"You wonderful man, you," said the girl in bed next to him.
Blake opened his eyes, slowly becoming aware of who was talking to him. It was Ginger, a lithe and supple redhead. That meant last night was Tuesday, and so this morning was Wednesday. Tuesday's and Friday's were Ginger's nights. Friday they usually went out, but Tuesday they stayed in.
He stroked her cheek and smiled. He didn't think he was in love with Ginger, but he liked her, and he'd protect her if it was within his power. Not that she needed protecting against anything. It was just a thought that struck him now and then, mostly out of place in twenty-first century America.
"You're smiling," Ginger said.
"I was thinking of what a good life I have."
"Reflecting on the night we had? Or looking forward to Sonia in the night to come?"
"Both?" He saw no reason not to be honest. "And about Chloe, too." The girls might have nights on the calendar, but he lived with Chloe, a beautiful, buxom blonde, and he'd work from Chloe's riverside A-Frame that morning and afternoon, and quite possibly fuck her over the noon hour.
Ginger slipped her fingers underneath the covers and traced a line over his cock. He responded, blood heading south, hardening and thickening him. He glanced at the digital alarm clock across the room. He knew Ginger had to leave for work in ten minutes, which was no doubt why she was already dressed, wearing jeans and a flannel shirt.
He grabbed her wrist. "Don't start what you can't finish."
Ginger laughed. "But someone else can finish. Chloe. Sonia. Or maybe you can pick up a girl from a coffee shop this morning."
Maybe he could. He'd never tried, although he'd had a crush on a barista a year or so ago. Since an Infernal named Asmodeus had given him part of his infernal soul, a certain kind of woman found Blake irresistible. Not every woman, but those who wanted a walk on the wild side, those who craved someone a little bit dangerous. He'd found that those women were not exactly rare. "I've got work to do, too."
"Didn't you tell me that you could do all the work you're expected to do in a full day in the course of a few hours? If I were you, I'd take advantage of that."
He shrugged. He was smarter, or at least more focused, since Asmodeus had shared his soul. His boss's boss, Gerald, never really understood what was reasonable, and often demanded more from his employees than he had any right to expect, and Blake wasn't helping his fellow employees any by setting a standard they couldn't possibly meet. But sometimes, having a completely intellectual, non-erotic distraction was kind of nice. "What do you have planned for the next couple of days?" he asked, getting out of bed and reaching for his clothes. He was aware of Ginger's gaze going to his crotch, eyeing the cock that even semi-hard was bigger than most men's.
"Reading a book tonight. Might straighten a little. Date Thursday with a guy named Ted."
Blake grinned. He didn't feel threatened in the least by her date. Ted, after all, was a mere human. Even as he thought it, he cringed. He liked to think of himself as a human, too, not much changed from what he'd been a few months ago, just stronger, smarter, better built. Okay, a lot had changed. "Enjoy your date," he said.
"And you enjoy Sonia," Ginger said, getting up. "I wish I was as sure I'd enjoy Ted. I think you've spoiled me for ordinary men."
"Then why are you going out with him?" He got his pants on, and was buttoning his shirt.
"Because at some point you're going to get tired of me, and then where will I be?"
"Not happening."
Ginger shrugged.
And so it went. Wednesday, he took Sonia, the curvy Latina, in every hole, giving her plenty to take to confession. Thursday, he fucked Chloe until she passed out on him. Friday, he took Ginger to Vixens, a swinger club in the exurbs, and railed a quartet of women, spacing them out. He tried not to make it too obvious that he needed no recovery time to speak of, because infernals, or demons as most people called them, were in the news these days and he didn't want to be so obviously virile that he gave the game away. Even as it was, he knew a few suspected.
For many of the women at Vixens, the idea that he might be a 'demon' would make him more forbidden and exciting. For others, especially the size queens, he was exciting enough regardless. A few liked the way fucking him made their husbands or boyfriends nervous, shifting the power in the dynamic their way.
Saturday night, however, was something different. A fellow infernal had spotted him one day at Vixens, and through Carter he had gotten in touch with others. With a demon who called himself Bahomet organizing, they had rented an old warehouse in Baltimore and fixed it up.
They called the place Inferno.
#
The line stretched for a block, with women outnumbering men about three to one. There had been no advertising, just a website where you could sign up to become a member for fifty dollars a year, a hundred for a couple. You had to enclose a photograph, and not everyone was accepted, which made the whole thing feel very exclusive. Tonya was glad she and Jack made the cut; at Jack's urging, she'd maximized their chances by sending a very revealing photograph. He hadn't had to twist her arm.
Still, there was a line, with a bouncer at the entrance. A smart-looking, blue-haired woman made her way from the entrance to the end of the line slowly, holding a tablet. She asked to see ID's, and checked them against a list, telling a few people that they had no chance to get in because they weren't members. It didn't thin the line down much.
One couple, not too far in front of Tonya and her husband Jack, held their hands in front of their faces, shielding them from those who had come to gawk. The blue-haired girl checked their IDs. After, she said, loud enough for Tonya to hear, "If you're ashamed of being here, then you don't really belong. Think of what that says to the people you want to be with."
The two slunk off. The blue-haired girl made a note on her tablet. Others, who had been doing the same, dropped their hands, although many still looked about furtively. There wasn't any obvious press presence, but there were people hanging out and watching, and anyone could snap a cell phone picture these days.
"We're not ashamed, are we, Jack?"
Jack shook his head. "A little nervous, maybe?"
"Nervous is fine," said the blue-haired girl, unexpectedly close. "IDs, please?"
They showed them. The girl fixed Jack with a look. "You understand that once inside, you are not to approach any of the women inside, right?"
Jack nodded. "Yes."
"Good. Don't forget. You don't get three strikes, you get one."
"He'll be good, won't you, honey?" Tonya squeezed his arm.
