by Ibanez, Dawn
She blinked at him for a moment. She wanted what every Succubus wanted. His energy, stamina and seed would nourish her, but when he sat up and pressed a kiss over her heart, she felt something in her crack. “Barry?” she questioned.
He noticed the change in her. The sex kitten Lily was gone. Shy Lilavanti stared back at him. He brushed her hair away from her face and gazed into her eyes. “Anything you want, Lilavanti,” he breathed. And he was surprised to realize he meant it. “Just say the words.”
Confusion clouded her eyes as she kissed him again. This was what she wanted. She had been so focused on having a normal life, she had pushed aside the fact that her normal wasn’t everyone else’s. Her hands found the side of his face again. A small smile crossed her face when she noticed that he hadn’t stopped rocking her back and forth. The delicious friction wasn’t enough to satisfy, but it had been enough to keep them both primed and ready. Suddenly shy, she buried her face in the crook of his neck. She bit at his neck and delighted in the way he shivered. “I just want you,” she whispered against his skin.
Barry rolled them over. When he had her pinned to the bed, he looked into her eyes. “Liar,” he said thrusting into her once. At her choked gasp, he paused. “What do you want, Lily?” he asked again.
She closed her eyes and bit her lip. He surged into her again, making her cry out. “God, Barry! Fuck me!” she gasped.
He fell against her. One hand tangled in her hair, the other holding her legs open wide as he plowed into her with enough force to knock something off of the nightstand. He felt her nails scratching into his skin as he moved above her. When he turned his head to kiss her cheek, he found it wet with tears. He slowed his assault. “Tell me,” he breathed against her ear.
Her defenses were down. Completely blown away by gentle words and caring. She closed her eyes as he pressed another kiss against her lips. “Love me,” she whispered.
Barry kissed her passionately as he started to move inside of her again. He savored every sigh, moan and cry that he coaxed out of her. It didn’t take long to work Lily back up to a fever pitch again. He smiled as she clawed at his back. His wild Lily was a beauty to behold.
Before long, Lily’s back arched and she screamed. Her climax of pleasure created a backlash that blindsided Barry. They both clung to each other as they rode out the waves of pleasure together.
Lily’s eyes focused on the ceiling as they tried to recover. She had known that Barry was dangerous. Everyone had warned her. He had never been the type to settle for one woman. And yet stupidly, Lily started to care for him.
Barry covered her with his body. With his face buried against her neck, he couldn’t read her face. But if he knew Lily, her eyes were filling with tears of heartbreak. His heart and head had fallen into perfect sync when she pleaded for his love. A sad smile crossed his face as he turned to her ear. “I do,” he whispered. He felt her slow intake of breath and kissed her cheek. “God help us both, but I do love you.”
Lily was frozen when he pulled away and looked into her eyes. It warmed her to see the same uncertainty in his eyes. He was just as nervous as she was. She slowly gave him a smile that seemed to brighten the whole room. When she opened her mouth to say something, he leaned forward and kissed her.
When he pulled away from her mouth, he gave her a lopsided grin. “You don’t have to say anything back,” he told her. When she slowly nodded, he rolled to the side, taking her with him. “We’ll deal with one thing at a time,” he said pressing a kiss to her temple.
Lily smiled as he snuggled next to her. “I took too much,” she said sitting up. A look of amusement crossed her face when he made himself comfortable. “I’ll order something for you to eat,” she said before pressing a kiss to his lips. “You get some sleep.”
He frowned as she jumped out of the bed and started to tuck him into it. “You’re not still tired?” he questioned.
She couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped her. She looked into his eyes and found herself falling for him more and more. “I’m a Succubus, remember?” she chided gently. “Sex gives me energy.” When he turned to his side and started to drift off, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Go ahead and rest,” she whispered into his ear.
* * * * *
Eric frowned as he and Sloane made their way into the posh hotel. “And they just let him stay with her?” he asked lowly.
Sloane sighed as they reached the front desk. “It’s only been a little while, but they seem to be really good for each other,” he said simply. “You said Barry was really upset after she ran off. Maybe she’ll be the one to calm him down.”
“I doubt it,” Eric mumbled. He looked at the concierge and painted a smile on his face. “We’re looking for my brother. Barry Maxwell.”
Pierre nodded at the two. His eyes glazed over as he looked at the taller man with the walking stick. “Yes, he is in the penthouse with Miss. Dallas,” he said with a smile.
Sloane frowned as he looked at his husband. The tall, mocha skinned man he loved stood in front of him. But now it was almost as if Eric’s personality had taken a turn for the worse. “Pull back your magic E,” he whispered. When Eric turned to him, Sloane shook his head. “What’s going on with you?”
Eric looked at Sloane for a long moment. He pressed his lips together and turned his attention back to Pierre. “Can someone escort us up there? It’s important that we see him and Lilavanti.”
Pierre nodded as he quickly entered something on the computer. He then smiled when another young woman came in from the back office. “Stacy, I’ll be right back. I have to escort these gentlemen upstairs.”
Stacy looked at Sloane and Eric for a quick moment before nodding. She easily took his place and smiled as the three men left her.
Sloane frowned as he walked with Pierre and Eric. It had been his idea for them to come here and stay with Lily and Barry. But now, after hearing what happened at the hospital, and Eric’s careless use of his magic, it proved to be one of the worse ideas he could have come up with.
Within minutes, they stood facing a surprised bellboy. Pierre looked at the boy and smiled. “I’ll take it from here, Danny,” he said calmly. “Don’t worry; I’ll make sure you get your gratuity.”
With a shy nod, Danny stepped back and made his way to the service elevator. Pierre straightened his tie and knocked on the door. “Room service,” he called.
Seconds later, the door opened to reveal Lily. Her green eyes were sparkling with happiness as she saw the three men at her door. “Come on in,” she chimed.
Pierre moved the cart to the side and allowed Eric and Sloane to enter the room first. “These two gentlemen are here to see you and Mr. Maxwell.”
Lily quickly hugged Sloane and then Eric. “Yes, this is Barry’s brother, Eric, and this is his husband Sloane. They can have access up here any time.”
Pierre’s smile turned more genuine. “Of course,” he said before turning back to the hallway for the cart. “I’ll add their names to the computer as soon as I get back down stairs.”
Lily looked at the pair of Mages and ran a hand through her still wet hair. “What brings you two by?” she questioned.
Eric looked around the penthouse. “Where’s Barry?” he questioned.
Sloane turned wide eyes to his husband. “Don’t be an asshole about them,” he said softly.
Lily tucked her hair behind her ears and sighed. “History repeats itself,” she mumbled. With a shake of her head, she went over to the cart and started picking at the bowl of fruit she ordered.
“He’s still getting over the stress of everything that happened at the hospital today,” Sloane said quickly. He walked over to where Lily was standing and took her hand into his. “He doesn’t mean it half as bad as it sounds.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said with another shake of her head. She looked at the pair for a long moment and smiled. “They wanted you to come and stay here with us, didn’t they?” she asked. When Sloane rubbed the back
of his neck, she laughed. “You guys can take the guest room upstairs if you want it. I think it might be time to pack my father’s things and move up into his room.”
Sloane smiled at her. “We don’t want to put you out,” he started.
The expression on her face saddened for a moment. She forced her mood to lighten and looked at her best friend. “Don’t worry about it,” she said before turning back to the meal in front of her. She then frowned when she realized she didn’t have enough food for all four of them. “Do you want me to order you two anything?”
Eric walked over to one of the sofas and sat down. “Can I talk with you, Lilavanti?” he asked.
She blinked at him. Everyone had started calling her Lily; it was almost weird hearing her full name. She smiled at Sloane. “If you go upstairs, hang a right, that’s the office. The view is to die for,” she said before walking over to the sofa.
Eric watched as Sloane made his way upstairs. A soft smile crossed his face. “He’s worried about me,” he said lowly. As Lily nodded, he sighed. “I think I might be a little worried about me too.”
“It’s understandable. You’ve spent almost a year in a coma. When you wake up, everything’s turned upside down. I’m just sorry that I’ve added to that.” Lily tucked her legs under her as she looked at Eric. She blinked at the serious look in his eyes. “Eric?” she questioned.
Eric took a slow breath. “Are you sure he’s who you want?” he asked seriously. “He’s never been the best in a relationship.”
“Neither have I,” Lily said with a shake of her head. When Eric fell silent, she reached out and took his hand. “But I can honestly say Barry and I have no idea what we’re doing. If he gets tired of me, or vice versa, we’ll end it with no hard feelings. I think he and I just need to give whatever this is between us a chance.”
Eric reached out and touched a lock of her hair. “If he steps out of line, you tell me,” he said with all of the authority of an older brother.
Lily laughed. “I’ll do no such thing.” When Eric smiled at her, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. “And while I thank you for wanting to protect me, here’s where I have to say, I’m a big girl.”
“You can see the whole harbor from in here,” Sloane said as he came to the top of the stairs. “Straight out across the bridge and everything.”
Eric chuckled as he watched his husband. “Quickest way to a Metal Worker’s heart,” he sighed.
Lily stood and went to the refrigerator. “Like I said if you two want anything just order from room service. Barry is sleeping in my room.” She held her hand up at their questioning looks. “No, I will not talk about it.” She blushed as she pulled out a bottle of water. Her gaze fell to the box Father Daniel had given her. She lifted it into her hands and looked it over. “This was going to be the first thing I took a look at.”
“What is it?” Sloane asked as he sat next to Eric.
“Apparently, the priest in the hospital’s chapel is Fae. Someone a few centuries ago gave this to him.” Lily opened the box and felt her frown deepen when she felt the magic the box contained. Inside, there was a black knife and book. Lily looked at Sloane and Eric as she picked the knife up and showed it to them. When the light hit the blade, Lily saw that it wasn’t black. It looked as if it was made from some sort of gemstone. Her hands started to tremble as she continued to stare at the blade.
Eric frowned and slowly approached Lily. “Lila... Lily,” he said softly. When wild eyes looked at him, he held out his hand. “Let me see the knife,” he told her.
Lily’s entire body started trembling. Her fingers curled around the hilt of the blade as she felt the seductive caress of power. It would be simple enough to reach forward and slit his throat. She backed away a step and inhaled through her mouth. Those thoughts weren’t hers. Eric and Sloane are her friends. Her best friends. Sloane was close enough that she considered him family. “I can’t,” she breathed.
“Baby,” Barry said from the bedroom door.
Lily turned to look at him. He stood quietly wearing nothing but the bed sheet. His entire torso was a work of art. She blinked at him. “You should still be asleep,” she said softly.
A smirk crossed his face. “I got lonely,” he explained. Ignoring his brother and Sloane, Barry approached Lily. He frowned at the blade in her hand. “What’s that?” he asked darkly.
She looked at the artifact in her hand and frowned. “I can’t put it down,” she said softly. As Barry started to come closer, she took another step back. “I don’t want to hurt you. So stay back.”
Barry paused for a moment. His trademark smirk crossed his face again. “I never tried knife play before. It could be kinda kinky.” When startled eyes looked at him, he smiled. “We could do a whole cop versus Catwoman thing. Or do you think I’d be a better Batman?”
A laugh escaped her. She couldn’t help it. The pleasure coming from the knife was slowly being eclipsed by her feelings for Barry. Her eyes glowed as she looked at him. “I thought you’d want to be Superman,” she said as he stepped even closer to her.
He stopped and frowned deeply. “Why would I want to be faster than a speeding bullet?” he asked. “It’s the slow strokes that win a woman over.”
Eric and Sloane both made sounds of disgust as Lily found herself laughing. She closed her eyes when she felt his arms wrap around her tenderly. “Barry,” her voice trailed off when his teeth gently bit on her earlobe. “Did you forget about Sloane and Eric?” she asked. She squeaked when he bit down on her ear.
“Let them find their own girl,” he mumbled before kissing her.
Lily’s whole body went limp in his arms. The tension that had been in her muscles was suddenly gone as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She frowned when she heard a soft thud on the carpet. Lily pulled away from Barry’s kiss and could only blink as he moved her away from the blade. “Get that thing away from me,” she whispered as she backed away from Barry as well.
Eric quickly grabbed the knife and moved away from his brother. He frowned as he felt the power coming from it. “What the hell is this?” he asked as Sloane removed the small leather bound book from the box.
Sloane quickly flipped through the small book. The flowing handwriting made him pause for a moment. “It looks like someone’s journal,” he said lowly. “We may need to get everyone here.”
Lily shook her head as she crossed the room and took the journal away from Sloane. “I’m tired of always waiting for everyone,” she said opening the book. “If you want to call them all, go ahead. But I need to know what this says.”
Barry watched as she went over to the chair farthest away from the blade in the box. He knew that Eric and Sloane were tired of the secrets members of their family held. But he also knew Lily was right. This wasn’t the time to be diplomatic. Barry glanced at the two other men in the room before turning his attention back to Lily. “I’m going to put some clothes on,” he said walking over to her. When she looked up at him, he couldn’t stop himself. He leaned over and stole a kiss from her. “If we weren’t pressed for time, I’d tell you to come help me.”
Lily laughed as Sloane and Eric and made choking noises. “Go,” she ordered. “I’ll be right here if you need anything.”
A mischievous smirk crossed his face as he leaned over to her ear. “You know, I also have this cop and hot librarian fantasy too,” he whispered.
She looked at him and returned his smile. “I control the handcuffs next time they’re in play,” she said before kissing him again. This time she laughed as she pushed him away. “Now, I have work to do. Stop tempting the Succubus.”
Barry chuckled as he listened to her. As he went back to his room, he looked at Eric and Sloane. “What?” he asked.
Eric looked at Lily before looking at his brother. Sloane tried to tell him Barry was different with Lily. Now, for the first time in a long while Eric saw his younger brother happy. He stood and approached the forgotten cart of food. With a smirk, Eric lifted a
plate cover and saw a steak dinner. “I’m giving you two minutes. Then I’m confiscating this,” he said simply.
Barry’s eyes narrowed. “You touch my steak, I’m going to have to put you back in the hospital,” he warned before going into the room.
Sloane laughed as the door closed. There were just some things not even a good woman could change. He went over to Lily and sat in the chair beside her. “I won’t even ask what all of that was about,” he said as he pilfered a piece of fruit.
A soft blush crossed her face. “Good. I wasn’t going to answer if you did.” Lily turned to the first page of the journal and settled herself in.
Sloane smiled as he made himself comfortable next to Lily. He then winked at Eric when the other man raised an eyebrow at him. “But I will ask if he was any good.”
The soft blush soon turned to fire across her face. “Sloane!” she gasped as she looked at him. When he nearly fell over laughing, she looked at Eric. A laugh escaped her when she saw the look of disgust mixed with humor in his eyes. She shook her head and gently pinched Sloane in his arm. “You’re horrid,” she scolded. Lily’s eyes glowed soft green as she leaned in close to Sloane’s ear. “But he was very, very good.” This time Sloane did fall over laughing, making her laugh as well. She turned to the journal in her hands and pretended to ignore the Mage that had become as close as a brother. “And if you tell him I said so, I’ll toss the couch.”
It was Eric’s turn to be confused. “What couch?” he asked. The bashful smile his husband wore seemed to answer his question for him. “You kept Dylan’s old couch?” he asked.
Lily shrugged. “It’s comfortable,” she reasoned. Her eyes turned to the journal in her hands. She didn’t have to read far before a single name caught her eye. “If you’re reading this, what I saw is about to come to pass. The Gates are about to open again, and this time, the Necromancer is just as powerful as my Scott. Hopefully she won’t meet the same end he did.”
Eric sat on Lily’s other side and gently took the journal from her. He looked it over for a moment and swallowed as he realized what he was holding. “This is the missing journal of Michaela Crow.” He shook his head at the confused looks he received. “She was the mother of Scott Maxwell’s children.”
