Embrace of the Damned

by Bast, Anya

  She wished it could be true for forever, instead of on a temporary basis.

  Jessa snaked her hand between their bodies, grasped his cock at the base, then pumped him against her palm. He groaned low in his throat. She loved the sounds he made, and loved the feel of him so weighty and hard in her hand. Loved even more that it was her touch that made him that way.

  Unable to resist the delectable spread of his muscled chest and stomach, she leaned in and scattered kisses along his heated flesh. She licked and sucked her way over the luscious expanse and made her way downward, over his rippled, hard abdomen, finally reaching his cock. It was a beautiful organ. She wanted to lick it, suck it. She laved the smooth head, wanting to feel it against her tongue.

  Broder’s body went stiff and he let out a low, sexy groan, letting his head fall back against the headrest of the couch. She licked again, this time tracing her tongue up the full length of it. She wanted to make him come this way, but first she wanted to make him crazy.

  “Fuck, Jessa,” Broder groaned. “You’re teasing me.”

  She smiled around the head of his cock. He sounded so tortured. Okay, fine. He didn’t want her to tease? She sucked him into the warm recesses of her mouth, drew him out, and pushed him back in again very slowly. She couldn’t get the whole of him in her mouth, but she did her best, letting her tongue explore him from the base to the crown.

  Broder exhaled hard and fisted his hands in her hair, letting loose a string of words in some language she thought must be Norwegian.

  Her own body reacted to the act of giving him pleasure, her nipples going hard and a slow, sweet ache beginning between her thighs. She found a measure of control in this act that she enjoyed. He was at her mercy in this moment.

  She held all the power now.

  Shifting her knees, she set herself to pleasing him, fondling the base of him as she drew his cock deep into her mouth and sucked it in again, over and over. His cock glistened with her saliva. He seemed especially sensitive in the area just under the head of his cock, so she tongued it and rubbed her lips over it, making him groan her name.

  “Bad girl. You’re going to make me come,” he growled.

  She grinned up at him. “That’s the general idea.”

  He growled and pulled her up, forcing her onto his lap to straddle him. Clearly he had other ideas. His cock met her sex, but did not slide in. Instead he crushed her to his chest, his fingers tangling in her hair, and kissed her deeply.

  Broder let his hand slide down, over her mound, where he stroked her clit with his broad thumb until she gasped into his open mouth. Rotating his thumb against her, he caressed her until she throbbed, until she was up against a looming climax and pleasure poured through her body in waves.

  “I want to watch you come,” he purred.

  She moved her hips, forcing a bit more pressure against his thumb. “I’m close.” She closed her eyes, amazing pleasure coursing through her body.

  “Not yet, my treasure. I want you to watch yourself come as well.”

  She opened her eyes. “What?”

  He guided her to stand up, turned her around, and drew her back down onto his lap, parting her thighs as wide as they would go and hooking her inner knees on the outside of his legs so she couldn’t close them. Then he pointed straight ahead of them.

  Then she understood. The full-length antique mirror stood directly across from them, reflecting their every move. The mirror’s reflection showed her looking bed tousled and well loved. Her nipples were reddened and hard, and her sex appeared pink, excited, and swollen. The image of herself so aroused was strangely erotic.

  Broder placed his mouth near her ear and spoke, raising all the tiny hairs along her body. “The reflection of you kneeling between my legs with your mouth on me drove me insane. Now it’s your turn.”

  He cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples between his stroking fingers, making ecstasy shoot straight to her groin. Her hips thrust forward of their own accord, wanting him to fill her. She felt so empty.

  “I’m going to make you come, Jessa,” he murmured. “I don’t want to see your gaze move from that mirror. Understand?”

  She nodded, her lips parted slightly and color staining her cheeks. This man was the only one in the world who could make her feel this way—so desperate for his touch. She’d get down on her knees and beg right now if it meant he’d touch her more.

  He moved his big hands over her abdomen to her inner thighs. “A little more.”

  She gave him what he wanted—would give him anything.

  He pulled her labia apart, then dipped his finger down, gathered moisture, and slicked it over her swollen, throbbing clit. “So pretty. So perfect,” he murmured, stroking the pad of his finger over it, soft and slow.

  She moaned. Jessa’s hips jerked involuntarily as she watched him caress her so intimately in the mirror’s reflection. His hand looked huge and strong against the slenderness of her thighs. Almost panting, she watched his finger move up and down.

  “This will feel even better,” he rasped. His voice held the first hint that his incredible level of control might be slipping. She wanted to see him lose it. He pushed two fingers deep inside her sex. “It’s hot in there, and so soft.” She watched, moaning as his thick digits disappeared into the depths of her and then reappeared over and over as he thrust.

  “Do you like that, skatten min?” His voice was a deeper rasp now and she could feel the press of his massive erection at her back. This had to be killing him as much as it was killing her.

  “Yes,” she said breathlessly. “But I want your cock, Broder. I want you to fill me.”

  He groaned. “Soon. Is this going to make you come?”

  She made a small, helpless sound at the back of her throat. “Yes.”

  “Come on, baby,” he purred. “Give in.”

  A powerful climax crashed into her, stealing her breath. For a moment she couldn’t even moan. She watched her body in the mirror. Her face had flushed and her body shook with gentle, pleasurable spasms, the muscles of her sex pulsing.

  Before the waves of her climax had completely ebbed away, he shifted her to the couch, grabbed her hips, and positioned the head of his cock at her entrance. Jessa’s breath hissed out as she watched his big body moving over her, then looked down to see his cock push deep inside her. She grabbed his arms and arched her back, panting as he filled her deeper and deeper.

  Broder tipped his head back and groaned as he pressed into her farther, stretching her muscles so exquisitely. He pushed in until he was seated to the base of his cock within her. “I’m going to make love to you until you can’t see straight, skatten min.” He pulled back out of her slowly, making her feel every inch of his cock.

  She bit her lower lip and moaned. “Yes, please.” Her voice came out a breathy, lust-filled whisper. “Take me deep. Take me hard, Broder.”

  “As you wish.”

  He grabbed her hips and began to thrust into her just the way she’d asked for. She held on tight to his arms, her fingernails digging in, the relentless, hard slam of him vibrating through her body. With every thrust, the head of his cock sent skitters of pleasure up her spine.

  As a climax built to a pitch, she watched the muscles in Broder’s shoulders, chest, and arms work. She watched his hips thrust back and forth and the easy glide of his cock in and out of her body.

  Then she looked up into his face and her heart dropped out of her chest. Their gazes caught and held. Such emotion roiled in his eyes; it took her breath away. It was as if Broder had added a bit of his own soul to hers as they made love. The knowledge of how much pleasure they gave and received was intoxicating.

  Another climax overtook her body, forcing her to break their shared gaze. Arching her back, her head falling against the headrest, she shuddered, moaned, and shook, allowing the orgasm to completely dominate her body. Spasms of pleasure coursed through her, causing her muscles to pulse around Broder’s still-thrusting cock.

  Br
oder rasped out a few words in some language she didn’t recognize, then closed his eyes and groaned. Jessa felt his cock jump deep inside her.

  When it was over and they were both boneless with satisfied sexual lassitude, Broder slid down to the carpet on the floor, taking her with him. Together they snuggled on the soft rug.

  Sighing, Jessa smiled and rested her head on his chest. To think that this wouldn’t last forever—that they wouldn’t always have each other, or that they wouldn’t be able to suddenly give in to each other’s desires—was unthinkable to her in this moment.

  And, for as long as she could, she’d keep it that way.

  Jessa hummed to herself as she opened her bedroom door. Broder was talking to Erik in the kitchen, one of the rare times he’d allowed her out of his sight. She entered the twilight-darkened room and sought the sheaf of papers on the table near the fireplace. Tonight she wanted to learn how to layer her new dragonfly talisman, even if it was only with two little parlor trick spells. They were called sun and moon charms, both harmless.

  Somewhere behind her in the gloom, a man cleared his throat.

  She stilled, all the hair on the back of her neck rising. Then she slowly turned. A man stood at the end of her bed. He wore an expensive-looking gray suit with a tastefully muted tie and a pair of black sunglasses. His dark hair was slicked back from his angular, pretty-boy face and his shoes were shiny and black and had probably cost a bundle. He looked like he had a huge ego.

  She knew exactly who this was.

  “Hello, Jessamine. So, I see you have my Broder thoroughly bewitched. I didn’t think that was possible.”

  She narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin, her entire body tensing. She understood she was in the presence of a god, but she just couldn’t muster any respect. “Any woman would be bewitching to Broder after a thousand years of abstinence.”

  He took a careful step toward her, putting her on edge. “No, sweet Jessa. One would think so, but one would be wrong. Broder is a much different animal. It could never have been just any woman for Broder. It had to be you.”

  “Are you here to take him away from me?”

  “I’m here to encourage you to leave him first.”

  Her jaw locked. “No.”

  “I will take him from you. He’s one of my best.” He smiled to show sharp white teeth and spread his perfectly manicured hands. “Do you really think I’m generous enough to let one of my men go, even for such a noble cause as true love?” Loki’s voice grew cold and hard. “This is not a fairy tale.”

  “Gee, and I thought you were such a nice guy.”

  “I am many things, but nice guy isn’t one of them.” He walked to the side, his polished leather shoes sounding on the polished wood floor. “As I was saying, it’s time for you to go. Your people need you and they want you. Broder is afraid to let you go, but there is no need. Your people mean you no harm.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “I’m supposed to trust you?”

  He spread his hands and grinned. “I am a god.”

  “Exactly.” She paused. “I couldn’t go to the seidhr even if I wanted to.” She gave him a stern look. “My great-aunt told me to leave the keep and start walking, that their magick would guide me to them, but how would I avoid all the bloodthirsty Blight on my way to them?”

  “Simple.” Loki’s perfect lips curled into a perfect smile. “I will protect you if you leave.”

  “There you go with that trust thing again.”

  His smile grew larger. “I want you out of Broder’s life. I will protect you from the Blight should you decide to make your way to the seidhr enclave.”

  “No need. I’m not going. I’ll stay with Broder until the day you take him from me.”

  “Just go, Jessamine. It will be easier on Broder if you leave before I pull him away from you. If you love him the way I know you do, you’ll do the right thing.”

  “Maybe I think the right thing is to stay with him.”

  The god smiled. “You know I’ll just rip him away anyway, Jessa, and you know, deep down, that every minute you spend with Broder corresponds directly to the weight of your heartache when he’s gone. Remember Brandon? It will be so much worse than that.”

  And, just like that, Loki was gone.

  TWENTY-ONE

  The phone rang in the middle of the night; the phone that wasn’t supposed to ring, the one that wasn’t even plugged into the wall. Jessa rolled onto her back, the ring ring of the phone driving spikes through her head. It was amazing that Broder hadn’t woken up. He was right beside her.

  She sat up. Or maybe it wasn’t amazing at all.

  Pushing the blankets away, she left the comforting warmth of Broder’s side and answered the phone. “Hello?”

  “Hello, Jessa.” It was Carolyn again.

  “What kind of mojo did you lay on Broder so he wouldn’t wake up?” Her voice sounded antagonistic.

  “He doesn’t need to be a part of this.”

  “Did you hurt him?”

  “All we did was tune the sound of the phone to your ears only. Jessa, it’s time you left that house, left Broder, and started the next phase of your life. We want you to come to us.”

  She chewed her lower lip and glanced at Broder in the bed. The thought of leaving him made her chest heavy and her blood flow sluggish. She couldn’t leave him. She was physically unable.

  “It’s the best thing, for you and for him.” Carolyn paused, then she said softly, “You know it’s for the best.”

  “Have you and Loki been talking?”

  Carolyn said nothing for a long moment. Then finally, “Of course not.” Her voice was earnest, a bit offended. “Loki has been good to us … with a few exceptions. All the same, Loki is not to be trusted. I don’t take advice from him.”

  “So I shouldn’t, either.”

  “No, you shouldn’t. Loki follows his own selfish agenda. Whatever he may have told you to do, you can know it fits his plans.”

  “He told me to go to you.”

  She paused. “Well, I hope you do come to us, but not because of Loki. He cares for no one but himself. The gods, they’re like humans with vast amounts of power. Loki is what you might call a psychopath.”

  “Yay for psychopaths with vast amounts of power.”

  Carolyn laughed. “There are more in this world than you might imagine.”

  “That explains so much.”

  “Come home, Jessa. Come now. Just step outside those gates. We’ll guide you the rest of the way.”

  “What about the Blight? They’re hunting me.” She touched the scar on her neck. “If I leave the keep, they might attack. Loki said he would protect me, but I don’t believe him.” Just as she didn’t believe Carolyn.

  “You will be safe. They won’t hurt you.”

  Jessa snorted at her confidence, the memory of her recent ordeal extremely fresh in her mind. “How do you know? Do you have some special relationship with the B—” Jessa shivered and blinked, a strange sense of calm stealing over her body. Her skin tingled and the doubt she’d had slid away from her mind.

  Why shouldn’t she believe Carolyn?

  “Trust us, Jessamine. We’re your family.”

  “Of course. I’m sorry, Carolyn. If you say I’ll be safe, I will be.”

  “Good. Now come to us, Jessa.”

  She studied Broder. He lay on his back in the bed, the sheets in a tangle around his waist and his gorgeous chest bared. His hair was strewn dark and tangled on the pillow and one strong arm was thrown up over his head. “I don’t know if I can leave him.”

  “You must. Loki will take him from you soon. It will be easier to leave him now, without the tearful farewell. Better for Broder. You want what’s best for him, right? Because you love him.”

  Another little shiver went through Jessa. Carolyn was right. Yet …

  “I’ll think about it.” She set the telephone back into the receiver.

  She sat on the edge of the bed and shivered, watching the
rise and fall of Broder’s chest. She believed Carolyn was correct. It was time to go. Time to start the next phase of her life. Time to discover who she truly was.

  She touched Broder’s chest and he didn’t stir. “I love you. I’ll always love you, Broder.” Loki was right that every moment she spent with him now directly corresponded to the weight of her heartache after they were parted. She imagined the moment it would happen and grief clouded the back of her throat. “I love you, but it’s time to let you go,” she whispered.

  There was no denying that she’d need to eventually.