Seducing the Succubus

by Cassie Ryan

  Without warning, Lilith slashed out with the dagger.

  Sharp burning pain across the left side of Noah’s chest pulled a gasp from his lips and he glanced down to see a wide, bleeding cut across his left pectoral.

  Lilith slashed the dagger across her palm with a hiss and then laid her bleeding hand against his chest wound.

  The contact stung as her cool fingers closed against his skin, and Noah let out a slow breath of relief. “There for a second I thought you were going to turn me into an incubus.” He laughed. “I thought this was going to be something much worse than—”

  Crippling pain lanced through Noah stealing his words and bowing his body backward until he thought his spine would snap in two.

  Distantly he heard Jezebeth’s cry of concern as blackness closed around him.

  He waited for the blackness to smother the pain and steal his awareness . . . but his world became only the constant waves of throbbing agony.

  26

  Michael materialized just outside the tiny pub in Ireland, unnoticed by the small groups and couples who huddled inside their coats against the chilly evening as they went about their business. The smell of peat was strong in the air as well as various scents from the foods being cooked inside. Raucous laughter sounded in bursts over the Irish reel being played by a live band.

  Lucifer’s energy rolled out of the pub in an invisible wave of power, and Michael ducked through the door and scanned the packed tiny tables and the group of bodies clustered around the bar for the fallen one.

  Lucifer sat against the back wall, a pint of Guinness in his hand and an amused expression painting his patrician features. He must’ve sensed Michael’s presence because he glanced up at that moment and motioned the Archangel over.

  Michael sat, and a barmaid placed a pint of Harp on the table in front of him before slipping back into the crowd. “So much for going unnoticed during this time.”

  “You know as well as I that only those who are sensitive will even give us a second look. However, it does help to get enough notice to be served.” He raised his Guinness in a mock salute before taking a drink. “After all, we must enjoy all the pleasures the human world holds in case it’s not around much longer.”

  Michael bit back a growl of impatience. Lucifer had a way of grating on his last nerve—something all brothers seemed to have, but over the millennia, Lucifer had perfected it to an art form. “You asked me to meet you here. I’m assuming there was a reason?” he prompted.

  Lucifer motioned toward the motley crew of musicians who had begun to play a sad, slow ballad. “All work and no play. You really must learn to take time for yourself, Michael. After all, eternity can be boring if you never stop to smell the roses.” He reached for his beer again, and Michael reached out to stop him.

  “Spare me the temptation routine, Lucifer. I have neither the patience nor the time.”

  Lucifer met Michael’s gaze, the fallen one’s green eyes burning with intelligence. “On the contrary,” he said softly. “You have eternity, regardless of what happens here in the human world.”

  Michael cocked his head to one side and raised his brows. “Ask me.”

  Lucifer’s lips slowly curved into a smile, and his expression suddenly lost all artifice, reminding Michael of the Archangel before he’d betrayed their Father and been banished from Heaven. Michael bit back a sigh of old memories and regrets and waited.

  “All right.” Lucifer drained the rest of his beer and set the empty glass on the table, waving away the waitress who had come forward with a refill. “What are His thoughts on all of this?”

  Michael had expected some form of the question, just as Lucifer asked every time they met. Lucifer, the son, had rebelled and would wait for eternity for their Father to extend forgiveness and ask him back into the fold. What Lucifer still didn’t understand was that his actions had been forgiven as soon as they had been made. Lucifer only needed to repent and he would be welcomed back. Michael was beginning to think the standoff would last indefinitely. He’d seen the pattern repeated in the human world again and again—fathers and sons really were patterned after their divine creator. He shook his head and sighed.

  “He simply said all will be as it should.”

  Lucifer’s green eyes flashed with annoyance, and he clenched his jaw. “Which says nothing.”

  “And everything.” Michael stood. “Is there anything else?”

  “The last two journals have yet to be placed, and the next succubus has been found.”

  Michael nodded.

  Awareness trickled back slowly.

  The first thing Noah noticed was the lack of pain. He’d become so used to the white-hot agony over the past countless hours that his nerve synapses seemed almost confused by the total lack of discomfort.

  He took stock and realized he was warm, comfortable, and lying on something soft. All his toes and fingers worked and seemed to obey his commands.

  So far so good.

  The soft scent of pomegranate and honey teased his senses, and Noah fought through the last of the languid haze holding him to force open his eyes.

  The sight of Jezebeth’s smiling face looming over him was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and cool relief slid through him.

  “Noah!” She rained wet kisses over his face, murmuring words he couldn’t quite catch as he realized she was crying.

  He wrapped his arms around her and in a quick move, rolled them both over, gaining a laughing squeak from Jezebeth as he captured her mouth with his. She tasted sweet and warm as she returned his urgent kisses, wrapping her arms around him as if afraid he would suddenly disappear.

  Noah’s cock hardened as he realized he was naked. The erotic sensation of his bare skin brushing against Jezebeth’s jeans and thin top sent heat roaring through his veins. He buried his fingers in her silky hair, pulling off the band that held it back in a ponytail and tossing the small elastic ring aside while continuing to kiss her with frenzied need.

  He stripped away her clothes, baring her until there was nothing between them but skin and the red amulet that Lilith had given her, that she wore around her neck. Her heat burned into him like an erotic promise, and he shifted on top of her so he could slide his cock inside her tight warmth.

  The exquisite friction seared through him as he slid deep and his pelvis pressed snug against the soft lips of her labia.

  He broke the kiss as a long moan sounded in his ears. It took him a moment to realize the sound hadn’t just come from Jezebeth, but also from him.

  She arched under him, her nails digging into his back—sharp stings that only increased his urgency as she captured his mouth again. She nipped at his lips, and he began to move inside her.

  She moved with him, tightening her thighs around him with each thrust and loosening to let him pull out until he drove inside her again and again. With every movement his chest pressed against her breasts, the teasing hardness of her nipples stroking him in time with their movements.

  Urgency built between them as Noah lost himself in the sensations between them. Jezebeth’s scent surrounded him, her soft skin and warm heat enveloping him, teasing him, soothing him. As she slowly tightened around him, her breathing came in sharp pants in between the small, urgent sounds that spilled from her throat and into his mouth, driving him faster and harder.

  When she cried out, her teeth clamping down on his shoulder, the liquid warmth of her orgasm spilled around him and he pis-toned inside her, the extra slickness driving him over the edge to his own release.

  He spasmed inside her, his balls squeezing tight against his body as his release jetted forward, sending shooting fire along every nerve ending with a backwash of pure liquid warmth.

  When reality returned, he was still on top of her and inside her, bracing his weight off her with his forearms.

  She smiled up at him, a languid smile stealing across her expression. “Still alive I see.”

  He laughed as he realized he hadn’t stoppe
d to ask if Lilith’s gift had kicked in yet before he’d rolled Jezebeth over and slid inside her. “I suppose so.”

  She brushed his hair away from his forehead, her cool fingers skimming gently across his skin. “You were right.”

  He frowned and cocked his head to the side, trying to understand what she meant.

  “You said alive was a good look for you . . . and you’re right.”

  Noah laughed again and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck until she squirmed and laughed. “Only good?” he said against her skin, enjoying the sensual shudder that ran through her.

  She gently scraped her fingernails down his bare back, sending a quick line of gooseflesh marching over him, and he raised his head with a laugh. “Don’t get greedy. I’m just glad you’re all right. You really had me worried there for a while.”

  A raw memory of the ongoing searing pain flashed back to Noah and he winced. “What happened?” He swallowed hard and then finally asked the question he’d been avoiding thinking about since he’d woken. “Am I an incubus now?”

  Jezebeth’s lips curved and she shook her head. “No. Totally human. Although with both Semiazas’s and Lilith’s blood inside you, you’ll have some immunity to both incubi and succubi as well as some demons, not to mention the extended lifespan—although no one is sure by how much.”

  Noah blew out a slow breath, relieved for some reason that he’d retained his humanity. The lifespan question didn’t bother him. After all, he’d never known exactly what his original lifespan was, so who was he to quibble over a longer one? “If I get to spend it with you, then I don’t care how long it is. I’ll treasure every minute.” He leaned down to brush his lips over hers.

  When he raised his head, tears glistened in Jezebeth’s eyes. “I never thought I’d fall in love, let alone with a human.” She absently ran her fingers over his bottom lip and he kissed her fingertips, making her laugh.

  “I’m glad you waited for me.”

  “I don’t think you can wait for something you don’t know is coming. But I do think we were meant to find each other.”

  He smiled and nodded. “So, what happens now? How soon will your sisters find their way here?”

  She shrugged, an odd motion since she was lying on her back beneath him. “The faster the better. But I think Lilith has some errands in mind for us while we wait.”

  He shifted, and his cock hardened again inside her.

  Jezebeth gasped and tightened her thighs around him, pulling him tight against her.

  “Do you think those errands can wait for a while? I’d like to enjoy my newfound immunity.”

  A low, smoky chuckle rumbled out of Jezebeth’s throat. “I think you’d better. I’m a succubus in need of sustenance from my, what did you call me back in Lilith’s lair? Your mate?” She nodded, answering her own question. “Yup, ‘mate,’ that was it.”

  She grinned up at him as she threaded her fingers in his hair and pulled him close until his lips were so close to hers they shared breath. “I need sustenance from my mate.” She brushed her lips over his. “I love you, Noah.”

  He answered her with a kiss that made her head spin as their energy twined together between them. Only when she was breathless and panting did he pull back to look at her. “I love you too, Jezebeth. My very own succubus.” Noah grinned.

  Turn the page for a preview of Cassie Ryan’s next Sister of Darkness novel . . .

  THE DEMON AND THE SUCCUBUS

  Coming soon from Berkley Sensation!

  “Not what I expected. But a lovely prelude to our relationship.”

  Sunk deep in a relaxing hot bath, Amalya glanced toward the doorway to find a stunning stranger in a very expensive Italian suit devouring her with an amused, hazel-eyed gaze. Irritation and surprise warred inside her and she bit them back. “I’m sorry. Did we have an appointment, Mr.—” She remained in her reclined state with her head resting back against the bath pillow and her arms resting along the sides of the ridiculously large claw-footed tub, waiting for him to fill in the blank as she mentally reviewed her calendar.

  There were no appointments for today, and the Madame hadn’t informed her of any pop-ups, which was why she’d slept in this morning and was now lounging in the tub.

  After all, even succubi liked to relax on their days off.

  “Levi.” His rich voice, with its definite upper-crust British accent, softly echoed around the spacious bathroom as he walked forward uninvited. He grinned as he crouched and reached out to rub some strands of the long blond hair she’d pinned on top of her head in between his fingertips. “Soft and lovely.” His inflection told her he meant more than just her hair.

  Surprised at the man’s bold actions, Amalya resisted the urge to define her personal space. Instead, she mentally shifted into work mode.

  She cocked her head to the side and reached out to touch his hair in the same manner he had hers, smiling when he raised his brows as if she’d surprised him. His hair was soft to the touch, the color of rich milk chocolate, clean-cut but longer on the top where it fell over onto his brow. She traced one finger down his sideburns, which were long and ended even with the bottom of his earlobes.

  He was definitely good-looking, attractive, with a strong jaw and rich hazel eyes that sparked with amusement.

  He intrigued her.

  A glowing aura of nearly white energy surrounded him like a pulsing mist. Amalya wasn’t in need of energy, having just entertained a client last night, but this man’s presence tasted human with an undertone of something exotic she couldn’t quite place. Her skin began to ache—the succubus equivalent of a stomach growl, telling her he would give her a surge of energy better than any she’d had lately among the stream of humans and lower-level supernaturals. Not to mention he intrigued her, and she had a feeling she would very much enjoy spending some time with this mystery man.

  Everything that made it well worth working on her day off.

  “So, what did you expect . . . Mr. Levi?” she asked with a small smile.

  “Levi is my given name.” His gaze devoured her face as silence fell between them as if he were trying to put his thoughts into words. “Perhaps someone older?” His lips quirked up at the edges.

  A lie.

  Amalya bit back a smile. Each succubus had a gift, and hers was being able to discern truth from lies. Not the most powerful gift among her people, or even her three sisters, but one she’d grown to rely on over the millennia—and millennia was how long she’d lived.

  From the way Levi’s eyes sparkled, he knew it.

  His grin widened as he slowly stood and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. “The Madame gave me this.” He held up a black old-fashioned ladies’ fan, and a spurt of surprise threaded through Amalya that she hoped hadn’t shown on her face.

  Each different color of fan represented what the client had paid for and what they expected from their time with her. It was a very simple tool that kept all talk of money out of the bedroom, and part of a philosophy that had made The Sinner’s Redemption one of the most profitable legal brothels not only in Nevada, but in the world. The black fan meant this man had paid with an open account and he had deep enough pockets to cover whatever he wished to go on inside this room or out.

  “My apologies, Amalya. I’ve caught you off guard.” He bowed from the waist as if they were in Victorian England, but the intense gaze that bored into hers held no apology, only delight, intrigue, and anticipation.

  “Not at all,” she lied, glad most others didn’t share her gift. “I must not have received the Madame’s message to expect a client. If you’ll give me a moment, I’ll get ready.” She sat up and braced her hands on the side of the tub so she could stand.

  “Don’t.” His voice sounded like more of a request than a statement, and she stilled and glanced up at him.

  He laid the fan aside and crouched again next to the tub, making the room feel very small as he loomed next to her. “Please don’t be angry with the Mada
me, she didn’t know of my arrival until just a few minutes ago, and I asked her not to disturb you.” He smiled—the first genuine smile she’d seen from him—which made him look younger and more vulnerable. Now that she’d seen the real man behind the mask, he’d never be able to fool her with his masked expressions again. “And now I’m glad she didn’t.”

  Amalya sensed no danger—no special succubus talents needed. Pure female intuition honed over a long life. Not to mention that Jethro, her longtime friend and the bodyguard at The Sinner’s Redemption, wouldn’t have let Levi through if he were any danger to her.

  Amalya had been in Hell’s version of the witness protection program for just over seven hundred years. She couldn’t afford to let down her guard when the demon she’d helped lock away still had plenty of contacts within the human realm and would relish the chance to torture her and her sisters for the rest of eternity.

  She searched Levi’s face, finally meeting his deep gaze squarely. Pure logic told her there was something more to him than a rich playboy who wanted some time with her. “What can I do for you, Levi? Really.”

  “It’s what I can do for you that brings me here.”

  The truth of his cultured words hit her like a slap before he stood and took off his suit jacket. “Do you mind if I join you? It seems a shame to waste a perfectly good bath, don’t you think?”

  Amalya wanted to make him explain his odd statement, but figured he’d get around to it in his own time. Years of isolation from her sisters and her own kind had taught her patience.

  She studied Levi and debated saying no. She’d never let anyone join her in the bath before—for her, baths weren’t sexual. It was a silly distinction for a succubus to make since she’d had partners in just about every other scenario, location, and position before. But there was definitely something about this man that intrigued her and made her want to share even this private sanctuary with him.