Next-Door Incubus, page 3
part #1 of Becoming Lust Series
Those words… those were the same ones he had said in my dream.
He grasped my face gently and gazed down at me. Every sinful thing that I wanted him to do to me flashed into my mind. His lips on mine, his long fingers tormenting my body, everything.
Mom’s pendant shifted against my chest.
He chuckled. “Even with a boyfriend, you’re so responsive to my touch.”
Trevon. My eyes widened. I pulled myself out of the damn trance he seemed to put me in every single time I was close to him and glared up at him. “I am not.”
“Whatever you say.”
I pressed my lips together. “I’m not!”
He dropped his hands and turned away from me with that damn smirk on his stupid face. I crossed my arms over my chest. I couldn’t believe him. No—scratch that—I couldn’t believe myself.
All those days of Sunday school, all those late Saturday nights at church with Mom listening to a priest preach about a devil that I didn’t think existed, thinking about how weak those people who fell into temptation were.
The Devil wasn’t real, but temptation sure was.
Eros gazed back at me and pushed his hand into his pocket. “Oh, and Dani… I found these this morning.” He pulled something out of his pocket. “They looked like yours. Thought I’d return them to you.”
He tossed me the panties I had worn last night and walked away.
Chapter 5
I gazed down at the underwear, then at Eros walking toward the table, then back. My fingers curled around the soft material. Where did he get these? When did he get these? How did he get these?
After stuffing the underwear into my pocket, I marched after him. Who did he think he was? Offering us to go to dinner with him, flirting with me, stealing my panties while I was sleeping?
“Don’t you just walk away from me! We need to talk—”
Eros slid into the booth and picked up his fork to eat. He gazed up at me with the most innocent eyes I had ever seen, a forkful of chicken breast and apple relish in his hand. “What do you want to talk about?” Innocent eyes, but a devilish smirk. That goddamn perfect, sexy, annoying smirk.
He trapped me. He knew I wouldn’t be able to confront him here. He knew how much I’d stumble over my words, trying to find an excuse as to why I needed to talk to him in front of Trevon. And I hated it.
I sat next to my loving boyfriend, fingers grazing against his. “Nothing,” I said. I dipped a piece of bread into my bean stew. “It’s nothing.”
Trevon gazed at me briefly, then continued his conversation with Javier.
Eros paused for a moment, twisting his ring around his index finger with his thumb, and leaned back against the leather seat. “Oh, come on, Dani.”
Ignore him.
“Don’t be shy.”
He’s just trying to anger you.
“I bet you’re not this shy elsewhere.”
I snapped my eyes to his.
“You’re probably loud, aren’t you?”
I kicked his shin under the table. Did Trevon not hear this man?
When I looked over, Trevon was in a deep conversation with Javier and Zane about the best places to go in the city on the weekends. He didn’t even glance in our direction. Big smile, wide eyes. I sighed and gazed back at the man of mystery in front of me.
Once I got home, oh boy, I was going to march straight to his apartment and demand that he tell me exactly how he got my panties. I was having no more of this. He couldn’t go around flirting with me and stealing my underwear for no good reason at all.
~~~
After enduring another forty minutes of dinner, watching Eros play with his ring and hoping that he wouldn’t talk to me ever again, I had decided that going to his apartment was probably the worst idea I ever had. I could barely keep it together when we were out in public. God only knew what would happen if I ended up at his place.
Trevon slapped a hand on my thigh and smiled at me. “You ready?”
I grabbed his hand, yanking him out of the booth. Oh, I was more than ready to get out of here. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and grabbed my waist, slowing me down. “Babe, what’s the rush?”
“You can check your phone when we’re in the car. Hurry up,” I said.
We walked out of Crimson’s Nouveau, the cold breeze biting my exposed legs. The car was parked less than a block away across the street. There wasn’t even any traffic. I was so close to freedom. So damn close.
Trevon stopped. “Shit,” he said. The light from his phone illuminated his dark skin. “Something happened at work. I need to go. I’ll give you a ride back home, but we’ll have to make it quick.”
“I can take her back,” Eros said from beside him. Appearing from absolutely nowhere.
“No, that’s not happen—”
Trevon nodded. “That would be great, man. Thanks.”
My eyes widened. I snatched his arm, pulling him to the side. A bus rumbled down the street toward us. “Trevon, I’m not going with him!” I whispered.
“Come on, Dani. I really have to go.”
“No! I—”
His phone started to buzz again. He tapped the screen and lifted it to his ear. After pecking me on the lips, he told me he’d make it up to me.
I crossed my arms over my chest, watching him jog across the street to his car, nearly getting hit by the now-angry bus driver.
Eros walked up beside me, arm grazing against mine. “Looks like it’s just me and you.”
~~~
“So, what does Trevon do for work?” Eros asked, one hand on the steering wheel, the other dangerously close to my thigh. His car was strikingly clean, the sleek bronze and black leather seats had no scuffs, the silver accents were glimmering in the moonlight, and the small screen on the dashboard had no fingerprints on it.
I gazed at the city lights through the windshield, jaw clenched. I couldn’t believe I was here. “He owns a bar on Sixth.”
He tapped his ring against the wheel, turning onto a four-lane freeway. “You must get lonely.”
“Excuse me?”
“You spend your nights alone when he’s in the bar.” Eros slowed to a stop at a red light. The car screen lit up with Incoming Call: Luci, and Eros hit the decline button.
I narrowed my eyes at the screen, then at him. “And that makes you think I’m lonely?”
The corner of his lip curled up. “No. I think that you’re lonely because of the way you act.”
“And how do I act?” I asked, voice rising with each word. Why does he have to get under my skin every time I talk to him? Why was I even here? I should be in Trevon’s car with him, not with Mr. I’m-So-Hot-And-I-Know-It.
“Needy… Wanting…” That infamous smirk stretched across his face. “Horny.”
My eyes widened. “What!” I dug my nails into the leather seat. “You’re the one who’s been acting like that. You’re the one who stole my underwear! Who does that?”
He pressed down on the gas, and we drove forward slowly. Calm. He was so calm. “I didn’t steal them. I found them and thought I’d return them to you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring out at the trees that lined the street. Fiery red and orange leaves hung off of them. “Pfft, yeah okay. You just magically found the same panties that I was wearing last night.”
“You’re hot when you’re angry.”
“Well, you’re not hot at all, so stop talking to me.” I lied, and he knew it. He was so damn hot, but if he didn’t stop talking to me, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. I just wanted to be home and be alone—where I’d be able to stay in control of this unexplainable urge that I had to rip Eros’s clothes off and let him do what he wanted to me.
“Why are you lying, Dani?”
“Why are you so full of yourself, Eros?” I clenched my jaw. “You act like you’re this oh-so-powerful sex-god, but I bet you’re not even good in bed. You probably suc—”
Eros hit the brakes, and I flew forward in the car, my seatbelt digging into my collarbone. He tangled a hand into my hair, grabbed a fistful of it, and forced me to look at him. I could see my wide-eyed reflection in the black pits of his eyes.
“You have no idea what I’m capable of,” he said. Despite the harsh grip he had on my hair, he gently grazed his thumb against my cheek. “I can leave you trembling under my fingers, Dani.” He roughly grasped my jaw. “… under my lips…” His hand traveled down the column of my neck, sending a wave of heat through me. “When I’m finished with you, you’ll be begging for more.” His fingers grazed against the hem of my dress, dipping along my cleavage. “Craving more,” he whispered.
I pushed my knees together, my core throbbing. Oh, God. Oh, God. This wasn’t good.
“Until you can’t handle it any longer.” His fingertips grazed against my nipples through my dress. I shut my eyes.
Stop him, Dani.
My fingers dug into the leather, my head resting back on the seat.
I needed to stop him.
He drew his fingers across them again, and I pulled my knees together even more.
It felt too good.
Someone hit their horn behind us, the sound vibrating through the car. Bright headlights flashed in the rearview mirror. Eros released me and waved his hand out the window to apologize to the driver. He pressed on the gas.
I stared down at my knees—wide eyed—as realization shot through me. Please let that be a dream. Please let that be a dream. I couldn’t begin to comprehend every thought running through my mind. Why did I let Eros touch me? It felt so good. But it shouldn’t. I hadn’t felt that good—ever.
Not even with Trevon.
Chapter 6
I laid in my bed, staring up at my plain, boring ceiling and thinking about one person: Trevon. The sleepy smile he gave me every morning, him drawing patterns on my skin with his fingers and brushing his hands through my hair, so soft and soothing. The morning sun filing into the room, hitting his brown eyes and making them a sea of honey.
Five years. Five whole years of memories with him, and I had to blow it all.
After cocooning myself in my blanket, I curled into a ball. The music in my earbuds stopped playing twenty minutes ago, but I didn’t have the energy to get my phone from the dresser. Too much shame was weighing me down.
My fingers grazed against my necklace. Even if Eros made me feel better than Trevon, the feelings I had toward him were purely physical. It was infatuation. They’d go away. They always did.
But I couldn’t keep this from Trevon. I needed to tell him.
I lugged myself out of bed, picked up my phone, and dialed his number. Voicemail. I hung up and tried again. After calling for the fourth time, he picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” I said. “Sorry for calling you at work, but I need to tell you something.”
“Dani, did you get in alright? Thank Eros again for me.”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about hi—”
I heard a woman say something through the phone, voice muffled. Trevon said something back. People started yelling. “Dani, I got to go. Some guys are fighting in the middle of the bar. Tell me about this later.”
Before I had the chance to respond to him, the line went dead. I sighed and threw the phone next to me.
Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Every time I tried to tell him about Eros, something always interrupted us.
My phone buzzed beside me. I picked it up—hoping Trevon was calling back already.
From: Unknown
Message: Breakfast tomorrow? ;)
My eyes widened. I swear, if this was Eros, I was going to—
Another buzz.
From: Unknown
Message: This is Kasey btw (restaurant bathroom girl)
I sighed in relief and added her number to my contacts. The candle beside my bedside crackled in the dark. It probably wasn’t the smartest idea to go have breakfast with someone I just met in a public bathroom, but I needed to talk to someone about my problem. Maria was too nosey, Trevon was too busy, and Dr. U would only talk sense to me. I rested my head against the pillow and texted her back.
Getting out of this apartment would do me good—anything to take my mind off of Eros would help me at this point.
~~~
“Dani,” Eros murmured against my ear. I was lying on my stomach with the side of my face pressing against my pillow, the sweet scent of cinnamon filling me. He trailed his nose up the back of my neck and pressed himself against my backside. “I can’t wait to make you mine.”
My toes curled. He felt so good.
He sucked on the skin just below my ear, teeth pressing against my flesh ever so lightly, making me moan. His fingers curled around my chin. “Do you like the way I touch you?”
I nodded, his stubble against my neck making me shiver.
“What should I do to you tonight?”
Anything. I just wanted more and more. I never wanted him to stop. I pushed my hips back against his.
“Tell me what you want,” he said, steadying my hips with his.
“I… uh…”
He slipped his fingers under the waistband of my shorts, rubbing me roughly through my thin panties. I squirmed under his touch, the pressure already building inside of me.
“Tell me,” he said, harsher this time.
“I want… oh, God…”
He removed his hand from my shorts and pushed me onto my back. Lying on his side, he propped himself up on one of his elbows. The moonlight streamed in through the sheer curtains, bouncing off of his bare abdomen. I ran my fingers down his abs, down his v-line, and let them linger at his waistband. I gulped, gazing at the bulge in his pants.
After tucking his finger under my chin, he made me gaze into his eyes. They were black again. Completely and utterly black. No hint of white, no piercing green. Endless black pits.
They should’ve scared me.
He moved his lips closer until they were hovering above mine and grabbed my hand, placing it firmly on his bulge. “Is this what you want, Dani?” he asked, lips grazing against mine.
“Yes.”
~~~
I rubbed a hand over my face and pulled my blanket over my half-naked body. Another stupid dream about Eros.
From my bed, I gazed out the window. My curtains were pulled back, and I could see the morning’s pink and purple clouds over the city skyline. Why couldn’t I have a normal night for once? Why was he haunting my every dream?
My phone lit up on my side table. One unread message from Kasey asking me about breakfast. No messages from Trevon.
After sending him a good morning text—and not receiving one back—I rolled out of bed, dressed for my internship, and walked out of the room, following the scent of bacon and eggs. When I reached the kitchen, I paused and gazed at Eros who was sitting at the counter with Maria and his roommates.
“Dani!” Maria said, hopping off of a stool. Strands of her blonde hair hung around her face. “Come eat with us. We made extra!” She walked over to the skillet. “I’ll make a plate for you.”
“I have plans. Maybe next time,” I said. I grabbed my jacket from the coat rack.
“Is Trevon coming with you or is he staying here until you come back? Because if he is, he should come eat.” She stuck her head down the hall. “Trevon!”
“Trevon isn’t here.”
She placed a hand on her hip. “Mhm, sure. That’s why you have that big bruise under your ear. You must’ve given it to yourself last night, if he wasn’t here.”
“Bruise?” My fingers grazed against the skin below my ear. It was tender, but there wasn’t a bruise there. There couldn’t be. I opened the camera on my phone, staring at the screen in disbelief.
A text from Trevon popped up, but I ignored it. My skin was dark purple and red. It looked like a hick—wait a second.
My gaze lifted to Eros. He was tossing an apple into the air, staring at me with the greenest eyes I had ever seen. I shoved my phone in my jacket pocket. “Eros, can I speak to you?”
I didn’t wait for his reply. I just walked out the front door and waited for him to follow. He shut the door behind him, leaning against the doorframe. The hallway was empty—thank God. Eros threw the granny smith apple from hand to hand. “You and Trevon must’ve had some fun last night.”
“Stop it.” I dug my nails into my palms. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but I know that you’re up to something and it needs to stop.”
“What do you mean?”
I placed my hands on my hips. “First, you steal my panties. Second, I have this huge hickey on my neck!”
“What makes you think I gave you that hickey?”
“Because you gave it to me in my dre—” I stopped. I sounded so stupid. I had no proof that he did this to me. And, besides, I locked all the doors and even pushed a chair in front of my door so, if someone came in, I would know. Nothing was out of place this morning.
He tilted his head, still tossing that apple.
“Were you in my room last night?” I asked.
“Do you think I was?”
If I was wrong about this, I’d make a fool out of myself. But I already made a fool out of myself the first day I met him when I was dancing around in that damn underwear. So, I swallowed my pride. “Yes.”
He cocked a brow, eyes flickering down my body for a moment, and kicked himself off of the doorframe. “If you’re getting breakfast with Trevon, I suggest you cover that up.” And, with that, he opened the door and walked back inside.
Chapter 7
“What the heaven happened to you?” Kasey asked, staring at my neck with wide eyes. Coffee was brewing behind the counter, filling the room with the bitter scent of mocha. I was just glad that it wasn’t cinnamon.
I fiddled with Mom’s necklace and scooted into the leather booth across from Kasey at Ollie’s. Her lipstick was almost as bright as the blood red cushion covers. “Just-uh…”
I tried to think of a quick excuse, but what would explain this big, disgusting bruise? Burning myself with the straightening iron? My hair wasn’t even straight, just a big frizzy mess. No one was that stupid.
