guests. “She looks heartbroken.”
“It’s an act and you know it. She’s always been the practical one.” She motioned for me to eat. “Hurry up. You’re drawing stares. The moms will come check us out to see what’s wrong.”
I crammed a huge bite in my mouth before a mom confiscated it. Drinking wouldn’t make me feel better. It took the edge off but I’d regret it later or in a few days, depending on how much I drank. Maybe I should call Sin and see what he was up to tonight? He could be a douche but he was never boring, and staying home just didn’t appeal to me.
Rose watched as one of the shifter boys bowed low to a guest and referred to her as Mistress Succubus. “Why do they keep doing that? One of your suitors is a shifter. Is it a wolfy thing?”
I shrugged and hid my smirk behind another bite. Somebody had to entertain me tonight. The boys would figure out my little joke eventually though. Shifters were so cute.
Rose drifted back into the throng and I moved farther away until my back hit the glass wall of the greenhouse. I never fit in this crowd. The males gathered to one side and observed their wives as they meandered with their champagne glasses and nibbled on oysters. My people’s beauty came from an evolutionary development for hunting. Only the beautiful survived among succubi and only the powerful among incubi.
“I didn’t see sandwiches being served.” A smooth voice spoke into my ear from behind.
I twirled around. “Valerio. I—I didn’t see you come in.”
“You were too busy flirting with the bartender to notice.”
I swallowed the bite of food in my mouth and tried to calm the flight of butterflies in my chest. Wait, that meant he spotted me when he arrived. Warmth spread around my heart like a thick warm blanket.
“Are shifters more to your tastes?” He took the glass from my numb hand and sniffed. “This isn’t iced tea.” A small smile played on his lips as he took a sip. “Some succubi prefer one race over another.”
“Oh? I don’t have a favorite.” Not that I ever paid attention. I mean, why would I care? “I’m not picky. Well, that’s not true, I’m very picky, but it hasn’t anything to do about species. More of a personality thing than any other trait, they have to make me feel comfortable, you know. I mean the shifter boys here have been nice but they’re a little too young and…”
He raised his eyebrow as he sipped my drink and listened.
“And I’m rambling.”
“Do I make you feel comfortable?”
“Dude, are you kidding me? No way.” I grabbed my drink from his hand and just about ran away, skipping over the large patio stones so my heels wouldn’t get caught. I’d been drinking way too much to deal with the likes of him. What the hell was he doing anyway? He had a party full of succubi with fathers more than willing to give them up. I spotted my mother Sam sitting at one of the tables among the greenery with a couple I barely knew. I plopped down in the chair next to her. “Hey.”
“Pia.” My mom beamed at our guests. “You haven’t seen her since she was a baby.” Hugging me close to her side, she whispered close to my ear. “Get me out of here.”
I blinked at the stiff couple across from me. They sat far apart, backs slightly turned to each other. “I’m not feeling well.”
The wife appeared to have a stick up her ass and the husband must have sucked on a lemon.
“Maybe you should take it easy on those drinks, honey. They’re killer on your hips,” wifey commented.
“Pia’s hips seem fine to me.” Valerio eased into the seat next to me. “Herman.” He nodded to the male. “Though she is a little too quick on her feet for my taste.” He gave me a meaningful grin. “I guess I should work out more so I can keep up.”
“Valerio.” Wifey rolled the r in his name like a purr. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. If you need someone to show you the city—”
Herman’s hand clamped down on his
“It’s an act and you know it. She’s always been the practical one.” She motioned for me to eat. “Hurry up. You’re drawing stares. The moms will come check us out to see what’s wrong.”
I crammed a huge bite in my mouth before a mom confiscated it. Drinking wouldn’t make me feel better. It took the edge off but I’d regret it later or in a few days, depending on how much I drank. Maybe I should call Sin and see what he was up to tonight? He could be a douche but he was never boring, and staying home just didn’t appeal to me.
Rose watched as one of the shifter boys bowed low to a guest and referred to her as Mistress Succubus. “Why do they keep doing that? One of your suitors is a shifter. Is it a wolfy thing?”
I shrugged and hid my smirk behind another bite. Somebody had to entertain me tonight. The boys would figure out my little joke eventually though. Shifters were so cute.
Rose drifted back into the throng and I moved farther away until my back hit the glass wall of the greenhouse. I never fit in this crowd. The males gathered to one side and observed their wives as they meandered with their champagne glasses and nibbled on oysters. My people’s beauty came from an evolutionary development for hunting. Only the beautiful survived among succubi and only the powerful among incubi.
“I didn’t see sandwiches being served.” A smooth voice spoke into my ear from behind.
I twirled around. “Valerio. I—I didn’t see you come in.”
“You were too busy flirting with the bartender to notice.”
I swallowed the bite of food in my mouth and tried to calm the flight of butterflies in my chest. Wait, that meant he spotted me when he arrived. Warmth spread around my heart like a thick warm blanket.
“Are shifters more to your tastes?” He took the glass from my numb hand and sniffed. “This isn’t iced tea.” A small smile played on his lips as he took a sip. “Some succubi prefer one race over another.”
“Oh? I don’t have a favorite.” Not that I ever paid attention. I mean, why would I care? “I’m not picky. Well, that’s not true, I’m very picky, but it hasn’t anything to do about species. More of a personality thing than any other trait, they have to make me feel comfortable, you know. I mean the shifter boys here have been nice but they’re a little too young and…”
He raised his eyebrow as he sipped my drink and listened.
“And I’m rambling.”
“Do I make you feel comfortable?”
“Dude, are you kidding me? No way.” I grabbed my drink from his hand and just about ran away, skipping over the large patio stones so my heels wouldn’t get caught. I’d been drinking way too much to deal with the likes of him. What the hell was he doing anyway? He had a party full of succubi with fathers more than willing to give them up. I spotted my mother Sam sitting at one of the tables among the greenery with a couple I barely knew. I plopped down in the chair next to her. “Hey.”
“Pia.” My mom beamed at our guests. “You haven’t seen her since she was a baby.” Hugging me close to her side, she whispered close to my ear. “Get me out of here.”
I blinked at the stiff couple across from me. They sat far apart, backs slightly turned to each other. “I’m not feeling well.”
The wife appeared to have a stick up her ass and the husband must have sucked on a lemon.
“Maybe you should take it easy on those drinks, honey. They’re killer on your hips,” wifey commented.
“Pia’s hips seem fine to me.” Valerio eased into the seat next to me. “Herman.” He nodded to the male. “Though she is a little too quick on her feet for my taste.” He gave me a meaningful grin. “I guess I should work out more so I can keep up.”
“Valerio.” Wifey rolled the r in his name like a purr. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. If you need someone to show you the city—”
Herman’s hand clamped down on his
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