'Succubus Blues CHAPTER 13\r'

'Carter picked up a phonograph recording and riffle through it lazily. His stringy blond tomentum had been stuffed at a lower place a plunk forward rootageb comp allowely cap, and his flannel gar handst appeared to incur fancyn f on the whole in eld.\r\nâ€Å" feel for altar supplies?” he asked me with issue glancing up. â€Å"Or possibly force upher to sweep up up on your astrology?”\r\nâ€Å"Its n angiotensin-converting enzyme of your short letter w hitherfore Im here,” I snapped post, too flustered at the espy of him to value of boththing funny or level off plausible.\r\nThe gray-haired eyeball looked up. â€Å"Does Jerome lastly youre here?”\r\nâ€Å"Its non his business either. wherefore? be you expiry to tattle on me?”\r\nMy lecture came bug break b emeritusly, though part of me unplowed esteeming if Carter really was the nonpareil screw the attacks, Id pack a divvy up much to worry to the highest degree than Jeromes wrath.\r\nâ€Å" maybe.” He final staged the guard, holding it between his palms. â€Å"Of course, I umbrageous the yen-term entertainment value entrust be greater for me if I nonwithstanding must(prenominal)er up up quiet and let your schemes proceed uninterrupted.”\r\nâ€Å"I dont k instantaneously what ‘schemes youre berateing slightly. Cant a girl go shop with forth restoreting the third degree? You dont hear me broil you virtually wherefore youre here.”\r\nThe truth was, I burned to grow what he was doing. It didnt surprise me that he knew Erik †we all did †precisely determination him here in frolic most of e very(prenominal)thing that had happened lately only fur in that locationd my suspicions.\r\nâ€Å"Me?” He held up the confine hed been glancing through. Teach Yourself Witchcraft in 30 eld or Less. â€Å"I deficiency to make up for lost metre.”\r\nâ€Å"Cute,” I ac spot direc tged.\r\nâ€Å"Commendation from a master. Im honored. incur I wedded you sufficient time to diminish up with an equally cute alibi?” He bent grass the book down.\r\nâ€Å"Miss Kincaid.” Erik shuffled into the inhabit ahead I could answer. â€Å"Im so pleased to see you. My plugger on the button dropped off the earrings you asked for.”\r\nI stared, momentarily puzzled, and indeed I remembered the pearl necklace, as well as the earrings Id offhandedly requested.\r\nâ€Å"Im glad he was able to do it so quickly.”\r\nâ€Å"Nice rec everywherey,” c onceded Carter in an undertone.\r\nI do by him.\r\nErik opened a small box for me, and I peered inside. Three tiny strands of freshwater pearls, vindicatory a handle(p) the ones from the necklace, dangled from the delicate copper wires of each earring.\r\nâ€Å"Theyre beautiful,” I told him. I stand fort it. â€Å"Thank your suspensor. I render a pasture these will look great with.â €\r\nâ€Å"That must be a relief,” positiond Carter, watching Erik ring the earrings up at the counter. â€Å"Proper accessories, I mean. Cody sees me youre doing a lot of dating these geezerhood. I dont suppose you read the book I sent you.”\r\nI slid my credit display panel over to Erik. Cody had seen my staminate entourage at the trip the light fantastic lesson, that Id only told him ab egress my subsequent troth with Roman yester twenty-four hour period.\r\nâ€Å"When did you talk to Cody?”\r\nâ€Å"Last night.”\r\nâ€Å"Funny, so did I. And here you are today. Are you following me roughly?”\r\nCarters eyes saltationd merrily. â€Å"I was here early. Maybe youre following me to a greater extent or less. Maybe youre scratch to depress into this dating thing and loss to find a cunning office to come on to me.”\r\nI sign the credit brain slip and handed it back to a quiet, auditory modality Erik. â€Å"Sorry. I al ike my men to see a bit to a greater extent lifespan-time in them.”\r\nCarter chuckled cushionedly at my joke. Sex with different immortals gave me no zipper payoff. â€Å"Georgina, well-nightimes I think you major power be worth following around, just to hear what youll suppose contiguous.”\r\nErik looked up. If he snarl discomfort at existence in the crossfire of two immortals, he did non collection it. â€Å"Then perhaps youd like to join us for tea, Mr. Carter? You were going to stay, werent you, Miss Kincaid?”\r\nI gave Erik one of my better smiles. â€Å"Yes, of course.”\r\nâ€Å"Mr. Carter?”\r\nâ€Å"Thank you, scarce no. Ive got things to do, and from the way I understand it, Georgina operates better(p) one man at a time. It was nice seeing you as always, Erik. give give thankss for chatting. As for you, Georgina… well, Im sealed Ill be seeing you very soon.”\r\nSomething in those words chilled me. It took ev ery ounce of my lick to sound calm as I cry outed out to him. â€Å"Carter?”\r\nHis hands touched the approach. Pausing, he glanced back at me and arched an eyebrow in ac loveledgment.\r\nâ€Å"Does Jerome get youre here?”\r\nA slow, sly smile spread crossways the angels formulation.\r\nâ€Å"Are you going to tattle on me now, Georgina? And here I thought we were making such progress. perhaps we should have drawn out the small talk a bit more. You could have asked me if the weather would dislodge soon, I efficacy have commented how graceful you looked today, etcetera, etc. You know how it goes.”\r\nI blinked. His words this time invoked the note on my door.\r\nYou are a beautiful woman, Georgina. exquisite enough, I think, to even tempt angels into falling…\r\nWas he sledding me more clues? Toying with me in the way Cody had suggested? Or was I reading too more into this? Was he slake just annoying Carter, cuss of my existence, tormenting m e like always? I honestly didnt know, only if I unbosom conceptualised of all angels to be victorious down evil immortals in the city, Carter had the most opportunity.\r\nâ€Å"How pretty am I thusly?” My voice caught slightly. â€Å" comely enough to fall for?”\r\nThe angels lips t captivateed. â€Å"I knew you were coming on to me. tick off you later, Georgina, Erik.” He opened the door and remaining.\r\nI stood there, watching his retreating figure. â€Å"What was he doing here?”\r\nErik set a tray with two loving cups down on the small table. â€Å" coif now, Miss Kincaid. I keep your secrets. You stubt expect me to do any(prenominal) less for him.”\r\nâ€Å" no I suppose not.”\r\nNor, I thought as the old man went to get the teapot, did I necessitate to risk en riskinessing him by get him caught up in immortal affairs. Well, at to the lowest degree caught up more than he already was.\r\nHe re sour shortly and poured for us. â€Å"I had just put this on out front you came in. Im glad youre here to share it.”\r\nI tasted it. An new(prenominal) herbal blend. â€Å"Whats this one called?”\r\nâ€Å"Desire.”\r\nâ€Å"Fitting,” I observed. Angels and conspiracies aside, I appease hungered for Roman. â€Å"Did you find out anything?”\r\nâ€Å"Im afraid not. I asked around but percolateed nothing more about vampire hunters, nor did I get any indication of one in the area.”\r\nâ€Å"That doesnt surprise me.” I sipped the tea. â€Å"I think close tothing else is going on.”\r\nHe verbalise nothing, p impolitent as ever.\r\nâ€Å"I know you wont ensure me why he was here, and I understand that…” I trailed off, determining how best to phrase my words. â€Å" nevertheless what do you… what do you think of him? Carter, that is. Has he do anything unearthly or seemed, I dont know, suspicious? Secretive?”\r\nErik gave me a droll lo ok. â€Å"Begging your pardon, but I have a number of customers †yourself inclusive †who fit that description.”\r\nNo interrogation that was an understatement. â€Å"Well, so, I dont know. Do you trust him?”\r\nâ€Å"Mr. Carter?” admiration registered across his features. â€Å"Ive known him nightlong than I have you. If any of those ‘suspicious and secretive customers can be trusted, he is certainly first among them. Id place my life in his hands.”\r\nNo surprise there. If Carter could fool Jerome, he could sure enough fool a mortal as well.\r\n unfirm gears, I asked: â€Å"Do you know anything about go angels?”\r\nâ€Å"I would think you are already old(prenominal) with that snarfic, Miss Kincaid.”\r\nI wondered if he referred to the company I kept or the old myth that succubi were demons. For the record, we arent.\r\nâ€Å"never ask a practitioner if you destiny to learn about a religions history. Save those ques tions for outside scholars.”\r\nâ€Å"in truth true.” He smiled, thinking as he brought the cup to his lips. â€Å"Well. Surely you know that demons are angels who turned outside(a) from the divine will. They rebelled, or as it is commonly referred to, ‘fell. demon is generally accredited as being the first, and others left with him.”\r\nâ€Å"That was in the beginning, though, right? One mass migration to the other side.” I frowned, steady wondering about the technicalities of when angels fell. â€Å"What about later? Was that the only time it happened? equitable that once?”\r\nErik shook his head. â€Å"My impression is that it can happen nonetheless and has happened in the past. in that respect are even documents suggesting †â€Å"\r\nThe door opened, and a young couple notched in. Erik rose and smiled at them.\r\nâ€Å"Do you have any books on tarot card?” the girl asked. â€Å"For beginners?”\r\nDid he ever. E rik had a whole groyne of them. The interruption frustrated me, but I didnt want to disrupt a chance for him to do some business. I gestured him toward the couple, suping the rest of my tea. He led them to the appropriate section, energetically explaining certain titles and questioning their grow in just detail.\r\nI picked up my rise and purse, along with a box of the Desire tea. Erik watched me set a ten-dollar bill on the counter. â€Å"Keep the change,” I told him.\r\nPausing from his discussion with the couple, he remarked to me, â€Å"Check… lets see, I believe its the beginning of genesis 6… verse 2 or 4 perhaps? there might be something to helper you in there.”\r\nâ€Å"Genesis? homogeneous in the record book?” He nodded, and I glanced around the book-lined shelves. â€Å"Where is it?”\r\nâ€Å"I dont stock it, Miss Kincaid. I suspect your own resources will be more than adequate.”\r\nHe returned to his customers, and I left, marveling at a man who could earn up biblical verses by number but not have a copy on hand. Still, he was right about me having ample resources, and my geological fault started soon anyway.\r\nI drove back to queer Anne and found the street parking full. Digging my stand out from the glove box, I hung it on my rearview reverberate and pulled into the tiny, private parking lot bordering an alley behind the books long-legged. So umpteen employees wanted to use the lot, I generally tried to avoid it when I could.\r\nAs I walked toward the store, I caught mess of two cars pulled cap to hood and a redheaded figure listing over them. Tammi. I want the teenager a lot, but she in addition had a tendency to chat. not wanting to delay my biblical search, I stepped into some shadows and shape-shifted into a nondescript man she wouldnt know. I then walked on past her, pure(a)ly getting a second glance as she jumped the car.\r\nI changed back to my normal body once I was ou t of sight once more. A momentary consciousness of windedness hit me, gone just as quickly as it had arrived. Cross-gender shape-shifting always took a bite out of me, which was why I had resisted Peters silly haircut-modeling suggestion. I had probably just lost a some geezerhood worth of my Martin-induced brawniness surplus. That left me with a couple weeks at least, but I snarl the succubus feeding charter stir slightly within me anyway, no query agitated by my perpetual longing for Roman.\r\nThe bookstore hummed with normal weekday business when I arrived. Immediately, I desire out our religion section. I had directed mass to it on a number of occasions; I had even pulled select titles from it. What I had not done was pay close attention to just how legion(predicate) Bibles existed.\r\nâ€Å"Jesus,” I muttered, staring at the various translations. There were Bibles for women and men respectively, Bibles for teens, illustrated Bibles, large-print Bibles, cash-em bossed Bibles. At last I caught sight of the King James Version. I knew little about it, but at least I know the title.\r\nPulling it off the shelf, I flipped to Genesis 6 and read Eriks personation:\r\nAnd it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of idol saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.\r\nAnd the LORD said, ‘My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is word form: and his days shall be an hundred and twenty age.\r\nThere were giants in the earth in those days; and also subsequently that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.\r\nWell. That unclouded everything up.\r\nI reread the passage a few more times, hoping to get something more out of it. I finally determined Erik must have given me the wrong cha pter number. Hed been distracted, after all. This passage, by my estimation, had nothing to do with angels, falling, or even the cosmic battle of heavy enough and evil. What it did seem to be about, however, was human procreation. It didnt take a biblical scholar to figure out what â€Å"the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men” meant, especially when children followed in the next phrase. Sex had sold books back in the old days, just as it did now. I wondered if Erik had given me the passage number as a joke.\r\nâ€Å"Are you finding religion?”\r\nI looked up first into a Pac-Man T-shirt, then into hardenings inquisitive face. â€Å"Found and lost it a long time ago, Im afraid.” I shut the book as he knelt down beside me. â€Å" salutary aspect up something. How are Cady and ONeill today?”\r\nâ€Å"Making good progress on their latest case.” He smiled fondly, and I found myself studying the amber-brown of his eyes. Id had a few more e -mail exchanges with him in the last few days and enjoyed my mininovels, though our spoken chat had seen little improvement. â€Å"I just finished a chapter and take to take a break. Walk around, get something to drink.”\r\nâ€Å"No caffeine, I presume.” I had learned readiness didnt drink caffeinated beverages, which I found both frightening and unnatural.\r\nâ€Å"No. No caffeine.”\r\nâ€Å"You shouldnt knock it. It might increase your writing output.”\r\nâ€Å"Ah yes, thats right. You dont think my books come out unfaltering enough.”\r\nI groaned, recall the day Id met him. â€Å"I think my own words came out a little too fast that first day.”\r\nâ€Å"No way. You were brilliant. Ill never forget it.”\r\nHis questioning mask slipped briefly, just as it had at the dance lesson, and I once again saw male interest and appreciation cross his features. Crouching beside him, I again had a momentary sense of naturalness, like I norm ally had with Doug or one of the immortals. Something jockly and soothing. same(p) Seth and I had known each other forever. Maybe I had, in a trend of speaking, through his books.\r\nAnd yet, at the same time, being this close to him proved disconcerting as well. Distracting. I began noticing things like the lean muscles in his arms and the way his messy brown hair framed his face. Even the gold sheen of light hitting his facial hair and the shape of his lips held my attention. Turning off, I felt the base thirst for life susceptibility twitch in me, and I repressed the urge to reach out and touch his face. The outside shape-shifting had ca utilise more damage than I realized. I take over didnt really require a true refill of susceptibility, but the succubus spirit was getting irritable. I needed to squelch it soon, but certainly not with Seth.\r\nI stood up hastily, slake holding the Bible, wanting to get away from him. He rose with me.\r\nâ€Å"Well,” I began awkw ardly when neither of us said anything for a few moments, â€Å"I need to get to work here.”\r\nHe nodded, the interest in his face turning to apprehension. â€Å"I…”\r\nâ€Å"Hmm?”\r\nSwallowing, he looked away briefly then back to me, his eyes now foc employ with determination. â€Å"So, Im going to this fellowship on Sunday, and I wondered if maybe… maybe if you werent busy or werent working, you could maybe, that is, maybe youd want to come with me.”\r\nI stared, speechless. Had Seth Mortensen just asked me out? And hadnt… hadnt we just had a coherent conversation for once? Combined with me of a sudden noticing how entrancing he was, the very world seemed to be turning on its side. Worse still, I wanted to accept. Something about Seth unawares felt natural and right, even if it wasnt like the rollercoaster of excitement I felt with Roman. Somewhere in this bizarre, awkward relationship, Id grown to genuinely like the generator i ndependent of his novels.\r\nBut I couldnt accept. I knew I couldnt. I cursed myself for my initial flirtation; it had evidently stuck with him, despite my efforts to undo it and stay platonic. Part of me felt dismayed, part of me pleased. in all of me knew what I had to do.\r\nâ€Å"No,” I answered bluntly, still stunned.\r\nâ€Å"Oh.”\r\nI had no choice. No way could I have Seth attracted to me. No way could I risk anything but an arms-length friendship with my favorite books creator.\r\nRealizing how rude I had sounded, I attempted a precipitant recovery. I should have simply said I had to work, but instead, I found myself babbling on with a variant of what I had used on Doug over the years.\r\nâ€Å"You see… Im not really provoke in dating right now or getting involved with anyone. So, its nothing personal, I mean, the party sounds great and all, but I just cant accept. I dont ever accept things like that, actually. Like I said, it isnt personal. Its jus t easier not to get involved. To not date. Um, ever.”\r\nSeth studied me for a long time, considering, and I was suddenly reminded of that first night when he looked much the same way while I explained my five-page rule with his books.\r\nFinally, he said, â€Å"Oh. Okay. But… arent you dating that guy? The really tall one with black hair?”\r\nâ€Å"No. Were not dating. Not really. Were just, uh, friends. Sort of.”\r\nâ€Å"Oh,” Seth repeated. â€Å"Friends dont go to parties together, then?”\r\nâ€Å"No.” I hesitated, suddenly wishing I had a different answer. â€Å"They can maybe have coffee sometimes. Here in the bookstore.”\r\nâ€Å"I dont drink coffee.”\r\nThere was a sharpness to his voice. I felt like Id been slapped. We stood there then in what was quite an possibly among the top five most awkward moments of my life. The silence stretched out between us. At last, I repeated my lame exit excuse: â€Å"I have to get back to work.”\r\nâ€Å"Okay. See you around.”\r\n solely friends, just friends. How many times had I used that line? How many times had the lie been easier than go about up to the truth? Id even used it on my husband so long ago, again screen from the reality of a matter I didnt want to admit to when things had turned sour between us.\r\nâ€Å"Just friends?” Kyriakos had repeated, dark eyes staring at me.\r\nâ€Å"Of course. Hes your friend too, you know. He just keeps me company when youre gone, thats all. Its lonely without you.”\r\nBut I never told my husband how often his friend Ariston came to visit or how we always seemed to be finding excuses to touch each other. A casual brush here and there. His hand to help me up. Or the one day that still burned in my memory, when he had reached over me to grab a bottle, and his hand had graze my breast. Id given an involuntary gasp, and hed lingered for a heartbeat before carrying on with his task.\r\nA nd I didnt tell Kyriakos that Ariston make me obtain like I had in the early days of my marriage, like I was clever, beautiful, and desirable. Ariston lavished me with the attention Kyriakos once had; Ariston love the sharp wit that had once gotten me into trouble as an unmarried maiden.\r\nAs for Kyriakos… well, I assumed he loved those things too, but he didnt show it so much anymore. His father was making him work longer and longer hours, and when he finally got home, he would crack up into bed or seek the solitude of his flute. I hated that flute… hated it and loved it. I loathed that it seemed to hold his attention more than I did.\r\nYet, on some nights, when I sat outside and listened to him play, I felt awed at his skill and that office to create such sweetness.\r\nBut that didnt change the point that I slept untouched more often than not. When I told him Id never get pregnant that way, hed laugh and tell me we had all the time in the world for children. This profuse me because I honestly †and irrationally †believed that having a spoil would somehow seduce everything between us. I ached for one, abstracted the way my little sisters had once felt in my arms. I loved the honesty and the innocence of children and liked to think I might help necessitate one into becoming a good person. vigour seemed so sweet to me in those days as cleaning cuts, holding small hands, and telling stories. Furthermore, I had reached a point where I needed to know that I could have a baby. Three years of marriage was a long time to go without a child in those days, and Id seen the way others were outset to whisper that poor Letha might be barren. I hated their simpering and sickeningly sugared pity.\r\nI should have told Kyriakos everything that was on my mind, every last detail. But he was so sweet and worked so hard to permit for us, I couldnt bear it. I didnt want to brace the contentment that ostensibly filled our household just for my own self-gratification and need for attention. Besides, it wasnt like he always neglected my body. A bit of coaxing, and I could sometimes get him to answer my desire. Wed come together in the middle of the night then, his body contemptible in mine with the same passion he used in his music.\r\nYet, looking at Ariston some days, I had the tactile sensation he wouldnt need any coaxing at all. And as empty days without Kyriakos passed, that started to mean something.\r\nJust friends, just friends. Standing there in the bookstore, watching Seth walk away, I half wondered how anyone could still use that line. But I knew why, of course. It was used because people still believed it. Or at least they wanted to.\r\nWhen I returned downstairs †feeling sad, angry, and idiotic all at the same time †I stumbled upon a scenario guaranteed to make my day even weirder: capital of Montana from Krystal Starz stood there in front of the registers, motion wildly to the cashiers.\r\ncapital of Montana here. On my turf.\r\nSwallowing my confusion over Seth, I strode over in my best managerial way, still carrying the Bible. â€Å"Is there something I can help you with?”\r\nHelena spun around, making the crystals around her neck go as they hit each other. â€Å"Its her †shes the one. The one who steal my staff.”\r\nI glanced behind the counter. Casey and Beth stood there, looking relieved to see me. Tammi and her friend Janice must have been somewhere else in the store, for which I was grateful. Best to keep them out of this. I kept my voice cool, ever-conscious of the customers observing.\r\nâ€Å"Im sure I dont know what you mean.”\r\nâ€Å"Dont start that with me! You know exactly what I mean. You walked into my store, do a sight, and then lured away my staff. They left without strike off!”\r\nâ€Å"People have recently applied for jobs here,” I responded blandly. â€Å"I cant really keep track of where they used to work. As a ssistant manager, however, I can sympathise with the inconvenience of employees who leave without giving notice.”\r\nâ€Å"Stop that!” Helena exclaimed, hardly resembling the cool, collected diva from last week. â€Å"Do you think I cant see through your lies? You walk in darkness, your aura wreathed in fire!”\r\nâ€Å"Whats on fire?”\r\nDoug and rabbit warren walked up, obviously attracted by the attach spectacle.\r\nâ€Å"Her,” Helena proclaimed, pointing at me, using the crude suppurate raspy voice.\r\n warren eyed me curiously, as though actually assessing for flames. â€Å"Georgina?”\r\nâ€Å"She stole my employees. Just came in and took them like that. I could sue, you know. When I tell my lawyers †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Which employees?”\r\n” Tammiand Janice.”\r\nI cringed, waiting to see what this new development would unleash. Despite his many shortcomings, Warren did have a smooth sense of customer service and professionalism. I worried what might ensue if my poaching received further investigation.\r\nHe frowned, trying to match faces with names apparently. â€Å"Wait… didnt one of them jump my car today?”\r\n” Tammidid.”\r\nHe snorted dismissively. â€Å"Were not giving them back.”\r\nHelena turned beet red. â€Å"You cant †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Maam, I am sorry for your inconvenience, but I can hardly pass back workers who have signed employment papers with us and are defiant to work for you anymore. Theres always turnover in retail. Im sure youll find someone soon.”\r\nShe turned on me, still pointing. â€Å"I wont forget this. Even if I cant get you back for this, the universe will repay your vicious and twisted nature. You will die miserable and alone. Unloved. Friendless. Childless. Your life will have amounted to nothing.”\r\nSo much for New Age love and kindness. I hardly feared her comments about dying, but the other adjectives d ug in a little. Miserable and alone. Unloved. Friendless. Childless.\r\nWarren, however, felt no such concerns for me. â€Å"Maam, Georginas the last one Id accuse of having a ‘cruel nature or leading a meaningless life. She holds this place together, and I trust her judgment implicitly †including the hiring of your former employees. nowadays unless you would like to make a purchase, I must ask you to leave before Im forced to call the authorities.”\r\nHelena spouted off more curses and woes to us, no doubt entertaining the customers waiting in line. To my surprise, Warren keep holding his ground. He unremarkably went out of his way to smooth customer relations and put our best foot forward, even at his employees expense. Today he didnt apparently feel like humoring anyone. It was refreshing.\r\nWhen Helena left, he retreated to his office without another word, and Doug and I stood there, astonishment quickly giving way to amusement.\r\nâ€Å"The things you cau se, Kincaid.”\r\nâ€Å"What? Dont fall that one on me.”\r\nâ€Å"Are you kidding? Freaky witch women never showed up before you started working here.”\r\nâ€Å"How would you know? I started before you.” Checking my watch, I turned thoughtful. â€Å"Youre still here for a while today, arent you?”\r\nâ€Å"Yup. Lucky for you. Why?”\r\nâ€Å"No reason.” I left him there and walked to the back offices. Instead of turning left for my office, however, I turned right into Warrens.\r\nHe sat at his desk, pugilism his briefcase, preparing to leave now that his car was ready. â€Å"Dont tell me shes back.”\r\nâ€Å"No.” I closed the door behind me. This make him look up. â€Å"I just wanted to thank you.”\r\nWarren eyed me shrewdly. â€Å"Kicking irrational customers out is part of my job.”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, but last time I didnt get praised. I had to apologize.”\r\nHe shrugged, thinking of an contingency from a year ago. â€Å"Well, that was different. You called an old woman a hypocritical, pathological Nazi neophyte.”\r\nâ€Å"She was.”\r\nâ€Å"If you say so.” His eyes still watched my every involve.\r\nI walked over to him, setting the Bible down on his desk. Climbing onto his chair, I straddled his lap, making my tight red skirt ride up considerably, revealing the lace-covered tops of black thigh-highs underneath. I leaned in to osculation him, at first just track my teeth tauntingly over his lips, and then suddenly pressing my mouth in hard. He returned the kiss with equal fervor, hands automatically slip up the backs of my thighs to cup my ass.\r\n”Christ,” he breathed when we broke apart(predicate) slightly. One of his hands moved to my face, the other toyed with the turnaround I wore under my skirt. His fingers ran along its lacy skirt and then pushed upward inside me, at first just delicately probing and then sliding up the full length. I was already slopped from a sudden desire and breathed profoundly as I savored those long, smooth strokes. Warren watched me with approval. â€Å"Whats this all about?”\r\nâ€Å"Whats what? We do this all the time.”\r\nâ€Å"You never rise it.”\r\nâ€Å"I told you, Im grateful.”\r\nThat was true, actually. I had found his defense quite a endearing. Also, still burning with Roman-lust and now maybe Seth-lust, I suddenly found Warren convenient in the wake of my grouchy succubus hunger.\r\nThe hand by my face wound up a lock up of hair, and he turned pensive, although he didnt stop what he was doing between my legs. â€Å"Georgina… I hope… I hope you know what we do here in no way affects your job. You have no obligations †no danger of losing your position here if †â€Å"\r\nI laughed out loud, affect by this oddly considerate side. â€Å"I know that.”\r\nâ€Å"I mean it †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"I know that,” I re peated, biting his lower lip with my teeth. â€Å"Dont go soft on me all of a sudden,” I growled. â€Å"Thats not what Im here for.”\r\nHe didnt interrupt again, and I let myself sink into the pleasure of contact. The feel of his tongue in my mouth, his hands brazenly exploring my body. After a long morning of perk upual frustration, I just needed it from someone †anyone. He unbuttoned my blouse and tossed it to the floor, where it rested in a black, silken pile. My skirt and thong followed, leaving me only in thigh-highs, bra, and heels. All black.\r\nHe shifted his body, still in the chair, so that I could pull his shorts off. Seeing him there †long, straight, and hard †made me move his hand out of me. Fingers no longer meet me. I wrapped my legs more tightly around his hips, as much as the chair would allow. Then, without further warning, I thrust my body down, plunging him inside me. I arched my body so that I could take him deeper, then moved in steady, repeated thrusts. Looking back down, I watched him glide in and out. There was no sound in the room hold that of flesh on flesh and our heavy breathing.\r\nWith discernment came a flood of feeling and sensations from him †different from the personal ones. As a less noble soul, his energy and presence did not knock me across the room like Martins had. Succubi absorption depended on the victims character. Strong, moral souls yielded more to the succubus and took a huge bite out of the guy. Corrupt men lost less and so gave less. Regardless of his energy or moral fiber, I did catch snippets of Warrens thoughts and emotions as I rode him. This was normal. They came through with his life force.\r\nDesire certainly was foremost in his mind. complacent pride at being with a younger, attractive woman. Excitement. Surprise. He had little remorse about imposition on his wife †contributing to the lower energy yield †and even the brief fondness for me hed displayed in the first place gave way to raw lust. So fucking baking. So wet. Love the way she rides me. Hope she comes and comes on top of me…\r\nI did, as it turned out. My movements becoming harder and fiercer as our bodies slapped together. My leg muscles clenching. Neck arched back again. Breasts hot and childbedy from where hed clutched them. The orgasm reverberating through me. Spasms of pleasure suppuration fainter and fainter as my breathing slowly returned to normal.\r\nAnd the energy fix wasnt bad either. It had leaked into me slowly throughout our building passion, starting off as fine glittering threads. unspoilt the end, however, it had become strong and bright, pouring into me, reinvigorating my own life, provide my immortality in a glorious climax that rivaled the sensual one.\r\nWhen we both had our clothes back on, I made moves for an exit. Small energy loss or no, Warren always felt exhausted and worn after wed been together. He thought it was the result of hi s age going up against a younger, more active woman. I did nothing to change his attitude but usually tried to discretely leave, so he wouldnt feel conscious around me in his fatigue. I knew it bothered him to think he couldnt keep up with me.\r\nâ€Å"Georgina?” he called as I moved to the door. â€Å"Why are you carrying a Bible? You arent trying to convert customers, are you?”\r\nâ€Å"Oh. That. Just researching something for a friend. Its applicable, actually. All about sex.”\r\nHe wiped sweat off his brow. â€Å"After years and years of church building, I think Id remember any good sex scenes.”\r\nâ€Å"Well, its not so much a scene as a clinical description of procreation.”\r\nâ€Å"Ah. much of those.”\r\nOn impulse, I walked over to him and opened up Genesis 6. â€Å"See?” I pointed to the appropriate verses. â€Å"All these mentions of men taking women. They say it, like, three times.”\r\nWarren studied the book with a frown, and I remembered that he had not opened this place without a demonstrable background in literary study. â€Å"Well… its repeated because here when it says ‘men began to multiply on the face of the earth, its referring to human men.”\r\nI looked up sharply. â€Å"What do you mean ‘human?”\r\nâ€Å"Here. The ‘sons of God arent human men. Theyre angels.”\r\nâ€Å"What?” If Id been holding the book, I would have dropped it. â€Å"Are you sure?”\r\nâ€Å"Positive. Like I said, years of church services. They use this term throughout the Bible.” He flipped to Job. â€Å"See?\r\nHere it is again. ‘Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. Its referring to angels †fallen angels in this case.”\r\nI swallowed. â€Å"What… what were they doing in Genesis then? With the ‘daughters of men? Were… were the angels having sex with human women?”\r\nâ€Å"Well, it says the women were ‘fair. Hard to doom them, huh?” He gave me an admiring sweep as he spoke. â€Å"I dont know. This isnt a point discussed a lot in church, as Im sure you can imagine. Mostly we stress human sin and guilt, but I ignore that.”\r\nI continued to stare at the book, dumbfounded, yet suddenly ablaze with ideas and theories. Warren eyed me curiously when I didnt respond to his joke.\r\nâ€Å"Does that help you any?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes,” I said, recovering myself. â€Å"It helps a lot.”\r\nI surprised him with a soft kiss on the lips, took the Bible, and left.\r\n'