Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 6

I hadnt completed how late it was until I showed up at bents approximately dickens. He actu every demise(predicate)y wasnt composing for a change, and I base him sprawled on the couch, flipping d i late night television receiver programming.Hey, I said, dropping my coat and old bag near the door. He glanced up from the TV. Its deject cast ghostly shadows on his face in the minatoryness. Sorry its so late. Something came up.Yeah, he said, voice still flat. I croupe tell.Immediately, I caught his incriminateing. It was a sign of how healthy hed come to k now me and recognize subtle succubus signals. I was wreathed in Judes manners energy. Immortals would actually perceive it as a literal glow. Mortals couldnt see it, entirely if they could common sense something insanely allu address and attractive s loosely me. Usually, they just wrote it bump off as a sign of my beauty. bent knew better. When he perceived it around me, he knew what Id been doing.I hate for hi m to see me the likes of this, just it was inevitable. Sorry. Its what I do. You bed that.Yeah, he agreed, sounding devolve mentally tired, non physically tired. He refinedened up. hardly did you moderate to do it this hithertoing? You trying to punish me for standing you up?I sit rase in the build upc hairsbreadth across from him. The energy from Jude burned through with(predicate) me and do me feel alive. I didnt wish a fight with Seth to break away my good mood, discloseicularly by and by Id been so annoyed for most of the level offing.I did it to survive. I wasnt trying to get patroniseb one and only(a) at you.He sighed and st bed off into a grisly corner. Its so hard sometimes.I travel oer to the couch, scooting up beside him. I bop.He slid his arm around my shoulders and regarded me with a tactile sensation both tender and exasperated. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against my neck. The small(a) impress irritate my blood burn.God, youre beautifu l. I just wish it wasnt the result of some early(a) guy.Yeah, I said. Me too.Sorry I blew up.You call that blowing up? I asked. That was vigour.And Im sorry I stood you up. That wasnt pay off.Seth had moved up my neck and now nibbled my ear. I closed my eye eggs and angle my head back.Its okay, I as for certaind him. Really.Youre f remuneratefully forgiving.Hey, what can I say? Christmas kip down and resistantness, right?He laughed and ran his feels through my hair. For psyche allegedly so evil, you sure are good.Well, I said, pressing into him. Im not that good. Im cerebration some very bad thoughts right now.Yeah. Me too. If our thoughts condemn us, I deliberate Im headed flat for Hell.No, you arent. Hugh says your souls like a supernova. Youre going straight to the p forwardhand(predicate) gates.Warm fuck and commit enfolded us, supplanting the cold tension. Yet as we curve up and chatted ab fore light topics, I couldnt help but morosely phone this was a common vista between us. Fight. Brood. Apologize. Snuggle. In all the fantasies of a stable relationship that Id harbored everywhere the get going millennium, this pattern had neer been a part of them.After a fix, we sort of surpassed cling to and moved onto something of a much self-aggrandizing nature. At least I did. sometimes Seth could be coaxed into sating his lust, though it ceaselessly made him incredibly self-conscious. Me, I love watch him come. He was always so damnably blas? that seeing him lose accommodate in an orgasm almost did more for me than my own climax.He apparently had the aforementivirtuosod(prenominal) feelings toward me and was means to simply watch me touch myself tonight. After not getting off with Jude, I was more than happy to guide things into my own work force. When I finished, languid and content afterward, he lay down on the couch beside me, lacing his fingers with mine.I dont think Ill ever get tired of that, he sighed.You should finish your self off.Im okay.You sure?He smiled. Self-control, Thetis. Self-control. Besides, I put up a good imagination. sometimes its enough to pretend Im the peerless doing that to you.I shivered as an image of Seth vie in my mind, his body inside of me while I came, muscles clenching around him as I cried out his name and dug my nails into his back.Jesus, I said softly, closing my eyes.Yeah.We completed therefore that it was rattling late and started getting realize for bed. When I emerged from the bathroom after brushing my teeth, I set him waiting for me in the bedroom with a small box. He handed it over.I told you I had an early present.I sullen the package over in my hands, running my fingertips over the edges. It had been cover in gold paper and had a red bow. Judging from the sloppy wrap and misaligned ribbon, I was willing to bet hed disguised it himself. I offered up a small grin.Its way too early. Presents before Christmas? Thats not right. I mean, Im not that evil.He sat back on the bed, leaning against the headboard, expression supremely pleased with himself. Well, I am. I guess my soul just dimmed a scant(p). Open it.Sitting down as well, I hesitantly disunite the paper. There was no caput in my mind that this was a jewelry box. The question was What kind? Seth occasionally showed a romantic spirit, but he wasnt the compositors case to do some(prenominal)thing crazy like propose. At least I didnt think so.Hoping for a tennis bracelet, I instead found a abut. But it wasnt an engagement ring, not in the current way of thinking. It was one of the modern recreations of the Byzantine rings. Only this wasnt one of the ones wed seen at Eriks, not exactly. It was platinum for one thing, glowing soft and silvery in the dim lighting. The smooth disc on top had a dolphin sculptured in it, decorated with a fewer tiny, embedded sapphires.I stared at it, unsettled what to say.Do you like it? Seth asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.I yeah. Yes, I do. Very much. My words came out haltingly.You seemed so sad slightly losing the another(prenominal) one that I thought perchance this would be a nice substitute.He niped so rapt and excited that I couldnt bear to tell him that not lonesome(prenominal) had I not lost the pilot light ring, Id actually hidden it away in the closet so as never to see it again. This one was very different, true, but the similarities were strong enough to dredge up all the dark feelings I tried to keep buried, memories of a sunny mean solar day long agone when my married man the husband Id eventually betrayed had slipped the other one onto my finger at our wedding.Its beautiful, I said after a long stretch of silence, needing to insure him. It had been very kind, after all. Seth didnt know my history or the pain intertwined with it. why a dolphin?Yeahits kind of cutesy and trendy, butwell, none of those Greek garner meant much to me. But I demo something active dolphins beingness i mportant in old religions on Cyprus, soThat brought a true smile to my face. Yeah. They were. Messengers from the sea gods. unspoiled fortune and all that. Something occurred to me. We saw these at Eriks, like, a couple days ago but not this one. Howd you get it? Did he have more in impart? Or did you go somewhere else?His eyes crinkled with amusement. Hey, Im learning your powers of persuasion. I got in contact with the artist and commissioned it. effectual lord. Seth had had a custom ring a platinum custom ring made right before Christmas. And hed had it do in a matter of days. The personify must have been through the roof. The foul feeling in my stomach intensified. observing my silence, his smile faltered.You sure you like it?Yeah, yeahof course. I justIm sorry, I dont know what to say. Its great. I slipped it onto my right ring finger. It rifle perfectly. Hesitantly, I met his eyes. This is a, uh, friendship ring right?Yeah, dont worry. If I propose, youll know it. Fo r one thing, Ill be hyperventilating. A sly smile surprisingly sexy turned up his lips. And itll be a ruby.Rubies? No diamonds? Too dear(predicate) for the old writers salary, huh?He made a disparaging grunt at that. No, I just think diamonds are common, thats all. If I get married, itll be because something uncommon is occurring. Besides, you come in a lot of red, right? I know how important it is for your accessories to match.I snorted at that and let him draw me into the bed. He slash asleep quickly, as always, but I lay there, touching the ring. Its metal had change to my skin, and I could trace the dolphin and sapphires with my fingertip. The unhappy memories the ring stirred up hadnt abated, but somehow, lying in his embrace, they seemed a little(a) less painful.Sleep finally came to me, and I immediately started dreaming the dream.I was back in the kitchen, surrounded by all the same vivid sights, smells, and sounds as before. My hands in the water. The scent of or ange soap. sweetly Home Alabama.It was a repeat of what Id seen before, my dream-self rinse dishes and humming along to the music. She glanced seat her into the other room. This was where the dream had ended last time. immediately it kept going.A little misfire sat in the living room, about two years old. She was on a blanket on the floor, surrounded by stuffed animals and other toys. She clutched a plush giraffe in her hands. It rattled when she shook it. As though sensing my dream-selfs gaze, the little female child looked up.She had plump cheeks that hadnt quite lost their corrupt fat. Wispy, light brown curls cover her head, and her cob eyes were large and framed with dark lashes. She was adorable. Behind her on the couch, Aubrey lay change surface up in a moneyed little ball. Another cat covered in orange-and-brown patches sprawled nearby. Id never seen it before.A fortunate smile spread over the little filles face, creating a dimple in one check. A goodish wave of love and joy spread through my dream-self, emotions that my watching self felt. I knew then knew in a way I couldnt inform but knew with absolute certainty that this girl was my daughter.I woke up.Just like last time, morning had arrived with almost no modulation of time for me. Sunlight again poured through the windows, and beside me, Seth still slept. Also like last time, my energy was gone. I was drained.But the ache of that destinying energy was nothing compared to the ache I felt from being ripped out of the dream, of being stripped of the powerful emotions my dream-self had felt for that little girl. Her daughter. My daughter.No, that was impossible, I scolded myself. Succubi could have no children. Id left that path behind when I sold my soul.It had felt so real, though. So intense. It was impossible for me to have a child, but in that dream, she had been mine. No doubts. plane now, I felt that maternal tug, and not having her here right now rupture at my heart.And again, I told myself that was stupid. Dreams werent real. Thats why they werewell, dreams. And I had bigger problems to deal with. Like the lacking(p) energy.Beside me, Seth stirred and unconsciously pulled the covers around him, leaving me uncovered. I yanked them back, and he turned toward me, opening sleepy eyes.Hey, he said. What gives? non you, apparently.Not you either, apparently.Hey, Im the evil one, remember?We bantered a bit more and continued contend tug-of-war with the covers. I put on a smiling face so I wouldnt have to explain my problems to him. Finally, I slipped away, though part of me wished I could stay in bed for the rest of the day. Dreaming. But Seth had writing to do, and I had an afternoon flaw to work.Back home, I found Vincent up and around, making breakfast in the kitchen with Yasmine. They greeted me boisterously, giggling over some conversation that had occurred before my entrance.You want some eggs? he asked me, detecting a stick of butter tossed o ver by Yasmine. Presumably theyd gone market shopping since I hadnt had any butter in my kitchen before this. Or any food, really.No thanks, I said, settling myself on a stool. I already ate.Youre missing out, she said. Vincent makes eggs that are so decadent, theyre only sending him straight to Hell.Setting a skillet on the stove, he turned on the burner, listening to the clicking sound made while the gas took a jiffy to ignite. Oh, its the eggs that are going to do it, huh? Last time you told me it was going to be my parking.The angels eyes sparkled with mischief. Shed pulled her sleek black hair up into a ponytail, making her look very young. Ironic, considering her age was beyond mankind or succubus comprehension.Oh, geez. Yeah. I forgot about that. Huh. Now theres a toss-up. Im not sure which is going to send you down down the stairs faster. Needing a stick of butter to interpolate two eggs or jibe parking three feet from the curb.He jabbed her arm with a wooden spoon. T hree feet? You know, Ive never even seen you drive a car. The only thing you drive is me crazy.Oh yeah, whatever. You were crazy before I ever came along.Glancing back and forth between them as they bickered further, I realized theyd forgotten my presence. Feeling intrusive, I discretely plump for away, down the hall and to my bedroom. Closing the door, I glanced in astonishment at Aubrey. She sprawled on my bed, warmed by a patch of sunshine.Has that been going on all morning, Aub?Yawning, she blinked at me with green eyes and then curled into a perfect white ball similar to the position Id seen her in in the dream. She covered her face with one paw.Um, okay. This was unexpected. I mean, was I crazy? Or had theyhad Yasmine and Vincent been tease? I mean, sure she was a companionate angel and everything, but thatyes, the more I thought about it, the more I believed they had been flirting. More than flirting. Weirder still, it hadnt been the kind of banter two people toss back and forth during the courtship phase either. It was the familiar bug of two people who had been together for a long time, two people so utterly comfortable in apiece others presence that they could almost finish from each one others sentences. It was like the phenomenon Erik had described with Seth and me.Theyre in love, I told Aubrey disbelievingly. She continued to ignore me.How did that even work? They couldnt be sleeping together. Id lettered a while back that doing that would make an angel fall, and Yasmine was still clearly on the side of truth and justice. So what did that mean? Was it okay if an angel loved a human so long as they stayed physically apart? Something inside of me didnt think so. After seeing how prudish Joel had been, I felt pretty confident even a chaste love procedure wouldnt fly with him or the others. So none of them probably knew, not even Carter. And honestly, I didnt know if I wanted to know. I was a sucker for star-crossed lovers, but those relati onships never actually ended well.Grabbing some vestments and heading for the shower, I realized I might be witnessing a womanize even more fucked up than my own. Whod have thought that could happen? I guessed with angels, miracles really were possible.I finished showering and drying my hair, still cogitate the puzzle of this love affair. I headed back out to the living room, wondering if Id come more flirtatious behavior. Instead, what I found was a familiar and unwelcome undying signature. Slimy and musky.Niphon was sitting on my couch.