Starved for Love

by Annie Nicholas

  His grin turned weary as he shook his head. “Pia, Pia. It’s a wonder your father hasn’t married you off against your will. You obviously need management.” He pressed a chaste kiss to my shocked lips.

  Something sparked and ignited in my lower abdomen. Heat rushed through my body in a wave of ecstasy. I yanked away from the incubus. “Oh my God, what was that?”

  A hungry predator stared back at me through Valerio’s eyes. He jerked my head back, and gone was the chaste kiss as he plundered my mouth. His lips devoured mine, not letting me catch my breath, and the sweet taste of his tongue set my blood boiling.

  Holy crap. His hand traced along my inner thigh and slipped under my dress.

  I grasped his shirt and surprised myself by pulling him against me. Wherever our bodies touched, my skin tingled to the point of desperate desire. I’d gone from running away to sitting on his lap in minutes.

  God, he was good.

  The tips of his fingers brushed against my panties. He hesitated and started to retreat.

  What had I done wrong? He began this and he’d better damn well finish it. I tugged him back into my kiss by his thick, silken hair. A woman could spend the night just running her hands through the mess.

  With a groan, he launched into my embrace. His fingers no longer shy, he pushed the material aside and slipped them inside my pussy.

  Panting from his touch, I rocked my hips to his demanding rhythm. If I grew any hotter, I’d melt my underwear.

  He plunged his fingers deeper, bringing me to the brink. Energy bubbled into my chest from where it had formed in my abdomen and I cried out from the electrifying pleasure.

  The familiar flavor of the energy I’d created with Sin filled my mouth. It blazed as it traveled up through my throat into Valerio’s mouth as he drank from me, his eyes heavy with passion. The volume I spat into a vial for my father didn’t compare to what poured from me now.

  My orgasm tore a scream from my throat as Val rolled his thumb against my clitoris.

  The energy flow ceased and Val pulled his lips away but kept pumping his fingers inside of me, not letting the orgasm finish. “Say my name.” He spoke by my ear, his voice rough and demanding.

  “Valerio.”

  He thrust harder. “Again.”

  “Oh, Valerio. Please.” Wave after wave of delicious bliss washed over me until I lay limp in his arms.

  Crushing me to his chest, he stroked my hair. “That was unexpected.”

  A tremor ran through my limbs and my need peeked out. He’d stolen the energy I’d created with Sin last night. I sat up on his lap and smoothed my curls from my eyes. Standing, I braced my legs and faced him.

  His lips were swollen from our kiss, with a trace of blue glow—all that was left of my energy—lining his bottom one. They begged for more as he gave me a sensual smile. “Maybe I underestimated you.”

  I swung my right arm back and slapped the smug grin off his face. “You fed from me.”

  He tumbled from his chair onto the floor, his hand pressed to his cheek.

  “I worked hard for that and now it’s all gone. You thief.” I tried to kick him, but missed. “This is why I don’t trust males.” I’d never been with an incubus before. They were a minority among my kind, one born in every ten or so births, and those I’d met lacked…character. None had been skilled enough to trick me like Valerio and drain me dry. The empty pit in my stomach echoed with need, and the sensation of my energy pouring from me like a wave of pure carnal pleasure had left me a little shaky on my heels. I could understand why some succubi allowed themselves to be trapped in marriage. Just a little…

  Valerio’s eyes grew wider and so did his stupid grin.

  “Don’t you ever touch me again.” I stormed from the apartment and pushed past Hoel, who spoke with another succubus interviewee, and I confronted her. “They’re perverts.” I didn’t wait for the elevator and took the stairs, all twelve flights of them.

  Once on the street, a cold wind blew my short dress around my thighs. Great—I’d forgotten my fucking coat.

  Chapter Three

  Day one three of my cycle again

  I parked my car by the house and turned off the blasting heat. According to mortal laws, my sisters and I were considered adults, but my parents had other standards. To them, we were still kids finding our way and they wouldn’t let us move out.

  Dangers lurked for succubi, especially the young and stupid, otherwise known as me and my sisters. Aside from incubi hunters like Valerio cruising for wives, some male immortals wouldn’t mind a succubus pet. Sometimes I wonder if that’s why my father agreed to Sin’s demands on our contract. Who in their right mind would cross that vampire?

  How could I disagree with how my parents viewed me after today? Tricked and seduced, I now realized I was nothing more than a toy. I leaned my forehead on the steering wheel and sniffed, wiping the last of my tears from my eyes. The heat dissipated from the car’s interior and the cold seeped into my bones—but not as deep as Valerio Hunan.

  He’d fed from me and it had felt like nothing I’d ever experienced. I could understand the draw incubi had on succubi now, why their wives would be willing to share. Sex between an incubus and a succubus was the fulfillment of a symbiotic connection. I already found myself craving the sensation of Valerio feeding from me again. My teeth began to chatter.

  The crunch of tires on asphalt disrupted my pity party. I checked my rearview mirror and watched Rose, my oldest sister, exit a bright blue sports car parked behind my VW Bug. She skipped over and opened my door, yanking me out of the seat. “Look what I got,” she practically sang it out.

  When most people pictured a succubus, they imagined Rose. Long, wavy red hair fell to her perfect ass, and her unnatural Double-Ds defied gravity as she bounced in front of me. She’d inherited her mother’s tall, sleek form and could lean her elbow on the top of my head when she needed a rest.

  I followed the direction of her finger and made all the right admiring noises as I gazed at the vehicle. “Another new car? Who gave it to you?”

  “Does it matter? I’ll let you drive it if you want.” She hugged me tight, then pulled away quickly. “You’re freezing. Why aren’t you wearing a jacket?” She tugged off her faux fur coat and wrapped it around my shoulders.

  “Thanks.” I pulled it close and inhaled the scent of her perfume. A little of the ache in my chest eased. “It’s a very nice car.”

  She grinned. “Yes, it is. I’m sure if you’d ask Zur-Sin he’d buy you one, especially after last night.” Winking, she turned toward the red brick house and guided me to the door.

  I gasped. “How do you know?”

  “I have my sources and they say he canceled all his appointments when you showed up at his door unexpectedly.” She pulled me close. “I’m so proud of you.”

  I wasn’t feeling any pride. Rose didn’t know he only canceled his appointments after I agreed to visit the jerk-off incubus. She thought I’d gained power over Sin. Foolish sister; I doubt any female short of a goddess could twist the master vampire of Lake City into doing anything. That was the difference between me and Rose. She used her feminine power to get what she wanted. No one used her as a toy. She embodied the true values of a succubus—influence, command and supremacy over all males. Maybe that’s why Valerio didn’t want her.

  I wasn’t in any mood to make confessions. My self-confidence couldn’t take any more blows. Let her be proud of me. Somebody believing in me would be nice, even on false pretenses.

  I leaned against her. “Thanks, I think.” With a sigh, I followed her into our home. The smell of fresh baked bread enveloped us and we both breathed in deeply.

  “Beat you to the crust.” Rose removed her coat from my shoulders.

  “Go ahead.” I pulled the vial of energy I’d collected from
Sin out of my purse and shook it. “I need to see Dad.” If I drank the essence, I could postpone the need growing inside of me, but not for long. What was the point? Either way I’d have to jump some male soon, vial or no vial. I might as well do some good and give it to the person for whom it was intended. I wandered to the study while Rose raced to the kitchen.

  The moms baked once a week. We lived for that day. “Save me some, Rose!” I shouted at her retreating back.

  I wouldn’t call our home a mansion. When I thought of such places, I imagined sparkling clean rooms with immaculate furniture and servants following us with trays of snacks. We could live like that—my father was a very successful lawyer and head incubus of the city—but we lived like normal people.

  Overstuffed couches crowded the living room along with a TV and gaming system. I nudged a remote out of my path as I strolled farther into the house, past the nicked table in the dining room with our height charts penciled on the wall from when we were kids. My name remained the lowest on the list since I had never hit a real growth spurt.

  Knocking on the study door, I waited for permission to enter. Once, I’d walked in on an intimate moment and witnessed more bared flesh than I’d ever cared to see from my parents. Years later, I still couldn’t scrub the horrid image from my brain. Lesson learned the hard way.

  “Come in,” my father called. He sat on the leather sofa facing the hearth. The fire crackled and heated the room to perfection. “Pia.” He held his arms out as if I were still five.

  On any other day, I’d sit next to him and give him a stern look. Not today. I raced to them and leaned into the embrace.

  He grunted at the impact. “Hey, what’s wrong, baby girl?”

  The warmth of his arms and the love in his voice cracked my delicate façade of external composure. I buried my face against his chest and inhaled the scent of wood smoke and clean cotton. Tears burned behind my eyelids but I crushed them down. The last thing I needed to do was send my daddy on a tirade against an incubus he’d obviously invited to his city. “Nothing, I just had a rough day.” I faced him with a weak smile and handed him the vial, which he set on the side table without a glance.

  Pursing his lips, he gave me a scowl. “I heard John left you in a bind. I shouldn’t have let you convince me into agreeing to a contract with him. Demons are never reliable and as your suitor he has a responsibility to—”

  “Why is Valerio Hunan in town?”

  He made a disgruntled noise in his throat. “How do you know about him?”

  “Never mind how.” I still had a little dignity left. “Why didn’t you invite me to meet him like Rose and Adele?”

  “I didn’t think it wise. He’s looking for another wife and you’re not ready for marriage. Not to an incubus like Val. Your sisters, on the other hand, are.” He shrugged. “He’s not interested in either of them, which is a shame. He has a lot of business contacts and could help draw more work to the city, but there are other succubi in the area, and I granted him hunting rights. They’re coming from all over.”

  I scrunched my nose at the idea. What was so special about him? My father had refused other incubui’s inquiries about my sisters. Maybe about me, too? “It would be nice if you’d consult me on decisions concerning my future. I’d like to have some input. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll wake one morning to find a wedding reception waiting for me. When will you loosen the leash around my neck?” I tried so hard to be what Flynn Blyton wanted in a daughter, but my emotional survival balanced on a tightrope, one that wobbled constantly.

  Dad squeezed me tight and kissed my forehead before setting me next to him. He lifted the vial, popped the cork and sniffed. “Zur-Sin? I thought it would be Cooper.” He downed the energy like a shot.

  “Cooper’s out of town and you’re avoiding my question.”

  He raised an eyebrow at me. “I don’t like your tone, young lady. After everything we’ve been through, the condition we found—” He cleared his throat. “I’m not willing to take any risks with you, Pia. You’re too…sensitive.”

  “What you really mean is that you don’t want me falling in love again.” Some lessons were learned the hard way. My people viewed love as a weakness to exploit for their own means, but my parents had discovered it could also be used to bind a family. They loved each other dearly, which was rare between an incubus husband and his wives. How could they expect me to not want the same? I crossed my arms and glared at the fire, picturing both Sin and Valerio roasting over it. “Sin tricked me into meeting Valerio.”

  Dad grew still next to me. “And?”

  Leaning against my father, I drew what strength I could from him. No matter how old I was I’d always his baby girl and I relied on that. It was nice to have a foundation to support me because without him, I’d be rubble. “He fed from me.”

  “Against your will?” His voice rose as his aura darkened like a storm gathering over his head.

  Sometimes I wish my conscience would take a hike. I could lie and Valerio would be in trouble with my family, but to what end? Petty revenge for seducing me? My dad said he could use Valerio’s connections. I wasn’t that selfish. “Not really. I didn’t know what was happening until he was finished, but he didn’t force me.”

  He looked upon me, his stare heavy with concern. “Incubi like Val are sharks, Pia.”

  Shrugging, I played with the thin belt on my dress. “Besides you, I think they’re all predators.”

  He sighed and stroked my hair. “It’s supposed to be a wonderful shared experience. Not stolen or sad. Valerio is a fine husband. Your mothers report no complaints from his wives and he’s an outstanding businessman.”

  “Perfect for everyone but me.” I squeezed his knee. “You don’t have to worry. I didn’t like being used.”

  “You feed me. I use you.”

  “That’s different. I love you. I like providing for you.”

  “Well, in time, I’m sure the right male will come around, Pia.” He tugged one of my curls. “You understand we guard you because we care. I never want to watch you in such pain again. My old heart can’t take it.”

  “Dad.” I mock-punched him in the side. “I’ve grown up. Everyone will need to let go eventually.” I grinned to cover the realization that I regretted confiding in him. He’d worry more, which meant he’d tighten his grasp on my life. “Is Valerio here for any other reason beside wife hunting?”

  He laughed. “You can ask him at the luncheon tomorrow afternoon. We’re having a little get-together in the greenhouse to welcome him to the city. All the families will attend.” Every incubus and succubus of any influence would be in our home tomorrow. Yay, maybe I could stick a spork in my eye as an encore. “Don’t give me that face.”

  “I’m not doing anything.” I sucked in the pout.

  “You’re expected to attend. Try not piss off the wives. It took forever to get the wine stain off the wall last time.” He gave me the stern you-better-behave look.

  “I thought that was why the moms opted for a garden party. No stains left behind if someone tries to toss a drink my way.”

  “Pia.” He sighed. “Valerio wishes to move his operations to this city. He deals in pharmaceuticals and does a lot of export/import. It’s not an easy task and he’d be more centralized than in his present location, but Sin isn’t fond of him. So, he’ll need all of the families’ support to get the other races to back this decision.”

  “And Sin knows all about this potential business move?”

  “Yes, what has that vampire done now?” I could hear Dad grind his teeth as he waited for my answer.

  That could explain why Sin sent me into the viper’s nest unprepared. Tossing me, the local crazy succubus, on Valerio’s lap like some kind of bad joke. “He set up the whole meeting. I guess it was his idea of a welcome.” I toyed with the hem of my dress. “Do you
want me to go see Val again? He seemed to like me.”

  “No. If I thought marriage would do you any good, then you’d be wearing marriage bands on your wrists already.”

  This day sucked lemons. “You could have introduced me with Adele and Rose.” I wish I could be the daughter he deserved. I assumed a marriage to Valerio would have benefited my family greatly; otherwise my sisters never would have met him. I wasn’t an asset to my family.

  “So you could fret about it? Exactly how did Sin send you to meet Val?”

  Leave it to my dad to ask the last question I wanted to answer. I shrank into the couch, wishing it would swallow me.

  “Pia Marie, answer the question.”

  “He tricked me.”

  “He’s very good at that.” Dad stroked my hair and chuckled. “Did you know he tricked me once?”

  I glanced at him. “No.”

  “How do you think he got me to sign the blood contract I have with him concerning your feedings?”

  “I thought you wanted him as my suitor.”

  “I could think of better males but I trust Sin to be enough of an asshole so you won’t fall in love with him, and a deal is a deal, even one concerning my baby.” He messed my curls, the same kind on his head except he kept his cut very short. “You need to be careful with him, Pia.”

  “I know. I’m learning lots of lessons today.” They stung. I rose and escaped to my room in the house attic.

  Nobody wanted to live in the space since the ceilings sloped down. My sisters were both too tall. This area was my haven. I collapsed on a pile of large, worn throw pillows and picked up the phone.

  My need had grown steadily since leaving Valerio’s suite. I had to feed again, thanks to that selfish jerk stealing my hard earned energy, and I didn’t have a suitor available. John’s phone kept ringing as I prayed for him to answer. Where could the geeky demon be? Cooper didn’t believe in cell phones so that was a bust. I tossed the phone across the room.

  Now what?

  I wasn’t calling Sin. The price would be too high. The shreds of my dignity would need to heal before I could lie in his bed again. The need between my thighs grew worse and I squirmed, trying to soothe my growing desires. Soon any male would look appealing. I could ask my sisters for help and they’d be thrilled to paint the town red with me in tow. Then tomorrow morning I’d have to give some poor guy the don’t call me, I’ll call you speech. I hated when they clung or pleaded. Anger was easier to deal with, or indifference.