Escape Read online

  He works quickly and smoothly, emptying the bottle in his hands, then cracking open the next. My arms and hands take longer as he focuses on rinsing away every trace of slime before he moves down to my thighs.

  When my front is clean, he has me turn around, and cold vodka splashes over my back. His hands sweep over every plane of my body, sweeping away every trace, and I bite my lip to stop myself from crying.

  I can’t feel the fire in his palms, the nip and burn of his power as it tries to burrow inside. I choke back a sob. “Tobias, something’s wrong with me.”

  “We’ll make it right,” he whispers against my shoulder, and I barely feel the warmth of his breath. “I think I got it all. I’m going to turn the water back on, okay?”

  With a jerky nod, I turn to face the shower head. He sets the empty bottle of vodka on the floor before he reaches for the faucet, turning the shower on once more. His hand, when he reaches for the shower head, trembles slightly, and the show of nerves terrifies me.

  Tobias never shows fear.

  The knowledge that he cares sinks with a heavy weight at the back of my mind. He doesn’t want to be the one that destroys me if the vodka didn’t do the trick.

  When I touch his shoulder, my stomach rolling as I can no longer avoid seeing the red, shiny meat that pokes through places where the slime completely ate through my skin.

  I swallow back thick bile and focus on the hard planes of his profile. “I can do it. You don’t have to.”

  His hand clenches around the shower head. “No, I’ll do it.”

  He lifts it from the bracket and aims it at the drain before switching the water over. It sputters and spits for a moment before it steadies.

  He turns to face me, his expression blank once more. “If this doesn’t work, if the vodka didn’t neutralize whatever that slime is, I’ll bring you back. You understand?”

  “Yes, I trust you.” I hold my hands out from my sides. “Do it.”

  The lukewarm water works its way up my legs, flowing over the least affected part of my body first. If my legs melt away, will he stop and go back to the vodka? I don’t know if I can handle that. I want this over with now.

  His large hand cups over the raw spot on my thigh, blocking the direct flow of water so it trickles through his fingers. The drops hit my skin, more sensation than feeling at first, but as it continues, it begins to burn, then blaze with pain.

  With a screech, I shove his arms away.

  Tobias freezes, the water splashing outside of the tub and onto the tiled floor.

  I cover the place on my thigh, trying to shove away the agony.

  “Let me see.” Tobias grabs my wrist.

  I struggle to resist, but his superior strength wins out. He pulls my hands away and studies the wound.

  After a moment, he releases a shaky sigh of relief. “It’s healing.”

  “Damn fucking straight it’s healing!” I yell as my nerves come back to life with a vengeance. Agony rolls through my body, and it’s not even the worst of the wounds. Tobias lifts the shower head once more, and I flinch back from the spray. “No, I changed my mind! I’d rather melt!”

  Expression determined, he catches me by the back of the neck, shoves me down into the tub, and aims the water so it cascades over me. I shriek and flail, one foot catching Tobias in the gut. With a grunt, he catches my leg and tosses it to hook over the side of the tub as he rinses down my thighs.

  The energy in my core, low as it is from lack of feeding this last week, spindles out to heal my body as fast as possible, but it’s not enough. My nerves grow back, then the first layers of skin, but I still feel raw and exposed.

  My core empties, and my body begins to eat itself, breaking down cells even as it tries to repair itself.

  As if he senses the change, Tobias fists my hair in the back, lifting my face to his.

  Angry that he’s the one hurting me, I snap my teeth at him. He drops the shower head to grab my jaw, forcing my mouth open, and his lips cover mine. I growl into his throat, but he ignores the warning, his tongue pushing in to rub against mine. He tastes of fire, landslides, and electricity, of death and destruction. The succubus part of me takes control, latching onto the power he offers and yanking it out.

  The taste of pennies rolls down my throat along with a flood of energy. It splashes into my empty core, weighing down my body before it floods outward. My skin tingles in the places where the acid slime ate away my flesh, and the pain vanishes. Sensation rushes back, the water becoming warm, Tobias’s hands on me hot as lava. The scent of delicious ozone fills my nose, and I stop struggling to push Tobias away.

  Instead, I dig talons into his shoulders to pull him in.

  With a surprised grunt, his body slides over the edge of the tub to settle over mine, his sweats rough against my naked thighs. The forgotten shower head whips around, spraying water everywhere as my talons sink into his shoulders, yanking his body flush to mine. I need to feel the sparks of his power on my skin, to reassure myself I’m whole again.

  Hot, fiery hands leave my head, skimming over my body, prodding and pressing to ensure I’m healed before they drop to grab my knees and hoist them around his waist. His hard cock presses against my center, the barrier of his flannel pants a cruel tease as he nudges against my entrance.

  My hands drop, shoving under his waistband to dig into his firm ass, urging him on. His hips flex, nudging me again, and desire turns my center to liquid heat.

  One hand slips between our bodies, finding the hard nub at the apex of my sex. His thick figures slip around it, rough and gentle at the same time as he coaxes my need higher.

  The front of his pants grows slick with my desire, slipping shallowly in and out of my body.

  The flow of power slows to a trickle, his lips softening into a real kiss. His tongue urges mine to delve into his mouth, to find the power at the back of his throat. It tastes of flash floods, cool and refreshing as it slides down my throat.

  Between us, his fingers dip lower, replacing the tease of his cock. He rubs along my outer folds, separating them to trace his middle finger across my center. I spread my legs as wide as the tub allows, and my feet find purchase on his calves as I open myself to his exploration.

  He wastes no time as he drives three fingers into my body, stretching my muscles. I gasp at the sudden invasion, my nails digging into his ass as my hips lift into the thrust.

  His fingers twist and scissor inside me, his thumb finding my clit once more, pressing on it with firm, circular motions that make my body hum with need. My inner muscles clench around his fingers, desperate for something thicker, harder, to fill me.

  Mouth leaving mine, his rough cheek scrapes along my jaw, his voice the deep roll of an earthquake that sends my bones vibrating with pleasure. “Are you going to cum from just my hand? Or do you want more?”

  “More,” I whimper, hips rocking on his fingers.

  He licks a fiery path to my ear in reward, and my head falls to one side. “Take out my cock.”

  My hands tremble as I abandon my hold on his ass to find his waistband in front, shoving his wet pajama pants down until his cock springs free. Heavy and burning with an inner heat, it brushes against my shaking thighs.

  “Good,” he purrs, and my whole body shakes. “Now, line me up. Show me how much you want me.”

  My hand curls around his thick shaft, unable to fully connect, and I whimper again. I forgot about the hard little nubs that pebble his cock, forgot the length and breadth of his sex. Imagining it inside me, my inner muscles clench around his fingers again.

  I try to spread my legs wider, frustrated as my knees bump against the edges of the restrictive tub, then moan in protest as his fingers leave me aching and empty.

  My hips lift as I shift him into position, skin against skin. Pre-cum paints my entrance, hot and stinging with power. The blunt head of his cock sinks into my heat, the beginnings of a stretch as he swivels his hips, teasing my opening. My hands move back to his ass to pu
ll him forward.

  His palms slide down my thighs, and he grips my hips, holding me steady as he surges forward.

  A shocked whimper escapes, and my heels dig into his calves as he stretches me open, my body struggling to adjust to his size. Somehow, I forgot how good the little ribs along his shaft felt as they scrape along my inner walls, increasing my sensitivity. I feel full, stretched to my limits, with still more to take.

  His teeth catch my earlobe before he purrs, “That’s right, open up more for me. I’ll give you so much energy. Fill you all up.”

  Slowly, he pulls out, then drives forward once more, pushing deeper with a growl of approval as my body shifts around him, molding to his size, making room as he pushes in still farther.

  One hand leaves my hip to close around my breast, and his head drops, mouth closing over my nipple. Licks of fire lave my sensitive peak, followed by the sharp nip of teeth. My back arches, begging for more.

  With a powerful surge, Tobias sheaths his cock fully inside me, my channel stretched wide. I moan and clench around him, inner muscles rippling around his hard length.

  Pre-cum leaks from his tip with little pops of power that burrow even deeper inside, seeking the places he can’t reach. Another moan escapes, and I roll my hips, thrilling at the heavy slide of his body inside mine. I want more of his cum, needing it to fill my core.

  He stays still, letting me ride his hard cock, talons kneading his ass as I pleasure myself, clit grinding against his pelvis with every downward slide. His fingers already brought me close, and when he bites my nipple, I moan, body tense as my orgasm crests. My inner muscles ripple around his hard length, and more pre-cum leaks out, adding fire to my pleasure.

  “Did that feel good?” he whispers, breath hot in my ear.

  Unable to speak, I nod.

  “How does your body feel? Fully healed?”

  I nod again, my muscles relaxing to leave me a limp, sated puddle beneath him. Between the power he poured down my throat and the pops of power gained from his pre-cum, I’m whole and pain-free once more.

  “Good.” He sits back on his heels, hard cock dragging free from my body, and flips me over.

  Surprised, I catch myself on the lip of the tub, the curved edge hard against my still sensitive breasts. I twist to stare over my shoulder at him. “What—”

  “My turn.” He grabs my hips, lifts my ass, and sheaths himself inside me in one powerful thrust.

  Gasping, my back arches, and I grab the edge of the tub as he pulls out, then thrusts back inside with powerful surges of his hips. My knees knock against the bottom of the tub, my breasts swaying against the side. Hard fingers dig into my hips, pulling me back with every forward snap of his hips. Where he was giving before, now he takes, and my pulse races, blood surging through my body.

  My mouth falls open on desperate gasps, my entire body vibrating as if ready to shake apart.

  Power sings in my limbs, catches in my throat, and fills the air to stroke along my skin. My head falls back, my tongue darting out as I try to drink the air.

  A hard tug on my elbow brings me upright, and Tobias’s thick fingers shove into my mouth, filling me anew. Sparks nip at my tongue, and I reach up to hold his hand against my face as I suck the power from his fingers.

  His other hand stroked down my stomach, fingers slipping between my folds to find my clit. He catches the hard nub between his fingers, pinching lightly as he thrusts hard from behind.

  Teeth catch my ear, and pleasure surges through me. I moan around his fingers, hips rocking.

  “Squeeze me,” he growls, tremors rolling through my body. “Show me how much you want me to cum inside you.”

  I obey, muscles clenching around him as he thrusts in balls deep.

  Deep inside, his cock swells, his knot expanding to lock him inside my body. I whimper, thighs shaking as I struggle against the stretch of my inner walls. Then his dick pulses, hot cum flooding me with power. It rushes through my body, overflowing my core.

  Light explodes behind my eyes, and I rip his hand away from my mouth as I scream with release.

  Twenty minutes later, Tobias carries me out of the bathroom, swaddled in the only dry towel available. We left the bathroom a complete disaster.

  Emil is going to kill us when he sees it.

  A large yawn cracks my jaw, and I snuggle against Tobias’s damp, muscular chest. “I really can walk.”

  His arms tighten around me, an almost tender expression on his face. “I’m shocked you’re not already in hibernation mode. That was a lot of energy you took in.”

  “Hey, I don’t just roll over and pass out right after.” Another yawn fights its way out, and I mush my face against his hard pec, inhaling the delicious scent lava that simmers below the surface. “I got things to do.”

  A deep rumble vibrates through him, rattling my bones. “Like rest.”

  “Like check on Tac and talk to Landon.” My head lolls back, and I stare upside down at Emil’s closed door as we pass. “Why didn’t Emil come back?” My toes flex, and I wiggle, no longer as comfortable in Tobias’s arms. “Do you think Tac is okay?”

  “I’m sure he’s fine.” Tobias turns up the stairs, taking them two at a time. “If something were wrong with the beast, we would know.”

  “How?”

  He glances down at me. “The house would have shaken with Emil’s sorrow.”

  I eye the walls of the staircase, relaxing at the complete lack of ice. He’s right. If Tac were really hurt, the house would be frozen right now.

  At the top of the stairs, Tobias pauses at the threshold to my bedroom. “Let me into your room.”

  Exhaustion must get the better of me because I nod. “You can go in.”

  The weak barrier that blocks the guys from coming and going in my space melts away to allow him entrance. Not like it could have stopped any of the guys if they really wanted to enter my room. But in the time I’ve lived here, they’ve never broken my ward.

  Now, Tobias steps through the door, his dark gaze sweeping over my room as he strides for the bed. He eyes the hideous pink furniture I pulled from the basement and the boxes still stacked against the wall filled with knick-knacks I have nowhere to put but I’m too sentimental to throw out.

  Gentle, he sets me on the large bed, the only solid piece of furniture in the room since I dragged my sofa downstairs. “You haven’t done much with the room.”

  “I mostly only sleep in here.” Shivering, I clutch my towel close, loose hair damp around my shoulders. The loss of the natural, fiery heat of his body leaves me cold.

  “Still.” He gazes around once more with a frown. “Most of the succubi who’ve stayed here decorate more.”

  I stiffen at the reminder of their past lovers. While I know I’m not the first of my kind to live here and siphon off their destructive energy, I don’t like to think of it, or the fact I’m contracted to them in a way similar to how my imps are contracted to me.

  Then his expression clears. “Oh, but you didn’t sign our usual agreement, so you don’t have a living stipend to pull from, I suppose. All your spare money goes to the bakery and those imps of yours.”

  “Living stipend?” I fold my legs onto the bed, trying to pull the towel over my knees with little success.

  “Yes. A very generous weekly allowance.” He frowns at me, then strides for the dresser propped against one wall.

  The fuchsia colored piece of furniture stands out against the wooden walls of my tower, the top bubbly and the three legs narrow spindles that point inward and end on spikes that barely support it. One of the legs broke off before I brought it up here.

  When he pulls open the first drawer, the entire piece wobbles and lists to the side. Tobias swears and steadies it with one hand on the top as he rummages through the drawers for a fresh set of clothes for me. “We should have destroyed this instead of shoving it in the basement.”

  The furniture belonged to their previous succubus, abandoned when she jumped ship as s
oon as her contract expired. “Is there a clause in your regular contract that you get to keep all the furniture?”

  Shoving the bottom drawer shut, he strides back to me, hands full of hot pink fabric. “No, though don’t think Emil didn’t try to put one in. He’s worse than a dragon when it comes to hoarding.”

  “It’s surprising, with how fussy he is about everything being in its place.”

  “He has a hard time letting things go.” Tobias holds the clothes out, and I take them from him, shaking out the shirt.

  I smile at the giant gold letters across the front that spell out YES. Kellen had once pranked me and stolen all of my clothes when I left them unattended in the dryer. In black Sharpie, I added my own words so the shirt now read Say YES to Boo’s Boutique Bakery. I tug on the tiny shirt, which I’m pretty sure he bought in the teen section of the store. My breasts stretch the fabric to capacity.

  The sweats aren’t any better when I tug them on. Across the ass is another modified YES which I fixed to read Say, YES, to one more bite. The clothes were Kellen’s response to my rule board that restricted whether or not the guys could touch me, turning my entire body into a large go ahead sign.

  Tobias eyes me in the outfit, and the corners of his lips twitch. “I still think he should have gotten you the neon-blue set, too.”

  I grin. “Want to paint his office again?”

  Tobias and Emil had helped me exact my revenge on the storm demon by painting his office bright-pink. The first of our bonding experiences.

  “No.” Tobias shakes his head. “I want to lay you down and hold you until you pass out.”

  My eyes drop to the front of his pants, where the wet fabric clearly outlines his semi-hard cock. Yeah, sure that’s what he has in mind. My body still buzzes from our encounter in the shower, my newly healed skin stretched tight with all the power I hold. I’m not sure I can take in any more right now. “Somehow, I don’t think you have sleep in mind.”