Chapter 18 #2
“Get ready for a high, or if you hate it then we only dance at home,” I told him, willing to accept either way and whatever he needed.
The kiss he gave me made it clear he was touched I would make it so easy for him.
Of course. He did the same for me all of the time.
We arrived a half an hour before we were going on. I frowned because it was way more than the VPs there. There were a lot of powerful people there. I turned to Kyria and raised an eyebrow.
“It wasn’t intentional, but it just worked out that it’s also—Elijah and Ally had already invited a lot of ancients to see the truth like you wanted.
They’re showing how we set up safe ways for demons to feed.
” She sighed when I frowned. “Some of them are as misguided or misinformed as humans are on other species.”
I swallowed a sigh. We sucked out souls and shortened lifespans by our feedings. All that bullshit. “How can people so old not know anything about a species as old as them?”
“Because a lot of us aren’t as perfect as you,” the female ancient who was helpful said as she joined us.
“And some of us unfortunately witnessed when one of your kind became a demon.” She nodded when I winced.
“Yes, I heard you had your own tragedy, but you understand that stories like that were all some of us knew—what I’d seen. ”
“So you thought younger demons were a bit…” I didn’t know how to finish that without risking offending her.
“How fledgling vampires used to be and behaved badly too often because feeding was difficult,” she finished for me. “Young demons couldn’t control themselves, and—I heard what those abused lust demons did to the coven in LA. I’ve seen that before and just for punishment.”
I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck. “Nothing is ever easy.”
“No, but now you know more of the background of why your meeting didn’t go as you wanted and it wasn’t your failure,” she told me before turning and leaving without another word.
“She turns me on and terrifies me at the same time,” Kyria muttered under her breath.
Yeah, she wasn’t the only one.
When it was time, Mason took my hand and led me out where we needed to go. He made a point to spin me and kiss my hand to get me into place.
This man was beyond sexy.
I licked my lips as I stared into his gray eyes, making it clear that he was in charge and I would follow him however he wanted. His nostrils flared, obviously seeing it in my aura.
Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” featuring Daddy Yankee loaded and we were off. I knew it was a super popular song that some complained played constantly and they were over it but right then, it was the perfect song for us to connect on.
And we were going to certainly set the place on fire. When I wrapped my leg around him and he held me under the ass, spinning us around and around before twirling me out… I was honestly worried my power to use fire could get away from me I was so hot.
Fine, not in that way, but emotions were said to bubble over for a reason.
He pulled me back to him and ground our bodies together before flipping me up around his shoulders like I weighed nothing. Then I slid down his back and reached behind me to hold his hips as we moved. I writhed against him until he grabbed my wrist and twirled me back to face him.
I swallowed a groan when he slid me between his legs and I saw he was just as affected as I was. The pants hid it well, but I was his lover.
And a lust demon. I knew he was seconds from fucking me for all of them to see.
Yes.
Please.
But we kept dancing. Four songs, and the entire time it was foreplay and both of us about to spontaneously orgasm it was so intense.
Which was why I kissed him desperately when it ended. Fuck the crowd or anything else.
I just wanted to kiss my man.
“Me too, muffin,” he chuckled under his breath as we pulled apart. Then he turned me to face the crowd and we took our bow before heading back off stage.
“Yeah, you won,” Kyria purred. “The lust coming off—fuck, it’s good.” She gave me a warning look. “And a lot more.”
I frowned, but Mason cleared his throat as if asking her to let it go. “I know. He can’t help how he feels.”
I was still confused as we headed to the dressing room to change and relax before I showed Mason around our flagship club. It hit me after a moment. “Dylan?”
“He’s here with some ISLE. I would guess it’s part of them reaching out to the ancients and more as well.”
“How bad?” I worried.
He shrugged. “He can’t help how he feels.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose when it was clear I wouldn’t let it go. “Several types of demons would have gotten a full feeding off of him.”
I nodded, not having to think hard to guess. Wrath. Lust. Pride.
“Add envy, and the wrath was focused on me, not you,” he said gently.
I sometimes wondered if he really could read my mind, but I let it go. We changed and I was a bit nervous showing Mason around since he had such strong feelings about the industry and women being treated as he didn’t think was acceptable.
Relief filled me as he took it in with interest and I saw tension ease in his shoulders. He shot me a few looks and nodded, accepting that he was learning and it was different than he thought.
Or different when done right. He wasn’t wrong to hate a lot of strip clubs and establishments that didn’t treat women well.
We hated them too. We shut them down for a reason.
But that just wasn’t what Heavenly Entertainment was. We were the goddesses and in charge. We were the dream and divine that people treated well or they were tossed.
“I want to see more, but I’m—something is telling me not to push it,” he said quietly, kissing my cheek. “There’s a lot of power here, and while I don’t think my kind—go be Jasmine and take your victory.” He nodded when I couldn’t hide my shock.
Kyria promised to get him back through the portal, sensing something was up.
I thanked her but then reached for Mason. “Thank you. I’m sorry things aren’t different and we can’t just go be a couple out there.”
He gave me a sad smile. “That’s about my circumstances more than yours, muffin. It’s fine. We know what we have.”
His desires showed me he fully believed that and it made me relax.
“You were right,” Joshua accepted as I went over to them once I was in my Jasmine glamour. “For an event like any other—you were right. Even once a month at a club and we could push for couple’s nights and dancing for them too. It fits. The fantasy and—it fits.”
“Thank you,” I said as I reached over and rubbed his shoulder. “I know it’s all—I know.”
He reached up and patted my hand. “But we need to be the team and work together. It’s what we’re constantly beating into you—I always trust you, young one.
” He nodded and squeezed my hand. “I simply cannot have such split focus as you do, so I see it through those eyes and how too many ideas can make it all break, not just it’s a slight adjustment. ”
Fair enough. That was basically the consensus, and they’d taken it too seriously like I wanted a nightly performance instead of something special and fun.
We were just so fucking overwhelmed. All of us.
And not just demons.
All supes.
All people. It was part of being alive.
That sucked but it was true.
I was also glad they seemed in good spirits, assuming that meant it was going well with the ancients they’d invited. I smiled when I saw Ricco and he was a perfect gentleman, commenting in front of many others that my partner was very lucky and talented.
“You might not be so light on your feet, but I’m very sure you’ve got moves that would make any woman swoon too, Ricco,” I replied with a wink, most of his party chuckling.
He deserved the chest puffing moment. After all the help he and his people had been—how honorable they’d been in our dealings, he definitely deserved it.
Several faces looked familiar, but others didn’t. I was a bit confused at that and also trying to ignore Dylan staring at me. He’d been better but… He wasn’t my problem anymore.
I excused myself to leave, but a wolf asked for a moment, dipping his head to me. I swallowed down my nerves when I felt his power and agreed. As much as I wanted to ask one of the others to come with me, I knew it would look bad when I was a councilwoman.
I had to stand on my own.
The wolf took it all in and I ignored the worried desires of the demons closest to me.
“I didn’t want to scare you, young one,” the wolf said gently.
“But my Alpha sent me in his place. You made a lifelong friend by what you did and he’s made it clear that is his stance with the wolf council.
He also looks forward to the chance to work with you and bring all supes into the future you want and have shown of Germany. ”
I sensed his desires even if they were a bit muffled since he was so old. “And this message was important enough to tell me face-to-face. Your Alpha is kind in showing such respect to a young lust demon when he knows how we’re treated.”
“But you worry I ruined it by making you move off to the side and speaking to you alone,” he said for me, not making me point it out.
“You can make enemies by having such powerful friends. He wanted the decision to be yours how you handle this information instead of risking another mess from good intentions. So many large egos make idiots.”
He flinched and looked over my shoulder with a frown.
“Sorry, I forgot the way to the bathroom,” Dylan’s deep voice said. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
The wolf snorted but then dipped his head to me. I thanked him and his Alpha and told him that I hope he enjoyed our hospitality because it was given with the best of intentions.
See, I could do politics… Sometimes.
The wolf left and I turned my head slightly so Dylan could see me better, but I didn’t have to look at him. “I’m okay. I can handle—”
“Of course you can. I just needed to take a leak,” he muttered as he moved up next to me. “I’m not trying to mess with anything that’s not my business.”
I thought he was going to leave it at that, but then he paused when I turned to head towards the portal.
“You were beyond beautiful when you danced,” he said so softly I barely heard it. “I’ve never seen anyone more graceful than you, Jasmine. I’m glad they liked your idea.”
He was gone by the time I turned around.
Not that I would have known what to say, but… Damn him.
Damn fucking bear.