Games of Desire (2 page)

Marax closed his eyes and battled himself. He wanted her, but he shouldn’t take her to bed. He knew that. She was willing now, but what about afterward? What about when she found out what he was really doing at Infinity tonight? She’d want his head on a pike. Quarter blood or not, no demon male underestimated the ferocity of a female demon who felt wronged.

Maybe if he told her the truth before—

Chloe’s hand slipped between their bodies and cupped his erection, her thumb rubbing the head through his trousers. “Stop thinking. I have,” she told him.

The last of his common sense fled—he’d deal with the repercussions later. “How far away do you live?”

“Half an hour.”

He cursed. “I can’t wait that long to have you. How do you feel about having sex in the alley?”

She pulled back far enough to look into his eyes. Chloe must have realized he wasn’t joking because some of the heat faded. “I’m not doing it on the street where anyone can see us.”

“Fair enough, but you have two choices,” he said. Marax cleared his throat, trying to rid his voice of the thickness, but it didn’t help. “Either stop stroking me or think of somewhere we can get to in less than five minutes. That’s about how much longer I can hang on before I have to fuck you.”

Chapter Two

Hearing
fuck
froze Chloe midsway. Normally, that word left her cold, but coming from him it sounded sexy, not insulting, and she let herself fall deeper into the moment.

No boundaries.

For years, she’d controlled the part of herself that was demon and she was tired of it. Why limit herself to a dance when she wanted more? With Marax she could unleash her nature, give it free rein because nothing she could do would scare or injure him. That knowledge was nearly as seductive as imagining him moving deep inside her.

He quirked one side of his mouth enough to make a dimple appear again. “That’s right, Chloe—claw me, bite me, take me as hard as you want—you won’t hurt me.”

Releasing his cock, she put both hands on his waist to anchor herself and leaned back to meet his eyes. “You’re reading my mind.”

“No, you’re projecting to me,” he corrected. “Do you want me to block you?”

Did she? But mind-speak was part of being a demon and Chloe wanted the whole experience. A night to be exactly who she was without limits, not even ones that were self-imposed. “No. If I’m transmitting, you can listen.”

“Good, but we still need to find somewhere private. Now.”

They’d dropped all pretense of dancing and just stood there, moving against each other. “My car?” she suggested, but it was half-hearted.

“I’m six-three and you’re what? Five-ten? And you think we can have sex in a car?”

“Five-nine,” she corrected, but he was right. They’d probably end up in traction if they did it in the back seat of her coupe. Chloe tried to recall where the nearest hotel was located, but it was hard to think when Marax kept pressing his erection into her. He hit a particularly sensitive spot, and with a gasp, her eyes slid shut and she arched firmly into him.

She felt the warmth of his breath near her lips, and blindly she lifted her face to his. The kiss began with surprising gentleness, but Chloe was beyond that. Opening her mouth, she invited him deeper. Marax tasted like scotch and the smoky, earthy flavor seemed exactly right for him.

Chloe lost herself in the heat. There was nothing but him, the strength of his arms, the rub of her tongue against his, the solidness of his erection against her body, the—

His muscles went rigid and his head came up, yanking Chloe back to the present. The club. She’d forgotten they were standing in a crowd of people. She glanced around, but thankfully no one appeared to be interested in them. What was Marax—

Then she realized he was mind-talking with someone.

“What?” she asked. He ignored her until whatever telepathic conversation he was having ended. As soon as his focus returned, Chloe repeated, “What?”

“Infinity has rooms upstairs that they rent by the hour. I reserved one for us and have directions on how to reach it. Don’t worry,” he added as he stepped back from her and took her hand, “it’s clean—I asked.”

As he gave her a gentle tug, she fell into step beside him. “What if they lied about that?”

“Then I’ll do you against the wall.”

His voice was low, intense and insanely sexy. Every time he spoke it affected her like a caress. It took a few seconds for what he’d said to register and Chloe felt her knees go weak. She could see it, feel it. The cool plaster at her back, Marax’s hot, hard body pressing into her front. Bare skin. Heated kisses. Her thigh around his hip. His—

There was a roaring in her ears and she couldn’t manage to make her vocal chords work, so she sent her words to him instead.
Maybe we could do that, too, if you’re up for two rounds.

Marax stared down at her, and when he realized she was serious, the red behind his eyes became stronger. “I’m a demon,” he said and picked up his pace.

Chloe’s lips curved. She was taking that as a
yes,
but then demons did have passionate natures. For years she’d been fighting to keep hers in check, but not tonight, not with Marax. She gripped his hand tighter.

He used a shoulder to cut a swath through the throng and take them deeper into Infinity. As they neared the back, a vampire brushed past, handing off a passkey to Marax so smoothly that Chloe nearly missed it. A few more steps and they were through a door and into a corridor that was much quieter. The elevator was around a corner and opened the instant he pressed the button.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Chloe turned to Marax and kissed his chin. He didn’t take her up on the invitation, although his body all but vibrated with need. “Why?”

“Camera.” He leaned in closer. “I’m not offering you up as entertainment for bored security guards.”

Chloe didn’t think that was likely, but before she could say that, the doors opened. How much trouble could they have gotten into when the trip was so short?

“You’re underestimating how much I want you and overestimating my control. We could have spent a great deal of time in that elevator.” He hurried them down the hall until they reached a closed door at the end. There was a fine tremor in his hand as Marax raised the card to open their room. “Wait here until I make sure it’s clear.”

She didn’t argue. Infinity might be a safe zone, but that didn’t mean everyone played by the rules. Demons and vampires and wizards had too much history of animosity to ignore basic precautions in a building filled with all three groups.

He returned in a moment, wordlessly opening the door wider for her. Chloe didn’t hesitate. She’d wanted Marax since the first time she’d seen him tonight and the need had only grown. The latch closed with a soft snick and then they were alone. At last. She expected him to pounce on her, but he didn’t. Instead, he studied her face, his expression intent.

“What?” she asked.

Shaking his head, he said, “I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you. I’m trying to come up with why.”

Chloe could have told him it was the same for her, but she didn’t. If they discussed this, she might start thinking again and she didn’t want to do that, not when it might make her common sense regain control. She wanted tonight with him. Tomorrow was soon enough for second thoughts and doubts, for wondering why she’d done something so stupid. Now was for feeling. “Does it matter why?” She put her arms around Marax’s waist and leaned in as she spoke.

“It shouldn’t.” He reached out, took her hips and pulled her tighter against him. “It shouldn’t,” he repeated, almost as if talking to himself.

And still he hesitated. It wasn’t as if he didn’t want her. His body was nearly shaking from the restraint he held, but he did nothing except look at her. Chloe growled low in her throat, a sound she’d never actually heard herself make before. It startled her for an instant, then she realized. Demon. Were her eyes glowing like his, too? They never had before, but she felt less human tonight than she ever had. “Marax.”

His lips twitched, but he didn’t quite smile. “You don’t understand. If I release my control, I might scare you.”

Would he? She didn’t think anything he did could frighten her. “Would you be worrying about this if I were all demon?”

“No.”

“I want to be who I am tonight and I want you to be who you are, too. I’m not holding back my demon side—don’t fight what you are, either.”

For a long moment, he studied her, perhaps weighing the truthfulness of her words, then the red of his eyes burned hotter than she’d seen it so far. Marax had let his demon off the leash.

Chapter Three

Chloe smiled as Marax surged forward, pressing her against the door.
Finally!
It seemed as if she’d been waiting forever for him. As soon as their lips met, she opened for him. What they’d done on the dance floor had been foreplay and she didn’t need more.

She liked the way he kissed her, as if he were starving for her and her alone. Chloe met him with her own fierce demands. She’d been starving for him, too. Missing him though she hadn’t known it.

His hands moved, found the hem of her skirt and pushed it upward. The dress had dictated she wear a thong, and as he caressed her bare cheek, she was glad she’d chosen this. Chloe shivered as his fingers slipped between her thighs.

“Get my zipper,” she murmured against his lips. She wanted more skin. Hers. His.

Marax found it, lowered it. He was doing what she’d told him, but the price was high. She wanted his hand back between her legs. Instead, he stepped away. Before she could do more than groan in protest, he lowered the top of her dress to her waist.

She hadn’t worn a bra and his eyes made her skin ignite. Sensations rocketed through her, too many to name, but Chloe knew she needed more. With a shimmy and a little shove, she sent her dress to the floor, stepping clear of the pooled fabric. Marax had too many clothes on, she decided, and she wrapped her hands around his tie, pulling the knot free and tossing it aside. He reached for her, but she brushed his hands aside and started opening the buttons on his shirt.

“Damn it, I want to touch you,” he complained.

“Then get naked.”

There was a pause and then he started undoing buttons himself. With the shirt under control, Chloe moved to his trousers, opening them, lowering the zipper. Too impatient to wait, she yanked both his pants and his briefs down to his thighs.

It was her turn to stare.

She’d cupped him while they’d danced, so she’d known he was big, but she hadn’t guessed just how beautiful his cock would be. Thick, heavy, hard…for her. It jerked in reaction to her stare and that unfroze Chloe. She crouched in front of him, running a fingertip from base to head and back down again.

“Don’t tease,” he warned.

“Who’s teasing?” Chloe leaned forward and replaced her finger with her mouth, using her tongue to retrace the route she’d just followed.

She nuzzled him, his shaft lying across her cheek and her hand stroking over it while she licked his balls. Marax began muttering, and while she didn’t understand the demon language, she knew he was cursing, using words to hang on to his self-command.

Control was overrated.

Chloe moved her way back to his head and took him in her mouth.
Yes.
She hummed her pleasure around him.

“Don’t make me come,” Marax ordered, but he didn’t tell her to stop.

He could say anything he wanted, that didn’t mean she had to listen. She circled his crown with her tongue as she moved her hand up and down his shaft. As hard as he was, she’d bet that it wouldn’t take long to get him all worked up again, so she could make him come and still have a him inside her before much time had passed.

Images formed in her mind. In them, she was on her back on the bed, Marax between her thighs. She closed her eyes, trying to see the vision better.

She could feel his beard on her inner thigh, his fingers stroking her sex. Chloe wanted his mouth on her. The kisses were sweet, but not enough. And then he was there, his lips and tongue teasing her clit as he slid two fingers into—

Chloe opened her eyes and glared at him, her lips still wrapped around his cock. The bastard didn’t fight fair. He was deliberately sabotaging her plans by putting fantasies—and sensations—in her head, in her body.

“All’s fair, sweet Chloe,” Marax said, voice thick. “And I did warn you not to make me come.”

His hands remained threaded through her hair, but at the same time, Chloe could feel him sliding fingers in and out of her body, his mouth still teasing her clit. She lost track of what she was supposed to be doing, too focused on those phantom caresses. He moved back far enough that he slipped from her mouth. She moaned softly in protest, but ghost Marax wrapped his lips around her clit and sucked lightly. Her moan changed to one of pleasure.

He sucked harder and her moan went up an octave as an orgasm started roaring toward her. No, damn it, she wasn’t coming without him even going down on her for real.

Surging to her feet, she lunged for Marax, wrapping her arms around his waist. It was a miscalculation. He lost his balance. His arms went out, trying to steady both of them, but his trousers were around his thighs, restricting his movements. They started to go down.

Demons had power. She knew that, but seeing the upholstered chair travel across the room in time to catch her and Marax drove it home.

That should unnerve her. It didn’t. Chloe had landed on top of him, her knees on either side of his thighs, and his erection was so close to her sex, she could feel his heat. She shifted, but her damn panties prevented contact. “Get this thong out of the way,” she said, her voice a half growl.

Marax reached up, and as easily as tearing a sheet of paper, snapped the waistband on each side of her hips. She’d expected him to just tug it aside and the casual display of demon strength made her gasp, her arousal deepening even farther. She lowered herself, his head sliding between the lips of her sex, but the deliciousness ended almost as soon as it began.

He lifted her, putting her knees on each of the padded arms of the chair. Chloe made a sound of protest, but Marax said, “My turn now.”