A Demon And Her Scot (Welcome To Hell) (8 page)

Waking up with a heavy arm over her waist was a new experience, one Aella didn’t completely hate. Waking up to see Lucifer leering at her, wearing the stupidest looking hat with a huge pompom
, though…

“What the fuck are you doing here?” she screeched.

She no sooner asked than she found herself smothered by a big body as Niall growled, “Ye better have a good reason for barging in.”

“I’m half owner of this establishment.”

“And?”

“I can come and go as I please.”

“It doesn’t please me at all.”

“Too bad. So sad.”

Aella could hear the mockery, and it seemed her Scot did too.

“It’s too early in the morn for this,” Niall muttered.

“Early? Bah. It’s seven a.m. somewhere in the world. So get up, you lazy Scot.”

“Cover your eyes.”

“Why? Is your junk that small? Afraid I’ll laugh?”

Not likely. Aella could vouch for the size and skill of Niall’s cock.

Apparently, her Scot knew it too. “Bah. We both know ye envy the size of me dick. I want ye to look away while Aella gets some clothes on.”

“Why? It’s not like I haven’t seen thousands of tits and pussies.”

“Aye. But this one’s mine.”

It was? Aella couldn’t help the shiver that went through her at his possessive words. Then annoyance set in. Still squashed and hidden by his bulk, she tensed as she said, “Excuse me, but you don’t own me.”

“I do until the tournament is done.”

“As a bodyguard,” she reminded him.

“So guard my body.” Niall grabbed at her and slung her in his lap, somehow tucking a sheet around her as he did.

“What are you doing?”

“Using ye as a shield.”

Lucifer snickered. “Scot, I am really starting to like your sense of humor.”

“Then you would be the only one,” she muttered. She pushed at the chest and arms bracketing her. Stronger than a normal woman or not, and a demon to boot, Aella still couldn’t get Niall
to
budge. Simmering, she sulked as they conversed over her head.

“I’m ready for my lesson,” Lucifer announced, his tone practically giddy.

“Not in that fucking hat you’re not.”

“What’s wrong with my hat? I bought it at the pro shop.”

“Ye look like a bloody idiot.”

“Says the man who wears a kilt,” Lucifer growled.

“Don’t knock it just because ye don’t have the knees to carry it off,” Niall boasted. “Get rid of the hat. Grab your clubs and meet me at the golf course in an hour.”

“An hour? Why so long?”

“Because I haven’t showered or eaten. While you’re waiting, practice your swing. Actually, don’t. Your swing is bad enough as-is. On second thought, just do some exercises to limber up.”

“You’re right. I am a little tense this morning. See you in an hour. Gaia,” Lucifer bellowed as he exited the room. “I need you to stretch my muscles.”

“I meant your arm ones,” Niall yelled after him.

“According to my girlfriend, it’s as big as an arm.”

The door slammed shut, and Aella pounded at his chest.

“A shield? That’s what I am to you?”

“Why the hysterics? I thought ye would be happy I acknowledged your job.”

“Acknowledging me as a warrior whose task is to protect you means letting me up so I can hack at things with my axe.”

“But that would have made ye dirty.”

“And?”

“I’m hungry.”

“I’m not getting it.”

“Give me just a moment and you will.”

Tipping her onto her back, he somehow ended up between her thighs, her heels digging into his spine, his tongue lashing her clit. Turned out his idea of breakfast and hers weren’t quite the same. She liked his version better. Much, much better.

* * * *

Later at Lucifer’s private golf course…

Fuck me to hell and back.
Niall had a problem and it was bigger than the one Lucifer posed whenever he tried to hit the golf ball in a straight line.

His plan to fuck another woman and prove once and for all Aella meant nothing had backfired. In a major way. It seemed his cock no longer belonged to him. Nope. It obeyed one female alone. A hottie in a toga who let him pleasure her, but refused him anything else.

When she’d shown up, wild-eyed, bloody, and her expression one of rage, he’d just about expired on the spot. Not because of fear or annoyance at her interruption. Nope. He’d recognized the jealousy and had gotten aroused by her blood-lusting rage. In that moment, when she’d barged in ready to commit murder—
murder for me!
—he’d wanted her so fucking bad. Wanted
her
, not just her pussy or her mouth on his dick, her as a person, her as his lover, her as in his alone. That he felt that way just about killed him when he should have wanted to kill her.

Women were conniving, untrustworthy temptations for men. Or at least the ones he’d known were. And his time in Hell hadn’t change that perception, merely reinforced it. Then again, he’d not exactly consorted with the right type. Females-for-hire in bars and brothels didn’t exactly make for the best examples.

He vaguely recalled his mother being a sweet, loving, and best of all, loyal type, but then again, he was a little boy who loved and lost his mother at a young age. He knew his father never recovered from her loss and often lamented the fact no other woman could measure up. Niall tended to agree, or had until recently.

Something about Aella made him feel things, strong emotions of a type he’d not experienced before, not even for Fionnaghal. These tumultuous emotions made him want to hit anyone who looked at her. Made him want to build her a castle and surround it with a moat, filled with some of the sea creatures he’d spotted in the Darkling Sea, anything to keep her safe. He longed to see another smile. Hear maybe a giggle of laughter, one inspired by him. Then there was his irrational desire for her, which made him want to rip the clothes from her sexy body and fuck her until she raked him with her nails while he sank his teeth into the delectable long neck she teased him with. Just the thought had him—

“Hey, would you look at that? The ball almost stayed on the green,” Lucifer crowed.

Hello
, bucket of cold water. Bringing his attention back to the torture before him, Niall held in yet another sigh. Nothing to dampen the ardor like a devil, in eye-popping plaid, massacring a perfectly innocent game. “Ye have to temper your strength. Golf is a lot like fucking. Hit the target too hard and your woman won’t want to come back. But tap that sweet spot just right…” He peeked sideways at Aella, who pretended not to look his way but couldn’t hide the hard points of her nipples projecting through her silken robe.

“Soft? You want me to be soft?” Lucifer’s snort of disgust spoke eloquently. “I’ve made a career of being hard, in and out of the bedroom. It goes against the grain to show anything mercy, even a little ball.”

“Well, if ye wanna fucking win, ye had better learn,” Niall snapped back. “Ye have got only two more days before the match. So either smarten up or I’m going to—”

“What, Scot?”

Hmm, perhaps threatening one of the most powerful known beings in the universe wasn’t the brightest of courses. Then again, he’d not gotten hired because of his brains. “I’ll let ye lose to your brother.”

“Lose to that lackwitted goody two
-shoes? Never!” Lucifer clamped his lips, hunched himself over his club, pulled back, and gave the ball a light tap. For once, the darned thing stayed on the green. A victory.

“Ha. What do you know? It worked,” Lucifer crowed.

“Of course it did.”

“Someone sounds testy.”

“Probably ’cause we’ve been at this for hours. I’m taking a break.”

“But I was just getting the hang of things.”

“So keep practicing. I’m out of here. I need a drink. I’ll see ye tomorrow.”

“Bright and early,” Lucifer yodeled as Niall spun on his heel and left. He couldn’t resist a hand gesture in reply, which the
lord of the pit chuckled at. Satan possessed the oddest sense of humor. But damn if Niall didn’t kind of enjoy it.

Aella kept stride with him as he stalked off, silent for once. A pity, he rather enjoyed her acerbic remarks. But it was probably a good thing because whenever she talked
, he was possessed of an insane need to push her up against the nearest wall and fuck her until those perfect lips rounded into Os of pleasure.

“There’s no way he can win,” she muttered in a low tone once they’d gone a fair distance. “He really sucks.”

“Aye, he does. But he’s a great cheater.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“He’s Satan. He can do whatever he damned well pleases. Besides, it’s expected of him.”

“So much for honor among athletes.”

A snort blew past his lips. “Honor? Lass, ye obviously know nothing about sports and men. It’s all about winning, at all cost. I would know. I sold my soul to win.”

“And yet, from what I heard, you were good enough to do it on your own.”

“Perhaps, but my pride required I make sure.”

“High price to avoid some embarrassment.”

He shrugged. “At the time, I would have done more.”

“Was she that good of a lay?”

“I am not discussing my past.”

“Chicken.”

“Cluck. Cluck.” Actually, it wasn’t that he feared telling her about his less-than-stellar experience with Fionnaghal and more about not telling his current lover about his ex-wife. Even he knew that wasn’t done.

Lucky for him, she let the matter drop. “Back to our boss and the whole he-sucks-at-golf thing. How did this whole tournament come about anyhow? If he’s so bad at golfing, and by all accounts
, his brother sucks too, then why do they do keep at it?”

He shrugged. “Because they’re males, and it beats the wars they used to indulge in to keep themselves entertained. Or so I’ve heard. Who cares? In a few days
, it will be over, and I can go back to my life.”

She said it before he could think it. “What life?”

“Are ye disparaging my lifestyle?”

“Oh please. You sat in a bar, for decades on end, getting dirty, hairy, and drunk. That’s not living.”

“As opposed to ye, Miss How-High-Can-I-Jump-Boss?” Yeah, he’d noticed how Aella, while sarcastic, made sure to stay on Lucifer’s good side. She didn’t take the same care with him, which for some reason, annoyed him.

“Hey, don’t act pissy with me because I’ve got a job. Not all of us let one failed relationship turn us into a sobbing wreck bemoaning their fate.”

“I didn’t fail. She cheated.”

“So what?”

So, it sucked. He answered another part of her accusation. “I do not bemoan.”

“But you are a wreck.”

Not anymore, he wanted to say. Yet, wasn’t he planning to return to his old life in a few days? Well, his castle at least. He didn’t think he’d be burying himself at the Triple D anytime soon. The dark locale had lost its appeal. “And what do ye suggest I do?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Something. Anything.”

“Work for Lucifer dragging back naughty demons and souls?”

“Nah. Not your style.”

“Are ye saying I’m not good enough?”

“No
. I know you can fight, but, you have to admit you don’t take orders well. I’d say you’re better suited being an entrepreneur.”

“A what?”

“Own your own business. Do something you like.”

“I like killing things.” He especially wanted to decimate the vampire who’d turned around to take a second peek at the pert ass of his lass.

“You also enjoy playing golf.”

“Do not.”

“Whatever. Lie if you want. I saw your face when you held that club. You miss the game.”

He did. More than he’d realized. “Maybe. But it also ruined my life.”

“And here comes the woe-is-me bit again.” She rolled her eyes. “Get the fuck over it. She screwed you over. You didn’t like it. Boo-fucking-hoo. Welcome to Hell. It happened to me, too, but do you see me moping around? Nope. I’m out having fun. Getting my axe bloody. Making friends.”

“Ye have friends?” He didn’t mean for it to emerge sounding so incredulous.

“Ha ha, funny guy. And yes, I do. A couple, which is more than I can say for you.”

True, damn her. They arrived in front of a bar, the raucous music and laughter within not appealing, nor was the thought of downing some fiery shots. “Where would ye be right now if ye weren’t babysitting me?”

“Me?” She shrugged. “Probably at home watching some television. Or out with a few of my friends.”

“Doing?”

“I’d rather not say.”

“Tell me.”

“You’ll laugh.”