Whatnots & Doodads (2 page)

Jacinda nodded as sadness filled her eyes. “My family cast me out of the Fae court long before your life began. This is where I settled, and have welcomed outcasts such as myself. We have created a home here.” The words were said simply enough, but the pain in those eyes only grew. “Zeke will get you what you need.”

Bryanna marvelled for a moment. The town felt old. Shops were huddled together with no sense of organization that she’d seen--little houses, all with a different appearance, full of character and charm. “It’s really quite neat here.” She looked back toward Jacinda, only to find the older woman had vanished. She turned in a circle, stopping when a figure appeared in front of her.

Dark, dangerous, but gorgeous. Now, seeing Zeke in front of her, she got a full view of him. He was well over six-four and towered over her. His dark eyes peered down at her in a way that should send her running, but instead she found herself captivated. The small smile on his face was as dangerous as his evil roots. She blinked a couple times to gather herself, focusing back on the matter at hand. “Where’d she go?”

“Jacinda is private, no one sees much of her,” Zeke replied. “Even I, who helps her when she needs it, only see her for short periods.” He gave her the once-over before curiosity filled those dark eyes. “May I ask, if you’re a witch, why you haven’t just,” he waved his hand over her, “changed your clothing?”

A blush rose to her cheeks. Yes, it’s simple magic. She could have told a lie here to hide her flaws, but Zeke was a demon. She had no reason to feel ashamed. How could a demon judge her? “Well, that would be because I’m terrible at being a witch.”

He arched an equivocal brow. “How so?”

“My powers are on the fritz. They don’t work how they’re supposed to. I can command the elements, but when I do, something happens that I don’t want.”

He grinned and waved her on with enthusiasm. “Show me.”

“I’m not so sure I should do that,” she answered honestly. “I was sworn to stop using my powers a few years ago by my ex-boyfriend Layton.”

“But you are a witch,” he retorted.

To say she was a witch was akin to calling a black cat white. “Yeah, that’s the problem. I’m only a half-witch.”

He snorted, his expression shifting to an unhappy one. “There’s no such thing as a half-witch.”

She snorted back at him. “Wanna bet?”

“Go on.” He waved her on before he crossed his arms over his strong chest. She couldn’t deny that seeing his muscles clench and bulge didn’t send a little tingle in her belly. “I’m not worried, show me.”

Resolved that he wouldn’t let it go until he witnessed it for himself, she focused inward. It’d been so long since she called to the elements, she wasn’t quite sure they would even listen to her now. Guilt hit her in spades. Abandoning her gifts was like losing a limb. But at the time, Layton had been right. She was dangerous and her magic was worthless and only caused trouble.

The warmth in her belly began to grow as the elements acknowledged their presence. Happiness spread through her as she felt the tender touch of her magic return. Air began to whip around her as the powers grew. She focused on what she wanted--new dry clothes. With the heat in her blood, she released the magic and called it forward to work its charm.

Instantly, Zeke laughed. It was loud enough to startle her and she opened her eyes to find a tiny container on the ground in front of her. Shame stole her breath as embarrassment made her feel sick. Well, she’d proved her point. “You see.”

“I do see.” He stepped forward to pick up the container. After he snatched it up, he opened it, raised it to his nose and sniffed. “It’s a skin cream of sorts.”

She nodded. “Yes, I know. My magic always comes out in whatnots and doodads.”

He chuckled, arching an eyebrow. “Whatnots and doodads?”

“Mm-hm. All sorts of thingamajigs.”

He continued to chuckle, sealing up the container before handing it to her. “Well, it appears that the cream has done wonders for your skin. It’s beautiful.”

She blushed and dropped her gaze to the ground, unsure if she should thank him or ignore him. She chose the latter. He was a demon, after all. Sure, a sexy demon, but a demon nonetheless. Surprised, she had a moment to wonder what it’d be like to make love to a demon. Would he be gentle? Or would he be a devil between the sheets? It stunned her to realize she was interested to find out.

Zeke’s chuckle came around her just as smooth as the cream in her hand. “Come on, I’ll take you to a store near here and we can get you new clothes. I’ll buy you whatever you need.”

Still red-faced, she gave her head a shake to chastise herself for thinking such things. “No, I don’t need your money, I’ve got it.” Money wasn’t the problem. She had oodles of it. She’d worked hard, saved every penny, and besides, her family was well-off. To them, she was damaged goods. Once they had disowned her, her only family had rested in Layton. She’d agreed to stop using her magic, even agreed to stay out of coven meetings, but when Layton suggested she no longer show her face around Asheville because he was afraid of what the other witches would say to her, she’d had enough.

And now, she was here, in Strange Hollow.

Zeke had lived for three hundred years, and had never had a woman stir his lust so. The moment he saw Bryanna standing at the side of the road, dripping with water, his cock stiffened and hadn’t let up for a moment. Even now as it strained against his pants, it reminded him just how much he wanted her.

It wasn’t the fact he craved to see her long black hair against that creamy white skin, or that her small-framed body seemed to have been built to be in his arms. No, it was the roar that lived inside of her. So hidden from the world, which he suspected was due to her refusal to acknowledge her magic. He yearned to reconnect her with that part of herself, and more than that, he wanted to see that side of her exposed.

He’d had women--humans, demons and supernaturals--but none of them had made him so needy. With her corset tight around her torso, her breasts rested atop to create a deep cleavage that called for his tongue to slide along it. With each step, his cock throbbed harder just at the sight of her. More than that--it was her, all of who she was that made him pine after her.

For years Zeke had waited, searching for the reason that validated his choices which led him to be banished from Hell. To find that one soul he didn’t want to steal, but craved to save. Now, she stood right in front of him. Vindication and power coursed through his blood. He may no longer be evil, he may not want to harm her, but one thing was certain, he planned to devour her.

“Can I ask you something ... um ... personal?” Bryanna asked, breaking him away from the thought of his heavy cock.

He gained control of his lust so he didn’t frighten her, and kept his tone light when he answered. “Depends.”

Based on her ponderous expression, he suspected she wasn’t sure what to make of his answer. She bit down on her bottom lip, a very nervous gesture, and one he hadn’t missed. “On?”

He grinned. “Depends if I’m still going to look good after I answer it.”

She laughed--a boisterous sound that filled the air around him. “Hearing a demon say anything about being good is funny, you do know that?”

He nodded, understanding her amusement. It’d been a long time since he’d been questioned about what and who he was. “You’ll find nothing in Strange Hollow is typical, and that we’re accepted because of those reasons.”

She seemed to want to ask more. For now she only said, “I was just wondering about you being a demon and well, being ... here.”

“You don’t like Strange Hollow?” he responded, avoiding her question for a little playful banter.

Her expression became disgruntled. “That’s not what I was asking and you know it.”

It pleased him to find a little strength in her. He suspected this wouldn’t be the first time he’d see pieces of who she really was hidden deep within her. “Ah yes, you mean why am I not out stealing souls and doing Satan’s work?”

“Yes, that,” she quipped. “Why aren’t you doing that?”

“Just because you’re born as something doesn’t mean you have to live by those rules.”

It surprised him that the statement made her laugh. “Seriously? You just what, woke up one day and said, ‘
Hmm, nope, I’m done with this whole soul eatin’ bit
’.”

“That’s exactly right.”

Her eyes shifted from bewilderment to amazement. He could only wonder what she saw on his face that made her believe him so quickly. “Why ... and how?”

“It’s quite a simple story.” But it wasn’t a simple act that brought him to the decision that forever altered his path. It was a memory he held close. Yet, for the oddest of reasons, he wanted her to know. “I grew tired of it all--tired of creating fear and causing death.”

She examined him a moment, her expression showing nothing of what she was thinking. Her stare so penetrating, he wondered if she liked what she’d heard or didn’t. “So, just like that you up and quit.”

He laughed at the simple way she put it. If only it’d been so easy. “It’s not really something you just
up and quit
.”

She joined him in the laughter for a moment, and gave her head a little shake that he found sweet. It appeared she chastised herself for the comment she made. Once settled, she asked, “Well, what happened?”

“My assignment brought me to a young woman in her early twenties. She wanted to make herself better, be more.” He gave a firm look to get his point across that she had called to him freely. For some reason he didn’t want Bryanna to view him in a bad light. “And she was willing to sell her soul to the devil to get it.”

He paused a moment to let her process the information, but she nudged his arm. “And...”

“I went to her, offered her the choice, and she took it.” He was unable to admit this with her staring at him, and turned away from her. “She was the one who changed it all for me.”

“Because you took her soul?”

He nodded to the ground as he watched the sidewalk pass beneath his feet. “I saw what she became. After the exchange, she was given it all. A powerful life, beauty, anything she could ever want.”

“Well, that’s the point, isn’t it?” She laughed quietly before she went on. “So, it all worked out for her, right?”

“No, it didn’t.” His head snapped back up toward her and he let his despair show on his face of what this discovery did to him. “She might have had it all, had the life she dreamed of, but it didn’t give her happiness. That loneliness--emptiness--never went away.”

Bryanna frowned at either the thought of the woman or in reaction to the pain coming from him. He wasn’t sure which. “And seeing that changed your mind on the whole soul taking?”

“I’m not sure I can ever explain what happened that night, or why I suddenly awakened to the reality of what I’d done. But I did. My world spun on its axis and the reason for my duty fled.”

Her brow furrowed, and she went quiet before she spoke again. “And that’s why you came here?”

“Strange Hollow is the place where you don’t have to be anything but yourself. You don’t have to adhere to rules set out by a standard. Jacinda welcomed me here, and I’m forever grateful to her for it. Thus, it’s why I act on her behalf when she has need of me.”

“So, Strange Hollow is a place for people like ... me?”

“For people like us,” he corrected.

Bryanna laughed a soft sound, tilting her head up toward the sky. “Okay, okay, I get the hint, I’ll stay.” Before he could ask what she meant, she gave him a knowing look. “I’m just acknowledging my destiny.”

Happiness roared through him. He liked the idea of her sticking around. “I take it you’ve decided to stay here?”

“As long as there’s a place to stay and somewhere that’s furnished. I’ve brought nothing with me.”

“I’ll take you over to see Jacinda after you shop. I’m sure she’ll decide on a nice place for you.” A curious thought rose in his mind. “Tell me, why is it you have nothing with you? Why did you leave so quickly that you didn’t bring any of your belongings?”

“I just needed to get away from it all.” She exhaled a long deep breath. “Leave whatever life I had before behind and start afresh.”

“Now, that I can understand.” He wanted to ask more about her life, but the arrival at the store stopped him. He gestured toward the door. “This is where you’ll want to go.”

Bryanna stared at the sign above the old wooden door.
Dragon’s Whips.
The name alone was an indication of what this place was. The mannequin in the window dressed in a leather bra and underwear confirmed it. “Where in the elements have you taken me?”

“A store,” Zeke replied simply.

She snorted. “Yes, I see that it is a store.”
Smart-ass.
“But...”

He grabbed the handle and pulled it open. “You said you wanted to get clothes, so we’re getting clothes.”

She steeled him with a hard stare and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know what kind of witch you think I am, but I’m not going in there.”

His brow furrowed. “And why would that be?”

“Because it’s a ... they have...” She sighed, her cheeks burning with heat. “It’s a sex store and I don’t want sex toys.”

He laughed, understanding coming to his face. “I realize that.” He stepped up close and reached out to trail his finger up the side of her corset. “I thought this type of clothing suited you and that you would want to replace it.” His eyebrow arched up in the most provocative way. “Am I wrong?”

She gulped. Bless the elements, she could feel that touch as if his finger lingered on her bare skin and sank into her very soul. “Ahhh...” She swallowed hard. “Yes, replace my corset. Yes, that’s what I want.” Without another word, she walked through the door, feeling flushed.

That warmth only increased when she cleared the door and faced dildos, whips, bondage items--a Dominatrix’s playground indeed. Now, the heat within her had nothing to do with Zeke’s touch but the awkwardness of being in such a room. Not that she was appalled by the idea. Whatever floats your boat, she’d always thought. But the rough stuff just wasn’t for her--she was too romantic for such things. Although, she’d only dreamed of romance. Layton had always been more of a
get your rocks off
type of guy. At first he’d been sweet, and she believed for a while that he really did love her. Now, she knew better.