Games Demons Play (Mystic Isle, Book 3)

by Selena Blake

  “I prefer baths,” she said in that sweet accent he loved so much. “Except for washing my hair.”

  He started to offer his help but snapped his lips shut. Quickly, he sat the goblet on the edge of the tub and turned away. If he helped her, so much as touched her, he was going to lose his self-control. And for once in his life, there was something more important than a quick fuck.

  “Do you play?” she asked. Then she moaned. “Good cocktail.”

  He halted in the doorway. “Play?”

  “Cards. Blackjack? Poker?”

  He ran a hand through his hair. When he’d been working his plan out in his mind, he’d imagined having this conversation… fully clothed. But at this point, the scene before him was far too intimate. Dangerous to his plan for a slow seduction. Get to know her, abolish her wariness.

  “I used to.”

  “Were you any good?”

  “Pretty good.”

  “Maybe you can give me some tips.”

  He closed his eyes. Oh, Izzy. His sweet, little Izzy. She didn’t know what she was asking. He could teach her how to play cards all day and all night. Beat her opponents. Learn anyone’s tell. Seduce them. Distract them. Best them.

  But she would never beat him.

  “Sure. But you should rest first.” And hopefully by the time she was well-rested he’d have figured out how to win the game and the woman.

  “Shade?”

  Her voice stopped him.

  “Yeah?”

  “Would you sit with me?”

  He turned and looked at the large tub full of steaming water, bubbles, and beautiful naked woman. The tiled edge was plenty wide for him to sit, even stretch out and relax. But being that close to her would surely cost something. His sanity perhaps. Because right now, all he wanted was to join her, pick up where they left off in the bedroom.

  “It is okay. You are probably busy. I am sorry I keep interrupting…”

  He closed the distance in three steps. She had it all wrong. But he liked that about her. Her conscientiousness was refreshing. “You’re not interrupting.”

  She was so cute when she frowned. Like an upset fairy. Only she was a vamp. Ridiculously young.

  “How old are you?”

  Her frown disappeared and her features twisted as if she didn’t want to answer. He lifted an eyebrow, waiting. “Two.”

  “And before you were turned?”

  “Twenty-two.”

  That explained her youthful exuberance and lack of self-control. Ahh, to be that young again. Some of his best pranks had been in the early years when he’d been too stupid to know any better. Paris might give you rose-colored glasses, but youth made anything seem possible.

  She sank deeper into the water. Her toes peeked through the bubbles near his end of the tub. “Why? How old are you?”

  He grunted. “A lot older than you.”

  “Theese is one thing I like about immortals. Age does not matter. It is just a number.”

  Her delicious accent wrapped around him, captivating him. He was used to a great many cultures, had heard all kinds of accents, but he never grew tired of the exotic. The different. And hers, a mix of two, was like candy to his ears.

  “Where are you from?”

  Warmth flooded her cool blue eyes. “Russia.”

  “You drove that car all the way from Russia?”

  She laughed. “No. I live in France now, with my coven mates.”

  What a smile. So impish. Captivating. The kind of smile he wanted to see next week, next year, and every day in between.

  “So you drove a car you don’t own from France to Germany, in the middle of the night. Crashed it. And now you’re half a world away, trying to win enough money to buy a new car.”

  “Or fix it.” She nibbled her lower lip.

  Damn, she was adorable. Where had she been his whole life? And why did he feel like he was about to kick a puppy? “I’m afraid there’s not going to be any fixing it, mausi.”

  “No?” Her blue eyes lost some of their heat, their brightness and her bottom lip quivered. Not much, but he caught the tiny movement anyway.

  “No. My mechanic called me earlier.” He hated being the bearer of bad news, but she deserved the truth. She’d have to do very well in the tournament now. “It’s totaled.”

  She stared at him for three heartbeats and slowly slid beneath the water. Bubbles quickly filled the void.

  Chapter Nine

  Shade had expected tears, a wobbly chin, or even a groan. But seconds ticked by and she didn’t resurface. What was she doing down there?

  Sure, the car was gorgeous. He had the latest model in his garage. But this amount of stress… there had to be more to the story.

  “Izzy.”

  He couldn’t help but want to soothe her wounds. It was a new feeling for him. He didn’t consider himself a callous person. But he didn’t offer hugs or warm fuzzies either. He didn’t pick up after other’s messes. He didn’t offer assurances and a helping hand. Those things weren’t his style.

  But her…

  She was impossible to ignore. He felt her pain and suffering on a level he’d never experienced. And even though he could tell himself how silly it was to be upset over a machine, he understood that her anxiety was real. The car mattered to her.

  And she, Lucifer help him, mattered to him.

  He reached into the water, felt around until he grabbed an ankle. She kicked, water splashed his shirt and she surfaced. Coughing, she wiped a mop of wet hair out of her eyes. Even in the dim light, he could make out every glorious detail. Thank Lucifer for extraordinary night vision.

  “Trying to drown yourself, little one?”

  She sputtered.

  He didn’t let go of her ankle.

  “You’re wet,” she murmured, her lips barely above the water.

  Looking at him like that, she reminded him of a siren calling to him. Singing a song that was sure to run him aground. He was in deep. Too deep. The little vixen in his bathtub had him firmly ensnared. Did she even realize it?

  “Your fault,” he told her.

  That sweet little rosebud mouth turned up in a seductive smile. She lifted a hand until her fingers were above the surface and then she smacked them against the water, creating a tiny splash.

  “Careful, engel. You’re dealing with the six times World Champion in Tub Splashing.”

  That earned him a giggle. The sound pierced his heart. So that was it. The last straw. The sound that sealed the deal. If there’d been any denying his heart before… it would not be denied now. A bubbly little laugh that he wanted to hear at least once a day for the rest of eternity. And more importantly, he wanted to be the man who made her laugh. Who brought the smile to her face and mirth to those beautiful blue eyes. Who kissed her lips and made love to her day and night.

  She splashed again, harder this time and a droplet hit his sleeve. He let go of her ankle and splashed back. Eyes bright with mischief, she used two hands and doused the front of his shirt.

  “Oops.”

  That accent…

  “Oops?” He grinned down at her. “I’ll show you an ‘oops,’ sweetheart.” With that, he skated his palm across the surface of the water, covering her with a wave.

  She laughed and splashed him back. The war was on. Thirty seconds later his jeans were wet. There was a puddle on the floor and they’d both dissolved into laughter. During their fight, he’d slid closer to her.

  “Truce,” he called.

  She grinned and stared up at him for several long seconds. Then she let her gaze drop, sweeping over him. Her smile relaxed until just the corners were turned up. There was a brief nod of her head as if she’d made a decision about something.

  “I like you, demon.” She seemed satisfied with that discovery.

  Some of the tightness in his chest eased at her declaration.

  “I like you too, vamp.” That, of course, was an understatement.

  She had a cluster of bubbles above
her eyebrow, and he couldn’t resist brushing them away with his thumb. Her lashes brushed her cheeks as she closed her eyes. Was it his imagination or did she lean into his touch?

  He cupped her cheek and she nestled against his palm. Nope. Not his imagination. He was losing his self-control. Touching her made him want to touch her more.

  “Izzy…”

  “Mmm huh?”

  Slowly, she opened her eyes and glanced up at him through those thick golden lashes. He felt a punch to the gut and it snapped the last thread of control. Maybe this was exactly how it was supposed to go.

  Tightening his grip, he bent down as he pulled her up out of the water. He needed to feel her lips beneath his. Opening for him. Proving that this wasn’t some fantastic dream.

  Her hands circled his forearm. There was no hesitation in her as she lifted her lips to his. As their lips met, her eyelids drifted shut. It was a whisper of a kiss. Testing the fit. Like two pieces of a puzzle. How had he known that would be the case?

  He must have passed her test. A delightful little moan rang in his ears. She kissed him back, her grip tightening on his arm as she held herself out of the water.

  He closed his eyes, losing himself in the feel of her. Such a small area to be touching, and yet the most erotic. Each kiss led to the next. Harder. Deeper. Faster, until he was dizzy from lack of oxygen.

  He severed the kiss and tipped his forehead against hers. Her icy-blue gaze had melted, and the smoldering brilliant blue glowing up at him stole his breath all over again. She sank slowly back into the bubbles, looking both shell-shocked and pleased.

  They stared at each other for several long, silent moments. Rubbing the tip of her finger over her lips, she looked as stunned as he’d felt. Her lips were opened ever so slightly, rounded, as if she were about to utter an “oh my.” Never had a kiss felt life-changing. Earth shattering. And the beginning of forever.

  Her shiver was unmistakable.

  “Are you cold?”

  “A little.”

  He grinned and held his palm to the surface of the water. Bubbles parted like the infamous Red Sea and the water molecules started to heat, then steam. She watched the water, her attention unwavering, her eyebrows high.

  “It is getting warmer,” she said in that cute accent.

  “That’s the idea.”

  Her lips parted more and he felt a kick to his solar plexus. Did she have any idea how sexy that was? What sort of mental pictures it put in his mind? How hard it made him?

  “You...” She licked her lips and he groaned. The sound didn’t alarm her. She met his gaze, a look of awe and hope in her eyes. “You can warm me, yes?”

  Oh, honey. She could have no idea how the innocent question pleased him. But it tortured him too. He didn’t trust his voice so he nodded.

  She smiled the slow but sensual smile of a woman gaining confidence. Coming into her own. Then she sat up, her perfectly round breasts peeking out of the bubbles as she crossed the tub to him. When she knelt before him, a trail of wayward foam slithered down the valley between her breasts, across her flat stomach, and stopped at her navel.

  He swallowed.

  Her eyes tracked the movement. His hands itched to pull her from the tub and take her on the hard, cold tile. But he held himself immobile, terrified he’d scare her. That brought him up short because he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been scared of anything. Not even when he’d bargained with Lucifer for his soul.

  But here he was, sitting on the edge of a bathtub, staring down a gorgeous young vamp, fear trickling through him like an IV drip. He had to let her take the lead… for now.

  She placed her hands on his chest, her eyes taking in every inch of him. Her inspection stopped at his lips and she leaned forward, kissing him there. Just a light touch before she moved to his chin. Then she trailed her lips across his jaw.

  He closed his hands around her waist, marveling at how small she was. But she didn’t feel fragile, compact rather. And strong. Like a ball of muscle just waiting to be flexed. Unable to help himself, he pulled her flush against him. Water droplets soaked his shirt as her breasts flattened against his abs.

  She nipped his earlobe and a jolt of desire zinged along his nerve endings.

  “Izzy…”

  “Yes?”

  He could hear the smile in her voice. “You’re messing with fire, sweetheart.”

  She nipped his chin next. “I know. I like it. I like you.”

  She kissed him, hard, opened her mouth immediately.

  Hot openmouthed kisses were hands-down his favorite. Arms wrapping around his shoulders, she dueled his tongue with her own. She moaned, and he absorbed the sound, relished it.

  He returned each kiss, his hands roaming over her back, then down to cover her ass. She was a vocal little thing. The sounds humming out of her were music to his ears.

  Then her fingers joined the mix, working the buttons on his shirt. He leaned away from her just enough to give her space to maneuver. Ever so gently, she tugged on his lower lip with her teeth. He admired the control she had over her fangs even as he felt another jolt of lust.

  Moaning, she ran her palms over his bare chest, twin planes of ice.

  “Warm me up, demon.”

  Before he could reply, she flopped backward, pulling him on top of her. They splashed into the water and she laughed as bubbles sloshed over the edge. Shocked, he barely managed to put a hand out to keep from dunking her completely.

  She didn’t share his alarm. Instead she kissed his throat, chin and jaw. He tucked his legs and sought a more comfortable position.

  “Mmm. The water is already warmer.”

  He felt her fangs rake over his skin. Shifting their positions, he rolled, his shoulders colliding with the end of the tub. He cradled her against his chest, and used his hands to slowly warm her skin. She continued a steady stream of moans and sighs as she explored him with her lips.

  “Theese is in my way,” she said, tugging up the hem of his shirt. Her cool fingers skimmed his abs. “I want you naked.”

  He grinned. “Your wish is my command.”

  The massive tub shrank in its roominess as they unbuttoned, unzipped and shimmied his soaked clothes off until he was as naked as she. She slipped between his thighs and plastered herself to his torso, a delighted purr vibrating from her chest. He closed his hands around her waist, holding her close. He shouldn’t have been surprised that his fingertips touched behind her back. She was a tiny little thing, but full of sass and fire.

  “That is better.” She nipped his chin.

  His erection strained against her belly, wanting inside her. “That depends on your definition of better.”

  “You promised fire,” she whispered.

  “I did.” Coasting one hand down over her ass, he squeezed.

  She moaned against his lips. “I am ready to feel it.”

  He let heat rush to his palms. Then used hot fingertips to draw circles over her skin. She shivered against him and her nipples grazed his chest.

  “I like that.” She licked and nibbled her way up to his right ear, each caress tightening his gut. “Being a vamp is cold.” He could tell there was something else she wanted to say but she didn’t.

  “Lucky for you, I can always make more heat.”

  She pulled back and gave him a thousand megawatt smile.

  Bracing her palms against his chest, she straddled his hips. He used the position to his advantage and slid a palm down her stomach to cup her mound. Moaning, she rubbed herself against his hand and he felt the uber slippery juices.

  “You’re so wet, engel. Do you want something?” He couldn’t help but tease her. Loved the unfocused way her eyes settled on him and then closed. He slid is other hand up her body, over a hardened nipple and closed gently around her throat. Those azure eyes widened for the briefest of seconds before she focused on him. He felt the intensity all the way to his toes.

  Vamps were extra cautious about their necks and since the
y survived by feeding from the neck, it was no surprise. What surprised him was that she didn’t utter a single concern about the placement of his right hand. No, she simply ground her cunt against his other hand, further coating it in her juices.

  He explored her with his fingertips, and she sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. “Oh…”

  “You’re so sexy. You know that, right? That little sound you make.” He wanted to eat her up. Take her into the bedroom and spend the rest of the day kissing and licking every last inch of her delicious little body. He wanted to find out which crevices were most sensitive, which ones turned her on the fastest, where she was ticklish.

  Her gaze was unfocused again, far-off and dreamy.

  With one finger as deep it would go in her tight little pussy, he used his thumb to rub her clit. Slight, almost there touches. Tiny caresses guaranteed to drive her wild.

  It worked. Not ten seconds later she was whispering his name, curling her nails into his chest.

  “What is it, mausi?”

  “More.”

  “More what?”

  “More everything.”

  He laughed softly. “I have something bigger, if that’s what you’re after.”

  She made a sound in the back of her throat that sounded awfully close to a purr. “Yes.” The word came out on a hiss and she shimmied against his finger. Then, in a lightning fast move she dismounted his hand, grasped his cock and started sinking down onto it.

  He grabbed her hips and held her still. “Hold on, wildcat.”

  “You are on edge, demon?” she asked, her voice husky.

  “Of course I am.” He’d been that way since the first moment he’d seen her. Ethereal with gorgeous blonde hair and haunting blue eyes. He’d wanted to taste that rosebud mouth the instant he’d found her on the side of the road and it had taken all his willpower to let her alone.

  The time for willpower was long gone. He let her sink down over his cock slowly enough to drive them both crazy. But she was tight and he had no intention of shooting off before he was ready to. Her pussy closed around him like a sensual clamp and he ground his back teeth together.