The Devil is in the Details

by Maya Daniels

  “Your life is worth all that might get lost in the process to me, Helena. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”

  “Eric, think about Maddison.” I try to reason with him. I’m not even sure why I’m trying to push him to agree to let me go. It’s not that I want to be alone, I’m just as afraid that he will get killed while trying to protect me as much as he is of losing me. “Can you imagine what Michael will do if he gets his hands on her? He will stop at nothing to get me, a half demon. Imagine what he would do to the daughter of Lilith.”

  “Maddison is a big girl. She can take care of herself.” When I take a breath to argue, he kisses me thoroughly, successfully shutting me up and turning my brain to mush.

  Picking me up, he starts walking, and I wrap my legs around his waist so he doesn’t drop me. I’m not exactly a very skinny girl. My thighs are thick no matter how much training I’ve done, and my ass is wide enough that he needs more than one hand to get a good grip on it. Yet, he carries me around like I weigh nothing more than a feather, and he’s not even breathing heavy. I watch his face while he is walking, and although he’s not looking at me, his lips twitch, telling me that he is fully aware I’m studying his face. Unable to help myself, I release my grip on his shoulder with one hand and trail my thumb over his full lower lip. He nips at it, making me pull away sharply. He chuckles, causing goosebumps to cover me from head to toe.

  I’m not even jostled as he maneuvers around my ass to open the door to his bedroom and walks right in, dumping me on his bed. With a very embarrassing girly squeal, I bounce a couple of times. He laughs, eyes dancing with mirth. When I glare at him, he throws his head back and laughs harder, making me want to do more silly things just to see him like this always. That thought sobers me up.

  “I was serious, Eric. Don’t try to distract me.”

  “I was serious too, Helena. You’re not going anywhere. We are not helpless little humans who cower before a mighty Archangel. We are demons, and we’ve been doing this shit with him for a very long time. With, or without you around, nothing will change that.” All the laughter is gone from him as he looks down at me.

  “He will keep coming, and he will keep attacking. He will never stop fighting to get to me.” I point out as a last effort to make him see reason.

  “So, we’ll fight,” he says as nonchalantly as if we are talking about picking apples.

  “Eric…” With a tired sigh, I look at him.

  “Helena…” he mimics me, and my lips twitch involuntarily.

  “Is there anything I can say to make you change your mind about dealing with all the shit that comes with me being around?”

  “Yes!” He looks at me with wide eyes. Fear and hope mix together, making me sick to my stomach.

  “What is that?” I had to swallow a couple of times before talking so I can dislodge the lump in my throat.

  “Tell me you are a man.” At my confused face, he laughs. “I don’t bet for the other team, cupcake. So, unless you are a man, you’re stuck with me.”

  Unable to stop myself, I bust out laughing at the stupidity. “You’re such an asshole, you know that! I actually believed that there really is something.” But this isn’t a funny situation, so gathering as much courage as I can muster, I look at him. “I thought you might want me to leave. With bringing so much trouble with me, I won’t blame you.”

  “You might wish I let you go, Hel. But it will never happen. This I can promise you.” A shiver runs down my spine from the intensity in his eyes.

  “So, what can I do?” At his raised eyebrow, I hurry to explain. “To make this easier for you, I mean.”

  “Well…” He looks like he is giving it serious thought and I wait. “To start with, you can take those clothes off so I can see that beautiful body of yours.” When my jaw drops at the comment, he chuckles darkly. “I told you, you might wish I let you go. Now take them off, before I shred them.”

  My eyes widen, but he is much faster than me. Before I even blink, he is on me, and the sound of fabric being ripped apart fills my ears.

  Pressed to the mattress with Eric’s weight pinning me down, I claw at his shirt, trying to get rid of it so I can touch his skin. I thought he had a lot of patience, but I change my mind when he grabs handfuls of fabric, and the sound of tearing fabric mingling with our harsh breathing. Pulling away for a second, he twists around, helping me pull his shirt off before grabbing the sweatpants he let me wear and tearing them at the seams.

  I fumble with the belt and buttons on his leather pants when he lifts himself up on his knees to look down at me. I’m now fully naked on his bed, and my legs are spread wide to accommodate his body between them. Getting self-conscious and shy all of a sudden, I release his pants and try to cover myself with my hands, but he grabs my wrists, holding them away from my body. Heat rises up my neck, turning my face red, and I can’t even look at him.

  “Helena, what are you doing?” Eric’s soft voice contrasts with his panting.

  “I don’t know…” I mumble, staring to the side as if the empty wall is a piece of art. “I feel awkward being naked, and you still half-dressed I guess.” My wrists are released, he is off the bed, and what feels like a second later, I hear a thump of metal hitting the floor so my head jerks in that direction.

  I forget how to breathe when I see Eric in all his naked glory standing next to the bed, his pants in a heap at his feet. The sound was the buckle hitting the floor. Thickly muscled thighs flex as if he is forcing himself to stand there, and my eyes flick to his. The hunger I see there makes me shiver and my entire body trembles. But he doesn’t make a move to come closer, so I shamelessly let my eyes drink him in. His hips are narrow, with a v-line leading to his groin. The very impressive shaft sticking out makes my mouth water as it points up towards the six-pack that keeps bunching with his need to both stay still and move. His arms hang at his sides, hands clenched in fists, while his broad shoulders and chest expand with each breath he takes. Finally, I reach his face where his kissable lips are slightly parted, and his nostrils keep flaring while he watches me the same way I’m watching him. Unable to wait any longer, I reach my hand towards him, and he ignores it, pouncing on me.

  “Thank fuck! I don’t think I could’ve waited longer.” He murmurs while frantically kissing my jaw, face, eyelids, nose, and I can’t help laughing. More like giggling, which is stupid really. I don’t giggle.

  “Okay, okay, I got the idea! You couldn’t wait.” Pushing on his shoulders, I try to look at his face, but he slides down and latches onto my nipple, making me moan loud and long.

  “You were saying?” Eric mumbles, his lips grazing the aching nipple he abandoned so he can speak. Grabbing his hair, I pull him back towards it, making him chuckle darkly before his tongue lashes it. My back bows off the bed.

  His hand slides down my side and over my hip before he grabs my thigh, lifting it around his waist. My aching core is pressed to his firm abs, and I grind on him in hopes to quench my need to feel him inside. His cock twitches and bumps my ass cheeks with every movement, reminding me that all I need to do is angle my body right and he will be where I need him most. As if reading my mind, Eric grabs hold of both my hands, lifting them over my head and securing both my wrists in one of his large hands.

  “Very impatient!” His eyes look fevered when he looks down at my face.

  “Says the guy who just ripped perfectly good sweat pants and a t-shirt.” Panting as much as he is, I manage to speak, but my hips won't stop moving as if they have a mind of their own. His cock finally glides between my folds, and he groans deep in his throat, his eyes flashing amber.

  “Keep it up, and I won’t be able to hold myself back. I’m worried I’ll rip you apart.”

  “Have you seen me? I’m not some petite, fragile-looking girl, Eric!” Frowning, I let him see my frustration at not getting what I want. His lips twitch in amusement, the jerk!

  “As you wish, Hel.” The amusement is gone, replaced with hunger and an i
ntensity that makes me shiver.

  Before my brain has time to catch up with the meaning of his words, my wrists are free, and both his hands slide under me, grabbing hold of my ass. Eric’s green eyes lock on my wide ones and without any hesitation at all, he pulls back a little, aligning the head of his cock at my entrance before slamming inside me with one jerk of his hips. I was drenched from just looking at him earlier, so he gets no resistance at all, but he is large enough to give me little pings of pleasure-pain that make my mouth open in a silent scream. My eyes close involuntarily no matter how much I want to keep looking at his face.

  Eric snarls and my head snaps up. His face is twisted in a look I’ve never seen before. His eyebrows are pulled low over his eyes, his upper lip lifts slightly over his clenched teeth, and his eyes are burning fires on his face. His hair looks wild around his head, and his neck looks doubled in size with a vein pulsing frantically on one side.

  “Hold onto something,” he snarls, and I only have time to reach above me and push my fingers under the headboard of the bed.

  Eric is a man possessed. Holding my ass in a bruising grip, he sets a frantic tempo, pounding into me so that I can’t even keep my thighs around his waist. My legs fall open to the sides, giving him room to do what he wants, and my submission only drives him more insane.

  His cock feels like steel wrapped in velvet as he keeps pistoning in and out; I almost forget to breathe at the intensity of it. My breasts bounce wildly from the strength of the pump of his hips, and he buries his face between them, rubbing his stubble like a cat with catnip. The scratchy feeling on my fevered skin adds more power to the rubber band that keeps stretching inside me past its limits. I can’t even moan. All I’m capable of doing is holding onto the headboard that will have dents from my fingers and breathe. Eric, on the other hand, keeps grunting, moaning, and snarling, making even me insane wanting to find a way to have him even closer to me where we can become one being.

  Without warning, the rubber band snaps and stars burst behind my closed eyelids. It's so much pleasure it borders on pain, but the hold I have on the headboard helps me cling to reality. Eric doesn’t stop the punishing tempo, but his snarling and groans get louder. I expected him to join me in the climax of our wild sex, but he doesn’t. He keeps pumping his hips without pause, and that rubber band stretches again.

  The man is like a machine without a care in the world. I can’t even remember how many times I reached my peak and screamed his name from the top of my lungs, making him act even more frantic. I’m barely holding on to reality when the last orgasm hit me full force, and I finally feel him pulsing inside me a split second before a roar that makes my ears ring echoes around the wall. He calls my name. A smile stretches my lips a second before I pass out.

  Muted voices float through my mushy brain. I’m in that beautiful moment between sleep and being awake, where nothing interferes with the bliss of having your whole body relaxed, and your mind silent. It doesn’t last long, but I enjoy it while I can. Then the severity of real life and all the problems that come with it slowly sucks the joy out of me slowly. My body is deliciously sore, and I know I have bruises all over, so nothing stops the satisfied smile that stretches my lips while my eyes are still closed. Footsteps sound outside the door a moment before it opens, but I keep my eyes closed, not willing to face reality just yet.

  “Morning, cupcake!” Eric sounds too chirpy and so unlike himself that I open one eye to glare at him and to make sure it really is him.

  “If you call me a cupcake one more time, I’m going to shove my gun up your ass and pull the trigger,” I mumble with only one eye open. He throws his head back and laughs. Even after last night, my channel clenches at the sight of him.

  “Fair enough.” He smiles and sits on the side of the bed, pushing my hair out of my face. “But it got you awake and talking. It’s a good tactic.” He winks at me.

  “Who are you and what did you do to Eric?” Opening my other eye, I look at him with a serious expression.

  “Can’t a man be in a good mood without being questioned?” Raising one eyebrow, he acts hurt, and I can’t fight the smile that’s trying to lift my lips.

  “A man can. A demon, on the other hand, makes you wonder.” Sticking out my tongue at him, I squeal when he lunges forward and tickles me. “okay, okay, stop!”

  “Come on, Maddison is here.” After kissing me softly on the lips, he helps me untangle myself from the covers.

  His hands freeze, and he stiffens when I stand in front of him. Looking at the horror on his face, I follow his eyes to see what’s got him so freaked out. My hips have purplish, green handprints on them and a burst of laughter bubbles out. Eric looks at me like I’ve finally lost my mind.

  “My skin bruises easily, Eric. I promise I’m fine.” Smiling, I cup his face while he searches my eyes to see if I’m telling him the truth; nostrils flaring and all. “It was worth it, and I’ll do it again.” His eyes turn hungry at that comment, but I push him towards the door. “I’ll be out in a minute, go!”

  He grumbles something under his breath that I don’t catch but leaves me to freshen up and get ready for whatever kind of day this turns out to be. The shower feels heavenly, and with a sigh, I eye the small pool that acts like a bathtub in longing. Twisting my wet hair in a bun, I rummage through the duffle bag Hector gave me last night and pull out clothing. I’m grateful I can wear my own clothes instead of Eric’s. Not that I minded being engulfed in his scent all day, but I feel more like myself this way. When I find my travel bag with my makeup inside, my heart clenches. I push it away and hurry to get ready before the emotion makes me curl up and cry for as long as I have tears in me. I can’t afford that time right now.

  “Good morning,” I announce my presence as soon as I step into the living room. Maddison looks at me over her shoulder with a smile.

  “Helena! Good morning.” My feet slow down at her too enthusiastic greeting, and I look at Eric for help, but the jerk is avoiding my eyes.

  “Okay…” dragging out the word, I walk up to one of the couches, across from Eric, and plop down. “Do we have any good news?”

  “What do you mean?” Maddison is practically bouncing in her seat, and Eric groans, which tells me whatever it is I’m not going to like it. “It’s the best news I’ve had in centuries! Who would’ve thought—”

  “Maddison, stop!” Eric snaps, and my eyes narrow at him while Madison trails off, looking at both of us in turn with wide, blue eyes. Her mouth forms a pretty little circle, and her eyebrows go up to her hairline.

  “What is going on, Eric?”

  Someone knocks on the front door, and it opens, but none of us look away from each other to see who it is.

  “You didn’t tell her that she’s your mate?” Maddison’s eyes narrow, but Eric is staring straight at me and doesn’t miss when the blood drains from my face.

  “I’m your what now?”

  “She’s your what now?” whoever walked in speaks at the same time as me and we all turn to see Lauren staring at Eric with wide eyes, all the color drained from her face as if it's her ass being claimed as property.

  “I can’t deal with this right now,” I tell the room in general, and with a groan, I sink into the soft couch covering my face with my hands.

  The room is silent for few moments before the click-click of high heels on the floor makes me move my hands to see Lauren come up to Maddison, hand her over a black folder a couple of inches thick. After glaring at me, she turns and practically glides out of the apartment. After she closes the front door with a loud bang, I look at Eric. He hasn’t taken his eyes off me and sits as still as a statue.

  “I guess you two need to talk about this.” Maddison starts moving as if she’s planning to leave and I panic.

  “No!” At my outburst, Eric growls, but I hurry to explain before this turns into an argument. “We can talk about it later. Please, is there anything you’ve found out? I think getting Michael and the Order off our ba
ck first is more important.”

  Maddison, to my surprise, doesn’t look like she agrees with me. Uneasiness tries to gnaw a hole in my stomach, but I push it away. It seems like it’s going to be one of those days, so I’ll just go with the flow and suppress as many emotions as I can. Reluctantly, Maddison opens the folder and starts pulling out photos of some sort of a farm.

  “What’s this?” Scooting closer to the edge of the couch, I try to get a better look at the photos.

  “It’s how our hideout used to look.” At my confused face, she tries to explain. “Decades ago, we bought this land and rebuilt it, turning it into a sanctuary. We have some of our kind living there behind wards where the hunters or angels can’t bother them. They are free to leave, but most of them stay and help us to keep things under the human's radar.”

  “So, why are you showing me this?” Confused, I look from her to Eric. My heart skips a beat when I realize he hasn’t moved a muscle and is still staring at me.

  “I’m not showing you. I brought these to show Eric. The wards are strong, but if we are to have you behind them, I thought strengthening them might be a good idea. That’s why I needed the original plans of the place.”

  “We will go there now and figure things out on the spot,” Eric tells Maddison without looking away from me. It’s unnerving.

  “Okay, perfect!” She practically jumps off the couch after shoving the photos in the folder without caring if they get crumpled or not and runs out the door. I don’t miss the look she gives Eric, mouthing sorry before the front door closes behind her.

  “Eric…”

  Ignoring me, he stands up and starts walking out of the apartment. I don’t know what to do, so I just watch him until he is halfway out the door.

  “Let’s go!” he says without turning, and I follow behind him with a ton of bricks sitting in my stomach.

  We take the drive in a tense silence with me not knowing what to say and Eric clutching the steering wheel like he wants to take all his anger out on it. Now that I’ve had time to think about it, and the shock has worn off, the fact that he thinks I’m his mate warms me inside. I’m also aware my reaction hurt him, so here I am having full conversations in my head looking at something that sounds close to a sincere apology. If our roles were reversed, I would’ve been mortified seeing him react the way I did and I’m not totally sure I would’ve been willing to hear his apology.