Wicked Pleasure (14 page)

“Do you want me to go inside and tell you what's happening, Kim?”
Asima looked eager to spy out the situation.

“No. You guys have to stay outside. Brynn will be embarrassed enough when I go in without me sending you in, too.” How was she going to get inside? She narrowed her gaze on the cats. Hmm.

“Embarrassed? Why would he be embarrassed?”
Asima looked truly puzzled.

Ganymede made a rude noise. “Because he might be doing something of a sexual nature. Duh?”

“Asima, you have more power than I do, so why don't you open the door for me?” Kim had witnessed firsthand Asima's ability to unlock doors.

Asima seemed torn.
“I have a curious nature, but as much as I'd like to see what's happening, it might not be right to barge in if Brynn's—”

“I'll open the door for you.” Ganymede didn't sound puzzled. He sounded like he understood what was going on.

Kim decided she'd wonder about that later. Right now she needed into that room. And if she thought too long about what she intended to do, she might be tempted to walk away. “Do it now.”

With an almost inaudible click, the door swung open.

“I still don't understand why Kim has to go into that room in the first place. And I think there's one too many cats in this hallway.”
This aimed at Ganymede. Asima had shifted from puzzled to irritated.

Kim stepped quietly into the room. As the door swung closed behind her, she heard Ganymede's whispered reply. “I'll explain, and then after this is over maybe we can raid the kitchen together. I'm a good guy once you get to know me.”

Kim didn't have to sneak, because there was some sort of Celtic New Age music playing. Besides, Liz had her back to the door and was so focused on Brynn that she wouldn't have heard an army of vampire slayers charging into her room. But then Kim had no room to criticize, because she was so riveted by what she saw that the same army of slayers could've trampled her into the carpet on their way to Liz, and she wouldn't have cared.

Kim covered her mouth to muffle her gasp.

Brynn lay on his stomach, naked and spread-eagled across the bed. Liz had evidently been in too much of a hurry to do anything more than yank the pillows from the bed. She'd left the deep red bedspread in place, a crimson pool around his golden body.

Eyes widened in horror, Kim stared at his wrists and ankles tied to the bedposts and then skimmed the angry welts marring the smooth, muscular expanse of his back and buttocks.

“No man has excited me this much in two hundred years. It was almost worth losing you to that bitch last night.” Dressed as the dominatrix from hell with stiletto-heeled boots, black fishnet stockings, and leather everything, Liz looked in her element. She trailed the tip of a wicked-looking whip over his abused body until it slid between his open thighs. She let the tip rest against his exposed balls. “I mean, if you hadn't gone off with her, I wouldn't have an excuse to punish you. Now that you've learned your lesson, you can give me pleasure for the rest of the night. How does that sound to you, hmm?”

“If that's what you want, then I want it, too.” Brynn had turned his face away from Liz, so Kim couldn't see his expression, but the absence of any emotion in his voice said it all.

Kim took her hand away from her mouth and exhaled on a hiss of fury. The noise was too loud for even Liz to ignore. She spun to face Kim, her mouth twisted into an angry snarl.

Kim had learned a long time ago that perception was everything when dealing with demons and hopefully vampires. She slid into her kick-ass demon-hunter persona. “Hi, Liz. Oh, and the bitch is back.”

“Where the hell did you come from?” Liz took a threatening step toward Kim. “Didn't anyone ever tell you what happens to people who interfere with a vampire's recreational time?” Her smile was slow and confident. “They end up a dry husk.”

That should've been Kim's signal to run like the devil, but she was too ticked off to pay attention to signals. “Let him go.”

Liz laughed, but beneath the light trill of amusement moved a malevolence Kim could feel as a cold slide of danger across her skin.

“He's mine until tomorrow. Aren't you, gorgeous?” Liz didn't turn her head to look at Brynn. Her unblinking stare stayed fixed on Kim.

The silence dragged on for so long that Kim thought he might not answer. But finally it came. “Yes.” Once again, there was no inflection in the one word to give Kim a hint of his feelings.

Liz's smile widened in triumph. “See. He wants me. Now, if you leave like a good girl, I might not rip your throat out.”

Okay, that did it. Kim didn't like to hurt things, but she felt a really unholy need to hurt this woman. She couldn't remember ever being this mad. She lifted Fo and turned her to face Liz. “Let him go.”

Liz yawned. “You've officially bored me. And as much as I'd like to drink a toast to Brynn with your blood, I can't risk everyone getting bent out of shape. So I'll settle for beating the crap out of you.” She sneered at Fo. “And your toy won't stop me. I'm not a demon.”

With that contemptuous dismissal of Fo's power, Liz became vampire. Jeez, instant ugly. Liz in her vampire form was almost as disgusting as the demons that had mooned Kim. Huge black eyes and long, sharp fangs. Ugh, ugh, ugh. She didn't look cute and perky anymore. Hey, things weren't all bad.

Behind Liz, Kim could hear Brynn struggling to free himself. He'd evidently come out of whatever trancelike state he'd been in. “Get out, Kim.”

“Not until I take care of Fang Girl here.” For the first time, Kim smiled. “Fo might not be able to destroy you, but she can sure give you something to think about.” She pressed Fo's red button and watched the powerful beam score a direct hit on Liz's face.

Kim winced at Liz's shriek. Liz threw her hands over her eyes. “You blinded me! I can't see. I don't care what the others say, I'm going to kill you.” She growled her fury as she flung herself in the direction of Kim's voice.

“Um, I'd watch out for that chair . . . Oops. Bet that hurt.” She watched Liz untangle herself from the fallen chair. But before Kim could say anything else, the door crashed open, and Ganymede padded to her side. Asima stood in the doorway, watching with wide blue eyes.

“Relax, your favorite cosmic troublemaker is here to save your butt. Just step aside.” He glared at Liz, but then his gaze slid past her to where Brynn still lay tied to the bed. “Wow, that doesn't look like fun, pal.” Forgetting about Liz, who was staggering around bumping into furniture, Ganymede padded over to Brynn. The bindings immediately fell away from Brynn's wrists and ankles.

Brynn winced as he rolled over and sat up. He didn't look toward Kim. But he didn't have to, because his emotions hit her with enough force to back her up. Anger, embarrassment, and self-loathing washed over Kim. He must've been holding them in check until now. She took a deep breath and forced the emotions aside.

Fine, so he was royally steamed at her for turning this into a circus. Could she help it that Ganymede and Asima had tagged along? Absolutely not. And as it turned out, she'd needed them. She understood his anger and embarrassment, but they needed to have a long talk about his self-loathing.

Right now though, Kim had other things to worry about. Like how to get Liz under control. She didn't fool herself. Blind or not, with Liz's strength, she could rip Kim apart if she caught her.

“I'll get her out of here for you, Kim.”
Asima had finally decided to enter the room.

Liz was still screaming obscenities. Luckily, it was early in the evening, so most people with rooms on the second floor were somewhere else. But the noise would eventually draw attention. And more attention was exactly what Brynn didn't need.

“For crying out loud, Liz, you'll be able to see again in a half hour. Cut the screeching.” Kim frowned. Her assurance hadn't lowered Liz's volume one decibel.

“Don't worry, I'll take care of her. You take care of Brynn.”
Asima stared at Liz, and the vampire grew silent.
“Come with me into the hallway.”
Strangely passive, Liz left the room with Asima, only knocking over a lamp and walking into the wall once.

Kim couldn't begin to wrap her mind around the kind of power she was seeing from both Ganymede and Asima. All she cared about now was getting Brynn some privacy. “Thanks for your help, Ganymede, but Brynn can handle it now. And Asima could probably use your help.” She didn't try to make eye contact with Brynn.

Ganymede ignored her and spoke to Brynn. “Hell, talk about crazy broads. Okay, so some people like their sex kinky, but it looked like she was the only one having a good time. Why'd you let her tie you up like that?” Something furtive shone in Ganymede's amber eyes.

Brynn didn't try to cover himself. He didn't care about his nudity. Kim had seen him tied, whipped, and helpless. She'd rescued him. He should feel gratitude. He only felt anger. She'd stripped him of whatever little pride he had left after Liz got through with him. So now she could look at his body or not, because he didn't give a damn.

But Ganymede wanted an explanation. Brynn would tell him the bare-bones truth, because he found that he did have a little pride left. He didn't want the cat to think he'd given in to Liz without a fight.

“I'm a demon of sensual desire. If I spend more than an hour with a woman, she owns my body for the night.” He shrugged. “I have to give her pleasure in whatever way she wants.” That's all Ganymede needed to know.

“So you're a sex demon? Cool. Bet it's good most of the time, right? Sex with lots of different women? You gotta love it, right?” Ganymede looked a little too hopeful.

Was he crazy? “I hate it. I don't know who or what made me, but turn me loose in a room with the bastard for five minutes, and there won't be enough left to chuck back into hell.”

Ganymede's gaze skittered away from Brynn. “Yeah, I guess I see your point.” The doubt in his voice said he didn't see it at all.

Brynn had purposely avoided looking at Kim. He looked now. She must've gone into the hall while he was talking to Ganymede because she was just returning.

“Donna took Liz away. After Eric explained what Liz was up to, Donna yelled at all of them for not telling her sooner, and then she rushed up here to help.” Kim didn't look ready to meet his gaze either. She was studying a spot about a foot above his head. “Donna is really ticked off. At Liz for being such a bitch and at all of you guys for keeping her out of the loop about what Liz was doing. She said you needed to lose the ego thing and let your friends help. She promised that Liz would never bother you again.”

Bother you
. Such a weak phrase to describe what Liz had in mind. “Yeah, that's great.” Now he'd have to listen to Donna's lecture. Didn't any of them understand that he'd rather spend a thousand nights with Liz rather than be viewed as a powerless sexual pawn?

“Well, since everyone's okay, guess I'll get moving.” Ganymede seemed a little too anxious to leave. “Maybe I can catch up with Asima. Hot babe.” He paused in the doorway. “Oh, how about not telling Sparkle what I just said.” And then he was gone. The door closed behind him.

“Thanks for your help.” Brynn knew his voice didn't say thanks. It said,
Butt out of my life.
“I need to get my head together for tonight's fantasies.” He swung his feet to the floor, stood, and walked to where he'd carefully folded his clothes over the back of the chair. He dreaded feeling the scrape of cloth against his welts, but at least Liz hadn't broken the skin, so he wouldn't bleed on his white costume.

“You're kidding.”

He met her gaze. She didn't look particularly apologetic about anything. “I have a job to do.” Brynn forced himself not to grimace as he pulled on his costume. Damn, that hurt. The castle's Handsome Prince wouldn't be carrying any fair maidens to safety tonight. Liz had really put a hurting on him.

“Don't you dare leave this room. I'll buy some cream from one of the stores in the lobby to put on your back and . . . Um, on your back.” She edged toward the door. “And you're crazy if you try to work tonight.”

“Don't bother. I'm fine.” Lies. All lies. He wasn't fine. He hurt inside and out. Brynn waited until she'd hurried from the room before making his way slowly and painfully to his kitchenette for a glass of water.

As much as he hated to admit it, Kim was right. His costume rubbing against his skin was torture. Exhaling in disgust, he called Holgarth to let him know he needed a sub for the night. Holgarth didn't complain or make one sarcastic comment. Brynn wished he'd done both. Right now, he viewed all kindness as translating into pity. He didn't want people's damned pity. Raking his fingers through his tangled hair, he consigned all vampire bitches to the deepest depths of hell. Oh, wait, couldn't do that. He was already there.

Ripping off his costume, he flung it to the floor. Then he paced naked. Would she come back with the cream? He didn't care. But if she did, let her walk in and find him like this. He didn't care. Would she apologize for calling humiliation down on him? He didn't care. Would she offer to smooth the cream over his body? He . . . did care.

As much as he hurt, the thought of her fingers sliding over his flesh had one part of his body on the road to a quick recovery. How could she do that when he was so ticked off at her?

While he was busy trying to convince his cock it needed to get with the program and buy into his I-don't-care philosophy, she opened his door and walked in.