Demons Like It Hot (9 page)

Her heart thumped in her chest. Waves of hot energy washed over her, like she’d just been thrown in the oven. If she didn’t stop this, she’d surely burn to a crisp.

Her fantasy view traveled upward, to the tighty-whities that did little to conceal the bulges. Especially that particular bulge. Curse her imagination. It couldn’t even imagine him naked.

Man he was good, and a tease to boot. “I know you’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?” he asked, his silky smooth voice melting her to mush. He pushed open the door and stepped out. Even the loose khaki cargoes couldn’t hide the rippled muscles that bunched and flexed beneath. He smoothed his hands over black linen, in a futile attempt to straighten the crinkled fabric. Curls of dark brown hair peeked from the open collar, also affording her another glance of the contours of his pecs. Serah swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Not to your liking?” he asked, scrubbing his hands across the stubble on his chin. He turned around to glance in the full-length mirror and raked his fingers through his trimmed hair. Oh God. Not that view. The khaki accentuated the hard planes of his buttocks. Her mind would be off on its wild tangent if he didn’t get out of her sight.

“It looks good,” she finally managed. More than good, but she couldn’t tell him that. She collected her thoughts. “Why not try on a few more so you can choose what you want?”

“I’m not that good with fashion, Serah. I’ll need some help.”

Trust
me, you don’t need any help.
He could wear a burlap sack and it would look good on him. She was a caterer, not a fashion consultant. Was it her fault her tastes normally ran on the designer side? Not to mention bizarre at times. “Seriously, fashion is overrated. Just wear what makes you feel comfortable.”

“I know what makes me feel comfortable, and according to you, that’s not an option.”

“Touché.” Serah flipped her curls back and raised her chin.

“Miss?” The clerk’s friendly voice broke her thoughts. “How about these?” Several shoe boxes were stacked in his arms, and he held out a pair of Doc Martens. “I’ve got a few different styles to choose from.”

“So what do you think, Matt? Comfortable enough for you?”

“I suppose I can try them on.” He marched toward the clerk and took them from him. With that, he stomped back into the changing room and slammed the flimsy door behind him.

“I hope none of your customers are as brusque as him.”

The man shrugged. “I’ve seen worse, actually.”

“Yikes.” Serah took a couple of the boxes from the guy and sat them on the love seat. “Thanks for your help. We should be all set.”

“No problem. Let me know if you need anything.” The guy strolled off toward the cash register.

With a small sigh, she plopped down into the softness of the cushiony love seat. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. A short nap wouldn’t hurt. She’d had an exhausting day. He’d warded the shop anyway. She was safe.

But she wasn’t safe from her overactive imagination. He was shirtless again. His hard body pressed against her, her fingers gripped tightly around his arms, his biceps rippling against her fingertips. His mouth, gentle yet demanding, sucked, nibbled, and nipped at her neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His tongue swirled along her earlobe. Of course he would know her secret spot, she’d pulled him there. His hands, large and calloused, roamed over the swell of her breasts, and down to her thighs, ready to begin their journey back upward.

Her breath caught and her pulse skyrocketed. A soft murmur escaped her lips. Part of her wanted to expand on this fantasy; the other, more practical side struggled to tamp down her libido. She couldn’t afford the embarrassment of orgasming in public.

Forcing her eyes open, she jumped up from the couch. “Stop it!”

Throwing open the door, Matthias growled. His shirt was unbuttoned, and it fell off his shoulders, exposing the breadth of his chest. She bit her lip. “For the tenth time, I’m not doing anything.” His look of frustration molded into one of concern. Onyx eyes searching, he gripped her shoulders. With an odd gentleness, he raised her chin to look up at him.

“What happened, Serah?”

“Nothing. Just a dream.”

“What did you see?”

She gnawed her lower lip. She couldn’t tell him the truth that he was making her hormones go bonkers. He was probably an incubus or something. Then again, as territorial as her kind was, Lucy could easily detect another Sexubi. Serah still laughed at the name. Had he been a Sexubi, the introductions would not have been so pleasant.

“I… I forgot.”

Matthias jaw ticked. “I know you don’t trust me, but I am here to protect you. At least trust that.”

Serah crossed her arms. So he thought she didn’t trust him. Well, it wasn’t a complete lie. More like she couldn’t trust herself. He was like her own demon-sized helping of molten lava cake. That sort of deliciousness always ended up in disaster.

“I know you mean well. I just think your being here is unnecessary.”

“Necessary enough that the Fore-Demons sent me. That should be proof enough.”

“I’ve heard how these Fore-Demons operate.” Serah yanked her head away. She couldn’t let herself fall into the pool of that intense gaze again.

“I’m new to taking orders from the Council, but I do know they have their reasons. You are special. You need protection.”

“Seriously, this is getting old.” Serah reached down to pick up one of the shoe boxes, but stopped in her tracks.

The faint hint of sewer and cloves wafted to her nose.
Not
now. Not in front of him.

Her stomach roiled as the odor grew stronger. Her nose twitched. Shivers of revulsion crawled across her skin. She couldn’t let him see her like this. Otherwise her cover would be blown more than it already was.

Hard muscled arms wrapped around her, pulling her against Matthias’s rigid chest. Her breath caught, as the heat radiated between their bodies. Her body, against her own better judgment, molded against his.
God, all that hard muscle
. It felt too good. “What the hell?”

“Shh,” he whispered, his breath teasing along her earlobe. With stealthy—too stealthy by Serah’s standards—footsteps, he backed into the changing room and slammed the door shut with his foot.

“Do you sense it?”

Serah forced a mask of bemusement. “Sense what?” she managed.

“Don’t play ignorant with me, Serah. I saw your reaction.”

These demons were too smart for their own good. She clenched her fists. This one especially. How was it that he could read her so well?

“You grabbed me so tight, what other reaction did you expect?”

“Stop it, Serah. I saw you tense before I grabbed you.”

“You read into things too much. And you barely know me.”

“Centuries as a demon have taught me how to gauge people’s reactions. You smell the demon, same as I.”

Serah narrowed her gaze. If he wasn’t a full Paladin, how could he sense the Infernati?

“I thought you weren’t officially blessed as a Paladin yet. How can you smell demons?”

Matthias crossed his arms and leaned in, his onyx gaze burning. “I’m a trained mercenary. That’s all you need to know.” He turned away and swept up the clothes in his arms.

“Wow. You expect me to trust you to protect me, and you can’t even answer a simple question?”

“It
isn’t
simple.”

The odor of sewer and thick spice grew stronger. Serah’s stomach continued to roil. Whoever this demon was, he was powerful. They always left the strongest scent. Imps and wraiths, on the other hand, she could tolerate. Now she was on the verge of losing her lunch.

“Whatever. We need to get going.” She looked down at her grandmother’s watch—a quarter to eight. “The store closes in fifteen minutes.”

“There is a demon out there. A powerful one.”

“That’s not fair to Charlie out there. I’m sure he has things to do.”

“It isn’t safe. For you, and especially him.”

“This is nuts. You are all overreacting.” With that, she reached for the door handle and tugged. It wouldn’t budge.

“What the fuck?” She yanked and pulled some more.

“I’m sorry, Serah, but I need to protect you.” And, just that quickly, an icy swirl of wind, snow, and ice misted around him. And—
poof
—he was gone.

Matthias swiped frost, snow, and ice from his shoulders and head. Backing against the cold concrete of the building, he made his way toward the darkened alley. He knew Serah would be irritated but it was the only way he could keep her protected while Balthazar lingered.

Balthazar. He recognized that reek anywhere. Once Belial’s right hand man, he hardly ever traveled from the
comforts
of hell. He preferred to work from the pits. This confirmed Matthias’s suspicions—Serah was in bigger trouble than he thought.

But Balthazar hadn’t always been Belial’s lapdog. He was once a friend—

A mentor. Matthias gritted his teeth.
His
mentor. He’d taught Matthias everything he knew about being a mercenary. But even mercenaries were vulnerable.

He’d never thought his friend would fade into the darkness of the Infernati. How wrong he was.

He inched along the side of the building, creeping slowly down the alley. Hand firmly gripping his dagger, he continued his stealthy movement.

“I taught you those moves, you know.” The familiar baritone voice he used to revere as a friend’s now pounded in his ear. His friend was gone. Then again, he already knew—ever since they had last met in Belial’s chambers in hell.

Balthazar sniffed the air, sucking in a deep breath. With a devilish wink, he licked his lips. “Mmm. The Pure-Blood is nearby. So you’ve come to finish your mission, I hope?”

“What’s it to you?”

“You have too much at stake to act so bloody glib.”

“As far as I’m concerned, I upheld my part of the bargain. I delivered the package as requested. Belial broke his end of the deal when he locked me up.”

Balthazar snorted, the sound reverberating against the concrete surrounding them. “And what part of the bargain said you could try to break Serah SanGermano free?”

“When a customer doesn’t pay, I take my services back.” Not a complete lie. But deep inside, he knew it was more. There was something about that woman that stirred him in ways he never knew. It went against everything he’d learned over the years. Every emotion he tried to keep contained fired where Serah was concerned. Lust, anger, frustration, and other strange feelings he hadn’t felt before. It unnerved him.

“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for her.” Balthazar clucked his tongue and waggled his finger. Light blond hair whipped in the air as he shook his head. “You’ve lost your touch.”

Matthias was done playing Balthazar’s games. “What brings you to Earth?”

“There’s a nasty rumor circulating around hell that you’ve joined the Paladins. I’ve come to dispel said rumor.”

“And if I have?”

“Then I have no choice but follow through with our demands.”

Matthias gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Belial, even from the pits of departed demons, managed to be the bane of his existence. He’d always hoped whatever hold Belial had on his friend would dissipate when he was vanquished. Another thing he’d miscalculated.

“Belial is dead. You don’t serve him anymore.”

“I serve someone else now.”

“I remember a time when you wouldn’t serve anyone. I am truly disappointed.”

Balthazar shrugged, his now-red, beady eyes sparking in the dim moonlight. “Oh well, my friend. Have it your way.”

“You are not my friend. My friend is long gone.”

“So be it, Ambrose. But heed my words. Your mission still stands. Bring me Serah SanGermano or your last remaining descendant will die in three days.”

“How do I know you’re telling me the truth?”

“Your wife… she was with child when you left for the Crusades.”

Matthias drew his jaw straight. He hated talking about his demonic turning. How he took a Saracen blade in his chest. How he crumbled to the ground, his blood pooling. Just when he closed his eyes, she appeared.
An
angel
, he’d thought. Little did he know, she was far from being an angel.

“I want proof.”

“Have I lied to you before?”

“I trusted the man who mentored me, not the monster standing here now.”

“Have you joined them or not?”

“Why does it matter?”

“It matters because your descendant will die.”

Matthias’s heart sank. The world’s existence depended on the last Pure-Blood’s safety. He needed to protect Serah no matter the cost. Without her, the world was doomed.

He hated what he was about to say, but Serah needed protection. “If I have to sacrifice one descendant for the entire world, then so be it.”