Page 11 of Virgin Lust

She’s sitting in a booth at Mino’s Bar, a location just outside the limits of the City of the Dead…

I shouldn’t have a certain person’s whereabouts stuck in my fucking head all the damned time. My hands shook as I tried to ignore the goose bumps, like the ghost of someone’s touch, rippling over my body.

Aligning my pool stick with the cue ball, I hit it at an angle, and it bounced off the corner. The ball smacked straight into the three others like I wanted, but only two of them went into the slot.

Standing tall, I tugged at my collar and pulled the shirt from my damp skin. Moisture covered me unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I’d been sweating fordays. Running my hand through my damp hair, I strode over to the other side of the pool table and aligned my stick with the cue ball again.

Getting that last one into the hole became a priority. I concentrated as hard as I could on the outcome, but still missed it completely thanks to a single, mysterious woman consuming my thoughts. I yearned for her with a passion that began in the depths of my soul. The craving made my heart pound and blood rush to my cock. The intensity pushed me to find her.

Who was she?

I didn’t know her name, but I was fucking positive I knew where to find the black-haired beauty. Her location came to me hours after I encountered her at the human festival. It wasn’t by scent because I no longer smelled the candied goodness wafting off her, and I missed it.

No, something deeper, more primal enabled me to find her. My soul knew exactly where she was at all times. All I had to do was think about her, and she’d be there. It was like I was connected to her.

It amazed me that someone I’d only seen once and never spoke to could burrow herself so deeply beneath my skin. My explanation? Madness—the mindless obsession that eventually possesses all demons.

Then the sweats came along with the urge to go to her. My feet had a mind of their own, always trying to seek her out.

I couldn’t sleep. I hadn’t eaten since the human festival, not that I needed to with all the souls I devoured that night. My thoughts were consumed by the stranger. I knew—I fucking knew—something came undone within me when I saw her. A monster tugged at his leash and my human part stomped his boots to stay away from whatever hell was about to break loose.

Why was I fighting desire? The woman I saw was perfection—a goddess. All of me—the demon and whatever was left of my humanity—ached to know her. I’d forgotten what wanting someone felt like, and it burnedsogood.

“Should we make something out of Sire’s fallen petals?” Wallis asked.

Gritting my teeth, I tried not to eavesdrop.

“Maybe we should tape them back together and make a bouquet for his funeral since he’s obviously dying,” Marty snorted. He hopped onto the pool table and looked up at me. His shoulders slumped, and he stuck out his chapped bottom lip. “I can’t believe you let Dirk take the portal chip and enter the Underworld. How is that fair? We should have gone with him.”

Without thinking, I backhanded Marty. He sailed across the room and collided with a table. Beer bottles clattered and crashed to the floor. The men jumped up, yelling, and pointed to their drenched shirts.

“What the fuck?” someone said.

“How did that happen?” said another.

The third guy scratched beneath his beard and asked, “Did someone throw something?”

I stopped focusing on the upset bystanders and glanced down at my hands. The veins at my wrist practically twitched while my heart hammered in my chest. Why was I so angry? I needed to let loose on something or someone. As Marty climbed back onto the table, I eyeballed him. Wallis soon joined him. The two green fools tilted their heads as if they were trying to figure out my problem.

“Are you okay?” I asked Marty.

He nodded. “Boss, you...”

“What?”

“You reacted more like a soul reaper than—”

“Don’t say another word!” I warned him as I stood tall. That only seemed to make the gremlins giddier. Wallis and Marty glanced at each other, shared a devious smirk, and bounced up and down with their excitement.

“You’re so cool, Boss.” Wallis clapped.

I rubbed my forehead. Yelling and ordering them around wasn’t cool. I would never understand those creatures. “Stop clapping.”

_____

There was a reason I let Dirk venture into the Underworld alone. I needed answers.All day long, Wallis swept up the purple petals appearing at my feet. Sometimes, I awakened, and I was lying in dead flowers. They were everywhere I turned. Rubbing my bare chest, I sat on the too short mattress. The shitty trailer didn’t give me enough room for a longer bed.

Although I took a cold shower five minutes ago, I was still turned on.

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