by Nina Bangs
Mede paused, growing still as only a cat can. “Another cat? Something you’re not telling me?”
Sparkle sighed. She’d put off telling him about Asima, but it looked like she didn’t have any choice now. “Asima’s in the castle. She’s a messenger of the goddess Bast, and she always takes the form of a Siamese cat. I don’t know why she’s hanging there, but she’s a royal pain in the butt.”
Mede looked intrigued. “Is she a babe?” The wicked expression in his amber eyes said he knew exactly the response he’d get to that.
Never let it be said that Sparkle Stardust disappointed. “Remember the whole ‘hell hath no fury’ thing? Well, a cosmic troublemaker scorned is so much worse.” She smiled sweetly. “Can we say instant chop chop? No more manly package.”
“Ouch.”
“Oooh, yes.” She really hated playing to Mede’s expectations, but he got such a kick out of her acting the jealous bitch that she couldn’t deny him. Sparkle was way too secure with her own sexual appeal to worry about a snooty goddess gofer like Asima.
“You know, I think you’re right about too many cats running loose. I need to keep a low profile, so I’ll kick back and snooze in this Kim’s room when I’m not stalking Brynn. I don’t know who she is, but I know how you work. I free Brynn. You hook him up with Kim. They go through hell together. You’re happy.”
“Exactly.” He’d given in a little too easily, but she didn’t have time to worry about his motive. Every minute wasted was a minute more for her nail color to remain chipped. Sparkle moved away from the door. “Wait while I get the carrier, litter box—”
“Uh-uh. Isn’t going to happen. I walk to the castle on my own cat paws without you tagging along. You’ll only cramp my style.”
That was it. Sparkle was officially ticked off. “Fine. You want to do it your way? You can ask me for help after you fall flat on your fuzzy face.”
Mede chuckled. He loved irritating her. “You can tie a note around my neck with a few basic instructions—doesn’t need a litter box, doesn’t eat cat food, doesn’t respond to baby talk, and won’t chase mice. Just the important stuff.”
Sparkle’s smile was all about payback. “Wait while I get something to tie around your neck.
Maybe Kim had used up all her weird-is-wonderful moments for the day, because she’d gotten through the whole afternoon with no demon sightings, no talking cats, no virgin action heroes, and no klutzy fishermen. Of course, she’d practically barricaded herself in her room and only opened the door to room service.
Eric had called to officially invite her to share her ideas for the castle with them tonight. Kim wasn’t sure who comprised “them,” but she’d be ready. She’d gone over her presentation during the afternoon. That was good.
Then she’d called Lynsay again. She’d laid out every reason she could think of to convince her sister she shouldn’t come to the castle. Lynsay said her gut told her the castle was overrun with demons. Hey, who was Kim to argue with her sister’s gut? Lynsay was still coming. That was bad.
And when her sister said she and Uncle Dirk would be there later tonight . . . Well, that had been downright ugly. Other than hiring Wade to stomp on their demon detectors, she wasn’t sure what she could do.
The unexpected knock on her door made Kim jump. Fine, so she was a little nervous about this presentation. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed the jacket and skirt of her black suit. She’d tried to balance deadly dull professional with good-time girl by wearing a sexy lavender top.
She picked up Fo. Call her paranoid, but she wasn’t going to be caught unarmed in an iffy situation again. Hoping desperately for a normal human on the other side of the door, she pulled it open.
Brynn smiled at her. “Thought I’d go down to the meeting with you. It isn’t much fun walking into a roomful of strangers by yourself.” He glanced at Fo. “How you doing, Fo?”
“I’m fine, Brynn.” Fo’s eyes shone with the joy of having another sentient being accept her small self as an individual.
For a moment, Kim felt like all the air she’d just breathed in had been sucked right out of her. Who was she to wish for a normal human when she could have the most beautiful demon in the universe at her door?
And that was wrong, wrong, wrong. How would she ever reach her goal of being the Queen of Normal with an attitude like that? Besides, the first thing Dad had taught her was that a demon’s gorgeous wrapping hid unspeakable evil. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t sense a demonic nature in Brynn. Surely she should at least get a whiff of Fire-and-Brimstone cologne when he was near. She sniffed. Nope, just hot and tempting male animal.
She tried to ignore his “gorgeous wrapping,” but it was so totally . . . there. He must be dressed in costume for the night’s fantasies she’d read about in the brochure Holgarth had sent her. He’d pulled his spectacular hair away from his face and secured it at the nape of his neck with a strip of leather. He wore a long white robe edged in gold, and logically she knew that beneath his robe he wore the rest of his costume.
But in her personal fantasy, he’d slowly slide the silky robe from his shoulders and let it slip to the floor, revealing his magnificent body in its entire naked splendor. As he strode toward her, his muscles would ripple smoothly beneath golden skin, and she’d drop her gaze the length of his ripped torso to—
“Yo, Kimmie.”
Not now, Fo. Where was she? Oh, she’d drop her gaze the length of his ripped torso to stare at his oh-so-yummy sexual organs nestled—
“Kimmie, there’s a—”
“Uh-huh.” . . . nestled between strong thighs.
“There’s a cat with a pink bow watching you, Kimmie. And I don’t think he’s really a cat either.”
Kim blinked, but instead of looking down she glanced up to meet Brynn’s amused gaze. Only the memory of what Deimos looked like in mid-blush kept her from turning red. “Umm, I’ll get my stuff.”
She let her hungry stare drop away from him. In the dropping away process, her gaze skimmed the floor and met the annoyed glare of a huge black cat with a pink bow tied around his neck. He sat just behind Brynn, and he didn’t look friendly.
“Is that your cat?” She knew the answer even as she asked the question. The cat’s narrowed amber gaze said he’d just like to see the human who’d dare claim ownership of him. But a pink bow? Kim fought back a smile. This wasn’t a cat you laughed at and survived to tell the tale.
“What?” Brynn glanced behind him. “Where’d you come from, fellow?” He returned his attention to Kim. “Looks like another of Conall’s strays. He feeds them every day outside the restaurant’s service entrance. Brynn frowned. “A few have sneaked into the castle, but they never got this far before.”
Kim couldn’t help it, she grinned. “Does Conall always tie pink bows around their necks?”
The cat rose, padded around Brynn, and stopped in front of Kim. He stared up at her. “Hardee-har-har. Okay, let’s cut the crap. The pink bow is Sparkle’s idea of payback. I’m your rent-a-pet, so read the note and then get this frickin’ bow off my neck.”
Wide-eyed, Kim lifted her gaze to Brynn. The weird stuff just kept on coming. “Who is this?” Whoever he was, he had a husky male voice made rougher by bad temper.
“I’m down here. Ask me.” The cat peered around her to look into the room. “I’m Ganymede, a being of immense power, so don’t mess with me.” He looked up at Brynn. “Hey, Brynn, mind if I hang with you sometimes? There’s just so much shoe talk a cat can stand. We can watch a few TV shows filled with violence and gratuitous sex. You know, guy stuff.”
Brynn studied Ganymede. There was something about the cat’s eyes that seemed familiar. He shook his head. Forget the eyes, he needed to do some damage control before Kim ran screaming from the castle. He couldn’t throw the cat out of the castle because Sparkle sent him, and he liked Sparkle. Besides, the castle was home to a whole range of unique beings, so he couldn’t reject Ganymede just because he was out the
re.
“You can hang with me, but I don’t think Kim needs a pet. We’ll find someplace else for you to stay.” And I’ll find out exactly what you are, Brynn thought for a moment while he tried to gauge Kim’s panic level. “Got it? I’ll introduce you to Asima. Bet you guys will have a lot in common.”
“Sorry, can’t do. Sparkle wants me to provide some caring companionship while Kim’s here, sort of to offset all the other freakiness in the castle.” Ganymede glanced up at Kim again. “Got any snacks in your room? Maybe you can pick up a cake next time you go out. I like chocolate icing. Oh, and I sleep on the bed. On a pillow. Hope you don’t snore.”
“Uh, Kimmie. Is he a demon? If so, you might want to press my button.” Fo sounded tentative.
Brynn figured the detector was dealing with a confidence issue after finding out she couldn’t tell a demon from any other nonhuman entity. Kim seemed to be handling things okay, considering. He didn’t know how calm she’d be, though, when she found out exactly what Holgarth, Eric, and Conall were.
But he’d worry about the others later. Right now he needed to take care of Ganymede. “You know, for a ‘being of immense power’ you’re not too smart. You would’ve had more chance of staying with Kim if you’d kept your mouth shut.”
For just a moment, the cat’s eyes changed, allowing Brynn to see something dangerous beneath the smart mouth and pink bow. No way was this cat staying with Kim.
“That’s what Sparkle wants. Maybe that’s not what I want.” Ganymede glanced at Fo. “What’s that?”
Fo answered for herself. “I’m not a what. I’m a who. I’m Kim’s demon detector. I sense demons and then turn them into roadkill.”
“Cool. Great eyes, kid. Love purple. But you need to adjust your sensors, because I’m not a demon.” Ganymede looked expectantly up at Brynn. “So take the note off. And toss the bow while you’re at it. I could’ve done it myself, but that would’ve ruined Sparkle’s little revenge. Gotta humor the women once in a while.”
“Sure.” Brynn bent down to take off the bow with its attached note. He glanced at it before handing it to Kim without comment.
Kim frowned as she read the note. “Well, what we have here is a manifesto of kitty don’ts and won’ts.” She skewered Ganymede with her glare. “May as well add mine to the list. I don’t share my room with furry loudmouths. Good-bye.”
“See. Demon hunters have no sense of humor.” The cat looked at Brynn. “Hey, if Sparkle asks, you can tell her that I really tried to be a lovable feline for Kim, but she turned me down flat.”
Brynn exhaled impatiently. “Which is what you wanted to begin with.”
Ganymede’s amber eyes turned sly. “A guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do. I’m off now. Got people to see and things to do. Oh, and make sure you put your remote where I can reach it, Brynn.”
Brynn watched him pad to the nearby elevator instead of the stairs. Ganymede stared at the button, and in a few minutes the door opened. He stepped inside, the door closed, and he was gone. Brynn shook his head. Lazy cat. Lazy cat who intended to move in with him. Uh-uh. Wasn’t going to happen.
“Okay, today hasn’t been all bad. I pawned off two plants that get their jollies from sexual energy, and I kept a cat with attitude from bunking down in my room.” Kim glanced at her watch. “Only six more hours before this freaky day is over.” She held up her hand as Brynn opened his mouth to speak. “Don’t say anything. I can accept everything I’ve seen since I got here. Sort of. But don’t even try to explain it. There’re some things in life that are beyond explanations.”
He nodded. “I’ll help carry your stuff downstairs.”
Brynn stood in the elevator holding Kim’s easel while she clutched a large pad and notebook. She was cute when she was nervous. Cute? A word he’d never applied to women. They’d been many things to him, including ruthless and predatory, but not cute.
She was trying to look professional in her black suit, but she’d be horrified to know her sexy top that dipped a little too low for his self-control canceled out the suit. Her red hair tumbled around her face, and her eyes were wide and anxious. He watched her swallow hard, and he wanted to put his mouth on her neck at that exact spot. Then he’d slip her suit jacket off her shoulders and kiss a path to where the edge of her top lay just above the swell of her breast. He’d push the material aside and nibble . . .
The hell with nibbling. He’d rip off her damned jacket, top, and bra. Then he’d put his mouth on her ripe breast and tease her nipple to a hard nub with his tongue.
He took a deep, calming breath. What was that about? When he was under the compulsion, lust was a cold affair—plastic and artificially enhanced. It was as though he stood outside his body and watched it perform. Not this. This was hot, immediate, and personal. It was the first time he’d ever felt real sexual hunger, and he wanted to howl at the moon with his need.
Brynn forced himself to stare past Kim, but the elevator was mirrored, so her reflection stared back at him no matter where he looked. He’d have to talk to Holgarth about getting rid of the damned mirrors.
Her eyes grew even wider if that were possible. “Umm, it hasn’t been an hour yet.”
“I know.” Uh-oh. His expression must be sending her I’m-going-to-gobble-you-up signals.
She offered him a nervous laugh. “I bet you keep these elevators in tiptop shape. Wouldn’t want to be trapped in here”—her gaze skittered around the small enclosure—“for very long.”
“Depends on the company.” Come to think of it, this wouldn’t be a bad place to lay her down and drive himself deep into her welcoming heat. A small, intimate space surrounded by visuals of her smooth, tempting body. If he were going to make love with a woman he’d chosen, he wouldn’t want to do it in a bed. Over the centuries, he’d grown to hate bedrooms. Most of the women who’d accepted his offer of sex had taken him to their beds. There weren’t many good memories attached to mattresses and pillows.
Kim had relief written all over her face as the elevator doors opened. “Who’s going to be at this meeting? Eric didn’t elaborate.”
“There won’t be a mob, if that’s what you’re afraid of.” Brynn guided her to the small meeting room attached to the restaurant. “Probably just Conall, Holgarth, Eric, and his wife, Donna.”
She visibly relaxed. “Won’t the owner want to be here?”
“The owner pretty much stays out of sight.” He shrugged. “Why all the mystery? No one knows. I do my job and don’t worry about it.” Which was a lie. He’d gone so far as to look up tax records in a vain attempt to discover the owner’s name. No luck. The owner hid behind a corporation that didn’t have so much as a Web site.
They entered the conference room to find Eric, Donna, Conall, and Holgarth already there. Brynn introduced Donna and Conall before helping Kim set up her easel. Then he took a seat beside Eric. Kim was about ready to begin when the door opened and Liz entered.
Brynn’s muttered curse carried to those with enhanced hearing in the room. All the vampires glanced his way. Liz smiled. She deliberately walked around the table to sit beside him.
Liz put her hand over his. “Hi, gorgeous.”
Brynn didn’t look at Liz. Instead he watched Kim. Her frown told him she understood what was happening, and somehow her knowledge shamed him.
He could get up and move away from Liz, but doing that while everyone watched would make him feel less than a man. Sure, it was just his stupid pride talking, but his pride was all he had right now. And he knew Eric and Conall would reluctantly honor his wish for them not to interfere.
He glanced at his watch. Not that time mattered. Liz was a vampire. He couldn’t run from her, any more than he could run from what he was. And so he leaned back to listen to Kim.
“I’m sure you want to know why I’m here, Kim.” Liz’s voice was a low, sensual purr, filled with all her sexual expectations for the night. “You already know one of my reasons, but I do have another. I’m a friend of Taurin
. He usually works in the castle, but he’s away now searching for his brother. The castle is home to him, so I told him I’d let him know what’s happening. I hope you don’t mind if I sit in on your presentation.”
“Would it make a difference if I did?” Kim looked like she wondered where a stake was when she needed it.
“No.” Liz leaned close to Brynn, and he purposely pulled his protective cloak of nothingness around him—blocking out all emotions, all sensory stimuli, all caring.
“I don’t think Kim likes me, Brynn.” She offered him a phony expression of sorrow. “I bet she’s jealous because she’s trapped up there giving her talk and won’t be able to interfere this time. Poor her.” Liz’s light trill of laughter flowed around the nothingness Brynn had created, touching no part of him.
“I can tell Taurin what he wants to know.” Conall’s expression was thunderous. He wore his warrior face.
Brynn knew all he’d have to do is nod at Conall, and his friend would heave Liz out of the room.
He didn’t nod. Instead, he listened as Kim began to discuss her ideas.
“I don’t want to take away any parts of the existing castle, only add some elements that will make it more authentic and interesting to the customers who tour it during the day. You could incorporate these into your nightly fantasies as well.”
Brynn watched as Kim forgot about her audience and became involved in her ideas. Great ideas. Unfortunately, some of her listeners spoke before they thought.
Conall got carried away when she suggested an authentic medieval kitchen and bakery. He regaled everyone with how it felt to ride in from a day of battle to a hardy venison stew and willing wenches.
Kim looked thoughtful.
Holgarth couldn’t control himself when Kim suggested the small theater area Asima had wanted. He had to share his story of the time he’d gotten revenge on Shakespeare by making all the actors suddenly appear naked right in the middle of Macbeth.
