Next-Door Incubus Read online

  He wrapped his hands around my thighs, pulling me closer to him, and pushed his lips against my clit. His fingers moved in small torturous circles inside of me. I gripped his wrists, trying to pull him away. It already was too damn much to handle. He gripped my wrist with his other hand and pinned it to the side of my body, holding me in place. I clenched myself around him, my core tightening, and moaned. He slowed down his pace.

  He gazed back up at me with those big black eyes. “Beg for it.”

  My lips parted, but no words came out. The pressure. Oh, God, the pressure.

  “Beg,” he demanded.

  “Please.”

  “More.”

  “Please, Eros… please.”

  His tongue moved faster, his fingers thrusting quickly. I dug my nails into the blanket underneath me and moaned out.

  My mind was foggy. My body numb. Wave after wave of pleasure rolled through me. Eros sat back up, resting my legs on his shoulders. “I could do this all night,” he said. I widened my eyes, staring down at him, my senses finally returning. He smirked. “I told you that I would enact your fantasies, Dani. You just had to tell me that you wanted it.”

  Chapter 3

  I sat up in my bed with sweat rolling down my back. What the hell.

  My curtains swayed, cinnamon lingering faintly in the air. I scanned the room. Trevon’s baseball cap was still lying on my dresser. Mom’s necklace was still resting around my neck peacefully. There was no sign of Eros.

  I rested my head against the headboard and closed my eyes. Of course, he wasn’t here. It was just a dream, Dani, just a dream.

  A damn sex dream.

  About the hot guy next door.

  While I was sleeping next to my boyfriend.

  Oh, God. I was going to Hell for this, wasn’t I? I’d burn in the pits of lava and get eaten alive by flesh-eating demons and—

  “Babe?” Trevon groaned. He rubbed a hand across his face and slowly opened his eyes. The faint scent of alcohol still lingered on his breath. “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine.” No, it wasn’t.

  After chuckling lightly, he rolled over onto his side and wrapped an arm around my waist. “Good, now come lie back down. We still got a few hours—” He stopped suddenly and rubbed my waist, fingers slipping lower than I wanted them. “Damn, babe, sleeping with no underwear on? If you want to fuck, you just have to ask. Don’t need to be teasing me and shit.”

  I swallowed hard and pushed a hand under the blankets. No underwear? Why wasn’t I wearing any underwear? Maybe I slipped them off while I was sleeping. It was hot last night, deathly hot, scorching hot.

  Trevon nuzzled his head into my neck. “Come on, let’s have some fun. You already got me excited.”

  “I’m… uh… not in the mood,” I said. I scurried out of the bed and rushed toward my bedroom door. “I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

  Dull light filed in from the living room window, illuminating the apartment. I glanced down the hall and into the foyer. Empty. Maria’s door was closed, like usual. Nothing was out of place.

  When I reached the bathroom, I leaned over the counter and gazed at myself in the mirror. The dream felt so real, so damn real. But I couldn’t understand why I was dreaming of Eros. I had a perfectly good man—no, a great man. One that cradled me every time I woke up from a nightmare about the night of Mom’s death. One that took me on breakfast dates to Ollie’s every Saturday morning. One that I had loved for five whole years.

  And, here I was, dreaming about my undeniably sexy neighbor.

  I turned on the sink, the soothing sound of water calming me slightly, and splashed some on my face. In the mirror, I watched beads of water run down the sides of my cheek, the dark purple circles under my eyes.

  You will not think of Eros, again.

  You will not think of Eros, again.

  You will not—

  My eyes widened. There were red fingerprints on my hips, four on each side. I rubbed my fingers against them, trying to make them go away but only making them redder. I swallowed hard—thinking the worst—then shook my head.

  Damn, what was I even thinking anymore? These fingerprints were probably just from Trevon holding me. Why was I so paranoid all of a sudden? Next, I’ll be thinking Eros was actually in my room last night.

  That would be ridiculous.

  ~~~

  Sorry, babe. Work called. I would’ve woken you up, but you looked too peaceful to bother. I’m taking you out tonight. Be ready at 5. Love, Trevon.

  I grasped Trevon’s note in my hand, smiled, and walked into Dr. Uriel’s office. After getting back to bed last night, I actually had a good sleep and woke up five minutes before my alarm feeling well rested.

  “Morning, Dani,” Dr. Uriel said from her royal blue sofa. She handed me a file and a cup of tea. “This is my 9:30 client. She had an absent father and is struggling with feelings toward a new lov—” Her dark brown brows furrowed together. “Are you okay?” she asked suddenly as I took a seat across from her. “You’re quiet this morning. Anything you want to talk about?”

  She crossed one leg over the other and leaned forward, the way she did when listening to all of her clients’ problems. I shifted in my seat. If I knew anything from the last five months of interning under Dr. Uriel, it was not to tell her anything that I didn’t want her to pester me about.

  I made that mistake once when I told her that I still had nightmares about the piercing red eyes of Mom’s killer. She was hung up over it for weeks, telling me that I should talk to someone—meaning her—because suppressed feelings were nobody’s friend.

  “I’m fi—”

  “And don’t tell me you’re fine either. You know I see right through that,” she said.

  If I closed my eyes and imagined hard enough, I could hear Mom in her voice. When she sat me on her knee at five years old and asked me what happened in pre-school one day, when she waited so patiently for me to tell her that the boy I liked was pushing another girl on the swings, when she gazed down at me with her pretty light blue eyes—so light that they looked like they were glowing—and said that it was okay not to be fine.

  Instead of reminiscing, I gazed out the window and sighed.

  From Dr. Uriel’s office, I had a whole view of the city. The morning sun gleaming off of the river next to us, hundreds of people brushing past each other on the sidewalks, red and blue buses picking up riders. I leaned against the back of the couch. “I just haven’t been getting much sleep. A few guys moved in next door and they were over all day Sunday.”

  “Tell me about these new guys,” Dr. Uriel said, clasping her hands together. “Are they loud?”

  I moved Mom’s pendant between my fingers, listening to it glide against the chain. Dr. Uriel eyed it. “No,” I said.

  “Are they over a lot?”

  “Yes.”

  “What are their names?”

  “Javier and Zane,” I said. She sipped her tea, waiting for me to continue. “And Eros.”

  She paused for a long moment, gazing out of the glass windows. “Eros,” she said softly. “Is he the reason that you’re not sleeping?”

  Damn. Was it that obvious?

  When I didn’t say anything, she frowned. “Dani, I will tell you what I tell all of my clients. Whatever you’re feeling toward him—”

  “I feel nothing toward him.”

  She raised a sharp brow, and I pressed my lips together. “What you feel toward him is nothing compared to your relationship with Trevon, right?”

  I closed my eyes when Eros’s black one flashed in my mind and nodded. “I know.”

  Leaning toward me, she readjusted her black blazer and placed a hand on my knee. “Those feelings—those lustful feelings—are nothing compared to feelings of absolute love. They will pass, and so will he.”

  I drew my finger across my knee. She was right. Lust was nothing compared to love. But love never made me feel like this before.

&nbsp
; Chapter 4

  Trevon wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close, as we walked into Crimson’s Nouveau, an upscale dining restaurant in the center of the city. Couples sat at the rustic bar in the center of the room, waiters placed plates of food in front of people in black leather booths, and the hostess who was standing in front of a chalky brick wall gave us a perplexed look when we just walked right by her.

  “Aren’t we getting a table?” I asked Trevon.

  He gazed down at me, leading me through a maze of people. “We’re meeting Maria and Eros here,” he said.

  I stopped, pressed my lips together, and yanked on his sleeve. “What?”

  “We’re meeting—”

  “Why? Why them?” The only plan that I had come up with today after my little chat with Dr. U was to avoid Eros. No, not confront the problem head on like she would want me to do. Just ignore the problem and hope he’d go away.

  Trevon shrugged. “I saw him this morning, and he asked if we wanted to go out. I didn’t think you’d mind. We can leave if you want.”

  “Dani! Trevon!” Maria yelled from a booth from across the bar. She waved her hands in the air, as if I could miss the bright orange cropped shirt she had on. Eros and his roommates sat with her.

  Eros’s eyes were on me and only me. I gulped and squeezed Trevon’s hand.

  Lust was nothing compared to my incredible, amazing, trustworthy, handsome boyfriend.

  Trevon pulled me over to the table and immediately dropped my hand. He slid into the booth next to Javier, and I grumbled to myself, taking the only open seat left which was directly across from the man himself—Eros.

  My gaze stayed glued to the menu. Yet, I couldn’t help smelling that cinnamon scent, tasting it on my tongue. I didn’t have to look up to know that Eros was staring right at me.

  Truth was, I was afraid that, if I looked up, Eros would be able to read every one of my thoughts about him last night. It was absurd, but I couldn’t risk it. Those thoughts were intimate and so damn embarrassing, especially with Trevon sitting—cluelessly—next to me.

  After we ordered, Trevon curled an arm around my waist and leaned close. “Is everything alright? You’re tense.” His eyes were bright, and a small smile was plastered on his face.

  Hoping that it would help me shake my lustful thoughts, I tried remembering all the times I’d seen that small smile on Trevon’s face. On the swings in elementary school when he shared his grape juice box with me. Through one of the foggy classroom windows while I sat in fifth grade detention alone because some girls were picking on him for his hair, and I wasn’t going to let them hurt my best friend. While we danced together in the rain in his backyard the night of prom because Kellan from his wrestling team never showed up as my date.

  I had always loved Trevon, and one annoyingly sexy smirk wasn’t going to change my mind.

  “Everything is fine,” I said, sipping my white wine. It was the only thing getting me through tonight.

  “We can go if you want,” Trevon said to me.

  Yes, please, let’s go home. Far away from Maria who kept gazing at me, then at Eros, then back at me like something had happened between us. Far away from Eros’s smoldering stare. Far away from these feelings that wouldn’t leave me alone, no matter how hard I tried.

  “No,” I said. Trevon was happy, and this was one of his only nights he had off of work during the week. I didn’t want to ruin that for him, even if I had to endure the rest of dinner. He gave me a big smile, planting a kiss on my cheek, and turned back to Javier and Zane.

  Under the table, someone’s foot grazed against mine. I pressed my lips together, trying to ignore it, but then it happened again. “Quit it,” I whisper-yelled across the table, not daring to look at Eros.

  He continued.

  “Stop.”

  Still, his foot brushed against mine.

  I raised my gaze and glared at him. He leaned back against the leather booth, swirling his glass of red wine in his hand. The black ring on his left index finger clanked against it. He narrowed those piercing green eyes at me as if he was trying to figure me out. And just when I was about to turn away, his eyes darkened.

  They reminded me of my dream when his eyes were beautifully black with no whites in them at all, but…

  My eyes widened. My dream.

  Heat crawled up the sides of my neck, and I rubbed Mom’s pendant again. God, he had to remind me of that stupid dream.

  “How was your night last night, Dani?” he asked.

  Did he know that I dreamt about him last night? How I begged for him? That I couldn’t stop thinking about him? The mischievous glint in his eye made me think he knew everything. But he couldn’t.

  “Good.”

  “Just good?” He cocked his brow. A strand of his dark hair curled onto his forehead.

  “Just good,” I repeated, trying to convince myself of it.

  He took a long sip of his wine—jaw clenched—and nodded. When he placed his glass down, his fingertips were white. “We’ll have to fix that next time.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him, leaning against the dark wooden table. “What did you just say?”

  Without answering me, he gazed back at our friends. A smirk still clear on his face. I leaned closer to Trevon; fingers interlaced with his. “I’m going to the bathroom.” I needed to get away from Eros. He was making me absolutely insane. I didn’t know what was real and what was fake anymore. Reality and imagination were so closely woven together, I couldn’t pick anything apart. Maybe talking with Dr. U would be a good thing.

  I hurried to the bathroom, closed the bathroom door, and groaned. “Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?” I leaned my back against the chic brick wall and covered my face with my hands.

  This was not how Project Hermit was supposed to go. I should’ve been back at home with my faced stuffed into the Games People Play book that Dr. U gave me to read before I left today, Beyoncé blasting through my ear buds, locked in my room. Not out with Eros, sitting across from Eros, thinking about Eros, dreaming about Eros. Why wouldn’t he leave me alone?

  One of the toilets flushed, and a high-heeled woman, who couldn’t be any older than me, walked out of a stall. She washed her hands in the sink and gazed over at me. “Is something wrong?” She tossed her toffee brown hair over her shoulder, her amber perfume overwhelming me.

  My cheeks tingled, and I looked away. “No.” Strangers didn’t need to be in my business.

  After drying her hands, she pulled out a stick of bright red lipstick from her Versace purse and leaned closer to the mirror. “Come on. Tell me Sweet Cheeks. I’m not going to spill your secrets to anyone.” She applied a coat of lipstick. “Let me guess. Boy trouble?”

  I sighed, somehow feeling relaxed in the presence of a stranger. “Something like that.”

  “Bad boyfriend?” She narrowed her eyes at me, then shook her head. “No… hmm… love triangle?” I furrowed my brows together. I wouldn’t call it that. “Getting closer...” After a moment, she smiled. “In a relationship but attracted to another guy?” When I frowned, her smile widened. “I guess that’s the one.” She threw her lipstick back into her purse. “Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m Kasey.”

  I smiled awkwardly at her. “Uh, Dani.” Was it normal to make friends with people in restaurant bathrooms?

  “Here,” she said, handing me her phone. “Put your number in.”

  I rubbed my sweaty palms together, unsure if I should, but I ended up entering my number anyway. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep this to myself and I sure didn’t want to tell Dr. U about everything that had happened, especially the dream. She’d just lecture me about how these lustful thoughts were the Devil’s doing.

  With a smile, she walked out of the bathroom, her heels clacking. I took one last look in the mirror and followed. I just needed to get through the rest of the night, then Trevon and I could go home and act like nothing happened. Because nothing did happen.

  Wh
en I stepped out of the bathroom, I bumped into someone’s chest. Eros. He grabbed my hips, fingers grazed against my skin, to steady me. Then, he pushed me against the door. “Dani, Dani, Dani.”

  Great. I swallowed hard. Just… great.

  “Why have you been ignoring me?” His fingers dug into my skin.

  “I… I haven’t.”

  He chuckled and tilted his head, staring down at me with those dark eyes. “Yes, you have.”

  “I have a boyfriend,” I blurted out, pressing myself into the wooden door.

  “Why’re you getting so defensive?”

  “I’m not.”

  He raised a brow. “Is it because you’ve been with him, but all you could think about was me?”

  I forced a laugh—the most cringey laugh I had ever heard. “No! That’s ridiculous!”

  He stepped closer, and I couldn’t get myself to step back into the bathroom and slam the door in his face. Instead, I stared up at him, thinking about how close I was to him and how hard my heart was beating against my chest.

  Half of his face was shadowed by the dim light above us, giving him a dark, dangerous, devilish look. “I haven’t left your mind since Sunday, have I?” He leaned down slightly, his nose grazing against mine.

  This was sin. Pure sin.

  “You’re acting stupid now, Eros.”

  “Am I?” he asked, his lips were mere inches away. Heat radiated off of them, hitting me in waves. His fingers curled around my waist the way they did Sunday morning.

  All I could smell was cinnamon.

  “Yes,” I whispered. “You are.”

  He stepped even closer, one foot between mine, his waist pressing into the side of my hip. “I’ve been dreaming of all the dirty things I would do to you, how I’d make you beg, how I’d make you scream out as I tormented this pretty little body of yours.” His fingers burned on my skin. “Don’t tell me you haven’t dreamt of the same thing.”

  I clenched my jaw, my eyes closing so softly, and took a shaky breath.

  His fingers trailed up the side of my body until they reached my lips. He brushed his thumb against my bottom lip, making it tingle. “… so soft, tender…”