by Patti O'Shea
"How badly hurt were you, and what kind of recovery period did you have?" She knew Nic, and Kimi had no doubt in her mind that he would have been outside the enclave himself had he been able to make it.
"I told you," he said, voice still expressionless, "Augustin left me for dead. It took the healers months of work before I was able to stand. The recovery went faster after that."
Kimi moved closer to him, and taking his face between her hands, she stood on her toes to kiss him. "You did what you could, Nic. You can't blame yourself."
"You're wrong, I can. But yes, I did what I was able. That's the point. I fought Augustin with all my strength and I lost." He leaned forward and there was nothing blank about his eyes or face now; he burned with intensity. "You have to be able to—"
The sound of crashing glass broke him off midsentence. Kimi whirled, but before she could see anything, Nic put her behind him, placing his body between her and the windows of her unit. "Stay back," he warned. He himself moved forward.
Then she saw what stood in her apartment. This was the demon of human nightmares. Its body was black and covered in thick scales. It had black wings, and its eyes were so dark, they were like a void—except for the red glow. It stood eight feet tall and towered over Nic. At least, it did until he shifted form to match it. Kimi gulped. Maybe demons weren't really just people, too.
Chapter Four
Nic circled with the other demon—a Ciretham, and clearly Augustin's minion—looking for an opening to attack. He'd heard Kimi's reaction as he'd shapeshifted, and that concerned him. This was a talent of his he'd been hoping not to share with her. Not immediately. He'd had no choice, however; he'd be at too big a disadvantage if he didn't equal the other's size.
The demon lashed out with his taloned right hand, but Nic easily blocked the blow and struck out with his tail, whipping the creature across the upper thigh. The groan he received made him smile.
Leathery wings slapped toward him, and Nic jumped out of range. He couldn't afford to fight long. Although he believed his presence had been unexpected, he couldn't dismiss the fact that there could be a second attacker waiting to swoop in while he was occupied. Kimi was next to the door and vulnerable.
He kicked out, catching the demon in the center of its chest and raking it with the claws of his feet. While the assault drove his opponent back a step, its scales prevented true injury.
"You will not protect the kijo," his foe said.
Kijo. The word sounded familiar, but Nic couldn't place it. There wasn't time to think, though, before his enemy went on the offensive. He tried to block the strikes, but a few landed and one ripped the black scales off Nic's shoulder. Pain tore through him, but he pushed it from his mind, and with a growl, leaped at the demon. Their exchanged blows came fast and furious as each tried to pummel the other into submission.
Nic noticed a shimmer—a weakness in the body armor directly beneath the sternum of his enemy—and he sank his talons into the spot, gouging as deeply as he could. He felt skin and muscle give, and dragged his hand down, trying to cause maximum damage.
The demon threw back his head and roared. Nic lunged, sinking his teeth into the exposed neck. He been on the edge of control from the instant he'd heard glass break; now, with the taste of blood in his mouth, rage surged. This demon had thought to take his mate. A red haze filled Nic's brain and there was no reining in his Grolird nature—he ripped out the creature's throat.
He returned to his senses—and his humanoid form—as he knelt panting over his kill. Nic bowed his head, uncertain if he could stand to see Kimi's revulsion for what he was. If Kimi were demon herself, it would be one thing, but... A bead of moisture trickled from the corner of his lips, and Nic wiped at it. His index finger came away red. As his vision cleared further, he scanned the area and breathed a sigh of relief. At least he had the presence of mind to make a clean kill. Most of the blood had been contained behind the other's scales, and there was little splatter. Perhaps that had prevented Kimi from being too repelled.
Knowing he had no choice except to face her, Nic pushed to his feet and turned. Her eyes were enormous and her face so ashen that, when she swayed, he feared she was going to pass out. He nearly rushed to her side. Nic needed to cuddle her, to reassure her, to drive that appalled, dazed expression away, but if he offered any sympathy, she'd fall apart. They didn't have time for that.
"Human women are weak," he sneered, putting enough contempt into his voice that she couldn't miss it.
"I am not weak," Kimi protested. There was a spark in her words, but the response is more contrary than fiery.
"Do you think any demon female would stand frozen with shock, feeling remorse over the death of an enemy?" Nic shook his head with mock sadness. "Pitiful."
Kimi lost some of her pallor as anger took hold. "I am not pitiful! I've never seen anyone killed before, you know. Not with teeth and claws and"—she waved a hand helplessly—"things like that." Her chin wobbled.
"Block it from your mind." He allowed his voice to soften a bit, but not much; she was still too close to the edge. "If you want to fall apart, you do it after this situation is over. And I do mean completely, totally finished. Do you understand me?"
She nodded, and with a sense of relief, Nic watched her lock down her emotions. Confident now that she wasn't going to become hysterical, he closed the distance between them.
"You're bleeding," Kimi said. "How bad is it?"
Looking down at his shoulder, Nic assessed the damage and decided it was minor. "It's nothing, it'll be healed in a couple of hours."
"Good."
The near-desperation in her voice told him she was searching for distractions to keep from thinking about what had happened. He could help her with that. Nic ran a hand over his chest and down his belly, drawing her attention.
"You're naked!" she squeaked.
He smiled at her reaction—his Mahsei side was as much a part of him as the Grolird, he decided, because only a Mahsei would find something humorous at this moment. "I had to get rid of the clothes when I changed form or they'd have been shredded."
"At least put some pants on," she snapped.
She hadn't commented on it, but not only was he naked, he was hard. It was demon physiology at work—a strong adrenaline charge always left them aroused after the danger passed, and Nic was fighting it for all he was worth. If Kimi were demon, he'd have her on her back and already be inside her. Hell, if she were demon, she probably would have been on top of him before he reached her because of her own adrenaline spike.
"Are you sure you wish me to cover myself? You don't seem to want to look at anything but this." He stroked his shaft a couple times, and her gasp had him smothering another laugh.
"Nic," she growled in warning.
"What?" He tried to look innocent. "Did you want to take care of it yourself?"
"Not now. Ask me again in ten or fifteen years."
Relieved she was past her shakiness, he magicked his clothes to him and reluctantly donned them. As hard as he was, the last thing he wanted was to confine himself, but he gingerly zipped up anyway. This was the price for having a young human mate, but as Nic gazed at Kimi, he knew he could live with the frustration as long as he had her.
When he finished dressing, she asked, "What do we do with Augustin's body?"
"That isn't Augustin," he told her.
"Of course it is," Kimi insisted. "He's the only demon after me."
Nic took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Demons form alliances," Nic explained. "The male who attacked was from a midrange branch called Ciretham. My guess is that he was working for Augustin and was sent to capture you."
"The threat isn't over, then," she said, sounding subdued.
"Sorry, but no. Why do you think I made you promise to hold it together?" He didn't wait for her to answer. Gathering up their bags, Nic said, "We have to leave. Let's go."
She looked dazed again, but this time he put an arm around her shoulders an
d steered her down the hall to the stairs. "I'll do everything within my power to protect you, tes. Trust me."
"What does tes mean?"
He'd ignored her the last time she'd asked that question, and Nic didn't answer this query either. Kimi wasn't yet ready to learn that tes was the demon word for beloved.
*** *** ***
When Nic said he wanted to find a motel, Kimi had imagined some seedy dive with winos and derelicts. Instead, he'd chosen the kind of place families would stay while they were in Crimson City to visit Disney. It was a pleasant surprise.
Kimi arranged pillows against the headboard and leaned back. She'd forgotten to throw pajamas in her bag, so Nic had loaned her a T-shirt. It felt...sexy to be wearing only panties and one of his tees. He was half a foot taller, and broad through the shoulders and chest, so while this was hardly immodest, the idea that she was nearly bare beneath his shirt made her shiver.
Thinking about her physical reaction to him helped her keep other thoughts at bay. She didn't want Nic to consider her weak, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw him slay the other demon. There'd been no choice, Kimi knew. It had been kill or be killed, but she wasn't acquainted with violence beyond what they showed on the news or what she saw at the movies. The idea of killing another was nearly incomprehensible to her...and yet, Nic had done it without difficulty.
Her body trembled and she pushed the images away. She'd promised she wouldn't fall apart until they were safe. Mika had told her that demons always kept their word to the letter, and that they looked down on humans who didn't. Kimi refused to give Nic another reason to prefer a demon female over her.
The shower shut off and she sighed with relief. When he was around, it was easier to forget. Kimi focused on visualizing Nic bare and wet, imagined licking water droplets off his warm skin. He'd made it clear he'd welcome her touch. She was trying to wrap her mind around that. For months she'd believed he wasn't interested in her, and it was heady stuff to learn otherwise. Too damn bad that she had to stay away from him now.
Nic came out wearing nothing except a pair of jeans, and Kimi fought the need to squirm. He'd shaved, and as hot as he was with stubble, he was more striking without it. He must have towel-dried his hair because it was standing up worse than ever, but it was his muscled abs, chest, and arms that she couldn't take her eyes off. Something clenched inside her, not between her thighs, but in the vicinity of her heart.
"You're staring," he said with that usual damn smirk of his.
"I'm trying to see how your wound is healing," Kimi lied.
That brought him over to the bed. All she had to do was lean over and she could put her mouth on him through the denim. She wanted to do it so badly, her body almost shook, and Kimi had to remind herself that it wouldn't stop there. He'd want to be inside her and she'd want him there, too, but she wanted her magic more than an orgasm—even if she'd bet he could make her scream.
"That wasn't where I was injured," Nic told her, laughter in his voice. Kimi jerked her gaze up to his shoulder.
"There's only a few pinkish lines left," she said, then cleared her throat to lose the raspiness.
"We demons heal fast. You should know that."
Nic walked to the other side of the bed, propped his pillow next to hers, and got in. As he leaned beside her, his shoulder brushing hers, Kimi swallowed a sigh. He'd asked for one king-size bed. She didn't care that he'd claimed it was the best way to protect her; she knew better. He wanted to seduce her, and he was counting on his nearness undermining her resolve.
Too bad for him that she was a Noguchi and her family prided itself on their stubbornness. It wouldn't hurt either of them to wait ten years or even fifteen to have sex—she was young and he was a demon with a long life span. By then, she'd have fully explored her powers and maybe she wouldn't mind losing them...much. At least at that point, she'd know what she was giving up.
There was a bead of water he'd missed, directly below his left pec, and the temptation to take care of it for him was eating at her. Didn't he realize it was there? Or was he deliberately teasing her?
"So," Kimi said, trying to distract herself. "You've been exploring the human world. What do you think of it?"
He shrugged. "There are things I like and things I don't, just as there are in Orcus. Overall, though, the informality of the Overworld suits my personality, and everyone who means something to me is here. I plan to stay."
Kimi decided she was reading too much into his words. Just because he'd stared hard at her as he'd said everyone who means something to me didn't mean he was referring to her. He was just a standard demon: easily aroused.
"What are you going to do?"
"Do?" he asked, sounding confused.
"For a job—to earn money to live on."
That drew another shrug. "I've been hustling pool to pick up cash." He grinned. "I'm good."
"There's a great career aspiration." She laughed. "I can just picture Uncle David introducing you now. 'It's nice to meet you. I'm David Noguchi, president of a brokerage firm, and this is my stepson, Nicodemus, the pool hall hustler.'"
"That would be barroom hustler," Nic corrected her. "I've never played in a pool hall."
With a growl at his flippancy, Kimi tried to jump out of bed, but Nic drew her back. "You don't like my career? For you, tes, I'll find another. I live to make you happy."
"I didn't realize demons were such smart-asses."
"I wasn't joking," he said.
Kimi shook her head. He'd bullshit her all night, but she wasn't going to buy it. Instead of arguing, she thought about how Nic spoke. At times his speech had a formality to it that seemed out of place for this century. Other times, he sounded as laidback as any Southern Californian surfer. Something about the mixing of styles kept her off balance, and she didn't like that.
A lot about Nic left her reeling, though—just the brush of his arm against hers was making her insane. What was it about him that made her want him so much?
There was a mirror opposite the bed and Kimi watched Nic in it. She couldn't stop gazing at him, but she didn't want him to know the effect he had on her. After few minutes, she realized his head was canted at an odd angle. "What are you staring at?" she asked. He smirked and she turned from the reflection to look at him. "Nic?" she prompted, warning in her voice.
"You're wearing white cotton panties."
He couldn't know that. Could he? She dropped her gaze and winced. The T-shirt had ridden up, exposing her choice of lingerie. Kimi knew she should be embarrassed, that she should push the shirt down and clasp her legs tightly together. Instead, she turned and leaned into him, unable to fight herself.
From the night she'd met him, Kimi had felt desire. It had grown each time she'd seen him, each time she'd spoken with him, and the months she'd spent without contact with him hadn't stopped it. She'd spent hours dreaming about Nic—about the way she'd touch him, the way he'd caress her, but especially about his kisses. Those had been even better than she'd imagined. She wanted more.
His mouth was a breath away, but he didn't close the gap. Frustrated, Kimi put her arms around his neck and pulled Nic to her. The kiss zoomed out of control. Before she was aware of moving, she was on top of him, her legs on either side of his.
Nic. She devoured him. This was the male she'd longed for and fantasized about for months, the demon she'd believed didn't want her.
He didn't touch her. She lifted her head, noticed his hands were knotted in the bedspread and his eyes glowed red. This time, the sight didn't scare her, it built her fever higher and she swooped down for another kiss. This was right. She knew it, felt it, trusted it.
Using her hands and mouth, she explored his jaw, his throat, his arms, chest, and belly. His growls were as inhuman as his eyes, but something about those sounds set her on fire and she wanted to hear more. Kimi lightly bit the skin below his navel, and the instinctive action surprised her so much, she paused.
"Take the shirt off," he suggested thickl
y, and since that sounded like a brilliant idea, she did. Maybe she couldn't have everything with Nic—not yet—but there was no reason why they couldn't pleasure each other without actual sex.
While she'd undressed, he opened his jeans. Wearing only her panties, Kimi knelt beside him, dipped her fingers into the gap, and sucked in a sharp breath; she'd touched the moist head of his erection. As soon as she recovered, she grabbed his waistband with both hands and tugged. Nic laughed at her impatience, but he raised his hips and pushed off his pants.
Kimi had never been so brazen before, not with any other guy, or this casual about baring herself, but it was different with Nic. It was as if something inside her could relax because he was The One, the male she was meant to share all of herself with.
Before she could say anything emotionally revealing, though, his hand cupped her breast and she looked down. The sight of his tanned fingers against the paleness of her skin made her shiver. Then he rotated his palm, teasing her with the callused center. Kimi arched her back, silently pleading for more, and after another kiss, Nic bent and took her nipple into his mouth.
He didn't use only his tongue and lips, he bit at her too, little nips that made her gasp and moan and hang on to him. Her breasts were fairly small, but she didn't feel self-conscious about her size with Nic—he left no doubt in her mind how much he appreciated what she did have.
With another of his sexy growls, Nic eased her down on her back and pressed his thigh between hers. He wasn't on top of her, not quite, but it would only take a shift of inches to change that.
As he explored her mouth more, Kimi rubbed against his chest, enjoying the friction. She moaned in protest when Nic moved his leg, but it turned to a gasp as his hands reached for the waistband of her panties.
Kimi was ready to help him get rid of her last article of clothing when she realized just how far this had gone, how far things would continue if she didn't stop them. Nic wasn't going to be the voice of reason.
"No," she said firmly, despite the huskiness of her voice. "Those are staying on," she added when he lifted his head.