4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next day in her office, Mari fussed with her skirt until the slit exposed a long length of her thigh and the fabric draped over the armchair in exactly the right way. The dress Rio had picked out for this important meeting was gorgeous, a deep red that was very nearly black and gauzy enough that it clung to and emphasized every curve. Roses and thorns were embroidered along the bodice in a delicate design you had to squint to see. The plunging neckline showcased both her cleavage and her necklace to flattering effect. Strappy red sandals completed the look, making her legs look a mile long.

Cisco had nodded his approval silently before walking off to answer the door, and Rio stood sentinel next to her in her office with his quiet smile, smug with the fact that he'd chosen well enough to impress Cisco.

Even as decked out as she was, the entrance of the other sex witch made Mari feel dowdy. Pricilla swept into Mari's office like she owned it. She wore a strapless sapphire dress that brought out the depth of color in her eyes and accentuated the silhouette of her body in a way that was intensely distracting. She was every inch a monument to sensual excess, tall and stunning with a tumble of raven hair that swayed when she walked. Her lush lips were painted in a perfect scarlet pout.

Mari sat up straighter. Something about the way Pricilla moved or held herself made a deep and restless part of Mari pay attention.

Pricilla took Mari in with a measuring glance. "Well, you're exactly as gorgeous in real life as you are on the society pages. I'm Pricilla Fortineaux."

The praise was so unexpected that Mari hesitated. She stood and extended her hand. "Mariana Reyes."

Pricilla tsked lightly. "Not on the first date, darling." When she saw that Mari didn't understand, she continued, "Ah. I forgot you haven't met many sex witches. We generally don't touch each other until we know each other better. The results can be unpredictable."

Mari withdrew her hand, hoping the heat in her cheeks didn't give her embarrassment away. "Good to know." She gestured to the chair across from her. "Thank you for taking this meeting."

Pricilla nodded and took her seat, crossing her legs gracefully. "At the very least I had to take the opportunity to lay eyes on the daughter of the Demon King of Las Vegas herself."

Mari sat in her chair, Cisco and Rio taking seats to either side of her. Thank goodness for them. "And do I live up to expectations?"

"Very much so." Pricilla grinned, catlike, keeping exactly what those expectations were to herself. "Esmé gave me the short version, but why don't you tell me in your own words what you need from me?"

"I'm looking for someone to teach me about being a sex witch. My father kept me isolated. You're only the second one of our kind that I've sat this close to."

Pricilla nodded thoughtfully. Her eyes unfocused for the space of a few breaths. "You're tethered to the wards here. So, you really were the battery that kept his empire running. I'm guessing that wasn't your idea?"

Mari decided honesty was the best way forward, especially if she would be working with this woman for a while. "He did that when I was too young to stop him."

"If he wasn't already dead I might try to kill him myself." Venom dripped from Pricilla's sensual voice. "That's no way to treat a young sex witch."

Next to Mari, Cisco grunted his approval.

"I need to know more about my power," Mari said. "There's so much I don't know. I have some books, but it's not easy to learn anything beyond the theory that way."

Pricilla smiled. "Some things you can't learn without getting your hands dirty." She gave first Rio and then Cisco an appraising once-over and then smiled wider. "Though I'm guessing you know a little about that already."

Cisco grinned, showing his fangs. "Oh, she definitely does. How about you?"

Pricilla's small shiver at the gruffness of his tone was all but imperceptible. She returned her gaze to Mari. "I don't play in other witch's playgrounds without permission."

"Cisco is free to play with whomever he would like," Mari said with a confidence she hadn't felt until the moment when the other sex witch had assumed she was in charge.

"I'm afraid I'm a one-sex-witch kind of guy," Cisco drawled without missing a beat.

Pricilla leaned back in her chair with a delighted laugh. "I'll take the job. Whatever increase in magic I help you gain, I take five percent of."

"And if there's no increase?" Mari asked.

"I get nothing. But I'm not worried about that. There's a lot of untapped potential here." Pricilla's eyes wandered the room briefly. "Basilio was in it for the quick fix. I would guess he didn't know a lot about your kind of sex magic either, which is probably why he didn't want you properly trained."

Mari had suspected much the same thing. "Sounds like we have an agreement, then."

"We can have a law witch draw up the contract and sign it tomorrow, if that's not too quick for you. The one you and Esmé used is fine with me."

Mari nodded. "The sooner the better."

For the first time, Pricilla looked not completely comfortable, her gaze dropping to the floor for a moment. "I'll need a section added to codify a magical safeguard."

Mari tilted her head. "Why?"

"She's a submissive," Cisco said. "She's worried you might be more like your father than any of us are aware."

Mari looked between them, but neither of them seemed eager to be more direct. "I'm going to need someone to break that down."

"Your mother was a submissive," Cisco explained. "She stayed so long because she was addicted to feeding his needs."

Pricilla smoothed her skirt with both hands in a gesture she must have found calming. "If you have tendencies similar to his I won't be able to protect myself from you."

Anger made Mari clench her fists. Why had no one told her? She glared at Cisco out of the corner of her eye. He was still keeping secrets from her to protect her. "Of course. Whatever you need to feel safe."

"She's not like him," Rio said, his voice quiet. He hunkered in his chair like he was uncomfortable with the conversation. "I would know."

Pricilla looked at Rio, as if for the first time, then she nodded. "That makes me feel better."

"We'll do the section with your safeguard," Mari insisted.

Pricilla breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. This is why sex witches don't touch each other until the rules are established. It's too easy for us to get caught up, especially when dominance dynamics are significantly different between us."

It surprised Mari that the other witch thought their levels of dominance were so far apart. She hadn't experimented much with being dominant. She'd never felt particularly dominant.

Even as she had the thought, some of her experiences with Rio came to mind. Where she'd given him an order without even thinking about what she was doing and he'd complied. But Rio was so deeply submissive that Mari had been sure it didn't mean anything, until Pricilla had taken one look at her and seemed so sure of exactly the opposite. Pricilla had even assumed that Cisco deferred to her—and he had, a few times. Though, he'd also said he'd worship at her feet forever if she asked him to. It was all so confusing.

"Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" Mari asked to distract herself from her train of thought that threatened to go off the rails.

Pricilla considered for a moment. "I should move in, at least temporarily. As we're adjusting the wards you might need support at odd hours."

"That won't be a problem, we have lots of rooms no one is using."

"I'll pack my things and bring them by tomorrow after we sign the contracts."

"We're headed to La Petit Mort tomorrow night," Mari said. "You're welcome to come along."

Pricilla waved a dismissive hand. "So very much not my scene."

Cisco grinned. "We'll protect you from the big bad wolves."

Pricilla tilted her head back a tiny bit. She met Cisco's eyes briefly before looking away again with a pink blush coloring her cheeks. "A tempting offer that I'll consider another time."

Mari enjoyed their flirtation more than she wanted to admit out loud. The predatory twinkle in Cisco's gaze got her going every time, even when aimed at the other sex witch. She was finding out more about herself today than she'd known was there to find. She pretended to ignore their banter. "There's something else we need to discuss about the wards."

Pricilla raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. "Ooh, this sounds like it's going to be good."

Mari moistened her lips before continuing. She had decided that Pricilla needed to know everything before getting involved, but it was still hard to share the information, since she didn't really understand what it meant. "I recently discovered that they were created to feed an entity that lives under Las Vegas."

Pricilla's eyes widened. "What sort of entity?"

"I'm not exactly sure. He looked like a demon, but he implied he is a demi-god. I think the reality is probably somewhere between the two." She swallowed. "My father kept him trapped, apparently to protect himself and the other incubi from something very dangerous that was hunting them. Whatever it was atomized an incubus in an instant once he withdrew his protection. So part of what you're going to help me figure out is if we can protect the city without him."

Pricilla stared at her with an expression of horror. "He said he was going to stop protecting the city?"

Mari nodded. "He threatened it. I don't know if it's true or if he was trying to scare me. He seemed like he enjoyed frightening me."

"Charming." Pricilla grimaced. "Well, that's a wrinkle I wasn't expecting."

Mari reached for the necklace at her throat, feeling the thorns sharp against her fingers. "He made this with his magic, out of a focus that Cisco gave me." It seemed to hum at her touch. "I can't take it off."

"That's a lot." Pricilla sat back and whistled low. "But I'm still in. I'm not sure what that says about me."

"That you like a little danger." Cisco smiled, slow and hot. "Which I already knew."

Pricilla shivered as she rose. "If that's all? I'll see you at the law witch tomorrow. I look forward to working together."

"Thank you." Mari smiled. "We'll see you tomorrow."

All of them stood at the same time, and Rio gestured to the hallway. "I can show you to the door."

Once they were alone Cisco reached for her hand and pulled her closer.

Mari looked up at him. "So do you want to talk about whatever that was going on between the two of you?"

Cisco ran a hand over her hair. "I've always had a weakness for bratty submissives."

She pulled back a bit. "I'm not a submissive, am I?"

"You're the only one who ever thought you were." He laughed. "Noticed you didn't ask if you were bratty."

"But why do you want me to be with me if I'm not?"

He touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Not sure where you got the idea that submission was required to be with me."

"I guess I just assumed, because of Rio."

His eyes moved slowly over her face. "I like all sorts of things, Mariana."

She stared up at him, enjoying the way he looked at her with longing she couldn't deny. "I do too. I think I'm only just realizing how many. But I do enjoy when you get growly and bossy."

"I like being bossy." He leaned to kiss her, smiling against her lips. "Until very recently I only had one rule, that nobody could top me, but then you made me bend that rule and I kind of liked it. I am really starting to appreciate sexy-as-fuck witches who know what they want and demand it."

Memories of what it had felt like to see him on his knees gazing up at her with adoration flooded her. "I liked being bossy, too."

"We don't have to have just one label, you and me. We can be anything we want. Everything we want." He pushed her hair back over her shoulder and looked down at her with a considering expression. "We've never seriously talked about bringing someone else in. How do you feel about it?"

"I hadn't thought much about it until I saw her reaction to you." She moved a little closer and grinned up at him. "For a minute all I could think about was watching you tease a smoking hot woman until she came undone."

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Well, let me know if you see anyone you like at the club tomorrow and we'll see if I can make that happen for you." His lips brushed her skin. "But only if it's something you want."

She clutched his arm and pressed against him, feeling bold. "What I want right now is for you to bend me over my desk and fuck me raw until I'm calling out your name like a hymn."

He growled into her ear. "Your wish is my command." And he did exactly that until half of the house could probably hear her. He didn't stop until she was shaking under him and all she could do was moan because her voice had given out.