Crystal Jordan - Demon's Caress

His voice was remarkably even considering his rigid cock nestled between her buttocks and his fingers still hadn’t left her pussy. He snapped the phone closed and put it away. His thumb stroked her clit one last time before he withdrew from her pants, and she strangled a harsh gasp.

Raum caught Kobal’s hand, drew it to his mouth and sucked her cream from each finger. Kobal groaned, thrusting against Maron’s backside, his energy lashing through their connection. She froze, caught by Raum’s intense gaze and the carnal sight of his mouth playing over his lover’s flesh. A small smile crinkled the corners of his eyes, telling her he knew exactly what effect he had on her and Kobal. He released Kobal’s hand and reached out to fasten her pants for her, the backs of his knuckles brushing over the lower curve of her belly. She forced away the craving that made her want to demand he touch her and lick her, please her as Kobal had done. Only more. Deeper. Both of them together.

No. They wanted more than she was willing to give. They wanted a Demon’s Triad. Some stupid, weak inner longing twisted through her, and she crushed it under her boot heel. No. Sex was one thing, bonding was something else entirely. Never again would she allow herself be so tied to any man, let alone two. She’d played that game before and lost everything. Her confidence, her self-respect and almost, her everlasting life.

A rush of power flooded her, shutting down her thoughts as her back arched in shocked reflex. This demonic power was too strong to belong to any of the three of them. Samael. She focused on relaxing her muscles. It made the transition between locations easier. It felt similar to when she made her body dissipate into shadows, only she plummeted through the shadows into an icy nothingness. The fall lasted forever and was over in moments. She shuddered, shaking off the chill and the arms of the two men who held her between them.

They materialized in Samael’s office. The room was buried deep beneath the L.A. high-rise that housed all of Samael’s operatives. Maron could sense the fields of energy that emanated from the chamber beyond this office—the hellmouth through which Samael delivered the souls they captured. Standing in this room too long always sent goose bumps rippling along her skin.

Samael’s dark gaze swept over the three of them, assessing them, but Maron didn’t know what for. She was certain she wouldn’t like whatever conclusion he’d come to when a smug smile crossed his lips.

“Good work tonight.”

“Thank you, sir.” Kobal smiled, while Raum just nodded respectfully.

Samael waved them off. “Be back tomorrow night for your next assignment. One of the watchers found something interesting for you.”

Meaning all of them. Anger and horror wrestled for dominance within her. He couldn’t possibly mean it. He should know better, and she was damn tired of all three men trying to push her into a bond she didn’t want.

When Raum and Kobal turned for the door, she stayed rooted where she was. Waiting for the door to close behind them, she took a deep breath and quashed her temper. Losing her cool with a high demon wouldn’t help her case.

“Sir, this will not work.” She set her hands on her hips. “I’m more effective with female partners.”

The big man rose from his desk and came around to her side. “Maron—”

“You can’t say I haven’t tried males before. I have. It didn’t work.” Lifting her chin, she tried not to remember that time. Tried to push Shax from her mind. It was ages ago, and she would never make such a mistake again.

Samael sighed and settled against his desk, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “You’re one of my best operatives, Maron.”

“Thank you, sir.” She took a breath as the unexpected and unusual compliment warmed her.

“But…” His eyes narrowed, pinning her in place. “I can’t send you out on more difficult cases because you don’t form deep enough bonds with your partners to raise the kind of energy required to cage that kind of darkness.”

The bottom dropped out of her stomach, and she forced her expression to careful blankness. “I see.”

“The most powerful operatives I send out in the field are bonded Triads. You’re one of my best, Maron, and I want to use you to the best of your ability. I can’t do that with the way things currently stand.” He scrubbed a hand down his face, looking tired. “I’ve made some mistakes with assigning you partners before, I’ll admit, but I want you to give this a chance.”

Mistake. Yeah, that was one word for it, but in the end, the biggest fuck-up had been hers, not Samael’s. It would be easy to blame him for what had happened with Shax, but it wouldn’t be honest. “Sir, with all due respect—”

“Try it for one more case. If it doesn’t fit, no harm, no foul, and I’ll pair you up with someone else.” Samael held up his hand when she opened her mouth. “A female, yes.”

She gritted her teeth, biting back further arguments. “One case.”

“Just one.” Nodding for emphasis, he met her gaze steadily, letting her know he was earnest. He wasn’t the type to jerk her around, and she had over a century of working for him to know.

“Fine.” The word clipped out. While what he offered was fair, she still didn’t like it.

He ignored her terseness. “Good. You can leave at nightfall. I’ll have details on your new target, so be in my office then. Take the day and get to know your partners a little.”

“I know them well enough already,” she growled.

Sniffing the air a bit, he cast her a wicked glance. “Yes, so I assumed. Perhaps try talking to them this time. Or not.” He waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t dictate how these matters unfold.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “None of us would listen if you tried.”

“Exactly. I don’t work with weak demons.” He straightened and moved around to sit behind his desk. “Go on. Out.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir,” she drawled. Spinning on a heel, she then marched toward the door. The hinges squeaked a bit when she opened it, and she almost missed his snort of amusement.

“Evening, Maron.” The huge demon outside Samael’s doors nodded as she stepped into the corridor.

He was a guard, another order of demons who protected the hellmouths throughout the world. Those who made up the watcher order were the ones who lived the most like humans. Their job was to keep an eye on the mortal population and alert high demons like Samael when someone went over to the dark side. That was where hunters like Maron came into play.

The guard’s partner stood the other side of the entry and grinned cheerfully. Guards did best in pairs, hunters in threes, and watchers were solitary beings. Why that was, no one knew. “Heard you nailed another one.”

“Yep.” In the end, that was what mattered most. She’d stopped Norris from raping that human girl, and now the teen might have a chance to turn her life around. Maybe. Maron dealt with too much ugliness to have a lot of faith, but the possibility was there. “It was a rough one, though. I’m hitting the hay. See you guys around.”

They grunted as she strode down the hall to the elevator, and that was the end of the conversation. This pair of guards was one of her favorites. They did their jobs with no muss and no fuss, which sat well with her. That was how she liked it, which was apparently something Samael looked for in his best operatives.

Considering she’d almost flunked out as a hunter at one time, the rare affirmation of how far she’d come had been gratifying. But the idea stung that she could go no further, that she was stunting her own growth by not bonding deeply with her partners. A frustrated growl echoed in the elevator car as it shot up the many floors toward her apartment.