STORY EXCERPT

Sindriel watched the woman rise out of the swimming pool, naked as a goddess in heat, and feared he’d signed his own demise.

He stared, unable to think. Had he conjured her? For a moment, the stupidity of hope held him immobile.

Her lush curves and pale, caramel-cream skin shimmered in the moonlight. Her long, dark hair curled over wet, peaked nipples and trailed down to her waist. She looked ripe for a night of pleasure with a demon like him. It was not, however, her body, but her identity, that shook him.

Miranda was the supplicant.

Oh, the nights he’d dreamed of seeing this woman naked and desirous for him. Too bad these circumstances were not to his liking. What fresh hell brought her to him in this manner?

He left the deeper shadows of the backyard trees and stepped into the moonlight.

Miranda stared at him with wide, surprised eyes but then gave a loud cough that might have destroyed his goddess fantasy, as if her identity hadn’t done that already. That was the trouble with the summoning ritual. One never saw the face of the supplicant.

Her mouth hung open in amazement even as she tried to cover herself with her hands. “Sindriel,” she squeaked.

“Miranda,” he murmured.

His bit the inside of his lip to keep from smirking as she rushed to cover her nakedness and dove for a towel sitting on a nearby chair. He possessed excellent vision at night, but he wouldn’t share that with her. He never would have guessed she’d ever perform a summoning ritual for a demon.

“It worked,” she exclaimed, wrapping the towel tight around her. The material did nothing to disguise the plumpness of her breasts.

His dreams hadn’t done her justice, come to think of it now.

What was she doing summoning a demon—summoning him? Suddenly it irritated him to know that she’d discovered his secret. Last he’d seen of her, she’d been dabbling in demon hunting or some such thing if the scent in her house were any indication. Why would she take such a risk as to call on him?

He’d find out soon enough. “What is it that a mysterious wet goddess might want from a humble, demon bargainer as me?”

Sarcasm colored his tone. Yes, Ren had warned him away from her, and now she stood before him, a supplicant. He could have had her all along in his way of thinking.

“I never suspected, you were...” She clutched the towel tighter around herself and said, “It’s not what you think.”

“If you knew my thoughts, you’d find more than a towel with which to clothe yourself.”

Her dark eyes narrowed. “I was told I needed to be nude to summon a demon bargainer.”

He shrugged. “It helps.” He wouldn’t admit any differently to her. The opportunity to avail himself of her body’s delights stood just out of reach now. He hoped to change that soon. Especially since she knew the truth about him. She’d been off limits at the wedding, but not any longer.

They stared at one another for a long moment.

She wiped droplets of water from her face and shivered. “Why don’t we go inside before my sister’s neighbors get nosy? I’m housesitting.”

She gestured toward the back door of the small house that sat pitch-dark inside. The only light nearby came from three large, pillar candles on top of a patio table.

“They are all asleep and will stay that way until I leave. Come, sit down.” He indicated the chairs at the patio table.

She nodded, keeping a wary eye on him as she went to the table. If she only knew that he didn’t trust her any more than she trusted him. He didn’t like surprises, and although he’d dreamed about her more than once, he’d never intended to see her again in person.

He swept his cloak off and flipped it around her shoulders before she even had a chance to protest. She accepted the cape and sighed like her entire body had just relaxed.

“Thank you.”

His mouth quirked into a smile at her naiveté as his Crimson Shroud was every bit as dangerous as himself. The material was sentient, linked to him, willing to kill her at a moment’s direction from him.

Despite the anger that simmered within him, desire also resided inside him.

He sat next to her, not close enough to frighten, but definitely close enough to touch her if the occasion justified. “My pleasure. Perhaps, you’ll do me the kindness of telling me how you came by the knowledge to summon me.”

“A mutual friend.” She licked her lips. “I still can’t believe it’s you.”

His first response was to tell her that he had no friends, but decided against it. At the moment, that was how he felt, but mortal females tended to trust more easily if they believed otherwise. Their naiveté was one of the reasons he enjoyed them so much, sexually.

“What sort of person might direct you to call upon a demon?”

He wanted her to say Ren’s name so he’d have reason to beat the hell out of the man for this imposition. No one used him, a demon bargainer, for any righteous purpose without his permission.

“I’ve always believed that friends were the best resource when a person needed help. I had to reach out to someone.”

Just then, he noticed something wrong about her.

Most mortals possess a sort of low bioluminescence that indicated the state of their soul. The darker the color emanating, the more corrupt the soul. Miranda’s body was covered in shadows. Odd.

“We’ll discuss the who later. For now, why don’t you tell me why you summoned a demon bargainer?”

ADULT EXCERPT

He speared his tongue inside her mouth, demanding and passionate, and she couldn’t hold back her moan of pleasure. They weren’t alone in the room. How could she be behaving like a wanton bimbo?

He broke the kiss all too soon, breathing hard through his nose. “I want you to do something for me,” he said in her ear to be heard over the blaring music.

She nodded, willing to agree to anything so long as there would be more kisses.

“Distract me.” He kissed her hard and fast. “Give me a hand job while Remi does the tat.”

“Won’t he see?” she whispered loudly in his ear.

She’d never done anything sexual in front of another person before. What if Remi messed up Sindriel’s tattoo because he was sidetracked by her? That would render the tattoo useless.

He shook his head. “Remi sees only in the spiritual realm while tattooing. He might see flares of aura colors but won’t physically see why.”

He lowered her slowly to the ground, leaving her legs wobbly.

“Ready, Sindriel? Fate awaits,” Remi called out, making no move to turn down the pulsing, death metal music. He checked the ink tubes and needles on his tattoo glove, seemingly unaware of the intimate conversation going on in the room.

Sindriel winked at her before reclining on the tattoo chair. He stretched out his arm, same as she had previously, and both watched as Remi secured the leather strap to Sindriel’s wrist.

Her body pulsed with energy she didn’t know what to do with. Actually, she knew what to do with the energy. It was a matter of whether she was brave enough to do so in front of another person.

The idea of giving Sindriel a hand job excited her to the point it morphed into giving him a blow job. Could he hold still with her mouth working his cock? She clenched her thighs as she studied where she could put her hands on the chair and lean over him without jogging Remi. She’d take him deep in her throat and press her tongue to the underside of his cock with every upward motion of her head.

Yes, she could do this. Even if it strained her arm muscles a bit, much like doing slow pushups, she could rock Sindriel’s world.

She stood patiently next to the chair, butterflies of excitement dancing in her stomach and pebbling her nipples. The buzz of the machine set the tone. Remi’s eyes turned opaque, and he applied the needle to Sindriel’s inner arm. The atmosphere in the room changed as she and Sindriel shared the same sexual thoughts. The heavy pulsing of the music only added to the throb between her legs. She was already wet with unrequited desire and hoped he’d want to be inside her fast once they finished the tattoos and got somewhere private.

Touching a hand to his knee, she watched Sindriel grin but not open his eyes or look at her. She squeezed his thigh as she glided her hand up his leg. Wait until he realized her generosity would extend beyond a hand job.

He kept his breathing even until she cupped her hand over his cock. She gripped and stroked. His flesh hardened with every contraction of her hand. Mischief took hold, and she leaned forward and rubbed her mouth over his crotch.

He inhaled sharply and fisted a hand in her hair. Surprise, surprise.

She applied her teeth over his cock, the slightest of pressure so he knew she was biting. His hand tightened in her hair and understanding her unspoken request, he released her hair and drew down the zipper to his jeans.

She slipped her hand inside and encountered his warm, hard cock. This was so wrong of them to misbehave, but excitement overrode the worry of being caught.

Not wanting to waste the opportunity she gently eased out the head of his cock and licked it with a stroke of her tongue. She repeated the gesture, watching in amusement as he tightened his jaw. Giggles bubbled up inside her. She’d never done anything so salacious in her life.

He rubbed her shoulder and smirked upon feeling her body shake with mirth. Forced to cover her mouth with her hand for a moment before the giggles got to out of control, she stroked him with her hand until the laughter passed.

She continued to stroke his cock, watching his reactions to her touch. His mouth was parted, his jaw tight as he worked to keep his breathing even. When she applied her warm breath to the tip of his cock, he licked his lips in response. If she flexed her hand tight around his cock, he would grit his teeth.

The amorous heat between them built.

Her own body grew damp with sexual need. The scents of ink, latex, and something akin to incense filled the room with desire. She wanted to suck him off. How deep in her mouth could she get him?

Would he come in her mouth, his warm juices sliding down her throat? She wanted to taste him, but then again what if he intended to have more of her?

She smiled as she thought of how much she wanted his cock in her pussy. She wanted him to bend her over the chair and take her from behind, too, pumping hard and fast until they both succumbed to orgasm.

Sindriel caressed her cheek before sliding his hand in front of her mouth and tucking his cock back in his pants. Had she daydreamed too long? She straightened to see that Remi was applying the last of the tattoo to the inside of Sindriel’s arm.