Dashing devil 5 bold beg.., p.46
Dashing Devil 5: Bold Beginnings, page 46
Boyd's gaze met Raev's and, without a word spoken between them, they fell into a passionate tango. The fiery intensity in Raev's eyes matched the heat of the music as they moved as one across the dance floor. Every step was filled with desire and longing as their bodies pressed intimately close.
The room seemed to fade away as Boyd and Raev lost themselves in the dance, their movements a whirlwind of passion and intensity that left many onlookers breathless—not that he was paying attention to them. Raev's joyful laughter bubbled up from time to time, a velvet accompaniment to their intricate steps and close embrace. Boyd couldn't help but be swept away by the energy between them, their chemistry crackling like lightning in the air.
As the tango reached its climax, Boyd spun Raev out before pulling her back into his arms and dipping her as he extended one leg, his tail, and his wings for balance as he followed her into the dip. Their gazes locked in a heated exchange. The music swirled around them, wrapping them in its seductive melody as they moved as if in a trance. With one final flourish, the tango came to an end, leaving Boyd and Raev breathless and flushed with exhilaration. They stood locked in each other's arms for a moment, caught in the lingering heat of their dance.
Raev took another turn after the tango, having predicted that neither of them would want to move away from the other after the intimacy of that dance. They moved together through a slower dance that didn’t involve quite as close of a hold to cool down together—though the heat that had risen in his vixen wouldn’t dissipate until after the gala.
Hope got another turn after Raev’s double, followed promptly by Silvie, then Hope again, and Silvie got a third turn. Laura’s arrival in a slot that he had been told was reserved for Raev was something of a surprise. His trainee sauntered confidently towards Boyd in a light green gown that emphasized her amazing figure. Her gaze did not waiver as she closed the distance between them.
Boyd's golden eyes met Laura's with a mix of surprise and intrigue, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Laura," Boyd began, his voice low yet commanding, "we discussed this. It's not the right time for us to be publicly associated." He attempted to maintain his stern demeanor, but a flicker of a smirk curled the corner of his lip to betray his amusement.
Undeterred, Laura reached out to gently place her hand on Boyd's chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her fingertips. "I don't care about any of that," she said with determination. "I know what I want, Boyd—and I want you."
Boyd's expression softened as he looked down at the woman in his arms, admiring her unwavering confidence. The music swirled around them in a romantic melody that echoed Laura's bold declaration. Without another word, Laura took Boyd's hand and placed it on her waist, forcing him to feel the warmth and pleasant firmness of her body through the thin fabric of her gown. She took his other hand in hers as she placed her other hand on his shoulder, assuming the proper stance for their dance.
Boyd hesitated for a moment, his golden eyes flickering with conflicting emotions. But as the music wrapped them in a warm embrace, he couldn't help but be drawn in by the pull of Laura's earnest gaze. With a subtle nod, he took the lead, guiding her through the graceful steps of the waltz.
Laura beamed up at him as she followed Boyd's lead, her body instinctively responding to his confident touch. She stepped in closer to him, and he noted how she reveled in the sensation of his strong arms around her. As they twirled across the dance floor, Boyd relaxed and let his attraction to his trainee through. Laura pressed close to Boyd, every movement intentional and sensual, as if she was determined to make this simple waltz as memorable as possible.
Boyd couldn't deny the chemistry that crackled between them, the unspoken tension that hung in the air like a promise waiting to be fulfilled. With a slight start, he realized that if he had not merged with his Other Self, he would be calling himself an idiot—if his Gestalt didn’t use stronger terms to shame him into acknowledging what he felt.
He saw Mindy, Silvie, and Raev all watching from the edge of the dance floor, varying degrees of interest and amusement in her eyes. Silvie’s eyes twinkled mischievously as she exchanged a knowing glance with Raev, who smirked in response. Mindy looked on with a pleased little smile.
In his head, she said, ‘Laura is a good woman, my little shit, and more love won’t hurt our growing little family.’
Boyd couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at Mindy's comment, a warmth spreading through his chest at the thought of their unconventional but loving family. As Laura gazed up at him with a mixture of heat and challenge, Boyd felt a surge of affection for the bold and spirited woman. Her courage to pursue what she wanted, even in the face of his rather determined aloofness and whatever obstacles he could put up, was admirable.
Before their song ended, Boyd leaned in close to her ear. “If you don’t push too hard or for too much too soon, I promise that we will see what this might become—after you finish your training.”
He pulled back to stare down into her sparkling, light green eyes. “Of course,” Laura said, as she spun back into his arms after a turn, “I would love to go out with you.” Her brilliant smile lit up their side of the room.
Boyd chuckled, then pulled her closer. Eventually, the song ended and Laura slipped away after a curtsy with a smile that promised all sorts of fun to come in the future. She joined Silvie and Raev who quickly began a conversation that included a lot of giggling and chuckling. Boyd was still watching the three trouble-makers when Mindy came into his arms for her dance.
The band began the opening to ‘Moonlight Sonata’ by Beethoven. Mindy’s amethyst eyes gazed tenderly up at Boyd as a soft smile graced her lips. They didn’t need to speak as his eyes filled with warmth and affection. As the gentle notes of the sonata filled the room, Boyd felt the emotional depth of the music resonate within him. With a tenderness that only came from a deep connection, he held Mindy close as they swayed to the haunting melody.
Their dance was different from the passionate intensity of his tango with Raev or the bold declaration made by Laura in their waltz. With Mindy, their dance was like coming home. It was the physical embodiment of a sense of peace and understanding that transcended words.
Boyd led her through the graceful movements of the dance, each step an entire, silent conversation between them. Mindy's head rested against his chest and her arms encircled him. Boyd felt her thoughts brush his mind like a gentle caress, a soothing presence that grounded him in the moment. They moved together in perfect harmony, the effect of their Bond amplified by part of her living in his mind.
Boyd felt a surge of gratitude for having Mindy by his side, for her unwavering support and understanding. She was not only his lover, but also the confidante of his every thought and feeling. Too soon, the song came to an end—which meant it was time for his break.
No one had expressed an interest in dancing to the next song, and Tinker had blanched when he’d suggested it would be an opportunity for them to dance. That meant he had a few minutes. Which was good, because Boyd—as fond as he was for being prepared—must have overhydrated. After escorting his darkest love back to the others, he picked up the pace as he headed for the nearest bathroom.
He was about halfway there when someone decided that their life wasn’t worth living. Boyd found himself rooted to the spot as a gorgeous woman in what only the most generous might call a ‘gown’ stepped out of the crowd. The big demon was hit with a sudden wave of need. The need to go to this woman. To gently caress her supple curves. To taste her soft and tender flesh. To do whatever she asked in order to make these things happen.
‘Oh hell no!’
The Mindy in his head stormed out of her wooden slat room, becoming a purple vapor that flowed around the intrusion of this woman’s Power to suppress its influence. When she reappeared back in her room, a pleased yet vicious smile lit her features.
‘The bitch shouldn’t be able to tell that I’m interfering, so I’ll let you take it from here. Please, make it embarrassing… for me?’ she asked sweetly as she fluttered her eyelashes at him.
The effect was magnified, seeing as this version of Mindy wore even less than the tramp in front of him. She was draped in a long sleeve, see-through lace gown over the purple straps and lace lingerie she normally had on. Boyd agreed with her anyway, this woman should face her comeuppance for interfering with his free will. That his goth love promised to torment his dreams in the very best way if he made it embarrassing only added to his determination to ensure people remembered this.
The Hero known as Aphrodite swayed up to him. As her curves were even more pronounced than his gothic love’s, it made each motion of her hips a wonder to behold. The red ‘gown’ she wore covered very little of her lightly tanned skin and it was so tight over the parts that it did cover that she may as well not have bothered. Her stilettos clicked with each swaying step she took toward him, further amplifying the already draw-dropping display.
Her face was achingly beautiful. She had features to shame any artist who thought they’d sculpted or painted a masterpiece into realizing they still had a lot to learn about beauty. Her strawberry blonde hair was tousled, giving her a ‘freshly out of bed’ look that invited the mind to wonder just what she might have been doing in it… and if she would like to return to it for some more. Bright blue eyes watched him from under long-lashes, eyes hooded under glitter painted lids as she closed in on her prey. The woman’s plump, crimson-painted lips quirked in a victorious little smirk.
Boyd remained rooted to the spot and did his best to keep the anger from his eyes. That was something he’d practiced a lot back in the PAC, so his best was pretty damn good. He wanted to add a touch of desperate longing into his gaze but found his loathing for the creature before him made that too difficult.
‘Here, let me help.’ The Mindy in his mind rolled her shoulders and dropped the sheer robe behind her as she rose to her knees at the center of the bed in her room. Lifting her hands up over her head, she began to sway her hips and shoulders in a sensual little dance that was just… all sorts of amazing. It also did the job; the very real hunger in his eyes giving the illusion of him still being under this woman’s influence.
“My, my,” Aphrodite purred with her throaty voice as she gracefully came to a stop before the big demon, her body automatically twisting into a sensually charged pose as she leaned in. The curves of her form radiated an alluring energy, and even the air around her seemed to hum with desire.
“Aren’t you a handsome devil?” she purred. “You look positively scrumptious. Your Hero suit certainly has its appeal, but in that tuxedo, I must say that you’re nearly irresistible.”
The people around them smoothly moved a little further back and formed a circle of curious onlookers. Both Heroes had reputations that had them wondering how this encounter would turn out.
Boyd knew how a woman like her would want him to reply, so in his most rumbly purr, he said, “I pale in comparison to you. Surely, the goddess you took your name from is an impostor. Nothing could be more beautiful.”
Aphrodite let her head roll back to display her admittedly gorgeous neck as she let out a throaty laugh that matched her voice. One of her hands came up to play with a delicate strand of pearls near her collarbones to draw extra attention to it. As she played with the pearls, she stripped him with her eyes. Once done playing with the pearls, she took another step forward and placed those fingers on his chest.
She looked up at him from under her lashes and purred again, “A charmer, too. What more could a girl want? How would you feel about being in one of my videos, Devil? The two of us together? We might just break the net. I’d have to release it in short segments, of course, but we could go for hours during filming.”
As she spoke, she circled Boyd, sliding her nails along his chest, arms, and wings as she went. She also told him why she was doing this. She was probably right about any video of the two of them drawing a massive number of views. It made sense that she would pursue him, given that she got a Power boost based on the number of people fantasizing about her at any given moment.
It would also tank any shot Boyd had at becoming the World Hero, which was the real reason she was here at the gala.
Aphrodite came to a stop in front of him, looking up at him with more greed than lust burning in her breathtaking eyes as her hand came to a stop over his heart. That’s when he hit her with what he had been preparing while she spoke. Her mental defenses weren’t bad—a lot better than most—but he had little trouble slamming his tether through them and securing a hold.
Then, he gathered something from each of his loves: Mindy’s urge to nurture and improve him; Silvie’s undying loyalty born from the guilt she still carried; the way he made Raev go weak in the knees when he got assertive; how he made Tinker feel incredibly small—and how much she liked it when he got all protective; Hope’s obsessive urge to please and serve him.
All of this he slammed into the woman who thought herself a goddess. He did so all at once, along with a very controlled but intensified release of his aura. Boyd’s simpering smile transitioned into a devilish grin and the longing in his eyes was replaced by disdain as the woman’s knees literally trembled with desire and threatened to give out on her. The hand that stroked his chest now clutched his lapel for support as the greed in her eyes was overwhelmed by burning lust.
He leaned in low to her ear and rumbled, “If you’re a good girl and do something for me, I might even consider giving you what you want.”
“Anything!” she panted.
“Tell me who told you to do this and what they offered you,” Boyd purred in her ear, letting his hot breath wash over her ear. She swayed and dipped a bit at this, her legs almost failing her.
“Archangel,” her breath came in short, shallow gasps, her chest rising and falling with each one. The heat of her desire was palpable, radiating off of her in waves as she struggled to maintain control. Her body trembled with the intensity of her longing, threatening to overwhelm her at any moment. “He said he would get me into Eden Protectors.”
“Hmmm,” Boyd hummed, “I could see why you were tempted. He is the favorite for World Hero; being on his team would give you quite a boost.”
Then he added his hate of the Blonde Buffoon to the mix he was feeding her. “It’s a shame he didn’t warn you about me. If I were to give you what you wanted, you would never want another man. You would be mine, forever. I can’t imagine that becoming loyal to me would do you any good.”
Boyd stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and she pressed into it with a whimper. “I don’t share, you see. I would ruin you.” With that, he sent her a final wave of his lovers’ combined lust for him and spiked his aura.
Her legs gave out on her and she dropped down to her knees as her entire body shuddered in an intense orgasm with a mewled, “Ohhhhhh!” But not before a splash of fluid hit the floor and puddled around her knees.
“You were used, and I won’t take advantage of that,” Boyd said loudly enough for his voice to carry to the onlookers as he stopped pushing her anything but his hate for Archangel. He wondered if he couldn’t turn the buffoon’s pawn against him. “I appreciate the offer to be in one of your videos, but must decline. Thank you.” With that, he stepped around her still shuddering form and resumed his quick steps towards the bathroom.
‘Kuh-he-he,’ his darkest love giggled adorably in his mind, ‘that was perfect.’
‘Glad you found it so entertaining,’ Boyd grumped.
‘Aww,’ Mindy cooed, ‘don’t be that way. We’ll do one of those nice, private horn pampering sessions you love so much to provide you with some relief from the itching in the next few days as a reward. I’ll even do it topless, and you can play with my boobs all you want.’
She giggled in response to one of his thoughts.
‘Kuh-he… no I can’t be riding you during it. Yes, the position would probably work if you sat up and grabbed my hips… okay, fine, I was going to say it would distract me from the pampering, but then you went and made it hot. I’ll start riding you once the pampering is almost done.’
Somewhat mollified, Boyd continued his way to the restroom, looking forward to the chance to relieve himself. He was only a few steps away from the door when discomfort, disgust, and annoyance flowed down the Bond he shared with his vixen. It wasn’t a call for help, she was a pretty independent woman after all, but he was still pissed at what Aphrodite had tried to pull—even after Mindy’s promised reward.
He spun on his heel and marched through the crowd in the direction he sensed his foxy love. He must not have bothered to keep his anger from his face all that well, because the crowd parted for him, companions quickly pulling anyone who had their back to his approach out of the way.
Boyd found Raev and the man who was causing her discomfort near an ornate and gilded bar in one corner of the vast room. The man’s back was to him, so his fox-featured love, who was standing in a very confrontational stance, saw him coming.
Raev's eyes brightened when she saw Boyd approaching, a mix of relief and anticipation washing over her features and down their Bond. She turned to glare at the man facing her and said in an icy tone, “I already told you, Austin, I’m not interested. Whatever we had is over and you made your disinterest pretty clear at the time. It’s too late to ‘do anything to win me back’ as you put it. I found a real man who actually cares about me as more than ‘a great lay’ as you said at the time.”
A velvet chuckle escaped her lips as she gauged the timing of her warning. “And I’ll warn you that he has a protective streak a mile wide. If you aren’t careful, you are going to end up on his bad side. And trust me, you don’t want to be on his bad side. It would be better for you if you just walked away… and I mean right now.”
“I would face anything for you,” Austin said with a suaveness that probably worked on more women that it should. “Even someone like him.”
