Demons Like It Hot

by Ayers, Sidney

  Matthias roared in laughter. It was a nice sound really. He should do it more often. “It was the smell that brought me here, not the noise.”

  “Oh.”

  “Smells delicious,” he said, stepping further into the room.

  “It’s just scrambled eggs and bacon. Nothing special.”

  Matthias gaze sparked. “I’ve eaten my fair share of bacon and eggs over the years, Serah. None of them smelled this good.”

  “I’m good at what I do, what can I say?”

  “You can be good at other things as well, you know.”

  “I don’t have the time to be your little hero. I have a business to run.”

  “And your friend Lucia does not?”

  “She has Rafe to help her, not to mention Kalli and Frankie.”

  “What about your sous-chef?”

  “Edie? She’s good, but there’s something off with her.”

  “I can help.” Matthias stood proud. “I have cooked a few meals in my lifetime.”

  “There’s a big difference between cooking for yourself and cooking for one hundred.”

  “I want to help.”

  “Okay buddy. Take care of the eggs while I go take a shower. How’s that?”

  Matthias nodded. “Fine.”

  “Good.”

  ***

  Serah, still clinging tightly to her robe, strode out of the room. Matthias breathed a sigh of relief. It was pure torture to not strip that robe away and worship her curves.

  He sensed she was self-conscious about her body, and that seemed to only add to her appeal. She was proud, but not too arrogant. It drove him mad with desire.

  Why in the hell had he offered to help her? He didn’t even know the last thing about cooking. He’d cooked a few meals back in his human days, but as technology improved, cooking methods changed as well.

  Eggs frying in a pan, though? That was something he could manage. He reached for the handle and stirred the contents. What were those white chunks floating in the eggs? With a shrug, he set it back down on the burner, a little sloshing outside the pan.

  Oil bubbled and sputtered, flames flying out from the burner. In a rush, the flames jumped into the pan.

  A shrill beep rent the air, alerting the entire house of his stupidity. Serah would be here any minute.

  Matthias shook the pan. Flames only grew hotter and leapt higher. Setting the pan back down, he covered it with the lid. Flames snuck out the sides and as if it were taunting, flicked and flitted. What had he done?

  He flew to the sink and cranked the water on full blast. Sprayer poised and ready, like it was his favorite firearm, he pushed in the trigger.

  Water streamed and sprayed, sending balls of fire exploding in the air. Matthias burst to attention. Somersaulting over the counter, he grabbed a towel and slapped at the ever-growing flames. Heat and smoke burned in his nostrils, the stench clinging to his nose.

  “Bloody hell!” If it weren’t for the lack of stench clinging to the air and the protection charm surrounding the house, he’d think it was the Infernati making their presence known. The smoke billowed and the flames leapt and danced from beneath the pan. Why wouldn’t it go out?

  He flung open closets and cupboards, shuffling and clanging pots and pans. If he knew Serah’s eggs would turn into napalm, he would have helped in some other way. Now her kitchen was turning into toast—quite literally.

  A flame leapt from the stove and licked his bare bicep.

  “Shit!” he grumbled. Even though the scar would soon fade, it still hurt like a bitch. He rubbed his arm and threw down the now-flaming towel. What a disaster. She’d get rid of him for sure.

  A spark of determination flashed inside him. He wouldn’t let her get rid of him. He’d find a way to make this right. Their breakfast was already ruined. He’d be damned if he let her entire kitchen go next.

  “Damn it, where’s that fire extinguisher!”

  “What the hell is going on?”

  Serah burst into the kitchen, a damp towel tightly wrapped around her curvy body. An equally damp towel wrapped around her head, shielding her beautiful curls from his view. Even in a towel, the woman was magnificent. Damn. How could his mind wander to a place like that now? Her eyes, widening in horror, curbed his overactive libido. “Jesus Christ!”

  She ripped open a cupboard and yanked out a giant yellow cardboard box with an arm holding a hammer stamped on it. With a forceful shove, she pushed Matthias out of the way. She pulled out the spout and poured its white powdery contents onto the fire, the flames dying and smoke billowing and churning in the air.

  “It’s a grease fire. Water doesn’t work.” She sat the box down on the blackened counter and wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, a charcoal streak forming in its place. “You are not allowed in my kitchen ever again.”

  “I didn’t know,” was all he could mutter.

  Coughing and sputtering, she swatted at the smoke. “My kitchen is ruined.”

  Matthias rubbed his chin. Sorry wouldn’t cut it right now. How was he to know that, over the centuries, cooking would become such a complicated task. Life was supposed to become easier as the world evolved, after all. “I haven’t cooked in few centuries. I’m sorry, Serah. I was just trying to help out.”

  She grabbed the blackened pan from the stove and dropped it into the trash. “Be helpful by fixing the door you destroyed last night. I hope your carpentry skills are better than your cooking.” Picking up the crispy towel off the counter, she blew out a deep sigh. “I hope Kalli can clean up this mess.”

  Kalli Corapolous. He’d heard stories about her and her abilities. Cleaning, mind reading, tracking demons, to name a few. Matter of fact, she’d almost tracked him on several occasions. If she was as good as the stories he’d heard, she shouldn’t have any problems with a small kitchen.

  “Was the mess caused by a demon?”

  She shrugged. “I guess so, but she’s cleaned up a few of my messes too.”

  “Because you know of our nature. You were blessed at some time in your life, which makes you even more powerful.”

  “Fine I’ll call her from the shop. I still have to do my hair and makeup. I need to get ready for the audition, and I don’t want to be late.”

  “Makeup?”

  “You know, stuff women wear on their faces to make themselves look better?”

  Look better? If she looked any better, he would die right then and there. “You don’t need makeup.”

  “Yeah, right, tell that to the rings under my eyes. I only got a couple hours of sleep.”

  Matthias nodded. So much for a compliment. “What about breakfast?”

  “I’ll stop by BigBob’s on the way to the shop.”

  “BigBob’s?” Matthias shuddered at the name. “Sounds interesting.”

  “BigBob’s coffee is the best. Even better than Starbucks.” She scanned the counter, and picked up a half-melted coffee cup, the two B’s wilting and melting together. “Looks like I need a new cup anyway.” She dropped it into the trash can.

  “Fine. What about your furry friend?”

  “Farquhar? He can take care of himself.”

  “Does he always sleep during fires?”

  “No, but you were here weren’t you?” Serah smirked. “Then again, if you weren’t here, my kitchen would be fine.”

  “Touché.”

  “Oh, well. Kalli and her magic pail of wonder can fix it, but we are going to have a serious sit-down with Lucy and Rafe, especially if I get the show.”

  She’d get the show. Despite her stubborn streak, the woman had charm. And, of course, she was beautiful, from those two sparking sapphire eyes to her full pouty lips. And those curves. This Daniel person would have to be blind not to notice.

  If only he could be that lucky. “We can discuss this show later. I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “I signed an agreement. It’s too late.”

  Matthias crossed his arms. “I can be very persuasive
.”

  “If you enrapture Daniel Blackburn, I’ll kick you back to limbo myself. Got it?”

  “Fine, but if I smell any brimstone, I can’t guarantee I’ll be so kind.”

  She angled her chin high and stood proud—all while wearing that damned towel. He longed to pull that towel off her too-tempting body and have his way with her right on the kitchen table. If she continued to stand there so defiantly, he didn’t know how long he could last. Clenching his teeth, he reined in all his remaining control. She finally spoke. “Fair enough, but you have nothing to worry about. I doubt the host of a popular cooking show is a demon. Don’t they usually keep low profiles?”

  “Let’s hope you’re right, Serah.” He’d seen some of those so-called celebrities. If they weren’t demons, then there was no hope for Hollywood. He spun toward the dining area and marched through the doorway. The sooner he got her towel-clad body out of his sight, the better.

  Chapter 18

  She didn’t like the way he stared at her. Like he was the one she should be running from. Like a tiger ready to pounce on his prey. She scrubbed at her soot-streaked face. Running a brush through her dampened curls, she sighed.

  Let’s hope you’re right? “What a jerk!”

  Did he think just because he was big, bad, and muscular he could come in here and control everything? Well, he was wrong. And he almost burnt her house down. He was lucky Kalli was nearby, or she would have skinned him alive—with a silver dagger.

  She yanked a comb through a gnarled curl. “Ouch.” She flung the comb to the counter and raked fingers through her hair instead.

  “I don’t need makeup?” What exactly did he mean when he said that? Men, especially those of the demon variety, had no clue. As if all women could look like instant sexpots with a snap of a finger. There was only one woman she knew with that skill, and Lucy was half-succubus anyway, so she didn’t really count.

  She ripped open her makeup bag and yanked out some concealer and foundation. Truth be told, she didn’t really like wearing makeup, especially while standing over hot stoves and ovens all day. By the end of the day, it felt like her face was melting off.

  But it was different now. She might be on television. She didn’t want to look like a zombie, especially in HD. Her pores were large enough as it was.

  She dabbed a little of the creamy liquid on her hand and patted and massaged it into her skin. A little foundation, eyeliner, and mascara never killed anyone. It wasn’t like she was going to the Academy Awards or anything, but she still needed to look somewhat presentable.

  “Are you almost done in there?” Matthias bellowed.

  “I’m human, not a demon. I can’t just poof my face together.”

  “I understand. I just don’t want you to be late.”

  How sweet of him, even when he really didn’t want anything to do with the show. “I still need to get dressed. How about just zapping yourself there?”

  “What about your employee?”

  Damn. In all the excitement, she’d forgotten about Edie. And she still needed to call Kalli as well. She smelled like a barbecue gone horribly wrong and needed some clean-up done on herself too.

  “I’ll call Edie and tell her to expect you.” She snagged the phone from the counter. “I’ll tell her you’ve been hired to oversee security.”

  “Fine.” His loud footfalls echoed down the hall.

  She located Edie’s number in her contacts and clicked the send button.

  “’Allo?”

  Serah stifled the chuckle. She always enjoyed Edie’s strange accent.

  “Hi, Edie. It’s Serah. I’ve hired a security company in case I get the show. They’re sending someone over.” She cringed. She’d never been the best of liars. Maybe it was this purity they seemed to rattle on about.

  “Iz everyzing okay? The fondue, no?”

  “Everything is fine. The fondue was delicious.” Thank goodness it was only a practice run for a wedding next week. “The vichyssoise too. No mess to worry about. The Andersons are going to love it.”

  “Très bon.”

  Whatever that meant. “The man they are sending… His name is Matthias Ambrose. Rafe recommended him.”

  “Okeydokey pokey.”

  Serah arched an eyebrow.

  “See you in about a half an hour, okay?”

  “Okay. Buh-bye! À tout à l’heure.”

  “Uhh, okay. Bye.” She hit the red button to end the call. Serah didn’t have the heart to tell her sous-chef of her less-than-apt language skills. She loved listening to Edie speak her native tongue anyhow. She turned to the door. “You can do your traveling now, buddy.”

  “Fine. What about your friend, Kalli?”

  “I’m waiting here for her. I smell horrible and was hoping she could use a fresh can of Demon-B-Gone on me.” She brought a corner of the towel to her nose.

  Ugh!

  She took a quick glance in the mirror. At least she looked decent enough. Scraping fingers through her curls, she shrugged. With a sigh, she turned and snuck through the door adjoining her bedroom.

  Ripping open her closet, she tore through her clothes. Nothing seemed right. She pulled out a pair of jeans. Too casual. She grabbed a black lace skirt. Too fancy. She grabbed a fuchsia low-cut halter. Too slutty.

  “You should wear this.” The spicy scent of ginger followed his voice. He reached out and plucked a bright blue wrap dress from a hanger. “It… looks professional.”

  “Umm… thanks.” She took the garment from him. She actually bought the dress for the wedding that never happened. The Carlson-Harding fiasco. Thank God, the bride had been sent packing. “Why are you in here?”

  Matthias turned toward the door. “I thought I would make myself more useful.” He opened and closed the door and it whined in protest. Running his large fingers along the split doorjamb, he shrugged. “It still needs a little more work, but at least it closes.”

  Serah managed a smile. “Thanks, Matthias.” She reached out her hand to his. “I can have Kalli finish up for you. After all, it was demon-induced.”

  “Oh.” There was no mistaking the disappointment in his voice.

  “But if you’d really like to practice your human skills, that’s fine.”

  “I broke it. There are tools to fix it. I owe you that much.”

  Serah nodded. “Well, at least you can fix one of your disasters.”

  “Do you need to keep rubbing it in?”

  Serah cringed. “Sorry. I was just trying to be funny. No need to get your boxers in a bunch.”

  “Boxers?” Matthias shifted in his new clothing, a pair of khaki cargoes and the linen shirt he’d tried on last night. Thankfully, they concealed those sexy silk boxers. What was so embarrassing about silk boxers? A lot of men wore them. Then again he wasn’t any ordinary man.

  “Underwear.”

  “I know what boxers are. We saw some at the store last night.”

  “Fine. You better get poofing… uhh… traveling. Edie’s expecting you.”

  “Are you going to be okay?”

  “Yeah. Kalli will have this cleaned up in no time.”

  “I meant behind the wheel.”

  Serah grumbled under her breath. Was she really that bad a driver? Did she really need to answer that? With a slight downward curve of her lips, she shrugged. So driving wasn’t one of her strong suits. She never really felt that comfortable behind the wheel. But put her behind a stove and she could cook for hours.

  “I’m sorry. I was trying to joke too.” Matthias reached out to grasp her shoulder. More tingles of electricity zipped through her body, right to her toes.

  She jerked from his grasp. What was it about his touch? It was even worse on naked skin. All she wanted to do was drop that towel and let him touch every other part of her body. She bit her lip and tensed all her muscles, wriggling in the confines of the towel. Nothing helped.

  She clenched her fists. “I need to get dressed.”

  Matthias nodded and ba
cked away. “Don’t let me keep you. The door is fixed. I’ll be on my way.”

  Without further word, he turned and marched out the door, the hinges still whining in response.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, she brought her hand to her still-hot shoulder. She traced her fingertips along the searing flesh. A burn was supposed to hurt, but the heat that radiated from him did anything but. It scared her. It drove her mad. She wanted more.

  Exactly what kind of demon was Matthias Ambrose? She would find out—one way or the other.

  Chapter 19

  It was confirmed. She remembered. Why else would she react that way to his touch? Like just the soft brush of fingertips would unleash a plague upon her skin. His first mission as a Paladin was destined to failure before it even started.

  And that stupid towel. It clung and molded to her body in the most devious of ways. It took every fiber of willpower to keep from pulling that towel from her gorgeous body. Too bad that dress he handed to her would do pretty much the same thing.

  Heck, battling his old mentor he could handle. However, throwing Serah SanGermano in the mix only complicated matters. It was quite literally a recipe for disaster.

  It was, for lack of better words, a mission impossible.

  But this wasn’t TV, or the movies for that matter. This was real. Demons truly existed. There were no special effects. Serah could die. She needed his help. He had to protect her.

  She needed to accept what she was. Only then would she truly be safe. And he wouldn’t give up until then—whatever it took.

  “What is it about her?” The moment he first set eyes on her he had to have her—had to possess her. He had to take her in every way humanly—and demonically—possible. Everything about her set his blood boiling. He hadn’t felt like that about any woman before—ever. Even when he was human. He clenched his teeth. No. I can’t go back to those days. It was too long ago. He wasn’t the same man. He was a demon now, had been for almost eight hundred years. Those days were long gone, a faded memory. He needed to forget.

  The soft murmur carried from her room. His body tensed and his heart thudded. Lust raged inside him. He gritted his teeth. Curse celibacy.