Incubus Among Us Box Set (Shifter Romance) Page 16

  He snorted. "You're a woman. Women overreact."

  "Come closer and say that," I challenged him.

  I started when there came a knock on my door. "Liz? Liz, you in there?" came Tiffany's voice from the other side.

  "Um, one second." I whipped my head to Mo. "Hide! I'm not allowed to have cats in the apartment!"

  The end of his tail twitched. "I may look and act like a cat, but I can go where I please."

  "Looks like a duck and quacks like a duck. . ." I muttered as I scrambled to my feet and hurried over to the door.

  I opened it just a smidge and smiled at my concerned friend. "Um, hi. Something wrong?"

  "I don't know, you tell me," Tiffany returned. She leaned to her right to see past me, and I copied her movements like a reflection. "You got somebody in there with you?"

  "N-no, of course not. Did you need something?" I asked her.

  "I swore I heard you talking with someone," she argued.

  "No, that was the-um, the TV. I was yelling at a game," I explained.

  "You weren't yelling, and I don't hear your TV on right now," she countered.

  "That's because-um, because."

  "Meow." With that self-introduction Mo sauntered up and wrapped his slinky little body around Tiffany's leg.

  Tiffany looked at the evil feline in bewilderment and fascination. "A cat? You know pets aren't allowed in the building," she scolded me.

  "I didn't have a choice. He sort of invited himself in," I argued.

  "Doesn't sound like a bad idea." She picked up Mo and slid past me into my apartment. I reluctantly shut the door behind her. "I was wanting to talk to you about a couple of things." Her roaming eyes fell on the lamps, and she nodded her head at the broken items. "Problems?"

  I came to stand beside her and nervously smiled. "Oh, those. The-um, the cat knocked them over. You know how klutzy they can be." Mo glared at me from Tiffany's arms, but I ignored him and turned my attention to my friend. "But you said something about a couple of things."

  Tiffany set Mo on the back of the couch and turned to me. "Yeah, actually, I've been talking with Ann and -" I held up my hand.

  "Wait, as in my coworker Ann?" I asked her.

  "Yeah, and she's really worried about you. She thinks you're freaking out about this whole Christmas party-"

  "Festive party," I corrected her.

  "Whatever. Anyway, she thinks you just need a guy, and I know you need a different guy than that weirdo, so we kind of-well, we kind of set you up on a blind date."

  "You what?" I shrieked. Mo jumped from the couch and rubbed himself against my leg. I knew what that meant. Remain calm. I was as cool as a cucumber, if that cucumber was roasting in hell. "How could you do this to me? You know I don't like blind dates! Nobody likes blind dates!"

  Tiffany held up her hands in front of her. "Listen, Liz, you need a new guy, and this is the way to go. You two will probably hit it right off. The guy's looking for somebody just like you. I'm sure you'll be perfect for each other," she argued.

  "And we'll get married, and settle down, and have kids, right?" I retorted.

  "Yeah. Sounds great, doesn't it?"

  "It sounds like a fairy tale, and you two are the evil step-sisters trying to set me up with a frog who really isn't a prince," I told her.

  She shrugged. "Just as long as I get to be the pretty one. Anyway, we've set up your date for tomorrow-"

  "Tomorrow? As in the day after today?" I questioned her.

  "Yeah. Ann and I were afraid you'd chicken out, so we made sure if you did think about doing that it'd be short notice and rude and stuff, so you wouldn't do it," Tiffany explained.

  My hands at my sides flexed in their eagerness to ring my friend's neck. "You two are a pair, you know that?"

  Tiffany grinned. "Yep. Anyway, the date's going to be at one of the snazziest places in town. One of those joints where you can't read the menu and the food comes in small portions. Ann said the guy could read the menu for you, so that'll help with your bonding."

  My twitching hands balled into fists and I glared at Tiffany with such hatred that I should have burned a hole through her head. I felt the familiar pulse of energy ripple through me. Another big bang was about to go boom.

  "Meow," Mo called beneath me.

  That broke the spell, or at least reminded me I shouldn't go boom or bang in front of anyone who wasn't privy to the world of the supernatural. I took a deep breath and my shoulders slumped. My hands un-balled and I ran a hand through my hair. "I guess I can try it. . ." I muttered.

  Tiffany squealed and wrapped me in one of her tough hugs. "That's my girl! Now we just need to get you dolled up, buy you a dress, fix your hair-"

  "Tiff?"

  "Get you some shoes-"

  "Tiff?"

  "Maybe repaint your car-"

  "Tiff!"

  She paused and frowned at me. "What?"

  "I think I'll just go as myself, frazzled hair, dirty car and all," I told her.

  She shrugged. "All right, but this guy's supposed to be a little on the rich side."

  "If he doesn't think he can afford me then that's fine," I quipped. I sighed and shook my head. I felt exhausted. "Anyway, I'm just going to hit the hay."

  Tiffany scrutinized my appearance and raised an eyebrow. "You do look really pale. Been trying to apply makeup?"

  "No, trying to apply life into my life, and it's not working," I replied.

  "Huh?"

  I shook my head. "Never mind. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

  "Sure thing," Tiffany agreed as she strode to the door. She opened the entrance, paused, and looked over her shoulder at me. "You know, if something's bugging you, even if it isn't just that guy, you can tell me. Really."

  "I swear I'll tell you when I'm ready," I promised.

  She smiled and nodded her head. "Good. See ya."

  "See ya," I returned. She shut the door behind her and I fell back onto the arm of the couch.

  Mo jumped up beside me and slithered his lithe body against my arm. "You okay?" he wondered.

  I shook my head. "I don't know. I just feel-I don't know, really stretched."

  "That's the two parts of you pulling against each other. Even if you choose the path of the human that feeling wouldn't go away," he explained.

  "Great. Another bit of good news. . ." I muttered.

  "Perhaps you need to sleep on your decision. Tomorrow may help you decide," he suggested.

  I sighed and pushed off from the couch. "May as well. What do I have to lose other than more humanity?"

  Chapter 2

  I shuffled off to bed and slept through half the night. At around midnight something woke me. Perhaps it was the stress, or the supernatural cat staring unblinkingly from my dresser, or maybe it was my twisted, tight shirt. Either way I sat up and glared at Mo. "Do you really have to sit there staring at me?" I asked him.

  "I can sense changes in you," he commented.

  I raised an eyebrow. "Changes? What kind of changes?"

  "Physical changes."

  I frowned and looked down at myself. I wore my long nightshirt without bra or panties. It was then I realized there wasn't any twisting that was causing the strain. The shirt was just tight, too tight. I pulled open the neck and looked down. My breasts were much larger than I remembered, but the darkness wasn't helping my sight.

  I jumped out of bed and hurried to the bathroom with Mo at my heels. At the door I pushed him away. "Supernatural cat or no supernatural cat, I'm not letting you see me naked," I growled as I slammed the door on his whiskers.

  I flipped on the light switch and turned to the large medicine cabinet and mirrors. There was a definite bulge beneath the shirt where lay my breasts. I lifted the cloth and my eyes widened when I beheld an ample pair of knockers.

  "Very interesting," Mo commented.

  I let out an 'eep,' dropped the shirt, and swung around to my left to find him seated on the closed toilet lid. "How the hell did you get in he
re?" I snarled at him.

  He chuckled. "Walls don't affect me like they do normal cats, but as I was saying, your physical body is changing to adapt to your new lifestyle as a-ahem, sex demon."

  "I'm not going to be a sex demon," I argued.

  "You may not wish it, but that's what's happening," he countered.

  "Well, is there anything else I don't wish to happen to myself?" I questioned him.

  The tip of his tail twitched. "Do I look like an incubus?" he reminded me.

  I rolled my eyes and sighed. "For once I wish one was here to tell me something." I turned to look at my reflection and grimaced. The enlarged breasts were even more noticeable from the sides. "How am I going to hide these from everybody?" I muttered as I weighed one of the ample mounds in my hands.

  "The effect could be temporary, or nocturnal. You may be back to normal by sunup," Mo told me.

  My shoulders slumped and I shook my head. "I may be the first woman to wish this, but I really hope these things get smaller."

  I returned to bed and slept away the remaining hours of night. When I awoke after sun rise the first thing I did was check my assets. Still there, and still larger than I remembered, but smaller than they were a few hours before.

  Still, when I dressed myself I had a rough time slipping into my blouse. My breasts pressed hard against my bra, and the buttons of my blouse pushed outward. Some of the buttons threatened to pop off, but I couldn't do anything about them, not without buying a new wardrobe, and I didn't have time for that before work.

  I hurried to the kitchen and found Mo seated on the table. He stopped his preening and smiled at me. "No more problems?"

  "Less than last night," I told him as I pulled out milk and cereal. I set the milk on the table beside him and Mo eyed the food hungrily. "I thought you said you weren't like cats," I reminded him as I shoveled the cereal into my mouth.

  "A supernatural being has a few weak points, and milk happens to be mine," he told me.

  I rolled my eyes, but obliged him when I took out a bowl and poured some milk into the bottom. I slid the bowl over to Mo who eagerly stuffed his face into the liquid and lapped it up. My cereal awaited, and we had breakfast together. I pulled on my collar to loosen the cloth as my eyes watched Mo lick clean the bowl.

  "So why do you look like a cat? I mean, why not a lion or something more impressive?" I asked him.

  He lifted his head and licked his lips. "Because nothing is as well-treated and overlooked as a handsome cat," he pointed out.

  "But why do you act like a cat?" I persisted.

  He looked me in the eyes and there was a twinkle in the depths of his. "Who says I'm acting like a cat? Maybe I'm acting like myself."

  I rolled my eyes and stood. "Well, you can act like yourself while I'm gone so long as you're quiet."

  He jumped off the table and strode towards a closed window that led to the alley between buildings. "Actually, I have some work to do myself. This city doesn't calm itself, you know."

  My jaw dropped open when I watched Mo jump through the closed window and disappear over the other side of the wall. I rushed forward, flung open the window, and stuck my head out. He nonchalantly wandered down the fire escape stairs with his prissy tail in the air.

  I shook my head, pulled myself back into my apartment and closed the window. "Your life is weird," I told myself as I prepared for another long day at work.

  I snatched the doll from the coffee table, but paused as I looked into its face. The dead button eyes stared back at me and I shuddered as I recalled what Madam Curie had told me: the doll would be the death of me if I used its power too often. I reluctantly set the doll back on the table and left to work. Now was as good a time as any to test out my limited practice on controlling my emotions. I only hoped I wouldn't blast my coworkers away with my wind.

  A few minutes later I arrived at the underground parking garage at ten minutes until captivity. Other slaves shuffled their way to the elevator. Everyone ignored the stairwell door near the elevator. Those were my two choices. One offered solitude but no practice, and the other offered practice but not much way to get out of there if something went awry.

  I stiffened my upper lip, swelled out my ample chest, and marched into the elevator. It was now or never.

  The elevator was crowded with other last-minute office workers, and the genders were about even. The elevator was elbow-to-elbow room and I could see the tiny hairs on the back of the neck of the person who stood in front of me. I stood in the rear corner and took deep, quiet breaths. Everything was fine. I was fine. I was calm. I was not calm. I was not fine. I was in a tiny space with a succubus growing inside of me, my blouse pushed to near the breaking point, and surrounded by men who literally would have jumped-me, that is-for a chance to get some of me.

  Deep breaths I chanted inside my head.

  A few eyes belonging to the men flickered to me. I turned away and admired the silver metal interior of the elevator. Elevators are so interesting when one is trying to wipe their mind clean of thoughts and emotions. Deep breaths. The numbers above the door ticked by. Like life, the doors opened and closed, and people got on and off. One of the men who'd been on the elevator since the parking garage stepped a little closer me. I stepped a little away from him and bumped into the railing around the elevator walls. My floor was next. Almost there.

  Ding.

  I pushed through the crowds and stepped onto solid ground. I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw the enamored man push his way to the front and gawk at me like I was a runway model. The doors shut just short of his nose and I was safe. Well, I was on my floor. Still, one gawker wasn't too bad a start. Actually, it was pretty damn good. Maybe I could get the hang of suppressing this whole succubus thing and live a normal human life.

  I practically skipped to my cubicle and was met there by Ann the Conspirator. My peace of mind evaporated when her presence reminded me that I had a date tonight. A blind date. Set up by my former friends. I stopped a yard short of Ann and glared at her.

  "Please tell me you haven't conspired to ruin the rest of my day, too," I quipped.

  Ann sheepishly smiled at me. "Tiffany told me how you took our surprise. I'm really sorry, believe me. I thought you'd like the surprise."

  I snorted and strode past her into my cage. "What's not to like? You guys set me up on a blind date behind my back with only twenty-four hours notice."

  Ann sighed and hung her head. "I'm really sorry. It's just that-well, we really are worried about you."

  I plopped myself in my chair and glared at the reflection in my computer screen. Even with the dark screen I could tell my shirt was incredibly tight. "So am I. . ." I muttered.

  "What was that?"

  I shook my head. "It's nothing. Anyway, we'd probably better get to work before Lenin decides to come by and harass us about wasting company time," I advised.

  "All right, but I'll talk to you later," she promised.

  "See ya," I returned. She left me to my work and my breathing exercises. Breathe in, breathe out. Be one with the calm, Liz. Feel nothing. Be nothing but a normal human. Feel the human inside of me flowing.

  All this talk of flowing made me realize I needed to go get a drink of water. I stood and stepped out of my cubicle only to collide with the front of Johnny's cart.

  "Ooph," I wheezed.

  "Liz! I'm so sorry!" Johnny apologized. He pulled back the cart and rushed around to the front. He grasped one of my arms and looked me over. "You're not hurt, are you?"

  I snorted and waved him off. "No, I'm just-" Our eyes met and I froze as I felt a flash of something pass between us. For a moment it felt like we shared a blanket of warmth together.

  Johnny blinked and the spell was broken, or was it? A feeling of light-headedness remained, and my body felt warm. Deliciously warm. It was almost intoxicating with how hot I felt.

  "I-I think I need to go," Johnny stuttered. He practically raced to the cart handles and sprinted past me. I was actu
ally sorry to see him leave, but a little voice inside me, a sultry voice, told me he'd be back.

  I retrieved my glass of water from the watering hole and was glad the other men around the cooler ignored me. Unfortunately, there was one man, or rather, young man, I couldn't get out of my thoughts. I returned to my cubicle and tried to focus on my work, but it was no doing. Johnny was stuck in my head, along with the strange, tempting look in his eyes when we shared that strange moment of mutual warmth. I knew he felt the same thing as I did. I don't know how I was so sure he'd experienced the same sensation, but I was.

  I typed away, but without knowing what I typed. The hours ticked by and my eyes constantly flitted to the entrance to my cubicle. I waited. Finally, at ten minutes till noon, his shadow darkened the entrance. Johnny. He nervously smiled at me and his hands in front of him fidgeted with each other. I thought I could figure out better uses for those hands.

  "I was-um, just about to go to lunch. Did you-um, did you need anything?" he asked me. His innocence was so cute, so alluring.

  I had to have him.

  I stood and a coy smile slipped onto my lips. My shirt tightened even worse, and yet I ignored the tension. I had eyes only for this young innocent in front of me. "Actually, there is something I need in the supply closet that you could help me with." That was my voice speaking those words, and yet it wasn't me. Or rather, it wasn't me-me, but her-me. The creature growing inside me.

  I should have been terrified at her taking over, controlling me and making me seduce this young man, but I wasn't. I reveled in the feel of such power over another human. It was a power-trip, but one where both sides benefited.

  A stupid grin spread on his lips. "S-sure, anything," he agreed.

  I raised an eyebrow and my smile deepened. "Anything?" I repeated.

  He nodded his head. "Y-yeah."

  I looped one of my arms through his and turned him to the left. The supply closet lay at the far end of the floor. "You know, you're really adorable when you're nervous," I teased him.

  "Y-you think so?" he stuttered.

  "Yes. I'm sure you've found a nice girl by now," I mused.