Straight to Heaven by Michelle Scott Read Free Book Online Page B

wrong?”
    “It’s been a long day,” I said, not wanting to go into details. Especially not with him.
    “That’s no excuse. I’ve had plenty of long days, and I never…”
    “…you never let it bother you. Yes, I get it. You’re perfect,” I said sourly. I reached for my wineglass, but he moved it out of reach.
    “What I was going to say is that I never drink alone. It’s too dangerous. Drinking lowers your inhibitions and gives your demon more control.”
    “I’m in control!” I argued.
    He crossed his arms over his chest. “Really. So why are you undressing?”
    To my horror, I realized my demon had taken over my body and stripped off my shirt. My cheeks flaming, I snatched it from the floor and yanked it over my head.
    William poured a shot of whiskey into the glass I’d been using. He knocked it back and smiled. “There. Now you’re not drinking alone.” He took a seat on the couch next to me. “Talk to me, Lil. What made this day so wretched?”
    Once again, his demon had fled, leaving the real William behind. The one I wished would stick around more often. I sighed, deciding to trust him. “I keep thinking of all the people I’ve hurt since becoming part demon. I’ve done so much harm to my family!”
    He shook his head. “Stop wallowing in your guilt, Lil. Wallowing is never good for the likes of us.”
    “That’s easy for you to say,” I argued. “I can’t just tempt and move on.”
    “I’m afraid you’re going to have to. It’s a matter of survival.”
    I looked into his dark, soulful eyes. I was certain I saw pain hidden there. “What about you? Any regrets?”
    For a moment, he hesitated, and I thought he’d be honest. But something scared him off, and in a flash, his pompous, egotistical incubus was back. “I regret nothing.” He smiled lasciviously. “Now, let’s get back to the reason you called me here.”
    I was about to argue that
I
wasn’t the one who’d called him, but when he moved closer, the words died in my mouth. He smelled delicious, and my fingertips tingled at the prospect of running them down his chest. What difference did it make if William and I weren’t a couple? I’d had a hell of a night, and if a little fun could take the edge off my sorrows, then who was I to hold back?
    “Well?” he asked.
    Instead of replying, I kissed him. He immediately drew me into his arms, and kissed me back with an urgency that made my heart race. When I murmured approval, he stood and gently tugged my hand, leading me into the bedroom. We laid down on the bed, and he slid my shirt up over my stomach, feathering kisses along the waistband of my shorts. Groaning, I ran my fingers through his thick hair.
    This was a good idea, I told my succubus. Nice job.
    William unfastened the button on my shorts with one hand and traced the other up and down the inside of my thigh, making the muscles in my lower belly clench.
    “Now, isn’t this better than wallowing?” he murmured.
    It certainly was. My back arched when his fingers found the delicious spot between my legs. A night of passion was just what the doctor ordered.
    But what about the morning after
, my conscience asked.
    Stop it, I scolded. Don’t overthink this.
    That’s what you said when you seduced Tommy
, it reminded me.
    At the thought of Tommy, the pleasantly fuzzy feeling from the alcohol sharpened into common sense. I clenched William’s hair in my fists, yanking it tight.
    “Ow!” He lifted his head and rubbed his scalp. “What was that for?”
    “Sorry.” My mind was spinning, but not because of the alcohol. I
did
want sex with William. More than anything. Then again, sex would never be a panacea. Not for me at any rate. I needed a deeper kind of intimacy.
    “William?”
    “Hmm?” He’d gone back to his lovemaking by kissing my lower jaw, the stubble on his chin a pleasant friction.
    “How do you do it?”
    “Do what?”
    “Live without regrets.”
    He moved away and propped himself up on an