His hands caressed her back softly as he bent down. His lips moved toward the hollow of her neck. When they touched her skin, they scorched her like a hot brand. Both of them groaned. Then ever so slowly he trailed his tongue down her collarbone, ending with his full mouth gently lapping at her.
Her skin was electrified and throbbing.
Everything felt like it had been done in slow motion.
“Oh,” she panted, shaking her head.
It had been such a simple thing, yet it had been the hottest, most erotic thing anyone had ever done to her. She could still feel his breath on her and the anticipation for him to touch her again made her ache like she never had for another.
“I want you,” he murmured, lazing his tongue back up her neck, ending at her earlobe, which he took it into his mouth, pulling softly. His voice was hoarse.
Something in the back of her mind triggered a warning, and bells went off. She had to get away. Right? But making her body heed her command was another story. It clearly wanted to stay put.
With supreme effort, she steadied her hands and pushed backward. Luke let her go, his arms relaxing. She gazed up at him. His eyes were smoldering with lust.
Oh, no, no, no.
She was feeding off him! She’d triggered her persuasion without knowing it. This was a dream. It had to be a dream. And he was here with her, and she was filling up like a glutton on his emotion.
With horror, she wrenched completely out of his grasp, making him sputter, “What’s going on? Ginger, what’s wrong? I want this. Please—”
“No!” she yelled, her fists clenched, her arms slamming into her sides. “This is not what you want! It’s what you think you want. Just leave me alone!” She backed away. He came doggedly after, reaching out to snag her wrists.
“Let me help you,” he said. “I want to help you.”
“You don’t want to help me, your lust does!” She pushed him away, but he kept coming.
Then she did the only thing she could think of.
She arched her fist up and smashed him right in the face.
Luke didn’t think he’d ever been this turned on in his life. When his lips had met Ginger’s slender neck, his body had caught fire. The kind of scorching heat that consumes you in an instant and leaves you panting, desperate, and on your knees. His hands shook as a deep yearning flooded his mind.
And he liked it.
Once his mouth had settled on her skin, the need to sink himself deep inside her was almost unbearable. He needed to satiate her, to fill her. His inner wolf had gone crazy, demanding that he mate with her, take her, claim her.
Then, all of a sudden, in the middle of his bliss, he’d been slapped back.
Literally.
He sputtered awake. He was on the cabin bed, his body still aroused, the succubus still in his arms.
“What are you doing in bed with me? Are you crazy?” Ginger pried herself out of his grasp and scrambled out of the bed in less than three seconds flat. She was furious, waving her hands wildly in front of her as she shouted, “How could you do that? Why…why would you do that?”
Luke had to adjust himself first, casually turning toward the wall to hide the fact that he was still rock hard, the intense feelings from the dream still lingering. He realized, with some surprise, that he enjoyed these amped-up feelings…and didn’t want them to end. He had no idea if Ginger had triggered his dream, or if it was because he’d been physically touching her, but he found he didn’t care nearly as much as he thought he would.
In fact, he was oddly curious about it now. This succubus stuff was intense.
His lips on her neck had been ridiculously sensual, and he hadn’t even taken her mouth. Just thinking about kissing her on the lips caused him to close his eyes. When he opened them and turned, he found Ginger standing at the base of the bed, still fuming, waiting for an answer.
“Why would I do that? Well,” he began, “I climbed into bed with you because you were nonresponsive. I tried waking you up a number of times, but nothing worked. Honestly, I couldn’t think of anything else to do. If you haven’t noticed, we’re kind of in the middle of nowhere with no cell service. I thought if I gave you some of my…energy or whatever it is you need, it would help you wake up.”
“Help me…wake up?” She appeared dumbfounded, her shoulders slumping forward. “Do you not know what ‘giving me energy’ means? Do you know how succubae feed? Why would you willingly put yourself in that position?”
“Because you needed it,” Luke stated evenly. He’d calmed down enough below the belt to sit up. He was still shirtless, which seemed slightly vulgar considering the circumstances, so he reached over the side of the bed and grabbed his T-shirt, yanking it smoothly over his head as he propped his back against the wall. “Ginger, I can see you’re freaked out, and I’m sorry for that. I wouldn’t say I know exactly how a sex demon feeds, but I made a decision, and I don’t regret it. And it looks to me like my choice helped you, because you went from comatose on this bed,” he patted the mattress beside him, “to pissed off and standing upright. And please don’t try to tell me that being out cold like that is normal for a demon. Something’s going on.”
She stood and gaped at him for a moment, and then she began to pace, running her hands through her long hair, making the room flush with the smell of gardenias. In his dream, that scent had been everywhere. He adjusted himself again, trying to tamp down his growing attraction before it blossomed again.
He’d never be able to smell that flower again and not think of her.
“I assure you it’s normal for us to sleep like that,” she finally said as she continued to pace. “That’s what we do, especially…succubae. I haven’t slept in a long time…so my body…shut down because it needed sleep. But, as you can see, I’m fine now. Listen—” she turned to face him “—I’m sorry I freaked out, but you surprised me, that’s all. Thank you for…thinking of me. I appreciate that. I’m going to leave now so you can get some rest.” She paced quickly to the door. “I’ll be out here—” she gestured to indicate outside “—planning for the morning. Get some rest.”
She left, the door banging shut before he could respond.
The door didn’t close, however, since she hadn’t popped it over the jamb, but that worked for Luke. The opening allowed some moonlight to filter into the room, and his mind immediately went to his brother. He hoped Diesel was coping well with the full moon tonight. For the first time in as long he could remember, he hadn’t been by his brother’s side to help him out with his moon issues.
Luke sat there, trying to figure out why Ginger had lied to him.
He had no real information on sex demons—he’d never actually bothered to do any research because his hatred about what they’d done to his father and mother had precluded it. He preferred to stay in the dark. But he was pretty sure what had just happened to Ginger wasn’t normal, regardless of what she’d just shared with him. Although, he had to admit, she had been very stressed out about finding her brother and hadn’t slept recently, so maybe that really was the extent of it?
But he didn’t really believe that. Plus, he could scent that she was lying. The body betrays a person when he or she tells a fib, and Luke’s nose could detect it.
He swung his legs off the bed and bent over and took his head in his hands, massaging his scalp. His feelings toward her, especially after that dream, were bordering on manic. Images of her filled his mind. He was having trouble forming coherent thoughts that didn’t involve him running his tongue along her neck. There was no denying how turned on he’d been in that dream. He was still hot. But when he’d woken, before she’d thrown herself out of bed, the electricity between them had been frenzied. Crazy kinetic. And he’d liked it.
Hell, he’d loved it.
So what did that mean?
It was too complicated to pick apart and analyze right now. He shook his head, sitting up. Whew. This was going to be a bumpy road, no matter what. Good thing he never ran
away from a problem.
There was a slam outside.
She’d gotten back into the damn car. What in the world was she going to do in there for the next six or seven hours? It wouldn’t take her long to look at the maps and plan a route. He knew they would find Damien. Leaving this area without him wasn’t an option.
Luke was going to have to talk some sense into her. Ginger hadn’t eaten any regular food since early this morning, and that had been a nibble of a bagel. Earlier he’d taken their small cooler out of the hot car and set it in the shade. She probably wouldn’t look for it on her own.
He stood and stretched. His new mission: to make sure this complex woman didn’t starve to death—both physically and mentally, whether she wanted him to interfere or not.
Ginger was trying hard not to hyperventilate. Her hands were numb. She shook them out in front of her.
She had to calm down. She took a bunch of shallow breaths.
Guilt pressed down on her like a vise. Physically, right now, she felt better than she had in days, and she was totally sick to her stomach about it. She couldn’t believe she’d just awoken from a shared dream state—her first!
She was pretty sure Luke had no idea he’d been there with her, and she planned to keep it from him. He’d never forgive her if he knew.
Sex demons could share a common brain space during sleep—but only with people they were closely connected to—i.e., in love with. It was part of their overarching persuasion abilities, but like most demons, she thought it was a myth until this very minute. From what she’d heard all her life, most demons couldn’t achieve it because it required some kind of mutual bond from both parties.
She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her gasp and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the seat.
Her mother’s voice in the dream had been so real, too. So tactical. It was the first time she’d ever dreamed of her mother since her death ten years ago. Ginger dropped her hand and sighed. She had to figure out what to do and come up with a plan to stay away from—
The door beside her popped open. Ginger lurched forward, eyes wide.
Luke stood there smiling. “Dang it, I did it again. I’m sorry. I don’t ever mean to startle you, but it seems like it’s becoming my specialty.” He was acting like nothing had happened and they hadn’t just been in bed together! He propped his arm along the open car door. “But I can’t let you stay cooped up in the car. Come on, you need to eat something. I grabbed the cooler out of the trunk earlier this afternoon and set it over by the cabin.” When she didn’t respond, he leaned down and reached for her, but pulled back at the last moment.
Her heart fluttered against her will as she envisioned what it would feel like to be wrapped up in his arms again. She’d never felt that secure in her life. Sadly, having him not touch her was for the best. “Thanks,” she said, ignoring his awkward stance. “I am a bit hungry—” not as hungry as I was, thanks to you “—just give me a few minutes. I’m still trying to wake up from the long nap. I’ll meet you over there.”
“Sounds good. I’ll set the food out. There’s a huge rock we can use as a table.” He left the door open and she watched him walk away, craning her neck until he rounded the back of the car.
He didn’t seem fazed at all, and she was learning quickly that this was the pure essence of Luke. Nothing seemed to ruffle him. He should be scorching her with his disapproval—accusing her of sneaky succubus underhandedness—and instead he was getting a meal ready for her. As she eased out of the car, she realized she’d never encountered anyone quite like him before.
Maybe that was his allure? Why she was so attracted to him?
That, or his ridiculously broad shoulders and ripped abs.
The man without his shirt on was…holy lords. She took a deep breath and fanned herself as she slammed the car door and made her way over to the food he was setting up on the rock. She could blame the heat for the reasons she felt light-headed. But that wasn’t the truth. The real reason was too intense, and she couldn’t let her brain linger there too long.
She’d fallen hook, line, and sinker for the shifter, and it made her head spin.
“Here you go.” Luke held out an apple to her. “We have quite a feast in this little cooler. An array of deli meats and cheeses—which are only a little wilted around the edges from lack of proper bagging—a half-eaten bag of carrots, and some strawberries. We also have chips.” He shook a bag of potato chips in his other hand. “There are more nonperishable items in the car, like crackers, but I didn’t want rodents to devour our dry goods, so I left them there. If you’re interested, I can go get them. I think we even have some Funyuns.” He grinned.
“No thanks, this is perfect.” She took the proffered apple and immediately bit into the red skin. It was crisp and delicious. “This hits the spot.” She walked over to a small rock and sat down, glancing up at the starry sky, happy the moon was full and bright. Slowly, she brought her gaze over to Luke, who was staring at her intently, like he wanted her to divulge all her secrets. She deflected any talk about what just happened between them by asking, “How do you think your brother’s doing with the full moon?”
“Honestly, I was just thinking the same thing a little while ago. This is the first time I haven’t been with him during a full moon in longer than I can remember—which means never—since I can remember a long time.” He chuckled. “My guess is Sofia has taken the issue in hand, and all is well. Last time I talked to him on the phone, a few days ago, he didn’t seem worried at all.”
Ginger nodded. “If he’s with Sofia, he’s safe. She’ll do everything in her power to help him, and once she sets her mind to it there’s really nothing she can’t do. She’s an amazing woman. Your brother is a very lucky man.”
Luke sat down on the ground a short distance across from her, bracing his back against a tree, the bag of potato chips in his lap. “My brother deserves some happiness in his life. Sofia seems like a smart, competent woman. I’m happy for them. I’ve only met her twice—once at the bar, and then at her house the night you and I met. You know, all this time we’ve been together and I’ve never asked you how the two of you met. You lived with Sofia for a while, right? You’ve known each other for a long time?”
Truth be told, Ginger had been drawn to Sofia Cabrera the first time she set eyes on the witch. She didn’t try to hide her affectionate smile from Luke. “Sofia had just moved to New York the first time I met her. I knew some Collectors who worked for the Gotham City Collection agency, and they’d been eager to set up a meeting with the new witch in town. Rumor had it she was powerful and sold her spells for a reasonable price, so Collectors could afford to protect themselves on their own dime. Well, my friends chose a notorious supernatural bar, The Neptune, to meet her for the first time—and you’ve seen her, she’s strikingly beautiful. It was a big mistake. They should’ve picked a nice, quiet coffee shop. Well, Sofia went to the meeting all alone, and by the time we arrived, she had the place on lockdown. A number of ridiculously strong supes had engaged her, and she had them immobilized and contained with a flick of her wrist. Everyone at The Neptune was stunned by her prowess. The story is still told as legend in certain circles.” Ginger grinned. “Later that night, after we whisked her away, she and I got to talking and we became fast friends. I’d just bought a brownstone and needed a roommate, and she had recently moved to New York from Italy and needed a place to stay. So there you have it.”
“That’s a good story.” Luke popped some chips into his mouth. “What about before you met Sofia? You told us before, at Sofia’s house, that you met her right around the time you escaped The Sumerians. How long did you spend with them undercover trying to save your brother?”
Ginger swallowed. This was territory she wasn’t willing to get into with Luke. But she answered, “On and off for four years.”
“But they didn’t come after you for a while once you were out, right? You’d been living with Sofia for years before you we
re Collected for the crimes they tried to frame you with.”
“Yes, they waited until they could manufacture enough evidence, which took a long time. But even though I was technically out of the organization, I still did my best to expose them. I lied to Sofia before, because I didn’t want to hurt her even more than I already had. If I’d told her at the time about my brother, and that I was actively trying to free him, she would’ve insisted on helping me, and I couldn’t risk it. The organization was too powerful, too vile. I couldn’t let that happen.”
Luke nodded. “I appreciate you sharing this with me. If I can understand Damien and The Sumerians a little better, it might mean the difference between catching him, or losing him yet again. People tend to follow particular patterns. If your brother is like Mason, and thinks he’s invincible, he’s likely to act a certain way. But from what we’ve seen, he’s a runner, which indicates he’s unsure of what to do. Does that sound accurate?”
Ginger took another bite of her apple. When she was done chewing she answered, “To tell you the truth, I just don’t know. It’s been too many years. He was a sweet boy when he left—misguided and angry—but he had a good heart. But when I saw him for the first time in that hangar last month…I have to admit…I didn’t recognize him. When I looked into his eyes I saw a mixture of fear and sadness…but there was something else.”
“Fury.”
She bowed her head. “Yes.”
“I saw it too,” Luke said it so softly, almost like a caress. Her head bobbed up to meet his gaze. “I know it’s incredibly hard for you to tell me these things. I know The Sumerians did horrible things to you. I remember every word you told us in Sofia’s living room. Mason hurt you—and I wish I could kill him again for that—but sharing Damien’s story is necessary. I’m charged by the SCC to bring you and your brother in for questioning. Once we get there, I will be your biggest champion. But in order to do that, I need to know as much as I can. Why was your brother angry as a child? I know a thing or two about anger myself. My childhood experiences shaped me and made me who I am today. The same is likely true for your brother.”
Sin City Collectors Boxed Set: Aces Wild, Ante Up, All in Page 25
