Things Forbidden

by Raquel Dove

  An odd chill ran down her spine as he said those last words. His smug expression told her there was more meaning behind those words than she thought.

  “What exactly do you mean, ‘our arrangement’?” she asked.

  “Again, I will be asking the questions,” he said. His lips cracked into a half smile and an ever so slightly pointed canine popped out, glistening softly in the moonlight. “However, since I am inclined to, I will inform you of the stupidity you have demonstrated.”

  “Stop calling me stupid,” she said, her voice tinted with hurt at the continued insults, even though she tried to hide it.

  “You actually offered me a deal,” he said, a ghost of a chuckle in his voice. “In all my years, I have never received a contract so easily. And such a lucrative one for myself.”

  She felt the blood drain from her face as his half smile spread into a full one. Things were starting to sound very bad for her, and the cocky grin on his face confirmed it. She had to ask. But oh how she did not want to. She wanted to curl up under one of the many rocks that littered the edge of the pond and die, far away from this frightening, intoxicating, devastatingly handsome…she mind-kicked herself again. These thoughts were entirely out of place in her current situation.

  “What ‘contract’?” she asked, furrowing her brows in concern.

  He was entirely enthralled and amused by this creature. The way her emotions flitted through her at such a neck breaking speed was so incredibly entertaining. He wondered if it was typical for humans to experience their emotions in such a manner. None of the ones he had ever dealt with were like this. He once again suppressed the itching thought that he shouldn’t even care, and definitely should not be enjoying her the way he was.

  “You offered me terms, girl,” he said, “and I accepted. It is a binding agreement.”

  “I didn’t sign anything,” she said. She crossed her arms across her chest, her face shining with self- satisfaction. There was no way he could hold her to anything if she didn’t sign something.

  “You don’t have to,” he said. He instantly appeared behind her, and once again reveled in the way she jerked at the unexpected move. But still, she didn’t step away from him. She stood her ground, and in a small way he admired her for that. She had more backbone than most males of her kind, which wasn’t exactly saying a lot.

  “Ok, look,” she said, turning around. She came nose to nose with him, and she realized a little too late that he was even more intimidating this close. She struggled to pull the words from her mouth, trying to muster up as much courage as possible. “I don’t have time to stand around here all night.”

  “You stated terms, I verified, and we agreed,” he said, his voice calm as he stared back at her. Their bodies were so close he could feel the warmth coming from her supple skin. It sent an odd wave of desire over him that he quickly forced himself to ignore. “You are now under a binding contract to me to, as you put it, satisfy my curiosity. Luckily for me, that is an extremely vague term.”

  “That’s not a contract,” she said, shaking her head. She wanted to step back, wanted to get away from the suffocating trance he put on her. But she would not. She would be stalwart in her resistance to him and not show any signs of weakness if she could help it.

  “But it is,” he replied, the smile once again forming on his lips. “It is a demon’s contract, girl.”

  She stared blankly at him as his words sunk in. Had he not looked the part of being entirely not human she would have laughed. But this was no joke, and the gravity of her situation was beginning to sink in.

  “What do I have to do?” she asked, her heart sinking into her stomach with each word. She was beginning to realize that he wasn’t going to be leaving her alone anytime soon.

  “You simply have to satisfy my curiosity. The contract will be fulfilled, and you will be released from any bond,” he said, his silver eyes searching every expression flashing across her face.

  “And what happens if I just walk away?” she said.

  “I believe you remember your unwelcomed visitor from our last encounter.” he said, an eyebrow cocked and a half smile on his lips. “The things I will be allowed to do to you will make that look like tame.”

  Chapter Four

  “Allowed?” she questioned. For a split second the upturned corners of his lips flinched. That was not something he had wanted to let slip, and now that she had asked, he was obligated to tell her. It was typical demon contract protocol.

  “Yes,” he said, not letting his disappointment show through his voice. “As things are, I am not allowed to harm you in any manner.”

  “Oh really,” she said, her lips curling in a smile. Now she knew she had the upper hand on him.

  “However,” he said, breaking through her momentary victory, “if you were to breach our contract…”

  His words trailed off and a chill went straight into her bones. She knew she had to ask, but she knew she didn’t want to know the answer. She could feel her heart racing in her ribcage. She swallowed hard.

  “Wha…what would happen if I breached the contract?” she asked. His eyes were constantly scanning her with such intensity it made her knees weak. He used his speed to suddenly appear behind her, leaving barely more than a sliver of air separating them. She was getting used to his movements, this time she didn’t flinch, and she mentally gave herself a pat on the back.

  He leaned into her, his lips stopping beside her ear. He said nothing, but she could hear his steady breaths, could feel the warm of his exhales on her neck. A strong arm wrapped around her midsection, and he pulled her tightly into his chest. She could feel the heat of his body even through the layers of clothes that separated them. She sucked in a sharp breath and held it, waiting for him to answer her question, or release her, or ravage her, or whatever the hell he was planning on doing. She just wanted him to stop toying with her.

  “I like you,” he said, his voice a deep whisper. His response was not at all what she had expected. She snapped her head back to look up at him, confusion and surprise twirling in her big blue eyes. He hovered over her, his grip around her waist strong. His lips parted and she could feel the heat of his breaths on her own lips. Her body tingled in anticipation, the hot flush that ran over her body making her want to melt in his arms. He reveled in the overwhelming scent of her desire, thoroughly pleased with her obvious attraction to him. His eyes caught hers as they teetered on the edge of a kiss.

  “It would be such a shame if I had to kill you,” he said, his words barely more than a mumble, but she heard them perfectly clear and it jolted her out of her daze. She pulled away from him, turning around to confront him.

  “Kill me?” she said. He could see the fright on her face and it tugged oddly at his chest. He brushed away the feeling, allowing his amusement to get the better of him once more.

  “If you breach our contract you will become indentured to me,” he said, the devilishly handsome smirk spreading across his face, “Break the contract and you become my slave. I can do with you whatever I see fit.”

  The true meaning of her thoughtless actions finally sunk in. She had in fact, done something extremely stupid. She cursed her reckless nature. She had to find a way out of this. There was no way she would be indentured to a demon, and judging by his behavior thus far he would most likely try to make that happen. She needed to know the rules to this thing if she was going to figure a way out of it. Maybe there was a loophole or something.

  “Ok,” she said, lifting her chin, hoping to appear more confident than she actually was. “If we have a contract, then I am entitled to know all the details that pertain to it.”

  “That you are,” he said. He figured she would eventually figure that one out. It was the first thing most humans thought of when they were trying to wiggle out of a contract. He technically was obligated to answer any question asked that had to do with the deal that was made. Though, being a demon of exceptional expertise, he had learned many ways to get aroun
d the many rules that he was held to. He reached into his jacket, pulling out a rolled up piece of paper. He held one end, letting the other roll open. It fell all the way to the ground and tumbled to her feet. She watched in shock as the blank paper lit up with letters of fire, and words were burned onto the paper. They were tiny words, and there were a lot of them. “If you would like to read them, be my guest.”

  With a jerk of his wrist the paper rolled back up onto itself. He held the scroll out to her, that same cocky grin spreading on his face.

  “Although,” he said as she reached out for the paper, “I would suggest you hurry. There is a time clause to our little contract, and as I’ve said, I am a very curious demon.”

  Chapter Five

  He began to circle her again, his eyes watching with a twinkle that completely unnerved her. She had to really think about her next move. This demon was tricky, and he was doing his best to trap her. What his true intentions were, she still could not discern.

  “What’s your name?” she asked. She wanted to know who she was dealing with. A sudden darkness clouded his features.

  “Do not ever ask me that,” he snapped. There was such malice behind his voice, such a sudden shift in his demeanor that it frightened her. “You will never know my name, girl.”

  He could see that he had scared the girl. It was not his intention, but that was something so guarded by every demon that to ask for it was the most offensive thing one could do. Not that the girl would know that. He realized she was likely only being curious. But to learn the name of a demon was to control that demon. And there were only two creatures in existence that had ever known his name, his mother and father. He intended to keep it that way.

  “I..I’m sorry,” she said, stumbling over her words, trying to understand what had so drastically changed his mood. She did not like his mirthful nature much, but his angry one was downright terrifying. She had seen what he could do, and even though he had told her that he could not harm her, she still did not want to make him mad.

  “Never mind that,” he said, pushing aside the insult. His features relaxed back into a playful smirk. “We should get started.”

  “Wait,” she said, her curiosity getting the better of her. “Don’t you want to know my name?”

  “I already know your name, girl,” he said, his characteristic smirk crossing his lips as he drew his words out seductively slow, “Zoe.”

  The sound of her name on his lips made her want to melt into a puddle on the ground. He was so captivating, his voice so smooth, that it took her a moment to register what he had just said. Her eyes blinked in rapid succession as her lips flopped open like a fish trying to form words.

  “How do you know my name?” she demanded, finally finding her voice. Her eyes narrowed on him as she put a hand on the curve of her hip.

  “I like to know who I do business with,” he said with a wave of his hand. He was so thoroughly enjoying the way her emotions ran wild in her. Going from scared, to curious, to brave all in the same breath.

  That wasn’t a very satisfying answer, but Zoe knew that was all she was going to get out of him. She sucked in her bottom lip, nibbling nervously on the edge as he continued to watch her with a burning intensity. The desire that was reflected in his smoky eyes brought a tickle to her stomach. He was like a tiger stalking its prey.

  As he watched her fidgeting under his steady gaze, he ran through his mind all the wonderful things he was going to do with this hypnotizing creature. He was going to take his time, as much time as their contract would allow, learning what it was about her that had him so enthralled. And if at all possible, maneuver her into belonging to him for the rest of eternity. But there was something he wanted right now that he couldn’t wait any longer for.

  His eyes trained on her lips as she chewed on one side with her dull human teeth. His nose picked up the sudden spike in her arousal and he stepped closer to her, closing the small gap between them. The smell mixed so deliciously with the natural note of amber in her scent. He could feel himself stir as she sucked in a nervous breath. His hand reached up to feel the soft skin of her round cheek with the back of his fingers. A subtle warmth radiated from her, making him want more, so much more. He couldn’t hold back his desires any longer. His lips came down, capturing hers in a heated frenzy. He had wanted so badly to taste her, and as his lips began to fight with hers, he was certainly not disappointed.

  His fervor caught her slightly off guard, as did her body’s reaction to him. Her mind screamed to push him away. To stop this. But her body was willfully compliant, heating to a feverish pitch at his increasingly rough touch. The heat throbbed between her thighs as he pulled her body tightly into his. She could feel the unnatural chest muscles beneath her palms begin to ripple as his hands roamed her body.

  Every sense he had was overtaken by her. Her skin was so soft and warm. Her smell was clean and innocent with the musky overtone of her intense arousal. Her taste was the most delicious thing his taste buds ever had the pleasure of experiencing. His fingers tangled in her honey hair, pulling her in closer. He felt himself harden, his excitement rising even higher as the girl responded to his arousal by pressing herself further against him.

  Then he felt the call, pulling gently on the back of his mind. He wanted to growl in irritation. He wanted to ignore it, but he knew he could not. He had to leave the girl now, or risk being discovered and very severely reprimanded. He may have a contract with her, but he had no intention of actually turning it in. It merely allowed him to do as he pleased with her and remain off the radar for it. A soft moan echoed in her throat, making it even harder for him to stop. There was nothing he wanted more out of his immortal life than to finish this current line of action. Unfortunately that would have to wait. The call was binding to all his kind, and no one dared ignore it, not even one as powerful as he.

  “That is enough for tonight,” he said through heavy breathes as he pulled away from her. He was pleased to see the small pout that formed on her lips at the abrupt stop.

  “Wait,” she said, snapping out of her daze with a blink, “There are more nights? That’s not what I signed up for. I want to be done with all this now.”

  “I will be seeing you soon, Zoe,” he said a cocky half smile on his face as he trailed a finger down her narrow chin.

  He disappeared from her sight in an instant and she released a heavy breath, feeling the weight of his presence lifting. She had to do something about this. There had to be some way she could gain the upper hand. The demon had a very particular way of dressing. That would be her starting point.

  Chapter Six

  Zoe’s fingers unconsciously dabbed at her lips as she tried her hardest to pay attention to the lecture. All she could think about was the kiss. The way his lips felt against hers, so firm and demanding. It was so wrong, she knew it was, but it felt so amazingly good. She could feel her cheeks blushing as she recalled his taste. He was so sinfully delicious. The way his presence left her knees feeling weak. The way her name sounded in his honeyed baritone of a voice. She could lie to anyone else, but she couldn’t lie to herself. She wanted more of him, even though she knew he was a very bad thing to want.

  “Ms. Carver,” the professor’s voice was stern as he cut into her daydream. “Is there something you find more interesting?”

  “No, Dr. Lawrence,” Zoe said, swallowing the lump of embarrassment in her throat as she sat up in her seat, trying to look attentive. There was, in fact, something she found much more interesting. “Sorry, I’m listening.”

  He gave her a disapproving scowl before returning to his lecture. Zoe looked down at her watch. The class had just begun, but it felt like he had been droning on for hours. She had to clear her mind of this demon. This class was important and the last thing she needed was another distraction. She was definitely going to have to do something this. When the class finally ended, she made her way over to the library. She had some research to do.

  #

  He was l
ate to the call, which was so unlike him. He had no new contracts, none that he intended to turn in anyway. On top of that, the council had gathered. He wanted to punch something. How could he forget about the Council? It was that girl. She had him so distracted, he couldn’t think of anything else. He should have known the minute he felt the call it was them, but he had let that completely slip his mind while he was busy spying on the girl.

  “Paris,” his long time co-worker said coming up behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder. “Where have you been all week? Chasing down a lucrative contract?”

  He looked back at his friend, Jackson. Paris, of course, was not his real name. Not knowing anyone’s name could get a little tricky, so most demons went by a nickname, usually based on where they were from. He was not actually from Paris, but he had worked hard to cultivate that belief. The less anybody knew about the real him the better. Jackson was originally from Mississippi. He liked to play the wealthy southern gent, and looked every bit the part. His golden hair was gelled and slicked backwards on his head, his face always freshly shaved into a tidy goatee. He even faked a heavy southern accent, drawing out his words and dropping his vowels.

  “I’ve been busy,” he replied, trying to avoid the question. He knew he didn’t have an answer, and he was hoping his friend wouldn’t push the issue further.

  “Busy, huh?” Jackson said with one eyebrow cocked in suspicion.

  Paris had no delusions. He knew Jackson didn’t believe him for one second. They owned an upscale boutique of men’s clothing in the downtown area together, and since opening Paris had not missed a single day. It was highly out of character for him to miss work.

  The shop was a comfortable cover story for their true identities. They were only visible in their true forms at night, and by day they looked every bit the part of a human. Most demons used this to their advantage, amassing vast fortunes over the centuries that they would live. Paris was no exception to this rule.