Her Incubus Master (The Children of Lilith) (7 page)

"Katie?"

Okay, that was weird.
She closed her eyes, trying to
block out the disturbing hallucination. "I'm fine," she said.
"And that was..." she tried to think of a word other than the
over-used
amazing
. "Yeah, you're the God of Sex. It's
official."

"You give the best compliments, beautiful girl."
He laughed and kissed her belly, his hands warm on her hips.

She felt him work his way down, felt his mouth trail kisses
along the skin of her inner thighs, felt his breath warm on her pleasantly-sore
folds.

"I want to taste you," he murmured from a prone
position between her legs, his lips brushing against her now exquisitely-sensitized
clit.

Katie squirmed, her eyes still closed. "You don't have
to," she protested. "You've already done so much—I've never had
multiple orgasms before."

And she had never been able to come from just oral sex. Why
not stop while she was ahead?

"And I think you have one more left to give me,"
he said, ruthlessly. "You promised me
all
of your climaxes, and I'm
holding you to it."

"No more vibrators, please," she begged. "I'm
kind of sore."

"No toys," he agreed. A slow swipe of his tongue
made her draw a sharp breath. "You won't need them now."

And despite her doubts, she didn't. Her nerve endings hyper
sensitized, she found his mouth and fingers more than enough stimulation to
bring her up to the edge one last time.

He didn't make her ask for permission this time, just took
her swollen clit between his lips and mercilessly employed his tongue.

Her orgasm was languorous this time, the pleasure drawn out
in long waves.

When it was finally done, she was chilled, her teeth
chattering, but more relaxed than she had ever felt.

"You were wonderful, beautiful girl," he told her,
untying her with swift efficiency, pausing to kiss her gently before helping
her crawl under the coverlet. Then he left.

Katie lay in his bed, half-dozing and feeling too wrung-out
to move, and listened to him moving around in his kitchen. The delicious smell
of hot chocolate preceded him back up his stairs.

"I remember promising you a snack and I always keep my
promises," Andras said.

Katie opened her eyes, and was relieved to find that the
weird visual trick had passed, and that he looked normal again.

With his help, she struggled to a sitting position,
bolstered by pillows and supported by his arm around her shoulders. He handed
her a coffee cup filled with dark, thick, fragrant liquid. "Hot chocolate,
made it in the Spanish style. Let me know if you like it."

It was delicious, strong and bittersweet, and she had
stopped shivering by the time she finished it.

Then, one by one, he fed her crackers spread with brandied
pate, followed by small cubes of sharp cheese alternating with slices of apple.
Katie obediently let him hand-feed her, enjoying the pampering.

She felt completely drained, but at the same time, really
happy. Her feeling of utter contentment intensified when she had finished
eating what he had prepared for her, and the two of them slid back down on his
bed.

Andras cuddled with her for a long time, kissing her without
urgency, while she put her arms around him, and tried to fight the feeling that
she was touching bare skin rather than his shirt.

Finally, reluctantly, she decided she might be ready to pour
herself back into her clothes and go home. She always kept a toothbrush in the
glove compartment of her car, just in case, but he had not invited her to stay
the night.

"I should be going," she said, sitting up.

He sat up with her, and gave her a long, deep kiss.
"You are extraordinary. I can't wait for our next date."

She grinned at him, relieved that he wanted to see her
again. God, another date like this one, and she was going to turn into a crazed
sex addict!

"My schedule's pretty open," she said, invitingly.

He thought for a moment. "I have plans tomorrow—Uncle
Jadi is flying in for some conference, and Amanda and I are spending some him
before he has to give the keynote address on Monday morning. We'll probably
take him sightseeing in the afternoon, and I think Amanda wants to cook dinner.
If we're lucky, she'll order takeout rather than try something from one of her
gourmet magazines. That last experiment was—" he paused, as if searching
for the right word. "Really, horrifically, bad. She gets distracted, and
skips part of the recipe."

"She's like that at work sometimes, too," Katy
admitted. "We have to reel her in. By the way, who's Uncle Jadi?" She
pronounced it as he had:
Yah-dee.

Andras gave her an unreadable look. "Stephen
Jadikira."

"Stephen Jadikira," Katie repeated, in disbelief.
"
The
Stephen Jadikira? Founder of Minoan Systems? The guy who was
the sole sponsor of the yacht that won last year's Americas Cup? And he's your
uncle?
"
She flopped back down on his pillow. "Does everybody in your family look
like a fucking Italian supermodel?"

Andras laughed. "If it makes you feel better, he's not
actually a blood relation, just an old family friend. Amanda and I grew up
calling him Uncle Jadi, and the name just stuck."

Vélos. Andras Vélos.
Katie suddenly realized she knew exactly who his parents were, and felt stupid
for not having figured it out sooner.

She sighed, feeling suddenly depressed. "Dude, you are
so
out of my league," she murmured, under her breath.

Abruptly, she wanted to leave and curl up in her own bed, in
her own shabby but homey apartment.

Of course, her fucking sex god also had fucking
super-hearing. As she tried to slither out of his bed, he caught her arm.
"Katie. Wait."

Well, she couldn't go anywhere while he was holding on, so
she stayed where she was.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable,"
Andras said, quietly. "I love spending time with you. You are beautiful,
extremely smart, extremely sexy, and you make me laugh. I haven't felt much
like laughing since Yoshiko died. You make me feel alive. Please don't let my
family scare you off."

"I really like spending time with you, too, and I
wasn't kidding about the sex god part. I just—" she stopped speaking, not
sure how to say the next part.

"Do you want keep our relationship casual for
now?" he asked, with uncanny perception. "Continue to see each other,
but hold off on the whole 'meet each other's friends and family' step?"

"If you don't mind, just for a little while?" Katy
asked, relieved.

"It's a deal." Andras loosened his grip, and slid
his hand down to hers. Lifting it to his lips, he kissed her palm with the
casual grace that she admired. "Would you like to have dinner on
Tuesday?"

"I'd love to, if you let
me
treat
you
this time," Katy replied. "How about steak?"

"Sounds great." He released her, and she went in
search of her underwear.

When would he finally fuck her? She just knew it would blow
her mind when he did...

* * *

"I think she knows, or is beginning to suspect." Andras
said, after Katie had departed. His loft felt strangely empty without her
vivacious presence, so he had turned on some music and phoned Amanda.

"Has she pierced the glamour yet?" his sister
asked. "You know that's one of the signs of a
philtata
."

"I—don't know," Andras, thinking back over the
evening's events. "There was a moment I thought so, but she didn't say
anything, so I'm not sure."

"Or maybe she saw beyond the veil, and accepted
you." Amanda sighed. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if she knew what you
truly were, and still wanted you? Couldn't you arrange for a little accident?
Maybe forget to veil yourself in a glamour the next time you're together in
private?"

"You have always been the most dreadful romantic,"
Andras said, disturbed by the fact that Amanda's crazy suggestion had actually
sounded tempting for a moment or two. "You
know
I can't afford to
take that kind of chance. It's the oldest rule we have—no Child of Lilith is
allowed to voluntarily unveil before a mortal, unless they've agreed to be
bound as a
philtatos
or
philtata
."

"Well, then, for your sake, I hope she can unveil you
on her own, and that she finds your true form acceptable."

So many things that could yet go wrong in his plans to make
Katie his own... Now it was his turn to sigh. "Good night, little
sister."

These are starvation rations
, Amanda thought, as she
crouched over the bed and stared down at the young man asleep beneath her gaze.

She tried not to feel bitter at the thought of the feast her
brother was no doubt enjoying at this very moment. Katie's aura, warm and
glowing and above all,
strong
, promised that rare nourishment that only
a born
philtata
could provide.

And here
she
was, sneaking around a darkened studio
apartment that smelled faintly of stale French fries and garlic.

A trash can stood near the kitchen alcove, heaped to
overflowing with used take-out boxes, and empty chip bags and soda cans were
scattered around the couch, which faced an enormous flat-screen television. An
expensive bicycle leaned against another wall, and various electronics, all of
the newest and costliest type, were stacked carelessly on the kitchen counter and
the coffee table.

Amanda yanked her attention back to her chosen prey.

She had used her powers to ensure that he would not awaken
at an inconvenient time, but in truth, it had scarcely seemed necessary. Like
most of the other young people employed in this city, he was terminally sleep-deprived.

Which also affected his sexual energy. Amanda scowled down
at the faint golden nimbus at his groin. It was but a faint, flickering
luminescence, especially when compared to how Katie blazed now that Andras had
awakened her appetites...

No, damn it! She was supposed to be
happy
for Andras'
good fortune.

Amanda took a deep, centering breath. Hovering her hand over
her victim's groin, she breathed a Word of Power, drawing forth his desires,
hoping to kindle that faint light into something she could absorb and use.

In the morning, he would remember nothing. He might even
awaken feeling refreshed after a full night's sleep.

Whereas, she would still be hungry, having supped on the
equivalent of thin gruel.

This was no way for a succubus to live.

* * *

Katie had just returned from her desk after yet another
meeting, when her phone rang. She glanced at it, and felt a joyous flutter in
her chest.
Andras.

Calling instead of texting, for a change.

It was ridiculous to feel so happy—and so nuts about a guy—but
she couldn't help herself. He was indeed the Sex God, and considering that he
had yet to actually fuck her, she'd just spent the last two weeks having the
best sex of her life.

"Hey, handsome,"
she said warmly. She knew she was grinning like an idiot, but couldn't help
herself.

"Hello,
beautiful girl," Andras said, his voice low and intimate.

Then he hesitated,
and Katie felt a stirring of apprehension. He wasn't normally at a loss for
words, and since it was already unusual for him to call her during work hours
rather than text her...

"Remember that
big merger deal that my bank been trying to finalize with
Xīngwàng Bank in Shanghai?"

"Yeah?" she asked, hesitantly.

His sigh was audible over the phone. "The deal's
gone sideways, and the Board of Directors wants me in Shanghai ASAP to see if I
can rescue the negotiations. I'm the only executive who's fluent in Chinese."

"I didn't know you spoke Chinese," Katie
said lamely. "Um, when are you leaving?"

"They have me booked on the 8:00 p.m.
flight," Andras said. "Tonight."

"Boy, your bosses really weren't kidding about
the 'ASAP' part, were they?" Katie bit her lip. "I guess I'll cancel
our reservation at Arriba Perú
."

"I was really
looking forward to seeing you tonight, Katie," Andras sounded sincerely
regretful.

"And I had an
evil plan to feed you Pisco Sours until you were too drunk to resist getting
naked with me," Katie said, and was gratified when Andras chuckled. She
added: "But I'd still really like to see you. Can I pick up some takeout
and drive you to the airport?"

Andras was silent.
Katie nervously added, "If you don't mind riding in my shitty little car?"

"Sorry, I was
distracted—this boarding pass doesn't want to print," Andras said. "That's
a really kind offer, and I'd love to, if you don't mind the inconvenience of
heading out to the airport during rush hour,"

"How long will
you be gone?" Katie asked, wistfully.

"I honestly
don't know. Best case, three days. Worst case—who knows," he sighed.
"It's going to make packing my suitcase a real challenge."

"I'll miss
you," Katie blurted.

"I'll miss you,
too." Andras went silent again for a few moments. When he spoke again, his
voice sounded serious. "Katie, my sister—is she all right? I haven't seen
her for a while, but the last time we talked, she said she wasn't feeling
well."

Katie frowned,
thinking. Come to think of it, Amanda had been strangely subdued for the past
few days. "I think she's been kind of under the weather," she told
Andras. "Definitely not her usual self. Maybe she's come down with the Mar—with
that flu that's going around?"

Someone in the
office had nicknamed the illness
the Martian Death Flu
, and the name had
stuck.

"The Martian
Death Flu?" Andras asked. Apparently the nickname was getting around, if
even the bankers were using it now. "I admit I'm a little worried. Could
you—could you maybe keep an eye on her for me?"

"Sure,"
Katie replied. "So, international flight. You want to be there around
six?"

"That would be
best."

"Great!"
she said, brightly. "I'll pick you up at your place around five. Hope you
don't mind takeout from
Taqueria Azteca
."

"I look forward
to hand-feeding you while you drive," he said, dryly. But damn if it still
didn't sound sexy! "Thank you, love. I'll see you at five."

Katie put down her
phone and stared blankly at its cheerful icons.
He called me love!

She felt a happy
smile stretch her mouth.

Thank you, love.

It was almost enough
to make up for the fact that he was going to be out of town for an unknown
length of time.

* * *

Three days
stretched into four, then five. Then it
was a week, and pretty soon, another week.

Katie woke every morning to find affectionate, flirty texts
waiting for her. She did her best to return the favor throughout the work day,
so that Andras would wake up in faraway Shanghai and know she'd been thinking
about him and missing him.

In the late afternoon, her work day overlapped with
breakfast time in Shanghai, and Katie was usually able to chat with Andras in
real time for fifteen or twenty minutes before he headed into his first meeting
of the day.

Each day, he asked:
Are you keeping your promise to me?

And each day, she replied with a truthful,
Yes, sir
.

But the longer he was gone, the harder it became to refrain
from getting a little relief from her long-unused vibrator. It was funny—she'd
gone for such a long time without regular orgasms, and now, suddenly, she
couldn't get enough of them.

Or get enough of Andras, with his almost-magical ability to
sense exactly what she needed sexually, even when she didn't know it herself.

* * *

Amanda watched Katie's sexual frustration build in Andras'
absence, a task made easier by Katie's anxious surveillance.
Damn my
busybody brother, he must have said something to the girl.

And how cruel was
that
, to ensure that Amanda was
continually taunted by something she couldn't have, a rich feast dangling just
out of reach?

Amanda knew about her twin's rules for his new lover, of
course—almost all incubi and succubae used a variant of them to ensure proper
levels of sexual energy in their human companions.

After the third week, she could tell Katie was approaching
real discomfort. Her aura, usually a pleasing electrum blaze, was ripening like
a peach with the red blush of sexual deprivation.

She would be so responsive now to a kiss, a touch, just the
merest suggestion of Amanda's power...
No, better not
.

As if summoned by Amanda's hungry thoughts, Katie appeared
at her office door.

* * *

Oh, man, Amanda looks terrible
, Katie thought.
No
wonder Andras was worried about her.

She had been noticing the usually-energetic Director of
Marketing looking more and more tired. Today, she looked just about ready to
fall over, and the way she was sitting—

Normally, Amanda had perfect posture when sitting at the
computer. In fact, Julie, the office ergonomic specialist, often used Amanda as
an example of The Right Way to Sit.

But not today. The red-haired woman's shoulders drooped. In
fact, she was actually
slouching
in her chair.

Katie looked around furtively, kind of hoping that Julie was
lurking nearby. She did that, hoping to catch you committing an
"ergo-sin" by resting your wrists on the keyboard, or moving the
mouse in the wrong way.

Julie would totally plotz if she saw Amanda the Good Example
slouching in front of her computer, resting her entire forearm on the desk to
use the mouse.

But there was something
else
, something weird in the
periphery of her vision. Katie blinked, sure that her eyes were playing tricks
on her. Just for an instant, she had seen what looked like wings...

...it was just like those weird moments she'd been having
sporadically while in bed with Andras.

God, I hope I'm not going nuts
, thought Katie.
It's
bad enough that I've turned into some kind of kinky sex fiend.

On impulse, she decided not to bug Amanda with her question
about the
Bellow!
prototypes. She could email Jeff the sales guy,
instead. In fact, he was probably a better person to talk to about the client's
feedback.

"Hey, Amanda. I was thinking of running over to Tong's
to grab a chicken salad for lunch. Wanna join me?"

It would probably do Amanda a world of good to get away from
the office for a while and have a healthy—well,
semi-
healthy meal, if
you ignored the crunchy fried white things topping the salad, and the
deliciously creamy spicy peanut sauce dressing which probably had a thousand
high-carb calories.

"I'm afraid I already have lunch plans," Amanda said,
wanly.

At Katie's disappointed look, she added, making an obvious
effort to smile, "But I was wondering whether you'd like to get together
for brunch tomorrow? My place? I'll make us mimosas and omelets, and then I
want to hear all about how things are going with my brother."

"Sure!" Katie said, both surprised and pleased.
"I'd love to! Can I bring anything? There's a farmer's market on Saturday
mornings, just around the corner from me. I could pick up some strawberries or
something. "

"That would be lovely. How does ten o'clock
sound?"

"Great! See you then!" If nothing else, she'd make
sure that Amanda ate a decent meal.

* * *

With a cheery wave, Katie strode away.

What was I thinking, to invite the girl over and feed her
champagne?
Amanda watched those long legs moving away. She knew perfectly
well what she was thinking.

She was thinking that her powers were at a dangerously-low
ebb, and that she was having difficulties maintaining her glamour.

She was thinking that sex with someone who knew her and
cared about her would be more nourishing than feeding on a hundred anonymous sleepers.

She tried to tell herself that probably nothing would
happen.

Or, if it did, she would only take one climax from Katie.

Surely Andras wouldn't mind just one? It would be a mercy
to the girl to give her a little relief...and I'm so very hungry...

* * *

"Italian? How many languages
do
the two of you
speak?"

Amanda's house was a gorgeous, lovingly-restored Victorian
with the most amazing redwood floors, lots of Persian carpets in rich, vivid
colors, and molded plaster ceilings to die for.

Brunch had been wonderful, the promised omelets supplemented
by light, crispy Belgian waffles served with brandied maple syrup, and
complemented by Katie's fresh strawberries, gourmet coffee, and the promised
mimosas, made from fresh-squeezed orange juice and a generous amount of real
French champagne.

Truth be told, Katie was feeling more than a little tipsy as
she followed Amanda from the breakfast nook to her living room, which was furnished
with a surprisingly-comfortable antique loveseat and wing armchairs. 

With them came a tray with an insulated coffeepot, the
half-empty bottle of champagne, a pitcher of orange juice, and the last of the
strawberries, which were organic, ridiculously expensive, and meltingly sweet.

There followed a few minutes of refilling cups and glasses.

Katie was a little surprised when Amanda sat herself down on
the loveseat next to her, almost close enough to touch. As she had promised
Andras, Katie had been watching Amanda for any signs of illness. Nothing seemed
obvious, except for the fact that Amanda seemed exhausted...drained somehow,
her usual brisk energy dulled.

"About twelve," replied Amanda. "Plus ancient
Greek and Latin."

"Wow! I'm impressed. I struggled through four years of Spanish
in high school, and it was
hard
."

Amanda laughed. "My parents relocated every few years
while Andras and I were growing up, so it was a matter of survival more than
anything else. We quickly figured out that we had to learn the local language
if we wanted to make friends."

"Military family? Mormon missionaries?" Katie
probed, though with a last name as famous as
Vélos,
Amanda probably thought she was a moron for not having figured it out yet.
"C'mon, Amanda. You and Andras never mention your parents, not even to
complain about them. I'm
dying
of curiosity."