me in my sleep?”
Lilith chuckled darkly. “I’m sure he won’t do that, Sylvia. He’s one of the strongest, and sharpest, in the whole city. You’d be hard pressed to find a better bodyguard than Keith, even if he is the randiest in the bunch. Women simply adore him; I get requests for his company through the service all the time.” Lilith changed subjects abruptly, clearly done discussing Boston’s horniest male escort. “You don’t have any plans for today, do you?”
“No.” The lie came easily as her mind raced. She didn’t want to be out unescorted now that the Hunter knew who she was, but she also couldn’t risk Lilith, Elora, or any of the other succubi getting wind of Mason’s presence in the city. That Innocent was hers, and hers alone. This new bodyguard might not be trustworthy and she couldn’t risk him blabbing the news about her Innocent to the others. She would have to risk it and go alone to meet him.
“It’s settled then. Keith shoul d be there within a few hours. Be ready for him to stay with you until this Hunter is dealt with. And Sylvia?”
“What?”
“Be careful out there. These are dangerous times for all of us.” The line went dead as Sylvia blinked in surprise over Lilith’s uncharacteristic concern for her.
~~~
It felt like a race against the clock as Sylvia rushed to prepare to meet Mason while trying to get out the door before Keith arrived. As much as she hated being shadowed by an incubus, she knew Lilith was right and it was for the best. That didn’t mean she couldn’t ditch him just this once to go out alone to meet Mason for the first time. The Hunter’s note worried her, but she would chance it for now. There was no plan in place yet for losing her escort for future dates with him, but she’d figure that out on an as-needed basis. Today she needed to concentrate on drawing him in and she didn’t need a lurking incubus watching her every move to report back to Lilith. She showered, threw on her new outfit and blow dried her hair in record time before skillfully applying her makeup.
“ Lookin’ good,” she mumbled as she inspected her work. She added a pair of large thin silver hoop earrings only to exchange them for a pair of smaller diamond huggies. Taking one last look at herself she smiled with satisfaction. She looked radiant and she knew it.
When it came time to actually leave the apartment Sylvia found she just couldn’t do it. She stood staring at her locked door , gripping her purse and unable to actually open it. Inspiration struck her and she hurried to the kitchen and withdrew a Swiss army knife from one of the drawers. She kept it on hand for odds and ends, when she needed a tool to repair something. Satisfied the blade on it was a better weapon than nothing she tucked it into her purse, took a deep breath and threw open her door.
No Hunter lurked in the hall, ready to spring at her. Nervously she stepped out and closed the apartment door softly behind her. Her heart pounded in her ears as she made her way onto the elevator but Sylvia distracted herself by thinking about Mason. Yes, the Hunter was after her, but she couldn’t let that stop her from pursuing the Innocent, the one that would satiate her beyond her wildest dreams and help her reclaim what was rightfully hers. One psychotic Hunter couldn’t dissuade her from the Challenge at hand. Besides, she couldn’t spend all her days cooped up in her apartment, waiting for the police to do their jobs. She would have to get on with life, Hunter or no.
The elevator doors slid open and Sylvia exhaled noisily when she saw the lobby was empty. Keith hadn’t arrived yet so she was able to slip out of the building without her new bodyguard in tow. She could only hope she hadn’t made a terrible mistake, brushing off her bodyguard in order to meet her Innocent while a Hunter stalked the city’s succubi.
Chapter 8
Out on the street Sylvia was thankful she was so downright
Lilith chuckled darkly. “I’m sure he won’t do that, Sylvia. He’s one of the strongest, and sharpest, in the whole city. You’d be hard pressed to find a better bodyguard than Keith, even if he is the randiest in the bunch. Women simply adore him; I get requests for his company through the service all the time.” Lilith changed subjects abruptly, clearly done discussing Boston’s horniest male escort. “You don’t have any plans for today, do you?”
“No.” The lie came easily as her mind raced. She didn’t want to be out unescorted now that the Hunter knew who she was, but she also couldn’t risk Lilith, Elora, or any of the other succubi getting wind of Mason’s presence in the city. That Innocent was hers, and hers alone. This new bodyguard might not be trustworthy and she couldn’t risk him blabbing the news about her Innocent to the others. She would have to risk it and go alone to meet him.
“It’s settled then. Keith shoul d be there within a few hours. Be ready for him to stay with you until this Hunter is dealt with. And Sylvia?”
“What?”
“Be careful out there. These are dangerous times for all of us.” The line went dead as Sylvia blinked in surprise over Lilith’s uncharacteristic concern for her.
~~~
It felt like a race against the clock as Sylvia rushed to prepare to meet Mason while trying to get out the door before Keith arrived. As much as she hated being shadowed by an incubus, she knew Lilith was right and it was for the best. That didn’t mean she couldn’t ditch him just this once to go out alone to meet Mason for the first time. The Hunter’s note worried her, but she would chance it for now. There was no plan in place yet for losing her escort for future dates with him, but she’d figure that out on an as-needed basis. Today she needed to concentrate on drawing him in and she didn’t need a lurking incubus watching her every move to report back to Lilith. She showered, threw on her new outfit and blow dried her hair in record time before skillfully applying her makeup.
“ Lookin’ good,” she mumbled as she inspected her work. She added a pair of large thin silver hoop earrings only to exchange them for a pair of smaller diamond huggies. Taking one last look at herself she smiled with satisfaction. She looked radiant and she knew it.
When it came time to actually leave the apartment Sylvia found she just couldn’t do it. She stood staring at her locked door , gripping her purse and unable to actually open it. Inspiration struck her and she hurried to the kitchen and withdrew a Swiss army knife from one of the drawers. She kept it on hand for odds and ends, when she needed a tool to repair something. Satisfied the blade on it was a better weapon than nothing she tucked it into her purse, took a deep breath and threw open her door.
No Hunter lurked in the hall, ready to spring at her. Nervously she stepped out and closed the apartment door softly behind her. Her heart pounded in her ears as she made her way onto the elevator but Sylvia distracted herself by thinking about Mason. Yes, the Hunter was after her, but she couldn’t let that stop her from pursuing the Innocent, the one that would satiate her beyond her wildest dreams and help her reclaim what was rightfully hers. One psychotic Hunter couldn’t dissuade her from the Challenge at hand. Besides, she couldn’t spend all her days cooped up in her apartment, waiting for the police to do their jobs. She would have to get on with life, Hunter or no.
The elevator doors slid open and Sylvia exhaled noisily when she saw the lobby was empty. Keith hadn’t arrived yet so she was able to slip out of the building without her new bodyguard in tow. She could only hope she hadn’t made a terrible mistake, brushing off her bodyguard in order to meet her Innocent while a Hunter stalked the city’s succubi.
Chapter 8
Out on the street Sylvia was thankful she was so downright
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