Demon Blood: A Demon Soul Prequel (The Caine Brothers) (4 page)

Finally she cleared her throat. “Are you cold?”

Gideon lifted his head. “After that? I don’t think I’ll ever be cold again.”

She chuckled, relieved. “Still. Let’s move.” He released his clasp on her waist. She stood, took his hand. “We go this way. It’s clear to the bedroom, once you hit the hallway. The bedroom is straight ahead, with the bathroom to the left once you go through the door.”

She put his hands to either side of the hall, so he could tell where the walls were. He returned his hands to her hips.

“I’ll just follow you.”

She led the way, amazed at how comfortable she was with him. Usually her bed partners were good for an hour or two, then she wanted her solitude again.

But not with Gideon. She led him straight to the bed, pulled the covers down, and moved his hands from her hips to the mattress.

When she got back from the bathroom, he was turned on his side, away from the middle of the bed, and sound asleep.

Tenderness invaded her heart. She kicked it out and frowned. He was a man, a tribred mongrel who had gotten hurt while fighting with her. He deserved her care and nothing else. Sex could be considered a part of that care as he had mentioned. Plus, she enjoyed sex, and they were excellent together.

She climbed into bed and curled herself around Gideon, resting on her hurt shoulder that didn’t seem to hurt quite as much now. She decided to check on it in the morning since she was already snuggled in. It was most likely the endorphins from great sex that prevented her from hurting as much as she should.

T
wice more
, Marie-Therese put the drops in Gideon’s eyes, and both times he’d responded the way any male would when a female straddled them. The sex had been off-the-charts amazing for her.

She had no idea what he’d thought of it, as he was asleep again. Plus, no need to inflate that ego of his. After their last romp, she had stumbled into the shower, stood under the cold water until it warmed. Awake now, she toweled off, enjoying the tiny aches and pains from the night.

It was almost noon, and she’d had more sex in the past few hours than she’d had in the past year, and not for lack of opportunity. Hello, who could resist both French and Fae? No, the problem wasn’t finding willing partners.

The problem was her human side, demanding a connection to her partner. The times when she’d tried to do the Fae thing, and have sex just to have sex, it had always gone wrong.

Until last night with a tribred. Until Gideon Caine and his demon blood.

She toweled her hair dry and stared at herself in the mirror, at the beard burn on her chest. He’d left a purple bite mark on her left breast. The mark was already fading, along with the swelling in her lips from his kisses.

But there was no sign of her wound from the night before, other than a pale crescent on her shoulder from where the hoof had broken the skin. And even that tiny scar was fading, faster than it normally would.

He had
healed
her.

She stared at her wide-eyed reflection and took deep breaths. She was here to learn, then she had to go home. Teach the others. The blindness of the Council to the danger they were all in could only be overcome with knowledge. She’d come to get that knowledge.

Gideon Caine was her one hope, and she really didn’t mind learning from him. Except he melted her panties.

“Which is entirely beside the point, damn it.” She stepped into the tiny dressing area and pulled out a pair of panties and jeans from her suitcase, topped it with a bra and a dark green t-shirt. Taking one more look in the mirror, she resisted the urge to brush her curly hair out and instead, grabbed a band and wrapped her hair up in a ponytail.

There. Not exactly sex on a stick.

With a sigh, she turned and went back into the bedroom. He sat propped up against the headboard, sleep mask still on his face.

“You’re awake.”

“I am. I want to take the mask off.”

“Just a moment.” She went to the wide window and twitched the curtains closed, dimming the light in the room. “Okay. Try it and let me know what you see.”

He slid the mask off his face and opened his eyes and looked directly at her.

Even from across the room, she could see the blue of them. She had forgotten, somehow, the intensity of his gaze.

She reminded herself to breathe. “I take it you can see?”

“You’re beautiful.”

Heat lit up her cheeks and she pressed her hands to her face. “Um. I’m glad you’re feeling better. I’m sure you have somewhere to be. Something must be on your schedule. Call me when you can pencil me in for some portal training.” Damn it, she needed some time to just figure out what the hell was happening to her.

Gideon didn’t react the way she thought he would. He crossed his feet at the ankles, crossed his arms over his chest, and tilted his head. Smiled. And didn’t say a word.

“Well? Time to get dressed and go.”

His lips twitched. “Don’t I even get breakfast?”

She rolled her eyes. “Almond croissant and espresso?”

“Very French. That’ll work.” Gideon slid out of bed and walked toward her.

Every muscle in her body tightened. But when he stopped in front of her and cupped her cheek in his hand, she softened a little. And melted a little more when he kissed her and smiled into her eyes.

“Good morning, Marie-Therese. Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

She smiled back, couldn’t help it. Returned his kiss for the pleasure of his lips on hers. “You’re welcome. Go on, take a shower. There’s a towel on the rack for you. I’ll bring the scrubs in from the living room. Your pants aren’t completely dry yet.”

He disappeared into the bathroom and she gathered his clothes, laid them out on the bed. Frowned at them. That man and those scrubs had turned this rather cold, fully furnished rental unit into something like a home.

It was disorienting. There was something about
him
. His healing ability, maybe? Or the fact that he was so fucking gorgeous? Or maybe it was the fact that his demon blood scared her a little. Did it matter? Did she really care?

She shook the feeling off and headed to the kitchen. One of the things she’d honed in on was the posh espresso machine included in the rent. She turned it on and set a cup below the spout, made sure there were beans in the hopper, and pushed the button for a shot. She’d make him his when he showed up. As the machine whirred and ground and dripped, she placed the box of croissants on the table and added two small plates.

She was nervous, she realized. Which was ridiculous, but there it was. It wasn’t just that his mouth was so kissable though ooh la la, she did like his kisses. Nor was it that the sex had been so fantastic.

When he finally came into the kitchen wearing only the scrubs bottoms, she was sitting at the table, espresso in front of her. She looked up, shook her head.

“Do you ever wear a shirt?” She gestured to the machine behind him. “Just push the big button, and yours will be right out.”

She kept her gaze on her hands as the machine whirred. Finally he sat in front of her.

“Marie-Therese? Are you okay?”

She pulled at her croissant before finally looking up at him. “I need to learn all I can, as fast as I can, so I can go back to Lyons.”

“I thought you wanted me to go away. You said in the bedroom,” he began.

“I know what I said.” Nervous, she stood and walked to the coffee maker and back. “I don’t know what to do with what I’m feeling for you. Okay? I thought maybe some time away from you would be smart. But maybe it’s better for you to just teach me what I need to know, and then I’ll go home.” She sat, twisted her fingers together and refused to meet his gaze.

“Well then. I don’t want you to go back to Lyons. So why would I help you learn how to close a portal in order to facilitate your going home?”

She frowned. “I’ve made myself perfectly clear. I don’t want a mate. Not even one as talented as you are in a fight and in the bedroom.” She met his gaze, surprised when he just nodded.

“Then I guess I’ll be going. Can I take the croissant with me?” He stood. “Do you mind?”

“Yes, I mind. Shit. Sit down. Don’t loom over me.” Irritated, she crossed her legs and bounced her foot.

Gideon sat, waved his croissant. “Why don’t you tell me, exactly, what happened in Provence. We were interrupted last night, and then, well. We had better things to do.” He bit into his pastry and made a low sound of pleasure.

Merde
, but he’d try the patience of a saint. She stifled a sigh. “You heard about the Provence war? The authorities smoothed it over, but a handful of us were killing demons for weeks.” Her heartbeat sped up at the memory. “So many dead…”

He nodded. “And?”

“And the idiot mage that opened the portal was killed. The Fae that closed the portal, also killed. Apparently he was the only one who knew how to close a portal in the entire Fae community in France, and so.” She took a breath. “I desperately need your help, Gideon. This is serious. If some other stupid mage opens another portal, anywhere in France, we’re doomed. I need to learn,” she stressed, reaching across to him and gripping his hand.

“God damned Council.” He glowered down at the remains of his croissant. “What I don’t understand is why the Council isn’t talking to anyone. How did that happen?”

“I don’t know. They’ve been difficult to get ahold of for years, but lately it’s impossible. The compound where they meet has been empty every time I’ve visited.” She leaned back. “I really do need your help.” She rubbed the space between her eyes where a headache lurked.

“You want me to help, even though I’m a mongrel tribred with demon blood in me?” He tilted his head, a questioning look in his eyes.

“You want me to apologize for calling you a mongrel?”

“Would you?”

She tilted her chin. “No.”

Gideon let out a belly laugh. She sat back and looked at this man, this handsome man sitting in her rental kitchen, making it feel like a home. Again.

Damn him. “I’m not going to apologize. I wouldn’t have taken you into my body, into my bed, if I hadn’t found you attractive.”

“If you hadn’t felt the need for me pulsing through you.”

She shook her head. “The need for sex. Not specific.”

“It was specific, Marie-Therese. You needed me.” He picked up her hand, pressed a kiss in the center of it. “At any rate. You need to learn how to close a portal. It just so happens that I believe I know where a portal is that needs closing.”

Fear and excitement sped down her spine. “Near the ocean?”

“I closed that one a couple of days ago. The Boargan we killed were the last of them to get through. I hope, anyway.”

“So where is this other portal?”

Gideon sat up straight. “Not far from where I grew up. We can go out there, find the portal, close it, and I can take you to my neighborhood. Show you the house I grew up in if you want.”

It mattered to him, she realized. “If you can teach me to close a portal, I will be happy to see your ancestral home.”

“I need some information about you, now.” He narrowed his eyes. “Your background. How much Fae are you?”

“
Maman
is one hundred percent Fae. Papa comes from a long line of hereditary witches. I have his skills with spells and potions, but don’t get a chance to use them much. Something I will change in my future, I swear it.”

Interest flared in his blue eyes. “Did you bring your kit with you? I assume you have one.”

“Yes, it’s here. I don’t travel without it. Why?”

“Because, Marie-Therese, I am going to help you shut a portal. And you are going to use magicks.”

Her heart pounded. “I’ve always wanted to combine the two energies.” She saluted him with her espresso cup. “I need another. You?”

“Sure.”

As she waited for the espresso to pour, she tapped a finger against her lips. “So a simple banishing spell won’t work?”

“A Portal needs to be closed, not banished. If you banish it, it may pop up somewhere else, and cause more of a problem.”

“
Merde.
Well, there are other things I can use. I can ask my father, as well. I never expected to be able to use magicks to close a portal, so we’ve never discussed such a move.”

Gideon shifted. “We need to be moving by noon.”

Marie-Therese raised an eyebrow. “Why?” She carried the espresso cups to the table and sat.

“Gut feeling.” He shrugged, pulled the small cup toward him. “I’ve put off searching the area because of the portal in Santa Monica, but a few miles north of my homestead in the San Fernando Valley, there’s a natural gas field. There’s been a leak. I think the portal I’m sensing may have manifested there through natural causes.”

Her lips twisted. “I hadn’t heard.”

“The company that owns the well is keeping it quiet. They’re paying people to move out. Houses are abandoned and some people have gone missing. Nothing that I can pinpoint, exactly, but my gut tells me there’s an active, open portal.” He caught her gaze. “This would change what kind of magic you would use, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes.” She shifted in her chair. “I’ll need to make a call to my father. I should probably do that before we leave. But he’s never actually closed a portal before, so.” She spread her hands.

“Find out what you can.” He finished his espresso. “I have some preparations of my own to do. We need to get this portal closed so I can take you back to bed.”

“Maybe I don’t want to get under the sheets with you again.” She watched, fascinated, as his jaw firmed and his eyes carried a white-hot flame.

“No use lying to me. You can try to lie to yourself though. See how far you get.”

She laughed. “Such the macho bullshit.”

He reached out and caught her chin in his hand. She stilled and their gazes locked.

“Do you really believe you don’t want me?” His voice was a low growl of possession.

Marie-Therese felt her body soften, open for him. If he asked, she’d strip naked and lay herself out on the kitchen table for him to feast on. She smiled and shut her eyes for a moment. Took a breath. So much for wanting to stay unmated. She knew when destiny was staring her in the face. However…

“I know, entirely, that I want you in my bed. What I don’t know is what I want beyond that. ” She opened her eyes and watched him absorb her answer. “You’re asking me to be a partner with you. I’m used to working solo, not as a member of a team.”

His smile was wry. “I had brothers. The only way I know how is to go in as a team.”

She studied him. “You’ve been lonely, since they all left you. Haven’t you?”

He stood. “If we’re going to get this done, we should go.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes hooded so she couldn’t see what he was thinking.

“It bothers you that I can read you.” She stood as well. “Gideon Caine. Let’s just worry about the portal, and deal with the rest later.”

He turned without meeting her gaze. “Make your phone call. We leave at noon.”