Gentlemen Prefer Succubi

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Noah showed up before dawn. I’d been hovering by the window, anxiously waiting for the sky to lighten, which is why I was freaked out when the doorbell rang when it was still dark. I answered the door with a kitchen knife in hand, not sure who I would find on the other side.

The fallen angel raised an eyebrow. “Planning on carving a turkey?”

He looked wonderful. I don’t know if it was my relief to see him that made my hormones surge, or the lack of Uriel’s kiss on my brow. It could also be the way his very broad shoulders filled out the cream-colored turtleneck sweater so nicely, and how his hair swept along the collar, just waiting for my itching fingers to brush it back.

“Want to invite me in? Remy’s got the place warded to the skies and back so I can’t come inside unless you invite me.”

“Sure.” I put the knife down on a foyer table, my hands shaking. “Come on in.”

He stepped past me and glanced around the huge, posh house. “Don’t tell me-Remy’s still fixing her hair.” A line creased between his eyebrows, indicating his frustration. “We need to speak to Uriel as soon as possible before this stuff climbs upstairs, or you’ll really be in hot water.”

I burst into tears.

The look on Noah’s face darkened. “You didn’t, did you?”

I was unable to answer, as my throat was all knotted up in the loudest, noisiest sobs this side of Hollywood. “N-n-n-n-” I stammered.

Large hands clasped my shoulders with ferocious strength, and Noah squared my face toward his. “Jackie,” he warned. “Where’s Remy?”

I could tell he was trying to refrain from shoving me away or losing his temper.

Which of course made me cry all the harder. “I’m so sorry,” I managed, trying to pull away. “You hate me now.”

“Shhh, Jackie.” Noah’s large hands reached up to cup my wet cheeks. “It’s going to be okay. Calm down.”

Feeling helpless beyond words, I allowed him to enfold me in his arms as I cried out my fear and remorse. He led me toward the living room and sat on the couch, calmly stroking my back, just holding me and comforting me. I managed to leak the story onto his broad chest and he didn’t say a word to judge me, just listened quietly until I was done.

Once the sobs dried up to the occasional shudder, I remained curled up in his arms, my head pressed against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

Noah pressed a light kiss onto my brow. “Better now?” His voice was soft, comforting.

I nodded, leaning into the slight caress. My heart was pounding in my throat and I slid my hands behind his neck, caressing his nape without even thinking about what I was doing. “I’m so glad you’re here, Noah.” All I could think about was crawling into his lap and closing my eyes, hoping the world would go away for a time. My hands slid down his chest, pausing at his nipples, and my fingers found them instinctively. I stroked the pebble-hard flesh, feeling my own tighten in response.

He stilled at my touch. “Jackie …” Noah shifted against me. “Did the queen do anything to you?”

“She kissed me.” I could feel my forehead blazing, feverishly hot. “I think it negated the angel kiss.”

Noah sighed. “It did more than that. A vampire’s kiss works in the opposite direction of an angel’s, Jackie. Your ‘curse,’ as you like to call it, is going to be amplified tenfold in a few hours or so, unless you do something about it.”

“It’s already amplified,” I said, fitting my body against his. The sensual rush swept through my body, now that my anxiety had been released. I laced his fingers with mine and turned to stare at him, lifting my cheek off his chest. “So what are my options?”

I would have cursed the compulsion that drove me, if it weren’t for the gorgeous man wrapped around me. Damn, he looked delicious. I slid my hand out of his and ran it under his turtleneck, feeling his flat stomach tighten beneath my hand.

His eyes met mine, and I saw that they had flared to the vivid blue I knew all too well. “Let me help you, Jackie,” he said, lifting my hand from his neck and pressing a scorching kiss against the palm. His eyes watched mine.

Guilt and longing surged through me at the same time. I knew that it was my nature doing this to him, causing him to flare up with desire every time I was around. Remy had told me that the Serim needed to sate their urges only about once a month, and here I was driving Noah mad whenever I stepped into the same room. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I know I’m a bother-”

My words cut off when he nipped at the fleshy part of my hand with his teeth, sending desire rocketing straight through my body. “Jackie,” he warned, his lips brushing against my palm.

“Yes?” My voice sounded more like a moan.

“If your body needs release”-Noah brought my fingertips to his lips-“I want to be the one you come to. Understand?”

“I don’t want to be a charity case,” I protested.

“Oh, trust me,” he chuckled. “This is far from charity.” He took my fingertip into his mouth and sucked on it.

“Wow,” I breathed, sliding the tip along his lips. “You’re pretty good at that.”

“Let me show you what else I’m good at.” Within the space of a breath, he had flung me on my back and was looming over me. My legs were tossed into the air, still bare from the short skirt I’d worn to the club, and he slid his hand down the pale length of one thigh.

I shivered with anticipation. The glide of his hand felt wonderful against my skin, and I arched my back slightly with the pleasure of the simple caress. “Mmm. For artistry I’d give it a 5.8, but for technical merit, only a 5.4.”

He pressed a kiss against my upraised ankle. “What are you talking about?” Another kiss against the tender skin of the inside of my knee.

“Nothing,” I moaned, losing my train of thought. “Do that again.”

Noah complied, sliding his delicious mouth closer toward my skirt. “You’re so beautiful, Jackie …” His breath was hot against my skin, sending shockwaves through my body and making my brain spin.

“It’s the succubus thing,” I panted, trying not to writhe in anticipation and failing rather miserably. “Changes the way you look, and stuff.”

“… but you talk entirely too much,” he chided, licking my thigh and then blowing gently on the overheated skin. “I don’t want to hear talking,” he murmured in that low, sexy voice, his smooth cheek close to my thigh. “I want you screaming my name.”

The fabric of my skirt slid up, courtesy of Noah’s hands, and the pulsing in the vee of my thighs increased in its crescendo, the Itch in full swing. His hands slid over my hips, looking for the zipper to my skirt and then sliding that down my hips, leaving me bare save for a skimpy thong. He hesitated for a moment, and I opened my eyes to protest, just in time to see his blond head duck down, and felt the crotch of my thong being moved aside to allow his fingers to rub up against my wetness.

I groaned loudly, my hands instinctively reaching for his head to cling to. “Oh, God, Noah. Do that again.”

His fingers found that perfect, most sensitive spot and flicked against it gently, sending me into paroxysms of desire. “Like that?”

My head jerked into a rough nod and I bit my lip. My hips rose to meet him in silent appeal and were rewarded with the feel of his slick fingers rubbing up and down my folds, taunting me by just barely brushing against the spot that I wanted them most. Noah slid up over me, his mouth pressing onto my own and his tongue seeking out mine.

I returned the kiss with greedy abandon, my hips bucking against the teasing slide of his fingers, trying to guide them to just the right spot. Noah was an amazing kisser-his tongue slid against mine, then darted away, and he tugged at my lip with his teeth. “You taste better than anything.” He pressed a kiss against the curve of my neck. “Like a summer storm, fresh and sultry at the same time.”

“Quit with the fucking poetry and just take me!” I ground my hips against his hand.

He slid me up against his chest, ripping the back of my corset to get the damned thing off me. I was all too happy to help, and once my breasts were bare and free, I immediately rubbed my flesh against his and shoved him back on the couch. “My turn.”

His blue eyes gleamed up at me and I slid my pelvis over his, excited by the feel of his erection straining against the front of his slacks.

Noah’s hands reached up and caressed my breasts, teasing and flicking at my nipples. I nearly lost my mind from the sensations, but I forced myself to concentrate on returning the pleasure, grinding my hips against his erection, sliding forward to place my mouth against his and lick the seam of his lips.

A shudder wracked through him and I felt pleased at the reaction I stirred.

“Jackie-”

I placed a finger over his lips, nibbling on his earlobe. “The problem with you, Noah,” I said between tiny, teasing bites, “is that you talk too much.”

He groaned, his hands gripping my ass roughly and forcing it down on his clothed erection, as if by sheer will alone he could undress himself and plunge into me.

“Mmm,” I moaned against his neck, teasing, and then sat up, straddling him and staring down. My hands splayed across his chest-still clothed-and I shook my head at him. “Why is it I’m the only naked one here?”

He stood up and dumped me onto the couch in his haste to undress. I lay among the cushions, watching him strip down to nothing. I hadn’t had a chance to see his body very well in the confessional, and I didn’t remember the time before, so I drank in the sight of his body now.

He was utterly gorgeous. His broad chest was carved into a series of rippling muscles, smooth and hairless, and he had a six-pack that a bodybuilder would kill for. His entire body was slightly tanned, as golden as his hair, and I was aroused to see no sign of a tan line anywhere. And his erection …

Enormous and thick, he had to be the most well-built man I’d ever seen. I was fascinated by the sight of it, jutting toward me and ready to slide between my legs.

I slid one bare foot over to his cock and teased the tip of it with my toe, pleased to see it rear and buck at the touch. “What are you waiting for, Noah? An engraved invitation?”

His hands were on me again, his mouth hot on my own, and I felt his hands around the waistband of my thong. My arms wrapped around his neck as he lifted me and ripped the triangle of fabric from my hips, tossing it to the floor.

“Jackie,” he breathed against my lips, laying me on the couch again. I stretched out erotically, arching against the hands that followed to tease my taut nipples.

I felt his hands slide around my ankles moments later, bringing them to his shoulders, then the tip of his cock teased me in the place that throbbed the hottest, the wettest. I moaned and writhed against him, sliding my hips in invitation. “Come inside me, Noah.” My hands reached for him frantically, stroking any bare skin I could find.

His cock teased the folds of my core a moment longer, then he plunged into me. Immediately, the pleasurepain feeling of intense fullness took over, and I forgot everything else as I jerked against him, moaning aloud.

Noah gripped my hips and withdrew slightly, then plunged into me again and again, each stroke driving me wilder. My leg muscles started to clench with the onset of orgasm, and I cried out his name with each thrust.

Sensing my nearness, Noah whispered my name and pushed into me fully, the hard, single drive of his cock sending me over the top. My whole body tensed in the throes of an intense orgasm. It went on for what seemed like forever and then began to build once more when Noah thrust into me again, slowly, lovingly. I nearly climaxed again in that moment.

Then Noah thrust into me with all the force of his body, and I gladly received each hard, rough thrust with a cry of pleasure, spiraling back up the stairs of delight before I’d even had a chance to descend.

Just as my body locked into its second intense orgasm, Noah shouted my name and thrust one last time, orgasming too. He fell on top of me, sweaty and breathing hard, and I wrapped my arms around him in satiated pleasure.

Reality returned faster than I’d have liked. We were in the middle of Remy’s living room, making stains on her expensive couch, and Ethel was probably upstairs, clucking at all the noise we were making.

My face flamed with embarrassment and I poked Noah in the shoulder. Not that I wanted to-he felt wonderful, so heavy and thick on top of me and inside me. “Um, Noah?”

He slid off me and stretched, not embarrassed in the slightest. “Yes, you’re right.”

“I didn’t say any-”

“If we’re going to fix this mess you’ve created, we need to start moving soon. There’s less than an hour before the vamps all retire for the day.” Noah moved toward the nearby windows and opened the blinds. Early-morning sunlight poured in.

I frowned, pulling my clothes back on. So much for Noah being sensitive to my feelings. I would have felt used for a minute there, except for the fact that I had used him and not the other way around. “They’re probably already asleep. The sun’s up by now.”

He shook his head and retrieved his pants from across the room. “There’s a time window where his kind interlaps with mine-just about two hours. Clean yourself up and dress quickly, and we should make it.”

“You’re not much for pillow talk, are you?” I sighed after him, then hurried upstairs to change.

Twenty minutes later, I was hanging on to the chicken bar in Noah’s Ford Explorer for dear life. I squeezed my eyes shut as he ran another red light (third one in a row) and honked his way into an exit-lane merge.

“My God, you’re going to kill us! What is it with you and Remy and the awful driving?” I screamed as the car screeched to a halt and I slammed up against the window. I squeezed one eye open to glance at my surroundings, almost afraid of what I’d see.

Noah gave me a cross look. “Did you want to get here fast or didn’t you?”

“I wanted to get here whole, is what I wanted,” I muttered, climbing out of the car and shaking out my jittery legs. I’d changed into jean shorts, sneakers, and a black T-shirt from Remy’s closet advertising Trojan Latex Condoms. Okay, so it wasn’t perfect, but all my clothes were at my apartment, and everything Remy bought for me had sequins or feathers or exposed way too much skin.

Club Midnight looked very different in the cheerful morning sunlight. No crowd waiting outside, empty parking lot. “Do you think it’s closed?”

“Not to the right people.” Noah pocketed his keys and strode up to the front door, pushing it open.

I scrambled after him. It wasn’t that I wanted to go in, as much as I didn’t want to be left behind in the middle of vampire territory. “Wait for me!”

He didn’t, but I managed to catch up to him in record time and cling to his sleeve. The entryway was deserted and stank of old cigarette smoke and weed, and empty beer bottles lined the walls. No one was around.

Noah took my hand and pulled me through the main room of the club. “Door to the back?”

“Yeah,” I said, clinging to him. I admired Noah’s calm as we made our way through the den of the enemy. My own heart was thudding at a rapid, frightening pace, and my body still throbbed despite Noah’s loving. That meant that the Itch was going to rear itself again very soon. My hand clenched against Noah’s at the thought.

I forced myself to focus on the situation, since no mean, nasty vampires were flinging themselves at us. Yet. “Gee, it seems like everybody went to bed already. Maybe we should come back later-”

“Don’t chicken out on me now, Jackie,” Noah warned, pushing through the door that led to the dark room where I’d met Zane last time.

It shouldn’t have surprised me that Zane was still there, smoking a cigarette and leaning against a table, looking as calm as could be. Perhaps a little sleepy, but I doubted that made him less dangerous. In his dark trench coat and his sexy, tousled hair, he looked like a movie star slumming it in the bad part of town.

Until he smiled, baring his fangs. “Back with reinforcements, I see. One visit a night wasn’t enough for you?” He took a long drag on the cigarette and then ground it out underneath his thick boot. “You must have a thing for fangs.”

I flushed and stepped closer to Noah, letting his broad form protect me. “We’re here to get Remy, so you might as well tell your queen that we want her back.”

Ohpleaseohpleaseohplease, don’t make me see the queen again.

Zane laughed aloud and arched a brow at Noah. “And what brings you here?”

Noah squeezed my hand to silence me, and gestured to the door that Zane was blocking. “Is the queen still in the building?”

“She is. What makes you think that she’d be interested in seeing one of your kind?” Zane crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his head at Noah, still amused by the two of us.

“I have a deal to offer her.”

Huh? I jerked Noah’s hand and tried to whisper quietly, “What sort of deal?”

His dark eyes focused intently on Noah, Zane acted as if he hadn’t heard me. “What sort of deal?”

“I’m afraid that my business is hers alone,” Noah replied stiffly, hostility radiating from his body.

They were locked in a stare-down.

Zane shrugged at last. “Suit yourself. I’ll take you to her.”

Noah gently touched my cheek. “Stay here, Jackie.”

“Stay here? Are you on drugs?” But my feet stayed planted as he went to the other door and knocked quietly. Zane opened it, flashing a quick smirk my way.

“Noah,” I protested, “don’t leave me here with him.” I pointed a finger at Zane. “In case you hadn’t noticed, all these vampires want a bit of Suck action, and it makes for awkward conversation.”

Noah laughed and returned to kiss me on the mouth possessively, no doubt trying to brand me as “his” in front of Zane. “He’s going with me. You’ll be here by yourself.”

“Oh.” So I wouldn’t have to see the scary demon queen. Relieved, I went to a booth to wait. “Don’t take too long, okay?”

The smile Noah sent in my direction was slightly wistful, his gaze lingering on me. “I won’t.”

Both men disappeared through the door that led to the lower chambers, leaving me to wonder.

Time passed with excruciating slowness.

I couldn’t tell how much time had passed, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, anyway. I felt like a huge coward for allowing Noah to go see the scary queen by himself, and tried not to think about what was going on. What sort of deal could Noah make with a vampire queen? Blood? Money? Both?

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and jumped to my feet.

Dear lord, don’t let it be the queen.

The door opened and I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Jackie?” Remy asked. “What are you doing?”

My eyes flew open in surprise. “Remy! You’re free!” I leapt up from the booth to hug her.

She stood there silently, letting me hug her without moving. I pulled away questioningly. “Remy?”

She moved for the door leading out, ignoring me. As she reached for the doorknob, I glanced back and saw Zane in the doorway that led downstairs, watching us. I scowled at him and turned my back. The sooner I was out of his presence, the better. “Remy,” I said again. “Where’s Noah? Is he coming?”

“No,” Remy said, her voice soft and exhausted. “He’s not.”

Fear trickled through me. I turned to Zane in disbelief. “He’s not? Why not?”

“You a little slow on the uptake, Princess?” Zane looked me up and down, then gave a small shake of his head. “He offered a trade to the queen. Himself for your friend.”

I went numb. “He did?” I turned to Remy, seeing Noah’s protective smile in my mind. The way he held my hand to reassure me. His gentle caresses. “He gave himself to her?”

“I told him not to,” Remy said, her normal ebullient personality vanished. “He wouldn’t listen. At first she wanted you in exchange for me. Her plan was to get a new succubus under her wing to train as she liked. She knows she can’t do much with me, since I have a long-standing agreement with my master. But you’d be perfect for her plans.” Remy’s bleached eyes met mine, and I realized what she’d been through.

The fear that had been trickling through me turned into a full-blown panic attack. “Me? Why does she want me?”

“She doesn’t. At least not now.” Zane strode forward, shutting the door behind him. “Once your friend Noah heard that, he offered himself in your place. Nitocris didn’t waste any time-she’s waited centuries to get her hands on another angel, even a fallen one.”

I was going to be sick. “What do we do now?”

Remy snorted angrily. “We go find the damn halo and bring it back to her.”

I put a hand to my forehead, trying to will my racing thoughts into order. “Right. Halo. Crap, we can’t give it to her, Remy.” That would be disastrous all around.

“That’s why you’re going to give it to me,” Zane said, his mocking voice close to my ear. “I’m coming with you. Queen’s orders.”