The Darkest Craving (Lords of the Underworld #10)(10)
Author: Gena Showalter

The guard reappeared, his grin wider than before. “All yours, Willy.”

William pushed Kane inside. “Did you see anyone you wanted on the way up here?”

“Anyone will do.” A woman was a woman, as far as he was concerned.

Just as soon as the thought registered, some part of his mind spit and hissed at it. The Fae wasn’t just—whatever. No thinking about her. Anyone was better than a demon minion, and that’s all his sense of choice cared about.

“Give me five minutes,” William said. “I know the working girls. I’ll find you someone who will let you take her any way you want her.”

Crude, but necessary.

The door shut, sealing Kane inside. The pungent smell of sex thickened the air and his stomach filled with acid. He hated the dark, and quickly flipped on the light. In front of him was a wet bar, and beside it a couch, the cushions askew. On the coffee table was a box of condoms. At the other end of the room was a small bathroom with only a toilet and a sink, and beside it a queen-size bed with the covers tangled in a heap at the end. There was a condom stuck to the top.

After pouring himself a shot of whiskey—then another and another and another, then deciding to take the entire bottle with him—Kane settled on the couch.

By the time the door opened a short while later, the bottle was empty. Alcohol never affected him as strongly as it did a human, and only served to dull out the fiercest of his emotions. That dullness was desperately needed now. His limbs were trembling, and sweat had beaded over every inch of his skin. He expected to melt—or shatter—at any moment.

William walked in with a pretty blonde tucked into his side. She wore a short red dress and lipstick to match, and she was smiling at something the warrior had said.

“This is my friend.” William motioned to Kane with a tilt of his chin. “The guy I was telling you about. He’ll pay you whatever you want. Just make sure you do whatever he wants.”

Kane set the bottle on the ground, pretending he wasn’t about to vomit.

“Of course.” She bit her lip as she studied Kane. Interest lit her dark eyes. “It’ll be my pleasure.”

“Good,” William said, chucking her under the chin. “You have nothing to worry about. He won’t bite—unless you ask him real nice.” With that, the warrior took off, leaving Kane alone with the girl. The stranger.

His lungs constricted, nearly blocking his airways.

A moment of silence passed as she shifted from one high-heeled foot to the other. “You’re even more gorgeous than William promised.” There was a bead of excitement in her tone.

She was talking. Why was she talking? He didn’t want to have a conversation with her. He would begin to wonder what kind of life she’d led, what had brought her to this point, and he would feel sorry for her. He didn’t want to feel sorry for her.

Disaster hummed with contentment.

Contentment? Why?

Just get this over with. “Come here,” Kane said.

The female obeyed, slipping into the spot beside him. Her scent hit him, and he wrinkled his nose in distaste. A cloying perfume, laced with the scent of cigarette smoke. Nothing like the Fae, who had smelled as though she’d spent the day in the kitchen. Like a wife.

Maybe he shouldn’t do this.

A gust of wind burst through the room, lifting the bottle of whiskey off the ground and slamming it into the woman’s chest.

“Ow!” she cried.

Kane cursed the day he’d stolen Pandora’s box.

She rubbed her chest, saying, “What just happened?”

“Could have been an air vent.” It was possible.

“Why don’t you kiss me better?” She inched closer to him.

“No kissing.” Harsh words. Even harsher tone.

“What about sucking? I’m really good at sucking.” She leaned over to unfasten his pants, but Kane flipped her over. He pressed her stomach into the cushions of the couch, holding her down. He didn’t want anyone’s lips on him.

“We do this my way.” Bile rose as he lifted the hem of her dress and tugged down her panties. Though he would have rather sawed off one of his limbs, he unbuttoned his pants, undid the zipper. The trembling of his hands magnified. Acid rose from his stomach and collected in his throat, scorching him. He paused.

What was the problem? He’d done this before. When he’d realized relationships weren’t feasible, he’d lived off one-night stands. At least for a little while. But none of them had ever broken him down like this….

“Am I doing something wrong?” she asked.

Gritting his teeth, he sheathed himself in a condom and…and…

Do it! Disaster commanded.

He took her.

He was rough, ragged, utterly without sensuality and carnal ambition. He had no focus, no desire to watch her reach climax. His mind despised this. And yet, his body liked it. But then, his body was a traitor. It had liked what the minions had done, too, and that’s what haunted him most. That a part of him had enjoyed his own violation.

This had been a mistake.

He didn’t want this woman, didn’t know her, might not even like her if he did. She wasn’t…her, the Fae his instincts craved so desperately.

Disaster cursed at the direction of his thoughts.

And as the female groaned to encourage him, images began to fill his head. Hands here…mouths there…minions everywhere…

Nearing panic, Kane somehow, some way, managed to finish. He wasn’t sure whether or not he’d gotten her off, and at the moment, he didn’t care.

The demon’s curses tapered into statements of approval.

Fighting a tide of self-disgust, Kane discarded the condom and fixed his clothing, then threw a few hundreds on the couch cushions beside her. He walked to the door, and motioned her out. First thing he saw was William taking a woman against the wall. The guard was nowhere to be seen.

“But…don’t you want my number?” asked the blonde. “In case the urge strikes again? I’ll make myself available to you any day, any time.”

“No,” he said, being blunt to be kind. He would never call her, and he didn’t want her hoping for the impossible.

“Was I not what you were looking for?”

“No. You weren’t. Now leave.”

Sighing, she straightened her dress and strode out of the room, the hall.

“All done?” William called. He hadn’t pulled from the woman, but he’d stopped moving at least.

More, Disaster said.

As much as Kane hated the words brewing at the back of his tongue, he said, “Bring me another one.” The sex hadn’t done what he’d wanted. The memories and all that came with them were still knocking at the door of his mind, ready to pounce. But Disaster was happy. So, Kane would take a second woman. And a third. However many proved necessary, until the demon was so saturated with satisfaction, he forgot what had happened.