by Jacey Ward
She mewled, the noise sending shivers of pleasure through him and he bucked upward, wanting to fill her even more deeply. The walls of her core closed around him, and he gritted his teeth together, knowing he was going to explode.
“That’s it, baby. Ride me hard. You’re so fuckin’ beautiful,” he groaned in his mind. “I’m coming!”
“Not yet,” she purred, her amber irises radiating with eerie light. “Fuck me harder, Kalen.”
The sensual words put him over the edge and he couldn’t hold out any longer, the thought of having Circe Lancaster riding his cock too much.
He streamed over himself in burning streaks, moaning loudly as he did.
Slowly, he sat up, looking for something to wipe himself with, disappointed that the fantasy had ended – however, he now knew that having her beneath him, on top of him, and every way in between was inevitable. If she could make him come that hard in a fantasy, then there was no way she was escaping from him without him tasting every inch of her lithe body.
He knew that there was no way he was going to be able to resist sleeping with her.
I don’t even know how I managed to send her home tonight.
Unsteadily, Kalen rose to his feet and walked toward the bathroom, running water over his hands, willing himself to think clearly.
There was a major risk asking Circe to work with him to locate Uvall, one which would certainly expose his secret to her. There were so many other Valkyries in New York alone; he certainly did not need to commit to Circe.
But he wanted her and there was nothing he could say to himself that would convince him otherwise.
Who cares if she learns about you? He challenged himself. You have nothing to hide from a mere Valkyrie. Who cares what she thinks about you or Corpus?
It bothered him to realize that he did though, possibly for the first time in his eternal life.
“It’s only sex,” he said aloud as if trying to convince his own mind. “Politics don’t need to get involved.”
On that false assurance, Kalen turned his delusional thoughts elsewhere.
3
She stroked the outside of the phone with a long, purple fingernail, listening to Arya through the earpiece.
“Well, it’s not surprising, Circe. I mean, sure, it’s brazen but if he’s a foreign demon, he might not be well versed in the new world ways.”
“Still, approaching me in the open like that,” Circe sighed. “And then he took me for dinner!”
“I agree,” her best friend conceded. “It’s really strange. Do you think he’s working with Uvall?”
“No,” Circe said quickly and she wondered why she was so determined to defend the demon stranger. The Deviants in America knew better than to act like Kalen had, calling out another in such a public way. He should be reported for his actions but Circe had been unable to bring herself to do that – not when her body still tingled every time she remembered the connection they shared.
The model had met thousands of men in her life, both Deviant and mortal. She had been plied with gifts and flattery, been to the most expensive resorts and ridden in the flashiest cars but she had never been as awed as she had been with the black-haired demon who had materialized from nowhere.
What had shocked her the most was that he hadn’t taken her up on her invitation to come to her suite at the Mercer.
Throughout their dinner, she had been sure he wanted to ask her something, but the question had never surfaced.
She had to wonder if it had been a proposition, or something more…dark.
He’s a demon. Why would he be interested in me? He might not be a demon lord but he’s still more powerful than I will ever be.
Circe was glad she was seeing him again that night because she didn’t intend to let him slip away a second time. Strong connections like that just didn’t happen to her – and it had been a looong time since she had had mind-blowing sex. She sensed that sex with Kalen would be…epic.
“I’ll ask Dante about him,” Arya said, shattering her reverie.
“No!” Circe cried. “Don’t! I don’t want him to know that I’m – “
She stopped herself from saying the words aloud. She had almost said “I don’t want him to know I’m seeing a demon.”
Jesus Christ. I have one dinner with a total stranger and I’m picking out wedding invitations. What the hell is wrong with me?
She had no real answer except that she was strangely entranced by the immortal.
“It’s okay hun, the same thing happened to me when I met Dante in the bar that night. You must remember that?” Arya reassured her. “There was just this electric, insurmountable attraction that I couldn’t fight. Remember, you tried to stop me from leaving the bar with him, but I just – had to.”
Is it fate or is it something they do to us to makes them irresistible?
“Hello? Circe are you still there?”
“Yes,” she sighed. “Just don’t mention Kalen to Dante. Promise me.”
“All right,” Arya replied reluctantly. “But what if he’s working with Uvall?”
“He’s not!” Circe said convincingly – at least to her ears. “He’s just a tourist, all right? Don’t you think I can take care of myself?”
There was a hesitant pause and Circe felt guilty for questioning her. After all, they had been friends forever; almost literally.
“I’m just worried about you, Circe. I’m not trying to get involved with your relationships.”
Relationships. Yep, we’ve both lost our minds.
“I know,” she replied apologetically. “I’m sorry. I just haven’t slept much since this goddamned show started and now Analeigh is pissed at me for leaving the play last night.”
“I still can’t believe you did that,” Arya chuckled appreciatively. “I wish I’d seen that bitch’s plastic face when you told her to screw off.”
“Well, you know Analeigh; it’s really hard to tell how she took it. I gotta go, Ary. I’ll call you after my date tonight and let you know how it went.”
“Please do, and if you need anything – “
“What I need is for you to give my niece a kiss for me and then just relax. You’ve come a long way from the Sapphire Strip.”
Arya snickered.
“Jasmine is spoiled rotten. Dante dotes on her like a princess.”
“She is a princess, just like her mama. Maybe it’s time to think about having a little brother or sister – “
“Okay, I’m hanging up now!” Arya called cheerfully and Circe had to laugh.
“I love you both.”
“Talk later. Love you.”
They disconnected simultaneously and Circe turned to look at herself in the mirror of the bedroom. To her chagrin, she saw her brow had furrowed.
Stop it, she growled to herself. There’s nothing to worry about with Kalen. He’s just needs a tour guide.
But you’re not a native New Yorker.
But close enough, really. She had spent enough time in the city to give him a quickie.
I mean a quick TOUR!
And then I can press him for details about what he’s doing on this side of the planet.
She leaned forward, wiping under her eyes to remove a streak of mascara before standing back up to admire herself.
Circe had held back nothing that night, her toned, slender figure was accentuated perfectly in a long, red A-line dress. There was a daring slit up the thigh, pronouncing her perfectly sculpted right leg, made sultrier by a pair of four-inch gold pumps.
It was relieving to know she could wear heels without towering over Kalen, something that didn’t happen to her often – if ever. Not that the fact she was six feet tall in stilettos had ever stopped her from wearing them in the past. It was just refreshing to know that for once, she would be looking up at her date instead of down.
As always, her make-up was flawless, her eyes made brighter by the simple but jeweled diamond choker around her throat.
Spraying a mist o
f Chanel over her glistening curls, she stood back to admire her handiwork.
There was a knock on the door and Circe whirled to glance at the alarm clock on the bedside table.
If it was Kalen, he was half an hour early.
Good thing I’m ready, she thought, not even slightly annoyed. The desire to see him had overridden her usual way of reacting. If it had been anyone else, she would have ignored the door and forced her date to wait. Yeah, she was a bitch sometimes, and she knew it.
She answered the knock, a wide smile on her face which faltered immediately.
“Cassie! What are you doing here?”
“Sh-she dropped me!” the blonde cried, pushing her way inside Circe’s room, tears streaming down her face. “I – I’ll n-n-never w-work again!”
“Woah, calm down,” Circe told her. She peered into the hallway, hoping that Kalen wasn’t there to witness her friend’s breakdown. Satisfied, she closed the door and hurried to sit with the girl.
“What’s going on?”
“Analeigh!” she sobbed. “She dropped me as her client!”
Circe snickered.
“She is such a sadist,” the raven-haired beauty grunted. “What did you do to piss her off?”
“I – I only followed your lead, Circe! I told her I wasn’t doing the ‘networking’ anymore, or at least not at the level we’ve been going. I figured if you could do it…”
Circe shook her head, rolling her eyes.
On what planet did she think that she could get away with that shit.
“And she said she was dropping you?” Circe asked gently.
“She yelled at me for an hour, telling me that I have no right, that I was losing popularity and that I did her a favor by saving her having to drop me.”
“She’s such a drama queen,” Circe chuckled, rising to find a tissue for Cassandra.
“You think this is funny, Circe? This is my career we’re talking about, my life!”
Circe handed her a Kleenex.
“She hasn’t dropped you, dumb ass. She’s being her usual psychotic self.”
“She did! She has!”
Circe lost her bemused expression and grabbed Cassie by the shoulders, staring her dead in the eyes.
“Do you know why she treats you like this?” the Valkyrie snapped. “Because you let her. She’s a bully and she does it to everyone who permits her to act like a lunatic.”
“It’s easy for you to say,” Cassie retorted, shifting her blue eyes away. “She likes you.”
Circe snorted contemptuously.
“She abhors me, Cassie but she needs me, just like she needs you and the others. What do you think will happen if she ends up with the reputation as a cruel agent? No one will sign with her and she’ll fail.”
Cassie stared at her with wide eyes.
“Are you suggesting we go on ‘strike’, or protest?” she gasped and Circe groaned loudly.
“Of course not!”
Jeez, do I have to spell out everything?
“What I’m suggesting,” Circe continued, checking her temper. “Is that you have to remember she needs us just as much as we need her. She just needs a gentle reminder occasionally.”
“Well, I can’t remind her now, can I?” Cassie wailed miserably. “She’s fired me.”
“Cassie, I know you’re not thinking clearly but she can’t drop you because you had a fight,” Circe explained. “You have a valid contract. If you think she’s serious, call your attorney. In fact, call your attorney anyway and have him renegotiate the terms of your paperwork. Explain what a nightmare Analeigh is to work with. That will remind the cellophane bitch how important we are to her.”
Cassie dabbed her eyes with the edge of her tissue and stared at Circe in wonder.
“You think I should do that?”
“Of course. But trust me, Cass, she didn’t dump you. She’s evil incarnate but she’s not an idiot.”
Cassie looked at her with mild wonderment through red-rimmed eyes.
“How come you’re so wise, Circe?” she asked and the Valkyrie swallowed a snicker.
Because I’ve been alive longer than they teach history about, she thought. But of course, she kept her amused reply to herself.
“You can’t let bullies grind you down. They only become powerful because no one stands up to them,” Circe told her. “If you let her get under your skin, it will age you. And we both know as a blonde, you can’t afford to age any sooner than natural.”
She grinned wickedly as Cassie smacked her good naturedly. She eyed her fully for the first time since entering her room.
“Oh my God,” she gasped, jumping up. “You’re on your way out!”
“In a few minutes,” Circe told her. “My date isn’t here yet.”
Cassie’s eyes widened.
“Your date? Does Analeigh know about this?”
Circe’s mouth became a fine line of annoyance.
“Christ, Cassie, she’s our agent, not our warden. If I want to go on a date, I don’t have to clear it with Analeigh.”
“Yeah I know but – “
“But nothing,” Circe interrupted firmly. “Go call your lawyer.”
Her words were laced with finality and Cassie nodded slowly.
“Thanks, Circe,” she breathed, turning to leave. “You’re a good friend. Just…be careful, okay?”
But Circe could still hear the uncertainty in her tone and she knew Cassie was suddenly worried for her.
Cassie wasn’t wrong; if her agent found out that Circe was going out on an unsanctioned date, there would be hell to pay. Analeigh had their lives scripted from dawn to midnight, whether or not they were on the clock.
Goddamn Analeigh. She’s worse than a fucking warden. One day, someone is going to have to put an end to her tyranny. But today is not that day. Tonight, I have a date and I’m going to have raunchy, wild sex with Kalen Connor. Tomorrow I’ll deal with the menace that is Analeigh Bowman.
With Cassie’s unexpected visit, Circe suddenly couldn’t wait to see Kalen – as if the sight of him would alleviate the extra tension she was feeling in her neck and shoulders.
A good romp in the hay is exactly what the doctor ordered, she thought excitedly, her core tingling as she planned her seduction.
She had never bedded a demon before and if Arya was to be believed, there was nothing quite like it.
“It’s an out of body experience on a whole other level,” Arya whispered. “You really should do it, if only once.”
It had been a secret fantasy of hers to sleep with a demon, especially after Arya had hooked up with Dante.
Cassie disappeared into the hallway and Circe followed, again checking to see if Kalen was en route. But as Cassie entered her suite at the end of the hall, she saw no sign of him.
She retreated into the room and closed the door, glancing at the clock over the entranceway.
And now he’s late, she thought, her eyes darting toward her cell phone on the counter. Had he called when she was dealing with Cassie? Possibly even before. She couldn’t remember the last time she had checked the annoying device.
She picked up the phone and scanned the screen. There were four texts and Circe read them with a sinking feeling in her stomach.
The first one read:
It was followed by two more, explaining he was still running late. He had been texting for over an hour.
The last one confirmed what she already knew; he wasn’t coming.
Circe sank onto an island stool and stared the cell, typing back a response, filled with anger and spite but before she could send it, she stopped herself and deleted.
In seconds, the device chimed.
Circe eyed the device, unsure of what to make of his messages.
She didn’t know him well enough to know if he was playing
games with her or if he was sincerely detained. For all she knew, he could be in New York on business and she had no right to be upset.
Even if he’s not here on business and he’s out banging every prostitute in Hooker Hell, I really have no right to be upset.
But she was, and as her shoulders sank in regret, she placed the phone face down on the countertop without responding.
From somewhere so deep, she could barely feel it, there may have been a tiny bit of relief.
After all, if Analeigh caught her on a date with a foreigner, who knew what would happen? Circe didn’t really want to find out.
On the other hand, her body, which had been primed for some fun with a demon, was threatening to go on strike now.
4
Kalen glanced at his cell again and punched the steering wheel in fury.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he demanded, his patience exhausted. “Where the hell is he?”
“My source says he’s here,” Evander insisted, his eyes trained out the driver’s side window as he stared toward the dilapidated building in the Bowery. “And you said you wanted to be here for this.”
Kalen scowled at the reminder.
“Of course I want to be here to catch him! But if he’s not fucking here, Evander, there’s really no point in me being here either, is there?”
“Kalen, the best I can do is tell you where he is. He’s too powerful for me to take on alone.”
“I know that!” the demon exploded. “How much longer are we going to wait here? I told you I was meeting the Valkyrie tonight.”
“Have her come meet us. We can use her,” Evander suggested. Kalen felt his jaw clench.
“No,” he said flatly. “I haven’t told her anything yet, remember?”
“Well, we can fill her in. She’s not going to refuse if you tell her to come.” His cock twitched at the unintended innuendo in the vampire’s words.
For fuck sakes, get a hold of yourself, he told his cock scathingly. This is business.
Everything Evander said was fact; they could use Circe’s help, especially if the high priestess was indeed inside the abandoned building, warding them off. And there was no reason they couldn’t explain what they wanted from her if she was just to meet them at this location. The problem was, Kalen didn’t want Circe anywhere near Evander or Anderly.
