What Goes Bump In The Night

by C. R. Jane

  Nim's lips broke away from mine. "Oh my god. Ellis, how do you work with these guys?"

  "It's a trial." I turned away from Nim to grab one of Jake's big hands. My thumb rubbed across the scars and callouses across his knuckles.

  Jake reluctantly turned to me, and I bobbed up on my toes-not that it got me very close to Jake, who was so much taller than me-and yanked down on his collar.

  He bent forward, one eye still directed towards our ghostly stalkers, and his lips met mine. I love Jake's lower lip, which was soft and pillowy, a sweet contrast to his hard-lined, stubborn jaw and the sharp angles of his cheekbones. He was gorgeous in a cold, untouchable way.

  Then his hands wrapped around my hips and he returned my kiss hungrily, and a smile pulled at the corners of my lips. He was cold and untouchable on the outside. He was heat and fire for me.

  Jacob's lips pressed against the smiling corner of my mouth. "You're incorrigible. Worse than this one."

  "You're the one who said you wouldn't mind sex in a haunted house," I reminded him.

  He sighed, but kissed me again anyway, his lips pressing the center of mine. I breathed in the spicy scent of his aftershave and black coffee.

  Nim's arm slid across my lower waist, and he pressed against me from behind. The rise of his cock through his jeans was hard against my ass. He smoothed my hair over my shoulder, baring one shoulder and the back of my neck, and his lips traced the line of my neck reverently.

  I glanced up toward Jake, curious how he'd feel, but his bright golden eyes were half-lidded in desire now.

  Forget the ghosts. I wanted my strange angels.

  Jake knelt in front of me, and I ran my fingers through his mop of dark curls-I always loved the way his hair felt against my palm-as he raised the hem of my t-shirt and pressed a kiss to my navel. My abs contracted under the soft, sure sweep of his lips as desire arched through my body.

  Nim caught my shirt in his hands and I raised my arms as he drew it over my head. Dark material wrapped around my face, blinding me.

  Nim's warm hands moved down to rest on my bare waist. I started to struggle to escape the fabric, reaching up to catch the shirt and pull it off my head. Then Jake pushed the cup of my bra down, his palm brushing over my nipple, and I lost my focus. His rough palm massaging my breast was always just the right pressure to make my toes curl in my sneakers.

  Jake pulled the cup away and cool air brushed over my nipple, right before his warm mouth covered it. His tongue traced circles that made my core ache for more.

  Nim pulled the shirt the rest of the way over my head, and I could feel how my cheeks were already flushed when cool air caressed them. Jake's mouth was against my breast as Nim bent his head again, kissing my shoulder.

  "You both drive me crazy," I murmured.

  "You started it." Jake cupped my cheek with his hand as he straightened, pressing another kiss to my lips. "I was a different man before I met you."

  "You're a lot nicer now."

  A wicked smile crossed his lips, and mischief glinted in his golden eyes. "Oh, I wouldn't count on that."

  Jake's hands were on my hips and he turned me around, his grip firm and sure. I didn't stop him from spinning me on the slick marble tiles. His fingers were always light-he'd been a thief since he was a kid, thanks to the British asshole he'd grown up with-and I didn't realize he'd unbutton my jeans until he was sliding them down my hips, his warm, powerful fingers following in trace. He ran his fingertips over the curve of my hips and thighs as he pushed my jeans down.

  His lips nuzzled my ear. "Are you sure you want this? I don't mind fighting a god for you, princess."

  I caught his jaw with my palm, holding his face still so I could press a kiss to his cheek. "Let's take the path of peace, just this once."

  "As long as you're sure." Jake's voice was filled with warmth and desire.

  Nim kissed me again, hard, wildly, and I leaned into him as I kissed him back. Jake's hand slipped between us. When his fingers brushed against my core, I exhaled hard in desire, and Nim's lips against mine quirked up.

  Demons. Angels. One is supposed to be evil and the other good, but when it comes to the demons and angels in my life, they're all quite naughty.

  I tried to kiss Nim again but he pulled away, dropping kisses down my décolletage until he reached the pink edge of my nipple. He was rougher than Jake, bringing me just to the edge between pain and pleasure, and his teeth scraped over my nipple before he flicked it with his tongue. My knees weakened, and Nim's hands tightened around my hips, holding me up. I knew I was safe between the two of them, even as I let myself come undone, the sensation of the two of them against me a bright, pleasant blur.

  Jake's fingers worked against my core, sending a steady pulse of desire between my thighs. When my head fell back against his shoulder, he kissed my cheek, his lips as affectionate as the warmth in his gaze.

  I'd been so alone before I met them, and I was so very loved now.

  Nim pulled away, his gaze sweeping across the room. "This way."

  Jake glanced up and then, instead of following, swept me up in his arms. I threw an arm over his shoulders and he turned his face into mine, seeking more sweet, quick kisses as he carried me across the room.

  I felt cool, hard stone press against my ass as he set me down on the edge of some kind of big ancient relic. Some archeologist somewhere would have a heart attack if they knew what we were doing here.

  Jake's hands wrapped confidently around my thighs, drawing my legs up as he knelt. He pressed a kiss to the inside of my thigh, then another, his lips working up toward my core, which tightened over and over again in expectation.

  He kissed my center, his lips reverent. When he looked up at me, his eyes glinting gold through those heavy, dark lashes, he said, "I'm not particularly interested in any gods, but I do happen to have a goddess and my own form of worship…"

  When his tongue thrust inside me, I wriggled against the stone, the sensation that swept through me so powerful that I almost couldn't bear the desire I felt for him. But Nim was there, covering my mouth with his, his hand toying with my nipple, and I moaned into his mouth. He grinned in response.

  "Got to keep that security guard from hearing anything," he teased with a wink, and then kissed me again.

  Jake's tongue pulsed against the sweet spot inside my canal, over and over, sending waves of increasing desire washing through my body. Almost unable to bear it, my fingertips dug deep into Nim's shoulders, and I kissed him hard, then bit his lower lip, nipping him. The rougher I was with him, the more he could barely hide his grin. He kissed me back hard, his fingers tangling in my hair, yanking hard enough to send pleasant bursts of sensation through the roots of my scalp until my whole body was on fire with desire.

  My thighs tightened, my hips rising helplessly, seeking more of Jake-seeking completion-and his broad biceps tightened around my thighs. His eyes were on my face as he rode my bucking hips, his tongue thrusting relentlessly as I tightened around him and came helplessly. Waves of pleasure washed over me and I finally relaxed. Jake withdrew, pressing one more kiss to the inside of my thigh. His chiseled abs through his t-shirt brushed against my naked thighs.

  Nim's vivid green eyes were heavy-lidded-bedroom eyes, filled with lust and affection-and without discussion, I climbed onto my knees, beckoning him closer.

  He rested his hand on the curve of my ass as he pressed a kiss to my hip. "Are you sure?"

  "I don't really care if the ghosts are still there or not," I confessed, and he laughed as he leaned against me, the rough denim of his jeans brushing against my ass. Nim's hand swept against my throbbing core, swollen from orgasm, and I shook my head, t
aking his fingers in mine. I needed a break. And I needed more.

  "As a kid I hated Halloween," Nim said. Cool air brushed over my ass as he leaned away, and then I felt the hard, naked weight of him brush between my thighs. His tip brushed across me, and I felt the honey-thick warmth of my desire for him.

  "How does anyone hate Halloween?" I asked. Jake moved alongside me, standing beside whatever poor historical object we were defiling. Jacob's fingers ran down the curve of my neck and shoulders, and my back arched, and I turned my face into his to kiss those soft, perfect lips.

  "I wasn't allowed to go trick-or-treating," he said. His tip traced that heat up between the curves of my ass.

  "Your parents were terrible," I said. It was bad enough that his second parents, the ones that had taken him in after a young Levi killed his demon-father, had tried to kill us all. But no Trick-or-Treating? Monsters.

  "They thought it was too dangerous for me to be loose on demon's night." His muscular forearm slid across my lower abs.

  "Maybe they had the right idea," I grinned despite myself, feeling self-conscious and excited and filled with desire and heat all at once. "But I hope that Halloween is starting to redeem itself to you."

  "It's not all bad," he said. When his tip brushed against me, I rocked back against him, encouraging him. When he bent over me, I could feel the warm, hard heat of his body all along my back, and it was welcome and comforting shelter from the cool, recycled air of the museum and the dusty scent of the exhibits. "Actually, I think Halloween might be my favorite holiday."

  "Wait til we hang up mistletoe at Christmas," I said, and reached back to take him firmly in my hand. I pressed his tip against me, and after a second's hesitation, he slid inside.

  He filled me slowly, and I gasped at the pleasure of the sensation of being gently stretched, until he was all the way inside. His fingertips glided over my nub, again and again, and though I'd thought just a few minutes before that it would be hours before my throbbing core was ready for him, I felt my back sway as desire pulsed through me once again.

  "You are so perfect," Nim muttered. He eased in and out, his fingers working steadily between my thighs. My breathing quickened, and so did his.

  He rested his forehead against my shoulders. "I can't take it much longer. I want you too badly."

  "Good." I loved the way he wanted me. There was something about the way these dangerous men lost control-for me, and only for me-that sent a wave of pride and warmth glowing through my chest.

  My core pulsed, over and over, as he rocked into me again, harder and surer now, knowing that the intensity was what I wanted. I gasped as his arm tightened around my waist, and my back arched, my hair whipping in the air. Pleasure washed through my body in maddening waves, and suddenly I saw the god's dancers in my mind again, their eyes raised in exultation, dancing frantically, their hair whipping over their shoulders as they raised their arms to the sky.

  Nim groaned my name as he came too, filling me with his warmth. I sagged forward and rested my head on my crossed forearms, Jake's fingers gently stroked through my hair and down my neck, petting my hair over and over, as gentle as that sex had been rough and passionate.

  "They're gone now," Jake said. "Another successful mission."

  "Whatever we have to do for the job." Nim's lips pressed just above my hip. "I take back what we said about not taking missions on Halloween. Let's do this again next year."

  Chapter Eight

  Ryker

  The day after Halloween dawned bright and warm and sleepless; we had a mission to finish before we could rest. The sky was still orange-streaked as Ellis parked the Corvette, and our feet crunched over sand as we walked hand-in-hand toward the dock. It felt as if we were ordinary people.

  Except, of course, I was carrying a trapped god.

  I set the suitcase very carefully into the bottom of the sailboat, and then reached back to offer Ellis my hand. She smiled as she took my hand, not that she needed it, and I helped her jump from the dock onto the rocking floor of the sailboat.

  "You can sail?" She raked her long, windswept dark hair back from her face, revealing a teasing smile. "Is there anything you don't know how to do?"

  "Between me and my brothers? Not much." I settled in at the rear of the boat, dropping the engine into the lapping waves, in order to navigate the crowded dock and head out onto the crystal blue sea. The sun glinting off the water was blindingly beautiful.

  We couldn't talk much over the noise of the engine. I was happy to finally cut the engine, and blessed silence bloomed around us, except for the sound of water slapping the sides of the boat and the soft rush of wind fluffing the sails.

  Ellis picked up the suitcase and knelt on the storage bench that lined the side of the sailboat. The breeze rustled her long dark hair back from her face. Faint freckles stood out over her chiseled cheekbones.

  "Don't drop it," I cautioned.

  She looked back at me, her perfect pink lips quirking into a smile. "Are you sure?"

  "I don't need a god to tell me when I want you." I'd meant to say it teasingly, but my voice came out low and rough with desire.

  She tossed the suitcase overboard without a second thought. I joined her, carefully, because the sailboat was a small one and the last thing I wanted to do was capsize us. I rested my hand on her shoulder, and she caught her hand with mine as we watched the suitcase sink, until the last of the ripples had disappeared.

  "It almost feels like we could be just a guy and a girl," I said. "With a simple, easy life. Just you and me and the Chesapeake Bay."

  "I'm not sure any life is simple and easy." She twisted to face me, her hands skimming my sides, tracing under my t-shirt. "But we could pretend."

  "For an hour," I said, because our next mission already weighed on me. The Nephilim. I would have made sure any innocent Nephilim was safe anyway, but I remembered the quick flash of pain on Jake's face at the thought of Nigel capturing yet another Nephilim, and tension spiked through my body. I wanted to tear Nigel apart for what he'd done to Jake.

  And one day, I had a funny feeling I'd get my chance.

  "Or two," Ellis said, and the sudden rage I'd felt a second earlier, the desire to tear apart anyone who hurt the ones I loved, was suddenly vapor in the crisp fall breeze. I caught a loop of her blowing strands of hair in my hand, and she turned deep blue eyes on me. Her lips looked so very kissable, and her hands tightened on my waist, drawing me closer.

  So I kissed her.

  A Hunter's Halloween is likely to be a strange one. But everyone deserves a morning after.

  Everyone deserves an hour or two to pretend their life is simple.

  And I knew who I wanted to spend my simple hours with.

  About May Dawson:

  May Dawson left her native New York to travel the world, spending eight years as a Marine. After visiting all seven continents and dozens of countries, she settled in Virginia with her partner to raise two children and a revolving menagerie of foster cats. Now her adventures continue on the page. She writes the Wild Angels series, about Ellis and her Hunters, and the True and the Crown series, about an evil wizard's daughter finding her way in the world-and her own harem.

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  Forbidden Hex

  by

  T.J. Spade & Montana Ash

  Copyright 2018 Montana Ash & T.J. Spade. All rights reserved.

  Forbidden Hex Synopsis

  Having found love and purpose in the strong, sexy arms of a fireman vampire, a paramedic hybrid, and a werewolf cop, Maeve has fallen into a comfortable rhythm of companionable days and lust-filled nights. Now that she feels so safe, Maeve is excited to celebrate her first real Halloween. The only problem is that Bishop - her gruff and ruggedly handsome werewolf cop - hates the spooky holiday. To make matters worse, a naked homeless man brought into his precinct hexes him, insisting he find the real spirit of the holiday. Even though he doesn't believe in hexes, Bishop's luck takes an abrupt nosedive and even adorable woodland creatures are suddenly out to get him. Can Maeve, Lucian, and Gabe work with Bishop to reverse the hex so Maeve can enjoy Halloween with her three lovers? Or will Bishop's luck finally run out?

  A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORS

  Firstly, thank you for turning the page to Forbidden Hex! A couple of things to be aware of before you join in the fun with Maeve and her men;

  Forbidden Hex is a short story that follows directly from book one, Forbidden Hybrid. You do not need to have read book one in order to enjoy Forbidden Hex, but please be aware that the good times have already started.

  Also, as authors (and readers) we both like our relationships to be fully inclusive. This means there are sexy-times between all characters - including the men (m/m). So, please note that this short story contains sexually explicit material between three men and one woman in a reverse harem/polyamorous relationship and is only intended for adults.