Confessions of a Sex Demon (7 page)

“You’re beautiful.”

The eyes that had rolled back in ecstasy slowly opened for
him once more. Her lips parted seductively, but he watched them curve up into a
smile at his words. Her body shuddered beneath him and he knew her pleasure was
spent. He ached with need as he slowly retreated from her body. As Lennox
lifted off of her, he noticed a glimmer of surprise pass over Zahra’s
expression. But then her lids shut and the sex demon drifted to sleep.

Lennox thought that climaxing inside Zahra would have been
selfish after all that had happened. But his stomach twisted into knots. The
look she’d offered him before she fell asleep implied disappointment. The
curiosity gnawing at him caused his erection to go soft. He ran his hands
through his hair, racking his brain. He’d revived Zahra, but it’d been more
than that. He’d been with enough females to know when something was special.
Hell, he was married. But no experience had compared to being with Zahra. And
yet she’d be fleeing his bed as soon as she awoke.

The long walk into town was a much needed solitude and
Lennox used it to ponder the emotions flooding his mind. His heavy body and
normally tense shoulders were relaxed; his step was light as he made his way
through the woods. Making love to Zahra had done as much to him. Sex with Zahra
had been unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. She was a sex demon, but
she didn’t look at him so. As a matter of fact, most of the various women he’d
bedded had worn more of a lustful expression than Zahra. She’d looked so at
peace in his arms. Her golden eyes had held his gaze the entire time, like a
sun rising from the darkness.

Although she’d been weak, Zahra’s arms had pulled him closer
atop her so that their skin met and their faces were only inches apart. The
memory made his heart clench. After all he’d done to her, Zahra made a choice
to trust him. He didn’t know why, but it amazed him.

The village finally came into view. The outer stone walls of
the maze of homes were topped with wood and hay-thatched roofs, architecturally
untouched for eons. The cobblestone path of the main road was lined with
farmers setting up shop for the local market.

Lennox spotted
Edetta
putting up
her display. The folding table was a reminder of the modern age that still
existed in such an antiquated village. “Let me help you with that.” Lennox set
down his bundle of swords and began helping her unload. With
Edetta’s
display complete, Lennox began arranging his own
items.

“Thank you. Our small table looks quite unique, doesn’t it?
My soft baked goods and your sharp blades. Here, try some of this pumpernickel
I made.”

Lennox’s stomach grumbled and he realized that he’d left
Zahra sleeping, but hadn’t thought to prepare her food for when she awoke.
She’d be starving.

“I’d love to buy a loaf. And have you some of that
gingerbread as well?”

“Of course.
But shouldn’t you be
selling your blades instead of feasting on my goods?”

“Actually, I must go. I need to grab some things first.”
Lennox seized the swords he’d put on display and put them back in the bundle he
would strap to his back. “Good day,
Edetta
.” He
handed over some coin and headed to a stall two tables over.

“Your best jam, please.”

The vendor looked up at him like he was crazy. But finally,
her tiny hands retrieved a small glass canister and handed it over, glaring at
the bundle of swords on his back.

“Thank you.” Lennox smiled at the tiny woman and realized
his grin was the first in a long while. As he made his way toward the meat
seller down the road, he heard a scream coming from inside one of the closed
drink houses. His heart pumped with concern and Lennox decided to investigate.
Striding toward the large wooden door, he pushed it open and entered the
establishment.

A young woman was being choked by a large determined hand.
Her bright pink hair was splayed, hiding her face, and her chest heaved as she
struggled to breathe.

“Let her go.” Lennox uttered the words as he assessed the
group of men surrounding him.

They were brawny and stood with their shoulders hunched,
ready to leap to action. A couple of them had visible swords, and Lennox noted bulges
where guns were probably concealed.

“Mind your own business, stranger. Leave now.”

Instead, Lennox reached back and removed a sword from his
pack. The long blade would have been heavy for others, but fit perfectly in his
palm. He aimed the blade at the brute still clutching the throat of the young
woman. She struggled in his grasp, but the grip around her throat clenched
tighter in response.

“I said, release her.”

One of the men pulled out a gun. In a flash of movement,
Lennox pulled out a tiny dagger and launched it at the man before the scum
could aim. His victim fell to the ground with the tiny blade lodged in his
throat. The fallen man’s counterparts rushed Lennox, but that meant the leader
dropped the young woman to the ground. Glad to have successfully distracted the
men, Lennox went to work with his sword. Shots were fired in his direction, but
he swiftly turned, dancing with his blade as he avoided artillery and shoved
his weapon into the gullets of his attackers. His perfect blade plunged in and
out the men’s flesh like it was cutting butter.

Holding a sword crafted by his own hands, Lennox felt more
than confident as he fought; he felt proud. “You gentleman should have come to
see me.” Metal clashed violently and more men fell to the ground bleeding.
Another shot was fired, but Lennox dropped to the ground and shoved his sword
upward, finding flesh once more.

In his attempt to avoid the bullets, Lennox hadn’t seen the
large one grab the young woman once more. Lennox swept his blade at the man nearest
to him. His arc just missed flesh, but was close enough to send the man fleeing
through the door.

“Bane will not be happy to hear of your interference.”

“Where is he? He must still be recovering from our earlier
encounter.”

“You’re stupid to pick a fight with a wizard.” The brute
gripped the young woman’s hair and yanked her head back.

For the first time, Lennox could see her bright eyes, glossy
with fear. Her eyes were a bright caramel and made him think of Zahra’s gaze of
amber fire.

The brute sneered against the young woman’s flesh, revealing
crooked brown teeth. “Fancy yourself a succubus,
then
go find another one. This one has a debt to pay.”

“Please.” The young woman begged, her thin fingers grasping
frantically at the man’s death grip. One of his hands covered her mouth and
muffled her cries.

Her fear stilled the blood in Lennox’s veins. This had been
the reason Zahra had been frantic about Bane. She’s mentioned a debt, but not a
sister.

The man looked at Lennox. “You have a conscience, do you? Don’t
worry,
she’s a drugged-up succubus. She’s going to
enjoy every minute of it.”

A sudden scream erupted from the brute as the young woman
bit hard on the hand covering her mouth. The hold on her was released, but the
slap across her face was hard enough to send her to the floor.

With the young woman out of the way, Lennox drove his sword
forward. But the distraction of the bite was only momentary and his opponent
reached down to pick up the sword of a fallen comrade. Just as Lennox’s blade
entered the man’s gut, white hot pain seared through his shoulder. Liquid heat
began escaping through the blade’s entry. But the man before him fell, blood
bubbling out of his lips. Lennox knew the wound was a fatal one. The other men
would survive, and Lennox knew he’d made himself a target.
Looks
like he’d be moving out of town sooner than he thought.

“Thank you.” A soft voice caught him by surprise and tender
arms wrapped around him. He stared at the bloodied sword that had slipped out
of his wound, but the soft voice came at him again. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine. But will you?”

She avoided the question. Instead, she wrapped an arm around
him and tried to walk him toward the door.

“What is this?” Confusion coursed through him.

“I know a place where I can stitch you up.” Her eyes were
full of youth, but also weary from experience.

“I don’t think you are safe in my company.”

“Don’t worry, there’s a place I haven’t been in a while. No
one will look for me there.”

Curiosity piqued by the woman that was so close to Zahra, he
shrugged out of her grip, but followed her out a back door of the mead house.
“It’s just my shoulder. I can walk.”

“Bane will be here any minute. He probably already saw what
happened.”

Lennox followed her through the cobblestone alleys until
they arrived at a door. It wasn’t Zahra’s. “You don’t live with Zahra?”

“How do you know Zahra?” Her face lit with concern, and for
a moment, he thought she might turn on him.

“Business associates.” Lennox lied through his teeth,
deciding the young woman had been through enough
trauma
.
“She’s at my house.”

The young woman eyed him suspiciously, but opened the door
to the home. “My name is
Sephina
. This is my old
home. Don’t mind the person
inside,
just keep walking,
no matter what he says.”

Lennox followed her inside. As they walked through a front
room, Lennox caught a glimpse of a wide barbarian using a meaty fist to cradle
an over-used picture magazine. A trio of young naked women fondled themselves
on the page just inches away from the man’s face. The sound of skin sliding on
skin echoed in the room. Lennox’s nostrils stung with the acrid stench of body
odor and he fought the urge to vomit.

“Is that you
Seph
? Get over here!”
But the yanking continued and
Sephina
continued on without
sparing
a glance. Lennox followed her into a bedroom.

“Here, sit down. I’ll be right back.”

She left in a hurry and Lennox was left to glance around the
room. It was plain, with only a cot that looked like it hadn’t been slept on in
years. No photos or vases with flowers, like the ones that decorated most
homes.

The young woman called
Sephina
arrived as quickly as she’d left. “I told you to sit.” Although she was much
shorter than him, she reached up and pulled him down by his good shoulder. “I
need to be able to reach your wound.”
Sephina
poured
some alcohol on a cloth and covered his wound with it. Next, she expertly
threaded a needle. “Do you need a drink first?”

“Perhaps if you speak with me, I’ll not notice the pain.
Tell me, how do you know Zahra? You don’t look too much alike.”

She began stitching his wound, and when he didn’t flinch,
she spoke. “We’ve always been
close,
being the only
sex demon families in a small town will do that to you. She’s long been without
parents, and as you can see, my sole surviving parent is a piece of crap, so we
leaned on each other. I did most of the leaning.” She whispered those last
words with regret, self-deprecation lingering in her tone.

“Tell me about Bane.”

She narrowed her caramel gaze on the needle sewing his wound
closed. “Let’s just say my father gives sex demons a bad name. There’s a reason
I don’t live here anymore. But I was in so much pain when I left that I fell
into a bad crowd. Zahra and her brother Reza tried to keep me away, but I let
the drugs find me. They took away the pain for a while, but never long enough.”

Lennox felt her fingers begin to shake. “Are you—
”

“I’m
clean,
or at least trying to
be. My hands are a little unsteady from the withdrawal. But don’t worry. I’ve
stitched myself on many occasions.”

Lennox saw darkness twist into her stare and he decided not
to further question the matter. Instead, he admired the woman for fighting
through the pain.

“I don’t think Zahra really knew how bad it was until she
overheard Bane threatening me to come up with the large sum of money I owed him
for months of drug use. I realize now that he let me use without payment just
because he likes to see people hurt. He likes to feel in charge. Holding the
drugs over my head, he made me a puppet.” Her words broke.

The agony in Lennox’s shoulder was nothing compared to being
witness to a lone tear dripping down the young woman’s cheek.

“That’s why Zahra does what she does. No offense, I’m sure
you’re a great customer, and you saved my neck, but she wants more than just
sharing her services for a price. I’ve dug myself into a hole so
deep,
she’s taken it upon herself to make things okay for me
first.”

Recognition washed over Lennox. He’d made Zahra feel
inhuman, but in reality, she was more than human, she was an angel in a
sinner’s body. He’d called her selfish and vain when they’d first met, and yet
she was the most selfless person he’d ever encountered. The tender woman he’d
lain with in bed was only a glimpse of the courageous and giving heart Zahra
possessed.

“Are you okay?”
Sephina
finished
closing up his wound.

“I’ve made many mistakes. Would you feel safer in my home
outside the village?”

She offered him a wary eye. “I would like to see my sister.
But I don’t think we’ll stay.”

“Of course.”

“When we leave my apartment, follow me. You’re new in town.
I’ll lead us through the maze of streets so we’ll receive the least amount of
attention.”

Lennox followed
Sephina
through
the home, past the sedentary father. When they made it outside, he grabbed her
arm. “I should tell you, she’s not in the best of health.”

“Give me one of your blades.” The spritely young woman
glared at Lennox, her bright pink hair framing dark amber stones of eyes.