She’d finally given up trying to write and put away her laptop and research books, with the exception of the book spread open in her lap now.
Ericka crossed her legs on the couch as she began to read. At first, her focus wasn’t so hot, but as she read, she fell deeper into the stories of countless people.
Some were nothing like what she’d experienced. But when she ran across one by a woman in Idaho, her heart started pounding against her breastbone. A man visited me, the woman had said. He had a perfect, muscular body, long dark hair…and gold eyes.
A wash of heat flowed over Ericka at the thought of another woman being with Aedan. The rush of jealousy surprised her and made her grind her teeth.
It had to be him.
The sex. Dear God. The woman, Betty something, claimed the man denied her an orgasm each night and would vanish before she climaxed.
Finally, when she made the promise he demanded, he brought her to completion.
He never returned.
What had Betty promised?
Ericka’s hands shook as she held the book, her gaze slowly moving down to the end of the woman’s story. Her heart lodged in her throat.
My soul, Betty said in the interview. I promised him my soul.
Ericka’s heart dropped from her throat to the pit of her stomach and she almost doubled over, feeling as if she might throw up. Sweat broke out on her skin and her body went from hot to cold, hot to cold.
It took long moments, but the sickness in her belly finally eased and her heartbeat slowed. When she collected herself, she took a deep breath and straightened, resting her back against the couch.
Aedan truly was a demon. An Incubus who had come to take her soul.
What he said last night suddenly made sense.
She’s not ready yet.
But she would have done it. That sick feeling weighted her belly again. All he’d had to do was ask, and she would have said yes without realizing what she was doing.
Ericka closed the book and set it aside on the couch as she stared at the window across the living room. The sheer curtains stirred. It was already dark and soon it would be time to go to bed.
Did she dare? Or should she pack her belongings into her SUV and drive through the night back to Seattle?
She rubbed her sweaty palms on her shorts and swallowed hard. No, she wasn’t going to run. She was prepared, armed with the truth. She and Aedan had some unfinished business.
And no way in hell was he getting her soul.
Aedan stood at the veil between him and the Earth Otherworld. He watched Ericka pace as she glanced at her bed every now and then. Candlelight from the many candleholders around her room flickered and caused shadows to dance along the walls. A fat blue candle burned on her nightstand and he caught the scent of blueberries along with her vanilla scent.
She chewed on one of her nails while carrying a glass of red wine in her other. Every so often she would take a sip, before returning to pacing and chewing on her fingernail.
Instead of being naked, she wore a short, sheer gown. It didn’t hide a lot, but the meaning was clear. She was placing a barrier between them. No doubt because he had denied her again last night.
At the thought, his heart ached. He didn’t want anything between them.
It was well into the night when Ericka settled on her bed and put the now-empty wine glass on the nightstand. She remained sitting, her back propped against the pillows she’d stacked in front of the headboard. Her eyelids drooped despite her obvious efforts to keep her eyes wide open. She jerked awake a couple of times, then slid into an exhausted sleep.
Aedan almost hated to wake Ericka, but the need to be near her was so great he couldn’t stay away.
He wished away his tunic with his magic, then stepped through the veil.
CHAPTER 4
WALKING THROUGH THE VEIL WAS LIKE STEPPING inside gel, a sticky, gooey sensation. Aedan’s feet met the bedroom’s carpet and he was free of the veil. It was always behind him, but was not something a human could see.
When he reached Ericka, he watched her sleep. What did she have to do with Belisma’s baffling message about his soul? His body tightened with frustration. Then he forced himself to relax, to push thoughts of Belisma away, and concentrate on Ericka.
She took deep, even breaths but her forehead was crinkled as if concerned. As always, her red hair fell in a mass about her face, down to her slim shoulders.
The almost-sheer blue nightgown allowed him glimpses of her nipples and areolas. Seeing her nipples along with the hint of the patch of hair on her mound caused his cock to harden even more than it had while he watched her through the veil.
Aedan settled beside her on the bed, trying to ease down slowly enough that the springs didn’t whine. With the back of his hand, he brushed a curl from her cheek and she made a soft sound and turned her face toward his touch.
He slipped his fingers from her cheek into her hair as he lowered his mouth to hers. He heard her soft breathing and even the pounding of her heart.
Gods and goddesses, when his lips touched hers, fire raced through his body and straight toward his erection. She sighed and he slipped his tongue into her mouth and tasted her sweet womanly flavor along with the hint of the wine she’d been drinking.
Ericka moaned and returned his kiss. He didn’t know if she was awake yet, but her body responded to him. The scent of her musk grew stronger the deeper their kiss became.
Aedan placed his palm over one of her breasts, feeling the hard nipple poking through the fabric. He squeezed and she moaned louder then slipped her arms around his neck and nibbled at his bottom lip.
It was his turn to groan. He drew away to see her beautiful blue eyes open. Her lips were parted and moist, and she ran her tongue along her bottom lip.
“I knew you’d come.” Her voice was husky, yet had a slight edge to it. “But I didn’t know if I wanted you to.”
“Why not?” He began rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, and she groaned.
Ericka looked into his eyes. Something flickered in her gaze, but she said nothing. He tried not to frown at not being able to read her expression.
Instead, he let it pass, slid onto the bed, and she scooted over to let him recline beside her. She moved so that they were both lying down, facing one another. He traced the line of her body with his fingers, from her shoulder, to her waist, to her hip. Her warm vanilla scent and her woman’s musk filled his senses.
As an Incubus, he didn’t need light to see in darkness. But the candlelight touching her features made her seem softer and more vulnerable.
An Incubus. Why couldn’t he be a man? At this moment, more than anything he wished he could stay with her forever. To wake with her when the first rays of sunlight peeked through the windows, and to walk with her in the sunshine. By the gods and goddesses, if he did have a spirit-essence, he would offer it to her.
His gut twisted and ached as he thought about his vision of Annwn and the beach that would be his home, as long as he took Ericka’s soul.
The alternative—the constant feeling of being burned alive in the Realm of the Dead. If he didn’t take her soul that would be his future.
If he did take her soul, the Realm of the Dead would be Ericka’s fate.
Ericka didn’t pull away when Aedan touched her face with his hand. How could he make her feel this way, make her want him even more, when she knew exactly what he was?
This very moment she should push him away, tell him to not come back. Giving away her soul was not an option.
God, he was good. Playing the part so well that she could almost believe he cared. Becky, Betty, whoever she was, hadn’t mentioned that. Just the incredible sex, and then his vanishing act when she gave him what he wanted.