by Eve Langlais
“Yeah.” Her tone was wary, but I couldn’t blame her. Battling demons as a lifelong career sucked. Especially when she didn’t have a choice in the matter.
“Try not to worry about it now. Once you’re trained and have the tools in place, it won’t be as scary.” Right. Even I didn’t believe me.
“Good night, Mati.” She pushed the door open and climbed out.
“Night, Janie. You looked amazing tonight.”
She gave me a halfhearted smile and then took off up the walk.
After she was safely inside, I steered the car in the direction of the Lakeview neighborhood. Within fifteen minutes I was knocking on Vaughn’s door.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he said as he opened the door and tugged me inside.
“Hey, yourself.” I wrapped my arms around him and melted into his solid frame.
And without moving me from his entryway, my incubus folded me into his arms and stroked his fingers through my hair repeatedly while I filled up on his strength.
“I’m so sorry, Mati,” he whispered.
I glanced up at him. “Why?”
“Because you were left alone with that demon, and I didn’t get back to you soon enough.” He tucked a lock of my long dark hair behind my ear. “But I’m so proud of you at the same time. You took the demon on and expelled him from Chad. Do you have any idea what kind of inner strength that takes? You amaze me.”
My heart swelled with love, and instead of answering, I stood on my tiptoes and pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth.
His hands adjusted, landing on my hips, his fingers digging into my sides. That one movement lit a small spark of desire from my core, and I opened my mouth, welcoming his tongue as he deepened the kiss with just a hint of desperate need.
I responded instantly, my entire body coming alive under his touch. “Vaughn?”
His hand moved up my side, sending tingles of magic everywhere. “Yes?”
“Take me to bed.”
He stared down at me, his eyes full of desire. “You’re sure? You don’t want to–”
“I’m sure.” I pressed my lips to his once more, claiming them as mine. I wanted him. Needed him. And not just to fortify my magic, though that was a nice side effect. This was all about needing to feel close to him after the battle. Needing to feel alive. Needing him to know how much I loved him.
His lips still pressed to mine, turned up into a small smile. “Glad to hear it.” Then he swept me up in his arms and carried me down the hall to his bedroom. I already had his shirt unbuttoned by the time we got there. So when he lowered me to my feet, I wasted no time slipping it off his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor, followed by his black T–shirt.
His chest was glorious. All rippling ridges and toned muscles. I could’ve happily spent the rest of the night just touching him. Well, except for that raw ache that only intensified the longer I trailed my fingers over him.
I stepped back abruptly.
Vaughn just grinned, knowing what was coming next.
I raised one eyebrow and glanced at the fly of his jeans. “Take them off.”
His eyes never left mine as he did as he was told. The jeans hit the floor and then he stood there in just his boxers waiting. “Your turn.”
This was my favorite part. I ran one finger over the curves of my cleavage, keeping my eyes fixed on his as his pupils dilated with lust. Then, in slow motion, I lowered the zipper on my silver–sequined dress. “If you want it to come off, you’ll need to do the rest.”
Vaughn gently turned me around and then his fingers replaced mine on the zipper, continuing what I’d started. His breath was warm on my skin as he lowered his mouth and trailed kisses over my shoulder, pushing one strap down and then the other.
The dress fell in a heap at my feet, leaving me in only my G–string and my heels.
“No bra,” he said.
I shook my head. “Not practical with my dress of choice.”
“Fucking hot, Matisse. Very hot.” His fingers hooked into the strap of my G–string, and a second later I was standing completely naked in front of him, my body on fire from his gentle touch.
I pointed to his boxers. “Off.”
He smiled that cocky grin he likes to wear when we’re together and pulled me to him, placing my hands on the waistband. “You do the honors.”
“Gladly.” Kissing him, I slowly tugged the fabric from his hips one inch at a time as I stroked my thumb over his velvet shaft until he let out a strangled groan.
“Mati,” he breathed. His boxers fell silently to the floor.
“You feel better than ever,” I said wrapping my hand around his base.
He pressed into my palm and bent his head to scrape his teeth along my pulse, exactly the way I loved.
“Oh, God,” I said, throwing my head back.
I felt the rumble of laughter deep in his chest but didn’t comment. My desire always amused him. But as I stroked my hand up and then down and up again, all the humor vanished, replaced by shortened breath.
He seemed frozen in place as I touched him. Then abruptly his hand wrapped around my wrist and he gently pulled me from him. “It’s my turn,” he said huskily.
I grinned, all too happy to give myself over to him.
He pointed to the bed. “Lie down.”
I did as I was told.
“Spread your legs.”
His words shot another spark of molten desire to my center.
“Touch yourself.” His eyes were black with heat and need. It was almost more than I could take.
But once again I did as I was told and ran one finger along my slick heat.
“Oh, Mati. Damn, girl. You’re so fucking sexy.”
I slipped one finger inside myself and moaned.
“Mine.” The word came out in almost a growl as Vaughn hovered over me. His teeth scraped over my right nipple, causing me to jerk and arch beneath him. Then he moved to my left breast and flicked his tongue over the sensitive tip, making me lose all control.
Both of my hands landed on his hips, and I yanked him down, opening fully to him. “I need you now, Vaughn. Need you inside me.”
Then he was there, his hardness pressing into me, filling me, torturing me with his slow movements.
I let out a frustrated growl and pulled him closer. “Deeper,” I commanded. “Now.”
His hips thrust and he anchored himself inside me. We locked eyes for just a moment, and then we both started to move, magic pulsing all around us.
Every nerve was alive with passion and yearning, every stroke building power, and the delicious friction nearly drove me out of my mind.
Light danced over my skin and spread to him, a cocoon of magic surrounding us. But ever since I’d fallen in love with Vaughn, the power boost from our magic didn’t matter to me like it used to. All I cared about was the man above me, the one who made me feel alive and powerful and sexy as hell.
He quickened his pace, and I matched him thrust for thrust, meeting him with my hips. Our breathing quickened and everything except the wave of passion consuming us ceased to exist.
“Vaughn.” I nearly whimpered as the wave built higher and higher until finally my muscles clenched around him and our shared magic collided, mixing together. As I let out one last cry of pleasure, the power soared into me, fortifying that place deep inside that kept me strong and whole. The place reserved for only him.
He held on, riding out my wave with me, and just as I was coming down, he thrust one last time and let out a groan of his own. A small stream of magic flowed from me to him, just as it always did. If I was going to sleep with an incubus, I had to expect that I’d share some of my power.
Vaughn rolled over, taking me with him so I was lying on his chest. He kissed the top of my head and said, “I missed you.”
I kissed his damp chest. “I missed you too.”
After a few moments, Vaughn ran his fingers down my bare arm. “So. About this sorority.”
I let out a small
groan. “Yes?”
He chuckled. “I can’t wait to see you at their Thursday teas.”
Lifting up on my elbow, I glared down at him. “Thursday tea?”
Nodding, he winked. “It’s a tradition. Dresses, hats, and gloves. You’re going to look–”
“Ridiculous!”
“No.” He pulled me back down and rolled until he was staring down at me. “Adorable. And the perfect cover for security detail.”
I sighed. “That’s really going to be my life from now on, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “But it’ll be worth it to keep the next angel safe.”
“You might have a point.”
“You know I do. And I also know you. Even if Chessa hadn’t ordered this, you’d have been the first in line to do something about it. Admit it.”
“Yeah, okay, sure. When it comes to demons, I have a bit of a grudge. But that doesn’t mean I would’ve joined a magical sorority. You know I like to work alone.”
He ran one finger down the bridge of my nose. “Look on the bright side. Think of all the friends you’ll make.”
“Or better yet, I can just think of all the demons I can send back to hell or turn to ash.”
He laughed. “Whatever works for you, babe. I’ll be here when you need me. In more ways than one.”
Vaughn bent to kiss me, and once again, I was lost in his touch.
Demons and sororities could wait. Janie was safe for now and I had an incubus to tame.
He pulled back and rolled over, reaching for something in his nightstand. “I have something for you.”
I pulled the sheet up to cover my breasts and turned sideways. “What?”
“Just a little Christmas present.” He held out a burgundy velvet box.
“But Christmas isn’t for another week,” I protested. “You want this to be a surprise, don’t you?”
He chuckled and sat up, facing me. His lips curved into that sexy little half smile. “Too late now.”
Oh damn. I was doomed. Head over heels for this incubus. “Come here,” I said, crooking a finger to indicate he should come closer.
He leaned down, brushing his lips over my cheek. “Yes?”
“I don’t deserve you.”
He winked. “Yeah, I already knew that.”
I let out a huff of laughter. “Well, maybe I can try to bribe you. Check the third drawer.” It was the one he’d given to me for sleepovers.
His eyes twinkled with amusement as he reached down and pulled out the box I’d so carefully wrapped. It was long and thin.
“A tie?” he asked.
I snorted. “Right.” Holding the velvet box up, I nodded to it. “Open them both on three?”
“You got it.”
I sat up cross–legged and counted. On three we both ripped into our packages, laughing. Our chuckles abruptly stopped, and I sucked in a breath, caught completely off guard. In my velvet box lay a silver necklace adorned with a miniature dagger that was an exact replica of Vaughn’s demon–hunter dagger. I ran a gentle finger over it, delighted by the spark of magic radiating from the miniature blade. It was Vaughn’s signature and so personal.
“It’s a pendant that calls me if you need me,” he said softly. “I’m connected with the magic it holds. You just wrap a hand around it and think of me and I’ll hear you.”
Happy tears filled my eyes. This wasn’t something one handed over easily. This was intimate and invasive for him. And completely unselfish. “I love it,” I said.
He ran a thumb over my cheekbone. “And I love you.”
My body heated with pleasure and I couldn’t help the stupid grin that claimed my face. “I love you, too. Now open your present.”
Grinning back at me, he lifted the lid on the box and let out a small gasp. “Where did you get this?” Inside was a handmade dagger, infused with my magic to help keep his own magic stable when we couldn’t physically be together.
“I had it custom–made. Then I spelled it.”
He held it up, admiring the intricate carving on the hilt. “It’s amazing. Thank you.”
I gently took the dagger from him, placed it on the nightstand, and then pushed him back onto the bed. “Merry Christmas, Vaughn.”
“Merry Christmas, my sexy witch.” He tugged me back down into the bed and went to work on making the night merry indeed.
Goddess, I was a lucky witch. And even though it appeared my days were going to take a turn for the annoying, I didn’t care. I had Vaughn by my side and that’s all I really needed. All I’d ever needed.
I didn’t know what new challenges would come, but for tonight, all that existed was me and Vaughn and the magic strumming between us.
Stay tuned for the next installment in Mati and Vaughn’s adventures in Falling into Temptation. Due out early 2015.
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author Deanna Chase is a native Californian. After spending five years traveling in an RV, she and her husband moved into an adorable cottage in a small town outside of New Orleans. After about six months, Deanna was convinced their 1907 home was haunted. Late at night as she penned Haunted on Bourbon Street, she often heard footsteps throughout the old house. Luckily, the spirit appears to be harmless, as he/she has never done more than make a little noise and possibly smoke a few cigars. However, if the ghost ever shows up in a dream, you’ll be the first to hear of it. Smudge stick anyone?
When she isn’t writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two shih tzu dogs, and making glass beads. For more information and updates on newest releases visit her website or sign up here
Kissed by Temptation © Copyright 2014, Deanna Chase
Bear Witness: Pearson Security #1
Michele Bardsley
After Gretchen Myers rescues her murdered stepsister’s baby, she’s nearly killed in a not–so–accidental car crash. When she wakes up in a Las Vegas hospital, she’s alone … until Rafe Pearson shows up. Not only does he have the baby, but he manages to rescue her from yet another attempt on her life.
Rafe is approximately the size of a linebacker with the looks of a GQ model. Yet, Gretchen has never seen a man so lonely. And he’s never met a woman so stubborn. But while she and the baby are in danger, there’s no way the former cop will let them out of his sight.
As a bear shifter who lives in a cabin deep in the woods of Mount Charleston, he has the perfect place to protect his new charges. Then the persistent hunters track down their vulnerable prey, and Rafe discovers too late that these killers are inhuman…
Chapter One
Rafe Pearson leaned against the doorjamb and stared at the falling snow. Ominous clouds roiled in the night sky, stealing light from the moon and stars. The December weather ventured into the cabin only to be repelled by the crackling fire in the hearth and the soft comfort of candlelight. He felt the winter chill through his thick, long sleeved shirt, but he couldn’t blame his shivers on mere cold.
He was afraid.
Where was she?
The wind answered his silent question with swirling dead leaves and rattling naked tree limbs. Usually, he was very satisfied with this view–the forest all around his home, pure nature just steps away. It soothed his human need for solace and his animal need for primal connection. These ten acres were his small part of Mt. Charleston. His house was the only one around for miles, and he liked it that way. The highway that led to the nearby ski resort was a good thirty–minute walk–if he were only using two legs.
Rafe cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Wolf!”
The old girl meant the world to him, his only company in these lonely days–days that had somehow turned into years. Nearly three years, if anyone kept count. He tried not to, but his brothers and sisters certainly had. The family consensus seemed to be it was time for him to move on.
Yeah? How the fuck was he supposed to do that?
Unfortunately, the Pearson clan was all stubborn resolve wra
pped in fierce love. He had to admit that his siblings’ visits and his mother’s casseroles were beginning to have the intended effect. But he wasn’t ready. His wife Samantha and his unborn child had died–and with them, a part of his own soul. He would decide when to stop grieving, not them.
The log cabin protested the incoming snowstorm–its creaks and groans as familiar as a favorite song. Rafe crossed the porch, leaning out over the railing to study the tree line. He understood the irony of a bear shifter befriending a forest animal. An irony that increased a hundredfold when one counted all the wolf shifters who lived in the surrounding areas. Hell, the Shadow Pack headquarters was three hours northeast of Las Vegas. And the Blood Pack was closer than that. Blood Pack. He scowled. Now there was a bunch of mangy assholes.
The one o’clock hour chimed from the Grandfather clock in his front room. One a.m. and she’s still not home. Rafe had no chance in hell of finding Wolf in the dark, much less in the storm, but the bad odds didn’t stop him from putting on his coat and snow boots. She had never given up on him, and he owed her. He stomped out to the porch and shut the door behind him.
Her howl stopped him from taking another step. Relief rushed through him and dissipated the tension bunching his shoulders. He waited, watching the edge of the woods. Since he was a bear shifter, his other senses were better than a human’s, including his vision. He saw the trees sway, their scraggly branches reaching up as if to touch the thickening gray clouds. There. Her gray fur was nearly invisible against the snow, but the big purple bag clenched in her teeth stood out like a beacon.
What had she found?
Wolf ambled to the porch and lowered the bag at his feet. He knelt and hugged her, running his hands along her thick fur. She allowed his affection for a moment, then slipped out of his embrace and nosed the bag, looking at him expectantly.
“Okay, girl. What did you bring me?”
Rafe noticed the holes cut in the top. What was in here that had gotten Wolf’s attention? Foreboding clenched his stomach as he unzipped the bag.
