“Ohhhh!” Rori pointed to Koivu. “Is he one of them?” she asked with a spreading smile. “Sorry, babe, but he’s yummy. Do they all look like him? I might have to switch teams.”
“Teams?” Micki asked vaguely. She was focused on the dog. He seemed perfectly fine. Weird.
Rori shrugged away the question. “Inside joke.”
“You’ll do no such thing, woman! How would that look?” Dec smothered a grin with the back of his hand and said, “Seriously, though, I know that guy. His name’s Koivu. I’ve worked with him. He’s got heart.” He snorted and added, “Balls of steel, too.”
After combing over the dog’s body, Koivu’s hands suddenly went still. His entire body went taut and he looked up and straight into the window. She felt the click of recognition as their eyes met. His mouth curled into a tight smile. He lifted a hand in a half wave and turned his attention back to pushing at Ramses. She couldn’t read his lips, but he seemed to be cursing. What on earth?
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Dec brushed her arm again and asked softly, “Are you waiting for a huge neon sign, love?”
Who was this guy? She wanted to be offended or even angry by his intrusion, but all she felt was a sense of calm well-being. A faint scent of fresh leaves wafted around her as she gazed up into Dec’s shining blue eyes. He spoke slowly, precisely; his voice intense, yet kind as it rolled over her. “You know the truth about him, Micki. You know in your heart that his intentions were good. You know that he’s good. You two are connected by the baby in your belly, but together you’re so much more. Go to him.”
Her eyes welled with sudden tears. She bit back a retort and pulled her eyes away from Dec’s to watch Koivu. He was definitely swearing now. His mouth was moving with a steady stream of complaints as he tugged at the limp dog that refused to get up. She couldn’t help the soft trill of laughter that floated from her lips. Ramses lifted his head and winked at her. She did a double take. The damn dog wagged his tail. Was he smiling? She whipped her head towards Rori and gasped, “He’s totally faking!”
Dec burst out laughing and shoved her through the open door. “Demon dogs’ll do that. They’re really smart when they want to be. Stop wasting time. Go see your man.”
Koivu got to his feet when the door squeaked open. He brushed his hands against his thighs, looking wary and surprised. His gaze shot over her head to land on Dec and Rori in the doorway. He stared intently for a second, but then gave them a thumbs-up with a relieved smile.
And next to Koivu, Ramses was on his feet, tail wagging, front teeth bared in a silly grin. She threw her arms around his chilly neck and hugged him. “You’re a bad, bad dog!” she scolded while he licked madly at her hair.
“He’s a terrible dog,” Koivu joked before pulling her upright. Searching her face, he lifted his hand to touch her cheek—hesitated—held his breath. His hand hung between them as the air simmered with unspoken truths and undeniable attraction.
The urge to touch him was a physical force she couldn’t resist. Locking her eyes to his, she braced her heart and rubbed her cheek into his palm. His eyes gleamed with that hungry, feral light as he feathered his fingers over her hair, burrowing them in her curls, dragging her mouth to his. The first press of his lips was soft, tentative, reverent; the next one was anything but. He dove in with all of the pent-up anger and regret in his soul. Returning his passion, she clutched his jacket, holding on for the ride. She lost herself in his kiss while traffic crawled by and the dog whined.
He broke away with an anguished groan. “Micki, I—”
She put her finger to his lips to stop him. “No, don’t say a word. I owe you an apology. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I made you feel alone.” She grasped his hand, pressing it hard against her belly, vowing fiercely, “You’ll never be alone again! We’re a family. We’re your family.” She gazed at his unfathomable expression and added haltingly, “That is . . . if you still want us.”
The shadow of uncertainty vanished. The sudden flash of joy in his eyes was all the response she needed. He dipped his head to kiss her hard on the mouth. “I want you. I want our baby. I want this idiotic demon dog.” He scooped her into his arms and swung her in a circle. “I want everything!”
Laughing like a crazy person, she relaxed against his arm, letting the buildings whirl by like a kaleidoscope. When she looked at the shelter again, Dec and Rori were gone.
“Is it possible to be delirious with happiness?” Micki murmured against the warmth of Koivu’s throat. She should be exhausted, spent, unconscious, but she couldn’t settle down. She couldn’t stop touching him. Even now, her tongue darted out to follow the thudding artery in his neck. Sprawled gloriously naked beneath her, he arched his neck to give her better access and tightened his lax grip on her butt.
“Maybe.” He exhaled softly and angled his head to capture her lips again. Too tired to rush, he slipped his tongue between her lips to explore her mouth in a silky dance that left her breathless and craving him again.
Beneath her breast, his heart thudded strong and true. Very much human and very much hers now. She flattened her palm over it and closed her eyes, awed by the knowledge that his heart pumped the same blood that flowed inside the tiny creature in her womb. His blood. His human DNA. But, what about his demon soul? How would that work? Would the baby be human or demon? She asked him and he got quiet for so long she fell into a doze.
She drifted in and out of sleep with her head nestled against his chest. He stroked her hair with one hand and dragged the other over her butt. It thrilled her to know he couldn’t stop touching her either. She stretched luxuriously, sinking into the hard lines of his body with a contented sigh. Falling in love with a man like him was never in her plans, but he’d swept her into his world and she couldn’t imagine loving anyone else. There were still things to talk about, but they’d take them one at a time and together. Muttering her name, he pressed her against his stiffening cock and she lifted her head with a sleepy smile. “You can’t be serious?” she teased, knowing perfectly well he was—and so was she.
“I can’t stop wanting you. I keep thinking this is a dream. Remind me to thank Dylan for talking to you.”
“Oh, I will,” she purred and straddled his hips. “Now that I know all of your secrets, I own you. You’re stuck with me, demon boy.” He sucked in his breath with a hiss as she lowered herself inch by inch and braced her hands on his stomach. Leaning forward, she nuzzled his jaw, murmuring with a sigh, “Mmm, you feel so good. I’ve missed you so much.”
Too exhausted to get creative, she closed her eyes and rolled her hips in a poignant rhythm that washed away the last pieces of armor around her heart. He reared up, wrapping his powerful arms around her, clutching her against his chest as if he’d never let her go. Hot, emotional tears ran down her cheeks. He thumbed them away, replacing them with tender kisses. At the stroke of midnight, lost in the pleasure of their lovemaking, she flung her head back and melted into the orgasm rippling through her.
Minutes or maybe hours later, they lay in each other’s arms, talking quietly, voices hushed in the warm cocoon they’d made. At some point, he fell asleep in the middle of a question. She elbowed him softly. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“What? Oh, which one? You have so many.” She felt his smile against the top of her head.
“Will our baby have a human soul?”
He was nearly asleep again, but he tucked her close with his hand curved over her belly. “Raphael says he’s got a human soul.” He drifted off mumbling, “But he’ll carry on my family’s bloodline.”
She elbowed him until he sputtered awake. “What’s that mean? Exactly?”
He blinked into her eyes until she recognized the spark of awareness in his. He rolled his lips in thought and said, “I come from one of Lucifer’s origin families. Until now, I was the last born male heir. I thought the bloodline was finished. That’s not true anymore. Our boy will be my descendent even if he’s born here and
never steps one foot in Hell.”
“And that matters to you? Having an heir?”
“More than you know, baby. More than you know.” He turned her into his arms and kissed her sweetly. “You and our son give me hope for the future. You make me believe in a future. I’m so in love with you I can’t imagine living without you.”
She smiled against his lips and smoothed his damp hair away from his forehead. “I love you too.” She kissed him and laughed softly. “For years, after Jake, I prayed for a miracle. I prayed to find love, real love, and I got you. God sent me an exiled demon. Doesn’t that seem ironic to you?”
He nuzzled her throat, settling in to sleep once more. “No, baby, that’s not ironic. After all we’ve been through, I’d say that’s just mercy.”
Coming Soon!
Derick (Demons After Dark Book Four) is in the works! Look for Derick and Lissa in January 2018. Everyone wants to know what’s happened to Derick’s demon wife. Well, you’re about to find out!
Acknowledgements!
Koivu and Micki really put me through the wringer! They’re both damaged people with more inner strength than they knew they had. Their story made me laugh, cry, and heal a little myself. As I sit down and bask in the glory that is a fully finished manuscript, I have to smile at some of the comments from my beta readers. To say they had fun with this wickedly hot story is maybe an understatement. My characters write their books and set the tone so each story is unique. Koivu’s an extreme athlete, and in Hell, sex is an extreme sport. There’s a lot of sex in this book. I’d normally say thank you to JoAnne, April, Christine, Michelle, Rebecca and Rosanna, but perhaps I need to say ‘you’re welcome.’ Love you ladies!
Thanks a million to my wonderful editor, Jo Spring. She’s a treasure! I’ll be sending her a new fan! Love you, chica! I don’t know what I’d do without you.
Angela Bauer is a superhero! She juggles a gagillion tasks and still makes these stunning book covers. Koivu looks fabulous! Much, much love to you, my friend.
Thank you to all of the readers who’ve stuck by me this year. Your good wishes and prayers meant the world to me. I write for your escape and pleasure. If you love this book as much as I do, please take a few minutes to show your love by leaving a review on your favorite site.
About the Author!
For as long as she can remember, Laurie Olerich has been fascinated with all things paranormal. From the time she was a little girl, her vivid imagination led her on ghost hunting missions with her invisible friend. As an adult, Laurie has evolved that rich fantasy life into a love of travel and exploration that has sent her on expeditions from New England to Rome in search of old cemeteries and underground burial sites. Along with her studies of demonology and angelology, she uses inspiration from her travels to write action-packed urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels full of wickedly sexy characters and creepy places. An unhealthy love of hockey and a 20 year military career give her a penchant for strong men and big guns.
If you’d like to know Laurie better, check out her contact info below. She loves hearing from readers! Sign up for her monthly newsletter for all the latest contests, release dates and special sales and events.
Website: www.laurieolerich.com
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Email: [email protected]
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