Succubus Dreams Page 0,104

cheekbones and flawless skin, was beautiful.

I was beautiful.

Call it vanity or egotism, but it was true. I was so, so beautiful. More beautiful than Maddie. More beautiful than any mortal woman. Staring at that gorgeous reflection, I begged it to tell me that Seth would want me. He had to want me. How could he not?

But I knew all the beauty in the world couldn't mask the pain in me. And after a couple more moments, Seth noticed too. His smile vanished.

"How did you find out?" he asked.

I dropped the coat I'd been holding. "How do you think? She told me. She couldn't wait to tell me."

He sighed and sat on the arm of my couch and stared into space.

"That's it? You have nothing else to say?" I asked.

"I'm sorry. God, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for you to find out like this."

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Yeah...of course."

His voice was so sweet and so gentle that it momentarily defused the anger that wanted to explode out of me. I stared at him, looking hard into those amber brown eyes. "She said...she said you didn't drink, but you did, right? That's what happened?" I sounded like I was Kendall's age and suspected I wore the pleading expression Yasmine had given Jerome.

Seth's face stayed expressionless. "No, Thetis. I wasn't drunk. I didn't drink at all."

I sank down into the armchair opposite him. "Then...then...what happened?"

It took a while for him to get the story out. I could see the two warring halves within him: the one that wanted to be open and the one that hated to tell me things I wouldn't like.

"I was so upset after what happened with us. I was actually on the verge of calling that guy...what's his name? Niphon. I couldn't stand it - I wanted to fix things between us. But just before I did, I ran into Maddie. I was so...I don't know. Just confused. Distraught. She asked me to get food, and before I knew it, I'd accepted." He raked a hand through his hair, neutral expression turning confused and frustrated. "And being with her...she was just so nice. Sweet. Easy to talk to. And after leaving things off physically with you, I'd been kind of...um..."

"Aroused? Horny? Lust-filled?"

He grimaced. "Something like that. But, I don't know. There was more to it than just that."

The tape in my mind rewound. "Did you say you were going to call Niphon?"

"Yeah. We'd talked at poker...and then he called me once. Said if I ever wanted...he could make me a deal. I thought it was crazy at the time, but after I left you that night...I don't know. It just made me wonder if maybe it was worth it to live the life I wanted and make it so you wouldn't have to worry so much."

"Maddie coming along was a blessing then," I muttered. Christ. Seth had seriously considered selling his soul. I really needed to deal with Niphon. He hadn't listened to me when I'd told him to leave Seth alone. I wanted to rip the imp's throat out, but my revenge would have to wait. I took a deep breath.

"Well," I told Seth. "That's that. I can't say I like it...but, well...it's over."

He tilted his head curiously. "What do you mean?"

"This. This Maddie thing. You finally had a fling. We've always agreed you could, right? I mean, it's not fair for me to be the only one who gets some. Now we can move on."

A long silence fell. Aubrey jumped up beside me and rubbed her head against my arm. I ran a hand over her soft fur while I waited for Seth's response.

"Georgina," he said at last. "You know...I've told you...well. I don't really have flings."

My hand froze on Aubrey's back. "What are you saying?"

"I...don't have flings."

"Are you saying you want to start something with her?"

He looked miserable. "I don't know."

No. This wasn't happening.

"What's this mean for us?" I asked.

"I don't know."

The anger returned, and I leapt up, much to Aubrey's annoyance. "What do you know?" I demanded. "Do you even know why you did this?"

"There were a lot of things going on..." he said. "A lot of factors. It just happened..."

I put my hands on my hips and stalked toward him. "Did it? Did it really? Because I'm not so sure."

His distraught expression turned wary. "What's that mean?"

"I think you were getting back at me for not giving in that night. I made you mad. I hurt you. So, you're trying to