Read Not What She Seems Online
Authors: T.R. Raven
Not What She Seems (10 page)
“Good morning,” Keith greeted her hesitantly. He stood at the stove, cooking scrambled eggs. “I had a food service bring some groceries this morning. Your fridge was pretty bare.”
“I usually eat out. I’m afraid I’m not much of a cook,” Sylvia shrugged as she avoided his gaze.
“Come on, it’s almost ready. Do mind getting us some juice?”
“I’ll pour you some, but it’s coffee I’m after right now.” She opened the fridge and took out the new carton of juice. “Thanks for doing all of this… getting food and making breakfast.” Still she wouldn’t look at him.
“Look, about last night…”
he began.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay. I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry I made you so uncomfortable. It was such a surprise to find you like that and I guess I hadn’t really thought through what I was going to say or how you might feel about it.”
“It’s fine. L
et’s just forget about it.” She was eager to put the whole thing behind them and forget it ever happened. She couldn’t concentrate on sorting out her feelings for him right now while she had an Innocent to seduce, a territory to reclaim, and a Hunter to avoid. It was a relief to her that he would let it go. At least she hoped he would.
“So what are your plans for the day?” He set t
heir places at the table and laid out the food while Sylvia fiddled with her coffee before bringing their drinks to the table.
“I don’t have any yet, but I’m thinking I’ll need to hunt tonight.” She dug
into her breakfast after sneaking a quick glance at him, only to find he was watching her with interest.
“I could use a feed myself,” he agreed. “So how do we, uh, work that out? Do you bring your guys back here?”
She shook her head. “I never do. I don’t want anyone to know where I live. It gets too messy.”
“Okay
… so how am I supposed to keep you safe if you’re off at some random guy’s place?”
Sylvia thought as she crunched her bacon, actually d
aring to meet his gaze. He was not exactly relaxed, but not as tense as last night or showing any signs of jealousy at the mention of her having sex with another man. Maybe this could be okay after all.
Before she could come up with an answer to
that, he offered the solution. “I think it’s gonna have be to down and dirty, grab and goes for both of us for a while. That okay with you?”
“I guess it’
ll have to be,” Sylvia cringed. As a succubus she was familiar with the terms he used as they were part of their kind’s lingo when referring to certain types of prey. A ‘down and dirty’ referred to having sex somewhere public, like an alleyway or a restroom. ‘Grab and go’ was often used to describe prey who just wanted to get down to the nitty-gritty of it, straight to the sex without a lot of preamble or foreplay. Either way it meant Sylvia would be stuck screwing lower or poor grade energies. The higher grades rarely stooped down the level of a quickie in the coat room with a stranger.
“So what’s you territory here?” Keith asked. Sylvia told him and he brightened when he heard her mention the Downtown Crossing area.
“How about the Lounge? That place is always packed.”
Sylvia raised an eyebrow at him quizzically.
How long had he been back in Boston? Long enough to know some of the popular local spots, it would seem.
“
There are far less incubi in this city than succubi, so Lilith did away with our territories a while ago. We’re free to hunt wherever we like, so I’ve had a chance to check out a few places,” he explained.
Sylvia’s cell phone rang from the kitchen counter and she jumped up to get it. Seeing it was Mason she
excused herself and went to her room before answering it.
“
Hey,” Mason greeted her. “I have a few minutes in between classes so I thought I’d give you a quick call to see how you’re doing.”
Sylvia smiled to herself. No one ever asked her how she was doing
unless they were in the middle of having sex and the man was looking for an ego boost. “I’m good, how about you?”
“Better now that I hear your voice. Listen, I just found
out my buddy’s got a show at a local art gallery tomorrow night. I know it’s short notice, but would you like to join me? I’d love to have you come, if you don’t mind a stuffy evening in a stuffy art gallery,” he joked.
“I don’t m
ind at all. I’d love to!”
“It’s black tie.
I could pick you up at eight?” Sylvia grimaced silently when she heard that he wanted to pick her up. It was her policy to never give her address out to her dates.
“I hav
e to work late tomorrow night. Could I meet you there?”
“How about I pick you up at work then?”
She didn’t dare have an Innocent pick her up at the service’s building. He’d be a beacon to all the other succubi that might be going in or out of the office at that hour, picking up their pay or meeting with Lilith. Lilith herself would probably sniff him out, even from the top floor, Sylvia mused. She hated to do it but she had to break one of her own rules if she wanted to accompany him.
“Actually, I’ll just knock off early so I can get ready.”
Reluctantly, she gave him her building address but not her apartment number. She would just have to be waiting for him in the lobby. It was bad enough he’d know what building she was in. She didn’t need him knowing exactly which apartment was hers too.
“Okay, 8
:00 it is. I’ll see you then,” Mason lowered his voice and added, “I’m really looking forward to it. I can’t wait to see you again, Sylvia.”
“Me
too.” Already she was mentally selecting the perfect dress for the occasion as they said goodbye. This black tie event would give her a chance to really show off her looks in a stunning dress. She hoped to have Mason in her panties by the end of the night, but she wasn’t counting on it.
Suddenly she remembered she’d have to find a way to ditch Keith. She couldn’t have him tagging along on her date, and she couldn’t risk him finding out about her Innocent.
There was still a day to figure it out. She just hoped she could come up with something by then.
Back in the kitchen
, Keith had finished his meal and begun washing the dishes. Sylvia examined what was left of her breakfast and decided she didn’t want to eat anymore. Her preoccupation with her upcoming date had shut down her appetite for the time being.
“So I talked to Lilith just now,”
he informed her. “She says there were no new murders overnight. Seems like the Hunter couldn’t find any succubi to kill.”
“I thi
nk a lot of the girls are lying low right now.” She casually boosted herself up to sit on one of the kitchen counters while she watched him clean up. Her conversation with Mason had her feeling much more relaxed now, as had Keith’s demeanor at breakfast. The awkwardness between them had passed. It was a struggle not to stare at his fine ass but she did her best not to.
“Let’s hope they stay smart enoug
h to keep out of his way.” He dried his hands on the dish towel and then leaned back against the sink, facing outwards towards Sylvia where she sat on the counter. Suddenly he crossed the kitchen towards her and placed his hands on her pajama top.
“Don’t!” She
tried to push his hands away as he reached for the buttons on her top. She knew that look in his eyes all too well. Damn it, she was afraid of this.
“Relax,” he
said softly as he gently re-buttoned a button that had come undone without her noticing it. “I just can’t take the view anymore. A man has his limits.” His hands dropped by his sides once he had redone the errant button and he stood mere inches from her, his eyes ablaze with an intense heat.
It would be so easy, she
realized. If she just leaned forward and parted her lips and… no. But if they were so over, why did his mere proximity light her afire inside? Her groin ached dully with desire but before she could do anything rash, Keith jerked away from her and went to his room, slamming the door behind him without another word. He left her bewildered, trying to sort out what had just happened and what might have happened between them if he hadn’t walked away.
~~~
Keith stayed in his room for most of the day, and Sylvia finally decided she would go read in her room to give him a chance to come out if he wished to. She hadn’t been reading twenty minutes when he knocked on her door.
“Come in,” she called, placing her book down.
He came in and sat on her bed, leaving plenty of space between them.
“I didn’t mean to freak you out earlier, in the kitchen. I just wanted t
o help,” he explained earnestly.
She
sighed. “I know, and I’m sorry I thought you were doing something else.”
“I’m just a little bit hurt you assumed I was hitting on you. I told you I wouldn’t, if that’s what you want.” Keith’s dark eyes searched hers an
d Sylvia felt the tiniest bit guilty for assuming the worst of him. “I just couldn’t take it anymore. The way you were sitting, I could see everything and it was driving me crazy.”
She
smiled gently at him. In an odd way it was nice to know he was still undeniably attracted to her, even if she knew better than to rekindle their former relationship.
“It’s okay.
We good now?”
“
Yeah, I guess so. Just give me some credit next time, okay?” With a grin he lazily reclined in the space next to her, satisfied they had smoothed out the earlier misunderstanding between them. “So how’s your book?”
“It’s all right. Truth be told, I’m having trouble concentrating on it. I just keep thinking about the
Hunter. I keep wondering who he is and who he’ll kill next…” She couldn’t bear to finish her sentence with the unspoken ‘if it will be me or someone else’ she was thinking in her head.
Keith gently patted her hand as he grinned up at her and Sylvia’s blood sang at
his touch. “No worries, Sylv, you’ve got the best bodyguard in the city,” he joked, trying to lighten the mood.
She
smiled at him, praying her eyes wouldn’t betray the lust she felt towards him at the moment. “‘The best in town’, huh? I sure hope so.” She tore her gaze away from him as her libido screamed in protest that she wasn’t taking advantage of having the best lover she’d ever known in her bed again. She glanced at her alarm clock and was surprised to see how late it had become.
“So,” she turned back to Keith, “you ready to go hunting soon?”
“Sounds good to me. How long do you need to get ready?”
“Give me an hour,
then I’ll be ready. That work for you?”
“Sure thing.
I’ll be ready whenever you are,” he assured her as he rose to prepare. He closed the door behind him and Sylvia stared wistfully into space, wishing she could stay home and romp in bed with him instead of hunting for a feed.
~~~
True to her word, an hour later Sylvia was showered, dressed and ready to go. She wore a skimpy leather skirt, with a snug top that showed off more than a little of her ample cleavage. She wore her hair loose and wavy.
Keith whistled low as she walked out into the living room. “God help the men there tonight!”
“You’re not looking too shabby yourself,” she replied. It was a sincere compliment. He had on a pair of faded Levi’s, and a body hugging long sleeved graphic t-shirt that hugged his muscular biceps and torso. She doubted a single woman there would resist his advances.
He
opened the apartment door and looked out to make sure everything was clear. “Come on.” He reached behind his back without looking, offering her his hand. Tentatively she grasped it and as soon as she did he curled his fingers firmly around her hand. Emotions flooded through her as she remembered days gone by, walking hand in hand with him through the old Boston when they together. The feeling of holding hands was both familiarly comforting, and a bit painful all at once. She suddenly realized how much she missed him. She had spent so much time pretending he didn’t matter to her anymore and that he was out of her life for good, but it simply wasn’t true. She had missed him terribly and still did, even two hundred years later. The realization was a shock to her.
She must
have hesitated, staring at their intertwined hands a bit too long because Keith looked back to see what was delaying her.
“It’s fine;
the hallway’s clear. I won’t let anything happen to you, Sylvia,” he reassured her, thinking fear was keeping her from stepping out of her apartment.
“Thanks,” she replied
weakly, offering him a shaky grin as he held onto her hand. They rode the elevator down and crossed through the building lobby onto the street. Sylvia didn’t pull away.
Chapter 11
Out on the street, in the busy crowds of people going about their evening routines, Sylvia was glad for the comforting contact with Keith. Now that night had fallen and pockets of shadow lined the block all she could think about was the Hunter. Were there no deaths the previous night because he had been here, on her street, waiting to catch her leaving the safety of her building? Was he watching her right now, biding his time until an opportunity to attack presented itself? She shuddered involuntarily and Keith let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulder.
“You okay,
Sylv?”
She shook off her fear as best she could and gave him a brave smile. “Yes, I guess so. Do you want to take a cab or the T?”
“Let’s take the T.” He began walking towards the subway station but made no move to remove his arm from around Sylvia. In her mind she knew she should push his arm off, to keep the boundaries between them clear, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do so. She leaned slightly against him as they walked, snuggling against his tall frame. His touch brought her comfort, made her feel safer on the dark city streets, and she couldn’t force herself to relinquish that feeling at the moment.
Keith sat right next to her on the T but made no move to keep physical contact with her. Neither spoke as the subway car bumped along beneath the city streets. Sylvia noticed his gaze was always roving through the crowd as people got on and off the car. He wasn’t checking out the
numerous women who stared lustfully at him, their eyes begging him to approach. Instead, he carefully watched each and every man who so much as glanced in her direction. Most of the other passengers were checking them out at one point or another as they made such a stunning couple. It pleased her to see how seriously he took the threat of the Hunter. He didn’t pay the slightest attention to any of the ladies not so subtly checking him out.
When their stop approached
, Keith stood and held out his hand to help Sylvia up. She took it and he held her hand in his as they climbed up to the street level. She felt a small twinge of disappointment when he released her once they had fully exited the station.
“
Let’s try to keep this quick tonight. I want to get this done and get you home.”
Sylvia nodded. This felt more like an unpleasant errand than the interesting
challenge that selecting prey usually felt like to her. It was normally a little bit of a thrill, trying to find the best energy possible to feed from, but as they were in a hurry tonight she knew she’d end up with whatever guy she could swiftly convince to have a quickie with her in some random out of the way place. She did not look forward to it, outside of silencing the inner Hunger that was growing by the minute.
A quick walk got them to the
establishment they had selected to hunt in and Keith held the door open for her as she breezed past him.
“Stay close,
and let me know if you’re going somewhere,” he leaned over and breathed in her ear as she moved by him. She almost lost her footing in her steep heels. His breath in her ear sent a tingling sensation down the length of her spine. Damn him, she mused, unsure if he had done that intentionally, or not.
They stood side by side for a moment, surveying the scene. The Lounge was brimming with the usual drinks-after-work crowd mingling and relaxing after another d
ay at the office. Sylvia walked gracefully over to the bar and took a seat without bothering to see if Keith had followed her or not. No sooner had she sat down when a decent looking guy around thirty years old slid up next to her and offered to buy her a drink.
Sylvia accepted his offer, noting sadly to herself that he was
a low grade energy. Good for getting this whole business done quickly but she knew it wouldn’t sustain her for long. As she flirted with her admirer she noticed Keith standing a few feet behind him, flirting with a raven haired beauty that was reveling in his attention. He caught her eye and winked at her, but she ignored him and turned her attention back to her prey.
“You think we could go somewhere?” she interrupted him mid-sentence.
To his credit his eyes widened only for a second when she made her bold suggestion.
“Your place or mine?”
“I don’t think I can wait that long,” Sylvia told him coyly as she grasped his upper thigh firmly with her free hand.
Two minutes later they were out in the back alleyway, her back against the brick wall and her legs wrapped around him as he pushed her thong aside and entered her forcefully. Sylvia gasped in surprise at his roughness and for one minute regretted not signaling to Keith that she was going outside with this man. He was too wrapped up in his own prey to notice at the time.
As her prey thrust
into her again and again she felt herself relax a bit as his energy transferred to her. She sighed with pleasure as her aching inner Hunger diminished with each of his frantic thrusts.
“Looks like we’re not the only ones with good ideas tonight,” her prey joked, jerking his h
ead to the left to signal she should take a look.
She gasped in surprise when she saw Keith there in the al
leyway with them, only about twenty five feet away. He was facing them, his prey bent over a stack of shipping crates while he took her from behind. She was too wrapped up in her own pleasure to pay Sylvia and her prey any mind. Sylvia’s prey seemed almost more enthusiastic when he discovered they weren’t the only ones having sex in the alleyway. For a moment her eyes locked with Keith’s. She ripped her gaze away, afraid of what she might see in his expression and worried about what he might see in hers.
Her date finished with a bellow a
nd leaned against her for a moment, panting. Sylvia closed her eyes as she untangled herself from him and lowered her legs back to the ground. She tried desperately to block out the sounds of Keith and his prey, who were both getting louder by the minute as their union crescendoed.
“Come on,” her prey motioned for her to follow him back to the club, “
I could use a drink after that, how about you?”
Sylvia held her head high and
stayed as far away from Keith and his prey as she could on her way back into the Lounge. She could feel his eyes upon her as he drove himself into the woman again and again. It took everything she had not to at least glance at them. Deep down inside she felt an unfamiliar twinge of jealousy.
Back in the
Lounge, her prey ordered them both a drink and Sylvia did her best to be polite as she waited for Keith to return so they could leave. The longer she stayed with her prey, the more she worried he’d push to see her again. In time she noticed his roving eye, checking out other women in the club while he chatted with her. She was fine with that. Pleased, in fact. If some other woman could catch his fancy before she had the opportunity to go she could take her leave without an uncomfortable scene.
A few minutes later
she spied Keith’s prey enter the club again and head straight to the restroom. A moment later Keith came through the door, beckoning for Sylvia to leave.
“Wil
l you excuse me, please?” she interrupted her date after she downed the last of her drink.
“Sure thing,” he told her as his eyes follo
wed a buxom redhead passing by.
She
made her way over to Keith. It was hard to look him in the eye after the intimate scene in the alleyway. Despite all of their private times together in the past and the knowledge that each of them needed to hunt she felt slightly uncomfortable. She had never witnessed him with another female before.
“So how was your ‘date’?” Keith asked her amicably as he
tried in vain to flag down a cab.
Sylvia gently pushed him aside and waved down a cab,
who immediately pulled over to them. Keith shook his head in amusement when he saw how easy it was for her when he had just been ignored by the cabbies in the area.
“Fine,” she
replied curtly as she slid into the cab. “How was yours?”
“Boring, full of
herself and loud, but a good time nonetheless.” She could smell the alcohol on his breath as he sat a bit closer to her than he should have when he joined her in the cab.
She
gave the driver her address as Keith casually draped his arm around her shoulders. Confusion muddled her brain. Was this like before, on the street going to the Lounge, when he was a friend offering comfort when she was scared? It didn’t feel like it; it didn’t have that ‘we’re good buddies’ vibe. She couldn’t be sure, though, and didn’t want to insult him. Besides, she had tolerated his casual touch earlier in the evening and it would be rude to suddenly draw a line in the sand about it now. He was just being comfortable with her, nothing more, she decided. She leaned slightly into him and unconsciously inhaled his familiar scent.
“You want some?” He
pulled a silver flask out of his pocket and waved it under her nose. She had no idea he had carried it with him this whole time. Tentatively, she unscrewed the cap and sniffed the open flask.
“Southern Comfort,” she grinned at hi
m before taking a long swallow. “That’s one of my favorites.”
“Mine too.” He took a long swallow as well when she passed it back to him. He offered it to her again once he had his turn but she shook her head. She knew she had to keep her wits about her around Keith and she had already consumed a few drinks at the club. Who knew what could happen if she got drunk with him?
The evening’s dark hid her flushed cheeks as she blushed when she considered exactly what would happen if she got drunk with him.
The cab pulled up to her building and Keith paid the fare as Sylvia stepped out of the cab. Her heart beat a little faster as she once again
thought about the Hunter. Keith grabbed her hand and led her in through the lobby and to the elevator.
“Almost there,” he murmured low in her ear as the elevator depos
ited them on her floor.
He
entered the apartment first to do a quick check around before he motioned for her to come in too. With a sigh of contentment she kicked off her uncomfortable high heels and padded down the hall to change her clothes. It was good to be home; she felt safe again. The evening’s feed wouldn’t last her for long but at least now she was temporarily satisfied. She pulled her top up over her head and threw it into her laundry basket before slipping off her tiny skirt. Something out of place caught her eye when she walked into her closet and headed for the drawers containing her pajamas.
“Keith,” she barely managed to croak as she stood frozen in horror. “Keith. KEITH!” Finally she found the power to yell for him.
She heard her bedroom door burst open as he rushed to her side. He stood next to her, staring at the vase of glorious roses of various colors on the small table next to her chaise lounge.
“Those weren’t
there before, they’re not yours?” Keith demanded.
She
shook her head mutely as she slowly crossed over to the vase and plucked out the note nestled between the lovely roses. With trembling fingers she unfolded it.
Soon
the single word on the note read in the same handwriting as the previous note in her mailbox
.
The room began to spin as Sylvia watched the carpet come rushing at her.
Keith
swooped her up in his arms before she could hit the floor.
“I’ve got you! C
ome on, let’s get you to the couch.” He carried her out of her room, down the hall and gently laid her on the couch. She blinked slowly, trying to force the world back into focus. She was dimly aware Keith was speaking to someone on his cell phone.
“
Yeah, no shit, right in her closet… I know, I’ll look when I can… no, I’m sure he’s gone… I think she’ll be okay in a few. You got it, keep me posted.” He sat down gingerly next to her on the edge of the couch.
“
Sylv, I need to check your room again. Lilith and I think he came in your fire escape, since we know the door was locked when we got home. You stay right here, I’ll be back in a minute.”
The leather couch was cold against Sylvia’s bare skin and with a start she realized she was dressed in nothing but a navy blue demi bra and matching thong. With a shudder she grabbed a throw off th
e couch to cover herself up. Despite the fact he had seen her both in various stages of undress and completely naked before, she suddenly felt a need to be modest in front of Keith.
She strained to hear anything
out of place in the quiet apartment as she waited for his return. Fear clogged her throat as she realized the Hunter could still be in her apartment, hiding somewhere, lying in wait to spring on him… or her. Just as she was about to call out for him she heard him walking back down the hallway towards her.
“It’s all clear. W
e’re alone,” he reassured her as he handed her a sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. Sylvia was touched by his thoughtfulness. The Keith she thought she knew would’ve pretended not to notice her standing around barely dressed, just so he could enjoy the view. To the contrary, he turned to give her a moment’s privacy while she slipped into her clothes.
