by G. A. Rael
"No, I actually just got back from New York." Lying in a small town when it wasn't absolutely necessary was a dangerous game. After all, it was likely that Chase would mention their encounter in New York to someone sooner or later. It was exactly the kind of strange coincidence people liked to share at the water cooler. Unless, of course, he was ashamed to let anyone know that he had been with her. That was always a possibility, and it took hold easily in Jordan's heightened state of self-awareness.
"New York?" Tina squealed. Jordan decided that she should have taken the chance and lied. Oh, how she wished she had lied. "That's so exciting, you have to tell me all about it!"
"I'd love to," said Jordan, casting a nervous glance at the register. Darren was still arguing with the cashier about something, and the exchange seemed to be growing heated, at least on his end. Allison was staring openly at Jordan and Tina. "We'll have to get coffee soon."
"Oh, we can talk right here," Tina said, putting her hand on Jordan's arm to keep her there. "The store isn't closing for another twenty minutes."
"Great," Jordan said through clenched teeth. "And here I thought it was later."
"So, what were you doing in New York?" Tina asked. If Darren hadn't heard her before, he certainly had now. He glanced up, momentarily distracted from his argument with the cashier.
"I uh, went to a nightclub in the city with a friend," said Jordan.
"A nightclub? Oh, I've heard they're fabulous out there. Of course, a woman my age going would be pathetic," she said with a short laugh. "What was it like?"
"There were plenty of people 'your age,' Tina, don't be ridiculous,” Jordan said, stealing a glance in the direction of the checkout. Why hadn't they left yet? "It was just loud and full of drunk people. Not really my thing.”
"Sounds fun," Tina mused.
“Probably to most people,” Jordan admitted. "I don't think I'd do it again, but you should go sometime. I think you'd like it."
"Maybe I will," Tina said, pondering it for a moment. "So this friend of yours, would he happen to be that tall drink of water with the white hair you're always going around town with?"
Jordan told herself it was just a coincidence, but the low murmur of Darren's argument with the cashier came to a halt at that exact moment.
"That's him," Jordan said carefully. "We're just friends, though.” Friends with benefits and a soul contract, but Tina didn’t need to know any of that.
"Well, I have to say, I like this new look," Tina said, giving Jordan's outfit a wistful gaze. "Oh, to be young again and have that body."
"Tina, you're not that much older than I am," Jordan reminded her. "And you look great."
Darren had gone back to bickering with the cashier. The man behind him was starting to grumble unhappily about the wait.
Even Tina was beginning to get distracted by the holdup in the line. Jordan cast a timid glance in Darren's direction only to find him leaning over the conveyor belt, exchanging some very heated words with the wide-eyed cashier. It was unlike him to get upset with a retail employee, so Jordan couldn't help but look on in confusion.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I have to call for a price check," the cashier said, gripping the microphone at the register.
Darren's hand shot out to cover the microphone. "I told you, just charge me for the most expensive brand you carry," he said, pushing the slow, deliberate words through gritted teeth in a tone that said, "I'm trying so hard not to make it obvious how much I hate you right now." Jordan knew it well, because he had used that tone with her more than once since they had broken up.
"Sir, I really can't do that," the girl said with all the insistence of someone who was going by the book because it was her first serious job. She took the microphone and leaned in to announce, "Price check on ultra-ribbed condoms, register four."
Darren cringed violently. Allison rested a consoling hand on his shoulder, but she didn't look at all mortified as she cast a sideways glance in Jordan's direction.
Tina was obviously trying to stifle a giggle, but her efforts were futile.
Jordan looked away, hoping to save Darren from the gawking of at least one set of eyes. Judging from the knowing chuckle of the man behind them in line and the salacious murmurs of the other customers, everyone now understood the cause of the holdup.
When the manager came over, Darren muttered something unintelligible yet venomous.
"I'm so sorry," the manager said, taking the box and tapping something into the register. "That'll be seventeen thirty-one."
Darren shoved what looked like a twenty into the manager's hand and snatched the plastic bag before leaving the register.
"Sir, you forgot your change!" the hapless cashier called after him.
"Keep it," the vet growled. He made eye contact with Jordan for a brief moment before he stalked out the door with Allison close behind him. At least she seemed to think it was hilarious.
Jordan stared after them in bewilderment. Certainly she could understand his embarrassment, but some of that had to come with the territory of being a virgin, which Darren St. Clair most certainly was not. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why he would be so upset. They were just condoms and despite Jordan’s best attempts at denial, it was no secret to anyone that he and Allison were hot and heavy.
"Looks like we know what they'll be doing tonight," Tina said, still giggling. "Wonder what that was all about."
"I have no idea," Jordan murmured, getting into line. Of all the possible scenarios she had imagined for her first official encounter with Allison, that one hadn't even been on the list.
"You'd think he was a fifteen-year-old caught stealing his mom's hand lotion," Tina said with a snort. "Oh, well. I guess some people are just more private than others. I know how that is."
"Mhm," Jordan said, giving her a dubious look. Self-awareness was not the woman’s greatest strength.
"Well, I'd better get my things, I think they're closing in a minute," said Tina, touching Jordan's arm. "Call me soon about that coffee!"
"I will," she promised, deciding to schedule it before her date with Chase. If she went out with him without telling Tina or Cindy, she knew she'd never hear the end of it.
The cashier was still talking with the older man about the condom incident by the time Jordan arrived at the register. "I just don't know what his problem was," the girl said to Jordan, as if continuing the same conversation she’d been having with the last customer. "I was just following the rules."
"I'm sure he was just having a bad day," Jordan reassured her, helping the girl bag Mrs. Herrin's groceries. "I wouldn't worry too much about it."
"Maybe it's because my dog peed on him last week," the clerk mused.
Jordan's lip twitched. "I don't think that's it."
"Oh, well," she said, shrugging. "Forty-one fifty-six!"
Jordan offered her Mrs. Herrin's cash and slipped the change into the bag. "Thanks, Becky," she said, glancing at the girl's name tag.
Becky waved as Jordan headed out the door. She really did try not to look up at the apartment of the vet clinic, but his and Allison’s silhouettes stood out against a backdrop of yellow light so sharply that it was hard not to. Darren's silhouette was instantly recognizable even though he stood still and appeared to have his arms crossed in agitation. Allison's was considerably more animated, and from the way she was waving her hands, it was obvious they were having a fight.
Jordan made it back to the house and dropped off Mrs. Herrin's groceries, managing to escape a long conversation since the landlady was already on the phone. Her friend Mercy had already called to gossip about the drama she had just witnessed at the store. Jordan braced herself for an ambush from Hermes but was even less prepared for the sight that was waiting for her in the apartment.
The demon's lithe form was stretched out languidly on the floor amid a sea of excess construction materials and, judging from the uncharacteristically benevolent way his features were set, he was fast asleep. When he looked
like that, it was a little easier to remember that he had once been a servant of God, before his infernal career change.
Jordan shivered and decided not to follow that train of thought too far. She walked over to the low wooden table he had built so painstakingly with his own hands and marveled at the smoothness of the unstained wood. The fact that Hermes was capable of such exquisite craftsmanship came as no real surprise to Jordan considering that he had been manipulating the inner workings of her life for quite some time. His energy hummed through the wooden altar as she ran her hand over it.
He must have enchanted it. She could only imagine what perversions of nature he was going to command her to accomplish on the damn thing, but for the moment, it was just a beautiful table.
Jordan stood and pulled a blanket off the edge of her bed, draping it over the sleeping demon. As usual, he was wearing low-slung pants and nothing else. She convinced herself that covering him up was as much for her comfort as his.
Suddenly, Hermes’ green eyes flew open and he snatched her hand. Before Jordan could even shriek in surprise, he pulled her down on top of him. She found herself staring down into his emerald depths as they danced with mischief. She could only guess as to whether he had been sleeping at all or simply pretending, and why he would bother was an even greater mystery.
"I hear the vet had a temper tantrum at the store. Maybe he's the one who needs the rabies shot."
Jordan tried to pull away but Hermes’ arms held fast around her waist. Despite his willowy appearance, he was a strong devil when he wanted to be. "I see you've been eavesdropping on Mrs. Herrin."
"The floorboards are thin," he said, stroking her back in consolation. "I'm not the one who built this creaky old house."
"Good, because it would probably eat us. I know you did some kind of weird black magic to that table."
"Altar," he corrected without bothering to deny it. "So tell me, what's Darren's old flame like?"
"Tall, brunette, size two," Jordan muttered. "Oh, and she looks like the progeny of a model and a movie star who had a sex contest."
"How droll," said Hermes. In an instant, Jordan was the one on her back with her wrists pinned to the floor as Hermes sneered down at her. “If you ask me, short, curvy and wide-eyed is a much more entertaining combination."
Jordan bit her lip to keep from smiling. Hermes’ attention was like candy. It didn’t satisfy any nutritional needs, but it was sweet while it lasted. “Don’t pretend like I’m your type.”
"Oh, I have a few different types where humans are concerned," he purred, successfully pinning both of her wrists with one hand. The other wandered down, trailing over the soft curve of her stomach before tracing down her hip and thigh. "I like my men with big muscles and small brains. My taste in women is far more discerning."
Jordan tried not to squirm and reveal how much he’d gotten under her skin. "Dammit, Hermes.”
“Damn what, exactly? We’re both headed south already,” he taunted, pressing a kiss to her collarbone. She moaned, betraying her own weakness. Maybe he was right about her changing. The demon’s touch had awakened needs that were either brand new or so long suppressed that they might as well have been. “You know, I'm not human. I notice things a human male would miss. The way your pulse quickens when you see me," he whispered, gliding his fingertips over her heart. His touch was colder than usual and the feel of it against Jordan’s bare skin made her shiver.
"Yeah, so? You make me nervous," she muttered, absently stroking his silky hair.
Hermes turned Jordan's face toward him, forcing her to hold his gaze, which she could only assume was another one of his tricks. "I see the way those big brown puppy dog eyes steal glances at the body you supposedly find so offensive," he continued, ignoring her excuse. When his hand slipped between her thighs, her breath caught in her throat and her hips lifted off the floorboards instinctively. "The way you respond to my touch. My, Jordan, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you had a little crush."
Jordan clenched her jaw, promising herself she wasn’t going to beg this time. His ego was inflated enough, and they both knew where this was headed. The same place it headed every other damn night. "Like you said, I'm a pent-up virgin. The other day a weirdly sexual insurance commercial turned me on, so I wouldn't be too flattered if I were you."
He chuckled. "Well, you do seem to have a thing for bureaucrats. Speaking of which, what happened with the lawyer?"
"Nothing," Jordan said flatly, trying to ignore the fact that his hand hadn't moved from between her legs. And trying even harder not to grind against him. "He asked me out on a pity date next week."
"Oh?" The demon tilted his head and propped himself up on one elbow, still keeping Jordan partially pinned from the side. "He didn't make a move at the hotel?"
"He did, and then he took it back."
"Hm."
"What?"
"Nothing."
“Hermes, teasing me is one thing, but I'm not in the mood for playing guessing games."
"Oh, I wasn't teasing," he said, nipping her ear as his hand slid back up her thigh, eliciting another shiver. "I was just thinking."
"Do I want to know what?"
He gave her a lazy smile and his hand disappeared beneath her skirt, stroking the silky fabric underneath. "Probably not. I wouldn't worry too much about it, and I certainly don't think he asked you out again because he pities you. Just give it time."
"Last night you were trying to convince me to lose my 'V-card to the first guy who came along and hope it triggered destiny,’” she reminded him.
"I know, but that was when it seemed hopeless. No offense."
"How am I not supposed to take offense to that?"
"I can think of a few ways to distract you," he said, kissing her. Their first kiss had occurred in the midst of chaos and had only even happened in the first place as a means to cement the contract between them. Their second had been the result of a blur of emotion and confusion. Nonetheless, all three had left Jordan wondering if the electricity she felt through his touch was the effect of Hermes’ power or something far more dangerous. She had convinced herself it was nothing more than a surge of energy, but as his cool lips brushed against hers, she realized that she was incapable of being right where he was concerned.
There was no new contract on which to blame the feelings his touch stirred within her, and after three times, she could no longer consider it a lapse in judgment. There was only his kiss, his lips against hers, and he grew bolder when she didn't push him away. Jordan was still convinced that he was only teasing her, but after Chase’s rejection and seeing Darren with Allison earlier that night, the physical affirmation was too great of a temptation to ignore. Even if she was only an experiment at best or an object of pity at worst.
Hermes’ tongue swept against her lower lip, seeking entrance. Jordan parted her lips out of instinct, but she wasn't prepared for the earnestness with which his tongue claimed her mouth. Maybe she wasn't the only one in need of a distraction.
As the demon's hands explored her body with more abandon and earnestness than she would have thought him capable of, Jordan realized how easy it would be to make the foolish mistake of believing that he wanted her the same way she wanted him—even if only for the moment.
When he crawled down her body and his head disappeared between her thighs, it ceased to matter. He slipped her panties off and she lifted her hips to let him, parting her legs far too hastily for his access. His hair swept her thighs as his mouth came down on her sex like he was starved for pussy and she moaned with the ecstasy of someone who had been touched for so much longer. The familiarity that existed between them seemed to extend to the bedroom—or the living room, in this case—because Hermes knew her body with an intimacy far greater than their time together justified.
“Oh, God,” she gasped as his tongue delved into her, his fingertips biting into her thighs to spread her further apart.
“Not even close, love,” he purred, his voic
e husky and hoarse with sex.
“Oh, shut up,” she muttered, even though her physical reaction to his teasing betrayed her desperation. There were far better uses for that tongue than words. He resumed his worship between her legs like he wasn’t the very definition of hellbound and by the time Jordan’s orgasm came crashing over her in ethereal waves, he was quite literally purring.
She wasn’t sure how he made that sound in his human form, but damn, it was sexy. She scarcely had time to catch her breath before he was on top of her and out of his jeans. At least most of the way. Jordan gasped in surprise as she felt his thick shaft pressed to her stomach, but she arched her hips to guide him where her body wanted him.
And why the hell not? She was twenty-five and holding onto her technical virginity seemed like a moot point. She still wasn’t even sure why she had held off so long with Darren. The only plausible explanation was that she was still clinging to the outmoded expectations that had been imposed on her by her religious parents. While she was far from accepting her role as the Whore of Babylon in any sense that went beyond the intellectual, she knew it was absurd to even think of waiting for marriage. Her contract with Hermes was the closest someone like her was ever going to get, and while she hated him for taking her soul, he stirred other feelings just as strongly.
In a way, he was the only person she truly trusted enough to share such an intimate experience with. Did it really matter that she didn’t love him if she was destined to take five consorts she didn’t even know?
As if reading her hesitation--and quite possibly her mind—Hermes froze. Her disappointment was tempered by the unmistakable look of desperation in his eyes. She knew it only because she had seen the same look in Darren's eyes on the many occasions they had reached the no-man's land between his ability to pull back without needing a cold shower and her readiness to “go all the way.” It had flickered in Chase’s gaze for a moment before he had brought everything to a halt the night before, but this time there was no talking herself out of what she was seeing.