by Lolita Lopez
When the craving takes hold, the only thing to do is ride it out…
Midnight Vice, Book 1
Patrolling Houston’s gritty supernatural underbelly has its perks. For Isla Alvarez, it’s working alongside nephilim SWAT Officer Jace Lane. Ruggedly handsome and possessed of mad skills, Jace embodies everything she’s ever wanted.
Unfortunately, the demonic blood pumping through her veins keeps them separated, since relationships between human descendants of archangels and demons aren’t actively encouraged. Staying away from him, though, is impossible after she winds up on the receiving end of a nasty sexual-compulsion curse, courtesy of a sadistic vampiress. Suddenly Isla is overwhelmed with a life-threatening lust only Jace can sate.
Jace’s principles were once strong enough to resist his longing for the alluring Isla, but in the face of her desperate craving, his desire breaks free—leaving him wondering if she’s not the only one affected by the spell. He’d be more than happy to satisfy Isla’s increasing need for sexual release, if they weren’t in a race against time to reverse the curse before it turns deadly.
For Isla, it’s not just her life she’s worried about losing. It’s her heart.
Warning: Contains wicked hot shower sex, raging-hormone-induced naughty language, driving under the influence (of overwhelming lust) and smiting of demons and vamps.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520
Macon GA 31201
Midnight Craving
Copyright © 2010 by Lolita Lopez
ISBN: 978-1-60504-880-2
Edited by Deborah Nemeth
Cover by Kanaxa
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: January 2010
www.samhainpublishing.com
Midnight Craving
Lolita Lopez
Chapter One
Pumping bass beats vibrated through Isla’s body. With every swish of her hips, the loose waves of her black hair whipped wildly against her bare shoulders. The hot pink fabric of her slightly slutty mini-dress clung to her sweat-slicked skin. Curious hands from down below touched her calves, some daring to slide beneath the hem of her dress to caress her thigh. The dancers on either side moved closer and sandwiched her between their bodies. A stiff cock pressed up against her ass, another bumped her navel. Two sets of big warm hands gripped her waist. Lips danced across her shoulder. Fangs tickled her neck. Shivers shook her belly.
Reveling in the absolute debauchery of the moment, Isla struggled to maintain her concentration. She wasn’t gyrating atop this bar for her own amusement but to provide recon. A team waited outside to bust the illegal prostitution and feeding ring being run by the vampire duchess Renata. Isla’s elevated position provided a perfect view of the pulsing crowd and the movements of various supernatural VIPs. Outside the club, Cassandra, a psychic member of Houston’s Midnight Vice Squad, channeled Isla’s thoughts, keeping the team apprized of vital information and Isla of all developments.
And things were about to get hairy.
Cassandra’s voice filtered through Isla’s mind. “Entry in ten, nine, eight…”
Isla’s eyes snapped to the back of the club where Renata held court, the sexiest of her young male vamps draped around her shoulders and sitting at her feet. At the first sign of the team’s entry, Renata would likely flee. Isla needed to keep an eye on her to prevent her escape. Just the thought of a chase made Isla’s pulse sprint and awakened her night-stalker instincts. An excited smile curved her lips at the thought of capturing Renata and settling an old family score.
A series of loud explosions rocked the club as the team breached the various entrance points. Mass chaos ensued. Lights went out and the music squelched over the sound system. Frantic club goers screamed and knocked into each other as they rushed toward the closest exits. Isla’s dancing companions leapt from the bar, leaving her high and dry without even so much as a second glance. So much for chivalry…
The demonic blood coursing through Isla’s veins granted her certain talents including night vision. She focused on the rear of the club and caught a flash of movement as Renata raced toward a hallway. Not far away, the SWAT team hurried after them, Jace leading the charge, gun drawn and at the ready. An amber glint reflected in his righteous eyes, the archangel blood pounding in his veins awakened by the chase. Jace was separated from his team by Renata’s drones. He cast one look at his embattled teammates and rushed after Renata alone.
“Mierda!” Isla’s heart stuttered. As the senior member of the SWAT team, Jace had mad skills Isla could only dream of mastering but Renata wasn’t to be trifled with—that Isla knew only too well. Without hesitation, Isla honed in on Jace’s familiar aural energy and jumped. In the blink of an eye, her body skipped through time and space. She landed just a few footfalls behind him and tottered on her heels.
Recovering quickly, Isla raced after them. Jace glanced over his shoulder. Their gazes clicked and she could have sworn she caught a flash of relief and then annoyance. He flicked his focus forward before Isla could be sure. She frowned but kept moving forward. She’d ask him about that later.
The hallway darkened and hooked a sudden left. Isla reached out for Jace’s shoulder, wanting to stop him, but he moved too fast. He swung around the corner, boots sliding just a bit. Isla heard his sharp intake of breath and sped into action. She slid around the corner and spotted Renata and Jace engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
Renata’s normally gorgeous face had melted to reveal the hideous bat-like beast beneath. Fangs bared, she hissed and snapped as she and Jace traded blows. Blood dribbled from Jace’s nose but he held his own against the ancient vampiress.
Renata’s clawed hand gripped his neck. Isla launched herself at the vampire’s back and wrapped her legs around her waist. Jace’s tactically gloved hands slapped at Renata’s wrist as he fought to breathe and slipped into unconsciousness. Isla slammed her fist into Renata’s temple until the bitch let go. Coughing, Jace slipped to the ground. Renata flung Isla into the ceiling and snarled as she spun around.
Isla bounced off the ceiling, hit the floor with a painful thud, and scrambled to stand and fight. Blinking, she cleared the dizziness and tried to focus. Fear seized her belly. She’d just earned Renata’s full wrath. Without a weapon, Isla pulled energy from the air, funneling the heat into her palm. Fire throwing was another perk of her demonic background.
Renata’s furious gaze settled on the orange flames licking at her fingers. Recognition flickered on her face. “I should have known you’d survive. Desideri women are worse than cockroaches.”
Isla’s jaw hardened. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Filthy half-breeds,” Renata spat. “I did the night side a favor when I slaughtered your family.” Her eyes drifted to the curved scar across Isla’s neck. “Slitting your throat was a mistake. I should have ripped it out with my fangs.”
Fury bubbled in the pit of Isla’s belly. The fire in her palm turned blue-white and spread up her arm. Only the sight of Jace’s sti
rring form kept her from blossoming into a roiling fireball. Stake in hand, Jace jumped to his feet. Renata caught the movement and turned just enough for the stake hit too far to the right to do enough damage. Her backhand sent Jace tumbling down the hallway.
Stepping between them, Isla hurled a fireball. Renata swiftly jerked and caught it along the right side of her face. Her blonde coiffure burst into flames. The eardrum-shattering shriek nearly felled Isla. The flames and smoke set off the overhead sprinkler system, and rancid water rained down upon them. Isla threw up an invisible shield, keeping the disgusting water off of Jace and herself. Renata’s head smoldered as the sprinklers snuffed the flames.
A hand against her bubbling skin, Renata pinned Isla with a livid stare. She lifted her fingers and pointed them at Isla’s face. Before Isla could react, Renata spoke in an old, twisted language. The impact of the curse knocked the breath from Isla’s lungs. Her legs collapsed and she hit the floor. Heat exploded in her belly and spread through her body, leaving a prickly trail of discomfort.
Renata cackled gleefully and rushed away, disappearing in a cloud of darkness. Isla writhed on the ground, desperate to shake the pain of the curse. Terror gripped her chest.
And then Jace was above her, his hand on her face, his low voice speaking calmly through the haze. She stared into his eyes, the angelic sheen fading to reveal his slate blue irises. Her fear abated almost immediately but something else took its place.
Lust.
Isla’s eyes widened as wet heat surged between her legs. “Oh, God,” she whimpered and clenched her thighs. What the hell is happening to me?
***
Standing with his team by the bar, Jace tried to pay attention to the quick on-scene debriefing being held by the chief. Other than Renata’s escape, the operation had gone perfectly. The bitterness of failure soured his stomach. He had only himself to blame for losing Renata. This hadn’t been their first tango. He’d known better but the thrill of the chase got to him. The smell of evil ignited the angelic yearning to smite. When faced with the darkest of soulless creatures such as Renata, he found the urge to pursue and strike nearly impossible to control.
Never again, he swore. Next time, it was by the book.
The EMTs left through a side door, their stretcher surprisingly empty. His gaze skipped around the room in search of Isla. He’d seen the hit she’d taken. She needed to be checked out by the anti-curse squad. Renata had been around long enough to learn some nasty tricks. No doubt the old bloodsucking hag had pulled out the very worst for Inigo Alvarez and Solange Desideri’s daughter.
A swatch of pink among the milling black uniforms caught his eye. Isla moved awkwardly through the crowd of paranormal vice cops and crime scene investigators. She didn’t look injured but she seemed incredibly uncomfortable. As she angled toward the bathrooms, she stopped suddenly and braced herself against the wall.
Worry and guilt seized Jace’s chest. If he’d been more careful, she’d never have been exposed to Renata’s rage. All along, the plan had been to use Isla for recon because her demonic blood allowed her to mingle with night siders—the demons, vampires and other nocturnal nasties roaming the city—without rousing suspicion. Unlike most officers with Midnight Vice, Isla belonged to no single unit. Her unique skill set allowed her float between departments. Isla’s prized abilities as a night stalker—a person of demonic heritage charged with aiding in the balance between the night and day sides—were always in high demand. Since there were so few night stalkers in the world, Isla seemed to always be in the thick of it.
Tonight, maintaining distance between Renata and Isla had been paramount, especially with the history between the pair. When Isla had joined his pursuit of Renata, he’d been simultaneously relieved and aggravated. Aggravated because he wasn’t certain Isla should be facing off with Renata, and relieved because, despite Isla’s relatively new presence on the force, the girl was a natural.
Of course, surviving an attack by one of the most notoriously sadistic vampires at the age of six probably had a hand in preparing Isla for this line of work. She never spoke of that night, but the scar running across her throat was a constant reminder to anyone who saw it. Jace couldn’t look at it without envisioning a tiny little girl stumbling, crawling and dragging herself to the nearest house almost a mile down the road from her family’s burning estate, a hand clamped to the gaping cut in her throat, blood gushing from the wound. How she’d survived still baffled him. The demonic blood from her mother’s side? Maybe. Her tenacity? Most definitely.
Jace quietly slipped away from his unit and zigzagged around the people obstructing his path. Isla seemed to regain her strength and disappeared into the ladies’ room. He hurried after her, concerned she’d collapse or worse. He knocked but didn’t wait for her answer before barging inside. The bathroom was surprisingly small with just a sink, a stall and the most appalling fuchsia walls he’d ever seen.
Isla was bent over the sink, splashing cold water on her face. Startled, she straightened up but relaxed at the sight of his reflection. Jace snatched a handful of paper towels from the nearby dispenser and crossed the space between them. He sponged her flushed face, noting the heat radiating from her body. She was always warmer than the rest of them but not like this. “Are you all right?”
“I feel so strange,” she admitted, her voice dreamlike and wavering.
“You should have gone with EMS.” He put a hand to her forehead. “Christ, you’re burning up!”
Isla swallowed hard and put a hand to her neck. With each heavy breath, her breasts heaved over the shockingly low neckline of her dress. His gaze drifted down to the stiff nipples poking through the damp fabric. When she licked her lips, heat pierced his belly. The urge to suck on those pouty pink lips and stab his tongue into her mouth gripped him.
What the hell? Jace balked at the naughty thoughts suddenly racing through his mind. He’d fought his attraction to Isla since the first night she’d sauntered into Midnight Vice headquarters. Everyone in their unit had lusted after her. It was impossible not to, with all the various demonic genes floating around in her busy gene pool, especially the incubi and succubi ones. After a while, everyone seemed to build up their immunity to her subconscious charms—but not Jace. He couldn’t shake the hunger. Over and over, he’d told himself why it was a bad idea. She was too young, too pretty and too smart for him.
Plus there was that teeny, tiny problem with his archangel heritage. Who knew what would happen if a half-angel mated with a half-demon. His kind highly discouraged dalliances between the races. There were rumored punishments for caving to temptation, but what kinds, exactly, were a secret. Jace doubted that was something he wanted to find out.
But tonight was different. She just smelled so fucking good. He wanted to eat her up. And judging by the way her hands were now tugging at the buckle of his belt and jiggling the various pouches of ammo and night-side weaponry, she felt the same. He shivered as her tongue licked the side of his neck. Isla nibbled his jawline and nipped at his earlobe before sucking it between her lips.
The bottom dropped out of his stomach. “Fuck, Isla!”
“You taste so good, Jace.” Isla moaned loudly and sucked hard on his neck. She popped the belt buckle open and lowered his zipper. “I’m so hot. I need…I need you.”
“What?” Jace’s head swam. Her greedy little fingers slipped inside his pants and groped him through his cotton boxer briefs. Already at half-mast, his dick throbbed as she stroked him through the fabric. If she kept that up much longer, he’d lose control. As amazing as it felt, he tried to put the brakes on, reason finally breaking through his lustful haze. This was so out of character for her. “Isla, wait. What…what are you doing?”
She fisted his shirt and hauled him against her pert body. Her pupils seemed strangely dilated “I’m trying to fuck you, Jace.”
“Oh,” he said rather dumbly. All resolve slipped from his mind. “Just checking…”
Unable to control th
e primal urge, Jace grasped the backs of her thighs and lifted her onto the edge of the sink. As he claimed her lips for the first time, electric shivers pierced his belly. Her lips were so supple and warm, her tongue wet and pliable. Their tongues slid and swirled. The fingers of his left hand sifted through her black hair, keeping her mouth firmly in place. His right hand cupped her breast through her dress. She pressed impatiently against his palm so he dipped under the fabric to caress her hot skin. When he tweaked her nipple, she practically purred.
Isla’s fingers plucked at the buttons of his uniform shirt made of black fabric imbued with protective magic. She made a little noise of annoyance at finding his black tee underneath. Breaking their kiss, she lifted his tee and peppered kisses up his stomach. His toes curled when her tongue swiped his nipple. Each flick seemed to go straight to his twitching cock. He slipped his hand along the curve of her knee and under the too-tight hem of her dress. Her silky skin felt so soft beneath his callused palms. His fingers sought the origin of all that heat. She gasped when he found her satin-covered cleft, the fabric already soaked with her cream.
“Take it off,” she begged. “Touch me there, Jace.”
Jace needed no further instruction and grasped the waist of her slinky thong. She braced her hands on the sink and lifted her bottom as he dragged the scrap of pink satin down her thighs. Her left knee bent just enough for him to jerk it over her high heel. It dangled from her right ankle.
He moved back between her knees, his hand searching again. The sensation of his fingers slipping in the slick cream coating her pussy lips made him nearly frantic with the need to bury his cock in her. “You’re soaking wet, baby.”
“My pussy’s on fire.” Isla grasped his stiff length. “Fuck me, Jace. I want your cock in me.”
Jace gulped at her frank talk. Isla could cuss with the best of them, but this was beyond anything he’d ever heard from her lips. She freed his penis from his boxers and stroked him, eliciting a grunt from his throat. A shiny drop wept from the tip. She swiped it with her finger and brought it to her lips. As she sucked her finger clean, he knew there was no turning back now. He’d come too far for that.
