“Not bad.” Yeah right, the room made her home look like a shack. The bed was carved and made from real wood, the wood floors were polished to a sheen, and thick maroon rugs spread across the small living area and bedroom area. They matched perfectly with the dark wood furniture and dim lamps. She almost snorted; the room could easily be called 'romantic'.

“Do you require anything?” He sounded pained to ask.

“Not at all,” she said with a small smile.

He looked at her hard as if he knew she was up to something then finally turned and left. Lily laughed to herself as she walked around the enormous room. It really was a great size. She pulled off her heavy jacket, dropping it onto the floor as she walked around the room. The bedroom came first then opened into a wide living area furnished with couches and the television. A partitioned wall sat in the space behind the living room and Lily found a small kitchenette inside. Down a short hallway from there she opened a door and gasped.

“Lord have mercy, I am in love.”

It was the biggest bathroom ever. Brown and red stones covered the floors and walls leading to a bathtub in the corner of the room that had two steps to walk up to get to. Dark cherry wood cabinets lined the entire side of one wall with granite counter-tops and two modern-looking sinks. In the opposite corner stood a tall shower with a showerhead the size of a giant sunflower.

Lily whistled under her breath as she began unbuttoning her pants. The sight of that bathtub made a rush of excitement flow through her. But her tired muscles screamed at her just to go to sleep, so she dropped her pants and marched over to the bed.

She had to use two hands to pull back the heavy comforter; and it was even harder to try to get into the bed. It sat so high that she ended up having to grab hold of the mattress and wiggle her way on top of it until she was laughing breathlessly.

She scooted until her head hit the pillow and sighed. “Just like heaven.” She pulled the comforter over her then grimaced and shucked it away with a fierce kick. Too heavy for her ribs still.

She made a mental list of all the supplies she'd need to make herself a healing elixir. As she reached the third ingredient though, her eyelids grew heavy and she went out like a light.

Chapter 5

“We have a problem, sir.”

Telal paused in the act of buttoning his shirt and looked at Kearnyn. Kearnyn was his most trusted guard. He paid him enough money not only to sway him from the Atal Warriors where he used to work but to keep his useful services. Telal tried to think of a time in the past four hundred years they've been working together when the man had ever had a problem. Ah, yes, there was the time when an angry mob of humans tried to storm his previous headquarters in Boston. Of course, that had been in 1805.

He didn't want to ask, afraid he already knew. “What's it about?” He finished buttoning his shirt and grabbed a tie to put on next.

“It's the succubus, Ms. Bellum.”

His hands froze for a moment at her name then continued to create a perfect Windsor knot. “She won't leave?” He'd expected it; hell, he'd have to be an idiot not to. The woman was the most foolish person he'd ever met, and he'd met a lot of people in his years.

Kearnyn rocked side to side on his feet, almost like he was nervous. “I knocked but she wouldn't answer. I don't know if she's a heavy sleeper but I didn't want to barge in on her if she were...indecent.”

Lily Bellum...indecent. Those words together were a dangerous combination. Everything about her was indecent, from her insolent tongue to her roaming hands. She'd almost touched him last night. His own fingers trailed across his chest where hers had been. Something had held her back. He'd seen her be bold before, but she hadn't outright touched him yesterday. He thought about it then decided it was a good thing.

“I'll take care of it.”

Kearnyn handed him the room key and he made his way down to her room, his gut tightening with something close to anticipation. It was just because he was about to throw her out, he thought. Indeed, he could have smiled it made him so happy.

He banged on the door with his fist, hard. No answer came. Inserting the key into the lock, he flung it open, only to have the door barely move an inch.

“Bloody hell.” She had lodged a chair under the door handle. What was she up to now? Bracing himself, he squared his shoulders and rammed at the door. It burst open like an explosion, the chair shooting back into the wall before toppling sideways and falling down with a broken leg.

His eyes searched the room like a ruthless hunter. He found the bed empty, the comforter pulled down, and the sheets rumpled. He stalked to it and pressed his hand to the sheets—it held lingering warmth from her body.

He made his way into the living room and then the kitchen, finding them both empty. But then he heard it—

singing. It sounded strong, lyrical, almost throaty. His hands curled into fists as he marched towards the bathroom and threw the door open.

He stopped in his tracks. She didn't.

She looked up at him in that large bath and smiled showcasing neat white teeth and a set of dimples. Wet dark hair curled around her shoulders and neck like curly-cues. Soapy bubbles barely covered the tops of her breasts and hid any sight of her naked body from him. Something dark and hungry coiled inside him. He wanted nothing more than to lash out at it until it went away, but that was impossible anytime she was near. She seemed to always draw out this side of him. Eyes, deep brown with a hint of green around the pupils, beckoned him to come closer.

He'd taken a step before he realized it. “What are you doing?”

Her eyes laughed at him. She picked up a soapy loofah and ran it up one smooth arm. “I thought it was obvious. Do demons not bathe?”

He jerked back a step to keep from going over there and doing something stupid. Like dunking her head under the water—or worse.

“Of course we do. Get out and get dressed. I have a car waiting for you outside.”

She nodded, then dunked her head under the water, coming back up with a gasp of air. Now even more suds slid along her wet skin.

Wet skin. Those two words nearly sent his mind derailing into territory he had absolutely no business, or need, occupying. He closed his mind off with a steel barricade.

Suddenly, she stood. It all happened to fast...the sight was incredible. Steamy water rushed over her body like a waterfall; soft skin pinkened from the hot water and covered in fluffy suds slowly trailed down her breasts, her stomach.

All the moisture dried up from his tongue like he had a cotton ball shoved in there. And then something even stranger happened, his dormant cock lengthened, stiffened.

She didn't linger but put one foot out of the tub, then the other, giving him more than a glimpse of smooth, soft-looking skin. A luscious, heart-shaped derriere, rounded thighs perfect for riding, and pert breasts, nipples hard, pointed high, dusky colored.

He swallowed hard as she started towards him. His eyes couldn't stop; hell, his mind barely worked. He felt as though he were running on an old operating system, lagging behind like a snail. Round dusky nipples centered in a pair of ripe breasts, perfect for holding, perfect for sucking. She ran a hand across her stomach, wiping away some suds and damned if his eyes didn't follow, eating up every inch she showed him.

She had a body shaped like an hourglass, all curves and dips. His lips were suddenly too dry and he darted his tongue out to wet them. Dark black, the patch of short hairs between her legs was a startling contrast to her lighter skin. He stared, unabashed, as she reached him.

“Do you like?” It might just be his ears playing tricks on him but it sounded as if she purred the words.