Carnal (Her Dark Desires #1) (4 page)

“It’s
just… you’re so glamorous. I mean, you’re a walking legend among our kind. I
guess it’s just a little unexpected.”

He
chuckled, but it was darker than the warm rumble from earlier. “Well, a lot of
things in life turn out to be unexpected.”

I
studied him. A shadow came over his face, and his dark eyes got a far-off look,
like he was thinking about something that overshadowed his soul. I recognized
that look. It was the same one I got when looking in the mirror sometimes,
wondering what the hell I was doing and if I was really cut out for this. You’d
think someone who exuded confidence like Hector wouldn’t ever have any doubt.

I
was about to inquire what was wrong when the elevator chimed, and the doors
opened. We both hesitated, neither one of us seeming willing to leave yet.

Finally,
I stepped off. “This is my stop. It was really nice meeting you, Hector,” I
said lamely. At least the nervous hitch had left my voice.

He
smiled, holding the doors open. “Yeah. Likewise.”

With
one last lingering look, Hector stepped back, his eyes remaining locked on mine
as the doors slowly closed.

I
didn’t let out my breath until he was gone, and I leaned against the wall and
stared at my hand. It wasn’t entirely a surprise to see Hector here, seeing as
he was one of Elias’s go-to models and oldest friends, according to rumors. But
running into him on the elevator, actually getting to speak to him in private,
had not been something I thought would ever happen.

I
smiled sadly. It was nice while it lasted. Too bad I’d never see him again, or
at least, not up close and personal like that.

Dismissing
the odd tingle I’d felt at his touch to my imagination, I got off the elevator
and strutted to my cubicle, a new bounce in my step that hadn’t been there
before.

Chapter 3

MONIQUE
GRINNED AS I finished relaying yesterday’s lovely chat with our boss. “Elysian,
huh? Now there’s an all-expenses-paid vacation to a sex resort that allows you
to screw as much as you want. I’m almost jealous.”

I
slurped on my Diet Coke. “I feel like such a reject. I mean, who gets sent to
Elysian?”

“You,
apparently.”

I
threw a french fry at her. We were sitting in a booth at our favorite diner
having lunch. A lot of sups came here. Who knew paranormals had an appetite for
comfort food?

“It’s
not bad,” Monique said, shrugging as she stuck a mouthful of mashed potatoes in
her mouth. She looked like she’d just strolled from a beauty shop. Smoky eyes,
red lips, and curly hair almost as dark as mine, she was one of my best friends,
and one of the Underworld’s most kickass succubi. She’d had multiple offers of
representation from different sup firms, including Vixens’ biggest rival,
Wonderland.

How
many offers had I had? Goose egg. Nada. Let’s just say I was lucky I could get
Elias to take me in, an experiment of sorts.

“Are
you listening?”

I
shook my head. “What?”

Monique’s
lips spread into a sultry smile. “You know, doll,” she said, leaning forward
and twirling a strand of my hair around her manicured finger, “I could always
privately tutor you in the art of seduction.”

I
slapped away her hand. “You know my gate doesn’t swing that way. But I
appreciate the offer.”

She
sighed and sat back. “Such a pity. Well, at least let me hook you up with some
outfits before you leave. Your pleated skirts and boring blouses from your
secretary days just aren’t making the cut.”

“I
like those clothes!” I said indignantly. “They’re cute.”

“They’re
something,” Monique muttered.

I
was about to whip out a comeback when a ton of screaming girls near the front
of the restaurant stole our attention.

My
jaw nearly hit the table when I saw who’d walked in through the door. “Holy
hell,” I breathed. “It’s
him
.”

I
watched, flabbergasted, as Hector strolled through the restaurant, signing
autographs and taking pictures as hordes of adoring females crowded around him.
Maybe it was his alluring sexual prowess, but he seemed to attract this kind of
attention wherever he went.

Which
made me kind of pity him. I mean, it had to get tiring after a while.

“Careful,”
Monique murmured. “Wouldn’t want your crush to see you drooling.”

Cheeks
flaming, I wiped the back of my mouth with my hand. I still hadn’t told her
about the elevator. Some part of me wanted to keep that interaction private,
and I wasn’t entirely sure why.

My
eyes remained glued to Hector, watching him smile at his fans and sign
autographs, including a few shirts. “What’s Hector doing here?”

Monique
watched with boredom. “Dunno, love. Maybe he’s in town for business.”

Hector
was the Underworld’s most infamous Incubus. His exploits were the stuff of legend.
Every Incubus wanted to be him, and every succubus - hell,
any
woman,
human or sup - wanted to bang him.

I
watched with rapt attention as Hector excused himself from his posse and made
his way through the restaurant. Eyes followed him wherever he went. He went
straight to the back, at a private booth. A waiter immediately showed up to
take his drink order. Even the waiter looked enamored with him.

Monique
whistled. “The man’s got skills. I’d kill for thirty minutes with him to pick
up some new tips.”

“Please
tell me you wouldn’t want to just pick up tips,” I breathed, eyeing Hector
dreamily. How many times had I imagined those strong arms sweeping me up and
carrying me to his bed?

Heat
coiled deep below my navel, and I clenched my thighs, licking my lips.

Monique
raised her brows. “All right, I’ve gotta go before you make me horny too.”

I
flushed. “I was not horny.”

“No,
you were
in heat
.” She rose. “I have a three o’ clock appointment, so I
need to get going. See you at the apartment tonight?”

I
nodded. “Yep. See you.”

She
leaned down and kissed me once on each cheek. Monique wasn’t European, so I
don’t know why she did it. To make her feel and look classier, I guess.

I
watched my friend sashay out of the restaurant, and looked back to Hector.

I
nearly choked on my drink.

He
wasn’t alone. A very familiar head of auburn hair was with him, laughing and
carrying on like old friends.

What
the hell was Elias doing here? I thought hole-in-the-wall places like this were
beneath him. I guess they’d decided to do lunch after whatever business meeting
they had, or perhaps, this
was
the business meeting. Either way, I
needed to go.

Not
wanting Elias to see me, I pulled some money out of my purse and dumped it on
the table before getting up. I was almost to the door when a strong hand shot
out of a booth and seized me by the wrist, jerking me back around.

“I
know you,” drawled the handsome werewolf man with tattoos all up and down his
arms.

My
blood temperature dropped. And I definitely knew him.

Oh,
no.

He
chuckled, a sinister look on his face. “Yeah, you were that succubus who was
supposed to take care of me last Thursday night.” He ran a tongue over his
lips. “I don’t believe I got my money’s worth.”

“You’re
lucky I didn’t sue your ass for striking me,” I snapped. Elias had been
furious. No one mistreated his girls. Of course, he couldn’t formally strike
back at the loser, not without starting something between the were and witching
communities. Paranormal law sucked sometimes.

The
guy - Davey, I remembered - and his buddies laughed and whistled. “Bitch has
got a mouth,” Davey said, getting up.

He
twisted my arm behind me, yanking me against his chest. Pain shot to my
shoulder at the odd angle. “You’re hurting me,” I snapped. “Let go!”

“Just
relax,” he breathed, kissing my neck. “You’ll forget all about the pain in a
minute.” He started making toward the back exit, the one that led to the alley.

“What
are you doing?” I said, fighting to break free. I couldn’t struggle much,
otherwise I’d risk breaking my arm.

“Getting
my money’s worth,” he growled.

I
knew exactly how he planned on doing that, and no way in hell was I letting it
happen.

Improvising,
I brought my stiletto down hard on Davey’s foot. He howled, loosening his grip
enough for me to squirm away and follow-up with a kick to his groin. Davey
immediately cupped his balls and doubled over, yowling. His buddies laughed
behind him as he straightened, giving me a death glare. “You’ll pay for that,
bitch.”

He
started forward.

I
backed away, keeping my eyes on him. Great, now I’d really pissed him off.

Looking
for something to bust over his head, I yelped when Davey suddenly cried out and
let go of me. Tripping over someone’s foot, I nearly fell when my hands splayed
against a smooth, bare chest as two arms wrapped around me. “It’s all right,” a
deep voice rumbled through me. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

I
looked up and gasped.

Oh.
My. Word.

Two
eyes the color of chocolate stared into mine as Hector gazed back at me. His
lips parted as his eyes dropped to my mouth, and I swore his heart sped up.

I
know mine sure did, right before the most perfect calm settled over me. I’d
never felt so safe in my life, like this moment was created just for us. The
feeling from earlier, that I somehow belonged with him, intensified, its heat
wrapping around me and making me feel safe.

Why
do I feel this way with him? I feel as if I know him, but that’s impossible.

“Hey!”
Davey yelled behind me. “Who the hell do you think you are? My packmaster will
hear about this!”

Elias
stood between me and Davey. Davey appeared to be frozen. Nothing moved except
his mouth.

Elias’s
body crackled with power, and flames licked his skin, shimmering beneath the
surface. His eyes glowed bright red. It was the angriest I’d ever seen him.

“You’re
damn right about that,” he growled. “I will be speaking to your packmaster
tonight. I am well-acquainted with Lila.”

“What,
did you fuck her?” Davey sneered.

It
happened so fast, I couldn’t even be sure I’d seen it. Davey’s head jerked
sideways, as if smacked by an invisible force. Teeth flew to the floor,
followed by drops of blood. When he looked back at Elias, his eyes were filled
with fear.

I
smirked. At least he wasn’t as dumb as he looked.

“I
am Elias, sixth brother of the House of Hex.” Elias straightened. “And you have
pissed off the wrong warlock.”

Davey’s
eyes widened in terror. “Did you say ‘Hex’? Oh, man. Look, I’m so sorry.”

Elias
smiled cruelly. “Not yet, you’re not.”

The
manager came out, a handsome vampire dressed in a black business suit. You’d
think he was in New York City at a five-star restaurant, considering how he was
dressed.

He
rested a hand on Elias’s shoulder. When he was like this, Elias had to be
scalding hot to the touch, but the flames did not burn the vamp. Instead, they
merged into his pearly skin.

Another
Red Warlock
,
I thought. Vamps, succubi, incubi, and weres could all use magic too, if they
had the gift for it.

“My
old friend,” the vampire purred, “is this miscreant bothering you?”

“My
apologies for the ruckus, Orlando,” Elias said. “But I could not sit idly by
while this pup attacked one of my succubi.”

Orlando’s
eyes took on that luminescent red hue all vampires’ did when lusting after
blood. “I see.”

In
a flash, his fangs were at Davey’s throat, but they never penetrated. Davey
screamed while Elias held him immobile. A vampire bite was lethal to a were.

“Let
this be a warning,” Orlando hissed, “never to return here again. I shall also
be filing a complaint with your packmaster.”

“And
if it’s one thing my dear friend Lila won’t tolerate, it’s a foolhardy pup,”
Elias said.

“I-I
won’t come here again! I swear!” Davey howled.

Patrons
snickered, no doubt entertained by the goings-on.

“Let
that be a lesson well-learned, pup,” Elias spat.

With
a jerk, Davey was dropped to the ground. He sputtered, slipping and sliding on
the polished wood floor, then scampered out the door with his buddies close on
his tail.

Soon
as it was over, the patrons returned to eating, as if nothing had ever
happened.

Gotta
love the paranormal community.

I
hadn’t realized how closely I’d been clinging to Hector until he chuckled. The
sound vibrated through his chest and into my ear, which was plastered to him.
“Damn,” he murmured. “Now I don’t have an excuse to hold you.”