Wicked Memories (CASTLE OF DARK DREAMS) by Nina Bangs Read Free Book Online Page A

my whip, and—”
    Jeez, Sparkle was making her ears bleed. Kayla stopped listening. This was too much. She couldn’t say things like that to a complete stranger. She stared down at
her
stranger’s body and tried to figure out what to do.
    Time for the truth. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this.” Surprisingly, Kayla found that she really
was
sorry. If she could have worked her way past her embarrassment, she would have enjoyed trailing her fingers over that gleaming chest, that hard jaw, and then . . . She took a deep calming breath. “This isn’t my thing. I’m just filling in for someone. I’ll refund your money. I’ll . . .”
    Kayla finally worked up the courage to look at his face. His lips were unsmiling, but his eyes gleamed with suppressed laughter.
    She huffed her outrage. “Don’t you dare laugh at me.”
    He grinned, and she couldn’t help herself. Everything about the moment hit her—her dumb outfit, the three middle-aged men playing out their fantasies, and Sparkle’s whole spiel. She started to laugh too. And if she sensed a little hysteria in her giggles, she refused to acknowledge it.
    Kayla clapped her hand over her mouth to muffle the sounds, but it didn’t work. Sparkle would hear her. The other men would too, and it would shatter their fantasy.
    Ohmigod, she had to stop laughing. Without thinking, she buried her face in his chest. Then froze. It had worked. She wasn’t laughing anymore. Because something else altogether had replaced the urge.
    Awareness.
With a capital A. Her lips were pressed against his warm flesh. Her senses exploded. His scent, his taste, his feel—all essential male. No dilution. No hiding behind chemical camouflage. He was primal, predatory, and in one moment he’d stripped thousands of years of evolution from her. She wanted to bite him.
    Had she just thought that? She was too shocked to even raise her head.
    “You seem to have thrown your entire being into this punishment, Katnip. Perhaps you can share with the rest of us.” Sparkle’s voice was an eager purr.
    No, no, no.
She refused to feed the fantasy for the three men Kayla knew would be staring at her with avid eyes. Besides, her lips seemed to be suction-cupped to his chest.
    “The succubus is torturing me with her tongue, mistress, while she whispers promises she’ll never keep. I’m bound, so I can’t touch her, can’t smooth my fingers over her beautiful body. I don’t know how much more I can stand.” His moan was filled with frustrated agony.
    Kayla felt the vibration of that moan, heard the sincerity in his words. Wow, that was disturbing. She prided herself on being able to hear the lie in a person’s voice. She couldn’t hear it in his. But he
was
lying, because her tongue hadn’t touched him—yet—and she hadn’t whispered any promises.
    “Wonderful.” Sparkle sounded thrilled. “Continue, Katnip.”
    Uh-oh. Kayla finally found her backbone—still way too soft and pliable. She straightened and turned to face Sparkle.
    “I want to hear his suffering. His cries must be loud, filled with unbearable pain. They will be a lesson to these others.” Sparkle cast a dismissive glance at the three men still on their knees. Their expressions said they’d pay extra to land on that table.
    “Uh . . .” Kayla knew her face must be bright red. She opened her mouth to say “no” and damn the consequences.
    But she was saved from complete humiliation by a man dressed all in white—white jeans, white T-shirt, and white sneakers. He threw open the dungeon door and stepped inside. Kayla had a brief impression of dark hair and eyes that looked almost black. She didn’t have time to notice anything else about him because the sword he carried grabbed her attention.
    “I’m Dacian. I’ve come to destroy the vampire and her demon helper.” He glanced at Kayla. “Release your victim.”
    Kayla didn’t move. She couldn’t decide if embarrassment had frozen her in place or the memory