Chapter Seven

You really should have put on more clothes, I silently chide myself, keeping my eyes closed. The cabin walls groan around us as the wind howls outside with no reprieve. I have to admit, it is chilly even for me, but all I can think about is the raging erection in my briefs. I don't remember being this hard before. It aches all the way to my lower back. I couldn't hide this erection even if I was wearing titanium pants.

It doesn't help that Holly's body is nestled up into me, and she keeps making these cute little whimpers as she sleeps. I know it's not her fault that I only sleep on my right side. Well, maybe it is her fault because I explicitly warned her to be careful with the firewood. It"s impossible to hold a grudge, though, not when all I can think about is my cock.

She shifts under the blanket, and I hold perfectly still. I'm hyper focused on everywhere our bodies are touching, not just my groin, and every little movement sends an electric current across my skin.

She's tucked into a tight little ball as she snoozes, and I feel the slight tug of guilt. The fact she feels comfortable enough to sleep next to me is simultaneously a huge relief and a big surprise, considering how I tried to ruin her trip.

This is nice. She is so nice. I used to wield that word as a slight. I thought kindness was a detrimental character flaw growing up. I was taught that if someone was being nice, they were buttering you up for some nefarious reason, or they were too weak to know any different. I grew up to be cold and callous thanks to my parents. Even as a kid, our relationship was transactional. I got all A's on my report card? I got a smile from my mother. I won the middle school science fair for building my own solar-powered water heater? My father acknowledged me at the dinner table. I was the "black sheep" of the family, even though I graduated top of my class. But because I wasn't ambitious like my older brothers, who both started their own companies before they could legally drink, I was looked down upon by my parents. It was the reason I went to med school in the first place. Growing up in that toxic environment, I was desperate to make my parents happy, or happy enough they would remember to invite me over for the holidays.

When I told my parents I was pursuing emergency medicine and not something more lucrative like pharmaceutical industries, they refused to speak to me for an entire month.

Opening my eyes, I tip my chin down to stare at my sleeping guest. Her dark eyelashes kiss the top of her cheeks as she sleeps. I inhale her scent—the spice of her natural musk. No artificial perfumes or shampoo to mask her true scent. It's all Holly, and it's fucking mouthwatering. It makes my cock even harder; it could cut through ice at this point. How am I supposed to get rid of this before she wakes up?

As I watch her, I start to match my breathing with her own. Her heartbeat is fast, like a scared little sparrow. But I don't think she'd be curled up so close if she was scared of me. I feel just as safe with her, as crazy as that sounds. I"ve only known her for a day or so, and yet I feel safer with her than my own flesh and blood.

I'm probably developing an unhealthy attachment, as my therapist would say, to this stranger because I've been isolated in the mountains too long.

I sigh, internally wincing at the lie I told Holly. That I'm in a better place. I think if I keep saying it enough times, it'll become true.

I'm doing a lot better than I was before. I haven't backslid into any reckless behaviors recently, but I'm lonely. I've cut off the entire world, and that's not healthy.

I stopped seeing my therapist because it was too much of a hassle to make it down the mountain for my weekly appointment, especially in the snow, but it was just another excuse. Just another excuse to cut off my final contact with the rest of the world.

Being with Holly only makes me aware of the giant, empty chasm in my chest. I knew it was there; I had just gotten used to it.

I miss connection, and not just on a sexual level, though I definitely miss that as well.

Will I change when Holly leaves? Start spending more time in town, maybe try to get lunch with an old friend?

The memory of what happened last time I was in town floods into my mind. I was crowded by demons I used to know, mostly old friends of my parents. All of them trying to talk to me at the same time, all fighting for my attention. It was such a shocking contrast to how they first acted when I moved back to town. No one spoke to me. They refused to even look at me when I walked by on the street, as if they were worried my "failure" would rub off on them and their children.

I stare down at Holly. I consider telling her the full, unadulterated story. What happened after residency. How my parents and Sasha, my ex-girlfriend, refused to visit me in the hospital and stopped speaking to me after they found out I had no intention of finishing my training. I want to tell her that even though I had moved to Winter Bliss and was working with a wonderful therapist, I struggled. I had no money and a mountain of student loan debt, and because this is a tourist town and most jobs here are seasonal, I had a hard time finding work. And I didn't want to work as a doctor; the trauma from my residency was too raw. Despite the negative balance in my bank account, I somehow still managed to fall face first into a gambling addiction. I didn't care about winning or losing money; I just loved the thrill of feeding my coins into the machine and pulling the lever.It wasn't long before a "fun little game of slots" was eating up all the money I earned doing jobs here and there for people in Winter Bliss.

But Mother Darkness smiled up at you, didn't she?

One fateful night as I fed my last handful of coins into the machine, it rang so loud; it knocked me off my seat. I couldn't believe it; those last few coins had saved me. I won the jackpot, flipping my life from spiraling headfirst into poverty into a multimillionaire overnight.

After that, I became Winter Bliss's local celebrity. Every demon who had turned their nose up at me in the beginning was scrambling to be my best friend. They were all vying to be the first to take me to lunch to tell me about the "interesting business opportunity" they were involved in.

Maybe if I tell Holly everything, the constant pinch in the back of my neck will finally disappear. As nice as that sounds, I can't. I could never trust her if she knew the full truth. I don't care how sweet and kind and thoughtful she is; money changes everyone for the worst.

But I can enjoy the time with her, while it lasts. Though I feel the urge to open my soul to her, it's also better this way. It's the only way I can enjoy her company without wondering if she has an ulterior motive or not.

I close my eyes and try to settle in for the night. My erection is half-mast now. Hopefully, if I fill my head with unsexy images, like how bad an infection smells or draining wounds, my cock will finally go back to sleep.

Holly adjusts, and I catch a whiff of her scent. But it's different this time. The sweet tang of her arousal fills my nostrils, and it all happens so quickly, I don't have time to swallow my deep groan.

She stirs from sleep to ask, "Did you say something?"

I can't talk. I dig my hands into the sheets to resist the urge to reach for my aching cock.

"No," I manage to bite out.

"Oh. Okay."

Is there a hint of disappointment in her voice? I just assumed I had woken her from a sexy dream.

She adjusts again and now I'm starting to wonder if she's scooting her ass into me on purpose. The little minx. Does this good girl have a secret naughty side? I know she's probably doing it to stay warm, but all I can focus on is her round ass pushing up against my cock.

"Holly,"I say between clenched teeth.

"Yes?" She pushes herself up and stares down at me in the dark. I turn away, forcing my eyes to the ceiling.

I'm afraid to even look at her—afraid of what I'll do if I stare into those big, warm, welcoming brown eyes.

Can you take care of that, so we both can get some sleep? I want to ask. Then I remember her vibrator locked inside her car buried under an avalanche. My fingers dig deeper until I'm fisting the sheets.

"Az, what is it?"

"Can I take care of that for you?" I hear myself say. I"m so embarrassed I refuse to make eye contact. But I can't stop myself; I feel possessed. "I can—I can taste your excitement on my tongue. That or you're really scared. Demons have a sixth sense that allows us to pick up if endorphins or adrenaline are being released. That's why humans are so susceptible to demon bargains." I scrub my hand over my face. Well, if she wasn't scared of me before, she is now. "I'm so sorry, Holly. I know you can't control it. I can sleep on the floor if I've made you uncomfortable."

The long stretch of silence between us is unbearable. When I muster enough courage to look up, her pupils are so blown out, her eyes are as black as a demon's.

"I would like that very much," she says in one quick breath.

"Which part? Me sleeping on the floor?"

Before I can finish my question, her hot, greedy mouth crashes against mine. She kisses me fervently as I sit there frozen with disbelief. She's not weirded out by me? She wants to do this? To my surprise, it seems my little houseguest is as wanton as me.

Once my brain and body quickly catch up to speed, I return her kiss with equal enthusiasm. I dig my fingers into her hair as my tongue forces open her lips and slides against her flat teeth.

I don't know if I hoisted her onto me, or if she climbed onto my chest herself, but next thing I know, her legs are straddling my chest without our lips even breaking.

I groan into her mouth as my lower half gives an involuntary jerk. I feel wetness sliding down the tip of my cock, and I wonder if I'll cum without her having to touch me down there, like some sex-deprived teenager ready to burst from the hormones hijacking their system. But I'm too lost in her to feel embarrassed.

"Oh, Az," she gasps into my mouth. Her hands slide down my neck to rest on my pecs, and her fingers curl into the tuft of chest hair there. She unabashedly grinds herself against my stomach, and I reach out to still her hips before I absolutely lose my mind. Her cunt throbs against me as strong as a heartbeat and it takes every ounce of willpower to not rip open the front of her leggings and plant her firmly on my cock.

"Take off your pants and sit on my face," I order her in a rough voice. If I don't taste her heady scent on my lips right now, I will die.

She slips out of whatever lustful trance she's fallen into and blinks down at me, her round face open and vulnerable. "Oh, I don't know about that. I've never really done that before." Embarrassment blooms across her face, and I want to murder her ex-husband and any other partner that made her feel like anything less than a sex goddess in the bedroom.

"Holly," I growl, "why do you think the goddess of darkness gifted me with horns on my head, if not for beautiful women like yourself to hold on to while they sit on my face?"

She sucks in a breath, but gives me a shaky nod, her eyes glittering with desire.

I shift uncomfortably beneath her. I want her so badly it feels like there's a colony of fire ants crawling over every square inch of my skin.

"Hurry," I grit out. "If you don't take those leggings off now, I'm going to rip them off myself."

She rolls off my chest like a kayaker being flipped out of her boat by a wicked wave. She kicks off her leggings in record time, but it's not fast enough. With her leggings still bunched around her ankles, I grab her by the hips and hoist her into the air. She yelps and bucks, but I manage to plant her on my face. It's her fault for not taking my urgings seriously.

As I hold her thighs to steady her, she adjusts her position and leans forward, gripping my horns. I drink in her body from this angle, starting at her glorious pussy, to her soft stomach, and her hard-tipped breasts heavy in her sports bra. I make a note to give her nipples plenty of attention later to make up for skipping them.

"Are you sure?" she whispers directly above me, hovering over me an inch. "I don't want to suffocate you."

I press a kiss to the inside of her thigh. I feel her entire body shiver around me. "I think my horns weigh more than you. I'll be fine." What a perfect way to die, if not.

I nuzzle into her mound and the soft, wet curls there.

She bites her lip and gives another shaky nod, finally relaxing all her weight on to me. I feel her grip tighten around my horns. Good. She needs to hold on tight because this is going to be a rough ride.

I drag my tongue from ass to clit in one long, languid stroke. She's already so wet for me, and her sweetness makes me growl in pleasure. Fuck. I've never tasted anything so sweet before.

I give her another lick. Painfully slow as I savor the taste. But Holly doesn't seem to mind. She's giving me soft little whimpers as she starts to slowly rock against my face, taking the lead as she rubs her clit against the tip of my nose. For a woman who has never used a face as a seat before, she's doing a great job. Even my cock is giving her a standing ovation.

"Az, please,"she breathes, her words stretching out into a moan. She angles herself directly on my mouth, and I give her what she wants. I take her swollen nub between my lips and suck, rolling over it with my tongue as more warm liquid gushes out. She grinds harder on my face, claiming her pleasure. As she tilts her ass back, I'm able to slip my finger inside her cunt.

Fuck. She's so tight. Just another reminder of how different we are. How small and fragile humans are compared to demons.

Holly gasps as her inner channels clamp around my finger, fluttering helplessly.

That's my good girl, be selfish and take what you need from me,I think as I suck hard on her clit, wringing out her orgasm until she's too blissed out to remember her name, street address, or mother's maiden name.

Her knees tremble around my head as Holly tips her head back and screams. More sweet liquid fills my mouth and I lap it up, licking her slit clean. She collapses forward, still clinging to my horns for dear life. I carefully roll her off my face and back onto the mattress so her fear doesn't come true, and I accidentally asphyxiate.

I lay on my side next to her, careful not to puncture a pillow with the tip of my horn, and gaze at her. She stares at me with that same glazed-over but wild look in her eye she had when she was still in shock from the avalanche. I push away a piece of hair from her face and tuck it delicately behind her small, round ear.

"Woah," she says, still breathing heavily. "If I knew that was waiting for me here, I wouldn't have bothered bringing my vibrator."

I chuckle. "Well, thank the Mother Below your car and all your belongings are buried in that avalanche. If not, you would have no need of me."

She laughs, covering her face with both her hands. "Oh my god. My car! How am I going to get it out?" She groans, but her words are light. It's hard to be upset about losing everything when you're still riding the glow of an orgasm.

"Don't worry," I say, grabbing her wrist and lowering her hands so she's forced to meet my gaze. "I'll take care of it. I don't want you to worry about anything while you're here with me."

She nods, but her slight frown tells me she's unable to do anything but worry.

I tilt my head. "You worry a lot. Too much," I say matter of fact. I did my residency in the emergency room and seeing patients having the worst days of their lives night after night taught me to read people freakishly well. For a while, I convinced my attending that I was psychic. "When was the last time someone took care of you?"

Holly fidgets with her nose ring. "I don't know. Melinda was the only one, I guess. I think that's why I was so attached to her. It felt like she was the only one in the world who had me. The only person where our relationship didn't feel one-sided. She took care of me just as much as I took care of her." She seems to shrink into herself, looking sad and distant. "That's why her abandonment was so devastating. After her, I realized I had no one left. I was officially alone."

I nod knowingly. The curse of being too nice. Everyone expects you to help them, be there for them, but when you need them the most—

I can't teach Holly to be selfish, not in the amount of time we have. Not that I would. I don't want her to change. I would take that side of her and shield her from the rest of the world if I could.

Guilt holds my heart in a vise-grip and squeezes. I can't believe I was purposely rude to her in the beginning and had a tangible plan to make her stay a nightmare. Now all I want to do is give her the 5-star treatment she deserves. If it means having to give up my privacy, so be it. Sharing the cabin with a gaggle of strangers will be worth it if I can give Holly one good Christmas. I don't have the supplies to give her a 4-star treatment, but I can probably manage a solid 3—maybe a 3.5—if I"m able to wring a couple more orgasms out of her before the trip is over.

I slide my hand down her chest and pull out her breast from her bra. I hold it in my hand as I play with her nipple with my thumb. I'm so much bigger than her, I could fit both her breasts in one palm.

She shivers. She's still too sensitive from her orgasm, but I can't help myself. She sighs with pleasure, resting her head back against the pillow.

"I want to fuck you," she says under her breath.

I raise both my eyebrows. I reach down and adjust myself in my briefs. The cotton polyester blend is too much against my sensitive skin. Hearing such a naughty word from someone as sweet as her makes it all the more sinful. I'm going to lose it before I get my briefs off.

"Have you been with a demon before?" I ask.

"No, all my partners have been human, but that shouldn"t matter, right?" Concern laces her words. "If you're worried about protection, I haven't slept with anyone since Jeremy. And we can't make a baby. Interspecies couples need medical assistance to do that."

I give her a wry smirk. "I'm aware. I did go to medical school. I'm not worried about that. I'm clear as well. But I was asking if you've been with a demon before because I'm not trying to brag here, but I am bigger than you. A lot bigger. I could hurt you if we"re not careful."

"But—" She makes the same sound a sulking teenager would if you took her car keys away and grounded her for a month.

I huff out a laugh. I feel her frustration. I really do. If anyone should be sulking, it's me. I'm so hard, I don't think it'll ever go away. There's a medical word for that. What is it again? Oh yeah, priapism.

"We can take it slow. I'll be fine—" she insists.

I lower my head and take her nipple in my mouth, and she shuts up immediately. She squirms delightfully underneath me. Is it too soon to make her come again? Medically speaking, women's refractory periods are much shorter than men's. I could make her come at least five more times. And if not, we'll both have a helluva time trying.

"How about this?" I say when I come up for air. I don't leave her nipple alone, though. It's slick from my spit, and I roll my thumb over it as I stare at her. "You let me come over these perfect tits, and we can have sex tomorrow. Trust me, there's nothing I want to do more than fuck you into oblivion right now, but honestly, it's been so long since I've been with someone. I don't want to lose control and accidentally hurt you. I need to pace myself."

"Are we making a bargain?!" The way her eyes light up makes me think she's never actually bargained with a demon before.

I drop my head and groan. She is too pure. It kills me. "Fine. We can make a bargain." I release her breast and hold out my arm, showing her where to grab on my forearm to seal the deal with magic. "What is it that you want?" I ask once her hand is wrapped around my arm and my hand is wrapped around hers.

"Your cock. Now." She grins from ear to ear.

I roll my eyes. "But I need time. So, for being patient tonight and letting me come all over your tits, I promise to fuck your sweet pussy tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Her eyes widen as she squirms beneath me. "Yup. Th-that's a deal."

My eyes rove down her body, pausing to admire her pert, pink nipples. "A deal's a deal," I say weakly. It's the best deal I've ever made. Before I let go of her forearm, I make a mental promise to give her a better trip. The vacation she deserves.

I release her arm and climb over her torso, holding my weight so I don't crush her underneath me. Her eyes widen as I slip my cock out of my briefs. That's the face of a human who has never been with a demon before. I'm no bigger than the next demon, but compared to human specimens, I"m intimidating. There's so much blood in my cock, the normally red skin has taken on a purple hue. The reddish-gold veins that run down the length of my cock shimmer in the darkness.

"You're glowing?" she says, her words filled with disbelief.

"Yeah. It's a demon thing. Not everyone has it—"

"It's beautiful. It reminds me of lava flowing down a mountain."

No one has ever called my cock beautiful, and I'm not sure how to feel about it. "Holly," I say a little sheepishly. She blinks, tearing her gaze from my cock to my face, as if she had almost forgotten there was a head attached to that dick. "I want to warn you, I'm going to come pretty fast. But that's only because I haven't had someone in my bed in a long time. This is not normal for me."

"It's okay," she says with a small smile. She wraps her hand around the base of my cock, and a shiver runs down my spine and settles in my balls from that small touch. "You don't have to worry. I'm not going to judge you. You're safe with me."

She is too nice for me, I think as I wrap my hand around hers, and we stroke my cock from base to tip. My breathing grows hard as I quicken my movements. And just as I had predicted, I'm spilling my hot seed all over her beautiful chest and stomach after the third stroke. I need to do better if I'm going to give her the full 3.5-star treatment tomorrow.

I roll off her and collapse next to her in the bed. I wrap her up in my arms, feeling slightly guilty she's covered with my cum but too wrung-out to care, and pull her into my chest.

Hopefully, she's warm now because I am scorching.