Emerald Fire (2 page)

No such luck.

She really needed a man, but she was tired of being with men she could never really have because she was always afraid of falling in love. She’d come close a few times and run as fast as she could. Life was so unfair for a demon. She was expected to wait until her true mate showed. In her case, she’d been waiting for a few hundred years now. She’d broken a few hearts as well, and that always left her unsettled. Rather than take any more chances, she resorted to her trusty battery-operated friend, and on occasion, when the urges got too bad, she paid for sex.

She trailed her right hand across her toned abdomen and down to the fleshy apex between her thighs. She dipped her middle finger between the folds and spread her slickness across her clit, causing the nub to swell further. Her lips parted, and she sucked in a gasp. She continued rubbing her swollen clit and rolled her nipple between her left fingers. She lifted her hips and met the thrust of her finger.

Sarah grabbed the vibrator and switched it on. The sensation in her hand caused her to become slicker. Placing the tip on her clit, she massaged it using small circular motions. Every nerve ending fired and sent her juices flowing. Images of a strong, handsome stranger floated through her mind. As always, his face too fuzzy to make out, but she knew who he was. The visions had been haunting her since she’d moved here. Her mate, the faceless man she was already falling for.

Within seconds, she found her release. It started deep in her core and washed through her, causing her to cry out. She was positive, if anyone had walked past, they would have heard her screams. After she came back down from her pleasure, she still felt empty.

Sarah threw her legs over the edge of the bed and stood in disgust. No amount of self-manipulation would bring her real satisfaction. It hardly curbed the hunger that gnawed deep in her gut. A hunger only her mate could sate.

She padded across the carpeted floor into the large bathroom, pushed aside the glass shower door and turned on the cold water. Stepping under the freezing spray, she let the water flow over the top of her head. Her mate needed to show up and soon.

Chapter Two

Sarah took a sip of coffee and waited for the right moment to snap the photo. Sunrise over the ocean had always been her favorite, and today looked as if it would be picture perfect. Her collection of stills was growing, and soon, she’d have plenty to sell at the local craft market. Setting down the mug, she picked up the camera. Just as she readied to press the button that would release the shutter, a sensation as she’d never experienced before crept across her skin. She peered over the top of her Canon, looking for the disturbance. Her keen eyesight had no trouble focusing in the dim light.

She sucked in a gasp. Unable to believe her luck, she quickly focused her lens next door. A breathtaking man stood in front of the abandoned house. She snapped a picture then zoomed in on his face. Suddenly, everything went out of focus.

“You should really ask before you start snapping pictures of people you don’t know.”

Sarah jumped back several feet, and if her camera hadn’t been attached to her neck by its strap, it would have gone sailing. How had he appeared in front of her, on her deck, without her sensing him? He had to be
that
demon. The one who had placed the spell on the house. Only one older than her five-hundred years could sneak in under her radar.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take your picture.” She stared into the darkest brown eyes she’d ever seen and tried not to melt. “It just sorta happened.”

He gave a crooked smile. “It’s okay. You took me by surprise is all.” He cocked his head to the right, studying her. His intent stare made her feel like a specimen under a microscope “You’re demon.” He backed away three steps as if she carried the plague or worse. She didn’t know why, but she was suddenly both offended and curious. Why would her being demon bother him?

“Yes. You’re him, aren’t you?” She did a quick assessment. Short, blond hair, sparkling brown eyes and a killer body wrapped in a pair of low-riding jeans and a tight-fitted, white tee that showed off not only his rippling chest but also his bronze skin.
Shit.

His eyes narrowed. “If by
him
you mean the one who owns the house next door, then yes I am
him
.” He punctuated the last word with a little sarcasm.

“I’m sorry. I certainly didn’t mean to offend you or pry into your business.” She fiddled with her camera. “I’ll erase the picture if you’d like.”

He scrubbed a hand across his face. “No. It’s not necessary, and I’m sorry.” He looked over at the house next door. “I’m just a bit edgy.”

Sarah stepped forward, her hand extended. “I can totally understand. Let’s start over. Hi, I’m Sarah.” He looked at her then at her hand, hesitating as if touching her would give him some nasty disease. Finally, he gave her a wide smile and grasped her hand. His skin was warm and sent tingles up her arm and straight to her breasts causing her nipples to pebble under the thin fabric of her shirt.

She tried to hide her surprise. Never had any man caused such a reaction. She shook it off to her overactive libido.

“Hi, I’m Brock. It’s nice to meet you.” He released his grip just as fast as he’d taken it. He was certainly a jittery demon, not that she could blame him.

“Look, I don’t mean to pry, but maybe, you shouldn’t go in alone.” She shuffled her foot trying to stomp down her nerves. Why was she so edgy? She could only surmise it was the presence of this man. She hadn’t been around her own kind in a few years and had actually forgotten how much sexual energy a demon male oozed. “I’d be happy to accompany you.”

Shit, she realized she’d be happy to do many things with this man. The lack of sex was causing her desires to kick in, not to mention her magic would soon need refueling. Sex made the demon stronger and fucking her own kind…well that was like drinking Red Bull followed by an espresso chaser. She’d be fully recharged.

“Why would you offer to do that? You don’t even know me.” His statement carried the same surprise currently shown on his chiseled face.

“To be honest, I miss our people. I haven’t been around our kind in a few years.” She felt her cheeks heat. “I’m also kinda selfish and would love the company.” She set her camera on the nearby glass table. “I haven’t had breakfast yet, and I’d love for you to join me. There’s no reason to go in there,” she tipped her head toward the vacant house, “right now, is there?”

He stood silently for what seemed an eternity and shuffled from one foot to the other. His body appeared tense, ready to spring at any moment. Was he going to run? Sarah held her breath, hoping she hadn’t come on too strong and scared him off. It was evident this man was still in a fragile state of mind. He looked at his house then back to her.

“Actually, breakfast sounds real good. I’m in no hurry to open that tomb.” For the first time since he’d appeared on her deck, his body relaxed.

Sarah started toward the patio door, tossing a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure her yummy neighbor followed. “Good. Come on inside, and I’ll whip us up an omelet.”

* * * *

Brock followed Sarah through the glass doors and into a spacious living area. He quickly scanned the room, looking for the presence of another male. Anything that would indicate a man, demon or human had been here recently. He inhaled but only caught the light citrus scent of orange blossoms and coffee. He furrowed his brows, realizing the scent he enjoyed came from her. He hadn’t been around many unmated females of his own kind since that dreaded night. He feared the fates might see fit to bestow another mate upon him, and he simply couldn’t handle it.

His gaze was drawn back to Sarah’s swaying hips as she walked to the open kitchen. He found his cock growing stiff at the sight of her ass in the tight shorts. The female had thrown him off-guard when he sensed her next door. Then when he’d realized she watched him, he’d been angry at the intrusion and gone over to set her straight. However, her beauty had left him unsettled. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her wide, blue eyes had stared back at him. He could almost imagine their darkening color when she was aroused. Her body was perfection. Her trim waist, wide hips and breasts reached out to him, begging to be touched.

“Do you like ham and cheese?”

“Huh?” He realized he’d been caught staring at her and now felt like a child with his hand in the cookie jar.

She gave him a wide smile. “Your omelet. Do you like ham and cheese?”

“Oh yes. Anything is fine. Can I help?”

“I’m good, but you can keep me company.” She waved to a seat on the other side of the kitchen island.

He plunked himself onto the cushioned stool and watched her pull the ingredients from the fridge. The sight of her bent over made him swallow a groan. Her shorts rode up and revealed a nice view of rounded flesh. He tried to remove the image of slipping behind her and pushing in his cock to the hilt. He could almost feel her soft, rounded hips under his grip.

When Sarah straightened with a start, he realized his power had flared out and actually touched her.
Fuck.

He started to rise from his seat. “This wasn’t a good idea,” he stated, holding back his disappointment. He hadn’t realized how much he craved the touch of his own kind or how much he really missed his mate. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to invade you like that.”

Sarah reached him before he could turn and run. Delicate fingers touched his arm and ignited an inferno in his gut.

“Don’t go. Please.” Her eyes begged him. “I’m flattered. And…and well, it was nice.” She let him go and twisted her hands together, dropping her gaze to the floor. “To be honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt any man’s touch.”

He thought for a long moment and realized he didn’t really want to leave either. He wished to learn more about Sarah. Not to mention, he was seriously considering her offer to accompany him into the house. He didn’t want to go in there alone, and to ask any of his friends to come with him would make him appear weak. She had offered, though. Maybe, it was simply her curiosity, but at this point, he didn’t care. He was desperate to have the task of opening the house and going through all its contents done and over. He nodded and sat back down. “I’ll stay.”

She gave him a kind smile that helped him relax. “Good.”

He cleared his throat. “So if I may ask, how long has it been for you?” He watched while she busied herself chopping up the ham.

She paused as if uneasy.

“I’m sorry, that was rude of me.”

She flashed a nervous smile. “No, I don’t mind talking about it. It’s been almost a year.” She pushed a mug of coffee in front of him along with a bottle of agave and some cream then set out plates and utensils. He tried not to remember when his mate used to do this for him. He’d loved helping her in the kitchen and had forgotten how much he missed it.

“Unless you count the sex I’ve paid for, which was six months ago.” She cracked several eggs into a bowl and whipped them.

“Uh. I see.”

She looked over her shoulder with a raised brow. “You’re wondering why I pay?”

The woman standing over a hot skillet was beautiful enough she could have her pick of men. Of course, he wondered. “Well to be honest…”

“I met a man long ago. Human. He fell in love with me, and I broke his heart.” She turned to grate some cheese, and he saw the pain in her eyes. It was apparent she was still racked with guilt about it. He found he didn’t like that look on her face and wanted to soothe it away.

“I understand. It’s the one curse of being with humans. Did he know what you were?”

Sarah shoved a steaming plate of food at him and a big glass of milk. “He did, and I tried to warn him that we could only be lovers, but a person can’t help how they feel.”

For some reason, Brock hated the thought of another loving her, even a human. He shoved his envy down, attributing it to his lack of companionship. “So you decided it was better to hire someone to pleasure you?”

She sat next to him. “No. It was after I fell in love that I decided I had to pay for sex until I found my mate.”

He could only nod. Just the word “mate” made his skin crawl. “This smells really good.”

“Thanks.”

He took a bite and let the saltiness of the ham settle on his tongue before swallowing. “So how long have you lived here?” It seemed like a change of subject was in order.

She wiped a napkin across her plump lips, and he had to divert his gaze before he did something stupid. Like kiss her.

“About a year. I love photography, and this place gives me some wonderful pictures. I can sell them at the local markets during the busy season.” She sipped her coffee. “What made you come back now?”

He looked down at his food and wondered if it hadn’t been for Damis and Kat’s pushiness if he’d be here at all. “I have some good friends who told me it was time to let go of my past.”

She touched his arm, sending a shockwave of desire straight to his groin and fear through his blood. “I’m sorry for your loss, but your friends are right. It’s time to move on.” She stabbed at her plate. “Why didn’t they come with you, though? Did they really expect you to do this alone?”

Brock shrugged and focused on his food. “My best friend Damis has found his mate so he’s a little busy. In addition, he is preparing to take over his father’s rule. His mate, Kat, would have volunteered, but I couldn’t ask her to do that.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “For fuck sake, I’m a grown man and should be able to do this on my own.” Realization hit. “Wait, you know what happened?”

She met his gaze and looked a bit uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. It’s kinda common knowledge around here. People tend to ask about the house encased in magic.” She sucked in a breath and turned back to her plate. “There’s nothing wrong with leaning on friends, but I understand your reluctance.” She gave him an understanding smile. “I still hope you’ll allow me to help.”