Isolated Maneuver Read online

  It felt as if she could.

  Move.

  Run.

  Do something.

  Her mind and body were not in sync.

  The man had a hand on the shoulder of a smaller male, this one older, with wiry gray hair that stuck out in all directions. The seated man was in the process of getting lap dances from two women at once.

  “Take a deep breath.”

  Startled, Galiena twisted to find the handsome blond there, standing too close for comfort. She didn’t want to accidently turn him into something a handheld vacuum would need to clean. Panic began to take root, and must have shown on her face.

  He lifted his hands to suggest he wasn’t a threat. She knew better. There was something about him that said he could more than handle himself in a fight.

  “If you lose control, people loyal to Helmuth in here will realize who you are.”

  She tensed. He knew she was running from Helmuth?

  “Listen, I don’t know why, but I’m not going to return you to him,” he said, sounding confused by the proclamation. “Helmuth wants you back bad. So much so that he’s rumored to be out looking for you himself.”

  “How do you know about Helmuth and me?”

  Were there fliers or something being spread across the paranormal underground? Had an alert gone out to everyone’s phones? How could the man know already? It wasn’t as if she’d been free that long.

  The man sighed. “This isn’t going to make you trust me any, but I’m kind of working for him right now. I’m on loan, so to speak.”

  Ice ran through her veins as terror struck hard. She couldn’t go back to the cage. Couldn’t go back to the testing.

  “Don’t panic,” he said softly, his hands out to his sides. “I told you I’m not here to take you back to him. And I don’t want to see you out yourself by losing total control. So, take a deep breath.”

  She did, and strangely, it helped to some degree. “T-thank you.”

  With a tip of his head, he managed to soothe her nerves more. “How about we get you some water and some food. The non-male kind. You know, like a burger and fries or something? You look like you haven’t eaten in a while.”

  “Why are you being so nice to me?” She’d almost forgotten what it was like to have someone show concern for her. For weeks she’d been subjected to Helmuth and his selfish needs and wants of her. He’d not cared what Krauss’s injections were doing to her. He’d seemed fine with the pain and torture. Fine with it all.

  With slow purpose, the blond man visually scanned the room and then lifted his shoulders, letting them rise and fall quickly. “I don’t know. I just…well, I can relate in some way.”

  She wasn’t sure in what way he could possibly relate, but she appreciated the act of kindness. “Got a name?”

  “Thor,” he said, sounding disgusted by his own name.

  Galiena bit back a laugh. She’d not found much funny in weeks, but hearing the Nordic-looking male was named Thor was simply too amusing to resist. “Your name is really Thor?”

  He shrugged again. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  “You’re really odd.”

  “And you’re a walking mummy-maker. We all got problems, kid.” He winked, improving the tension that had hung in the air between them.

  She smiled, her darkness retreating further. She almost felt normal. Like herself, but she knew it wasn’t real, and being lulled into a false sense of security would lead to nowhere good.

  He looked past her, curiosity piquing in his gaze, and then merriment crinkled the edges of his eyes. “And that is my cue to exit stage right.”

  “Huh?” Perplexed, she glanced over her shoulder—and had to swallow back a lump in her throat.

  The hottie from the other side of the stage was directly behind her, his powerful frame nearly eclipsing hers, making her feel very small in comparison. There was no denying his blatant maleness, or the fact he was massive. His size and ruggedness appealed to her, calling to her baser womanly desires. Her pussy dampened in an instant at the nearness of him.

  Her brain and her body screamed at her that this man was it—an extreme hunter and gatherer. His alpha-ness called to her and her ovaries were left longing and wanting, ready to answer. She’d never had the urge to reproduce before. The very idea of having a child of her own had left her flinching in the past. She’d never had a maternal longing.

  But this man made her womb ache. Made her think of what it might be like to hold a baby in her arms, knowing it was part of them both. Knowing that their union had given her such a precious gift.

  She puffed a breath upward, trying to will her hormones to calm themselves.

  It didn’t really work.

  The man was hardly the first alpha male she’d been around, but her body was acting as if it had never seen such a thing. Like countless males had not brought her to orgasm in the past. None of them seemed to matter any longer. All that was important was this second, this man. She wanted to devour him, lick him like he was a lollipop—a sweet created just for her.

  Sadly, he seemed indifferent to her, his attention on something behind her.

  Her ego bruised, Galiena looked back, expecting to find Thor there still, but he was gone.

  A strong hand fell gently upon her shoulder as the hottie spoke. “Was that Lance?”

  Fear gripped Galiena as she turned her head slowly, worried that any sudden movements would cause her darkness to flare and incinerate the man. Shaking, she moved her gaze to his hand on her shoulder. A scream was on her lips, but she managed to hold it in, the realization that she wasn’t harming him coming over her quickly.

  Perhaps it was because he wasn’t making true skin-to-skin contact with her. As she made a small attempt to pry herself free from his touch, to be sure she didn’t mistakenly come into direct contact with his skin, he moved his hand, his fingers skimming her bare neck.

  Horrified, she went ramrod stiff, waiting for him to fade away to nothing more than ash.

  He didn’t. In fact, he didn’t seem the least bit fazed by touching her.

  “Miss?” he asked, his voice slicing through the fog of her mind. “You all right there? Did you hear me? Were you just talking to Lance Toov?”

  He wanted her to focus on questions at a time like this? He was touching her, the walking mummy-maker, and he wanted her to think beyond the fact she’d not turned him to dust?

  Was he insane?

  Clearly.

  After all, he was touching her.

  Didn’t he sense that if she didn’t turn him into ash, she was going to leap upon him and have her way with him until she had his babies?

  “Are you okay?” His voice was so deep that it seemed to reverberate through her. It licked its way to her nether regions, and her darkness picked then to return. It wanted him. Wanted what he could give her—sex. She didn’t trust her darkness in the least, and it seemed to almost mock her as it began to release a pheromone the succubi were known for. One that was alluring to the opposite sex. One that left them in a state of sexual longing and easy to manipulate.

  The man inhaled deeply, but didn’t instantly thrust himself against her, as others had in the past. Was he immune to her succubus charms?

  He bent and inhaled more. “You smell like vanilla and jasmine. It’s…uh, nice. Real nice.”

  His obviously uncomfortable pickup line endeared him to her even more, as if being able to touch her without dying wasn’t enough. She didn’t want to harm him. Didn’t want her darkness to manage to get free and do the unthinkable to him. There was a certain something about him that she liked.

  Galiena tried to will herself to break the man’s hold on her. To jerk free. To run. To yell at him to stop touching her, but nothing happened. She merely stood there, captivated by his touch and his smell. The more she breathed in his manly scent, the more she thought of running wild in a jungle. Of the smell of leaves with dew on them in a rainforest. There was something untamed and feral about him, and her darknes
s craved it.

  Craved him.

  Unable to stop herself, she put a hand out and tentatively touched his massive chest. The man was rock hard. His chiseled good looks and clear alpha energy rushed over her, causing cream to flood the apex of her thighs.

  Sniffing the air between them, the man’s gaze narrowed on her a fraction of a second before his hand cupped the side of her neck fully. He didn’t drop dead or turn into ash from the act. He did step even closer, his body pressing to hers.

  There was no doubt of who would be in charge of things if they progressed further, and she craved that. Craved the idea that he’d be a dominant in the bedroom and, from the looks of it, out of the bedroom as well. Her darkness wanted the challenge of attempting to tame him.

  Galiena simply wanted the man.

  She’d never been so attracted to anyone in all her life. She’d always simply gone along with what her succubus side required to live and she’d learned to enjoy sex without shame. But she’d never felt this type of pull to anyone before. She wanted to surrender to him, to submit and allow him to do as he pleased with her from now until eternity.

  He bent, but still wasn’t eye level with her, as he was easily a foot taller than her. Not to mention he had her by at least a hundred pounds. Probably more.

  “Do you speak English?” he asked, before rattling off the question in several other languages.

  She recognized a few from her time working at Jinx’s club. It had catered to supernaturals from all over the world. The sexy hunk kept going in various languages and she had to wonder just how many he knew.

  Blinking, Galiena came to her senses enough to reply, “Yes. English.”

  Her voice sounded as weak as she felt.

  “Barely, apparently,” he muttered.

  She would have given a smart retort, but she was still too stunned by his closeness and by the fact he wasn’t a pile of ashes to bother entering a battle of wits. Besides, he obviously knew a number of other languages, and currently, she was struggling to form a sentence in her native tongue. She merely grunted and nodded, as if that would make her seem less of a fool.

  Her body flared again with desire and her hormones went into overdrive from sheer proximity to him. No. She’d not be winning any battle of wits with anyone anytime soon if she stayed close to the hunk. He had the ability to reduce her to a pile of useless hormones.

  Reaching over, the man grabbed a chair and pulled it close. He eased her into the chair before going to one knee before her. Still, he eclipsed her with his size, even bent on one knee. His large hand moved to her thigh, and she couldn’t tear her gaze from it.

  Why wasn’t he a pile of ash?

  No one had been able to make contact with her in weeks.

  What was different about him?”

  Reaching up with his other hand, he hooked a finger under her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his. He was even more handsome up close than he’d been from across the bar. “Listen, Miss, I’m not sure what the issue is, but it’s pretty clear you don’t belong in a place of ill repute like this. Is there someone I can call for you? Somewhere I can take you? And, have we met? You look really familiar to me.”

  Laughter bubbled up from her. He didn’t think she belonged in a sex club? Was he kidding? Sex clubs were where she felt most comfortable. Where she’d been filling her sexual energy needs for years.

  The expression on his face said he wasn’t joking. She had half a mind to tell him she’d practically lived in a house of sin for the last few years, but she held back. If Thor was right and Helmuth had men in the club, she couldn’t be sure who might overhear. It wouldn’t take long for them to put together that a woman who used to work and nearly live in a sex club might be the succubus Helmuth was searching for.

  The man touched her lower lip, skimming his finger over it tenderly. “Miss, you’re…you’re…beautiful. And when you smile, its, well…it’s nice. Real nice. Crap. I’m not great with situations like this. I just wanted to tell you that you’re stunning.”

  Men didn’t come like him. They didn’t have such a perfect mix of gorgeous and rugged. Yet here he was, a blend of both. And he was still leaking alpha male power all over her. She wondered if he realized he was doing it. If he did know, couldn’t he see that she was teetering on the edge of sanity and barely clinging to control of her succubus? Didn’t this man have an ounce of self-preservation within him?

  Most alphas didn’t.

  Another nervous laugh bubbled up and out of her. She felt giddy and dizzy.

  He traced his thumb over her lower lip this time, dragging it painfully slowly, and drawing a moan from her. Without thought, she touched his scruffy cheek, emotions welling in her at a rate she knew she’d be unable to control. She thought for sure she’d burst into tears, but instead, she did something that surprised even her.

  She grabbed the sides of his face and pressed her lips to his, kissing him.

  As reason set in, her fear returned tenfold. She was about to break the chaste kiss when the sexy stranger lifted her from the chair, his tongue sliding between her lips and into her mouth, staking its claim. He took a seat himself, positioning her on his lap, their lips never separating. The act caused her already longing body to go into overdrive, wanting so much more than was being given.

  Her tongue danced around his, the lust between them feeding her succubus side without making her feel as if she was about to drain him into a dried husk. If anything, the energy felt as if it were truly starting to fill her needs. She ate at his mouth more, desperate for what he was providing. She’d always thought of herself as an expert on the art of just about everything to do with sex, especially foreplay, but he kissed her as if he was the master and she the fledgling student.

  Teach me, she thought, unable to stop kissing him long enough to beg. All she could do was whimper and drink down his kisses.

  Adjusting, she lifted a leg, easing it close to her body as she straddled his waist. The dress she wore rose high and cool air moved over her exposed skin. The man’s hands found her bottom and he stopped the kiss, growling, pulling her dress down to cover her from the view of others. The action was so sweet that the tears she’d assumed she’d shed completely over her weeks with Helmuth came at her hard. She cried as she kissed his full lips.

  He broke the kiss again, concern in his dark, steely gaze. “Am I hurting you? Did I lift you with too much force? I know better than to let my guard down when I’m horny. It’s just, well—shit. I didn’t mean to say horny in front of you. I really know how to fuck things up with a woman I’m interested in, don’t I? Shit. I said that out loud too.”

  He was worried about the word horny? She’d heard far worse. She’d been guilty of saying far worse.

  The worry on his face was real. He thought he’d hurt her. The idea that she was causing him concern touched her. The need to set his mind at ease was great.

  “No. You didn’t hurt me.” Shaking her head, she pressed a smile to her face, moving her forehead to his lips. The act was intimate, something she wasn’t used to being with men. There had always been a line in her mind. One she didn’t cross. The line was gone with this man. She wanted to let him into not only her body, but her heart as well. She cupped his face, his lips against her forehead. “I thought I was broken.”

  He held her to him. “It’s clear you need help, and here I am taking advantage of you.”

  She snorted. “I kissed you. You didn’t start it. I did.”

  “Oh, right.” He shifted self-consciously under her, and she felt it then—his long, thick erection digging against his jeans.

  She was no stranger to men, but even she gasped at the size of what the man was packing. Her darkness flared, wanting what was so close and clearly willing. She tensed. While it hadn’t turned him into ash yet, there was the real possibility that it still would, especially if she continued to share sexual energy with him. “I have to go. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “There isn’t enough of you t
o hurt anyone, let alone me,” he said, locking his powerful arms around her, holding her to his chest. “And I don’t think I can let you just walk away. I can’t explain it.”

  She knew what he was talking about. While she desperately wanted to protect him, the idea of losing contact with him nearly sent her into a panic.

  “I’ve got you,” he said in a hushed tone, holding her close as if sensing her need of him.

  Galiena put her lips close to his once more, wanting to taste him again. She didn’t have to wait long. Their lips collided with the same fire and intensity as they had before. She rubbed her body against his, riding him while they were both still fully clothed. None of that mattered. All that mattered was how good he tasted, and how good his body felt against hers. Pleasure built quickly and she knew he was enjoying her movements as well. She could feel his cock responding under her, and she could sense how on the verge of exploding he was.

  She loved every second of it.

  Loved knowing he was close to coming.

  Running her hands into his hair, she smiled against his lips, wondering if his hair was longer than hers. He bit at her lower lip as he eased his hands up her sides, coming to a stop beneath her breasts. She wanted the clothing between them to go away, and fast.

  He broke the kiss first and sighed loudly. “I’m about to do something bad here.”

  She hoped the something bad involved fucking her. Galiena tried to grind on him more, but he caught hold of her hips, staying her movements. She whimpered.

  He groaned, need radiating from him. “Baby, trust me when I say, I want this to happen, but I’m fighting for control here.”

  Pfft.

  He had no idea what fighting for control truly felt like. She didn’t say as much. Instead, she remained on his lap, enjoying the feel of him under her. It took her a minute to realize that her succubus side had stopped hammering at her from within, demanding more energy.

  She really looked at him, committing to memory everything about his face. He had laugh lines around his eyes that made her wonder about his age. He didn’t look older than his mid-thirties, but something told her he was much older. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t stop herself as she stole another kiss.