Where There's Smoke (9 page)

Damn, she knew exactly what she forgot. She didn’t take into account how susceptible she was to
Chance’s
seduction. The man had his moves down pat.

Warm tingles spread over her as her eyes drifted closed and she once again lost herself in the memory of the previous night. Man, Chance had some fantastic moves, too. His touch… ah hell, the way he spanked her. His mouth covering her most intimate spot… the way he took her to the edge, and then…

She drew in a ragged breath and exhaled on a whoosh. The wild uncontrollable orgasm—

Her pussy clenched.

“Ow, ow, ow!”

She quickly pressed her hands against the tender spot in the hopes she could ease the pain. She cleared her mind of all the delicious thoughts going through her head. No more thinking about last night. It hurt too much. Besides, she absolutely refused to waste the time she had left on earth drowning in sexual fantasies when she could have the real thing. She grimaced. Except she might be too sore to fuck anything. But when her soreness eased, look out, because she was going to take Chance on the ride of his life!

He was good, even though he hadn’t actually fucked her yet, but she was better. After all, she was almost a demon, and he was a mere mortal. Determination stole over her. She would win this game he played.

She jumped to her feet, but had to grab the edge of the table when the burning ache between her legs became almost unbearable.

“Ohttpw.” Her bottom lip puckered. Okay, she’d stop thinking about sex—at least until she wasn’t quite as sore!

Destiny hobbled toward the bedroom, mentally making notes of what she needed to do when Chance came around again. And he would. She had no doubt about that. She would be more than ready next time.

The shower she took earlier had gotten rid of the sticky syrup, but once she soaked in a tub filled with hot water, look out! She’d be able to tackle anything.

As she made her way through the bedroom, her eyes strayed to the dresser. The top drawer was open just a crack. After buying all the fun sex toys she could carry, she neatly arranged them in the dresser drawer. Vibrators to the far right, the nipple clamps in the middle, lotions and tasty syrups on the left.

She distinctly remembered telling Chance where her vibrator was located. She smiled. He definitely used it well. Her smile curved downward. He better not have left them in a mess. She cautiously moved to the dresser and peered inside.

Empty.

Great! Just fucking great!

Dammit, Chance took all her sex toys. Her lotions, her clamps, every last vibrator—she’d gotten a little carried away buying vibrators. The damn things cost a fortune, too!

Well, not that she actually had to fork over the cash. When she needed money, she made it magically appear inside her purse—which was pretty cool when she thought about it.

But hellfire, Chance stole her glow-in-the-dark, vibrating dick! Her shoulders slumped. She was really going to miss it. Except the thought of actually using the darn thing made her hurt even more.

Not having sex since 1959 really cramped her style.

Her frown deepened. And why hadn’t he fucked her yet? Even if he got his jollies from watching her have an orgasm, wouldn’t he want satisfaction, too? Hmm, something was going on and she intended to find out exactly what it was, even if it killed her.

Okay, technically, she was already dead, but she still wanted to know what was up. Well, she hoped he could get it up.

She drummed her fingers on the dresser. She had to come up with a new plan or she’d never steal Chance’s soul. Just the thought of returning empty-handed left a sour taste in her mouth, not to mention a twinge of fear.

Demons were not creatures she wanted to mess with. They had unfathomable power and could crush her in an instant. She didn’t even want to imagine what they would do to her if she didn’t bring back a soul. The thought of going before the demon tribunal made her knees knock. She had a feeling it would be far worse than just going to Hell.

The ringing doorbell made her jump, bringing her out of her dark thoughts. A demon? Shivers of dread rushed through her. How would she explain her failure?

She frowned, shaking her head. A demon wouldn’t ring a doorbell. Sheesh, now she was getting paranoid.

Chance then? Her nipples tightened. Her thighs clenched.

“Ow,” she whispered as she grabbed the edge of the dresser. She wasn’t sure she was up to an all day sex orgy.

She really wanted to soak in a hot tub filled with bubbles. That would have to go on the back burner. At least until she got rid of whoever kept jabbing the doorbell.

Destiny made her way to the other room, still as naked as the day she was born. Clothes were such a bother. She reached out and pulled a white terrycloth robe out of thin air. After slipping her arms inside the sleeves, she belted it at the waist.

Whoever was on the other side of the door jabbed the bell a couple more times.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” she muttered, then groaned at the image
that
created. Hell, she hadn’t been this sore the day after she rode a horse for the very first time.

She looked through the peephole then groaned again. LeAnn was quickly becoming as annoying as a fly on a hot summer day. Destiny opened the door.

“I brought breakfast. Do you have coffee on yet?” She pushed past Destiny and headed toward the kitchen, the scent of doughnuts trailing after her.

If Destiny’s mouth wasn’t already watering, she would have thrown LeAnn out on her ass, but not only was the aroma tantalizing enough to tickle her taste buds, her stomach started to rumble like a coal train chugging up a steep mountain. That’s when she realized she didn’t eat last night.

“By the way, you look like hammered shit,” LeAnn said over her shoulder.

Destiny opened her mouth, then snapped it closed. What the hell did she mean by that? Of all the nerve! She dragged her fingers through her tangled hair, glancing into a mirror hanging on the wall as she ambled past.

She came to a screeching halt and stared at her reflection.

A tuft of hair poked out on each side almost looking like a pair of horns. They so didn’t do anything for her. She quickly raked her fingers through her tangles, taming her hair.

Were those dark circles under her eyes? She stepped closer to the mirror and intently studied her reflection. And bags! She was too young for bags! She mentally figured her age. No, she wasn’t going there. Besides, she was twenty-six at the time of her death and she hadn’t aged since.

But maybe she did look like hammered shit.

When she stepped inside the kitchen, LeAnn was rummaging through the cabinet but turned as Destiny walked into the room. “Rough night, sweetie? You really have to be careful using the sex toys. Kind of like a kid in a candy store. You can get too much of a good thing.”

“I’m sore.” Destiny eased down onto one of the chairs at the table.

LeAnn grabbed a hand towel out of one of the drawers, then went to the refrigerator and opened the freezer door. “I’ve got the perfect cure.” She scooped some ice out of the bin, then folded it in the towel. “Here, try this.” LeAnn shoved it toward Destiny.

Destiny raised one eyebrow as she took the homemade ice pack.

“Put it between your legs. It will help with the swelling.” Her laughter tinkled through the room. “We’ve all gotten a little carried away at one time or another.” She turned back around and continued making the coffee, then got down cups when it began to drip into the glass carafe.

What the hell, Destiny would try anything. She placed the cold towel between her legs. At first it felt a little awkward and uncomfortable, but then the pain began to ease. The cold compress actually began to feel pretty good.

“Better?” LeAnn asked.

She shrugged. LeAnn just sat there, watching Destiny as if she expected her to ramble on about LeAnn’s fantastic nursing skills. It was too damn early for Destiny to deal with her. “Yes, I do feel better.” There, that should satisfy her.

LeAnn’s smile spread across her face, making her look like Pollyanna.

Give
me
a
break!

Something just didn’t fit, though. “How do you know so much? You look too—”

LeAnn rolled her eyes. “Please don’t say innocent. Like Britney sings, ‘I’m Not That Innocent.’” She belted out part of a song.

Catchy tune. LeAnn had a great voice, too. Strong for someone so petite. She could have a hit with that one, except apparently this Britney chick had beat her to it.

“You do look innocent,” Destiny told her.

LeAnn went back to the coffeepot, but not before Destiny saw a flash of pain.

“I’ve been on my own since I was seventeen,” LeAnn finally admitted as she poured the coffee and then carried it to the table. She went back for the sugar and powdered cream.

“That’s kind of young to be facing the world,” Destiny casually pointed out.

“And maybe not so young.” LeAnn wouldn’t meet Destiny’s eyes as she pulled out a chair and took a seat.

“I bounced around from foster home to foster home myself,” Destiny told her, feeling a kindred spirit in the other woman. “I know what it’s like to hit the streets at an early age.

“I’m sorry,” LeAnn told her, pity filling her eyes.

When would Destiny learn to keep her mouth shut? This was not a bonding moment, but before Destiny could think of something to say that would end the conversation, LeAnn began to speak again.

“I didn’t have it quite so bad. I mean, with foster parents and all.” LeAnn’s expression softened. “I had the best parents and an older brother I adored.” Her laughter was light, musical. “I used to tag after him wherever he went. Sometimes he acted mad, but I knew he wasn’t. I think he enjoyed my hero worship.” She sniffed.

Something squeezed Destiny’s heart, and before she could stop herself she asked, “What happened?”

“Car wreck.” LeAnn added cream to her coffee so that it turned almost white when she stirred. “A drunk turned in front of my dad. Everyone said I was lucky to survive when everyone else… didn’t.” She brought the cup to her lips, blew, then took a drink.

“But you didn’t feel lucky,” Destiny guessed.

LeAnn lowered the cup to the table and shook her head. “Not even a little bit. What twelve-year-old would? Not after everything I loved was destroyed.”

“What happened after that?”

“They sent me to live with my aunt and uncle. I’d never even met them. My parents hadn’t spoken to them in years. Then I was dumped on their doorstep. They resented my intrusion into their perfect lives. They didn’t have kids and they didn’t want kids. I had a dog, too, but they made me give her away. Just a mutt, but I really loved that dog.” Her bottom lip trembled. “I called her Rebel. She was always doing stuff she shouldn’t.”

Destiny never had a pet. It was always better not to get close to anyone or anything. If only she’d kept her vow, her life might have turned out differently.

LeAnn opened the lid on the box of doughnuts. “I really need chocolate.” Her hand shook just a little as she brought out a chocolate-iced doughnut and took a big bite, chewed, then swallowed. “On my seventeenth birthday I’d had enough and went my own way.” She paused, then continued. “I thought I could do better.”

“Have you?”

LeAnn smiled wryly. “Not at first. I was pretty gullible. I’m doing better now.” She took another drink of coffee, then set her cup back on the table. “So what’s your story with the foster parents?”

“Not much. My mother left me in a grocery store when I was six. I guess she thought she could do better on her own, too. I never saw her again. The courts placed me, but I acted up a lot, got knocked around a bit.” Her words tumbled out before she could call them back.

She drew in a deep breath, forcing the bad memories to the far recesses of her mind, then smiled, hoping it didn’t come off as feeble as it felt. “All water under the bridge. You can’t live your life in the past.”

LeAnn was quiet.

Destiny looked up, surprised she’d told so much about herself. LeAnn reached across the table and took her hand, squeezing lightly. A ripple of warmth washed over her.

“I’m sorry your childhood was so bad,” LeAnn said. “Maybe it was fate that brought us together. We could be sisters. You know, pretend ones?”

Fate? That was laughable! If LeAnn knew what Destiny really was, she would run from the room screaming her head off.

What was she thinking to tell this mortal her life story? This sister relationship was definitely not going to work. She had a soul to steal, and getting chummy was not on her list of things to do.

“You’re right about living in the past,” LeAnn agreed, then abruptly changed the subject. “Is the ice working?”

“Is the ice—”

Destiny started laughing, she couldn’t help herself. It was all so ironic. Even being dead, she was fucking everything up. She was bonding with a mortal woman and had yet to get laid by a mortal man. And now LeAnn wanted to know if the ice was working.