Company of Angels 02 - The Demoness of Waking Dreams

fist, staring up at him, fury swirling in those green eyes.
    “Forget it,” he said coolly, staring down at her.
    “You don’t think I can make it happen?” she said, lifting her chin a notch. “You have no idea what I’m capable of, angel. I’ll make you come like you never have before, not even in your wildest dreams.”
    He pried his shirt out of her fist, shook his head and pushed her away. “That’s a kind offer, but I think I’ll have to refuse.”
    She ran her hand down his body, fingers skimming lightly down to the waistband of his jeans.
    “You don’t even know what you want,” she said. Her voice was a smooth purr that washed over him. “A man like you has probably never had the opportunity to explore his own desires. There are things I can offer you. You could have anything you want. You could live in a mansion much larger than my palace if you wanted. Drive a fleet of exotic cars. Own a yacht. Have women dangling off you at all moments. Women like me.”
    At the last word, he flinched, although only very slightly. And then he froze, kicking himself for reacting, hoping she hadn’t noticed. But of course, she had.
    “What’s wrong, big boy? Got a monster under the bed? I’ll chase it away,” she whispered.
    He cleared his throat and said, “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
    “You’d rather stand around and wait for your recurring nightmare, then? Do as you wish.” She flicked her hand at him, dismissive. “If I were you, I’d rather take my chances with the unknown than stand around waiting to get shot.”
    “Who told you about that?” he demanded.
    “Just a good guess. But vediamo… ‘let’s see.’ I already guessed during the fireworks that you were a gunshot victim. And the way you cower and hesitate ever so slightly when you enter certain alleyways…well.”
    “And the dream?”
    She lowered her lashes, masking her eyes for a moment. “That part was a complete shot in the dark, so to speak.”
    “You’re the only one who has ever figured it out,” he said, not quite knowing why he was telling her. “Other than Michael, you’re the only one who knows.”
    “Perhaps I’m the only one who cares,” she purred. “Come, let me take that pain away,” she said, drawing away, sliding her fingertips down his arm. “Come with me.”
    “I’ll keep my pain, thank you very much,” he said, wanting to reach out and grab her.
    “If you won’t cooperate, that’s fine. I don’t need your permission. Where did we leave off the last time we were together?” she said, moving up against him. “As I recall, we were standing in a doorway near San Marco’s when your boss interrupted us.”
    Around them, the dark mist began to solidify, the scene around them crystallizing into the place where they had stood last night. She pressed herself against him, backing him into the door this time.
    “This is how it was, no?” she purred, smoothing her palm down the length of his torso.
    “Knock it off,” he growled, grasping her wrist and attempting to hold her at arm’s length. Trying to remind himself of Michael’s warning. “Not like this.”
    She paused, relenting a little. “What do you want, then? You angels are so bland. Your deepest, darkest sexual fantasy is probably a threesome in a haystack with couple of cowgirls. Let me show you the possibilities of what you can experience.”
    Around them, the environment dissolved, the colors of Venice blending into a whirl.
    When the scene began to solidify, they were on a stretch of beach that curved into a long, deserted crescent, rimmed by palm trees. Two girls, a blonde and a redhead, frolicked topless in the ocean, beckoning to him from the waves. When he made no move to join them, they came out of the water, giggling as they walked toward him, their breasts sparkling with seawater.
    “This is not my fantasy,” he ground out.
    Luciana tilted her head to one side, her eyes poring over him. “Really? What do you want? More girls?”
    Out of nowhere, a few more women appeared in the surf.
    Brandon crossed his arms, making no effort to move toward them.
    The scene shifted around them again. This time, Luciana had taken him to a sumptuous bedroom, with a woman and two men on a bed. The men were fit and well muscled, and they smiled invitingly as they saw Brandon.
    “Why not come join us?” said the man.
    “Or I could leave you boys alone, if you prefer,” said the woman.
    Luciana lingered in the background,