Sin Eater (16 page)

His voice stilled her, and she smiled over at him. “Good morning. How bad is the damage?”

“I don’t know. My neck’s still sore but I’ll get over it.”
His joke made her blush bright red, even under her bruising. “Oh, you mean
you
?” She covered her face and he took her hand away again. It made him chuckle. “You’re fine. You look bad ass.”

She rolled away from him on to her back but he caught her by the shoulder and
turned her back to him, hand to her cheek to keep her place as he kissed her slowly, lazily, as though it was for no expected outcome. But of course he knew there would be.

Sunshine turned to chocolate under his hands, and when he tested her mouth with his tongue he found the waters very welcoming. Her hand clutched his shoulder tightly, and her leg winding back around his and her hips turning his way was all the permission he needed.

Her hand slid from his shoulder to stroke at his abdomen, and she must have liked the feel of it. She crowded in closer to him, rising up on one arm to kiss him while he stayed splayed out on his back. He cradled her head in his hands, tasting the sweetness of her lips and tongue with his. The smell of chocolate was so strong he would’ve sworn she’d just eaten a whole pound of the stuff. It made her absolutely delicious.

Claudia’s hand grazed his erection slightly, and as she froze momentarily he pulled back to look at her face. She was debating, and he didn’t bother touching on her thoughts. It was obvious where her confusion was coming from.

“Don’t worry,” he said, taking her hand in his and bringing it back to his chest. “What we did last night is more than enough for me. As long as I can please you, you don’t have to do anything else.”

Her eyes were locked on his lips, her own were swollen from the kissing already. She took a shuddering breath, taking his bottom lip in hers, biting at it, then opening her mouth fully against his, forcefully, demandingly. His hips kicked of their own accord, nothing to do with him.

Her hand moved south again, taking him fully in her grip, slowly moving along his length, exploring it. That’s when he realized she’d never handled one of these things before, and at the realization his mind characteristically tuned into hers. She was worried she was doing it wrong. That she might hurt him. But she still wanted to touch him.

As long as the
want
was there …

His hand closed over hers, and he used his thumb to move hers to his head, running it along the ridge. Her hand was so delicate and careful, despite the fact that he’d personally seen it nearly break a guys’ nose … twice. The contradiction had him ready to release.

This was a different kind of arousal. He wasn’t using hers, was he? This was entirely him.

“Show me,” she whispered, breaking the kiss long enough for those two words. He took her hand to his base, then tightened her grip, pulling it upwards. She pulled away
again to watch his face. On the second pass he had to gasp and hold his breath, keeping his eyes closed.

He felt her confidence swell, the scent of orange mixing with chocolate. She gave another slow pull, and he let go of her hand, bunching up the sheets with his own. His other hand wrapped around her back, holding her against him.

He knew she was watching him, could feel her gaze. So he picked up her frequency and got the live feed of what she thought. That could always run the risk of completely fizzling out any excitement, but he took the chance anyway.

She was fixated on his face, the way his neck tensed so tightly the tendons stood out in stark relief. Even his chest muscles were bunched up like he was lifting a ton of weight. She liked to see him breathing through his mouth, out of control. That’s what he’d done to her the night before, now she had him in the exact same place.

Without changing pace she wiggled down along him, and when he felt her mouth close over the end of him his neck jerked, thrusting his head back into his pillow.

How long had it been since someone had
gone down on him? God, who knew? This was what you got off on when someone wasn’t willing to “go all the way,” wasn’t it? With him, they were always willing. And he’d never been with anyone long enough to get this intimate otherwise.

Her hand kept rhythm but as her mouth sucked at him and her gorgeous, full lips were drawn back and forth, he gave himself over, cut off her thoughts from his, and just let himself feel it. Which lasted all of ten seconds.

Right as he reached the feeling of impending joy, he pinched off the duct to keep from ejaculating right in her mouth. The sensation intensified until he saw stars and he barked out a curse word, which may or may have not been
“Fuck,”
and then he just let it wash through him until all that was left was his own panting.

When he could focus his eyes again, he looked down at her, and she was staring back at him with rapt intensity. A smile touched her lips as they made eye contact.

“Was it … was it good?”

He barked out a laugh, aware his dick was still in her hands as well as his. And the little fucker was starting to stir again. “My dear Claudia, there are no words.”

She smiled, arched herself back along his side again and stayed there, her hand drawing circles on his chest.

“If I go and clean this up … will you be here when I get back?” He asked.

Her grin widened. “I think I can stay here a while longer.”

“Good.”

He wasn’t fooling himself as he walked naked down the hall to the washroom. This wasn’t sexual preference re-education he was doing to her. She was just curious and he – this was the funny part – was the most non-intimidating man she’d known. That was the only way she could explain to herself why she was attracted to him in the first place.

Once again, he was honoured that he was the only man that really knew a woman this way.

He was on his way to work, rushing to his car because he was late. He got in the driver’s seat, fiddled with his keys before he finally got the right one, and was just sliding it in the ignition when the voice came from right beside him.

“Do you have any idea what’s happening to you right now?”

He shrieked, flattening against the side window of his car and staring at the man in his passenger seat, a guy that had definitely not been there before.

The man terrified him, he knew that right off. His gray eyes were incredibly cold, his mouth was a thin, cruel line in his face, and all his features were so
hard
… he wondered if this stranger had just been released from prison.

“No, I wasn’t in prison.”

Now he was terrified and completely confused. “How did you … I’m sorry, do I know you?” He tried to figure the stranger out. He was nicely dressed, in a black suit with a black shirt. Black was perfect for him … he seemed to exude menace.

“Not yet, but you will. I can help you get everything you want, but we do it entirely on my terms.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Shut up and listen.”

“I’m late for work here, I have to - ” He couldn’t explain it. One moment he was talking, and the next it felt as though someone had grabbed the tip of his tongue and was pressing it to the bottom of his mouth while pinching his lips shut. He was incapable of speech.

“You know the things you’re doing with your mind lately? Those special talents you never had before?”

He raised his eyebrows but couldn’t ask
How did you know?

“Just pay attention. You have no idea what you are capable of, just with the power of your mind. You can use it towards any means you desire. Women, money … and really, isn’t that all that we want?” He leaned over. “Let me teach you and I will show you the meaning of
power
. It’s intoxicating, it’s almost … sinful.

“You’re sent these gifts with a purpose. You don’t necessarily know what it is yet … and it’s possible you won’t even know what that is until your last moment on earth. But when it comes …” he leaned forward and grinned a terrible grin. “You will be a fucking God.”

“Why would you do that?” He asked, almost out of nowhere, but he was glad to have use of his voice again, as wimpy as it might have sounded in comparison to the man in his passenger seat. “I mean … why help me at all?”

“Because in a little while
I too will be a fucking God. But I need your help first.”

Essum stared at the transitioning human, waiting. The man’s eyes were moving back and forth, he was in the midst of making a decision. His brain transmitted like a PA system.

He was thinking about the men he’d killed the night before. The woman he’d had in his bed later that same night. And he was tempted. As he thought about the promise of
power
his cock even got hard.

So Essum waited. He knew he had the guy hooked. And he had a lot of time to wait. Within reason, of course. He was known for being impatient.

He kept staring at this man, wondering how the hell this guy was going to take out his old friend, Voro. The man was still a mess, only a day into his change, unable to control his impulses and scared of what he might be able to do, terrified of overestimating what his powers were. And he was scared of Essum, too. Which showed he was smart, as well as a
decipio
. He was, after all, sent by the side of good. And that was not the team Essum was playing for. He should be pissing himself in fear.

Truth was; Essum had a theory. And he was
ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure his plan would work, and it was just so perfect that Voro was the one slated for a little R&R. Voro was very powerful, which came with more time spent among humans. And if Essum played his cards right, he could jump right into the level of power that Voro had. Literally into the flesh form that Voro inhabited at this moment. And it wouldn’t take Essum six hundred-odd years to get to that level of power, either.

Again, impatient.

All he had to do was get the
frustro
to kill this
decipio
, then Essum could consume the sin, let the
frustro
become a new Sin Eater, end her mortal life, maybe have a little fun with her first, then kill Voro outright and take over the body as he died, not only killing Voro but his
frustro
in the process, since their lives were linked once she killed the
decipio
. Not unlike how a Sin Eater could grab on to the marionette strings outright if he tried hard enough and had enough energy. Easy-peasey. It would speed up the whole next-in-rotation thing, too.

Plus, the body that Voro had been granted was
preferable to the one that Essum usually assumed. His was tall but thin. His face seemed to
glower
more than Voro’s. And women had a distrust of him, and Sin Eaters could only influence people to a certain extent without causing irreparable damage. Like mood-altering substances, people never really performed a task or action that they weren’t
wanting
to complete on some level. Unless, of course, they were completely taken over. And again, that was very difficult and exhausting and never ended well for the human.

At the thought of taking Voro’s form and power while the heart was still beating he almost felt his own phantom member harden.

On the other hand … if this
didn’t
work, Essum was
so
fucked.

Iola was trying to decide between chicken or beef for supper that night, when something bumped the grocery basket she was carrying with her. She jumped, then looked to see who was rudely impeding on her personal space …

… and then she smiled, feeling her heart speed up just a bit.

“Vinnie, what are you doing here?” Stupid
stupid
question.

“Getting groceries. Same as you.” His smile deepened his dimples and his teeth were ridiculously perfect. He was wearing jeans and a deep blue T-shirt with sandals, pretty casual.

“Thank you,” her voice gave out on her and she tried again with an apologetic smile. “Thank you for the African Violet.”

His forehead smoothed when he sm
iled even broader. “You got it … that’s good.”

Then they just stared at each other, mutually mute before they both laughed.

“Are you working today?” She asked as a polite inquiry.

“Yeah, I’m on break right now. So I’m picking up a few things since this place is close to work. And you’re off today, right?” He coloured slightly. “I mean, I notice that you’re never on air Monday or Tuesday nights.”

Iola wasn’t creeped out by that at all. She thought he was absolutely adorable when embarrassed. “Yeah. I go back to work tomorrow night.”

“Well, I’m off at six. I’m on call but … could I come by and see you?” Vinnie wasn’t even trying to mask the hopefulness in his eyes. He was always so sincere and caring. He’s
probably so attentive in all ways …

She felt her heart speed up a bit more. “Yeah,” she said without hesitation, then cursing in her head because she sounded ridiculously excited.

“Great. I’ll come by right after work.”

“I’ll make supper,” she offered, then held a hand out to the meat case. “Chicken or beef?”

“I have no preference. Whatever you like.”

“I prefer chicken.”

He nodded that it sounded good. “I’ll bring wine.”

“Okay,” she said, aware her voice was getting higher like a school girl. “I’ll see you after you’re done work.”

“If it’s later than 6:30 I’ll call.”

She nodded and was surprised when he gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek. He stayed close, gazed down at her for just another moment, his eyes going over her face, her lips. “I’ll see you then.”

She just kept nodding, watching him walk away with his own grocery basket. She didn’t fail to notice how his back shifted under his shirt, and how good those jeans looked on his butt. He was every kind of perfect, wasn’t he?

She shook herself back to being sensible and went off in search of vegetables, then remembered she hadn’t picked up the chicken. So she went back the ten or so steps to get it, giving herself heck the whole time for being so easily flustered, hoping no one noticed what a mess she was.

Whatever. She didn’t care. She and her handsome doctor had
another
date. Iola may as well have skipped over to the produce section.

“I want you in me,” Claudia gasped.

Damien lifted his head from kissing her stomach, on his way back to her mouth having just given h
er a good twenty minutes of lip and tongue heaven. “What?” His voice was hoarse.

“I want you in me.”

“Claudia, are you … are you sure?”

Claudia nodded, swallowing. She was as nervous as a virgin, but then again, every time she had been with a man it had either been while intoxicated or while she was being forced. So … this
was
her first time in a way. And she was terrified he would say no, find her unworthy somehow …

“I would be honoured,” he said, kissing her stomach just above her belly button, alternating lips and tongue up between her breasts to her neck.

Again his voice had her aching in a low, dark place. She brought her legs up to his hips as he met her mouth with his fantastic lips, his kiss holding her completely hostage. Not that she wanted to get away from it. She cleaved to him with the full length of her body, feeling his erection hot against her stomach.

“I have to go get something first, from my jacket in the living room,” he said against her skin, and she nodded. When he pulled away from her, however, she gave a moan of disappointment which made him laugh slowly. “I will be back … believe me.” And the way his eyes flared as he looked down at her, naked in the twisted sheets they’d been making a mess of, made her believe him beyond a shadow of a doubt.

She nodded her understanding, rolling over on to her stomach to watch him leave. That big, heavy body of his was such a pleasure to look at; the thickness of his back, broadness of his shoulders. She’d never been able to appreciate the male anatomy. But with him, it was like she was born anew.

It seemed he knew her history and preferences, and yet she hadn’t told him. And he certainly hadn’t asked the whys or hows. He simply accepted that … she wanted him.

Or maybe this whole night and half a day had been a dream. A very vivid, long, explosive dream.
Not bloody likely
, she thought, touching her eye socket and the side of her nose.
The fight had certainly been real.

When Damien returned she smiled up at him, and he stopped for a moment in the doorway, just looking at her. She looked away from him and dipped her head down
into the pillow she’d been hugging since she rolled over to wait for him.

“What?” She asked, her voice muffled by down feathers and Egyptian cotton.

“The view this way is … exquisite.” He came forward and sat next to her, leaning over to kiss a trail down her spine that made her close her eyes with a sigh and shiver. He stopped at the small of her back, climbed on to the bed next to her, and ran his hands along the length of her upper body, raising gooseflesh on her back, increasing the ache between her legs.

She made a move to roll over but he grunted that he wanted her to wait, and she hid a smile as he kissed her back again, his hand caressing her butt in a slightly more aggressive way that she didn’t mind in the least. Especially as one finger dipped down between her legs to the place that was aching for contact with him.

She gasped as he stroked her from this different angle, parting her legs and arching her back to allow him full access.

Just as she thought she was going to climax again, he rolled her on to her back. His mouth latched on to one breast, and she moaned at how rough he was as he put his hand back to work. Before long she was pulling at his hair and crying out loudly while he got
into position to enter her.

She put a hand to his chest, her orgasm just starting to fade. “Wait,” she whispered. “I need to be on top.”

He stared at her for a moment, then smiled. “That would be … wonderful.”

He carefully laid next to her, and she threw one leg over his hips and straddled him. She felt his eyes on her body, her breasts, and she could
feel
how excited he was.

“I have to go slow,” she reminded him, and he nodded.

“We can stop whenever you want,” he responded, and that’s all the information she needed. She reached down to that part she’d usually been scared of, stood it up, and slid all the way down its length, watching his face as he watched hers. She gasped at how perfectly he fit. How he filled her entirely. And at how her insides seemed to quiver at the mere presence of him.