Demon’s Bargain Read online

  Ella looked down at her plate. There was a loaf of dark bread, a wedge of smooth, white cheese, and beside it, a bowl of dark stew. A rich, meaty aroma drifted from the bowl. Ella had been wondering, just moments ago, if she’d even be able to eat -- her stomach was so tight, she didn’t think she could keep anything down -- but when she smelled the stew, her appetite roared to life. She lifted a steaming spoonful to her lips, blew on it, and sipped. “It’s good,” she said, surprised. “What is it?”

  “Spiced rabbit stew.”

  She ate another few bites of stew, then tried the cheese. It was sweet and soft, with a slight nutty flavor. Ella’s stomach rumbled for more. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was.

  Ella looked up at Vaz who sat in the chair across from hers, chin resting on his folded hands, watching her. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

  “I do not eat.”

  “You can’t have food at all?”

  “I can, but I do not need it, so I rarely eat. Only mortals need food.”

  “Why do you have all this food, then? Somehow, I can’t imagine you keep your pantry stocked just in case a guest decides to drop in.”

  One corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. “No. I conjured this myself.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You can conjure food out of thin air?”

  “It takes quite a bit of energy, but yes. You do not know very much about demon-kind, do you?”

  Warmth rose into her cheeks. “The elders don’t teach us much about demons.”

  “No. I imagine they do not.”

  Ella sopped up the last bit of soup with a crust of bread, swallowed the last mouthful, and leaned back, one hand resting on her stomach. “That was delicious.”

  Vaz rose from his chair and circled the table to stand behind her. He touched her shoulder. “Your bath is ready.”

  She followed him up a spiral staircase and down a torch-lit hall, into a room with a huge, bronze tub in the middle. Plumes of steam rose from the water. She wondered where the hot water had come from. Had he conjured it with his magic, as he had the food? Were there any limits to his power?

  She waited for him to leave the room, but he remained standing, watching her.

  “What are you waiting for? Undress.”

  “You’re going to watch me?”

  “By the end of the night, I will know every inch of your body by sight and touch. What sense is there in being modest, now?” He strode toward her. “If you are not going to take off your clothes, I will undress you myself.”

  “No.” She took a step backward. “I can do it.”

  He caught her by the shoulders. “I rather like the idea of undressing you.”

  “Very well.” Ella lowered her gaze as Vaz undid the buttons of her dress. The dress slipped to the floor and pooled around her feet. He hooked a finger into the waistband of her panties and slid them down. She stood, exposed, her face hot, her nipples tight and hard in the steamy air.

  His hands cupped her breasts then slid slowly down her body, over the curves of her hips. “Look at me,” he said quietly.

  Meeting his gaze somehow felt even more intimate than exposing her body to him. There was hunger in those eyes, not just sexual hunger, but something more, a deep, aching need. Or was she imagining it? “Your eyes are beautiful,” he said. “Like black pearls.”

  She lowered her gaze again, feeling suddenly shy. “They’re nothing special. Most of my people have dark eyes.”

  “But none so large, so deep and lustrous.”

  “Thank you,” she murmured. She hadn’t expected such pretty words out of a demon’s mouth. It disoriented her.

  “Your eyes could hypnotize any man. Of course, I am not truly a man. I am something more… and less.” His hands slid over her bare arms. “You are shivering. Why don’t you get in the bath?”

  Ella stepped into the tub and submerged herself. Heat penetrated the chill in her bones. She leaned back with a soft sigh.

  Vaz rubbed a cake of soap between his hands, then spread the lather over her shoulders and breasts. His fingers molded her nipples to hard, aching points. “Stand.”

  Steamy air washed over her as she stood. Large, firm hands rubbed the lather over her back, into the cleft of her ass. One hand slipped between her thighs and spread the lather over her pussy. Her sensitive flesh tingled beneath his touch, and she trembled as a wave of heat rolled through her. Vaz’s fingers pushed between her lips and worked the thick suds into her folds. Ella watched, entranced by the movement of his hand, touching her so boldly.

  “Now, sit. I need to wash your hair.”

  Vaz did as he instructed, tipping her head back, submerging all but her nose and mouth. When she lifted her head, rivulets ran from her wet hair, over her shoulders and back.

  His hands lifted her hair, stroked it. His clawed fingers slid through the wet strands. Then he soaped his hands and worked the lather into her hair. His touch was gentle, skilled, and she found herself growing more and more relaxed as his fingertips massaged her scalp.

  Vaz dipped a tin cup in the tub and poured hot water over her hair. The water ran down the back of her neck, a soothing, pleasant sensation. Once he’d rinsed the last suds from her hair, he produced a silver comb, seemingly from thin air. With his other hand, he lifted her hair and ran the comb through it. He worked slowly, patiently, smoothing out the tangles. Ella couldn’t remember the last time anyone had combed her hair. She could almost forget her fear, forget her situation. She could almost pretend that Vaz cared about her. He was being so very gentle.

  Vaz set the comb aside, left the room and returned with a fluffy, white towel draped over one arm. “Step out of the tub.”

  She rose and stepped, dripping wet, onto the stone floor. Goose bumps rose on her skin. Vaz carefully dried her breasts and stomach, her back and buttocks, her legs and arms. The towel was soft and thick, and as it brushed against her aroused sex, a shiver ran through her, and her heartbeat quickened.

  Vaz ran his fingers through her wet hair, then stepped back.

  She touched her hair. It was dry, soft and fluffy, spilling in dark waves around her shoulders. More demon magic?

  “Now, come with me.”

  She looked around, arms crossed over her breasts. “Where is my dress?”

  “You will not need clothes tonight.”

  “It’s freezing.”

  He smiled. That smile, knowing and very male, went through her like a bolt of lightning, melting things deep inside her. “You will be warm soon enough.”

  Chapter Three

  Ella followed him, heart galloping.

  Vaz led her to a large bedroom. Unlike the rest of the dilapidated castle, this room was richly furnished. A thick, scarlet rug, fringed with gold tassels, covered the floor. The wood-paneled walls gleamed. A glossy, mahogany dresser stood against one wall, a huge, canopied bed against the other. Carved roses and vines decorated the bedposts, and the satin sheets shone a deep crimson, like Vaz’s eyes.

  Uncertain, she sat on the edge of the bed. The scarlet sheets were as soft as they looked. “What now?”

  “Now, you fulfill your half of the bargain.” Vaz’s hand brushed her cheek. His thumb traced her mouth. He leaned down, and his warm breath tickled her lips, before his mouth touched hers.

  The kiss was unexpectedly soft, almost tender. A tremor ran through her. His tongue circled her lips, then slid past them and stroked the inside of her mouth. A tiny moan escaped her throat. Vaz nibbled her lower lip, sucked it like a piece of candy. His tongue delved into her mouth again, plundered it, claimed it. His long hair trailed across her breasts. The sensation sent shivers down her spine. She wanted to wrap that long, silken hair around her fingers, but she didn’t quite dare. To touch him, to reciprocate, would be to admit that a part of her wanted this.

  Vaz pulled back, leaving her flushed and panting, her lips swollen with kisses. She touched them, her head spinning. She’d been kissed by a few of the village boys, but those kisses had been little mor
e than a quick press of flesh on flesh. This… this was something else entirely.

  Vaz smiled, and she wondered if he was still inside her head, observing her every thought. How naïve, how childish she must seem to him.

  “Naïve? Perhaps, though that is nothing to be ashamed of. Childish? Not at all.”

  “So you are eavesdropping on my thoughts,” she murmured. “That isn’t polite, you know.”

  He chuckled, a deep, velvet sound. “What do you expect? I am a demon.” His eyes flashed with a wicked delight. He pushed her to her back, and straddled her. She gasped. Her pulse beat fast and hard in her throat.

  His mouth lowered toward her left breast, then stopped just an inch over her nipple. His warm breath caressed the taut, aching flesh. He laved the pebble-hard nub with his tongue, then his hot, wet mouth engulfed it and sucked.

  Ella gasped and arched upward, off the bed. A tiny moan escaped her throat as she felt the press of his sharp teeth against her flesh, though there was no pain.

  He raised his head, then turned his attention to the other breast. Vaz traced her puckered areole with one long finger. Then his skilled mouth closed over her nipple. He sucked and tugged, lapped and nibbled, his mouth mercilessly stimulating those sensitive nubs until she writhed on the sheets. “Your breasts are as sweet as they look.” His eyes burned softly in the dim light. One hand slid down over her stomach, between her thighs. One finger traced the moist furrow between her labia. “You’re soaked,” he whispered, his voice deep and rough. He brought the finger to his mouth and licked it. “Wet and luscious. Like a ripe peach.”

  “Vaz…” Her voice trembled.

  His broad, rough palm grazed her aroused flesh. “Relax. I will not hurt you.” He smiled. Sharp teeth gleamed between his dark lips. “Believe me, by the time I fuck you, you will be begging for it.”

  Heat rushed to her cheeks and she glared at him. “I most certainly will not. What do you take me for? A whore?”

  “Not at all. You are a lovely young woman with a woman’s desires. There is nothing shameful about that.” His palm pressed harder against her pussy. “Why so many humans resist pleasure is a mystery to me. Why fight something that feels so good? Do you think that everything pleasurable is evil? Is that why you have never let anyone touch this?” A calloused fingertip stroked her clit.

  Her fingers dug into the sheets. She panted for breath, sweat trickling down her sides as he toyed with that sensitive little bud. “Vaz!” she gasped.

  The corner of his mouth lifted in an arrogant smirk. He rose and undid the first few buttons of his shirt, revealing his smooth, dark chest.

  Ella watched, entranced, as he dropped his shirt to the floor. Without his shirt, he looked even more like a statue made flesh. The hard muscles of his shoulders and chest seemed carved from black rock. His flat, hard stomach rippled with muscle.

  Vaz crouched, unlaced his boots and cast them aside. He straightened, his glowing, red eyes focused on her, and then long fingers unbuckled his belt. His trousers slid down with a rustle of cloth. He wore no undergarments. Ella gasped aloud at the sight of his cock, massive and rigid, jutting out from between his thick, powerful thighs. Like the rest of him, the jet-black organ seemed to be carved from stone. Thick, raised veins ran along its length. A glistening, clear bead of fluid clung to the tip of its bulbous head. His balls hung between his thighs like heavy, ripe fruit, round and perfectly smooth. He had no hair on his body.

  He took a step closer. The drop of clear fluid swelled and dripped from his cock-slit.

  Ella stared, mouth dry, caught halfway between fascination and fear. Good gods. Would that thing even fit inside her?

  Vaz’s expression softened. He touched her cheek, the softest brush of fingertips. “I promised I would not hurt you.”

  Ella bit her lower lip. She’d been told that a woman’s first time always hurt, that there would be blood and pain when her maidenhead broke.

  “You are forgetting I am a demon and have powers mortals can only dream of. I will make sure that you feel only pleasure.”

  “Control my mind, you mean. Bewitch me so that I scream for more no matter what you do to me. You could probably make me moan with pleasure while you cut my heart out, if you wished.”

  “I will not bewitch you. Everything you feel tonight will be real. I will only use my powers to take away any pain or discomfort you might feel.”

  “That’s still mind control.”

  He raised a brow. “You would prefer to feel the pain?”

  She hesitated. “This is my first time. This isn’t how I would have chosen to have it happen, but still… I came to you willingly, as a sacrifice for my people. I’m giving my body to you and I want it to be real. All of it.”

  His eyes searched hers. “You are an unusual human.”

  “I am?”

  He chuckled. That rumbling laugh wrapped around her like something tangible. “Yes.” His gaze held hers as he slid one long, thick finger into her wetness. She tensed. His claws were so sharp, he could easily hurt her if he wasn’t careful, but there was no pain. His finger moved in and out, and deep within her, something melted sweetly in a rush of heat.

  He lowered his head. His long hair brushed across her thigh. His tongue laved her throbbing clit and his finger thrust into her as he licked and sucked that aching bud. She writhed beneath his mouth, gasping. “Oh, gods!”

  His finger slid, wet and glistening, from her pussy. His fangs glinted in a smile. Vaz leaned over her and lightly bit one hard, aching nipple. His sharp, cool teeth pressed into her flesh, but didn’t penetrate. “You have not yet begun to taste what I can do. I have used only my hands and mouth on you. I have not yet let you feel my magic.” He held up one forefinger and a wisp of silver light rose from the tip and danced above it like a flame. She watched, eyes wide, as he lowered the finger toward her pussy. It stopped just a hairsbreadth from her clit, now so excruciatingly sensitive, it seemed the slightest touch would send her spinning over the edge. The wisp of soft light touched her clit, circled around it and caressed it, like a silver flame. Her toes curled and her body arched upward.

  Vaz’s large hands encircled her wrists and pinned her hands to the bed. He hovered over her, his red eyes burning into hers as his magic danced over her flesh. Her hips arched again, and her breasts heaved as she panted for breath. The silver light spread outward from her clit, warm and tingling. Glowing sparks, like silver fireflies, danced over her flesh, around her jutting nipples, over her thighs and belly. Ella felt his magic touching her everywhere at once, like rose petals brushing her skin, like a thousand tiny, warm tongues licking her.

  Vaz lowered his body toward hers and rubbed his huge, hard cock against her thigh. The smooth, bulbous head pressed against the lips of her pussy, and she tensed, but he didn’t try to penetrate her yet. Instead, he slid the head of his cock up and down the length of her wet slit, teasing it. He lowered his mouth to her neck and his lips brushed her racing pulse. The magic continued its dance over her flesh, hot and cool at the same time, painless flames consuming her. It was maddening. It was exquisite. She had never dreamed such torturous, sweet pleasure could exist.

  “Please!” she gasped. “Oh, Vaz, please!” She didn’t know if she was begging him to stop, or to keep going.

  The head of his cock nudged her clit. Then he withdrew and she cried out in protest. “Patience,” he said. “Do you really want it all to be over so quickly?”

  She panted. Just as she felt she couldn’t bear it anymore -- she had to come, or explode -- the silver light of his magic faded, leaving her aroused and unfulfilled.

  Vaz smiled, walked across the room, and opened the top drawer of his dresser. He pulled out a bundle of something long, slinky and red, and her eyes widened when she realized what it was. Rope. Loops of soft, shiny, velvet rope.

  Ella’s heart slammed against her ribs. “What are you doing?”

  “I am going to bind you.” He took her slender wrist in one hand. His thum
b caressed her racing pulse. Then he separated a short length of rope from the bundle.

  “Wait a minute.”

  He looked at her. “Is something wrong?”

  “Is it really necessary?”

  “Necessary? Of course not. I just want to.” He grinned. “Perhaps you will find it pleasurable as well.”

  Ella had promised him her body for one night, with no conditions. She wondered, if she told him no, would he stop? She found, strangely, that she didn’t want him to stop. “Very well,” she said. She tried to hold her voice calm and steady, but it trembled slightly… with fear or anticipation, she couldn’t say. “If you wish.”

  The soft, velvet rope encircled her wrist, pulled tight around it. He tied an expert knot, then bound the other end of the rope to the bedpost. She tugged, but the knots were secure. He bound her other wrist to the opposite bedpost, then turned his attention to her ankles and bound them as well, so she was spread-eagled on the bed, everything exposed.

  Vaz walked slowly around the bed, inspecting her from every angle. He stood at the foot of the bed and placed his huge hands on her thighs. His thumbs parted her labia and opened her pussy wide for his inspection. She could almost feel his gaze on that secret flesh, like something tangible. Then he withdrew his hands. She writhed on the bed. Her hands curled into tight fists, but that was all she could do with the ropes securing her in place. Her pussy ached for his touch. Why did he just stand there, staring at her? “Vaz… please…”

  He stared into her eyes. “Do you want me to touch you?”

  Ella averted her gaze, cheeks hot. “I…”

  “Say it,” he whispered.

  Another whimper squeezed itself from her throat.

  “Say it, Ella.”