Making Demons Purr (Flushed and Fevered Book 2) (6 page)

“Just tell us, love. We’ll understand,” Thorn urged. He stood up and slipped behind her and slid his arms around her waist, holding her close. Hardened muscles cushioned her back and ass, giving her comfort and solidity. A sigh slipped out and she closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself the delicious option of letting him to take the burden.

She opened her eyes and straightened up. Being between them once again allowed her to focus on them and release some of her problems. The knot inside of her unwound a bit and she relaxed.

She exhaled. “My mother wants me to take my place in the feline shifter community and get ready to become the matriarch of my leap. I like my life, my job, my friends—everything. I thought my ex, Arthur, might have been the one.” She paused and ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t know why. I thought I was starting to fall for him but something always held me back.” She decided to keep back her attraction to them as the reason and pressed on. “I came to find out all he wanted was status and money and to make someone else jealous. I don’t know what I can bring to this, whatever it is. I don’t know what happens beyond this night. I’m doubting my appeal, despite the looks you’re giving me.”

Thorn’s palms stroked up and down her belly, setting her at ease even further. Carver’s thumb stroked her jawline and he gave her a gentle smile. “Then we take it one moment at a time. What you offer us is your pleasure, your beauty, your presence, your time, and honesty. Basically, you give us all of you and we’ll do the same.”

She tried to wrap her head around what he’d just said. It still didn’t make sense. Frustration welled up inside of her. She hated that she doubted their words. Would it always be like this? She gritted her teeth as some of the calm ebbed away.

Thorn pressed a kiss over her pulse point on her neck. “Why not let us show you rather than talk about it?”

She mulled over the request. She was already invested in this night. After all, she’d taken off her panties. Could she really go through with this?

“What do you have to lose? Let us distract you. How about we start with this?” Carver bent his head and took her lips in a soft kiss as Thorn’s hands slid up to cup her breasts.

She moaned against Carver’s mouth and opened hers up for him. His tongue slipped in as Thorn brushed her hair aside and blazed a path of nips, licks, and kisses down her neck. His hands kneaded the aching mounds, giving them just the right amount of pressure and attention. Desire flooded her mind as her confusion and tension faded away. She lifted up on tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Carver’s neck. Thorn’s hands followed the move to return to his teasing and tormenting of the globes. Through the thin material of her corset he found her and pinched her nipples, holding them tight.

Carver released her cheek and slipped his hand into her hair, gripping and tugging on the tresses, pulling her head back, allowing for more control and a deeper kiss. She moaned around his tongue as it twined and teased hers. Carver rested a palm on her hip and pulled her pelvis forward. He rocked his erection against her mound while Thorn released her turgid peaks.

A mini-orgasm shook through her body, taking her by surprise. Her feminine honey dampened her thighs as her clit pulsed and heat flooded her from head to toe. Her legs shook as she fought to stay upright.

Thorn undid the hook and eyelets of her corset one by one. As he exposed more and more of her skin he placed kisses along her spine until her corset was open all the way in the back.

Carver’s mouth turned hungry. He used his teeth to scrape along her bottom lip, and his tongue fucked the warm cave. He released her hair and stepped back, taking his body heat with him. He took hold of the straps of her top and pulled them along her arms. She released his neck and allowed him to slip the garment off of her. He let the corset drop down to the floor.

Both men took a step back. Cool air caressed her torso, slipping along her spine, between her breasts, across her stomach. Confusion set in. Why had they stopped? She glanced from one man to the other and then down at their groins. Both of them were sporting erections that tented their pants. She studied their faces. Carver’s and Thorn’s features were hardened. Determination lit up their eyes.

“I’m sorry, Sera. We went too far.” Carver bent down and picked up her corset.

Sera blinked and then shook her head as understanding dawned on her. “Leave it. Consider it a freebie.” She brushed her hair back over her shoulder. There was no way to judge if they’d planned that just to give them an advantage in the game, but she wouldn’t put it past them. Sneaky demons. They would pay for it; she would make sure of that.

Carver folded her top and placed it on the coffee table. Thorn settled down on the sofa and shuffled the cards, acting as if nothing had happened. Sera decided it would be safer and to her advantage not to sit between them again. It would be too tempting to just throw the game and demand that they fuck her. She pulled one of the plush wicker chairs closer to the coffee table. The rough scraping sound echoed around the room. She paused and listened for approaching footsteps. Nothing. She sank down into the deep cushion.

The smooth, firm back of the chair dug into her skin, keeping her alert. She waited for Thorn to act while she tried to calm her body down. Moisture coated her thighs and her clit pulsed. Her nipples were sore and her breasts ached. Tingles raced along her skin, making her want to move around. She could feel the ghost of Thorn’s lips on her back, and her lips burned from Carver’s kiss. She could taste the sweetness, spiciness, and richness of the whiskey he’d been drinking.

The imprint of their bodies against hers had branded her flesh. Now that she had the time to study him she noticed that Thorn was dressed in almost all leather. He wore a jacket, pants, and boots, and a mask with a satin shirt to top it off. She couldn’t quite say what his costume was supposed to be. A pirate? Or a rake? Maybe a highwayman? The guyliner was a nice touch, making his steely gray eyes stand out. His dark red hair, streaked with golden highlights, was pulled back into a low ponytail. Only a few strands had sneaked out to frame his angled face.

If she hadn’t known any better she would have said they were brothers. They had similar hawk noses, but Carver’s lips were fuller; Thorn’s had a more sensual curve to his. Both had sharp features, but Thorn’s were the more defined. Neither man was Hollywood pretty. There was a roughness about them, an untamable quality edged in danger. Since coming to Evenfall, neither man had ever tried to fit in with the shifters, the vampires, the witches, or wizards.

Demons liked flash. They liked sparkly, pretty things, which is why they gravitated to places like Vegas or New York or Chicago or Paris or Rome. They loved areas where souls were offered up freely, and they could wheel and deal unchecked. Having two demons all to herself made Sera want to find out a few things and report back to Bridget.

She considered the card game laid out before them. What would they want to know about her if they won? There wasn’t much to tell. She didn’t do much: an occasional drink with the girls, some shopping in the city, maybe a spa day if she had the time. Lately, she’d been spending more time at the office than at home. She hoped she didn’t come off sounding boring. But how else could she sound? Ever since the breakup she hadn’t made the effort to get out there. She’d been nursing her wounds.

As Thorn dealt the cards, Sera focused on his hands. They were strong hands, with smooth backs, tanned with a smattering of red and blond hair. He dealt out three cards, one for each of them, with ease. Sera picked hers up and examined it. A two of clubs. She looked up at what the men had gotten. Carver held up an ace of spades and Thorn showed off a five of hearts.

“Well, well, well, I lose the first round. You’ve already taken off my corset…” She reached up and cupped her breasts, giving each globe a few squeezes before taking both nipples between her thumbs and index fingers and giving them a pinch. Electricity arced straight to her clit, giving her a jolt of pleasure. She moaned and released the tips. “And I took off my panties…” She slid a hand down her abdomen, pausing to circle her middle finger around her navel before continuing on to cup her mound. Pleasure and heat swirled around her body as the arousal woke in her again, and the pressure began to build. She groaned and lifted her hips. The tip of her middle finger was only a few millimeters from her clit. If she eased her hand a little lower she could work it through the skirt.

Carver and Thorn stared at her. She felt the heat of their gazes as she leaned back into the chair and slid down. Pure lust shone in Thorn’s charcoal gaze while something darker and hungrier filled Carver’s obsidian orbs. It thrilled her to know they wanted her. She decided to push them a bit further. “So, whatever shall I do?” she asked, not knowing the answer.

She twisted her nipple and moved her other hand to trace the curves of her right side. “Should my skirt be the next to go? Hmmm.” She pretended to think on it. An idea came to her. She released her breast and moved her hands over thighs. She opened her legs, spreading them as wide as the tight mermaid skirt would allow. She bent over, lifted the hem until it came over her knees. Once the material rested on her thighs, she leaned over and pulled off first one shoe and then the other. She threw them over the side of the chair before straightening up and settling against the back of the seat.

She smiled, feeling a sense of power rush through her. Carver’s Adam’s apple bounced up and down and Thorn’s mouth fell open, just a bit.

“Fuck,” Carver muttered.

“Ditto,” Thorn responded.

Sera picked up her card and handed it back to Thorn. “You’ll just have to win the next round for me to lose something else.”

She couldn’t stop grinning. It felt so good to be in control of two powerfully built men like Carver and Thorn. She couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

She studied her picks: five of clubs. They had to have twos, threes, or fours for her to win or she’d have to lose something, and she wanted to be clothed a bit longer to continue the tease.

They laid down their draws and giggled. Thorn lost the round with a two of hearts while Carver had a five of diamonds.

“Go on. Ask.” Thorn sat back, a king on his throne, expectation in his eyes.

Sera glanced at Carver, who nodded. “OK, what kind of demon are you?” Both men looked normal, human. Nothing about them indicated they were of the Underworld.

Thorn scooted forward and bent over. He pulled off first one boot and then the other, letting them clatter to the floor. “Easy. I’m an upper-level ice demon. Would you like to hear what I can do or save that?” Mirth played on his features.

She turned to Carver but he only shrugged. “Your call, beautiful.”

After mulling it over she came to a conclusion. “What do you look like in your demon form?”

Carver shook his head. “Not the rules. Draw and beat me if you want to know the answer.”

She grumbled but didn’t object. “OK. Carver, shuffle.”

Carver picked up the deck and jumbled it up. When Sera received her card, she slammed it down in triumph. An ace of clubs. “Beat that.”

With a Cheshire cat smile Carver slammed down an ace of hearts of his own and turned his attention to Thorn.

“Fuck, you’re cheating somehow.” Thorn placed a three of diamonds on the wooden surface. He bent down and removed his socks, wiggling his toes. The nails were neat and clean and the skin was pale.

Sera resisted the urge to tease him about his lack of a tan. “Powers, what are they?”

Thorn scooted in reverse until he was settled against the backrest. “My features will sharpen almost to points, my skin will become the color of snow under moonlight, and my muscles will bulk up. I’ll grow long, black talons and a long, thin, whip-like tail with a brush of fur at the end and thin horns on my forehead. And if I’m not in control I’ll freeze you both. Happy?”

She nodded.

“Good. Next round.” Carver picked up the cards, rearranged them, and dealt.

Sera lost the next round with a six of hearts while Carver got a king of diamonds and Thorn pulled a Jack of clubs.

“So, what is your role in the leap?” Carver asked.

Sera ruminated over the question. “I don’t do anything, actually. My mother took over all the duties that I would’ve had, such as keeping in touch with community, bringing grievances to the head of the leap, making laws, and hearing issues. I would also have helped organize charity events and fundraisers, but my mother took over all of that when I walked away.” A pang hit her heart. Saying it out loud made her realize just how much she’d left behind when she chose not to take her place as Leap Princess.

Carver reached for her.

She shook her head. “No, it’s OK. It was my choice. It doesn’t mean that I don’t care about my people.” She lifted her chin in defiance.

“Didn’t say that, sweetheart,” Thorn’s eyes glinted. “We respect you for doing what was best for you.”

She swallowed. They may respect her, but her mother didn’t. “Deal.”

The next round ended with all of them getting sixes. For Sera it was of diamonds, for Carver it was of spades, and for Thorn hearts.

“What do we do now?” Sera wasn’t sure whether she wanted all of them to strip or to ask questions.

“I say we reveal something about ourselves. Each of us gets one question to ask,” Carver threw out.

“OK. Thorn?”

“Let’s go for it. Ladies first.”

Sera crossed her legs at the deep tenor of his voice. The sound reverberated inside of her, caressing places he had yet to touch with his hands. Carver’s eyes had gone so dark they seemed to swallow the light.

She shivered, her nipples pebbled, and her pulse thickened. “Um,” she licked her lips once more and tried again. “What kind of demon are you, Carver?”

“Fire,” he purred out the single word. “I’ll give this to you for free. Listening?”

All she could do was bob her head in response.

“In my demonic form my skin will become so red it will seem as if I’ve been dipped in red paint. My eyes will become entirely black. No whites will show. And if I lose control, I could burn this house down with all of us in it. Only Thorn and I would come out unscathed.”