Getting Familiar with Your Demon: That Old Black Magic, Book 4 (17 page)

“I walked down to the corner drugstore the second the sun came up.”

“What if someone had seen you?” She sighed. “That wasn’t very smart, you know.”

“No one saw me. But you’re right. Apparently a raging case of horniness has killed off my remaining brain cells.”

Much as she wanted to be angry about him endangering his cover, it was difficult to stay focused on anything but the teasing glide of his shaft within her grip. Biting her lip, she explored his length.

His ragged breath tickled her ear. “Put me inside you, Bella.”

Shifting the angle of her hips, she grasped him at the base of his shaft and bore down. The inner folds of her labia parted for his cockhead, and he surged deeper, stretching her tight on his thick girth. His possession of her body shot a decadent spiral of excitement through her. She shivered, and his fingertips grazed the goose bumps dotting her arms before seeking the hand still wedged between their joined bodies and repositioning it so that their laced fingers hovered on her clit. She knew what he wanted her to do, even understood now why he’d chosen to take her from behind. It was easier to comply with his wishes when she didn’t have to look him in the eye.

Grateful that he’d saved her from that awkwardness, she caressed her sensitized clit. His bold fingers displayed no hesitation in assisting her motions. That, combined with the slow in-and-out plunging of his cock, soon banished any traces of embarrassment about pleasuring herself in front of Sam. She gave full rein to the hedonistic sensations sweeping over her and moved her body in concert with his. Their rhythm was sensual—like an exquisitely choreographed dance. She’d never felt so connected with someone. So free and uninhibited.

Sam shifted onto his back, momentarily breaking the spell of unity between them. She floundered for a moment, uncertain what to do, but he gave her no time to ponder the intricacies of his new position as he turned her to face him and aligned her pussy with his cock again. With one smooth thrust, he was buried deep. Much deeper than he’d been before. She gasped, and he tunneled his fingers through her hair, hauling her forward to meet his devouring kiss.

And that was exactly what it felt like. A ravishment. A total conquering of her body and soul. The irony of that thought wasn’t lost on her, but the ramifications of giving herself completely to a demon who collected souls for a living fell to the back of her mind as Sam’s tongue plundered her mouth. He battered all of her defenses until the only existence left in her world was him. One hand loosened from her hair and grasped her hip, pulling her into the demanding force of his thrusts. She opened her eyes and became ensnared in the dark intensity of his gaze.

“Come for me, Bella. Now.”

The emotional tidal wave that crashed into her was nearly as overwhelming as the orgasm that followed suit. In that moment, as her body broke apart, so did her heart. Any prayer she’d harbored of safeguarding that particular organ from Sam’s stealthy pilfering disintegrated before her eyes.

She’d fallen in love with him—the last person on earth she stood to have a future with.

He pumped inside her one last time, his fingers digging into her skin as he gave a hoarse groan. Fascinated, she watched him come. Like last night, she was struck by how beautiful he was in the throes of pleasure. It was probably the only time he truly lowered his guard.

Unable to resist, she stroked his jaw, the soft bristles from his growth of beard a tantalizing rasp beneath the pads of her fingers. She skipped her fingertips down the warm column of his throat and kissed the spot where his pulse beat erratically. Venturing farther south, she traced her lips over the network of silvery scars patterning his broad shoulders and chest. She gave one particularly nasty scar a gentle kiss. “How did you really get these? And don’t tell me a cat. I didn’t believe it the first time you handed me that lie.”

He remained silent. She lifted her gaze and found him watching her with a hooded expression. Hard to say if it was due to post-orgasmic exhaustion or if he’d erected the shield he always seemed to use when she pushed him to reveal too much. She lightly grazed her nail over another scar that curled along his pectoral muscle. Its proximity to his heart made her stomach churn. How many close brushes with death had he lived through?

“I stopped keeping track of where I picked up a particular scar,” he finally offered in a strangely flat voice. “Suffice it to say, I’ve run into my fair share of souls who weren’t ready to go down without a fight.”

She waited for him to elaborate. When he didn’t, she scooted forward and brushed her lips over his. Pulling back, she cupped his cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Whatever Antoinette and the others made you do.”

His guarded gaze returned. “There’s no need to beat around the bush. You know what my job entailed.”

“You were only carrying out orders, Sam.”

“To kill and steal.” He rolled her off him and sat up, his face an expressionless mask. “Don’t make the mistake of martyring me, babe. I sure as hell knew what I was getting myself into. And whether you like it or not, being a soul collector was something I was born to be. If not for the shit that happened with Antoinette and Pricilla, I’d damn well still be one.”

If his aim had been to shine a spotlight on the vast chasm of differences standing between them, he’d more than succeeded. But the sad, pathetic reality was that it didn’t change the fact she loved him.

He shoved up from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving her with a twisted tangle of sheets. And an even bigger mess of her heart.

Forty minutes later, adequately composed for her upcoming visit with her mom, she made her way down to the shop. Cass was waiting for her on the other side of the door. She blinked at Sam’s cousin in surprise. “Wow, talk about perfect timing.”

Cass offered a sheepish grin. “Not really. I’ve been down here for almost an hour.”

“What? Why didn’t you come upstairs?”

“I did at first.” Her cheeks pink, Cass coughed into her fist. “You and Sam sounded like you were busy, so I decided to let you guys have some privacy.”

Oh goddess.
Cass heard them having sex? Or maybe she was referring to them arguing. Marabella decided to do her embarrassment a favor and pretend it’d been that last option. Pasting on a strained smile, she waved Cass through the doorway. “Well, I’m ready to go if you are.”

They stepped outside, and Marabella led the way to the lot where her convertible was parked. After an awkward silence, Cass cleared her throat. “I know Sam can be difficult at times, but I think you’re good for him.”

Okay, so maybe Cass
had
overheard the argument. Fumbling the key into the ignition, Marabella gave Cass a doubtful look. “I don’t think he considers it that way.”

“You have to understand something about Sam. It’s easier for him to be a, well, miserable son of a bitch, for lack of a better description.” Cass rolled down her window, letting some of the stale air escape. “He wasn’t always that way. At least not for the most part. He’s always had a penchant for rudeness, but that’s also kind of a demon thing. In case you didn’t know, most of them aren’t exactly known for their social graces.” She caught Marabella’s sidelong glance and laughed. “Before you accuse me of calling the kettle black, let me remind you that I’m only
half
demon. I might not enjoy the business side of being a reaper, but at least they’re not shady, dishonest assholes.”

“You’re not giving me much reason to want this thing—whatever it is—between me and Sam to work out.”

Cass’s shoulders drooped on a heavy exhale. “Bluntness is a reaper trait. We tend to tell it how we see it. Nik is much worse than me, but it’s still something I have to work on.”

“Why? I prefer you tell me the truth when it comes to Sam. Because goddess knows, he’s not willing to allow me close enough to know anything about him beyond the crude, tough-guy exterior.”

“But you know it’s there. You’ve seen glimpses of it, haven’t you?”

She let the engine idle while she pondered Cass’s question. “Sometimes he…looks at me in a certain way. Like the darkness has momentarily lifted, and he’s…”

“Happy?”

“I don’t know.” She recalled the brilliant smile that erupted across his face last night when they’d been joking during dinner. “Maybe.”

“He hasn’t been happy for a long time. I used to wonder if he’s forgotten what it even feels like. But ever since that first night with you, I’ve seen traces of the old Sam again. Along with some…new aspects.”

“New aspects?”

Cass fidgeted with the crease of her khakis. “There’s something else you need to know about demons. They don’t feel guilt and remorse like you and every other human does. This is what’s given them the reputation of being evil, but really, most of them aren’t. They just don’t have a conscience. Or at least not a very strong one.”

Marabella mulled over Cass’s words, trying to correlate them with what she knew Sam to be and his actions from the very first moment she’d met him. “He certainly didn’t have much of a conscience when it came to seducing me to get his way that night.”

“Yes, which makes his admission yesterday pretty peculiar, don’t you think?” Cass returned her blank stare with a shrug. “He said by the time the deed was done, it was too late, in reference to taking your virginity. Marabella, that’s as good as an apology from Sam.”

She snorted. “Talk about a half-assed apology.”

“You’re missing the point. Why would he be sorry if he didn’t feel guilty?”

Marabella frowned. “But you just said it’s impossible for him to—” She broke off as Cass’s meaning crystallized. “Are you implying that Sam’s suddenly grown a conscience?”

“Yep.”

“But…
how
?”

“That’s the question of the day. One that I’m hoping this trip to your mom’s might help shed some light on.”

Marabella gaped at Cass. “What does my mom have to do with Sam developing a conscience?”

“Nothing, except the fact she gave birth to you.”

“Wait a minute. You think
I
have something to do with it?”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

Disbelief swirling in her brain, Marabella tore her gaze from Cass. Shifting into drive, she peeled out of the lot and headed toward the Alliance headquarters. Traffic was blessedly light at this time of the day, making the journey speedy and uneventful. She found a parking spot next to her mom’s silver Lexus, and a couple seconds later she and Cass made their way to the front entrance.

Her nerves kicking in again, she slid Cass a worried glance. “You’re absolutely certain my mom won’t be able to pick up on what you’re doing? Reading her soul, I mean.”

“Absolutely.” Cass frowned. “Are you okay? You look like you’re seconds away from throwing up.”

Anchoring her portfolio case under one arm, Marabella scrubbed a hand over her face and took a deep, calming breath. “I just don’t want my mom to become suspicious. If she or any of the other guild members find out about Sam…” Her mouth twisted in a wry grimace. “Let’s just say that Pricilla would then be the least of our problems.”

Cass gave her a commiserating pat on the back, which also served as a means of ushering her through the doorway. Marabella automatically peered toward the desk where her best friend Willa was usually parked. But Willa and her fiancé Max were currently spending the week in Galveston with his parents. It was probably just as well, since Willa would have taken one look at Marabella and instantly known something was up. It was hard enough keeping all of these secrets. Having to lie to her best friend would have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Jean Belltower, daughter of one of the guild members, sat in Willa’s chair. Marabella didn’t know the woman very well, but she’d always seemed friendly enough. Hopefully Domino hadn’t worked her into the running-ragged part of her duties yet.

“Hi, Jean. My mom isn’t in a meeting right now, is she?”

“Nope. You can go on in.”

Steeling herself, Marabella reached for the doorknob to her mother’s office and twisted it open. Shooting Cass one last worried look, she stepped inside. Domino stood in front of the wall of bookcases, re-shelving a few of the bound volumes. Judging from her grumbles, she wasn’t pleased with the current organization.

Apparently realizing she had company, Domino shifted her narrow-eyed scrutiny from the books. A fraction of her displeasure eased when she spotted Marabella and the portfolio clenched in her hand. “You’re finished with the bid? Excellent. We’re going to start looking them over today.” She walked forward, and her attention veered to Cass.

Marabella quickly made the proper introductions. She held her breath, paranoid that her mom would see through the ruse of Cass being a new friend she’d met through Bella’s Boutique. But thankfully Domino bought the story, and even engaged Cass in polite small talk for a few minutes. The whole time Domino and Cass were chatting, Marabella ping-ponged her gaze between them, carefully gauging Cass’s expression for signs that she’d picked up any relevant clues while reading Domino. Frustration gnawed at Marabella as it became clear that Cass possessed the best poker face known to mankind. No, make that reaperkind.

Anxious to find out what Cass might have dug up, Marabella glanced at the antique wall clock suspended near the bookcases. “Wow, look at the time.”

Domino’s lips pinched in disapproval. “Marabella, that’s extremely rude and unsubtle.”

She shrugged in apology. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Cass was grinning behind her hand. After a fast rifle through her portfolio, Marabella located the bid she’d put together for the redecorating job and handed it to her mom before offering a fast, departing squeeze. Leaving a bemused Domino behind, she snatched Cass by the elbow and practically hauled her out the door.

Once they’d reached the privacy of the car, she looked at Cass expectantly. “Well?”

“For the most part, there wasn’t anything unusual about your mom’s soulprint.”

“But?” she prodded.

Cass rubbed her jaw. “Every time I tried to access a thread related to you, I ran into a block.”