Asmodeus: Demon of Lust---Part One (Princes of Hell) (6 page)

“Thank you.” She took the paper from him and smiled. “I’ve got a ton of stuff that has to get hauled away, so I’m definitely going to need this.”

“I’m sure their rates are reasonable,” he said with a smile. “But I bet I can do better.”

“You want to haul garbage out of my attic and the old barn?” Kai asked incredulously. “Doesn’t sound like a very fun sabbatical to me, Mr. Miles.”

“I could stand to make a few bucks and you need the help.” Aaron glanced from Kai to Ben before walking back to his bike. “I’m happy to help throw out the trash.”

Kai watched as he swung his leg over and started up the bike. She didn’t know what his story was or what being a Dark One really meant, all she knew was that she didn’t want this man riding out of her life. Not yet. In spite of everything her mother had told her ...Kai was compelled to know more about him.

“How does $75 a day plus meals sound to you?” Kai shouted over the rumble of the Harley’s engine.

“Kai?” Ben interrupted as he moved closer so only she would hear him. “This guy is a drifter. Do you really think it’s a wise idea to hire him to work out there with you? Alone? As an attorney and a friend, I would advise against this particular decision.”

Irritation flickered up Kai’s spine. She hated being told what to do or being spoken to like she was a child and currently Ben was doing both.

“Like you said, Ben,” Kai murmured without taking her eyes off Aaron, “I’m anything but simple.”

Kai closed the distance between herself and Aaron and although the engine of the bike was loud, she didn’t miss Ben’s disapproving rumblings as she walked away. She stopped next to the bike as a blast of heat washed over her, wrapping her dress around her legs.

“So?” Kai arched one eyebrow and her fingers tightened around the flyer. “What do you say?”

He revved the engine and leaned back in the seat of the bike. “I say you’re on.”

Kai snagged a pen from her bag and jotted the address down on the back of the flyer before handing it back to him. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Nine o’clock sharp.”

Aaron took the paper from her and tucked it into the back pocket of his jeans, all the while not taking his piercing blue eyes off hers. He gripped the handlebars and glanced at Ben briefly before looking back at Kai.

“I guess you answered my question from earlier, Kai.” Aaron revved the engine and flashed her a cocky grin. “Looks like you have a weakness for me after all.”

Before Kai could tell him what an arrogant comment that was, he rode off leaving a trail of dust in his wake. Shaking with a mixture of adrenaline, lust and anger, Kai spun on her heels and toward her car.

“Are you sure that was wise?” Ben asked. He was standing by her car with a concerned look on her face. “You don’t even know this guy.”

“I know enough,” Kai said evenly. “I appreciate your concern but I can handle myself, and besides I really do need the help clearing out the rest of the stuff. With Mr. Miles helping me it will take a lot less time than doing it alone.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Ben said with a smile. He stepped closer, took Kai’s hands in his and pulled them to his chest. She felt his heart beating beneath their linked hands and his aura burned from yellow to orange. “I feel like this date of ours didn’t exactly get off to a great start.”

“Well I did bring another guy along,” she said with an awkward laugh. Kai smiled and looked into his eyes, paying close attention to how he made her feel. There was a comfortable, familiar feeling to Ben’s spirit. When she looked into his eyes there were no butterflies, no pangs of desire. He was handsome, rich and nice and Kai wasn’t the least bit attracted to him. Figures.

She glanced down at their interlocked fingers and sucked in a deep breath. “Ben, I don’t think...”

“It’s okay.” Ben brought her hands to his lips and placed a warm kiss on her knuckles. It was sweet and almost familial in nature, bringing to mind images of a big brother or something. “You don’t have to say a word, Kai. I’ve been an attorney a long time and if there’s one thing I can do it’s read people.” He dropped her hands and stepped back as he reached into his pocket for his keys. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

“Thanks,” Kai said. She grabbed the strap of her satchel again and let out a slow breath. “Still friends?”

“Of course.” Ben winked. “But I’ll keep hoping for more.”

Kai watched him walk to his car and guilt tugged at her. Turning someone down was never easy and always made her feel bad, but at least Ben took it well. He was, after all, the only person she really knew out here.

“Hey, Kai,” Ben called to her from the open door of his car. “Promise me one thing.”

“Sure.” Kai shrugged. “What?”

“Be careful with Mr. Miles.” He tapped the roof of the car with his fingers. “Like I said, I’m pretty good at reading people and let’s just say I couldn’t get a clear bead on him.”

Kai shivered and crossed her arms over her chest as a warm gust of summer air whipped around her.

“It’s fine, Ben. He’s only going to be working for me for a couple of days,” Kai insisted. Her face heated with embarrassment because Ben read her like an open book. Apparently, she didn’t hide her attraction for Aaron as well as she thought she did. “I’m his temporary employer. That’s all. Believe me, I don’t have the time or inclination to date anyone right now.”

He nodded but didn’t seem anymore convinced about the denial than she was. Who was she kidding? No one. She fiddled with the ring, seeking comfort from the family heirloom.

“I tell you what, the final copies of the documents from Jacob’s estate will be ready in a day or two. How about if I bring them out to you at the house? It would make me feel better to see how you’re faring. I’ll even bring lunch with me, so you don’t have to go to any trouble. Lunch on me.” He raised his hands in surrender. “As friends.”

“Sounds good,” Kai laughed.

Kai waved as Ben drove off, but one name kept running through her mind. Aaron Miles. She drove her confused butt home as fast as possible and as the quiet scenery passed by, her thumb fiddled with the iron band of the ring on her right hand. A million questions swam through her head at once.

Why didn’t Aaron have an aura? If he was a Dark One and they were evil, why on earth would he help her? Why did he seem to suck Ben’s aura away with one touch and hers, but neither of them were hurt?

Why was she insanely attracted to him when she should be running in the other direction? What the heck was a Custodian of the Light? Did it have to do with seeing auras and why hadn’t her mother told her about it?

Above the tsunami of queries, one kept rising up above all the rest. Who the hell was Aaron Miles?

Chapter Four

Asmodeus spent the night in the cheap motel and though he slept off and on, it was far from restful. His thoughts had been consumed, not only by Kai and the ring, but the unexpected arrival of Ben Flaherty.

Asmodeus swore under his breath as he pulled the Harley into the long, winding driveway of Kai’s property. Sweat trickled down his back and he squirmed against the unfamiliar sensation. Being mortal was messy, but Lucifer was right to put them all down here as humans. It probably saved his life.

Ben Flaherty was Fae.

The guy was a damn fairy and, based on the strength of his light, Asmodeus would be willing to bet Ben was a pureblood or at the very least, a hybrid in full use of his powers. At first, he thought the mission was going to be over before it started, but Ben hadn’t flinched. He likely saw Asmodeus’ lack of an aura but if he did, Ben gave no sign of it. Not yet, at least.

When Ben suggested that Kai take off the ring and give it to him for appraisal, Asmodeus had to stop himself from jumping across the table. But Kai had showed zero interest in relinquishing the ring and zero interest in Ben for that matter. Ben, on the other hand, seemed quite interested in Kai but the real question was why? Was he after Kai or the ring? Or both?

Regardless of the answer, Ben Flaherty was going to prove to be a pain in the ass. At the very least, his presence put a wrinkle in Asmodeus’ plans but it was more than that.

Asmodeus kept a close eye on Ben through the evening and was less than pleased when Ben put his arm around Kai. He didn’t like it one damn bit. Not because he thought Kai was interested in Ben, she clearly wasn’t but...well, he didn’t have a good reason...it just bugged the shit out of him to see another man attempting to lay some kind of claim on her.

There were two options. Either Ben had no idea who Asmodeus was, or he did and the son of a bitch was biding his time. He was sure about one thing. Ben was Fae and was after that ring as much as Asmodeus was. Given the moves he was putting on Kai, Ben was probably hoping to woo it out from under her too.

Fat fucking chance.

Heat flared up Asmodeus’ back and he revved the engine of the Harley as a flock of birds swooped low and into a nearby tree. There was no way he was going to let that damned fairy bastard get close to Kai or the ring. Given the appearance of Ben, Asmodeus knew he was going to have to pick up the pace or risk losing the ring.

If he’d been here in his non-mortal form, Ben would have spotted him immediately and that could have created a shit storm of epic proportions. A fucking fairy free for all. Instead of having dinner with Kai, he would have ended up dodging skin-searing rays of light for the evening.

The Power of the Light was a fairy’s strongest weapon and, if wielded properly, it could turn man or demon to dust. Their power was fueled by innocence and rooted in purity. Some say they are an extension of the Hand of God and, based on what he’d seen, he wouldn’t doubt it.

If there was any chance Asmodeus was going to have to tangle with the Fae, his powers better come back or Lucifer better give them back. Last night, at the motel, he’d tried to utilize his telekinesis and some basic heat manipulation and neither worked. He was tempted to reach out to Lucifer but given that he still didn’t have the ring, he decided to hold off.

Asmodeus smirked as he pulled the bike up by the faded red barn. Fairies in human stories were cute little sprites with wings and magic wands, but Asmodeus knew first hand that they could be as lethal as any demon.

There was nothing more dangerous than a pissed off fairy. “You’re late, Mr. Miles.” Kai shouted from the porch.

Case in point.

Asmodeus chuckled as he dismounted the bike and tucked the key into the front pocket of his jeans. Kai was leaning against the porch railing and those dark eyes were peering at him over the rim of a cup of coffee. Wearing cut off jean shorts, a bright pink tank top and a pair of Converse sneakers, she looked like a homegrown farm girl. Her long blond hair was swept back in a ponytail and as he strode closer, he saw her face was free of makeup. Kai was naturally beautiful although she seemed completely unaware of it. But perhaps that was one of the reasons he found her so attractive.

“Morning.” He stopped at the foot of the porch steps, grinning.

“You’re late,” she repeated with a smile.

“How do you figure?” Asmodeus asked as he removed his sunglasses and hooked them into the collar of his t-shirt. He casually surveyed the property as he climbed the steps to meet her. “It’s just about nine now. Give or take. It’s close anyway.”

“Close only counts in horseshoes and grenades,” Kai said before taking another sip of coffee.

“I see,” he said moving closer so there was only a foot or so between them. Asmodeus dropped his voice low and kept his eyes on hers. “Throw a lot of grenades, do you?”

“No,” Kai laughed and held his stare. “It was something my dad used to say. Sorry. It’s silly.” Kai rubbed her thumb along the edge of her coffee mug and he noticed the ring was still on her hand. “I don’t know why I’m giving you a hard time. You’re not really that late.”

“Certainly not as late as your friend was last night.”

“True,” Kai said with a small smile as her eyes met his. “But this is business and that was—”

“Pleasure?” Asmodeus arched one eyebrow.

Kai stilled and her dark eyes remained firmly fixed with his. She was beautiful and had a purity within her that he’d only seen once before. In all his three thousand years only one woman had entranced him and tempted him to relinquish his position in the Brotherhood.

However, when he’d told her who and what was...Vivian had rejected him. Shunned him and cut him out of her life. Asmodeus’ brow furrowed as the uncomfortable memories flooded his mind. After that fiasco, he vowed never to expose himself to that kind of ass-kicking again. Not that any of that mattered. He was here to seduce Kai and get the ring. That’s it.

A cat let out a loud meow from the doorway, bringing him from his thoughts.

“Be nice,” Kai said with a narrow-eyed look toward the Siamese cat. She flicked her gaze to Asmodeus and shrugged. “She’s not great with—”

Before Kai could finish her sentence, the cat was rubbing up against Asmodeus’ leg and purring like an engine. He leaned down and scooped up the cat, which was more than pleased by the extra attention. Scratching her behind the ears as he cradled her to his chest, Asmodeus locked eyes with Kai, who was visibly stunned.

“I can’t believe it.” Kai shook her head and looked from Asmodeus to the satisfied feline. “Zephyr doesn’t like anyone—especially men—and she
never
lets anyone pick her up. Not even me sometimes...Looks like all kinds of women have a fondness for you, Mr. Miles. You charm waitresses and cats alike.”

“Dogs tend to like me best but every now and then I meet a cat who’ll warm up to me.” Asmodeus glanced at the purring feline and could only imagine what his Hellhounds would have to say about this particular incident. “Zephyr, huh?” Asmodeus said. “That’s derived from the name Zephyrus, the Greek God of Wind. Isn’t it?”

“I guess,” Kai laughed. “My dad used to read me Babar the Elephant stories when I was little and Zephyr was the name of his monkey.”

Asmodeus gave her a skeptical look. “An elephant with a pet monkey?”

“Yes.” Kai leaned over and scratched Zephyr. “You know about Greek gods but not Babar? What kind of childhood did you have?”