opened. “The Master’s not expecting you for another seven days.”

  I pushed past Rat, one of Zur-Sin’s minions, and huddled in the antechamber. “I know. Tell him I have a problem.”

  “What trouble are you in now, Pia?” Sin’s voice carried over an intercom by the door leading into the vampire lair.

  Pressing the talk button, I stood on tiptoe to speak in the microphone. “John left a note pinned to my door. He left town last night.” I hoped he was okay. Being a low-level demon bites. Someone was always on his ass.

  “So?”

  “He’s my suitor for today.” I glanced at Rat, who chuckled. “Shut up.”

  “Go see Cooper.”

  “Cooper’s on a hunting trip with the pack. Won’t be back for another three days when it’s his turn.”

  “I can oblige.” Rat stroked a hand down my back.

  His touch sent a wave of desire through my body, but I wasn’t so far gone yet that I’d jump anything with a dick. “Fuck off.” I shoved him away. At least, I tried to. Beauty was a succubus power, not muscle. “We made a deal, Sin.”

  “Every nine days. You were just here three days ago.”

  “Yeah, do the math, genius. Today’s day three in my cycle. You want me to do Rat instead? I’m out of options.” I crossed my arms and glared at the vampire lackey. I’d eat my own arm before touching him but Sin didn’t have to know that.

  “Bring her down, Ratan.”

  Rat’s fanged grin faded. “Yes, Master.” He unlocked the door and opened it for me like a gentleman. “Whores first.”

  I pulled my jacket tighter around me and fought the shivers. Half-drowned, my need burned inside my body, the hunger for flesh rubbing on flesh setting my skin to oversensitive. If Sin didn’t take me to his bed then I’d have to find some stranger to screw. Nausea rolled in my stomach. I never should have been born a succubus. To my parent’s shame and concern, I wasn’t amoral enough.

  They monitored my every meal. How much worse could my life get when my father interviewed potential lovers for me? For crying out loud, what happened with Pierre was history and they needed to let go of the past. I did. Tried…

  Racing down the stairs and across the sub-basement, I strode by other vampires, all of them part of Zur-Sin’s nest. He controlled Lake City at night and my father had it during the day. That’s how I met Sin. My father hooked me up two years ago to keep me from starving.

  Twenty-five years old and I still lived with my parents. All four of them.

  Most mortals wouldn’t understand my dad being interested in my sex life, but he worried and stressed about my lack of lovers to feed upon since I was so picky. I had three now. That should be more than enough if they would just cooperate.

  I waited for Rat to twist his key in the elevator so it would travel into the secured areas below us. The doors slid open and I jumped inside.

  “Try not to take too long. He has appointments to keep.” With those lovely instructions, Rat keyed the doors closed and I descended into Sin’s world.

  Shaking the excess water from my hair, I tried to poof some life back into my signature curls. They sagged on my forehead. Sighing at my reflection, I hung my head. Nothing was sadder than a disheveled, horny succubus.

  The doors slid open and a large pair of bare feet stepped into my view. A finger slipped under my chin and raised my gaze. Zur-Sin, ancient vampire warrior, stared at me with his stern dark eyes. Dressed in only a pair of black silk pajama bottoms, he looked good enough to eat. He brushed the curls from my face and frowned. “You have much to learn about the art of seduction.”

  “I dressed up last time I was here. I get panicky when things don’t go my way on day threes.”

  “It’s not all about appearance, Pia. You’re beautiful even when left out in the rain.” He bent and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. Sin’s touch always struck a spark—even on my off days he could lure me to his bed. “Grace and tact would be appreciated at times. You can’t barge into my nest making demands. It makes me seem weak.”

  “I’m sorry.” I leaned against his solid chest. His pale skin still retained the warmth of his last feed. I didn’t ask about his latest conquest. We had a business deal signed in blood. He gave me an orgasm every nine days and I fed him with my blood. No strings attached. I think I came out on top of that deal because Sin could be a generous lover when in the right mood. And I had learned how to guide him into those moods.

  He placed a kiss to the top of my head. “Next time call. I have a human secretary, remember? She’d have made quieter arrangements.”

  “She hates me.” I squirmed, pressing my thighs together to help relieve the growing demands between them.

  Sin sighed and led me into his apartment, through the living room, past his office and into the bedroom where he sat on the edge of his king-sized bed. He plucked a remote off the mattress and turned on some slow jazz. Leaning back onto his elbows, he ran his gaze over me. “Undress.”

  I knew this game. It was his favorite. The command was a comfort, something familiar in a day filled with anxiety, since my scheduled suitor had abandoned me. I had watched the sun move across the sky, feeling my need grow. Unbuttoning my raincoat, I tossed it to the floor. I listened to the music and allowed the beat to pace my movements. Shirt, jeans and socks came off slow and easy. Each stroke of my hand over my skin intensified my yearning.

  All the while he watched, his eyes caressing my curves, so intent it made me ache.

  I unclasped the front of my bra and stalked toward the edge of the bed. The straps slid from my shoulders and down my arms, releasing my breasts. Cool air brushed over my wet skin and sent a shiver through my limbs.

  “You’re cold.” He offered me his hand.

  I climbed in his warm bed. Lying next to him, I ran my hand through his short, sunny-blond hair. “What would I do without you?”

  He chuckled. “Save those words for your other suitors.” Trailing a sharp fingernail over my breastbone, he drew a path to my belly button and teased the small ring pierced there. “What will you give me in exchange for tonight?”

  I blinked and tilted my head to see his face better. “What I always pay, my blood.”

  He shook his head. “I already fed and the price went up.”

  “Sin.”

  “Zur-Sin.” His dark gaze pinned me to the spot. Sometimes I forgot how old he truly was. The young-looking man lying next to me wasn’t from my generation and could be crueler than Lucifer when he wanted to be.

  I swallowed the cold lump of fear in my throat. “What do you want?”

  Bending over my nipple, he circled it with the tip of his tongue.

  I groaned and arched toward his devilish mouth, unable to control my traitorous body.

  Every three terrible days, I had to have an orgasm. My body wouldn’t stop until I did or I died. The more the need grew, the less control I had, until I was humping some poor schmuck in an alley. May that never, ever, happen again.

  “A business rival of mine is in town. Valerio Hunan. I hear rumors he’s thinking of staying. I need to know if he is and what his plans are.” He blew over the wet spot he’d created. It sent a sharp pang of desire straight to my core. “You can pra
ctice your grace and tact on him and then tell me what I want to know.” He rolled on top of me, pinning my hands to the bed.

  “I’m terrible at espionage. Ask my father.” I writhed under Sin. Not because I wanted escape, but to rub against his fine muscled body. The vampire was built to kill.

  He settled between my willing thighs and rocked. “Time to grow up, Pia.”

  “You’re such a tease.” I flung my head back in frustration. “Fine. Sex first.”

  He chuckled, dark and deep; the sound made my soul tremble. “Of course.” With his sharp nail, he scratched the inside of my wrist.

  I twisted to look at our hands. “What are you doing?”

  “This pact has to be sealed in blood.” He did the same to his wrist—

  “Wait…”

  —and pressed our wounds together.

  “Shit, Sin.” I yanked my hand away. “You can be such an ass.” If I broke a deal sealed in blood, he’d never help me again. I hated to admit it but Sin was my go-to guy for almost everything.

  “You didn’t think I’ve obtained my position on charm and good looks?” He leaned toward his bedside table and buzzed his intercom.

  “Yes, Master?”

  “Reschedule my appointments. I’ll be busy for the rest of the night.” He flipped it off, knelt between my legs and, with practiced ease, slithered out of his bottoms. Trailing his fingers over my damp panties, he finally smiled, exposing his deadly fangs. “Let’s make sure you’re well fed.”

  I wanted to kick him in the balls but the last time I tried such a dumbass move he’d spanked me. Hard. I couldn’t sit for a week.

  Hooking a finger under my panties, he dragged them off my hips until I lay bare under him. “Where should we start this time?” He nipped at my collarbone as he ran his hands along my torso and hips.

  “Sin.” His name dragged out of my throat. In a flash of desire my anger went poof. I’d find it tomorrow, tossed behind the bone-melting satisfaction he’d leave me in, and probably be too exhausted to care.

  He swept his fingers between my folds. “Always so wet for me, Pia.” With familiar aim, he pinched my clit, rolling it between his fingertips.