For a long time afterwards, she had thought of the lonely angel, wondering if he had ever found companionship and peace. The memory had faded with the years -- until now.
Odd. Why would she recall something so trivial that she had forgotten so long ago? His voice called her back.
“You wouldn’t believe me, little girl, even if I swore to you with my hand on that very holy book.” He waved toward the Bible, but the smile never reached his eyes.
A jolt of awareness shot through her body. The soothing tones from seconds before disappeared. In their place, harshness and cynicism caused the hairs on the back of her neck to bristle.
“Yeah? Well, I’m brighter than I look, and I’m not a ‘little girl.’” Shoulders back, she lifted her chin and looked him straight in the eye. “Try me.”
“Now hold on, Igor.” Jay tried to break through the wall of muscle blocking his way into the room “Mr. Gorgeous” had taken Hayley. “That’s my best friend in there, and I want to know what’s going on.”
He was playing Red Rover with a bunch of overgrown kids. Whenever he tried to push through their line, they locked arms and pushed him back like he was a feather.
A waitress walked by, stopped, and snorted. “You’re their size. Just break through.”
Jay looked at the four guys who guarded the door, then back at her with a raised eyebrow. “Do you see how big they are?”
Muscles rippled beneath the guards’ skin, reminding Jay of the way a thoroughbred stallion trembles when excited.
She shrugged. “So? You’re as big as they are.”
“Oh, yeah, right.”
“You are. You used to play football, didn’t you?” She waved her hand toward the wall of beefed-up bodies. “Just bust through there, get your friend, and get out of here.” She looked back toward the dancers and gave a sigh. “Wish I could leave.”
“How do you know I played football?”
The waitress shrugged. The wistful look on her face changed into something close to guilt and fear. “You’re such a big guy and all.” She walked quickly into the growing crowd.
A shiver of apprehension formed a knot in Jay’s stomach. The thrill of excitement he’d felt when that strange man had given him the flyer for the club yesterday had disappeared.
Sure, he was tired of dating every Betty, Jane, and Sue, but he’d stooped to an all-time low when he dragged his best friend to this place. The time had come to forget women. He sighed. The guy who had given him the flyer had said the music was good and a person could find anything they desired at the House of Purgatory.
A body flew off the stage and into the writhing mass below to be swallowed by the throng of people, who jumped, stamped, and rammed into one another’s bodies. Blood spurted into the air along with screams of pain, mixing with the beat of angry music. A surge of bile rose in Jay’s throat. He should have known the guy had been lying just to get more people to come here. One of the guards bumped into him; then two more pushed around him.
“What the hell?” He watched the men run into the crowd as if the devil were after them. “Has everyone gone crazy around here?”
Hisss. He turned to the door separating him from Hayley. A woman walked past the remaining guards and stopped in front of him. Jay stared, and his knees grew weak.
Pale skin, smooth like porcelain, stood out against long, red hair and green eyes. Pale green diaphanous material swirled around her feet, but the woman’s breasts and pubic hair were visible. She shouldn’t have bothered with clothes. It’s a sin to hide such a beautiful body.
The woman smiled as if she could hear his thoughts, and moved closer. The hair on his arms rose, and his cock throbbed with the desire to have the woman touch him. He cleared his throat. “Where did you come from?”
“Down there.” The woman pointed to a hallway to the right of Hayley’s door. Jay didn’t remember seeing it before, but it didn’t matter. He gazed at the woman. She was everything Jay wanted. Hot. Sexy. Desirable.
“Your friend is in capable hands. She will want for nothing. Come with me. I’ll take care of you while you wait.”
Jay nodded, but turned back toward the door. “I have to let Hayley know where I’m going, so she won’t be worried.”
A cool, slender hand touched his skin. Warm breath whispered into his ear, and a hand stroked up the inside of his arm. Anticipation flooded his abdomen. He moved forward into the woman’s outstretched arms.
“Both of you will find what you need here.” The woman took his hand.
Jay gazed into her green eyes and saw his reflection. “Who are you?”
Red lips smiled before their cool texture touched his mouth with a kiss. His eyes closed with the power of the woman’s desire.
“I’m whoever you wish me to be.”
The electrical kiss burned along the seam of his mouth. He opened his eyes so he could look into her beautiful eyes; he screamed, then ran.
Damn! Jay wandered along the perimeter of the crowd, trying to make his way back to the place he’d left Hayley. What was wrong with him? He’d left her to God knows what. One minute he’d been prepared to bust through the wall of trolls, and the next, he had stared into he didn’t know what.
Jesus, what was that? He could swear he’d just seen a woman turn into a gargantuan snake. Who the hell was that dame? Medusa?
A wave of bodies pushed him to the left, but another wave forced him to his right and back. The place was wall-to-wall people, thicker and more rambunctious than when he and Hayley had arrived. Stale air teased his nostrils, and sweat soaked the front and back of the yellow-blue-and-green tropical shirt he wore.
He broke through a small group and found himself against a bar. Jay dropped his head and shook it back and forth. No way would he make it through to that door now. He might as well have a drink while he waited for the crowd to thin.
His gaze on the floor, he raised his hand to the bartender. So far, not one of the female patrons appealed to him. Most of them were too skinny. Too bad there wasn’t some buxom blond around to share a beer with him.
“Yeah. What’s your poison?”
Jay looked up toward a voice that boomed like thunder. His mouth opened to respond, but nothing came out. His gaze traveled over the bartender, who stood taller than Hayley’s man, with legs and arms twice as large. He made the trolls who guarded Hayley’s door look like dwarfs.
Intricate tattoos circled from inside his shirt to cover each arm. Down and around they wove to reach the man’s fingertips with colors that mingled into a work of art.
“He’ll have vhat ve’re having,” a female voice said.
Jay turned to the sexy voice, and his mouth opened further. All thoughts of Hayley and trolls evaporated at the sight that greeted him. Long red fingernails tapped against the shiny surface of the bar while a pair of long legs, encased in black stockings, swung to the beat of the music. A black leather bustier pushed creamy tits up into the air.
Jay’s dick leapt in excitement at the sight. The hope that the plump globes would spill out any second rose paramount in his mind. Images of Amazon legs wrapped around his waist as he plunged into a deep, wet pussy had his dampened mood perking up.
“Who’s we?” He cleared his throat of the puff of cigarette smoke she blew in his face. He didn’t care. She could blow on him all night long.
“My sister, Helga, and I.” The female held out her hand. “I’m Olga.”
Jay took the manicured hand in his and kissed her fingers. “Sure you are.”
This was the weirdest place, but what the heck. Helga and Olga. Right. And her heavy Hungarian accent was real, too. He shrugged. He’d play along if the sister looked like this one. Tall, blond, and stacked. What more could a guy ask for? Jay glanced around. There wasn’t a soul who resembled the bombshell beside him. “Um, where’s this sister of yours? She’s not a redhead, by chance, huh?”
“No, she’s a brunette. She’s in zee back, vaiting.”
“Waiting for what?” Ja
y’s mind buzzed with possibilities. “What’s in zee ... um, the back?”
“Pleasure, of course.”
Of course. Her answer must cover both questions. Jay bit back the urge to jump up and down and yell “yahoo.” He’d told Hayley he was here to get laid, and by George, he’d do just that. His thumb stroked the length of his erection.
With a gulp of his anonymous drink, he finished the fiery concoction and slammed the glass down on the bar. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go take Helga her drink.”
“I don’t know.” Olga took another sip of her drink and swung her leg. The bartender wiped the counter in front of them. Both looked at him with wary glances. “Vhat do you zink, Gar?”
“He looks like a virgin to me.” Gar shrugged his massive shoulders.
“A what? A virgin?” Jay almost choked. “I haven’t been a virgin since I was fifteen and Mary Jo Harper pulled down her panties behind my old man’s workshop.”
Olga giggled, while Gar bellowed.
What was so damned funny? Jay’s nostrils flared. He tried to take in air, slowly. The need to kill someone grew strong. He was an even-tempered guy for his size, but when pushed too far, he had been known to hurt people. One thing for certain, he didn’t like to be the butt of any joke.
Olga placed a red-taloned hand on his arm and patted.
“No, no, darling. Not zat kind of virgin.” She giggled again. “Ve are meaning you have never been to an establishment like zis one before, no?”
“Uh, well ...” Jay shuffled his feet on the tiled floor. “No.” He coughed as another wave of cigarette smoke hit his face.
“Vell, zere is always a first time for everyzing.” Olga’s fingernails grazed the front of his shirt. She stood and ground her cigarette butt out with the heel of her boot. His hand held firmly in hers, she led him toward the back.
Chapter Two
So, she wanted to know who he was. Dante leaned against the desk with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs crossed at the ankles. At least she hadn’t asked him what he was.
“I am Dante.”
“What are you?” She nodded toward his library. “Some kind of art thief?”
Ahh, the question she should not have asked. He shook his head and smiled. She had spunk, he’d give her that. It amused him she thought him a thief. In a way, he guessed she was right. Except he stole something much more valuable than art.
His gaze skimmed over her shoulder-length brown hair, pullover knit sweater, and faded jeans. Such a pretty face with her turned-up nose, full lips, and gray eyes. Not a raving beauty, but he had a strong urge to teach her a few other things he knew she’d probably never imagined. He cocked his head to look at her again. The girl was an enigma. Excitement tightened low in his gut at the prospect of being her teacher.
“I knew you were different from the other females who enter here, when I first saw you and your friend huddled together, not sure which way to proceed.”
“Well, from what I’ve seen, that could only be a good thing.”
He couldn’t stop the laugh escaping. Like that perfect shell one found amongst the chipped and broken shells cast upon a cluttered shore by the fierce winds of an angry storm, she was a rare find indeed.
“I’m surprised you made it past the gate.” He paused, but she didn’t respond. “Most girls like you would run in fear, trying to return to the preconceived safety of their world.”
He forced his fascination aside and pushed away from the desk, circling her. He stood close enough to feel the heat of her skin, but he didn’t touch her. “I am the ... proprietor, you could say ... of this house.”
Dante stopped in front of her, and her eyes found his. There was a moment of recognition. A brief flash of the sun and blue sky ... laughter. He blinked. He knew her? “We’ve met.”
She lowered her gaze and shook her head. “I don’t think that line is going to work with me.” The link was severed.
Had she felt it, too?
He let his mind wander over the eons of his existence. Frustration surfaced that he could not recall if they shared a past. When he had smelled her scent earlier, there had been no recognition. He angled his head to read her emotions better.
His eyebrow lifted.
Egotistical. He almost laughed out loud at her perception, but he felt her anger. He drew back and frowned. “Why are you angry? I have done nothing out of place.”
“No.” Her head came up, and her eyes held his, full of fear, but didn’t waver.
Bold, but careful, and able to resist him. Admiration for her grew. She was intelligent. Most human females he encountered were more than willing to climb into his bed without the slightest question of who, or what, he was. She not only asked questions, but demanded answers.
“My turn.” Dante stepped back. The warmth and smell of her skin flooded his sensitive empathic abilities. He rubbed his temple to ease the throbbing that had begun. Why had the gatekeeper sent her to him?
“Who are you, and what are you looking for?”
Her expression went from confusion to wariness. Her head bowed, and she looked from left to right, as if searching for an answer to his question.
Dante moved forward and captured her chin in his fingers. He wouldn’t abide lies. If she were some spy Zeus had sent, he would find out. No one could hide from him for long. Her face was pale, but the stormy gray depths of her eyes refused to reveal their secrets. Frustrated, he pushed her away from him.
She gasped. By the look of her, she wasn’t used to even mild use of force.
“Believe me, girl, I am being patient with you.” His lips felt tight and pinched with the effort it took not to force her to grovel at his feet. But he didn’t want her to fear him. In some perverse way, he enjoyed her defiance. The last person who had stood their ground against him for more than a few seconds had been Beatrice. His gut twisted with a long-repressed regret. “I would have most spies begging for mercy in seconds.”
She pushed strands of her silky hair away from her face, and her tongue eased across dry lips. Whatever lipstick she had started the night with had long ago vanished with the worrying of her tongue. “I-I’m not a spy.”
Dante narrowed his gaze on the pink of her tongue. Arrows of desire shot to his groin. The need to feel her tongue lick, taste, and devour his cock made him clench his jaw to prevent an audible groan.
“Then who are you?” His voice sounded hoarse, but she didn’t seem to notice his reaction to her. If he weren’t in such pain, he would almost find humor in the fact there was a female in his habitat who was immune to his ... charms. He had been called the great seducer, after all.
His gaze took in her clothes again, so unlike the leather and metal familiar in his world. His vision traced the pure, clean lines of her face. No heavy makeup to hide imperfections.
He leaned closer and sniffed her hair. No dyes or cigarette smoke. When he’d sniffed her pussy earlier, he couldn’t detect the smell of another male on her. She was clean. Enigma, most definitely. The keeper would pay for whatever game he was trying to play.
“My name is Hayley Thomas. I’m a research librarian at the local university.”
His gaze didn’t waver. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. The motion caused the neckline of her sweater to pull down to reveal a silver chain. The glitter of the jewelry, cool but inviting against the creamy skin of her neck, caught his attention.
“I-I study and catalogue ancient --” She nodded toward his library. “-- books and documents.”
“Ah. So you are interested in my collection?”
“Well, yeah. How did you get --”
He moved beside her and ignored the disorientation he experienced whenever he drew close to her. When he’d held her earlier, it had taken all his concentration to make his way to his apartment. Though the need to sink his cock into her body increased, he resisted the urge and reached for the necklace, instead. His fingertips brushed the soft skin of her throat.
She pul
led away from his touch; he removed his hand.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
“That’s not what you indicated a few seconds ago.”
The look in her eyes held distrust and something ... Dante turned his head to feel her. The scent of her invaded, but with effort he pushed forward into her mind. Fear? Anger? He was almost there. Ah ... desire. Finally.
His gaze returned to hers as he moved closer. She hid her emotions well, but she would answer him because she desired him. No female denied him, ever. He laughed, trying not to remember the three who had.
“You silly girl. I don’t want to hurt you.” He let his smile fade. “I want to fuck you.”
She backed away, but the sofa impeded her progress. He took advantage of her tactical error and took another step closer. She fell into the cushions with a cry.
He followed, with his arms braced enough to keep his weight from crushing her. Their legs entangled, and she was trapped. Triumphant, he smiled. He leaned forward, his mouth next to her ear, and whispered.
“Would you like to hear what I want to do to you?”
The fall had knocked her necklace loose from her sweater. Dante lifted his weight to trail a forefinger along her exposed cleavage. “Hmm?”
His eyes narrowed when he felt her nipples tighten beneath her sweater to pierce his chest. Fantastic. He lowered his head, then traced the path his finger took with his tongue.
She trembled beneath him, and the salty taste of her skin sent a surge of power rushing through his veins. He nipped the soft curve of her breast, retrieving the chain with his teeth. An oval medallion revealed the initials H.B.T. With one bite, he had the jewelry off and tossed to the end table. He wanted nothing between her delectable skin and his mouth.
Her gray eyes closed at the same instant she groaned. His cock hardened like stone at the sound of her arousal, and his powers slipped as her feminine power robbed his strength. He frowned, for only two women had ever had this effect on him. But never again.
With a growl, he ground his hips against her, wanting her to feel his desire throbbing with the need for her blood. He wanted to punish her for the craving she made him feel. Danger lay in weakness. Weakness allowed the demon loose. He couldn’t take a chance on his otherness breaking free.
Hot House: Dante and Hayley Page 2
