Burning Desire

Chapter 11

Shaking off the weirdness of the forest took a bit, but the sunshine beating down on my skin helped. Secrets and whispers had a way of feeling like they lingered in the dark.

Campus was starting to come alive. The day before classes started, everyone was pretty much moved in and I wasn't the only one who took today as the day to explore or relax before the hectic schedule of lectures and papers set in.

It was overwhelming after being content with just Ruby and Sirius as companions for so long.

The sun was out and the rays were perfect for laying out. The turkey pesto panini and iced chai latte I grabbed from a quick stop in the dining hall would have to sustain me until lunch.

The dining hall hadn't stood out. Pretty standard. Big open room filled with a mix of small round tables fit for six or a tightly squeezed eight and longer banquet style tables fit for twenty. It hadn't been too full and was pretty self-serve in terms of food. Prepackaged everything outside of the small coffee stall slinging caffeinated goodness. After my cup this morning and my iced chai, I'd have to stick to decaf for a while today, but small sacrifices were necessary to function.

Relaxing on the quad was practically calling my name. Soft, lush grass demanded to be felt and I silently thanked the groundskeepers for their expert work, especially since I didn't think to bring a blanket to lay on. Fairport Convention in my ears lulled away the tension in my shoulders as I ate. People watching and tanning never got boring. Ending the day with movies in our room with Ruby, if she was in, was a solid plan to prep for the first day. There wasn't much else we could do, and if I wasn't there to force the issue, Ruby would stay up all night and a Ruby with no sleep and high stress was a monster no one should have to deal with. A quiet night of catching up, nachos, and quotable old movies was just what we both needed.

It wasn't even the first day, but everyone around me seemed to already know each other. There weren't many people walking or sitting alone so my lone figure on the quad was a beacon to curious eyes and quiet whispers. Great. Just what I didn't want. To stand out even more than I already did.

Eyes on me from across the quad felt like they burned a hole in my skin until I turned to see who they belonged to; a confident stare that let me know his perusal would continue because he wished it to. Surrounded by a small gaggle of women he appeared as if he couldn't care less about.

Lovely. I knew his type. Probably an incubus, used to women falling at his feet for a scrap of his attention, using and discarding them like a roll of toilet paper. Been there and done that. The line of lust demons eager to add me to the marks on their bedposts was never ending. Over the years I had gotten better at avoiding them altogether. Still, it had taken a few mistakes to get to that point and the lessons had been painful. I planned to duck this one like a dodgeball.

A hazy cloud of smoke swirled about him and his harem drifting from the elaborate wooden pipe in his hand. A small smirk graced his lips as he watched me fluster about, gathering my things in my bag. There was no reason to even look that way, but a gentle invisible pull had led my head and gaze his way.

Stupid.

It was only a brief tumble over my own feet that alerted me that I was also walking toward him. Not the first impression I was hoping to make, if at all. My body hadn't seemed to get the message that we were avoiding trouble. That or he wasn't any type of lust demon I was familiar with. Not a regular occurrence given my mother. His lips curled up in a sure, close mouthed grin. His entourage of co-eds were quicker on the uptake than I, much to my dismay and embarrassment.

"Finny," the brunette next to him whined. The girl's long pink nails were wrapped possessively around his bicep as he threw a dismissive glance her way before returning his eyes my way. "You should stop by my room after class," the girl continued undeterred. I almost felt bad for the way he was treating him, but either she didn't notice or didn't care.

"Desperation doesn't suit you Marissa. You can leave," the green-eyed man drawled with a slight Irish lilt. His eyes danced with amusement as her snarl grew. Marissa stomped off, her long brown hair flying behind her as the other girls edged closer to him. He continued to gaze at me as I attempted to remind my legs that I was the one they were to obey.

No dice.

His eyes roamed over my skin in a calculated fashion, narrowing and widening as he catalogued every detail. Never had I felt more like a doll or a piece of meat. The hell was wrong with me that I could do nothing more than stand there like a mannequin. The sweet scent of clary sage, basil, and peppermint hovered in the air, flooding my senses and making me want to bask in his presence even as his eyes stripped me naked in their intensity.

A late, but welcome arrival by my brain rambled all of the reasons that entangling myself with a man like that was trouble. The list was longer than a CVS receipt with the harem of scowling faces surrounding me right at the tippy top. Getting murdered in my sleep out of petty jealously was not how I wanted to go out.

My body's reaction was more than enough reason. Losing control of myself in his presence, not out of pleasure? Red flag.

A yawn elongated his mouth, his pearly teeth sharp enough to bite. "Oh, you're still here," he said flatly, leaning back onto his elbows. A thick puff of smoke blew into my face as he spoke.

I tried to cough it away even as his harem tittered and out right laughed at my expense.

"A bit of a disappointment really. I expected much more from Lilith's daughter. Pity," he sighed heavily before turning to the blond beside him who preened under his attention.

Wilting under his casual dismissal was another red flag. This man should not have this strong of a hold on me. Our first meeting was less than pleasant.

My legs regained function and pulled me up from the heap I had tumbled myself into and dragged me, thankfully into the opposite direction.

A quick glance behind me revealed only his bright green eyes and the tips of his burnt sienna hair through the haze of smoke that engulfed him and his court.