Page 10 of Witch's Rite
“That’s it?”
He nodded. “Appealing to instinctual desires is one of the simplest, most effective ways to corrupt. If a human has been sexually shamed or repressed for most of their life, that often makes it easier.”
“How so?” I asked, hanging onto his every word with fascination.
“When you ignore your instincts for so long, they don’t go away,” he said, his fingertips applying light pressure to my spine. “They’re held by a hair trigger just below the surface, waiting for the one thing that’ll set off the control they cling to so desperately. The seducing demons can identify the trigger and become exactly what that person desires most.”
“That’s fascinating,” I mused. “Do all demons have seductive powers like that?”
“Not as much as the succubi, but to some extent.” His fingers trailed down my arm to tug at my hand. "This is us.” He led me up the front steps of a classic Victorian-style house painted a dark grey with an off-white trim.
He opened the front door for me to a dark, nearly pitch black foyer. Only tiny slivers of light came through the cracks between the blackout curtains on the windows.
An herbal, smokey smell filled my nostrils like some kind of incense, but all I could see were rough shapes of furniture, walls, and a staircase.
"Let me guess," I said, blinking in the darkness. "You three are vampires, too? Actually no, don't tell me that. I don't think I can handle any more mind-blowing revelations."
Ash's throaty chuckle came from somewhere behind me.
"No, we're not vampires." His warm breath lifted the hairs on the back of my neck. "Just ensuring we have some privacy."
He snapped his fingers and I jumped at the suddenwhoofsound that followed. The large brick fireplace roared to life with a nearly bonfire-sized flame, bathing the living room in warmth and a dancing, romantic light.
Although my heart thumped wildly in my chest, I kept my face neutral.
"Show off," I jabbed at his smug expression.
"Me? Never." His powerful arms wrapped around my waist, securing me against his hard chest. "You must be thinking of Raum."
The air between us was the thickest it had ever been. Our auras crackled with tension, the colors blending and practically kissing each other above both of our heads.
“No,” I whispered. “I’m not thinking of him.”
He leaned down to close the distance between us but stopped, pausing just before making contact. So I closed the gap for him.
I stood on tiptoe to reach his lips and felt some kind of combination of melting and exploding on the inside. He let out a soft grunt at my boldness but kissed me back. We fell into the same hot rhythm of teeth and tongue like that first time in the back of my shop.
We parted breathlessly and too soon. I was too hot and had too much clothing on.
"So you do want this as much as I do," he murmured against my lips.
"Yes," I breathed as I clutched to him desperately, fearing my legs wouldn't work if I let go.
Still he pulled back, holding me trapped under the icy fire of his gaze.
“There’s something you should know before we do this,” he said in a low growl.
“Okay?” I said, already panting with need.
"Here's the thing about me, Deja.” His gaze flickered down to my lips and then back to my eyes. "I'm not jealous, I'm possessive. You can fuck Raum and Sal whenever you want. But when you're with me?" He wound his fingers through my hair and closed his fist at the base of my skull in a possessive grip.
"It's no one else but us."
He lowered his forehead to mine and gave the slightest, sweeping kiss over my flushed, trembling lips.
"Are you okay with that arrangement?" he asked in a way that sounded like a dare.
My brain and body were too delirious to answer in words, so I just kissed him again. Hard.
