What a Demon Wants (17 page)

He frowned, suddenly pretty sure she wasn’t referring to horny as a term for aroused.

She sobered slightly. “How do you feel about that, Jude? You could have a real demon in bed. Literally.”

She giggled again.

Chapter 18

“Can I kiss you again?” she asked Jude.

Oh, she was going to regret this tomorrow. And he was already regretting what he was about to say.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, sweetheart.”

Ellina frowned. “It’s the demon thing, isn’t it? You haven’t liked that from the very beginning, have you? You don’t like touching demons, do you? I’ve seen how you react when you do.”

Her observation surprised him.

“I don’t,” he agreed. “But that doesn’t apply to you.”

“I don’t believe you,” she said, her tone suddenly petulant.

Jude laughed. “Oh Ellina, I’ve liked everything about you from the beginning. Too much.”

He was being too candid, but it was easy to do with her being so open. Too bad it was under the influence.

Her frown deepened. “Then why did you want to leave almost as soon as you met me?”

He laughed again. “Well, I didn’t leave, did I?”

“That’s because Maksim offered you any price to stay.” She pouted slightly, until an idea occurred to her. “Wait, I have plenty of money. I could pay you anything too.”

“For what, sweetheart?”

Because he wasn’t taking any amount of money to leave.

“For you to sleep with me.”

Okay, he didn’t see that coming.

Ellina smiled, proud of the idea. Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner? If it was a business transaction, then her little demon issue wouldn’t be a problem. He’d be paid to ignore it.

She tilted her head. Wait. Was that a good idea? She was getting confused now.

She blinked, focusing on Jude. He wasn’t smiling anymore.

“Why aren’t you smiling? I like your smile. I like your dimples.”

She reached out and touched his cheek. She could feel the stubble on his jaw. She liked that too. He had such a beautiful face, sculpted and almost a little harsh until he smiled. Then the dimples. They made him look boyish, sexy.

He caught her hand, holding her palm to his face for a moment, then lowering both their hands. But he didn’t let go; instead he stroked his thumb over the inside her wrist.

Warmth pooled in her belly. She liked that too.

She sighed.

“Ellina, I think you should go to bed.”

She nodded. She was feeling awfully strange. She started to stand, but the room seemed to tilt and she tumbled back down onto the sofa.

She was laughing, then she was squealing, because Jude had picked her up, high against his solid chest. She looped her arms around his neck to keep her balance.

“I feel all dizzy and funny,” she told him, leaning in to nibble his ear. Wow, she’d never done anything like that before. She nibbled it again, worrying the soft lobe between her teeth.

Jude trembled. Or at least she thought he did. It might just be her dizzy feeling again.

The next thing she knew Jude had brought her to her bedroom.

“Are you going to sleep with me?” she asked as he placed her in bed.

“I certainly hope so,” he said, and she grinned. “But not tonight.”

She pursed her lips, not happy with that answer. Jude pulled her comforter over her and tucked the edges around her as if she was a small child.

“I’m going to get you some water,” he said, “Stay here.”

“Okay,” she agreed with a yawn. She stretched, deciding that her bed felt pretty wonderful. Not as good as Jude’s arms, but still nice.

“I’ll be right back,” Jude told her again.

She nodded, letting her eyes drift shut while she waited.

Paying him to have sex with her. That was a pretty great idea.

Wasn’t it?

Jude stood outside Ellina’s bedroom door, trying to fathom what the hell just happened. Was she honestly telling him that when she had sex she turned into a demon?

And did she really want to pay him to have sex with her?

He shook his head, utterly confused.

Clearly he’d been wrong to think that one glass of wine with a Valium wouldn’t affect her that much. That girl was lit.

He headed to the kitchen and filled a large tumbler with ice water.

“Here you go,” he said as he came into the room. “I think some water will make you feel better.”

There was no response from the bed. He walked over to find Ellina with her eyes closed, her arms crossed over her chest in the perfect imitation of a vampire at rest.

“Ellina?”

Her only answer was a slight snore.

He shook his head again, smiling with amusement. Ellina was entertaining.

He set the glass on the nightstand, then went to get the book he’d been reading the night before from his room. He returned, taking a seat in the feminine little chair she had in the corner.

He didn’t want to leave her alone tonight for two reasons. One, he wasn’t sure what type of creature had attacked her at the hospital and he couldn’t risk the guy coming into her room. And second, she was so gone he had no idea what she might do if she woke up again.

He didn’t want her going out and offering some other man money to have sex with her.

He chuckled, opening his book.

One thing he did know for sure—she was going to be embarrassed as hell come tomorrow morning.

If she remembered it.

Ellina groaned, throwing an arm over her face to block out the light. Why the hell was it so bright? She started to roll over, but the movement made her head ache so badly that she remained on her back. Perfectly still.

What was wrong with her?

Then she remembered the attack. But she didn’t think the bumps and bruises she’d sustained would make her feel like this. She thought harder, although that seemed to make her head throb more.

Then everything returned with full, vivid, awful clarity. She’d taken the sedative the doctor gave her. She’d had a glass of wine.

She’d kissed Jude.

Oh God.

She’d told Jude about the demon issues.

Oh God.

She’d offered him money to have sex with her.

“Oh God.”

“You’re awake.”

She gasped, sitting up to see Jude at the end of her bed, lounging in her yellow gingham chair, his feet up on the window-sill, legs crossed at the ankles.

He smiled serenely, looking for all the world as if he belonged there.

“What—what are you doing here?”

She dreaded the answer. Had he taken her up on the money for sex offer?

“I didn’t think it was a very good idea to let you sleep alone last night.”

She made a small noise of dread in her throat. Oh no, he had slept with her. She didn’t remember.

“So I sat here and read all night.”

She relaxed slightly, but still had to ask, “So we—we didn’t…”

He smiled. “So you remember, do ya?”

She could feel the heat burning her cheeks, but she didn’t respond. She was mortified.

He rose then, setting down the book he’d been reading on the chair. He crossed to the bed and sat down on the edge.

“Let me assure you,” he said with a smile, “no money exchanged hands last night.”

She let out a pent-up breath. “Oh, good.”

Then another horror hit her.

“We didn’t…do it? You know, without money?”

He chuckled, then shook his head.

“No. We didn’t.”

Again relief washed over her. Until he leaned in and kissed her. Then relief was not what was washing through her.

The caress was different from the other kisses they’d shared. This one was gentle and sweet, but no less arousing for its tenderness. In fact, more so, in some ways. A whisper of lips touching, breaths mingling.

She couldn’t stop the tremor that shook her.

He pulled away, looking deep into her eyes. Then he cupped her cheek, his thumb running lightly across her lower lip.

“I want to make something very clear to you,” he said his voice low and velvety.

“You don’t have to worry about my attraction to you. I’m desperately attracted to you.

Everything about you. But you have to trust that. You have to decide you can trust me.”

Ellina stared at him, unsure what to say. He rose then.

“I already put on coffee,” he said. “That will probably help your headache. I’m going to jump in the shower.”

She nodded, still dazed by what he’d just told her. He disappeared through her bathroom door, closing it behind him.

She sat there, too overwhelmed. Jude was telling her he wanted her. All of her, even the demon. Something like exhilaration danced through her, only to be squashed by doubts.

He said that, but he hadn’t actually seen her. He didn’t know what he was agreeing to, not really.

She pushed back the covers and crawled out of bed. Her body felt okay, not too sore, but her head was another story.

Valium and wine. Bad. Very, very bad.

And not just because of the headache. Dear Lord, the things she’d said.

She trudged to the kitchen and fixed herself some coffee, praying Jude was right. She needed something to drive away this headache. She didn’t have an answer for the mortification.

She’d just settled down on the sofa with her mug and her television remote, because TV was about all she was going to be able to handle this morning, when someone knocked on the door.

She started, her stomach sour with dread.

Like your stalker is going to knock on your front door, she admonished herself. But she still didn’t move. She heard the shower running and worried Jude wouldn’t be able to hear her if something happened.

But you can’t live in fear of everything, she told herself. She stood, but pushed back her curtain to see who was there before she actually headed toward the door.

She released the breath that she hadn’t even realized she was holding. Her body sagged with relief.

It was Pete.

“Hi,” she smiled as she opened the door.

“Good morning,” he smiled back, but then his smile slipped. “What happened to you?”

At first, she thought her friend referred to her unfortunate mixture of sedatives and alcohol, then she realized he couldn’t know about that.

The bruises, she realized. She touched a hand to her cheek, suspecting it actually looked better this morning than last night.

She considered making up a story, but then opted against it. This was Pete. Aside for her little demon secret, she told him everything. Well, most things.

“I have a stalker,” she told him.

“What?” Pete instantly caught her elbow and led her to the couch. Clearly he wanted to settle in and hear all the details.

“Remember the breakins?”

He nodded.

“Well, those seemed to have been done by the same person. And that person attacked me yesterday.”

“Oh my God. Where?”

“At the hospital while I was there to see Maksim and Jo’s baby.”

Pete shook his head, clearly shocked.

“They had a boy, by the way,” Ellina added.

Pete brushed aside that information. “He attacked you at the hospital? That’s pretty ballsy.”

Ellina nodded, although she was a little surprised by his disinterest in the sex of Maksim’s child. They’d had a bet on it, since she’d told Pete about the pregnancy. And he’d lost. That meant he had to buy her a meal at K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen. Not cheap.

But then, he was concerned about her.

“Yeah, it was pretty ballsy,” Ellina said. “I really think the only reason I’m sitting here is because a nurse happened to come into the bathroom. It was really scary, Pete.”

“I bet. Do you have any idea who it might be? Did he say or do anything that you recognized?”

“No. But I did notice this smell. A strange sort of musty, earthy scent. And when I got home I had this strange powder all over my shirt. Jude put it in the guest room to take to a lab. Maybe we can find out something.”

Pete frowned. “Powder? Really? That’s weird.”

She nodded.

“And where was the boyfriend?”

She frowned for a moment. Who? Oh, Jude.

“Out in the hallway.”

Pete nodded. She got the feeling he wanted to say something but was holding back.

“Why?”

“Well…” He shook his head. “No, it’s nothing.”

She frowned. What was he going to say?

“I mean, I was in a ladies’ room. He wouldn’t have been with me anyway, if you’re wondering why he didn’t help me.”

“Of course,” he agreed with a smile, but again she detected an undercurrent to his response.

“Okay, Pete,” she said. “What are you thinking?”

He looked reluctant to say anything, then he sighed. “Well, Ell, I’m just thinking that you don’t know him very well. Are you sure you can trust him?”

She stared at her friend. “Of course I can trust him.”

Pete nodded. “Okay. I know you certainly know him better than I do. It was just a thought.”

Then he offered her his usual perky smile. “I was actually stopping by to see if you wanted to go get beignets. It might be good for you to get out around people. And in the sun.”

Ellina couldn’t restrain her look of disgust. “I’m afraid my stomach can’t take all that fried dough and powdered sugar this morning.”

Pete raised a curious eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes. “Let’s just say I’ve discovered firsthand that Valium and wine do not mix. But coffee’s made. Would you like a cup?”

He debated. “Sure.”

She left him in the living room as she went to prepare him a cup. She was surprised Pete would even consider something like that about Jude. Her friend was usually far more trusting than she was. It made her think maybe Pete sensed something about her houseguest.

She shoved the thought aside. Jude was here to protect her, so he’d sort of dropped the ball. It was an accident, and he’d felt awful.

When she came back to the kitchen, Pete was in the guest room doorway.

“Pete?”

He started and closed the door with an impish smile.

“Sorry, you know me. Just being nosy. Seeing if he really was staying in the guest room. And maybe sneak a peek at some post-shower towel action.”

Ellina laughed. That was the Pete she knew.

“You are so bad.”

He wiggled his eyebrows as he accepted the coffee.

She paused, looking at her friend. “It’s funny, Pete. But you look different to me. Did you get a haircut?”