Demons Like It Hot (13 page)

Then again, Minerva was a goddess, and goddesses had powers—strong powers from what she could see. “How do I know you’re not playing me?”

Minerva chuckled. “You’d already be dead. Now open the box already.”

Matthias unsheathed his dagger, the scraping sound echoing in her ears. “If anything happens to her, I’ll send you to—what did the Romans call it? Tartarus.”

“I’m hardly a sinner, but you have my word, Matthias, she will be safe.” She sauntered toward him and snatched the dagger from his hand. “I am getting sick of this thing. Have some manners, Ambrose.” She tossed the dagger to the corner of the room.

Matthias grunted but backed away. “I’ll still be watching you, Minerva.”

“I wouldn’t expect any less from the Pure-Blood’s protector.” She swirled in her skirts and came back to the table where Serah sat. “And if I meant you any danger, Matthias would have already run me through. Right, Matthias?”

“She can be trusted—for a while.”

“Thank you, I think.” Minerva took Serah’s hand in hers, the warm peaceful energy soothing her fingertips. “See? I mean no harm. Now, Serah, please close your eyes.”

Sera nodded. Maybe she planned to do a séance. She had so much she needed to tell her grandmother. But most of all, she wanted forgiveness. Slowly, she drew her lids closed and held her hands still for Minerva. “I’m ready.”

“Wonderful.” The sound of the latch popping up echoed in her ears. She resisted the urge to peel one of her eyes open and sneak a peek. Remembering the last time someone opened a chest, it was best to follow the goddess’s direction.

The lid clicked shut. Minerva took her hand again, still as soothing as before. Matthias, surprisingly, remained dead silent. Maybe she gave him a magical muzzle.

“Do you truthfully accept your destiny and whatever comes with it?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“You don’t sound too confident, Serah. I am being serious.”

“If it brings me closer to Nonni, I accept.”

Minerva clucked her tongue. “Fine, but remember what I’m about to give you will work only if you fully accept what you are.”

Serah nodded. “I will.”

Minerva opened Serah’s palm and placed a pendant and chain in her hand. The metal was warm, not cold—silver. She could feel the encrusted stones tracing paths across her skin. Warm energy flowed through her body, similar to what she felt when she held her Nonni’s watch.

“Can you feel it?”

“It feels like a necklace.”

“Is that it?”

“Yes. Can I open my eyes now?”

Minerva blew out a breath. “Angelica told me you’d be stubborn. Yes, you can open your eyes.”

Serah looked down at the necklace she held. Not a pendant, as she originally thought, but a locket. A circle of chipped diamonds surrounded the shiny silver surface. Dangling from a plain silver chain, it sparkled and shined, despite the stones’ poor cuts. She looked down at her watch—the similarity in the arrangement of the stones almost knocked her senseless.

She finally exhaled. “This belonged to Nonni, didn’t it?”

“It did. Now it belongs to you.”

“It’s just a necklace. Why couldn’t I have it sooner?”

“You aren’t fooling anyone, Serah. You know why. And if you don’t accept your destiny, the Earth is doomed.”

Minerva couldn’t have said it any more succinctly. Maybe all Serah needed was a kick in the ass from a goddess. He fought the smile that threatened to curve his lips. No way would he show emotion. Emotions were a weakness, often taken advantage of.

Matthias would not let Minerva have the upper hand. Too much was at stake.

Unfortunately, Serah shrugged. A deep roar of laughter burst from her lips. “I find it hard to believe that a simple caterer is destined to save the world.”

God’s teeth.
He knew she’d be stubborn, but this was worse than he thought. He clenched his teeth, and his words came out strained. “You are far from simple.”

He reached for her, his hand brushing hers. Jolts of electricity flowed between them. A soft gasp escaped her lips and her lids fluttered across her eyes, which were clouding over. He’d seen that look before. Desire. His loins tightened, pressing uncomfortably against the briefs he had tried on earlier. They were called tighty-whities for a reason. He struggled to control his gulp.

A brief hint of recognition flashed in her gaze. As if a lightning bolt had zinged through her, she gasped. Yanking her hand from his, her sapphire gaze grew stormy and her lip trembled. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but stop it already.”

Matthias’s blood grew colder than it already was. He had not done anything, save for touch her. He tamped down the paranoia creeping through his body. Did she remember? He hoped not. None of his victims, demon or human, had ever remembered. His unfortunate skill made certain of that. If she remembered, it meant one of two things. Either he was losing his powers, or she was stronger than the Fore-Demons realized.

He didn’t know which was worse.

“I only touched you, Serah.”

Her gaze burned a hole in his already blackened heart. “Then don’t touch me again.”

“I can’t guarantee that, and you know it. It’s my duty as your bodyguard to protect you—and if it requires
touching
”—he paused and narrowed his gaze—“then so be it.”

She turned and stormed away from him, hand still firmly clasping the locket. “Well, pray you don’t have to,” she said with an exasperated breath and a dramatic flip of her hair.

Matthias turned to Minerva. Not only was the goddess wise, she was known for her candor. He would get to the bottom of this one way or the other.

“So why is this necklace so important, other than belonging to her grandmother?”

This evening, however, candor was fleeting. Minerva shrugged and twirled a golden lock around her manicured finger. “That is for Serah to find out. When she accepts her destiny, all will be revealed.”

“Destinies are overrated.” Serah grumbled, frustrated by the clasp she was fumbling with.

“A little help?” she asked in a huff.

Minerva shook her head. “Once the locket is in your hands, I cannot touch it. Bad things will happen.”

Serah arched a brow. “What sort of things?”

“Let’s just say a disaster of biblical proportions.” Minerva plopped down into her chair and propped her elbows on the table. “Only the pure and those who have been blessed can touch it now.” Minerva flashed a cryptic smile. “Matthias will have to do the honors.”

Just one touch could be his downfall. Minerva was too wise for her own good. He crossed his arms. “She doesn’t want me to touch her.” And to be honest, he didn’t need the drama that would come from that touch, nor the excitement. But that animal deep inside him wanted it. Badly.

She was a Pure-Blood, and he was a demon. It was a union destined for disaster. He might not have been Infernati, but he wasn’t all that good either. As a mercenary, he straddled the line of good and evil. One wrong move, and he could have chosen the path of his mentor. He restrained his cringe. He would not join Bal—in this life or the next. Even the farce of a blessing he received from a not-so-innocent angel straddled the line of good and evil.

“Damn it!” Serah’s grumble pulled him from his thoughts. Arms twisting behind her neck like a contortionist, she struggled with the necklace. “Fine—please help?” Her reluctant request matched the unease swirling in her gaze. Then again, could he really blame her?

With slow, meticulous steps he came to stand behind her. Far enough away to prevent any discomfort. He flashed a surreptitious glance downwards. Well, discomfort for her, at least.

She turned to meet his gaze and thrust the necklace at him. With just as quick a spin, she turned back around and gathered her mass of curls in her hands, baring that beautiful, porcelain neck.
Ahh, hell. This was not going to be easy
.

He inched closer. Who knew assisting a woman with a simple bauble could be so difficult? Then again, this bauble was anything but. And this woman—well she wasn’t simple either. Difficult, stubborn, and too sexy for her own damn good.

“I’ll keep the touching minimal,” he whispered in her ear as he quickly swept a stray hair away from her neck.

She stiffened, a tiny gasp escaping her lips. “Just hurry,” she said with a ragged breath.
Oh
hell
. His blood was ready to boil.

“Awkward,” Minerva said, obviously amused at the reaction. Chin perched on her godly hands, she flashed an all-too-knowing smile. Were they pawns in a bizarre game of amusement? Then again, she was a goddess. Humans and demons alike had always been a source of amusement for the gods. They certainly enjoyed their
sport
. He imagined it would be the same now, even with their fleeting numbers.

“I fail to see the enjoyment in watching such a mundane task as clasping a necklace.”

Minerva shrugged. “You would, Matthias.” She lowered her hands to the table and stretched back in her chair. “We gods could find amusement in watching paint dry if we wanted.”

“That doesn’t surprise me at all.” He turned back to Serah’s neck, the pulse at the base of her throat tempting him to lower his head and trace the contours with his tongue. Like he had several months ago.

Who knew someone so pure could tempt even a demon?

This was becoming an obsession. Even when she wasn’t near, she always managed to seep into his dreams and drive him mad with desire. And in those dreams, he was less than gentlemanly. A Pure-Blood was innocent and deserved better.

And dreams like that were better not to come true.

With an abrupt grunt, he placed the necklace around her neck, and clasped it shut. And just as abruptly he let the chain fall against her neck. “There.” He turned to glance at the clock on the far wall. Nearly ten at night.

The stench of Balthazar still clung to the air. Leave it to Balthazar to still linger. Balthazar was never one to give up when he wanted something. Persistence—one of his better traits. At least that part of him had stayed intact. “Got anything that can get us to Serah’s without running into Balthazar’s wretched claws?”

“I have many tricks up my sleeves.” Minerva fluttered her gauze-draped sleeves and arose. With a smirk, she winked at Serah. “Then again, so do you. Claim your destiny.”

Serah shrugged. “I have a destiny. To run the most successful catering company in the River City metropolitan area.” Her sapphire eyes narrowed. “Not sniff out stinky demons like some stupid bloodhound.”

“Is that all you think you’re good for?” Matthias could give a damn about his promise not to touch her. She needed some sense knocked into her. He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders. The fire leapt across his skin as jolts of electricity ripped through his body and right to his cock. But he needed to say it, and this was the only way to break through. He could forego a little comfort for now. He lowered his intense gaze to hers. Defiance, not usually a trait Matthias found pleasant, swirled in the blue depths of her eyes, but with Serah it was more than pleasant. It was goddamn hot.

He managed to find his voice. “Trust me, there’s more to it than that.”

Serah yanked herself from his grasp. “There always is.” She leaned against the doorjamb. “Let’s just go home. I’m tired and I have a big day tomorrow.”

She
still
plans
to
try
out
for
that
silly
show
even
after
their
run
in
with
Balthazar? Is she nuts?
“You are not auditioning.”

“I signed a contract. I have to. I doubt I’ll get the show anyway. I’m just a caterer from a small Midwest town. They probably want someone more elegant.”

She was elegant enough. She could get the job on looks alone. Did the woman not know how beautiful she was? Unfortunately for Matthias, that only added to her innocent charm.

“Would you like me to audition?” Minerva smiled. “Then again, I never was any good in the kitchen. That was more Edesia’s specialty.”

“As much as I would love a goddess in the kitchen, I think I can handle it. I’ve got demon-boy here to protect me if anything goes wrong.”

“What did your friend say about this?”

“Lucy? She doesn’t know.”

He didn’t like it one bit. “Why haven’t you told her? Don’t friends share important news like this?”

Serah twirled a curl around her finger. “The rules of the contest were very specific. I signed a confidentiality agreement. I’m only telling you because, well, you’re my employee.”

“Fine. But as soon as anything otherworldly happens, I’m pulling the plug.”

“Fine. As for demons, the shop is warded. And they can’t come in if they aren’t invited. Trust me—I won’t be inviting them in.”