Fallen Gods II: Jaded Prey Read online

  “You’re following me,” she accused unnecessarily. “What is it about ‘no’ that you don’t understand?”

  “Your mind and body say yes, so why should I pay attention to your words?” He was amused. That was it. Usually women begged him to fuck them. This little spitfire was a nice change of pace.

  “You’re wrong. Leave me alone.” She fumbled with her keys for a moment until she managed to unlock her car then she got in and reached to pull the door closed.

  Merco grabbed her car door, staring down at her long thin legs when she pulled them into the car. He squatted down, those ravenous blue eyes, and pouty full lips captivating him. She didn’t wear any makeup, and her hair hardly did her justice in the tomboy-style braids, but her incredible beauty stood out regardless of how little she worked to display herself.

  “I haven’t been wrong in a very long time.” He almost said centuries until he realized she was frightened.

  Her sexual energy swam around her in such a thick haze that it was impossible to miss. But he’d scared her, and for whatever reasons wanted to reassure her all he offered was satisfaction to her burning needs.

  “You need a good fucking. Your body is screaming for it. All I’m offering to do is help you.” He smiled, sending thoughts to calm her down.

  She turned quickly, raising her hand and balling it into a fist. When she aimed to hit him, his shock almost got him a bloody nose. Now wouldn’t that just make him the laughing stock of the Ancients?

  He grabbed her hand, careful not to crush her fragile bones. Her soft skin caressed his senses. Running his thumb over the smoothness of her skin, fire burned through him, a need ravaging his libido unlike anything he’d experienced. And he’d had a lot of experiences.

  She yanked her hand back, but he tightened his grip, unwilling to let her go.

  “If you don’t let go, I swear I’ll scream,” she hissed through her teeth.

  The way her breathing increased, as lust pumped through her body, made her chest rise and fall in a rapid flutter, her breasts stretching the material of her shirt to its limit. He itched to make her clothing disappear, to see her in her full beauty.

  “I have no doubts you will scream. You haven’t experienced true pleasure for quite a while. That tight pussy of yours is itching to explode.” He held her hand, feeling her skin warm further under his touch.

  Her thoughts were so fogged with lust, he wasn’t prepared for her leg to come out of the car. She moved quickly, her blue eyes burning with a fiery passion. In the next second she kicked him, hard, and square on the knee.

  “If you think lines like this will get you a piece of ass, your brain must be smaller than your cock.” She slammed the door on him, and started her car with a fury.

  In the next second she squealed off, leaving him in a cloud of exhaust.

  Merco straightened, the dull throb in his knee not bothering him as much as her flat-out rejection for him to soothe her cravings. What was it about the women on this planet? They wanted to be fucked more than anything. Her thoughts were an open book. Yet she repeatedly denied to him that she wanted him. She lied.

  Staring back at the house, he knew nothing inside had impressed him. He’d enjoyed the reenactment of the sexual uniting of the covens, but none of the women had called him forth like the fiery redhead.

  Other orgies were going on in this town. Kansas City seemed to have its share of them. Merco faded into the breeze, allowing the human form he had taken to vanish. For some reason, he couldn’t get his thoughts of the redhead to vanish as easily though. Something about her had gotten to him. And it might just amuse him to explore it a bit further.

  He knew he would go after her. It just never occurred to him that she would go straight to the building some of the other Ancients had under protection. His friends Braze and Bridget were in one of the apartments here. Maybe they would offer some entertainment—distract him from the human who had run from him.

  Merco chuckled. He couldn’t even bring himself to accept the fact that she’d straight-out rejected his ass—then she’d run from him.

  Pushing his way through the protective barrier that encompassed the apartment building would alert his fellow coven members of his presence. That didn’t bother him. Merco looked at it as a type of doorbell, announcing his presence.

  Putting a smile on his face, he materialized into the living room of the small apartment where the two of them seemed content to live. His entire mood lifted at the sight of Bridget on her knees, sucking Braze’s cock.

  “I’ve arrived just in time.” He relaxed onto their couch, kicking his legs up and situating himself.

  This was just what he needed, relaxed downtime with his friends. His cock danced to life at the sight of his friend’s lover and life partner. The two of them made an incredible couple, loving each other with the aggressiveness seldom found in two people who had been together for so long.

  Bridget coughed and gagged, Braze’s hard cock pressed deep into her mouth. The two of them acknowledged him with quick glances. Bridget waved her hand at him and suddenly he could no longer see.

  “Hey!” he yelled, reaching up to yank at the blindfold securely tied around his head. “That’s not fair.”

  By the time he’d yanked it off, both of them were dressed.

  “Tell me about it,” Braze grumbled, looking down at the clothes on his body. His irritation showed when he turned his attention to Merco. “This better be good.”

  “I got rejected.” There—he’d said it. He’d admitted it out loud.

  Bridget stared at him for a moment, her hands slowly moving to the soft curve of her hips.

  “Let me get this right,” she began.

  “I know…I know.” He wished he could get the event of meeting the redhead out of his thoughts. He kept replaying their moments together over in his head. “I can’t believe it, either.”

  “Why you little pompous ass.” Bridget threw her hands up in the air, her expression darkening. “You interrupted us to whine about some woman telling you no?”

  Merco stared at her. Actually yes, he had. But he wasn’t whining, was he?

  This wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. An uncomfortable warmth traveled through him while he looked from one of them to the other. Braze’s emotions were at bay, his expression serious. Merco waved his hand so that several drinks appeared. Bridget looked at him in disgust and waved the drinks away.

  “Merco. You have become a spoiled-rotten child. I can only imagine what you might have done to get yourself rejected.” She looked angry now, angry enough to throw him out. And he knew she had a better punch than that redhead did.

  “I simply offered to take care of her needs.” Merco shrugged, although a thought slowly crept into his mind that maybe he’d been a bit pushy. “I’ve never had problems before,” he added quickly, suddenly feeling the need to defend his actions.

  Braze coughed, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. Bridget’s look of contempt spoke loud enough for both of them.

  “You just walked up to a human and said, ‘come here, baby, and I’ll fuck you’?” She made it sound rather repulsive.

  “Okay. Maybe I came on a bit strong.” He offered her his winning smile.

  “I’m surprised she didn’t slap you in the face.” Bridget turned from him, pacing toward the kitchen door, her long hair swaying down her back.

  Merco thought again how the redhead would look with her hair free to flow.

  “What were you thinking?” Bridget adjusted a picture hanging on the wall and then faced him. “You didn’t do anything… I mean…you didn’t…”

  “No. I didn’t force her. You know rape isn’t my style.” And he wouldn’t tell her he’d intercepted the slap. “She kicked me in the knee,” he said, somehow knowing that wouldn’t get him any sympathy.

  Braze broke out laughing and Bridget glared at him.

  “It sounds to me like you deserved it. You can’t treat human women that way, Merco. They a
re independent. Just because you can feel their lust doesn’t mean they are going to spread their legs for you.”

  “It’s true of all women… All women who aren’t sluts, that is.” Braze pointed his thumb at Bridget. “It took forever to convince this woman that she wanted me.”

  Bridget smiled and moved to cuddle on his lap. Merco envied the closeness the two of them had.

  But what the hell was up with that? He wasn’t after a relationship. All he wanted was a good fuck.

  “Well, maybe I should apologize to her.” He shrugged, standing, knowing he was an unwanted third party there. “That’s why I came here anyway. She lives in this building.”

  Bridget looked up at him, her cheeks glowing while the warmth in her eyes showed she couldn’t wait to get back to what she’d been doing before he’d interrupted.

  “Oh, does she? What’s her name?” she asked.

  “She is your good friend, Naomi. I admit being at a loss as to why you two never formally introduced me. She is one hot redhead.”

  The flash in Bridget’s gaze was a warning of her rising temper. “You know better than most that Naomi has been to hell and back. I won’t have her enduring anything painful. There is no way she could handle a relationship with you.”

  “What’s wrong with me?” He gave her his best sincere smile, knowing from experience it seldom worked on the stubborn woman.

  “I think Bridget feels it’s her duty to keep Naomi safe. The poor girl got caught in the grip of the leader of the demons, and ever since we’ve gotten her back, Bridget protects her.”

  “Well, I’m not exactly looking for a relationship.” Once again, the image of Naomi’s sultry body, and that beautiful red hair distracted Merco’s thoughts. “I just thought I’d get to know her a bit.”

  If he hadn’t turned his back on Bridget, she never would have been able to send him flying. “You stay the fuck away from her,” was all he heard as he was hurled away from the planet.

  He slowed himself, allowing the blackness of outer space to absorb around him. Staying away from that redhead was the last thing he planned on doing.

  Chapter Three

  “I wondered when you would show up.” Merco acknowledged the older man who walked through the wall into his bedroom.

  “Nice place you have here.” Birk, Merco’s watcher, stroked his salt-and-pepper beard while taking slow steps toward the bed.

  Merco glanced over at the blonde stretching next to him on his bed. He’d intended to fuck the shit out of her, take out all his aggressions in some good, raunchy sex. Looking at her now, her large breasts perfectly shaped, oval nipples all perky, just the way he liked them, and creamy blonde hair that was short and silky, he knew he’d created her because she looked nothing like that blasted redhead.

  The redhead who wouldn’t stay out of his thoughts, and had been distracting him for well over a week now.

  “I’m glad you like it,” he muttered.

  The blonde opened her eyes, staring up at him with a lazy smile. She would do anything for him. Fuck him any way he wished. She was eager and willing, just like all the other ladies he’d conjured up over the past week. All of them anxious to be his slut, do whatever he wanted.

  And the fact that he couldn’t get hard for any of them was really starting to piss him off.

  “What made you decide to move to Earth?” Birk walked past the bed, ignoring the two of them lying there, and moved to stare out the full-length window. “Nice view you have here,” he added conversationally.

  “What’s wrong with Earth?” Merco looked down the length of the blonde, her smooth mound between her legs nicely tanned.

  He wondered if the redhead kept herself shaved.

  The blonde rolled into him, her fingers raking through the hair on his chest. She curved one of her legs over his, unconcerned that Birk was in the room. Which didn’t surprise him—she had been created to fuck, to give him all that he wanted at the moment.

  And at the moment, all he wanted was for her to go away. Waving a hand over her, she disappeared, leaving him feeling as empty as he had when she’d been cuddled into him. Something had to be done. He wasn’t accustomed to not getting laid daily, but for the life of him, he couldn’t get interested in any of his playmates.

  “I’ve never had a problem with this planet.” Birk clasped his hands behind his back, his barrel chest stretching the flannel plaid shirt he wore. Turning, he gave Merco a scrutinizing look. “But from what I hear, you arrive and start trouble immediately.”

  Merco stood, walking naked over to his full-length mirror. Tall and muscular, he knew he had what any woman craved. But Bridget had given him a firm reminder that Earth women wouldn’t just bend over and beg for a good pounding, even if they lusted over you in their mind.

  “Good news travels fast.” He stared at himself for only a moment in the mirror before dressing.

  Faded jeans and a T-shirt would be his attire for the day. He glanced over another second at the image reflecting back at him after making the clothes appear, before turning to Birk.

  “I reckon I’ve allowed myself to get a bit rusty.” Merco sighed, running his fingers through his thick hair. “And Bridget is probably right. I shouldn’t be messing with the women here.”

  Birk nodded once, tugging at his beard. “And that is why you’ve decided to live here.”

  Birk made a show of looking around the large bedroom, taking a long look out of the tall windows lining the opposite wall. Plush grounds surrounded the home Merco had recently decided to move into. One of the things Merco loved about the place was the wide-open space surrounding the house. When he’d walked around the grounds the first time, imagining a particular redhead strolling over the peaceful surroundings had made him buy it on the spot.

  “I’ve met a lady who intrigues me. I can’t help but think about her,” he mused, walking over to look out the windows at the land that only urged those thoughts along. “The way Bridget defended her, she must be an incredible person.”

  Birk chuckled. “I’m impressed. You’ve never given too much thought to a woman’s nature before.”

  Merco turned around, considering his watcher’s words. “Women are treasures, an awesome creation. But the challenge here draws me in.”

  And that had to be it. No woman for centuries had even considered telling him no. Merco shook his head, his body tightening just thinking of the fire he saw burning in those deep blue eyes of hers.

  “What are you going to do?” Birk crossed his large arms over his chest, giving Merco a harsh look. “Bridget monitors this planet with a tight rein. I’m sure she already knows you are here.”

  Merco waved his hand through the air. Bridget had never been a problem for him. “She is doing a wonderful job of pulling this planet back together. There were so many demons here a person could hardly breathe.”

  He laughed easily. Braze and Bridget always held a warm spot inside him. They made a wonderful couple and he enjoyed both of them.

  “Well, let’s just hope she doesn’t decide you are one of those demons.” Birk didn’t smile. The man worried way too much.

  “Bridget’s concern for the redhead intrigues me. If she has befriended this woman, there must be a quality in her—other than she is damned good-looking—that impresses her.” Images of her long braided hair, her creamy skin with those rich blue eyes so full of fire tightened every muscle inside him. This one would be worth the chase. And he had a feeling it would liven his life up a bit to go after such a morsel. “All I have to do is convince Bridget that my intentions are sincere.”

  Now Birk did laugh. “This will be worth hanging around for.”

  Merco ignored Birk, his thoughts too consumed by the young woman who had captured his attention unlike any other woman in centuries. Heading toward his bedroom door, he waved a hand in dismissal.

  “Pick a room in the house and set up camp if you like,” he told his watcher as he headed down the long wide hallway toward the staircase. “I�
��m going to make a trip into town and do some research.”

  “Research?” Birk was on his heels.

  Merco felt his blood pump through him, enthusiasm mounting while he made a mental plan for his day. How long had it been since he’d set a serious goal, interacted with a woman who wouldn’t automatically do his bidding?

  “Yup. I’m going to be human for a while, see where it gets me.” Merco headed down the stairs and grinned up at his old friend’s concerned expression.

  Maybe he’d been all about good times for centuries now. But he had to do something about the redhead who wouldn’t get out of his thoughts. And taking her on, at her own level, without magic, sounded like an adventure he was anxious to start.

  Chapter Four

  Working days sucked. After nine years of working third shift, Naomi just couldn’t get accustomed to working during the day. Strolling through Westport, the notorious nightlife spot of Kansas City, the thought that she could stop in at one of the clubs, have a drink, and relax after a hard day’s work hit her with an awkward realization.

  Digging her fists into her coat pockets, she hunched over against a strong icy breeze and kept walking. It would be dark soon, but heading back to her apartment didn’t appeal to her tonight. Dreams seemed to haunt her whether she was awake or sleeping. Maybe if she walked herself into a complete state of exhaustion she would be able to just go home and collapse onto her bed without tossing and turning for a change.

  Folks at work told her it was normal to endure a sleep adjustment after switching shifts. But for some reason she worried it was more involved than that. Her body burned with a raw ache that seemed to pulse through her with more intensity every day. And her mind crawled with memories she didn’t remember having. None of it made any sense.

  “Hey, looking good.” Several college-age young men sauntered past her, a mixture of leather and beer filling the air around them.