Where There's Smoke (5 page)

Chance pulled her into his arms, her breasts pressed against his chest. Her nipples immediately tightened. It didn’t take much friction for her body to come alive because her short black dress hugged every curve, and the material was so thin it bordered on naughty. But then, she liked being naughty.

“You look sexy tonight,” he whispered close to her ear before his teeth captured the lobe. He tugged lightly before letting go.

She moaned. Her head was already spinning with visions of them having wild, mind-blowing sex.

“I can feel your body heat. Damn, you’re so hot,” he said. He brought his hand up, cupped her breast, then lightly teased her nipple. “You’re not wearing anything under your dress. You are bad, aren’t you?”

Bad? He had no idea how bad she could be. She was ready to show him, though. “Let’s get out of here,” she said, biting her bottom lip.

“Not yet. Just a little more.”

A little more what? He was right when he said her body was burning up.

He moved his head until his lips brushed across hers. She sighed. His tongue scraped over her bottom lip, then delved inside as they swayed to the throbbing music from the jukebox.

They explored each other’s mouths, his tongue thrusting then softly teasing. She captured his tongue and caressed, then released. He drew in a quick breath. She smiled to herself. Oh yes, she was going to be the one in control.

She lightly massaged the back of his neck with the pads of her fingers. His body grew taut, but just as suddenly relaxed, surrendering to her touch. He was hers for the taking.

“Make love to me,” she whispered when the kiss ended. “I’ll take you higher than you’ve ever been.”

“Soon, sweet lady. Soon.” He ran his hands down her back, cupping her ass, pulling her in closer. “I’ll give you everything you want.” He moved his hand between their bodies, then stroked his fingers up her thigh, not getting in any hurry.

Destiny trembled, holding her breath as he teased the inside of her leg. Suddenly she didn’t feel in as much control as she had a moment ago.

His body swayed, keeping up with the tempo of the slow sultry beat on the jukebox. She followed his lead, letting each new sensation sweep over her.

Did he know the fire he created inside her? Did he realize how much passion was building between them?

She nudged her hips forward to let him know she was more than ready and willing, but all she got from him was a deep rumble of laughter.

Anger fused through her. He laughed at her? She pulled away, but his fingers stroked a little higher and, just as quickly, her anger dissolved. He was so close to the sweet spot. She couldn’t stop her whimper as he teased her flesh.

She had to get control of the situation. She was the demon. The one in charge.

He scraped his fingers through her curls, then tugged on the fleshy part of her sex. Spasms trembled through her body. Oh yes, that was the spot!

All thoughts about being in charge flew out the window. One touch from him and she had a mini orgasm. Who the hell was this guy? Could she keep him when she returned to Hell?

“You like that?” he asked.

She nodded, but when she reached for him, he shifted away until she straddled one of his legs. There were more people on the dance floor so they could barely move, but it didn’t take much movement from his thigh for her to feel the pressure riding against her.

“When I get you alone, I’m going to slowly undress you. I want you naked, your legs spread open. I want to see every inch of you. I’m going to slide inside that hot little body.”

“Yes,” she moaned. The people around her faded, replaced by shadows as she focused on his words, as she listened to him telling her exactly what he would do to her, and the whole time she rubbed against his leg.

“I’m going to slowly enter,” he told her. “Inch by inch. It will be all I can do to keep from ramming myself inside you. But I don’t want to start hard and fast. I want to savor each second of slipping inside you, feeling the way your hot body closes around my dick. I’ll go deeper and deeper.”

The heat inside her rose higher and higher until she couldn’t stand any more. She gripped his shoulders. “Please,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

“Feel me going deeper, then sliding out. In and out. In and out,” he said. He rubbed her nipple between his finger and thumb, pulling and squeezing.

She tried to swallow and couldn’t. Her mouth was too dry. Each ragged breath she drew into her lungs reminded her how badly she needed release.

He moved his jean-clad thigh just enough so that he could slip two fingers inside her.

In and out. In and out. Touching, pressing, massaging.

“I can’t,” she whimpered.

“Shh,” he whispered close to her ear. “I’ll take you to the place you want to go.” The pad of his thumb pressed against her clit and began to massage.

Her body ached.

She clasped his arm, squeezing.

“Let yourself go,” he murmured close to her ear.

She bit her bottom lip.

“Feel me fucking you.”

“Yes,” she moaned.

“I’m going harder, deeper.”

“Yes. Don’t stop.”

He massaged, then slipped his fingers inside her body faster and faster.

The room swirled around her, lights danced in front of her eyes. Heat swept over her in waves as she climaxed. She bit her bottom lip and pressed herself tighter against him as her body throbbed.

Chance held her tight, his tongue delving inside her ear.

Her thighs clenched and unclenched, pressing against his muscled thigh.

A tear slipped from the corner of her eye as weakness settled over her. She clung to him, unable to move, barely able to breathe.

Destiny vaguely knew when Chance led her back to one of the booths rather than the barstool. She slumped down, resting her elbows on the scarred surface, her head in her hands. Moving wasn’t an option. If someone claimed this booth, they could roll her onto the floor and everyone could step over her. She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing in, then breathing out, and letting the world around her catch up.

The next thing she knew, a waitress was setting a beer in front of her. She so needed a cold beer right now. Destiny dragged her eyelids open and looked up.

“The cute cowboy said you might be wantin’ a beer.” She smacked her gum and rolled her eyes. “Lucky you, he’s some kind of hot.”

Destiny looked around, her heart sinking to her feet. “Where’d he go?”

“Said he had to be somewhere.” The waitress danced off when someone called to her.

“Well, hell.” He did it to her again. Left her feeling like a limp dishcloth.

But a very satisfied dishcloth.

Chance would be back. Destiny smiled right before she tilted the bottle and swallowed down a third of the beer. Her body felt like mush—but in a really good, relaxed way.

Next time, she wasn’t about to let Chance get away. He had no idea what it would be like fucking a she-devil. His lust would drive him insane with desire. He’d burn for her before she was finished. Oh yeah, his soul was already hers for the taking.

Then why did she feel just a little niggle of alarm? A little voice whispering in her ear saying she wasn’t even close to stealing Chance’s soul. He played her all the way.

Who the hell was this guy?

She took another long drink, then came to her feet. Her purse was lying on the counter at the end of the bar. Amazing. What was this world coming to when no one bothered to steal someone’s belongings? She slipped the strap over her shoulder and left the bar.

It was still hot outside. Figured. Hell was cooler than Texas. The sooner she left the better. Next time Chance showed up, Destiny would be prepared. She was positive there’d be a next time, too.

A smile tugged at her lips. Her passion might be spent, but Chance left her with a warm glow that made her feel more alive since way before she died. It was almost as if Chance had a few special powers of his own.

“Hey, lady, spare some change for a vet? I haven’t eaten in over a week.”

The voice was male, deep and gravely. She spotted him just inside the dark alley. Big and burly, the bum wore filthy army fatigues and hadn’t shaven in weeks. She didn’t even want to know what kind of bugs were making their home in his beard.

The slight breeze changed direction. Her nose wrinkled and her eyes burned. She took a step back.

Oh crap! Which was an apt enough description of the smell. What dumpster had he crawled out of? The guy had a distinct odor that drifted over to her like a black, rotting cloud.

“Please, lady. Spare a war veteran a few dollars for a hot meal?”

Oh, what the hell. She was feeling generous. She dug some money out of her purse and handed the bills toward him.

One of her foster dads was a vet. Charlie was an okay kind of guy. He drank a little too much, and couldn’t hold down a job for more than a few months, but he never slapped her around like some of the others.

The guy reached out to take her money, but instead grabbed her arm and pulled her into the alley. “Thanks, lady.” He grinned and raised a gun. “Now we’ll have us a good time. You ain’t never been fucked the way I’m gonna fuck you.”

That’s what she got for trying to do a good deed. It was the story of her life. Someone always wanted to screw her over.

She sighed. This wasn’t going to be pretty.

“You really don’t want to mess with me.” Destiny didn’t even try to struggle or break the mugger’s hold.

“Yeah, and why’s that?” He grinned as he shoved her against the side of the brick building, his forearm against her throat. His face was only inches from hers. If he didn’t move, she was going to puke. His fetid breath became a putrid fog surrounding her.

She pushed against his arm enough so that she could talk. This guy was starting to piss her off. “Because I can get real ugly.”

“Not a babe as hot as you.” He sucked in air on a whistle as his slimy gaze slid down her body then returned to her face. “Sweetheart, I’m gonna make you scream.”

“How about if I make you scream?”

He was momentarily startled, then he smiled, showing yellowed teeth. “I like that even better. I bet you make men scream all the time.”

“You tell me.” She drew in a deep breath and transformed into his worst nightmare.

He screamed, immediately loosening his hold. His feet moved backward at a speed not known to mortal man—well, until he ran into the side of the other building. His body began to shake as bad as an unlevel washer on the spin cycle, then he took off running in the opposite direction with a disjointed gait.

“I guess I was right. I did make him scream.” She straightened. “Veteran my ass,” she muttered, changing back into her human form. She smoothed her hands down the sides of her dress and turned to leave.

Destiny stopped short. The same bum from the first day she arrived was staring at her. His slack jaw and wide-as-saucers eyes told her that he’d witnessed her transformation into a monster, followed by the panic-stricken vet bolting down the alleyway. His hands shook as he raised his bottle to his mouth and guzzled the liquid as if he could somehow block out the hallucinations that were plaguing him of late.

Rather than drown his problems in alcohol, the bum should try changing his ways. No one ever did. People never learned. Not that she’d been any different.

She shook her head and aimed toward her apartment. The night was still young, but she was in no mood to hunt for some poor bastard she could drag back to Hell with her.

Nope, she wanted Chance and she was more determined than ever to have him. It was a matter of pride now. And she would have him. She only needed a better plan. Leaving her seduction in fate’s hands certainly didn’t work. No, as soon as she returned to the apartment, she would map out a foolproof strategy.

She liked the sound of that—her apartment. She never really had a home. Well, not one all to herself, and this one was only temporary.

Her mood began to lift. She rather liked the place where she was staying. A nice couple
loaned
her their apartment for the week—after she did a little trickery. They won an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii—lucky them.

Destiny was apartment sitting. So far, rummaging through their stuff only produced a lot of unpaid bills. It was a good thing she came along or it looked as though it would have been years before they could afford to take a vacation.

She could have drained their brains and left them wandering under one of the bridges. Kind of like zombies. They would’ve been homeless of course, until she was ready to return to Hell. That is, if she put everything back the way it had been.

They seemed nice though, and she had to admit, she was feeling sentimental at the time. Not a good thing when she was so close to getting demon status. And when she did, her life would finally be everything she wanted it to be, at least, as close to perfect as it would ever get.

Before she went up to the apartment, she stopped in the convenience store across the street and grabbed some magazines, a bottle of wine, and a tub of ice cream—double chocolate brownie. Damn, she was born in the wrong time period! Brownie and chocolate ice cream, a win-win combination.