“I should also note that they experience far less pleasure than desperation in the end. They all have the moment to regret their choices. Not that you will have to worry about that, master,” Lorelei smiled disarmingly.
“So I’m not gonna wind up like them?” Alex asked.
“I have no interest in allowing that,” Lorelei shook her head, her smile becoming sweet. “You have expressly wished against it. I will enjoy loosening you up, but truly corrupting you would rather ruin your flavor.”
“Did you enjoy it?” he asked quietly.
The question surprised her, and left her face darkened. “I should be reluctant to answer that,” Lorelei murmured. “You would find so much of this deeply troubling. I fear a wedge might be driven between us. But no. I have not enjoyed my purpose for a long time. I found pleasure in the act. Satisfaction. I learned to lose myself in the sensations that my body enjoyed, but to say that I liked what I was…no. I have not. Not in nine hundred years.”
“Sounds kind of specific. What happened?”
“His name was Malik. I was his fourth wife. He might have saved Antioch from the Crusaders, even at the very end. He was a warrior of great ability and charisma. Yet he died in bed with me.” Lorelei’s gaze seemed very far away for a long moment. “He was a cruel man. Greedy, callous, vain. Not a king or a lord, but the truly important people rarely are. Had he gotten out of bed, he might have rallied defenders and staved off disaster.” She shrugged. “Instead, he could not resist me. You ask if he deserved to die in my bed, but I would say that he didn’t deserve to die on his feet.”
Alex watched her face quietly. He wanted to know more, but… “Not a romantic topic, huh?”
“No. It reminds me of an important issue, though. I am bound to protect you, but in this state I would not be very capable in a physical confrontation. I am ordinarily stronger than any mortal, and far more durable, but as I said, I am weakened. We will have to work hard before I am recovered enough for that.”
“Can’t say I get into a lot of fights.”
“Good. But be aware that once such beings as I enter a mortal’s life, there is often a tendency for others to appear. You may well be in for a life far from ordinary.”
“We’ll just have to keep a low profile, then.”
“Agreed.”
“So, any other abilities that you’d like to tell me about?”
“I share some degree of my stamina with my victims as long as they indulge me. You will need very little rest tonight. In the morning, you won’t be tired.”
“Just well-fucked?”
“Yes. You are unique in this. Eventually that effect diminishes. I am made to run a lover ragged unto death.”
“That makes me feel special.”
“More than you know,” she grinned. “You know I can conceal myself. It can work for both of us if necessary. This takes a little effort on my part. The more I recover, the easier it will be for me. Yet even at my best, it is still wiser and more practical to find clothing than conjure it.”
“Oh. Yeah. Well, I could spare money for clothes, but I’m not exactly loaded.”
“I have resources of my own. I could elaborate, but a few surprises for later might be nice.” He looked at her with a suspicious smile, and she simply added, “You need not live in your mother’s home much longer.”
“Good. I think we’re gonna need a bigger bed,” Alex chuckled.
“There is that. As I said, I have resources. Still, I think you’ll find it worthwhile to stay on at your job for a short time.”
“Guess I’ll take your word for that. Tomorrow’s not a work day, though. School day.”
“Ah. Yes. You ask all this about me, but tell me so little about yourself.”
“Well… I’m kind of a geek, I work as a file clerk in a law firm and I go to community college. I have plenty of friends, and some of them are dorks, but at our age that’s probably not a shock. My dating life sucks…or at least it did before now.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” Alex frowned. “I’m not a social reject or anything. A lot of girls I’ve liked already had boyfriends. Others just weren’t interested. I’ve felt pretty unattractive lately.”
Lorelei frowned. “You won’t have that problem any longer, master. Yet even if we were not so bound, I would not say that you had reason to feel that way.”
Alex just shrugged. “Anyway, what you see is pretty much what you get. What else do you want to know?”
“I would very much like to know why you would not lay with me before now,” she said. “Was it truly just your moral qualms with slavery? I thought my desires were clear enough.”
“They were.”
“And you don’t have a lover to whom you owe monogamy.”
“Not for lack of trying,” he admitted.
“Then why?”
“I guess,” Alex mumbled. “This is kind of embarrassing.” He saw no judgment in her eyes, only curiosity. “I guess you could say I was saving myself for love? I thought that’s what you were supposed to do? I mean, unless you’re some brain-dead horndog guy with no respect for women, and I’d rather be more than that.”
Lorelei inhaled deeply, a satisfied smile coming across her face. “I see. You’re also ready to risk your life for the sake of strangers. Are you so idealistic in all things?”
“Well, maybe not about every little thing, but this? Yeah.”
“I hope this night hasn’t disappointed you, Alex.”
“No. Hell, no. I’m going to want a lot of nights like this.”
She leaned in closely to kiss him again. Her lips were soft and soothing and her kiss went deep. “I also hope that you feel friendship is good enough for a first time.”
“I’m not complaining,” he whispered back.
She sat up against him. “A great respect for women, hm? And no father in the house. Has it always been just you and your mother?”
“For a long while now, yeah. Dad cheated on Mom. A lot. When she found out about it, she found out that it’d been going on a long time. Co-workers, bar floosies, hookers. Married women. It hurt her a lot. They divorced when I was in grade school. Honestly, I don’t hear much from him anymore beyond a generic card at Christmas.”
“Ah. This explains much. You do not wish to become your father.”
“No,” Alex admitted. “I’m terrified of it.”
“You will not. Put that fear aside, Alex. If you have made anything clear to me, it is that you have a good soul and tremendous strength of will. I suspect there is much more of your mother in you than your father.”
“Maybe, but…if I can trust you, will you help me make sure I don’t wind up like that?”
“As you wish, master,” she said. “But again, you have little to worry about.”
“You’ve been talking about me being with other women. Lots of other women.”
“There’s a difference between adultery and enjoying dalliances when you are not committed to one lover,” Lorelei shrugged. “Some relationships are knowingly open.”
“I guess. Like I said, though, I just don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“As you wish,” Lorelei nodded. Wicked affection spread through her smile again. “Now…tell me about Molly and Onyx.”
Chapter 5:
“Sleep, master,” Lorelei whispered into Alex’s ear. “I will be here when you awaken. Sleep.” His eyes fluttered closed. His breath became steady and easy. “Dream of pleasant things.”
After a long moment, she disengaged from him, stood and stretched. The succubus looked at him silently, blankly, finally shaking herself.
This was utter madness. Completely out of control.
It took an act of will to get up off of him and let him sleep. She hadn’t lied-not directly-and couldn’t if she wanted to, but there was no reason to hide her desires. He felt better than any mortal ever had. Better than things not of this Earth.