Free Demons and Lovers by Cheyenne McCray Page A

of his skin that she caressed sparked as if a small electrical charge ran through him straight to his groin.
    Her mouth, her tongue—he wrapped his hands in her silky hair and gripped it in his fists as she worked her way down his chest, kissing, licking, nipping his skin. He hissed as she bit one of his flat nipples and she gave a soft laugh that sounded like wind chimes.
    Lilin continued, her tongue tracing a path from his abs to the top button of his jeans. She unbuttoned them and tugged the zipper down. He didn’t wear underwear and she made a sound of pleasure as she released his cock.
    A growl rose in his chest and he clenched his hands in her hair as she took him in her mouth, so warm, so wet. He was flying. His body wasn’t his own. It belonged to Lilin, a woman he didn’t even know.
    The thought jarred him a fraction of a second before she took even more of him inside her warm mouth, took him all the way to the back of her throat.
    She slid her mouth off him, dug her fingers into the sides of his jeans, and dragged them down. He reluctantly let go of her hair while she tugged off each of his boots then stripped off his socks and his jeans. He rose and ditched his shirt, leaving nothing but skin against skin as she crawled up his body.
    Lilin’s musk was strong as she rubbed herself against him, bracing her arms to either side of his head. “Do you want me, Archer?” she said, her accent stronger. Irish?
    What the hell. He didn’t care who she was or where she came from. He just wanted to be inside her. But they needed protection.
    She gave a cry of surprise as he rolled her over so he was on top. God, she was beautiful. Her silver eyes were filled with desire. Her skin was so fair but pink wherever his hands touched her. Silvery-blonde hair surrounded her like a halo against the forest-green rug they were on.
    Archer pressed himself against her—he was dying to be inside her. “Condom,” he barely managed to get out as he pushed himself onto his haunches. He felt almost dizzy, lightheaded as he tried to think of where he’d left his condoms.
    For a second, Lilin looked panicked, but the expression faded as she gave him a smile. “I am protected.” She held her arms out to him. “I won’t get pregnant.”
    Some of the haze in his mind started to wear off and he narrowed his gaze. “I don’t fuck a woman without a condom. Period.”
    “Come.” She reached up to draw him to her but he pulled away.
    Something wasn’t right. Something about all of this was off.
    He blinked and shook his head. “What the fuck am I doing?”
    She looked irritated. “You were about to have sex with me.”
    “Like hell.” He got to his feet and she stood too. “I don’t trust a woman who argues against using condoms.”
    Lilin sounded sad and looked on the verge of tears as she said, “Goodbye, Archer.”
    She faded away until all that remained were a few sparks in the air and then those winked out.
    “Shit.” Archer pushed his hand through his hair. He didn’t know what was happening to him, but he was afraid it might mean a visit to the shrink.
    His gaze drifted across the room. His clothing was scattered across the hardwood floor and the bottle of whiskey lay on its side, a puddle of liquid surrounding it.
    As he stood in the middle of the room, he swore he could smell Lilin. He was still moist where her mouth had been on him and he was buck-naked.
    He dragged his hand down his face. He was losing his goddamned mind.
    * * * * *
    For the first time in her long life, Lilin was in tears. She hadn’t known what it felt like to cry until this very moment. Strange how the water leaked from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
    She stopped and wiped her eyes as she stood in the Hall of the Lost. She straightened her shoulders and raised her chin before she passed through the doors into Rusalka’s chamber. Lilin found it difficult to walk in the face of the goddess’s disapproving glare. The goddess looked