Sex Symbol (21 page)

Eramus slid out of his coat and put it on the barstool beside him before turning toward me. The stools were close together and I found myself once again between his legs.

“Is that smile because the margarita is good or do you like the place?”

I leaned closer, putting my hand on his thigh. The way his leather pants creaked when he slid closer just did something for me. I’d always loved leather, but the sound of it on his body when he moved was so erotic. I was grateful for the pause in the music; otherwise I would have missed it.

“I like the place, but this is a very good margarita.” I kissed him lightly, just a little peck. “Are there many here?”

I knew he understood what I was asking. “Only a few. It feels different when you’re around someone like me. The change is usually subtle unless you’re a shifter too, or psychic. Of course there are those who can’t mask their aura at all. Those are the ones you should be careful of.”

“How come? Are they more powerful?”

He took a sip of his drink and licked his lips. I wanted to lean closer and do the same.

“No, it means they don’t have control. They’re more dangerous.”

Eramus finished his drink in one gulp and asked, “Do you dance?”

I was surprised. “Do you?”

“Never trust a monster hunter who can’t dance,” he said with a wink.

He reached for me and I hesitated. “It’s been a long time since I had a partner.”

James never liked to dance and dancing with Ozzy a few weeks ago didn’t count. I was stone drunk then.

Eramus took my hand anyway and pulled me off the stool with a smile. Could anyone refuse that grin?

“But you’re so much taller than me.”

He laughed. “You’re wearing heels. Besides, as long as you reach my chest, which you do, we can dance just fine.” He took both my hands then and pulled me forward. “Trust me.”

One of my favorite songs started to play and I couldn’t hide my smile. Eramus pulled me to him and I wrapped one leg around his thigh. His smile widened into a wolfish grin. I could feel everyone’s eyes on us just as sure as I could feel his hands on my body. For the moment I had no trouble imagining him as the big bad wolf. If I played my cards right, maybe he’d eat me.

In one fluid movement he twirled me around so that he was pressed against my back. As we moved together he growled softly in my ear. His hands roamed over my body as his lips pressed against my throat. If anyone else noticed his growls, they didn’t let on. Maybe there were more werewolves here than he thought and they didn’t care. Each time his bare flesh touched mine a thrill ran through me. He was so hot—and I wanted to be burned. Who would have thought that dancing with a werewolf could be so sexy?

“You’re surprised.” He made it sound like more of a statement than a question.

“A little bit.”

We were facing each other again. Body to body. I put my palms flat against his chest as he lowered his hands to my waist.

The way his lips curled made every muscle between my legs jump. Eramus tried to smile, but desire and his beast were taking over. His eyes had turned to amber and his mouth only gave a halfhearted effort at a smile. Still, it was the sexiest expression I’d ever seen.

He moved so that his thigh was between my legs and when he moved again the friction nearly made me come. But he didn’t stop at that. The music changed mid song, like they’d done some sort of remix. It turned into something slower, smoother, a grinding rhythm that you didn’t even have to hear, you just had to feel it. And I did. I let the music move over me along with his hands, losing myself to the heart-like beat.

I wrapped my leg around his waist again and Eramus dipped me back, bending deeply to place a kiss at the hollow of my throat. The music had stopped, but I didn’t notice for several heartbeats. He pulled me up slowly until I was standing straight again before kissing me softly and walking me back to the bar.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Justina said. “I didn’t expect you to be able to dance.”

Eramus laughed while he signaled the bartender for another drink.

“I don’t think Chase could dance right now,” he teased. “You okay down there?”

Chase was slumped over the bar with his head resting on his forearms. “I’ll make it,” he mumbled.

“It’s all my fault,” Justina said. “I told him to go first, then when I saw what it did to him I chickened out. It’ll be a while before I outlive this one.”

We all talked for a few minutes about one thing and another before Chase lifted up his head and announced, “I have to go to the bathroom.”

He looked pale and nearly fell over when he tried to stand.

“I’ve got this,” Eramus said, pushing Justina back down into her seat.

They were barely out of our sight when I felt someone brush up against me. I turned to find a darkly handsome man with the most unnatural green eyes I’d ever seen.

“Sorry,” he said, “I didn’t mean to bump you.” His voice was soft and seductively sweet. I couldn’t help but return his smile. “I hope I didn’t spill your drink.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Fine. I’m Maxwell.”

I laughed, taking the hand he offered. His handshake was firm. That surprised me a little. Most men didn’t give women a firm handshake. It was like they were afraid of breaking you or something. Maxwell obviously didn’t have that fear.

“My name is Lucy.”

He leaned in closer and smelled my hair. Since I’m not used to having strange men smell me, I pulled back.

“You have a very interesting scent,” he said.

Was he a werewolf or just weird? I had no way of knowing. About that time Justina leaned against me from the other side and sniffed my hair too.

“Yeah, you do smell good,” she agreed. “Is that a new shampoo?”

Maxwell laughed. Okay, so maybe smelling my hair wasn’t that weird. I suppose I was overreacting, wondering if everyone around me was a werewolf. Maybe Eramus was right. Maybe I was still afraid of him and needed to learn to relax. On a subconscious level I must have been afraid of getting hurt. But if there was one thing I was certain of, Eramus would not hurt me. And this Maxwell character didn’t appear to have violence on the brain either.

He ordered a drink before asking me, “Can I get you one too?”

“No thanks.” I toasted him with my margarita. “I’m still working on this.”

Maxwell turned to prop against the bar and as his coat opened I caught a bit of his scent too. I don’t care what anyone says, you can smell the difference in expensive cologne and cheap cologne. He definitely wasn’t wearing the cheap stuff. I breathed deeply and let myself enjoy the fragrance.

“Are you here with someone?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He nodded as if to say, “Then I won’t trouble you further.” That was nice of him, and unexpected in a club. I almost said that he wasn’t bothering me, but changed my mind. I didn’t want him to think I was flirting either. But, he seemed like a nice guy. What could be the harm in talking to him?

“Please don’t take this as a line, but are you ladies from around here? It’s just that I haven’t seen you before.”

“Nah, we’re from Peace.”

Justina answered before I could stop her. No matter how nice he seemed, I wasn’t going to tell a stranger where I lived. Oh well, too late for that. Maybe she wouldn’t give him the address before I could shut her up.

“How much have you had to drink?” I teased, pinching her thigh in a way I hoped she understood meant “shut up”.

Maxwell ran a hand through his short dark hair and smiled as he took his drink from the bartender.

“You girls have a good night.”

As it turns out, whatever was in that drink made Chase so sick we had to follow them home. Justina was driving her truck with Chase hanging his head out the window while Eramus and I followed on his motorcycle.

“I hope this didn’t ruin any plans?” I asked.

We were going slow enough to carry on a conversation above the rumble of the engine.

“This?” he nodded toward her truck and laughed. “No. I think he was allergic to the pepper sauce in that drink. You can’t help something like that.”

We only stayed long enough to be sure they made it in Chase’s trailer all right. Justina was going to spend the night to make sure he was okay. My house wasn’t far from there and I spent the entire ride trying to find the words to ask Eramus to stay with me tonight.

When he came to a stop in my driveway, I realized I still had no idea what I was going to say…I just knew I didn’t want to be alone tonight. Eramus waited for me to get off first and put his arm around me as we walked toward the door. I had the key in my hand, but dropped it just before opening the lock.

Eramus bent to pick it up, but didn’t get further than my lips. He paused at eye level and the hunger in his gaze reflected my own. I kissed him and Eramus wrapped his arms around me, lifting me up and pinning me against the front door. My legs wrapped tightly around his waist, pushing me closer against him. Despite the intensity I felt in his touch, he refused to deepen the kiss.

Above the pounding of my heart, a soft shushing sound drifted to my ears. Rain and wind beating gently against the trees, bouncing off the leaves on its way to the ground. His kisses were as soft. He didn’t just kiss my lips, but my face, my eyelids, my throat. His kisses reminded me of the soft patter of the rain because they were just as tender and easy.

“Stay with me tonight, Eramus.”

My words were not a request so much as a moan.

“I can’t.” He kissed me again, deeply, but ever so gently. “The full moon is too close.”

I arched against him, willing him to feel what I felt. “I want you so bad,” I whispered. “I want to be with you.”

Eramus lowered me to the ground and I released him, however reluctantly. He touched his forehead to mine making the moment more intimate by remaining so close. “You don’t know what I am. You haven’t seen what’s underneath.”

He kissed me again and I sighed. It was the sound of inhibitions falling away.

“Please.”

“I want you so much,” he said softly, “but I’ve been known to mess up a good thing before. I don’t want that to happen here. Give it just a little more time. If you haven’t changed your mind by then, I’m all yours.”

This time my sigh was one of frustration as I pulled back from him. “I’ve never seen a man so hard to get into bed.”

He laughed, but the sound was bittersweet. “It tends to upset people worse if they see you transform at some point after you’ve slept together. No matter how much you might think you know what’s coming, you really don’t.” He reached to tuck a stray hair behind my ear and I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes. “I don’t want to become even more attached to you and then scare you off.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. So I let him kiss me good night and went upstairs alone. Eramus had obviously had a bad experience before and I could understand that. I respected him not wanting to frighten me, but part of me kind of wished he would. Let me see the beast and get it over with so that I could love the man.

*

Later that night when someone knocked on my door, my heart leapt. I was hoping it was Eramus and snatched the door open without looking. Guess I hadn’t learned my lesson after all. James was standing there with his umbrella in hand and a smile on his face.

“Are you here alone?” he asked.

I propped against the door and crossed my arms. “Not that it’s any of your business, but yes.”

“Can I come in?”

“James, I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

He sighed. “Look, I know you’re mad at me and you’ve got reason to be but I really wanted to talk to you.”

“About what?”

“About everything. Please, can I just see you for a few minutes? We can talk in my car, you know, like we used to do?”

I had changed into some ratty old jeans and a t-shirt after Eramus left and didn’t feel like going anywhere. Actually, I had been making up my mind between a hot bath or a movie when James showed up.

“You’ve known me most of your life,” he said softly, “I’m just asking for a few more minutes.”

He looked so pitiful that even after the way he’d acted tonight I couldn’t refuse him.

“You want to ride around the block then?”

“Sure.”

I grabbed my keys and my coat and put on some shoes, but I made James wait on the porch. Since he’d gone, this was my house again and I didn’t want him in it. I’m not sure why I felt so strongly about that, but I did.

He held the umbrella for me and I barely got wet getting into the car. While he walked around to the driver’s side I couldn’t help but notice how normal the situation felt. I also couldn’t help but notice the car smelled like him. You don’t really notice how someone smells until they’re not around. Then little things like their cologne or shampoo, or even their skin starts to trigger memories you didn’t realize you had. The only exception I’d ever found to that was Eramus. I always noticed the way he smelled.

We were a good ways down the road when James pulled over to the side and put the car in park.

“What are you doing?”

I wasn’t expecting him to make a move, so when James kissed me, at first I didn’t react at all. His kiss was urgent and sad. I could feel his desperation but that didn’t mean I wanted him kissing me. Up until a few weeks ago, this was what I thought I wanted. I put my hands against his chest and pushed gently but firmly in the other direction.

James looked hurt, but he moved away easily enough. “Are you sure about this? About him? Lucy, it’s over with Rachel and I—”

“Stop it.” I spoke softly, but that didn’t mean I gave room for argument. “For the longest time I thought I wanted you back. Now that I have you here, I keep wishing you were someone else.”

It was the truth and that more than anything let me know how I truly felt about Eramus.

“I’m sorry, James. You need to take me back home.”

He nodded. “All right.”

We had just pulled back onto the road when something fell onto the pavement a few feet in front of the car.

“What the fuck?”

James slammed on brakes and leaned forward in his seat.