Raini jerked back in her seat. The fuck? How could he possibly—cameras, she remembered. The first time she’d come here, she’d noted the security cameras in the lot. Not out of any interest in them, but because her father had made it instinctive for her to spot them. He’d also taught her how to disable security systems, but that was off-topic.
She licked her lips and reached out to Maddox again. I need to talk to you. It’s important.
Then why are you out there instead of in here? he asked, cool and airy.
It wasn’t exactly a welcoming invitation to enter the club, but it seemed that he was prepared to hear her out. Which, to her shame, was probably more than she would have done if he’d come looking for her.
She slipped out of the car and crossed the lot, her hand clenched tight around her keys. A bulky male stepped out of the shadows—one she recognized as a member of Maddox’s lair, though she’d never spoken with him. Descendants were pretty insular and had no time or regard for other breeds of demon.
As the guy’s eyes met hers, his pupils dilated, his breath caught, and his skin flushed—like arousal had smacked him right in the gut. Yeah, being a succubus meant she often had that effect on people. Her kind exuded a preternatural allure. They could turn the dial up on that allure; could scramble thoughts, lift inhibitions, and assail “prey” with a terrible lust that drew them in. Succubae could even snare people, making them obsessed.
She was basically a walking, talking sexual pheromone. Raini mostly hated it, because she never knew if a guy was truly drawn to her as a person or merely a “victim” of the succubae package. Plus, many men assumed that her being a sex demon also meant she’d be happy to jump into bed with just about anyone. And how uber special was that?
Although Maddox didn’t appear to be affected by her preternatural allure, she suspected he was to some extent. It seemed the likeliest explanation as to why he persisted in contacting her.
She broke eye-contact with the descendant in front of her and cleared her throat. She looked back just as he double-blinked and rolled his shoulders.
“Follow me,” he said, gruff but not rude. He didn’t take her through the main entrance. He led her around the side of the building and over to a steel door. He punched a code into the keypad on the wall and then opened the door.
She followed him inside and over to an elevator. He held a keycard up to a small, electronic screen. The shiny metal doors then slid open, and she stepped inside. He didn’t join her. He reached inside, pressed the “up” button on the panel, and then backed away.
The elevator whirred to life and began to smoothly ascend. Knowing it would be a humungous mistake to let her inner turmoil show, she did her best to wipe every trace of anxiety from her face. Maddox Quentin was an apex predator—showing weakness in front of him would be a bad idea.
He was also an opportunist who wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of this situation for his own gain. If he could and did agree to help her, that help wouldn’t come for free. He’d once said that the idea of having Knox Thorne owe him a favor would appeal to him. And since Khloë was both a close cousin of Knox’s mate and a member of his lair, Knox would no doubt grant Maddox whatever favor he requested.
When the metal doors opened, Raini stepped out … and found herself in a very spacious office. It was swanky with the executive, L-shaped desk, the leather desk chair, the comfy seating area, and the overly large aquarium. Monitors featuring CCTV feeds hung on one wall. The floor-to-ceiling glass window overlooked the club floor below. But none of that held her attention. Because there was really no way not to focus on the alarmingly magnetic male who stood a few feet away—tall, still, watchful.
Right on cue, her hormones tripped all over themselves.
Um, had she mentioned that he was hot as holy hell? Probably not. She tended to try to overlook that. But, really, it was impossible. You couldn’t overlook a tower of sheer power, solid muscle, blatant danger, and dark sexual energy. Particularly when it was wholly focused on you.
His disturbingly vacant eyes were a very vivid Prussian blue that seemed to hold an element of power—compelling you to make eye-contact. His short, stylishly tousled hair was black as the sea at night, and damn that mouth was all kinds of sinful. His white, crisp shirt looked perfectly tailored to fit his broad shoulders and hard chest that—
Hell, this wasn’t the time to ogle him. She was there for a reason. A very, very good one. So her hormones would just have to get their shit together.