Demons Like It Hot

by Ayers, Sidney

  “And yet the Fore-Demons allowed you to join?”

  “Maybe they want more amusement in their ancient demonic lives.”

  “Amusement?”

  “Maybe they enjoy watching me suffer.”

  “So protecting me is torture? Is that what you’re saying?”

  More than she knew. Torture in the most tantalizing ways. God, the things he wanted to do to her. His loins throbbed in response. He turned his head away.

  “If you don’t care for me, then have them reassign you. I hate being treated like an inconvenience.”

  The gauntlet had been dropped. He clenched his fists. “The feeling, my dear, is very mutual.” Maybe it was time to show her just how inconvenient she was.

  He hauled himself to his feet and snaked his arm around her curvy waist. Pulling her against him, he angled her head to meet his gaze. Her sapphire pupils sparked in challenge, a challenge the certifiable part of him had no qualms about accepting. Grasping the curls at her neck, he continued to take in her beauty. What harm could one searing kiss do?

  Just one kiss. To put her in her place.

  Hah! He wanted to put her in to many places—mainly his bed.

  Her heart thumped against his. A soft gasp broke the silence. She pushed a hand against his chest. It was as if he were struck by lightning. Energy zinged through his body through every receptor. Then again, lightning probably didn’t feel this damned good.

  “What—”

  He didn’t give her a chance to finish her sentence. With a quick sweep, he brought her lips to his. Sizzling energy exploded between their skin. Much to his delight, she did not pull away. She inched her arms around his shoulders, friction sparking between their bodies. Fingers laced in the hair at the nape of his neck, she pressed closer as her lips parted. Acquiescence never tasted so good. Like fresh plums and—warm buttered popcorn.

  His tongue sensed her acceptance. As if on its own, it swept along her lips and pressed into her warm, inviting mouth. Who knew fruit and popcorn could taste so good. His greedy tongue danced along her equally eager tongue, sending all his blood rushing to his groin. He throbbed against the heat that pressed so intimately against him.

  He didn’t want to stop.

  He moved his mouth lower, nibbling on her lip. Tongue-laving against the rosy softness of her skin turned to nipping. He moved his mouth lower, to her chin. The pulse at her neck thumped. He was doomed. He didn’t care.

  Without further thought, he traced his tongue along her neck. Flicking and flitting, he swept his tongue along the pulsing vein. Right to the tip of her earlobe. His hands worked up and down her body, tracing the curves of her full breasts.

  Another tiny moan reverberated against his lips. Her hands moved to the collar of his linen shirt and to the first button. With eager ministrations, she plucked it open. Tracing fingertips through his exposed chest hair, she moved to the second button and inched open the wrinkled shirt. Roving hands over his pectorals, her fingers brushed against his scar. The one scar that had brought him into the life as a soulless demon. His body jerked in response. He couldn’t let her touch him there. The one part of his body that could corrupt her own.

  This isn’t right.

  With an abrupt pause, he pulled away. He would not risk her innocence. And from the way her hands moved against his skin, that was where they were heading.

  He steeled himself for the slap that was soon to follow.

  It never did. Serah backed away, speechless. Curls cascading around her face, she brought her fingertips to her swollen lips. She flexed and unflexed her fingers. Her body trembled.

  “I’m sorry, Serah.”

  “What just happened?” she whispered.

  “I kissed you.”

  She narrowed her blue eyes into a penetrating glare. “Don’t fucking do that again.”

  You better believe it. That was one thing he’d never let happen again, no matter how much he wanted it. It was too dangerous. Even if they had a past. To be good at your job, you needed to keep your emotions in check. He couldn’t let her get under his skin.

  She blew out a long sigh and brushed a stray curl from her cheek.

  Then again, perhaps she was already there… eating away at his heart.

  Her body continued to shiver. She wrapped her arms around her body. God, this was too much.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  “No.”

  He needed to wipe her memory again. But with both the necklace and watch, how easy would it be? Even with the watch, it seemed his charm was fading. She was getting stronger. It was only a matter of time before she remembered everything.

  “Did something happen?”

  “Yeah, something happened.” With that, she spun around and stormed down the hallway and slammed a door behind her.

  It was too late. She already remembered. His mission was doomed.

  Chapter 15

  Something happened, all right. She liked it too much.

  Scraping a hand through her hair, she leaned against the door. She could still feel his lips, hot and hard, on hers. His tongue fencing with hers. His body, all corded and sinewy, pressing against her. His scent. How could she have missed that exotic smell before. Like citrus, ginger, and other exotic spices. It was sensual, it was delicious. It was—familiar?

  She would have never forgotten such a scent. It was a strong scent, but not overpowering, like some of those colognes men doused themselves with. Not cloying at all. It drove her crazy. She wanted more.

  She’d smelled it before.

  “Damn it! I’m going crazy.” She’d never seen him before today. But that scent…

  Heck, she’d had a long day. She needed sleep. She needed to get his intense dark gaze, his chiseled abs and pecs, and those huge hands out of her thoughts.

  Her naughty side licked her lips. Impossible!

  She stalked over to her dresser and yanked open her drawer. She pulled out her favorite silk cami and traced her fingertip along the delicate creamy lace scalloping. Would Matthias like it?

  Arrgh! She thrust the offending fabric back into her drawer and grabbed a pair of black cotton shorts and a T-shirt instead. She yanked off her sweater and jeans and quickly changed.

  Looking down at the light blue T-shirt, she grimaced.

  “What’s cookin’ hot stuff?” was scrawled across her breasts in big, bold, hot-pink sweeps.

  She silently cursed Lucy for buying it for her.

  Oh well, no one except her could see the silly shirt. She’d make sure of it. She sprinted back to the door and pushed in the button, locking the room against unexpected visitors—especially those of the male variety.

  Then again, Matthias could just poof his way in. Oh hell, it was useless.

  Then again, she had her grandmother’s necklace and watch now. Maybe they could help keep that putrid demon at bay.

  Seriously, you’re going to keep this Fitness magazine cover model from coming in? Where’s your sense of adventure?

  “It died nearly a year ago.”

  Great. She was talking to herself again. How would she survive the meeting with Daniel Blackburn tomorrow with him lingering around. She wouldn’t be able to concentrate. She’d end up making a fool of herself. Her chance at exposure was doomed. And the producer hadn’t even stepped into her kitchen yet.

  “What the heck am I going to do?” she whispered.

  He might have had a job to perform, but she did too. She couldn’t afford to fail, not when the thing she loved most was at stake.

  She loved to cook. She’d be damned if she’d let some walking hunk of a demon tell her she was meant for something else.

  Wow. Was this what Lucy went through when she found out she was half-succubus? But that’s where she and Lucy were different. Lucy really was part sex-demon. Serah was just Serah. Not a demon, not a Puritan or the like. She was just a caterer. End of story.

  “There’s only one thing I can do.”

  It was simple. Keep him out of the ki
tchen and away from her senses. It was the only logical solution. If he didn’t like it, boo-frickin’ hoo.

  And she knew he wouldn’t like it one bit.

  ***

  Hot, moist kisses traveled down her neck to the throbbing base of her throat. A tiny mewl pressed through her lips. Hard strong hands roved up and down her body. Mewls turned to moans as she grabbed the hair at Matthias’s nape and pulled him closer.

  Matthias?

  God Almighty. He had found a way in. And he was torturing her again with that mouth of his.

  Oh shut up. You know you like it.

  Too much. His fingers lingered along the hem of her flimsy shirt.

  “We shouldn’t do this,” he whispered in her ear, his tongue making a long sweep along her lobe.

  As if making up her own script, she inched the shirt up. “I need your help.” Lips curved upwards, she pulled the shirt up over her head and threw it against the stone wall. “Please?”

  “Seraphina,” he whispered. He swept his arms around her waist and dragged her against his hard, very naked chest. “No one that pure can be this tempting.”

  “Kiss me,” she insisted. “Now.”

  Wow, where had that come from? She traced her fingertips through the curly hair on his chest and moved lower to circle a nipple. Lower still.

  He grabbed her hands and pulled them away. “Not like this.”

  Man, if only he’d let her touch his chest. Not a touchy-feely sort of man, unless he was the one doing the touching and feeling. What was his deal?

  Friction zinged in the air. One spark and she’d go up in flames. She angled her gaze upwards, pleading. She had to feel those lips.

  Talk about some dream.

  And, crazy as it was, she didn’t want it to end.

  Curse him for invading her mind. Then again, she couldn’t complain one bit.

  “Like this?” she asked. She moved closer, lip to lip, and traced her tongue along the crease of his lips.

  “Bloody hell,” he growled. With that, he pushed her against hard concrete, fumbling with her bra straps. He yanked them down over her shoulders. Lips hard and unyielding, he pressed his tongue inside her mouth.

  God, she was so hot.

  Clenching her fists in a futile attempt to keep her hands off his magnificent body, she gasped against his lips.

  His hands moved up and down her body, lingering around her breasts. Like it was his favorite part of her disproportionate body. She wasn’t known for her feminine endowments and she curved in all the wrong places, but he didn’t seem to care. And that only made her hotter.

  “Oh God, Matthias,” she moaned, louder than she ever moaned before. Thank goodness she lived alone, or she would’ve woken the entire house.

  The loud pounding pulled her from her salacious dream.

  Her eyes snapped open. Oh shit!

  “Serah!” Matthias’s voice boomed. “Are you okay?”

  She flung off her sheet and jumped from her bed. Stumbling across the room, she grabbed her discarded shirt off the floor.

  “I… ahh… well.” She silently cursed herself and her stupid hormones. “I’m—”

  Matthias crashed through the door, his gaze dark and intense and lips taut.

  “Fine,” she breathed out, gripping the shirt tightly in front of her. Her scantily clad body was the last thing she wanted Matthias seeing at this point. “A little privacy?”

  His gaze moved lower, his eyes sparking. He sucked in a breath. “I heard you call out for me. I thought you were in trouble.”

  Oh, she was in trouble. And it wasn’t the Infernati this time. It was her own undersexed body’s fault.

  “Jeez! You’re hearing things.” She fumbled with the shirt that barely covered her naked breasts. “Do you mind? I’m trying to get dressed.”

  She trained her gaze to the door that dangled from its hinges. “You better have that fixed by tomorrow.”

  He slowly backed away. “I heard what I heard, Serah, but I can tell when I am not wanted. And the door will get fixed. Believe it or not, I was a carpenter before I was a mercenary.”

  “Jesus Christ was your idol, I bet.”

  “No one can live up to him, and anyone who thinks they can is sorely mistaken.” He spun around and slammed the door behind him. It squeaked on its broken hinges.

  Serah could only gape in silence. He wasn’t as arrogant as she thought.

  But he was wrong about something. Very wrong. Contrary to her practical impulses, she wanted him—more than any other man, even Matthew McConaughey.

  Chapter 16

  He heard her shout his name. There was no mistaking that. From the urgency in her voice, she was in distress. He had no choice but to bust through that door. Who knew what he would find.

  And, whoa, did he find something. Curls tousled, Serah clutched a tiny shirt to her half-naked body. His blood boiled at the sight. It took everything in his power not to crush her into his arms again.

  Like he had almost a year ago. Who knew what would have happened in that cell had the Infernati guards not shown their evil faces and taken her away.

  And that was where his mission did a complete one-eighty. Something inside him snapped. He went from mercenary to protector in a nanosecond.

  He originally thought it was because Belial reneged on his promise. But something else stirred him into action. Something he couldn’t decipher. It was dangerous and unnerving, yet caused his body to zing.

  Maybe he’d been celibate too damn long.

  But it was the only way he could keep focused on his missions. Sex only complicated matters. Even a meaningless tryst could turn a simple assignment into an utter failure. But sex with Serah would be far from meaningless. It would be mind-blowing. And if he wanted this mission to be successful, he needed all his wits about him.

  An impossible task. Just looking at her sent his wits flying out the window.

  “Curse those bloody Fore-Demons.” They knew damn well what they were doing.

  A door snicked open. Bloody hell. He didn’t want to see her. Not now, not when he still needed to get control of his rampaging body.

  “You can go back to bed, Serah.”

  “Sorry tae disappoint ye.” Farquhar whipped his tail against his leg. Daring little imp. “Ah needed tae tak’ a wiz. By th’ way, wa’ was Serah moanin’ yer name?”

  “It was just a nightmare.”

  “Seriously?” Farquhar mewed out a laugh. “That was nae nightmare.”

  “She told me it was nothing.”

  “Ye expect me tae believe that guff?” Farquhar shook his black-and-white-furred head. “Haven’t ye ever… ye ken?”

  “Know what?”

  Farquhar rolled his round eyes. “Forget it. Ye Paladins need tae get oot more often. By the way, blankets an’ spare pillows are in the hall closet. But ye really dinnae need them, dae ye?”

  Matthias shrugged. It was uncommon knowledge that demons didn’t need sleep to function, but despite the unnatural stamina, handling Serah SanGermano’s stubborn streak left him completely drained. He’d never felt so vulnerable in centuries.

  “I enjoy a rest every so often.”

  “Fair enaw.” With that, Farquhar sauntered down the hallway and pushed open the bathroom door. “Wha’ever ye want tae believe. ’At wasnae a moan o’ distress. If ye try anythin’, I’ll slice ye frae limb tae limb.” He raised his paw and extended his five claws, one by one. “Got it?”

  Matthias offered a silent nod.

  “Guid.” Tail flicking back and forth, Farquhar swished into the bathroom.

  “Shit,” Matthias muttered beneath his breath. He’d heard her moan like that before. When they were locked up in the Infernati dungeon. There was no doubt now. Her memories were coming back.

  She was getting stronger. It was only a matter of time before the truth made itself known. His stomach pitched at the thought. She would hate him.

  He couldn’t blame her. He deserved it. To be honest, he deserved wor
se. And when she remembered, the worst was yet to come.

  “The Fore-Demons must have lost their minds.” If he were one of them, he’d never allow himself to join. If they weren’t crazy, then they had a sadistic sense of humor.

  Then again, this was the Fore-Demon Council. He’d heard stories about their strange and twisted ways. They obviously knew more than they were letting on.

  Damned Fore-Demons! There was no doubt now. They wanted him to suffer. And suffer he would, if it meant protecting Serah.

  Nothing in life was simple. And if it was, it was always too good to be true. He paced in front of the couch and scrubbed the stubble growing along his chin.

  The blast of wind chimes reverberated against his eardrums.

  Reaching into the pocket of his pants, he fumbled for the mobile phone Deleon insisted he carry. Modern technology was a necessary evil.

  He swiped his finger across the green button flashing on the screen.

  “Ambrose.”

  “Is everything in order?” There was no masking the concern in Rafael’s voice. “Lucy said she tried calling Serah several times tonight.”

  “Serah has gone to bed for the evening.”

  “Already?”

  “It’s eleven thirty.”

  Rafael blew out a breath. “She’s a night owl. It’s early for her. What happened?”

  “There was an issue while we were at the store.”

  “Issue?”

  “We were attacked by Balthazar.”

  Rafael clucked his tongue. “Balthazar? Not good.”

  “Who’s Balthazar?” Matthias heard muffled in the background. Lucia. Thank goodness Serah had such dedicated friends. Who knew where she’d be without Lucia Gregory and Rafael Deleon.

  “Hold on a moment, Ambrose.” More muffled words ensued. “Let me get more info from Ambrose.”

  He came back to the receiver. “So what happened, and do not sugarcoat it.”

  Matthias relayed the entire evening, sans the kiss. If Deleon knew the truth, he’d send him packing back to the Council. He might not have wanted the mission before. Now, on the other hand, he had to protect Serah. She needed him. Hell, he owed it to her.