Paranormal Nights (Paranormal Romance Boxed Set)

by CJ Ellisson

  The next card they were dealt was a seven, giving them nineteen. He motioned to stay his hand. He felt confident that they could win with that. Blackjack wasn't the same as poker. It didn't incite the same thrill and rush that the latter did, but it had its good points, and it would be a perfect starting point for Sydney.

  The dealer hit a ten and stuck, immediately showing his cards.

  He had twenty-three, busting him. The player next to him cheered and clapped him on the back as the dealer paid out.

  Jace added the chips to his pile and motioned to Sydney. "So, do you want a shot? It's fairly simple."

  Sydney shook her head and smiled. "No, I think you're doing pretty good on your own. I'm not very good at this sort of thing," she said with a fidget and smiled again, putting her hand on his shoulder.

  He rolled his eyes at her in mock exasperation. "Don't be a wuss. What's the worst that could happen? You lose a few bucks? There's plenty more."

  Sydney frowned and shook her head. "Look, why don't you do it? I'm perfectly happy watching."

  "You come off as a hands-on person, love." He grinned until he saw her face; she really wasn't having fun. "Come on, just give it a shot. If you don't like it we can stop, move on to something else."

  Sydney removed her hand from Jace's shoulder and sighed. "I don't want to. I said I would come and I said I would hangout, but I didn't once say I would gamble. You know what? Forget this. I don't have the time or the energy to be coerced into doing this. Thank you for an interesting evening. Jace. Goodnight." She turned on her heel and stalked off the gaming floor, leaving an astonished Jace at the table.

  * * *

  She couldn't believe him. That's what she got for going out with a guy she knew nothing about, and coming to a casino of all places. She knew it was going to end badly when they walked into the place, never mind the luscious way the man moved in his slacks. Well, this was the last time she was going to think with her sex drive. All it did was get her into trouble, and the fetching piece of man probably thought she was crazy.

  She wasn't, however. As a Jenai, she knew how powers backfired. Losing every hand she played was not any way to endear herself to a seasoned, hardcore gambler. Not that she should care about the rogue, but he spoke to her, seemed to really get her.

  To disappoint him like that, well, it was better that he thought she was crazy than for him to know the real reason. It was killing her to walk away, after meeting and being in the presence of such raw maleness. Jace was pretty much the physical embodiment of everything she thought was sexy: powerful, calculating, sexy, eyes and lips that sin had a hand in creating, a body that made her drool, and a carefree look at life. He was everything she couldn't be, everything she reigned in because of her nature, and it called to her with neon lights. Jenai were lucky in being able to choose who they used their powers for; no carpets ruled their powers. Except for a few minor rules, like not using their powers for their own ends, Jenai had it the best out of the Wish races. Jace was the kinda guy she could choose, could make a very rich man indeed.

  But, his insistence in her doing exactly what her powers dictated she not do was a little unnerving. It was like slipping down a flight of stairs on prom night. As a gambler's companion one had to be seen as good luck, but something as embarrassing as losing a large sum of money, something any great gambler didn't do, was akin to relationship suicide. Not that she ever thought to have a relationship with a gambler before, but Jace was different. Jace was meant for something better than the tables; he just didn't know it.

  A relationship wasn't what she had in mind, anyway. Though any other Jenai would argue that Sydney had wanted to belong to a gambler, why else would she be living and working in the biggest gambling town this side of Monte Carlo? No, no that wasn't it. I needed to get away from everything, she told herself as she reached the palms just before the bank of elevators they passed on the way in. Why else have I abstained from the casinos and fast talkers till now?

  The answer was simple: because none of them had sought her out. This one had and he wasn't old and overweight. He wasn't really mean or callous, either. He found her and was intent on showing her a good time, Vegas style. No doubt any normal woman would have jumped at it. She sighed and shook her head as she realized that her freak out was not what other normal women would do, and she probably just blew her chances on what was probably the most sincere guy she had met since she’d moved here.

  Fuck that; don't feel sorry for yourself, Sydney! If he were worth it he wouldn't still be sitting at the table, probably laughing at you. That thought brought her ire back to full strength. Serves her right for thinking a night out would be harmless to her ego or her person. It was when she felt the hand on her upper arm that she turned, ready to knock out whoever was unlucky enough to touch her.

  Jace let her arm go, holding his empty hands up in defense. "Whoa there, Nelly! Don't just run out on me; it was just a game of cards. You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

  "Then don't push me. If I say no I mean no," she said with a definite edge of anger in her voice. She was excited that he came after her, but she wasn't going to let him off easy. "Or is it that you don't hear the word no often enough?"

  "Oh, I hear it often enough. Generally it doesn't apply to me though." He smiled jokingly. "I just have a problem understanding why anyone would be so against gambling. You're not one of those weird types, are you?"

  "I have nothing against gambling, Jace. I just don't want to do it myself, okay? Can you respect that?"

  "I guess I could. Do I get a reason?"

  "I just don't want to. Take it as that," she said quietly. "Look, I ruined your evening, I'm sure. You didn't get in a playing groove, so I guess it wasn't like I lost you money due to concentration. I'm just going to go." She clasped her hands together behind her back.

  "You don't have to go. We can do something else. I'm just having a hard time figuring out why you wouldn't want to gamble. I mean, it wasn't like it was your money to lose. If somebody gave me a free pass at a casino, you wouldn't see me for dust. I just don't see what kind of enjoyment you can get from watching me play. As fine as I am, you might want your own bit of glory." He looked put out.

  She was going to have to play it right if she was going to salvage anything of this evening, a thing she wished for desperately. "Haven't you ever seen James Bond? The women that sit and watch, behind their man, looking pretty and demure, distracting the competition?"

  "I'm no Bond, Peaches, and this is real life."

  "You could be Bond, and who's to say a woman sitting behind you wouldn't give you the edge? I mean, not to sound full of myself, but I'm not a wallflower." She remarked, using her hands to accentuate her assets.

  "Oh, yeah? And how is that?"

  "A beautiful woman captivates men. Hell, the older and balder a guy is, a woman just has to bat her eyelashes and she's got his full attention. I'm a stripper, Jace. I know how to work men."

  He nodded thoughtfully, then smiled. "And just how would you work me? Not that you don't already have my full attention."

  Sydney faltered. There was something in the way he said it, something that screamed to her, not just her body, but her soul. "I..." she stammered and then recovered quickly, not wanting him to see how he affected her.

  "Well, you're not an overweight, middle-aged balding down on his luck guy, are you? That's who I usually ensnare with my considerable charms."

  He shrugged a graceful movement of his shoulders. "I could be considered down on my luck...by some." He took a step closer to her, and she watched his tongue slide along his bottom lip.

  "Hardly, Jace. You have the airs of a man who's up and coming."

  "I suppose we'll have to see about that." He smiled, clearly pleased by her statement.

  "I suppose. I shouldn't keep you. Enjoy your night, Jace. I know you'll win big."

  "And how would you know that?"

  "Call it a hunch," she said and winked. She touched his shoul
der, and knew as she did that a little of the power governing her race slipped to him in the process. After sex with her, he'd own the tables, own anything he chose to do, but the touch was enough for the evening.

  His hand snaked out and grabbed her waist, pulling her small frame towards him while keeping her hand on his shoulder. "And what if I'm done with cards for the night?"

  She shuddered in his embrace and licked her lips. "Well, if that's true, your night just opened up. What else did you have in mind?"

  "I have a pretty good idea, but it's a gamble of another kind."

  His arm tightened around her, punctuating his intention. She couldn't ignore his insinuation or the way her body felt standing so close to him. "What kind of gamble?" she asked in a breathy whisper.

  "I don't think it's one that you'd mind. It's the kind that would leave us both completely satisfied—if it paid off." He grinned, inching closer, and pressed his lips to hers.

  This felt right. This man, grifter, this sexy risk-taker kissing her, felt like the most natural thing in the world. Men before him, and she was sure, men after him, wouldn't feel this good or this right. No one ignited that fire burning within her. No one but Jace. Not even four hours and she was ready to forget every precaution she set for herself, including hiding her powers, to have him for always. She moaned and rubbed against him in invitation.

  The elevator opened, and he guided her back into it. They had the whole place to themselves, and it didn't take him long to press her up against the far wall. His hands slipped down her body, cupping her ass and lifting her, giving her enough room to wrap her stocking-covered legs around him.

  Well, if nothing else, Jace didn't waste any time. She smiled down at him and nipped his bottom lip, squeezing with her thighs. "Your room better be on one of the top floors, or we are going to have to hit the run stop."

  "Already on it," he chuckled, reaching back and slamming his fist against the big button. "That should buy us some time."

  That little move was going to get them in some trouble, but if Jace was as high a roller as she thought, it wouldn't matter. "Perfect," she said and kissed him soundly, his hand on her thighs, slipping quickly up under the silk of the dress, his fingers catching on the garter.

  He licked his lips, looking her over. "My thoughts exactly." His long fingers slipped under her, ghosting over her clit before teasing her open.

  His touch was electric, sending a warm feeling of contentment through her. She purred at the invasion and threw her head back. It had been a while since she had let a man touch her, and Jace working her body so expertly further enforced that feeling of rightness. It was like he knew her already. "Jace," she sobbed, her nipples cresting to visible peaks through the dress in silent invitation.

  Freeing a hand from her, he made short work of her dress, pulling it up and over her head. Discarding it behind him, he kissed down her neck, taking care to nibble lightly on the sensitive spot just at the crook of her neck.

  All but nude in a stopped elevator, Sydney's exposed skin was chilled by the air conditioning—the thigh highs and garter, and her heels the only things left after he snapped her underwear off, ripping the scant material, making her feel...

  Jace knew how to get a girl's wild streak to the forefront. She was a closet risk-taker, but damn this was beyond what she would think. "Well this is hardly fair," she murmured into his hair and breathed in his clean and intoxicating scent. Her body keened with an energy that, if he played this right, would turn into the best good luck charm he would ever have.

  He moved his head back, amusement flashing in his eyes. "Fair? What exactly would you suggest for evening up the score?" His thumb lightly stroked her clit.

  She purred, "Ummm, well I'm naked and exposed and you’ve still got everything on. How's that fair, Jace?"

  "Not completely naked." He bent his head, taking a pert nipple in his mouth, scraping it against the rough lace of her bra to prove his point.

  She gasped and dug her fingers into his hair, holding him there. "True, but I'm still at a loss...gods, that's fantastic."

  His tongue circled her nipple. "So, what would you like me to take off? I'm a little harder to undress." His voice was light and teasing, but his eyes were full of deep heat.

  “True...we'll take care of that later," she said as she nimbly undid the buttons of his shirt and slipped her hands under the material, feeling his skin, her body screaming to get closer to his.

  He groaned, pressing her harder against the wall. "Oh, I know we will." He unclasped her bra, ducking his head under it and sucking her nipple into his mouth, this time unhindered by the lace. He lavished attention on it before moving to the other. "Gods, you taste like heaven." He pulled back from her a little, the bra wrapped around his head, and he smiled triumphantly. "And I was right about the peaches." Winking, he buried his face once again in her chest.

  She giggled and threw her head back, arching as he nibbled, a desperate moan leaving her mouth. He was a terrific tease and she told him so.

  "I'm no tease, pet, I always deliver on all of my promises." She heard him unzipping his pants, then felt his hot, hard flesh grinding on her clit where his thumb had been. "Now, tell me what you want, Peaches." His long fingers speared her deeper as if for emphasis. "In great detail."

  She moaned and shuddered, looking him in the eye. She was committed to this. A stopped elevator, naked as the day she was born, the hot sexy stranger from her daybreak musings, flesh and willing to make any fantasy she wanted come true...it was all too much. She would have him, and he would have a piece of her. Even if it didn't last it was the best she could give him. It was a fair trade off, the powers she would impart on him for a night of tawdry ecstasy.

  Screw it. He's a dream I have had for far too long. "I want you," she whimpered. "The dangerous guy I fantasized about while I danced, the one that set my bed on fire in the early mornings from illicit dream sequences as I touched myself, wishing it was you. Give me you, Jace..."

  "Then you shall have me." As he spoke he slowly drew his fingers out of her, making sure that she felt the loss before he placed the very tip of him at her. He grinned wildly, "This is going to be good," he said a second before he thrust deep up into her.

  "Christ!" she called out, wrapping her legs around his waist tighter as he filled her to brimming. He was long and oh so deliciously thick. Her body felt his invasion all the way to her core and welcomed it, all that he was willing to give her. She shuddered and kissed him.

  Both his hands were now on her upper thighs, parting her as wide as she could go without splitting. "Well, I've been called worse."

  She chuckled and clamped down on him with her inner muscles, "If you're going to talk, talk dirty...."

  "Fuck!" His knees almost buckled, but he caught himself on the wall with a growl, the hand he so recently had inside of her a mere inch from her face. "Fuck, Peaches, you'll kill me with that. Gods, you have no idea how fucking good you feel wrapped around my cock."

  "Umm, about as good as it feels to finally have you inside me...ummm...Jace, don't hold back baby," she gasped as she turned her head, capturing his fingers in her mouth and moaning.

  He thrust deeper, clearly turned on by her sucking, before drawing out slowly. "I'm not holding back, just making some room to work. You haven't had a good fuck in a while, have you?" He slammed back into her, steadying her against the wall and taking her hips in his hands.

  Sydney moaned and shook her head. "No...gods no, unless you count my Rabbit Rocket..."

  "I don't, no matter how often you do indeed rock it. It just can't be the same." He glided back into her this time, starting a steady rhythm, drawing almost out of her before slamming back home, keeping her hips firm in his grasp.

  She could feel him move easier now, her body fully accepting him, accepting his mastery at working her body to completion. It wasn't long, and soon she was purring and arching, loving the slight pain where his hand held her hips. She knew there were going to be bruises,
and she didn't care. All she knew was his cock, the rhythm of his breath, and the pounding of his hips.

  He sucked lightly on her neck, kissing and nipping hard on her sensitive flesh as her bare chest pressed against his and he worked himself into her. Their pace grew faster, more frantic, her body hungering for every touch he gave her. The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed loudly through the elevator.

  She groaned. "Hit the run stop....I wanna be moving," she said, knowing well they could be caught by someone looking to get on the elevator. It was bad enough the camera in the far corner was recording it all. Hope the boys in security are enjoying the show.

  "Dirty slut," he groaned as he slapped the button. "Pity there's no windows. My little exhibitionist, well, there's plenty of other casinos...would you like that? Me fucking you in a glass elevator, high above a crowd of gambling onlookers, hearing your muffled screams as you come time and again for me? Watching everything, seeing everything from the way those beautiful tits of yours bounce up and down to the way that tight pussy of yours drips your honey down my shaft? Watching and knowing that they'll never have you? That turn you on?" As he spoke his thumb found her clit and stroked heavily.

  His words were more effective than in her naughtiest daydream and she shuddered, coming hard and arching. "Jace!" she gasped, feeling a little of herself slip to him. Her powers grew, looking for a worthy outlet.

  He called out her name as her orgasm pushed him over the edge, bringing him with her. He poured breathlessly into her as her body milked him for all he was worth.

  Panting, Sydney felt the sweat trickle down her back and the elevator slow to a stop. "Your room on floor thirty six? Otherwise we are going to have some explaining to do," she breathed into his ear and nipped the lobe. "You're fantastic."

  He kissed her soundly before looking at the floor numbers. "Thirty-six? Luckily yes, but if it hadn't been we could have just taken the stairs. I wouldn't mind getting you in the stairwell." He winked. "And as for fantastic, that was nothing, give me some time to recharge and I'll show you what a shadow Demon can really do. You, however, were amazing."