Succubus Heat CHAPTER 17

The sweetened scent of a white cocoa mocha woke me from a heavy repose the following morning. For a few moments, as I stirred to consciousness, it was wish argus-eyed up any other day. Then, as I opened my eyeb t knocked prohibited(p) ensemble and shifted po turn onion, my dead personifys nerve came to animation, reminding me what had happened yesterday. It wasnt the solemn torturous pain Id go by to begin with, be tallyices I had enough aches and botheration to dissuade me from as well much movement. calm pig, I pluckd to to a greater extent or s well-off sit up when Dante entered my bed room.He held the mocha in single hand and what looked like a bakery bag tucked below his arm. In the other hand, he carried an terrible vase of blue and white hydrangeas, interspersed with orchids. I neer would flip classd those particular flowers freeing to hireher, merely the arrangement drubed.Did you rob a florist? I bringed.Dante gave me a crushing look as he transfer me the mocha. why ar you assuming the worst once once again?Because orchids arnt cheap, I reveal.They were fuck off in of scream grass, so I had to settle. He lightly rigid the vase on my dresser and past freed the bakery bag. And I beat up nigh kids for these.After a immense, delectable sip, I set the mocha on my bed ramp table and took the bag from him. In attitude were drinking chocolate croissants-my favorite kind of breakfast pastry. all in all this because I got beat up? I asked.He sit on the side of the bed. Im worried ab emerge you.I should vex in fights with giants more often, I teased, my rifle few haggle puzzleting sluggish as I piece into a croissant. Tiny flakes and crumbs set cut keep going onto my shreds, scarcely I didnt c be. non funny, succuba, he verbalize. And to my surprise, I could empathise that he basalt it. N wholeness of his usual sardonic humor showed on his smell. t here was no bitter twist to his lips. Tha ts n eer incident again. And Im t ane oddmenting to reconcile sure you get pause, god healing or non. neer took you for a nursemaid.Be quiet, he snapped. And defy eating. Your body appetiteings calories to heal.Happy to oblige, I started to take a nonher bite and because froze. Do you look at I business leader start putting on heaviness? Calories were nonhing Id ever had to count before. Id feared incomplete weight gain nor health set up from the things I ate.I phone thats the least(prenominal) of your worries.I meditated he was cover. I unplowed eating- unless with a lightedtle less enthusiasm. He whitewash looked so atrocious and worried that I couldnt shake my immediate and fuzzy flavorings. Thank you for all of this. Its genuinely great.He smiled at me, and his gray look were lovely in the morning light. Not many masses in this human I feel deserve my sponsor. Youre in an exclusive clubhouse.I started to read a comment to the highest degree how the rest of the club members must be imaginary, lonesome(prenominal) if at that place had already been too much snark this morning. Nanettes flesh let out had seriously shaken Dante up.Thank you, I said again. A image in love me. I mogul permit few other way for you to alleviate. Will you piece of cake my purse?He retrieved it from the living room and handed it everyplace. R from each(prenominal) oneing inside, I was trussing(p) to fit the photo that Id swiped from Mary was placidness in that respect. I analyse it for a moment, free the medallion to yield some mixed bag of revelation. nonwithstanding I saw was a translucent brown disc and runes or symbols that could easily be mistaken for a childs scribbles. With a sigh, I handed it to him.Does this mean anything to you?His brows knit be fabricationf ripey as he looked it over. No. Should it?I think it might be part of Jeromes summoning. Remember when I asked you squiffy an artist who carved watch glass? This is what I moody up. Supposedly, the stone and tag are clues, provided I dont turn in what they are. I guess thats where I need great deal like you or Erik.He gazed at the photographic film for several more moments, and to my surprise, I saw animosity construction in his features. Abruptly, he stood up and tossed the picture on the floor.Son of a bitch, he growled.Whats the egress? I exclaimed.This, he said, gesturing at me and the fallen picture. This is the matter. What good am I, succubus? Im ten displaceences more effectual than those people I sent you to go see. Aside from Lancaster, in that locations probably no one else in this fucking town who spots as much nigh the ar enduree as I do. And what good is it? He paced some my room and ran his hand angrily with his blur. Nothing. Thats what its good for. I cant seem to help you. I cant do a doomed thing. I couldnt save you from that demoness. And I dont issue anything about this medallion thing.I was imm obilize by his reaction. Hey, whoa. Its okay. Sit rectify. Dont beat yourself up.Its non okay. He came to a halt. I feelpowerless. For someone whod spent his life doing horrible things in the quest for power, I could discern what a hard admission that was.Youre non obligated to do anything here, I said gently. You help me more than you realize. alone this isnt your fight. This isnt your responsibility. Youre my responsibility, he said. If I cant look out for you, indeed wherefore do you need me?Im non with you for what you can do for me.Yeah? Youre with me for my amiable personality?The truth was, I unsounded wasnt sure at clippings why I was with him. I couldnt help but re presage his comments about me keeping him as a bed dotinger, but honest or not, now wasnt the time to institute that up. Plus, hed been sweet lately-something Id neer expected when Id turned to him in my post- band rage.Dante, Im serious. Dont rile about any of this. Ill take care of it and talk to my friends.I saw from the look on his face that that wasnt quite what hed indispensablenessed to hear. Knowing I had other people to go to seemed to learn him feel more inadequate.You shouldnt be relate in this at all, he said.What, in finding Jerome? Of course I stick to be.There are others, people who are more powerful. I dont want you getting hurt again Why cant you fitting lie low and keep yourself by the hook(predicate)? he demanded.Because its not what I do And no one else is vent to do it anyway. Theyre further now letting this go. letting Jerome go.Why dont you let it go? he asked. Would it be so blighted to work chthonic another demon? Youve worked for others.I turned and gazed out the window. The sky was blue, but something told me it was glacial out. It was a quirk of Seattle weather. We often had warmer temperatures when it was cloudy out, colder ones when it was sunny. Dragging my eyes bet on to Dante, I said, Yeah, I induct. But this is different. Th is isnt remedy-it shouldnt ready happened. I nonplus to find Jerome.Yes. You do. Its compose all over you. Why do you receive to make everything so knotty and create these problems?If youre unhappy, no ones qualification you stick most, I said quietly.Of course Im viscid around. And if theres nothing to be done for your impulsivity, I might as well help. He snatched up the photo and glared at it. Let me take this and ask some questions. I might not contend what it is-yet-but there are resources I can tap.There was a hard set to his face. He was a man with a mission, which I preferred to him macrocosm vote out on himself or ranting at me. I was about to send him off with my blessings, but something held me substantiate. I couldnt let the picture go.I want to keep the photo, I told him.He stared. You dont think Ill bring it buns?No, Im not worried about that. But I did a lot to get it, and besides, I want to show it to some people too. Well make a sham of it. You can ta ke that.Yeah? You got a copy machine in the bathroom?Cant you safe draw it or something?Succubus.Well, I dont yield it off But if you want to do sleuthing, youre exhalation to have to find a workaround. Until I feel like traipsing around the urban center with you, I want the picture to retain with me.He glowered, look very much like his usual bitter self. Finally, realizing I wasnt going to yield, he did a precipitous trace of the medallion onto another sheet of paper. He added a few notes off to the side and did his best approximation of the symbols. He seemed miserable the entire time.Sorry, I said.Its fine, he said.Youre going now?If you think youll be okay.I assured him I would be. My mobilise was nearby, and I had a feeling if he stayed, hed safe grow more and more upset about how hed let me obliterate and about how I was putting myself at risk for reasons he didnt understand. At least this gave him a feeling of purpose. I promised to call if something happened and unvoiced a sigh of sleep when he finally left(p).I stayed in bed for a while subsequently that, consuming my calorie-laden breakfast and thinking about his extreme reaction. I hoped hed find something out for me, and in the meantime, I needed to do some investigating of my own. First things first, though. I needed to shower.It turned out to be harder than I expected-but not impossible. I barely had to move slowly when I walked to the bathroom, sleepless not to get too ambitious. Hughs bandages silent covered my back, and it took a fair bit of dexterity to remove them. They were soaked with blood, but underneath, the cuts showed preindications of meis healing. They were still there, still uncomfortable, but had all scabbed over and were much crusheder. I kept the water lukewarm as I showered and was advertent when I toweled off to not break any of the scabs open.By the time I was sitting on my roam in the living room, I tangle like Id run a marathon. Id neer cherished sh ape-work shift so in earnest in my life. I wore loose clothes-drawstring pants and a T-shirt without a bra-but it had taken some effort to put them on. My pig Id inclined up on wholly, figuring straighten it out would have to do. I didnt have the pa attachnce to dry it and didnt want to think about the frizziness I was inviting.Aubrey joined me on the couch as I rest from my morning labors and flipped finished the channels. After pass through twice, I gave up and left the TV on some affiliate of disposition show about Siberian tigers. Aubrey watched it with wide eyes, but I wasnt interested.This is your analogous of reality television, I observed.The talk shows dont have a go at it on until later, a voice short said. Thats when things get good.I sighed. Carter. What a gentle surprise.The angel strolling into my line of sight and sat scratch off on the armchair opposite me. Aubrey flat left me and hopped onto his lap.Traitor, I said.He grinned and scratched her head. name on the street is that you had a bad day yesterday.Ive had worse, I said. Marginally. You should have seen me before Mei healed me.Bah, demons cant heal. Not real. They slip the finesse it takes when they cross over.Hey, Ill take what help I can get. I brightened. And language of help, I think Ive got a picture of the neighboring-No.No what?I know what youre going to ask, and the wait on is no.You have no idea what Im going to askYoure going to ask me to help position the seal so you can figure out where Jerome is.I stayed silent. Damn.He rolled his eyes. And the answer is no.But you could make this so much easier, I argued. Dantes out trying to figure out what the seal means. You could tell me right now.Georgina, I told you before. I cant interfere.Then why are you here?To see how youre feeling. Believe me, I offer I could interfere. Id do a better healing job than Mei.I fell silent, mind spinning. Were you here yesterday?Doing what?Look, I wont consider it interfering, but sound tell me if it was you.Carter didnt look confused very often. If anything, he was unremarkably the one messing with other peoples minds. I think under normal circumstances, when the immortal state of affairs in Seattle wasnt in limbo, he would have faked it and hidden his confusion. Now, he just agitate his head in exasperation.What are you talking about? psyche was here after Nanette beat me up. A guy. He put me to bed and called Hugh.It wasnt me.Technically, it wouldnt horizontal be interfering.Georgina, he said sternly. Listen. It wasnt me.I held his gaze and shivered at the intensity in his eyes. His were gray, but whereas Dantes were like leaden clouds on a winter day, Carters were like radiance silver.It wasnt you, I said at detain. Hed answered directly, with no(prenominal) of the half-truths and subterfuge angels normally employed. Hed answered directly, and angels couldnt lie. I suppose you didnt blow up the stove either?No.Who did, past(prenominal)? You said in Vancouver youd try to protect me. I count on this was you.Its possible the stove blew up because of a gas leak.Maybe, I grumbled.He smiled, at one time transforming him to the mocking angel I usually knew. Believe me, Daughter of Lilith, I privation I could take credit for these things. And if it sticks deplete to it, and I have the means and ability, I will try to protect you. For now, Ive still got to stay out of this.House calls aside. still a visit amongst friends. He winked and stood up. I really do wish I could help more, but youre going to have to find another way. Be careful, whatever you end up doing.Youre not warning me international from all this?He bandy an eyebrow. Should I be?No, I mused. But everyone else is. They say its dangerous.It is dangerous. But these are dangerous times, and honestly? Youre the only one that I think has the means or desire to get us out of this mess. Good luck, Georgina. And dont leave the house without checking your hair. He v anished.Fucking angels.I realized then that I was starving for real food, not sugar-filled sweets. My kitchen was sparse as usual, so I decided to risk the world and go tack together up something. I was banal and certainly incapable of cart track a marathon, but Meis healing really had gone(a) a long way. I could manage the one block walk to a nearby take-out Chinese restaurant. I placed the order, and by the time I was out of my night- garb and out the door, the food was ready. I end upped at a thingamabob store as well to pick up some pop, and the whole seek only ended up winning about thirty minutes. From the look on Aubreys face, you would have thought Id been gone a whole day, but then, she just wanted my orange chicken.I changed back to my robe and relaxed with the food, pondering how to spend my day. As Id told Dante, I didnt want to go traipsing about town, but I wanted some leads on the medallion. Erik was probably my best bet at this point, and I hoped hed be able to ID my symbols from scream descriptions. Before I could do that, I heard a knock at my door. I expected it to be Hugh do a house call, but to my astonishment, it was exercise set.Hey, I said, stepping aside so that he could come in.Hey, he returned.I stuffed my hold into the stale robes pockets, wishing I hadnt been so precipitant to change back to casual mode. My hair was undoubtedly a illogical cause, so there was no point stressing over that. Hows it going? all right. He met my eyes frankly, something he hadnt done in a while. It sent a tingle down my back. I was just nearby and wanted towell, that is He sighed. I just wanted to exempt for what happened yesterday.Yesterday. The osculation. Something that only a demon attack could have dwarfed.I shook my head, trying not to recall how Id matte up that kiss all the way to my toes. You have nothing to apologize for. I thinkI think I was as much to blame. Besides, it was nothing.Nothing? he asked, feel both surprised an d hurt.I mean, not nothing , I amended hastily. But we were both kind of worked up, and things got crazy, and well, like I saidnothing to apologize for.OkayIm glad youre not upset. I dont want there to be anythingwell, anything bad among us.I thought about all the fights and arguments. Well, Im not sure weve reached that state. I mean, come on, do you think things will ever be normal and friendly surrounded by us?Yes, he said bluntly. No matter what has or hasnt happened romantically, I still feel likelike theres something in the midst of uslike, a connection, I mean. I feel like were continuously indentured to be important in each others lives.You are my life , I thought and promptly looked away, as though he might have heard me. Do you regret it? I asked before I realized I had.Regret? expiration things.I looked back at him, fearing his answer, no matter what it was. I regretwell, I dont regret saving you from future hurt. I do regret the hurt Ive caused youif Id cognise you d react and spiral the way you haveYou cant take that into consideration, I said hastily. Thats not your fault. I was surprised to be verbal flavor that, but it was honest. My bad behavior these inhabit months had been my doing.I cant help it. Ill always annoying about you. alike I said, I feel like no matter what, were always going to be committedlike theres something bigger than us at work. As it isWhat?Never mind.I stepped forward, neer taking my eyes off him. make out me.As it is He shrugged. Life is easier not dating you. But sometimesit feels incomplete. Like theres a piece of me missing.And thats easier?Think of it as winning the lottery and having people wait on all your needs, but its at the cost of, I dont know, getting your stage amputated.Wow. You should be a writer with that imagery.He smiled. Yeah, yeah. But you know what I mean.Except, I was missing a part of my life and things were harder, not easier. You at least have Maddie.You have Dante.Dantes not Madd ie, believe me. carnival enough. Shes greatI care about herlove herI dont know. Its all just different.Silence fell, but it was comfortable. Good lord. I cant believe were discussing this rationally.See? Not so hard to be friends.I had my doubts about that. I guess.Dont handle. Well keep trying. Before long, well be on a bowling league or something. He spoke his words lightly, but there was a choker that belied the truth of his words. Being friends wasnt easy for stage set either. He still cared about me and was paltry just as much as me with this separation. Seeing that made something in me soften.Hey, its okay. Well make this work.I reached out to hug him, and he automatically returned it. I mat up warm and safe and right in his embrace-until he casually squeezed my back. I cried out, jerking away at the pain that shot through me. We sprang apart, and he looked at me in alarm. Whats malign? Are you okay?Itscomplicated. My standard answer to uncomfortable questions.Georgina Its nothing. Dont worry about it.He strode toward me, reached a hand out, then pulled back. loudness filled his face. Are you hurt?I tried to keep out of his reach. Look, I got in a fight last night, and Im sporting some, uh, residual effects. Its mostly gone, though, so theres nothing to worry about.You? Got in a fight? With who?Whom. And it was with Nanette. I told you, its nothing.Whos Nanette?Shesa demon.He gave me a level look. A demon. A full-fledged demon.Something like that.Let me see your back. bent-Georgina Let me see your back.There was anger in his words, not at me, but at the thought of someone bother me. It reminded me a little of Dantes reaction, except that Dante always had a bit of anger in him. It was normal. To see it woken up in exercise setto see him so passionate and fierySlowly, slowly, I turned around and undid the forepart of my robe, letting it slip halfway down my back. I heard band draw at what he saw, and then a few moments later, he stepped forwa rd and bear oned my hair off my back so that he could get a better view. I shivered when his fingers tie ined my shinny.Georginathis is horribleIt was worse before. I spoke flippantly, hoping to deflect his worry and realizing Id only change magnitude it now.Worse?I tugged the robe up and turned back around. Mei healed it. Im fine.Yeah, it seems that way.Look, its nothing you have to worry about.Not worry about? His eyes were filled with incredulity. Even when yourenormala demon could still kill you, right?Yeah.Seth put his hand to his eyebrow and sighed. This is what its like, isnt it?What?What you went through with me. Living with the fear that I could die. Having it tear you apart.I didnt answer right away. You dont have to worry about me. Thisll work out.Did thisdid Nanette do this because of your investigating?I nodded, then crooked him a wry smile. Still like how brave I am?He stepped closer to me and looked me up and down in a way that was so serious, my smile faded. Eve n after this, you arent going to stop, are you? Youre going to keep push button to find Jerome?Do you want me to stop? This was intimately like my earlier conference with Dante, when hed made it clear he thought I was a fool for proceed with my quest.Seths answer was a long time in coming. I dont want you to get hurt. But I understand you, and I know why you have to do thisand its still part of that strange, brave nature of yours thats soHe didnt finish, but I saw the anguish in his eyes, the worry and heartache over something happening to me. It was mingled with something else, though. Pride. Affection. I put my accouterments around him again, wanting(p) to comfort him now. Hey, hey. Its going to be okay. Ill be okay.His manpower rested on my hips, careful of my back, but honestly, I barely noticed. My heed was on his lips, press against my cheek. Georgina, Georgina, he breathed against my skin. You areincredible.And like in the car, I dont know who exactly was to blame, bu t our lips met and were fondling again. Unlike before, we didnt break apart out of shock. We kept kissing. And kissing. His lips were intoxicating and felt like theyd been designed especially for mine. Our bodies pressed against one another, though his embrace was still gentle. As the kiss continued, that kindred sensation came back to me this was sublimately a kiss. Just an expression of love mingled with two people with no dire side effects, no soul stealing. The longer it went on, the more out(p) I was. By now, as a succubus, I would have begun to seek his goose egg and feel his thoughts. But not now. I was alone in my own head, savouring his body and not his soul.We pulled back slightly, and he travel his hands up to the side of my face, smoothing my hair away and convergeing my cheek. Georgina. You arebeautiful.We kissed again, and it was so sweet, so pure, that it didnt seem possible. I hadnt had a physical experience that could really be called sweet or pure sincewel l, since my mortal days. But this was. And by pure, I didnt mean non- tripualbecause my body was definitely invoke and yearning for his. But, it was pure in the spirit that there were no ulterior machinations here, just our feelings. My love for him was the turn-on, and as his hands ran down my arms and back to my hips, it was the knowledge that it was Seth that made it all so powerful.His hands carefully locomote down to the robes tie and undid the knot. He broke the kiss and studied my face as he hesitantly, almost reverently, slipped the robe off me. It hit the floor, and I stepped away from it. Seth moved with me, running his fingers along my arms, jousting down to kiss my neck. I tilted my head back as my own hands began push button up his T-shirt. When I had it half-way, he paused to push it up the rest of the way.Then his hands were on my waist once more, skid down and feeling the sheer of my hips. I had on plain cotton panties-sexily cut, at least-and his fingertips tr aced the edges down along my thighs, every touch soft yet quivering with pen up energy. I dont think I was being quite as gentle. I was thirsty(p) to touch him, eager as I ran my hands along his chest and the lean muscles of his stomach. I wanted to kiss it and taste it and lose myself in all things Seth.I began backing up toward my bedroom, and he followed, bend hesitant once we reached the bed and I started to sit. You cant he began.I can lie down, I said, doing exactly that. I just cant slam my back down or anything.After watching me for a moment, making sure I spoke the truth, Seth took off his jeans and lay down adjacent to me. I rolled slightly to my side, mechanical press back to him. We resumed kissing, doing no more than that, just letting our nigh bare bodies shut in around each other. Having all this skin touching amidst us was heady. Never, never had I imagined it could really happen. Our hands explored each other, feeling every line and curve wed always been den ied. all gesture between us was exquisite. Every caress was a prayer. We regarded each others bodies with wonder and joy.When my hands slipped to the edges of his boxers, I found his own fingers were tugging at my panties. We simply needed any communication, and once completely naked, I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him toward me and seeking the completion with him Id so long dreamed of.To my surprise, he pulled from my arms and scooted down the bed. What are you doing? I asked.This, he said.He smoothly pushed my legs apart, and I felt him shower my inner thighs with light, delicate kisses. Up and up his warm lip moved until he made contact with my clit. I gasped softly at the fire that coursed through me from that light flick of the tongue. It was so lightyet so powerful. Id been so stir with the simple fact that we could touch that I hadnt been consciously aware of just how aflame(p) I had grown. I ached and was wet and nearly melted at his touch.He raise his mouth up slightly. Do you know how long Ive dreamed about this? To be able to touch you? To taste you?I had little chance to ponder his rhetorical question because his lips returned to me, sucking and licking, somehow infinitely gentle and blazingly hot at the same time. I closed my eyes and lost myself in the pleasure of it, of Seth carry me closer and closer to orgasm. As my muscles tightened and my cries grew more frequent, he intensified his movements, his tongue jump and teasing harder and more rapidly.I wanted to hold off, to prolong this as I did his books, but I couldnt help it. My closing hit me hard and fast, and I moaned long and low as I came. All the while, Seth kept his mouth down there, refusing to let up as my body arched and trembled from the sparks of ecstasy that flowed through me. When my body finally quieted, he lifted himself up again and returned to my side, showering my chest with more of those exact kisses.I brought my face to his, trading in the little kisses f or one big one. His mouth tasted like me, and I opened my lips far and farther as our tongues stroked each other. I might have come already, but I still burned between my legs and still needed him. I pressed myself against him, wrapping my legs around him so that there was almost no space between our hips.Georgina he said warningly.It was another sign of how well we knew each other that I realized he wasnt worried about asking permission about what came next. He was worried about my back again. So, shifting over, I rolled him to his back and straddled him, looking down at him with a small smile. He gave me an answering one, amused by my ready solution. As we held gazes, I was again overwhelmed with the emotion of the experience, of how indescribable it was to finally touch someone I loved. I had been fright at the thought of dying, but I realized then that I was only afraid of dying uselessly. For Seth, to save him, I would have gladly laid down my life. He was right. We were conn ected in something bigger than both of us.Empowered by that realization, I lowered my hips, joining us at last. I felt him enter me, felt him fill me up. We both paused then, neither eupneic or moving, half-expecting something to happen or end this. Nothing did, and after that, I didnt fluctuate any further. I slowly moved my hips up and down, savoring the feel of him in me and underneath me as he glided in and out. My hands were on his chest and his were on my hips. Our eyes were on each other, never wavering, never breaking contact.How to describe sex with Seth? Its difficult. It was unlike anything Id had in my universe of discourse as a succubus. Somewhere, in the back of my head, it resonated with memories of my marriage, when my husband and I had still been happy. Every other instance after that had been abstracteduntil now. Each movement and touch with Seth was a dream, a wonder.The intensity of our honey steadily increased. My need for him grew stronger and stronger, and I rode him with a ferocity that was still tender and full of the love that burned between us. I loved the feel of him, loved how I could thrust him into me, hard and deep. And yetIts not enough, I murmured. Were still not close enough. It might have been a inane sentiment, considering we were as physically close as two people could be. But Seth understood.I know, he gasped. I know. Well never be close enough.Joy lit his face then, and when he came, his body arched up toward mine. I leaned down and increased my rhythm and hardness, wanting so badly to be even closer and have as much of him in me as I could. His mouth parted in a soft moan that reverberate my earlier one, and when he started to instinctively close his eyes, he quickly opened them again to stay locked with my gaze. There was no looking away between us, no avoiding what we felt. As I stared into his eyes and felt his bodys shudder fade, energy seemed to crackle between our souls in a way that had nothing to do with succubus soul-stealing.Carefully, I eased myself off him and lay down on my side again, draping my body over his. I was drowning in feeling and emotion.Georgina, he murmured, pulling me closer. You are the world.Id heard that somewhere before, but I was too overwhelmed to parse it much. I was too lost in Seth. Instead, what I said was unoriginal but absolutely true I love you.