Levi’s strong hands closed around her hips, holding her in place for a long moment while he sucked in large, deep breaths.
Good, she wasn’t the only one so affected by this arrangement.
There was something decidedly erotic about him taking her when she couldn’t move or help—something similar to being tied up while a lover pleasured her. Of course, Levi wasn’t her lover, she reminded herself forcefully. He was a means to an end, a client who had paid well at Sinner’s Redemption and a man who would help her and Jethro make it safely to Lilith’s lair.
Several long seconds later, Levi blew out a long, slow breath before he used his grip on her hips to grind her against him, ripping a moan from her throat and coaxing the first hot drop of pre-come from Levi.
As the life-giving essence hit her internal walls, a small explosion of energy surged through Amalya as her body greedily absorbed what was offered and converted it to usable energy inside her.
Levi slowly lifted her, sliding his cock nearly out of her before impaling her again in a slow, torturous movement that made Amalya whimper with impatience.
“Relax, my beauty. Let me pleasure you.” His deep voice feathered against her like a dark caress, making her shiver.
Damn it! She wanted him fast and hard. She wanted him to come inside her and replenish her energy so she could regain the distance between them that her anger and hurt demanded.
Instead, Levi touched her tenderly, as if she were precious, drawing out her pleasure, and his own, while giving her the energy she both craved and needed.
After several minutes of the exquisite, slow torture at Levi’s set pace, Amalya’s body began to slowly respond to her wishes and she was able to sit up on her own. She anchored her hands on Levi’s shoulders as she began to set her own pace.
However, when she began to move, rather than the quick, frenzied passion she thought she wanted, she kept the torturous slow pace he’d begun as she met and held Levi’s dark gaze.
He watched her, his gaze burning into hers as if he memorized every second.
The intimacy of the gaze pierced her deep and she mentally set space between them. She closed her eyes, her work persona clicking into place as she remained impassive and apart from him. She leaned back, lifting her wet hands to her breasts, tweaking her aching nipples as she rode Levi’s cock.
He was just a means to an end. She needed his come and that was all.
She repeated those two sentences like a mantra.
He hadn’t earned anything else.
Her gift tried to tell her the lie of her own thoughts, but she shoved it aside.
“I’m not your bloody blow-up doll.” The anger vibrating in his voice bit against her skin like an accusation, but she ignored him and continued to ride.
One strong arm came around her, pulling her close and tipping her against him. In a quick move, he pushed up and stood, lifting her, still impaled on his hard cock, and forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist for balance. Dripping water across the floor, he walked into the bedroom and then gently but firmly laid her on the bed, pinning her under his weight.
Amalya began to protest, but then he thrust hard inside her ripping a gasp from her throat as searing arousal shot through her, scattering her thoughts.
That first hard thrust was followed by another and another until Levi was pistoning inside her, causing a cascade of sensations to explode through her and swell into a growing maelstrom.
Through her haze of arousal, a single coherent thought found its way through. He was using her as she’d tried to use him mere moments ago—as a means to an end.
Amalya’s anger stirred, feeding the growing pleasure that churned inside her ever tighter. She should be happy that he’d decided to keep his emotional distance as she’d dictated, but emotions and logic rarely saw eye to eye.
Amalya had spent millennia keeping distance, and she’d match her experience against Levi’s any day. If he wanted to play, she was more than ready.
She tightened her grip on his shoulders, digging her nails in deep and enjoying the way his cock hardened even further inside her. More pre-come hit her internal walls and her body greedily absorbed it, sending an explosion of exquisite sensations through her while Levi continued to thrust inside her.
When her vision cleared, she opened her eyes to find Levi’s eyes closed, his expression closed off as if he were masturbating.
Irritation snapped through her and she shoved the sensation away, forcefully reminding herself that this was what she wanted. A devious desire for revenge snaked through her and she smiled to herself as she widened her thighs, welcoming him deeper.
His gasp and sudden moan sent satisfaction spiraling through her.
So, the man isn’t granite after all
.
Levi increased his speed, driving into her so hard that any human woman would be bruised and sore afterward. Instead, Amalya tightened her inner muscles around him, enjoying the slap of his testicles against her sensitive slit as he pounded into her. The scent of their combined arousal perfumed the air, a sweet musk that both teased and beckoned.
Just as Amalya neared her own orgasm, Levi’s movements became frenzied and urgent, his harsh breath chuffing out as if he’d just run a marathon and he was eager to cross the finish line.
Anticipation of both her release and needed sustenance spread through her and she dug her fingernails into his shoulders again, holding on as if he could anchor her to the earth.
The extra friction met his hard cock and Levi cried out, stiffening over her as his hot seed spurted inside her.
Amalya’s body greedily absorbed Levi’s essence sending her over the edge with her own orgasm and also igniting dozens of white-hot explosions inside her.
Her vision flashed with white stars, and waves of pleasure crashed over her until she thought she would drown.
Finally her screaming lungs reminded her to suck in a much-needed breath and she blinked open her eyes as Levi pulled out of her and turned away from the bed.
He swallowed hard before speaking over his shoulder. “You’ve had your sustenance now, love. Jethro is downstairs if you fancy a more leisurely fuck or even a meal.”
His words were calm, but Amalya could sense the thin thread of anger that rode just under them.
She lay on the bed, her thighs still spread and the moisture from her arousal and orgasm still wet against her inner thighs as he walked out the door without looking back.
Guilt wormed its way deep into her gut as she realized how she’d treated Levi, but she shoved it back. It was about time he realized how it felt to be on the other end of such treatment. She refused to let his little exercise in guilt and shame bother her. After all, she hadn’t asked him to come on this trip and provide for her. She and Jethro would’ve made it to Lilith’s lair fine on their own.
They didn’t need Levi and his overblown ego.
Liar!
her internal voice mocked her once again.
She shoved it aside, unwilling to entertain for even a moment that Levi’s heavy-handed ways were a necessary evil to get her to Lilith’s lair safely.
She pushed up to sitting, surprised to find herself still weak, although being able to move was a huge improvement. The walk to the bathroom was stilted and slow, but she managed it and then sank down on the toilet to clean up. Long after she was finished, she sat as weariness closed over her like a heavy blanket.
She had energy but could use more, not to mention food, water, and sleep.
Finally when her legs began to fall asleep, she forced herself to stand and venture back inside the bedroom where her clothes lay on an armchair. It took all her willpower to pick up each garment and slip it on, and in the end, she decided to go barefoot rather than spend the extra effort to put on her shoes.
If Levi thought she would beg for his help again, he would be disappointed. Instead, she concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other until she found the main staircase where she was forced to sit down on the top stair to rest and recover from the exertion of dressing and making it this far.
Levi’s come had brought her back from the brink of death, and she couldn’t help but be grateful for that. But she’d saved his life first, so now she supposed they were even.
“That doesn’t give him the right to be a haughty bastard,” she muttered under her breath as frustration and irritation swirled through her.
She thought about calling for Jethro to ask for his help making it down the stairs, but she refused to give Levi the satisfaction of seeing her ask for help from anyone. Instead, she stretched her legs until her feet hung over the step below her. Then she scooted her ass forward until her feet landed on the step two below her and she could lower herself down one step.
It took her nearly twenty minutes of slow scooting and lowering to finally reach the bottom of the long stairway, especially since she was forced to stop frequently to rest and recover her strength. She tried to make as little noise as possible and was grateful when neither of the men came to investigate.
She leaned against the banister, her strength entirely gone. Her eyelids were heavy and a long sleep sounded like a very good idea even though her stomach rumbled reminding her that she also needed food and water to help her recover.
But in the end, the lethargy that stole over her won out and she turned sideways on the bottom stair, resting her back against the side banister and stretching out her legs across the bottom step as she resigned herself to a quick power nap here on the cold hardwood.
8
Levi walked away
from Amalya with anger churning inside him like a volcano ready to erupt. He had been surprised and angry when Amalya had shied away from his kiss in the tub. She couldn’t still be upset about him not telling her who he was up front, could she?
He shook his head, dismissing the thought. She was an intelligent being and surely she’d reconciled herself to the necessity of that before now. After all, if she hadn’t been at better than full strength, she might well have not survived the run-in with the shades.
As it was, it had taken both he and Jethro to warm her up enough so she wasn’t shivering before they could undress her and get her in the tub.
And then she’d refused to kiss him!
He bristled at the uncomfortable memory.
He might not know a lot about succubi, but he did know kissing was a valid way of transferring energy, which she was still badly in need of if her pale features were any indication. He shook his head and padded down the hall naked since all his clothes were still inside the room where Amalya lay. A few steps took him to the guest room where he pulled open the closet praying the farmer kept extra clothes in here.
Levi wasn’t a modest man by nature, but he also didn’t relish the notion of going downstairs to discuss the next steps with Jethro in his current state of undress.
He was relieved to find the closet jam-packed with clothes, and from the stale, musty scent that greeted him, none of them had been touched in quite a while. He flipped through the odd assortment—jackets to Halloween costumes and everything in between—except a pair of trousers that might fit him.
He’d just begun to think giving up would be the best strategy when on the very last hanger he found a pink terry-cloth robe. He grit his teeth and bit back his pride as he pulled it off the hanger and held it up in front of him. Whoever had worn the robe had been very short and very round, but thanks to their girth, it looked like it would fit, although he’d have to be very careful about bending over.
Ignoring the mothball scent that clung to the fabric, he slipped on the robe. It wrapped around him easily but only fell to just above his knees. If he bent over, he’d give someone a ball’s eye view. But at this point, he’d rather suffer wearing this than returning to the room where he’d left not only his clothes but also Amalya and the urge to shake her until she saw reason.
What was it about her that unsettled him? He was normally unflappable, especially with women, but from the very first time he’d laid eyes on her, she’d gotten under his skin and pulled reactions from him that no one had since his childhood.
Once he’d realized the extent of her rebellion in the tub, he’d tried to beat her at her own game, but the little minx had neatly turned the tables on him—no doubt from all the skills learned in her profession. He had to admit, she’d surprised him, and broken his hard-won control at the same time.
He would admit some grudging respect for her if it hadn’t severely bruised his ego in the process. The damned woman had been at death’s door. Didn’t she realize he’d only been trying to restore her energy?
He huffed out a long breath and squared his shoulders as he headed downstairs, braced for Jethro’s reaction to his colorful attire.
When he entered the kitchen, he found the man cooking, which meant the electricity was back on.
Without turning, Jethro asked, “How is she?”
“Stubborn woman,” Levi mumbled in answer as he took a seat at the kitchen table and tried in vain to find a sitting position that didn’t leave his bare ass on the cold wooden chair.
Jethro turned to glance over his shoulder and Levi gritted his teeth as the man did a double take. “I’m not sure I want to know about your wardrobe choice, but I am concerned about Amalya,” he said finally before turning back toward the stove.
Jethro’s amused voice did little to calm Levi’s churning emotions. “She’s still weak.”
“Unable to give her enough energy, Your Grace?”
Irritation snapped through Levi at Jethro’s mocking tone and he glared at the back of the shorter man’s head. “Stop calling me ‘Your fucking Grace.’”
Jethro turned to give a courtly bow coupled with a knowing smirk. “As you wish, my lord.” He dropped pasta into the boiling water on the stove and stirred it with a long-handled spoon.