Double Down (Take a Gamble) (6 page)

Caleb gritted his teeth. “Shade, pet, stop, that more
than tickles here. Shit…”he growled. “So it seems that I have bound you… and you have marked me…With a personal shadow.” He cocked his head and flipped them suddenly so she was on her back.

"Fickle little slut, she's decided she likes the view from over on your side. Not that I blame her
, I'm sure the view is wicked. Still, I agreed to share my body, not my powers. A lesser demon would be crippled by the loss of one Shade."

“And
it’s obvious that you’re not a lesser demon.” He nuzzled her cheek. “I didn’t plan this, nor did I think it would happen. You did say they like me…” he offered and then shrugged a movement that looked like a broken puppet from his current angle.

"But I d
idn't think they'd jump ship." She kissed him, her fingers moving up to draw restless circles on his chest. "It's not the loss. It mirrors my own almost identically, my personal mark." she met his eyes. "I don’t know how permanent it is."

Caleb smirked. “Well we will worry about that when we have to. For now it seems it wants to stay, so it can.”

The spot pulsed and the edges rippled and he closed his eyes.

“
It’s not a big deal.” But he knew it was. Very few things could mark a Djinn, let alone take root in them like he knew, without a doubt, that the shadow had done. He would have to look into it, but he knew she knew more then she was letting on.

"No its not." she lied
, running her cheek against his chest in a cat like manner. "Tomorrow we should go swimming. Spend the day on some deserted beach somewhere naked as the day we were born, assuming Djinn aren’t born with little green hats and shoes with a box of lucky charms." she teased.

“You’re thinking Leprechauns love.
Djinn are born much like demons, without the issues of the elements I have heard of.”

"Everyone has their quirks." H
er tongue flashed over his nipple. "So we can go naked then. Good, I want as few clothes between us as is possible."

“Oh that can be arranged.
So? Shall we head off to bed then? I’ll go have a talk with the captain. See if my lady’s wishes can be abided.” He winked and pulled away from her and slipped his pants back on.

"Which way
’s bed?" She stretched out as she stood, ignoring her fallen dress. "I hope you have an orgy sized bed with decent sheets... taking it that we are sharing?" she faltered. "We didn’t discuss rooming up. If not I still expect decent sheets."

“I should say so. I think you have a completely warped vision of how this little binding is going to go.” He leaned into her and kissed her.

“Down the galley stairs, you come up and hang a left, bedroom is through the second door. First door is a closet.”

He was gone seconds later, up the outer ladder to the upper deck.

She smiled after his retreating form, then left in search of the bedroom.

Chapter 3

Caleb woke with the ge
ntle pulse from his new Shadow Scar. It roused him, and he blearily looked at a sleep tossed Shade next to him. She was replete in her relaxation, an arm tossed over her head, the other bent so her hand was almost cradling her breast, as if her fingers were toying with her nipple in her sleep.

Damn fine idea, he thought and brushed his fingers along the sensitive flesh of her nipple
. He smiled as it puckered and then bent and licked the hardened peak.

She moaned but didn’t wake. Apparently the scant touches of tongue and fingers were not going to do it. His hand ghosted down her exposed torso and caught the edge of the silk sheet and let it slither down past her knees. She was gloriously nude,
the only adornment the larger Shadow Scar on her side that wiggled sleepily.

She shifted, and her leg bent, so her knee was in the air and Caleb grinned. Catching his thoughts, his new shadow pulsed happily. Yes. She does indeed need a wakeup.

He slide down the length of the bed and nipped and kissed her belly and the hip. He went lower, tasted her and groaned. He slipped his tongue between her thighs and closed his eyes as she woke.

"Normally I don’t do mornings but I’ll make this exception." she moaned her voice still thick from sleep. "Babe you really can't get enough
can you?"

Caleb didn’t answer her with words. His fingers dug into her thighs as he opened them more. He worked her flesh, sucked with his lips as she arched for his attentions.

He slipped two fingers inside her and looked up the line of her body to see her fist the sheets. The Shadow on his throat pulsed happily.

“Don’t blame me, your S
hadow thought it would be a mighty fine idea.”

"
She’s a bad influence on you... I’m not complaining though." she fisted his hair riding his mouth, her own Shadows coming out to play.

Caleb worked her to orgasm quickly, and her
Shadows grew on her side, and stroked his face and arm while she writhed and cried out for him. When she quieted, he pulled away and grinned.

“Ummm… morning pet. I trust you slept well?”

"Ummm very." she dragged him up her to kiss him.

Caleb settled on top of her and kissed her with a lazy motion. Yes, he could get used to waking up like this with her.

It wasn’t that he didn’t have women, he had tons, even kept about five on the boat with him normally, but they didn’t bring him the peace he was feeling now. Perhaps it was the Shadow Scar, or maybe it was something else. Either way, she was a stunning bed partner and he was going to enjoy the next hundred years with her gracing his sheets.

“Sheets to your liking?” he asked and then rolled them so she was lying
on him.

"Very much to my liking, y
ou have exceptional taste."

“Damn right I do.” He closed his eyes. “I was going to say you could go shopping, buy something you enjoy more…”

"Enjoy more?" she nodded speculatively. "I guess I could go to town on your cards. It's been a while since I've had a shopping spree."

He shrugged. “Spare no expense, l
ast thing I need is you not being comfortable for the next forever. “

"I don’t know how to spare the expense. We're going to get very
comfortable, trust me." he got the feeling she wasn't talking about redecorating.

“Good.” He sighed.

"That better be a sigh of relief and not resignation. And I'm not staying on a boat for a hundred years, I’ll get scurvy if I have to spend more than two weeks at a time out here. Where else do you have?"

“
Far be it to turn you pirate. I have several residences around the world.”

"A pirate life is not for me." she said seriously. "I'll have to go to town on those as well I'm afraid. No telling what type of man cave artifacts you'll have lying around.
Storm Trooper outfits, yards of ale glasses and other such paraphernalia." Shade shuddered.

"I
can’t even begin to imagine what crap an immortal man can gather in his lifetime. Well you can have one man cave left untouched for when you feel the need to watch porn or something, and I'll need one for all my shoes and bags." her eyes glittered humorously. "And I'll let you keep that Storm Trooper suit as long as you wear it and spank me... it’s a fantasy."

Caleb arched a brow at her. “I feel the need to tell you that
you scare me demon. Seriously, Storm Trooper? I’m a Sith lord.” He winked. “Darth Djinn.”

"That could work." she chuckled. "But I'm a demon. One that you’re in bed with, in the non literal sense, I should scare you
Djinn. My demonic dick might not be bigger than your Djinn one but I can assure you I'm a scary girl."

Caleb leaned down and nibbled her shoulder. “You
’re also a fabulously sexy demon with one hell of a beautiful smile.” He nipped her throat. “I’m far more scared of your personal quirks then the sexy Shadows that have already decided to claim me as their own as well…”

"Who said I was talking about my powers? My quirks
, as you call them, have sent many a man running for the hills and in one case straight out of existence though he had his own issues."

“I did live through the inquisition and
the reign of spandex through the eighties.” He frowned. “And my aunt making me paint the palace odd colors. I think I can handle your quirks love, though if you’re going to talk costumes, always know I’m the big bad guy… no reason to be a henchman.”

"But henchmen are more fun." she pouted. "
There's more of them and I can make them do anything I want."

“So now I know what
to get you for The Sleeping then.” He turned and ran his fingers down her torso. Her muscles constricted and she got gooseflesh as he went.

"The
Sleeping? Sounds kinky. I don’t need my own henchmen," she arched her back pressing against hm. "I'm thinking maybe now and then the big bad guy might not be so bad... if you know what I mean."

“
Isn’t that what you demons call the deep winter holidays? Djinn call it The Birthing, it coincides with the festival of Yule and the Christians Christmas… I had thought I was being clever knowing what your high holidays are. As for the bad guy…” he said and reached up and pinched her nipple. “I think I can oblige you. Now about today...”

"I like Christmas, I'm a fan of Santa’s sack." she
nuzzled his cheek. "What about today? I assume by that you'll want to leave this room. Or is it technically a cabin?"

“A state room actually, but that’s beside the point. We are anchored off shore of that beach you so wisely suggested last night… though a good portion of the day is already over.” He motioned to the clock on the mantle of the fireplace. “
It’s past one.”

"And
that’s the beauty of the way we live. Its morning somewhere." she wiggled down further into the covers.

“But that means your suggestion of naked sunbathing on a deserted beach is all for not. So…” he said and slid outta bed. “
I’m going to have a shower and then take care of some shit. When you’re among the living meet me in the living room ok?”

"But I'm going to miss you in here, your keeping me warm." she caught his hand
, her Shadows pulsing between them. "Five more minutes?"

Caleb laughed. “Lady
demon, gotta make the money love. Breakfast will be available once you get up.” He winked and then was gone through a side door.

She gave frustrated growl falling back into the bed.
Fucking big bad guys having to get their own way all the time.

***

Caleb
sat back at his desk and put his feet up. He looked over at the clock and realized that his next appointment, one that was supposed to be there personally, was late.

True, he had run over with dealing with the buyer in Hong
Kong, but it wasn’t like his business partners to be late.

Unless
, of course, they couldn’t find the boat. He smirked to himself. Odds are they were trying to figure out how to get to him on the open water. For all the power each of them had, he was damn sure traversing large bodies of water wasn’t one of them. They would have to source a boat, and that would take some time once they figured out
The Demeter
, his Yacht, wasn’t docked.

He sat back and closed his eyes, lacing his fingers together across his chest and sighed. Shade was still abed, snoring softly last he check
ed on her via the security camera, and wrapped in Shadows. Damn but that was sexy. He turned on the security channel on his TV and watched her again, trying to figure out how he got so lucky. The woman was a surprise, one that he was very enchanted to have with him. Even though the Shadow Scar he was now sporting was a bit disturbing. Being marked by another species really never boded well.

"I hate," came a rough growl from behind him along with a wet dripping noise. "This boat." growled a very large
, very wet hell hound.

"Hunter had a little
 problem stepping aboard." said a smaller, more smug hound.

"Fuck you." Hunter snarled all but lunging for him before checking himself
as he shook most of the water into the room. "It’s not a problem when someone kicks my legs out from under me."

"That
’s what you get for not expecting it. Caleb, why are we in the middle of the godforsaken ocean?"

Caleb sighed and opened his eyes to look at Hunter and Dominic, his business associates and all around partners in crime and punishment. Dominic, the one in actual human form, was tall with dark hair and eyes, and built like a brick shit house. He stood
there in black slacks and a white shirt open at the throat, and Kenneth Cole’s gleaming with a mirror shine.  His face held the question he gave, but his eyes roamed the room, ever watchful.

Hunter, still in his Hell hound form sat at the double door entrance to the outer deck, dripping wet. He was a massive entity, with black fur and silver tips and red glowing eyes.

Caleb rolled his eyes. “I’m not talking to you till you do me the courtesy of assuming human form.

"Then you could do me the courtesy of being where you said you'd be. The middle of the ocean is not the ideal place for a business meeting."
Hunter sneezed shaking his head droplets of water flying from his dark fur.

"A little salt wate
r will do you the world of good; I didn’t wanna say anything but you needed a bath anyway. Now switch form, our friend finds it disconcerting to talk to an animal.”

Hunter flashed Dominic a sullen look if it was possible for a beast to look sullen. "Fine." he padded into the room standing beside Dom shaking as much of the water as he could onto Dom before shifting smoothly into that of a huge brawny male sans the clothes.

"Feel better?" Dom glared distastefully swiping the water from himself.

"Hardly.
But I take what I can get. Now Caleb, the ocean?" with a gesture he was wearing a pair of black jogger pants and nothing else. Hunter wasn't one for dressing up unless he had too.

Caleb shrugged. “I have acquired
a harem girl,” he said nonchalantly, “One that needed away from as many ley lines as possible before we bonded. Now can you both sit and can we get down to business?”

He felt the tangible weight of the
hounds full attention settle on him. "Did he say new harem girl Dom?"

"I believe he did." Dom nodded conversationally yet nether looked away from him.

Hunter smiled like a shark scenting blood in the water. "Thing is I don't remember him ever having an old harem girl."

"Surely not,” Dom said in false scorn. "There was that fat one."

Hunter shook his head.

"The ugly one with the body."

Hunter shook his head again.

"Mmmmm the Egyptian," Dom leered. "Now she was fun."

"Nope nope and nope. Though we should look up the last one."

"You can I had my fill
.." Dom cleared his throat. "So we’re in the middle of the ocean avoiding ley lines and..." he lowered his voice. "Would now be a bad time to mention that really unfortunate hickey you got there?"

Caleb watched them through their exchange and rolled his eyes. “Sweet Christ you two are such girls sometimes I swear. It’s not a hickey, dad…” he said and fr
owned. “It is a Shadow Scar. Hunter is right, I never once bound any of those girls, though Amelia, that was the Egyptian, she was fabulous. Never a reason to. Humans are easy to deal with and I would rather not use any set of power on them, they give it up for free.

"I've always found that
eventually so do demons." Hunter smirked. "You got tagged Djinn. Somehow I expected more from you."

“Believe me it is more than worth it, and it’s a business arrangement anyway.” At least he was saying it was. It wouldn’t do to spill his need to
possess this woman for all time, not to these two vultures.