“Fine.” Irdu sank back into his chair. “Get back to work. Go be like every other spoiled new demon on the floor. Prove to me you’re no different from anyone else.”
She had no idea what her standing up for herself had to do with not being unique, but she was done giving him the satisfaction of her biting back. If he liked the tension that came the day after, this was probably almost as good as her stunned expression when she realized who he was this morning. She spun on her toe and returned to her trainer.
The conversation, the lies, and Irdu’s excuse for all of it, rolled over in her head for the rest of the day. She tried to shove then aside, but the thoughts wouldn’t be ignored.
When she got a break, she called Izzy. A sourness in her throat made her hesitant to dial, but she had to find out how much he’d known.
“Hey, angel.” His happy greeting would have made her smile on any other day. He called her that because he recognized that demons and angels were the same at their core. They just called different places home.
Was his cheerful attitude today because he was waiting to see if he had someone to poke fun at?
“Did you know?” She winced at her abrupt reply.
“Know what? Are you all right?”
Ronnie leaned against a nearby wall with a sigh and scanned the hallway. She didn’t need anyone overhearing this until she figured out what was at the root of this conversation. “No. Yes. I’m fine. Nothing life threatening. Did you know Irdu was my boss?”
The silence that greeted her churned up a storm in her stomach.
“No.” Izzy sounded sincere when he finally replied. “Really? No. I had no idea. I would have said something if I’d known.”
She felt a twinge of gratitude she wasn’t the only one who thought her expectation was reasonable. “Promise?” She believed him, but she needed the reassurance. She’d believed a lot of things Irdu said, too.
“Cross my heart, angel. I’m sorry he did that to you. I have plans tonight, but if you want to stop by after work later this week, I’ll commiserate with you.”
“Commiserate. Is that a euphemism?” Ronnie tried to keep her tone light. She also needed to know that he meant what he’d said the other night, about the sex not disrupting their growing friendship.
He chuckled. A good sign. “Not unless you want it to be. I was thinking more like brownies and chick flicks.”
“That does sound like fun.” She was smiling now. “Thank you.”
They chatted a little longer, which helped calm her mood. But as soon as she disconnected, she remembered why she’d been irritated in the first place. Irdu.
She was still fuming when she got home. She grabbed a pint of ice cream from the freezer. Damn it, it was only half-full. Besides, she didn’t want this pre-packaged, it’ll-do-in-a-pinch stuff.
She wanted chocolate syrup, fed to her on strong, skilled fingers. She wanted warm honey, drizzled over her lips and breasts and pussy, and licked away by a hungry tongue.
Desire and memories flowed over her, turning anger to frustration, and then into need. Was she really upset with Irdu just because he’d lied? Demons twisted the truth all the time. Angels did too, as much as they didn’t like to admit it.
No. It was because she had fun. If she closed her eyes, she could feel his hands gliding over her skin. She drew her palms along a similar path, kneading her breasts as she remembered him sucking her nipples warm, after the shock of ice over her skin.
Need pulsed between her legs, and she dropped one hand lower. Ghosted sensations lingered there. His lips closing around her clit. She undid her slacks and dipped under her panties, following the same trail with her hand that he’d taken with his mouth.
This wasn’t going to be enough. Her body craved a touch besides hers.
She could go out. Find a random hookup.
Her body didn’t want that either. A specific sensation was burned in her mind and on her skin. Hell help her, she was craving Irdu’s touch.
Chapter Eight
Why did it have to be Irdu? She wasn’t missing him specifically. Just the things he could do with his hands. And his mouth. And how he hadn’t hesitated to go to all the silly places she wanted to go. Plus, he seemed to have as much fun as he did.
The next morning, as she got ready for work, her irritation had diminished, though it wasn’t gone. In the empty spaces, loneliness flitted in. After a weekend of fucking around—literally and otherwise—not having plans at night was disappointing.
But she had Izzy, and now that she’d started work, she’d make new friends.
When she got to the office, the demon who was supposed to be her trainer directed her to one of the managers’ offices.
Raphael. His name was stashed amongst her vast array of preprogrammed knowledge. He wasn’t an original, but he’d been with Heaven for a long time.
She knocked on his open door, and he looked up from his computer.
“Uriel.” He managed to sneer her name. “I understand you didn’t like your first boss.”
At least Irdu worked quickly. “We had a conflict of interest. And it’s Ronnie.”
“Great. Wonderful.” He didn’t sound like he was feeling either. “Was it the conflict that had Lucifer making demands of me first thing, or was his insistence because of you?”
Lucifer personally made the request? She probably shouldn’t like the bubble of warmth that came with the knowledge. She definitely shouldn’t be smug about it. “I don’t know.”
Raphael gestured to the chair in front of his desk. “Close the door. Have a seat.”
Ronnie didn’t like the saccharine that filtered into his request.
“I do know,” Raphael said before her butt hit the chair, “because most of management knows about you. You jumped to the front of a significant waiting list, to get your job. You were here for less than a day before you wanted a change of scenery. Understand this—I don’t care what makes you Lucifer’s pet or what issues you have with anyone. You work for me now, and you follow the same rules as everyone else.”
That sounded fair. She was going to argue that she wasn’t Lucifer’s pet, but she could reach a less contentious point in her relationship with Raphael before she tried to change his world views. “All right.”
He narrowed his gaze. “Good. It’s been recommended I have you train with my best. Ariel will be your mentor. Don’t fuck with her stats.”
“I’ll do my best.” Ronnie could be polite for a short period of time, but if he kept throwing shade, she’d lose the sweet demeanor real fast.
The contempt in his voice diminished a hint, as he gave her the rapid-fire version of what Irdu told everyone yesterday. He introduced her to Ari, who was sunshine, compared to Raphael’s grumpy dark cloud.
Ronnie got the same run-down of the software and systems she’d had yesterday. The difference was, when it came time for a break, Ari didn’t send her off on her own.
“Follow me.” Ari grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the part of the floor where Irdu’s office sat. “The vending machines in the east breakroom have way better chocolate.”
Ronnie liked that kind of company knowledge. “Do you know all the good secrets?”
“I know all the best gossip.” Ari bumped Ronnie playfully with her shoulder. She nodded at Irdu’s office as they passed. “So he’s an incubus, so demon...” Disdain trickled into her voice. She glanced at Ronnie. “No offense.”
Sure. Ronnie twisted her mouth.
Ari grinned. “You’re not all bad. And he’s sexy.” She lowered her voice. “He’s been with Ubiquity forever, like Raph. But rumor is he pissed a few people off yesterday, like the higher ups, because some little newbie didn’t like his policies and went over his head.” She stopped in front of the vending machine. “Peanut butter, caramel, or peanuts?”
“Uh... I’m a fan of all of them.” Ronnie’s stomach was churning too much, for her to think about what kind of candy she wanted. Had Irdu ruined chocolate for her? “An
d I didn’t go over his head.”
The thunk of a candy bar hitting the tray acted as the perfect sound effect for Ari turning to Ronnie, jaw dropped. “Holy shit. You?”
Apparently Ari didn’t know all the gossip. “And I didn’t manipulate the system.” Ronnie reached around her to grab the candy, and stalked from the room without looking to see if Ari followed. She wanted to get back to their desks and hide. No wonder Raph had been rude.
“Hang on.” Ari fell into step beside her. “Dish. What really happened?”
We fucked. It was incredible. He took me on a roller coaster and bought me cotton candy. And if it hadn’t been fun, he planned to make fun of me the next day at work. “He asked Lucifer to move me to another manager.” After I threw a fit because I got caught up in the status quo.
“After one day? Harsh.” Ari plucked the package from Ronnie. “On the other hand, you found me because of it, and I’m awesome.”
“True.” Ronnie’s smile was genuine. She wouldn’t fuck Ari, but she would go out for coffee with her, so that was a solution to some of the loneliness.
The rest of the day was uneventful, aside from Ronnie’s replaying everything with Irdu in her head. Did she overreact? She couldn’t get past the lie. That he’d held back who he was in case he wanted to make fun of her.
That obliterated so much of his attractiveness. But if he hadn’t done that, or if he could actually figure out why she was pissed, she might forgive him.
That seemed highly unlikely.
By the time work was over, Ronnie had thoroughly bummed herself out, chasing the Irdu thought in circles. Was she that poor a judge of character? Why did she care? It was only sex.
Because not only did he make her body sing, but the rest of her time with him was fun too. They clicked.
When work was over, she blinked home. Normally she’d walk, but she was tired of hearing herself think.
Irdu was waiting in her living room.
Her heart jammed in her throat and fury raced through her. “What are you doing inside my apartment? How did you even get in?” Locks didn’t keep their kind out, but she had alternatives. Wards, meant to distract any would-be intruders. A visitor would be distracted by the endless puzzle of the magic woven around her apartment, and forget they were here to break in.
“You mean how did I get past the wards? I’m focused on something else right now.”
“What?” she asked.
“You.”
Oh. The single word lifted her spirits more than was reasonable. She wasn’t going to get sucked into whatever game he was playing, though. “Why? I’m no big deal. You’ll have a new assignment on... Easter? That’s got to be a big one. And until then, something tells me you can fuck whatever you want.”
“I could. I can. I will.”
Lovely. “Then why are you here?”
“I already told you.” His tone was plain, but his intense, burning gaze sent fire skittering through her veins.
“You’re focused on me. Right. Why?”
He sighed heavily. “You’re not like... I’m an incubus. All it takes from me is the slightest nudge, for anyone who’s attracted to me, and they drop their inhibitions and self-doubt. I could walk out your front door right now, and pick from half a dozen people on the street. With a wink and a smile from me, any one of them would let me push them up against the wall, rip their clothes off, and fuck them.”
“And then, if it’s boring, make fun of them after?” She needed to remember why she was bothered by his behavior, rather than focusing on his words. Because, damn, he painted some vivid images, and there was a part of her begging to be the person he chose.
Irdu pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s not how I meant what I said yesterday. Or, actually, it is. But not in a cruel way.”
“Are there other ways to mean it?”
“I’ve been doing this for years. Not just the management, but the orientation. I’ve met so many demons. We’re like people or angels or anyone. Some of us are stuffy, and some are fun, and some are... You work for Raphael now?”
Ronnie didn’t want to understand what he meant, as far as Raphael’s painfully abrasive personality, but she did. “Yes.”
“I don’t keep my management position from them so I can be cruel come Monday morning. It doesn’t hurt anyone. It’s always been the equivalent of a jump-scare, but with sex instead of horror.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t think I’m explaining this well.”
“I guess I kind of get it.” But she was reserving final judgment about his character until she spent some more time with him. “If you’re bored with your job, who did you piss off, to get stuck up at Ubiquity?” She sat on the couch.
“What makes you think I’m not doing it because I love the job?” He took the seat next to her.
She wanted to scoot away, but the heat of his arm pressed into hers was a compelling reason to stay. “Because you just told me you’re bored with the management aspect of things.”
“I owe Lucifer.”
That made two of them, though for Ronnie, it was probably for entirely different reasons. Lucifer was looking out for her. Acting as a mentor. Tempting her in ways an original angel really shouldn’t. She wouldn’t have minded having Lucifer conduct her orientation.
Though now that she’d had Irdu, she wasn’t willing to surrender that experience. Being this close, with the words flowing easily between them, made her skin hum and her pulse skip.
“To answer your original question”—Irdu turned in his seat so he was facing her, and rested a hand on her thigh—“I’m here because there’s more with you. It’s not just a physical compulsion, though, hell, I like fucking you. I had more fun with you this weekend than I have... possibly my entire time as a demon.”
That sounded like a teensy bit of an exaggeration, but Ronnie shared the sentiment. “What’s going on between us?”
“I don’t know. Lust. Friendship. Too much cotton candy. No way to know for certain, unless we spend more time together.” He traced tiny circles along her inner thigh with his thumb.
She liked the idea of spending more time with him. However, despite the insistence thrumming between her legs, she didn’t want it all to be in bed. “What did you have in mind?”
Chapter Nine
“Let’s go see more of the world,” Irdu said.
Ronnie grinned. “The cherry blossoms are blooming in Tokyo.”
He leaned in, mouth near her ear, but never touching her. “You can play with my chopsticks. I can eat your sushi.”
“Oh so bad. That doesn’t even make sense when you think about it.” She couldn’t help but laugh.
“So don’t think about it.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “Tell me you want to do this.”
“On one condition.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“You tell me you understand why I was upset. And you mean it,” Ronnie said.
Irdu stepped closer, and his aura sparked and danced up her arm. “I understand.” He kissed the backs of her knuckles. “And I’m hoping you never get as jaded as I am and that your enthusiasm rubs off on me.”
She waited for his next words.
“And I’m hoping you rub all over me at the same time.”
There it was. She shook her head. Not that she minded at all. “Let’s go to Tokyo.”
Their environment shifted, and a heartbeat later, they stood in the middle of a grove of cherry trees. The sun was still creeping up in the sky, casting bright morning light over the landscape. The rich scent of sweet flowers and fresh dirt flooded her senses. Petals lined the ground and occasionally fluttered down around them, like warm falling snow.
The noise of traffic was in the background. Chirping birds tickled Ronnie’s eardrums. She couldn’t wipe the smile from her face as she absorbed each and every sensation.
“You picked the perfect time to enjoy this uninterrupted.” Irdu’s voice blended with the chorus of nature, rather than disr
upting it. He squeezed her hand, and gently tugged her along the path.
They walked for several minutes, and Ronnie cast her gaze everywhere. She plucked a few loose flower petals from Irdu’s hair, then held out her hand, hoping to catch a couple like she might with snow. “I can’t wait to see snow.” She hadn’t meant to say that aloud.
He pulled her closer and leaned his head to hers. “I know you’re not innocent or naive, but the way you watch the world around you...”
“What?” She couldn’t decipher where the thought was going.
“It’s pure. Genuine. Real.”
A flush of heat spread through her cheeks at the awe in his voice. “I don’t know what to say to that.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist and spun to face her. “You don’t have to.” He stepped closer, and her body molded to his. “But if you’d like to change the subject, I can move from telling you how sweet you are, to reminding you what you do to me.” He grabbed her hand and brought it down to cup his semi-hard shaft.
She was getting a feel for how he liked to detract from serious conversations with sex. That was fine. Their relationship was more sex than it was serious. “You’re so crude. What if people are watching?”
“They’ll be jealous. I could let them all join us, if you’d like. Playing with you. With us. With each other. Not force them, but rather free them to understand there’s nothing wrong with the desire.”
“No.” Ronnie was content with the way things were. “Though, I’ll keep it in mind in the future.”
He kissed her lightly. “I could take you for afternoon tea in England, and feed you scones with cream and jam?”
“It’s the middle of the night in England.” Time zones were part of her built-in training. Knowing when and where it was dark or light was helpful in her line of work.
Irdu seemed to think for a moment. “Australia?”
Seductive Soul (Ubiquity) Page 4
