Defy Me: A Paranormal Demon Romance (The Demonology Series Book 2)

by Felicity Brandon

  “I-I don’t know what to say.”

  “Yes, you do,” I encouraged as I slid in behind her ravishing body. “Tell our master he is right. Tell him there is nothing better in all the world than this lust you have inspired.”

  She glanced over her shoulder, her lips twitching with amusement.

  “Go on,” I goaded. “Satan knows it is true. Be brave, little mortal. Tell him he is right. Tell him nothing compares to the electricity flow when our bodies fuse.” The hot blush I was growing to adore bloomed at her cheeks.

  “It’s all true,” she murmured, her focus flitting back to my master. “And if I helped in any way, I’m glad.”

  He roared with laughter, the noise sending Tara reeling back into my body.

  “She’s glad!” he repeated, fixing me with a gleeful stare. “How about that, Solomon? You pluck her from the very depths of her despair, and now, after only a few days, she is a changed woman.”

  “It is the power of sin, Sire.” My eyebrow rose. “It is transformative, even now.”

  “Indeed, it is,” he agreed, running his tongue over his teeth. “And now it is time I departed to create carnage of my own.”

  We stood for a moment, watching his wide grin, and slowly, he disappeared right before our eyes. In the end, all that was left were those searing eyes and that smirking face.

  Wherever she was, I hoped Cathy Bateman was ready.

  ***

  Tara

  Of all the incomprehensible things that had happened to me over the last few days, this was the most profound. I’d become accustomed to the way Solomon affected me, the way I succumbed to him—the way I’d chosen to cede—but Satan was quite another matter.

  I’d never chosen to be his. I never invited him in nor asked for his help, and I never expected to find myself in the presence of such a powerful demonic. Any doubts over his supremacy were resolved from that one encounter. His ability to not only manipulate my body, moving me around as though I was a plaything, but to control my mind as well was unquestionable. Under the intensity of his attention, it had been impossible to think of anything but him. Even Solomon wasn’t able to penetrate the electrifying hold, his master seemed to have over me, and that had been the most terrifying aspect of it. Until today, Solomon had been the most formidable presence I’d ever known, but now I knew better. As mighty as he undoubtedly was, there were creatures in this place who were older, sager, and stronger, and I’d been transported to the realm where they ruled.

  My throat dried at the horrific prospect.

  “You were impressed with my master?” Solomon’s inquiry stirred me from my musings, and I glanced up to find that tantalizing brow raised.

  “Yes,” I whispered. There was no point in deception with a being as influential as Solomon. “How could I not, Master?”

  He chuckled. “I suppose you are right. He is awe-inspiring.”

  “You’re not…” I hesitated, trying to think of the right words.

  “What?”

  “You’re not jealous, are you?” I held my breath, unsure how my audacity would be received, but I needn’t have concerned myself. Solomon broke into rounds of dark laughter, reaching to ruffle my hair as he replied.

  “Naturally.” He grinned at me. “As you say, how could I not be, but envy is not considered such a problem in these parts, except it is the remit of Master Beelzebub, and I am asked to govern wrath.”

  “Oh.” I smiled at his logic, completely baffled by the way he thought.

  Could I ever reconcile a place where sin was not only praised but proactively sought? It was so foreign to the one where I’d grown up—a world drenched with sin, but where hypocrisy ruled, and no one had the balls to admit the desires they indulged in.

  “You will adapt, little mortal.” His voice floated over me, once more answering a question I hadn’t vocalized. “I think you will find there are benefits to being so transparent about our needs. We can revel in them whenever we choose without consequences. There is fun to be garnered from that.” He grinned at the assertion, and right on cue as if he’d sent the imagery to my mind, hot flashes of the things he inferred burst into my brain, sending heat pooling at my core.

  “But there is even more if I want it—if we want it.”

  I turned my body to face him. Solomon had taken a seat in Satan’s place, and I, for my part, had settled at his right side, nestling against his shin like a needy puppy. It could have been a humiliating place to be with a mere mortal man, but with Solomon, my deference was natural—and excruciatingly hot.

  “What do you mean, Master?”

  His lips twitched as he propped himself up on one elbow and addressed me.

  “There is no denying my influence, little mortal, and you—you could become powerful in your own right.”

  Powerful how?

  I was too stunned to force the words from my lips, but Solomon heard them, nonetheless. The growing smile on his delicious lips confirmed that he had.

  “However I decide.” His gaze drilled into me with such ferocity, I wondered if he could see straight into my soul—the same soul I’d offered him for all time. “But know this, if that is the path we choose, you would sit at my right hand for all time, Tara.”

  “In Hell?”

  He laughed softly. “In this domain, yes, but also elsewhere. If you are strong enough, we could take the world apart.”

  My lips curled at the thought. After all the years of being the victim, subjugated and degraded, I liked the sound of that.

  I liked it a lot.

  “What could we do, Master?” I kneeled up, gripping his right knee as I probed, my heart picking up its pace again, but this time, it was excitement that evoked the change. His hand, which had fallen to my shoulder, rose to caress the side of my face.

  “Anything.”

  “Anything?”

  “Oh, yes,” he smirked. “Anything we wanted. We could topple governments and fill the power vacuums it created. We could trigger recessions and fold the entire economy you mortals cling to so futilely, or we could merely choose individuals and take them over. We could have an army of slaves at our mercy.”

  Solomon leaned closer, and I mirrored his action until our faces neared.

  “Anything is possible in a world such as ours, Tara. If you ride with me through the ages of time, I can show you how base and corrupt your kind are. I can prove how the God, so many of them idolize, either turns the other cheek or falls asleep on the job. Our possibilities are endless.”

  My eyes fluttered, matching the rhythm of my heart for a few seconds. In my whole life, I’d only ever wanted two things—to be free of Gavin’s greasy clutches, and when I’d eventually achieved that, everything had been focused on the need for vengeance. The idea there could be more had barely registered, and after giving myself to Solomon, I’d assumed that would be it for the rest of time.

  I would be his, and in doing so, there would be no room for my own wants.

  “You are wrong.” He shook his head gently, his nose brushing the tip of mine like a child. “Being mine does not mean you have to give up what you want—quite the contrary. In fact, I can offer you so much more than you had before. Tell me, Tara, what is it your precious heart craves? Now that the filthy cretin who hurt you has been dealt with, what desires burn the most brightly?” He leaned closer still, pressing a kiss onto my lips. “Tell me. Let me make it a reality for you.”

  I closed my eyes, pursuing his kiss with a caress of my own, skimming over his lips before I considered my answer.

  “Tara.” His hand shifted to my hair, fisting it lightly. It wasn’t enough to hurt, but it got my attention, and my eyes flickered open at once. “It was not lust I spoke of.”

  Biting my lip, heat rushed to my face. “I’m sorry,” I panted. “I just so enjoy your kisses, Master.”

  “And you shall have them,” he promised, his eyes flashing with renewed vigor, their hue much darker now we were in Hell. “But this is important. Once my
duty to Satan is complete, I would like to carve out a future for us, Tara.”

  “A future?” I drew away as far as his fist would allow me. “I never thought of it that way.”

  “How did you think about it?” he asked with a chuckle. “When you agreed to offer your body and soul to me?”

  “I…” Flushing, the painful truth began to dawn. I hadn’t thought. My only motivation had been getting back at Gavin—at any cost. I’d never considered my fate beyond that. My predicament hadn’t been important. I didn’t matter. Gavin had taught me that much, and I guess, even now, the old habits died hard.

  Solomon’s fist tightened in my hair.

  “I am going to break those habits.” His words were a soft, snarled promise. “I’ll give you everything and make sure you realize the most important person in your life is you.”

  “Apart from you, Master?” I mumbled, once more transfixed by the powerful look in his eyes and the swirling chemistry burgeoning between us again.

  “Yes.”

  He captured me, picking me up and sweeping me onto his lap in a heartbeat. I ended up straddling his muscular form, his arms wrapped around me, crushing me to his body.

  “Yes, apart from me. I will master you, and you, little mortal, you will be my inspiration.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Solomon

  Time spent in perdition was a ream of endless hours, infinitely more protracted than above with the mortals. It was one of the reasons I spent so much time walking with them. Things seemed more dynamic and fluid there, and of course, I enjoyed flexing my muscle over those I chose to oppress. My master’s absence had forced my hand, though, and once I began to reside in the dark realm, I realized there were many advantages to the experience.

  Everything here was more profound. Each cut felt more deeply, each caress more scintillating, especially for Tara. I had seen how she had grown under my tutelage, morphing from the floundering woman I found on her knees to a wanton one who waited for her master to work before he showered her with more attention than she could manage.

  Others of my kind had been an issue, and that was understandable. Tara had only come into contact with two demons in her entire life, and both of us had taken the time to manifest in human guise, but the same was not true for all demons. Most preferred to remain in our indigenous beast form, which, at best, was repulsive to mortals. I shielded her from the vast majority of my kind but could not protect her from them all. The six princes, in particular, paid no heed to my requests for assistance in the matter. Lucifer was especially determined on the issue, and his words echoed in my mind as I carried her back to my chamber after another intensive session of the council.

  “If she is to reside here in the abyss, you must take care of her, Solomon.”

  I meant to counter his point, but there was no time before he continued.

  “At the very least, you should tether her to you. If the mortal means as much as you say, she deserves that protection.”

  I grumbled a response but was irritated by his assessment. Not because it was unfair, but entirely for the opposite reasons. Lucifer’s appraisal had been pin-point accurate and existing in perdition with a mortal I gave a damn about had more than illustrated the point. While I’d had my cake and eaten it my entire existence, it was just possible I couldn’t do it this time. If I wanted to keep Tara for myself, I had to face facts—she would not only need my protection today—she would need it for all time. That suggested the ritual my master had talked of was the only sensible way to ensure she was safe, particularly here in the netherworld.

  “Master?”

  Her soft voice broke my brooding train of thought, and I stared down at her as we entered my chamber. Since she arrived, I transformed the space, creating a place more familiar to her needs and tastes. Where there were once only rocks, there was now the illusion of furniture—a bed I could fuck her over and soft cushions she could curl up on afterward.

  “Are you well? You seem preoccupied?”

  I smiled at her concern. Despite the numerous times I had told her to let those anxieties go, she refused to comply, even having the temerity to worry about me, as well as herself. Tara was endlessly fascinating.

  “I was just thinking of you.”

  She bit her lip. “Oh.” Her eyes widened. “Did I do something wrong, Master? I tried to stay still today.”

  A spike of renewed arousal soared through me at her plaintive whimper, a memory of her half-naked form kneeling obediently at my side while the princes talked, filling my mind. They had reverted to speak in tongues Tara would not understand, unconvinced of her integrity, but my masters need not have troubled. Tara was so full of trepidation for their hulking, deformed bodies, she dared not even glance up from her place at my feet, let alone try to rationalize any of the things they were discussing.

  “You did very well,” I praised, dropping her onto the soft covers of the bed below. “Much better than yesterday.”

  She blushed, reaching for her ass instinctively as I reminded her of the prior error. Yesterday’s council meeting had been largely overshadowed by her inability to keep still, each tiny fidget earning her a fresh swat over my knee as soon as the meeting had drawn to a conclusion. It was the first time I had spanked her in punishment, and despite her pleas to the contrary, her body had revealed just how much she enjoyed the deed.

  “I’m glad, Master.”

  “I bet.” I laughed, pulling at the shirt which covered my human body. The problem with this guise was it always begged to be clothed, and the garments did nothing but irritate me. “Although you did manage to rather revel in your chastisement.” My gaze drilled into Tara, daring her to defy me.

  “Yes,” she admitted in a husky tone. “I can’t say why, but yes, I did.”

  Flinging the shirt aside, I strode toward her. “And you want more of it.”

  It was not even a question. I sensed her excitement at the prospect, heard her scattering thoughts as she considered the notion.

  “I don’t want you to be cross with me,” she replied, fluttering those dark lashes as I joined her on the bed. “I don’t want to let you down.”

  “You have not,” I reassured her, grinning. “That is why I have decided you deserve a reward today, rather than a punishment.”

  “A reward, Master?”

  “Oh, yes.” I beckoned her with my index finger. “Another spanking, but this time, just for fun, and maybe, I will let you come, little mortal.”

  Tara had been brimming with need after yesterday’s discipline, but I had refused her the prize, watching as she sought solace in the way so many mortals do—with tears.

  “I’d like that.”

  She crawled in my direction, crossing the expanse of bedding. One flick of my wrist dismissed the bra and panties I dressed her in for the council meeting, and by the time she reached me, my little mortal was just the way I wanted her—completely naked.

  “Over my lap.” I settled at the edge of the bed, gesturing for her to drape herself over me. There was no hesitation as she complied, balancing on her toes while her fingertips grazed the fur rug at my feet on the other side. “Let us take a look at this beautiful ass.”

  Running my fingers over her orbs, I assessed her for injuries. I had not spanked her especially hard, but there was nothing of the woman. I had intended each swat to sting—to send her a message. It was oddly pleasing to find no trace of permanent damage. Usually, I relished the look of the harm I inflicted on a mortal’s flesh, but not with Tara. I wanted to keep her in good condition—feed her, groom her, and watch her grow under my nurturing hand.

  It was quite the perturbing experience.

  “How many times did your master have to spank you yesterday, little mortal?” I grabbed her ass, sliding my hand between her cheeks to the wet pussy I knew was waiting for my attention. “How many strikes did it take to teach you how to behave?”

  “One hundred, Master.” She practically winced at the memory. “I deser
ved it.”

  “Yes, you did,” I smirked. “You have, I assume, heard the old saying that you will burn in hell for your sins?”

  “Yes, Master.”

  “Well, in your case, Tara, that motto refers specifically to this delectable ass. These tantalizing cheeks will burn every time you disobey or displease me, but nothing more. You are too fine to see cast into flame. I simply will not allow it.”

  Shifting my free hand up the length of her flawless back, I lifted my palm and brought it crashing down against her upturned behind. Tara gasped, expelling the air in her lungs.

  “Do you understand?”

  “Yes.” Her tone was breathy—already—her body attuned to the fate it hoped awaited if she was compliant enough. “Yes, Master.”

  “Behold!” I laughed as I spanked her again. “My wonderful, obedient little mortal, come back for more punishment.”

  “Not punishment,” she corrected as I peppered her ass with a fresh flurry of swats. “You said I wasn’t being corrected today.”

  “Of course, you are right, little mortal,” I ceded, alternating my strikes one cheek to the other. My gaze darted from her reddening face, barely visible over my lap, back to her delicious backside. It was starting to color, the hue a pale pink as I increased the intensity of each smack, and I watched as the reverberation of another strike painted her pretty bottom.

  “This is not a penance. Like so many others, you are beyond repentance, little girl.”

  She groaned, the sound guttural as my words registered in her mind.

  “I am, Master?”

  “Oh yes,” I concurred, raining spanks over her behind. “Completely beyond it.”

  Lifting my right knee, I raised her ass higher and presented my palm with the perfect position to catch the underside of her ass with every swat. She gasped and moaned with each one, squirming under my touch as her thighs splayed wider.

  “Not only have you summoned a dark and powerful fiend from the netherworld, you have struck a bargain with him.” I struck her again, catching both cheeks at once. “Have you not?”