“It’s not a lot to go on, but it’s a start.” Andy took the page. “I can work on finding Darrak’s old friend here and you can take care of the cheating husband case.”
She pointed at herself. “Me?”
“Sure. She wanted you to do it. And I don’t want to piss off a new client. Especially one who seems to be bleeding money. You can start on it tomorrow.”
“Why wait until tomorrow?” she asked.
“Got to make sure this check is good.” He grinned. “If you don’t hear from me, don’t even bother coming in here first. I’ll call you if there are any emergencies.”
“But I don’t have a license.”
He waved his hand. “Don’t worry about that.”
“Don’t worry about that? It’s the law. We could get in trouble.”
“Honestly, Eden. Leave that sort of thing up to me.”
She opened her mouth to protest some more, but closed it. Andy was going to search for the witch, and he seemed surprisingly positive about it. That was good. She wouldn’t say anything to disrupt that. While she didn’t feel comfortable with Fay’s case, she’d do her best.
She was really a fairy? Other than the painfully tight hug there was nothing to indicate she was anything other than human. But she was a fairy who would be tried as a deserter of her people and possibly killed if her marriage was a failure. Talk about a good deterrent for divorce.
It was all very, very wrong.
“Fine. If you say so, then so be it,” she finally said. “Cheating husband. No problem, right?”
“No problem,” Andy agreed. “Grab my camera. Just jot down everything the husband does, who he’s seen with. Take tons of pictures. Easy as pie. I’ve done a million of ’em. And I hate to say it, but 99 percent of the time the client is right about their husband or wife. The gut rarely lies. They just need us to confirm it so they can use the evidence in the divorce case. I say, keep it coming. Infidelity has always been Triple-A’s bread and butter.”
Eden’s ex-fiancé cheated on her at a Valentine’s Day party, of all things. As far as she was concerned, 99 percent of all men were born to cheat. The challenge was finding that 1 percent that wouldn’t.
However, searching for that elusive needle in the haystack usually resulted in finding a whole lot of other pricks.
Ben might be part of that tiny percentage. He was so perfect in every other way, from his looks to his job performance; he had to be the potential perfect husband as well.
Not that she was planning that far ahead. However, it did make for a nice mental image.
“Eden, why don’t you take the rest of the day off? After talking to Mrs. Morgan and getting that nice juicy check you’ve totally earned it,” Andy said. “Show your brother around the city. Have some fun.”
She eyed him skeptically. “This is so unlike you.”
“I’m feeling generous toward my favorite employee.”
“Not that I’m looking the gift horse in the mouth, but you’re actually not my boss. We’re equal partners here.”
“Oh, right. I keep forgetting that.”
“Except he does own 1 percent more than you,” Darrak added, now on his fourth donut. “So that does make him the controlling partner.”
“That’s right, sport.” Andy nodded. “You’re paying attention. You’re totally awesome.”
Darrak sighed. “I want to leave now, Eden. Please.”
They left.
———
“I heard you on the phone with the cop,” Darrak said in Eden’s car as they pulled away from the office. “Everything’s on for tonight?”
“It is.”
“Thought you might cancel.”
She eyed him sideways. “Well, I didn’t.”
He pressed back against the headrest. “I guess you really like him.”
“I do.”
“What’s so great about him?”
“Everything. Now just try to stay quiet.” She had to accept the fact that she had someone with her constantly until she figured out how to get rid of him. She’d never appreciated her now long-lost moments of silence before.
“You don’t like me very much, do you?” Darrak asked, but he sounded amused.
“Do you blame me?”
“A little. You need to loosen up a bit.”
“I’m loose enough.”
“Oh, really?” He grinned. “I’ll have to remember that.” She clutched the steering wheel tighter. “It’s hard to think when you’re around.”
“Because you find me so devastatingly handsome?”
She refrained from rolling her eyes. “Were you always so vain, or is this a recent revelation for you?”
“No, I’ve always been this way. Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful. Well, perhaps not as beautiful to you as your cop.”
She jerked the wheel to the left and cut someone off, receiving a horn blast in return. “Leave Ben out of this.”
“How is that possible? He’s obviously your lifeline right now. You can deal with me as long as you have him as the big, dangling carrot urging you onward.” He frowned. “Perhaps we shouldn’t talk about the cop’s big carrot. At least not until we see how the date goes.”
Her knuckles whitened as a thought occurred to her. “And let’s just say the date goes really, really well and I invite him back to my apartment. What then?”
“Is that something you’d do?” he asked. “On a first date?”
“Hypothetically speaking.”
“Okay, continue. I’m all for hypothetical situations.”
“What happens then? If you’re inside my head, seeing what I see, hearing what I hear—”
“It means that I’d prefer if you wait to dent the sheets with him until after I’m gone.”
Her face burned. Well, she’d asked. And he’d answered.
“Is that your natural hair color?” Darrak asked randomly.
“What?”
“This reddish shade.”
She realized that he’d reached over and was stroking a lock of her hair, twisting it around his finger. The car swerved again before she managed to right it. More horns blared.
The demon was going to make her get into an accident. “It’s—it’s dyed. I go to the salon regularly. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“I bet it’s brighter in its natural state, right?”
She forced herself to focus on the road rather than the demon sliding his warm fingers through her hair. “I don’t like my natural color.”
“So you change it, make it duller. Less vibrant,” he mused. “It’s strange. If I concentrate, I can see past the façade to the real color. Normally a human female would have freckles with such red hair but your skin is like porcelain, isn’t it?”
When he softly touched her face she almost ran the car right off the road.
She pushed his hand away from her cheek and put it back on his side of the car, but not before he entwined his fingers with hers.
“Let go of me.” Her voice sounded breathless.
But he wasn’t really holding her down or trapping her hand in any way. All she had to do was pull it away. Strangely, she seemed unable to do that. His skin was so hot, he had to be more than regular body temperature. She felt the warmth slide up her arm and flow into the rest of her body. It felt really good.
Eden finally forced herself to disentangle her hand from the demon’s.
“Don’t touch me,” she told him as firmly as she could, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.
“I’m sorry. Couldn’t help myself. I guess I’m a sucker for redheads.” His lips curled.
She was sick of talking about herself. All of these personal issues out on the table for him to pick over. It was time to turn the tables.
“Fine,” she said. “You want to talk? I have questions.”
“Such as?”
“How old are you?”
“That’s very personal. How old do I look?”
“You look li
ke you’re thirty. Or younger, even. But I know you’re at least three hundred years old based on when you say the witch cursed you.” The thought that he was that old made her shiver.
He noticed. “I know I’m very old. Probably a thousand in human years. Maybe more. But time doesn’t really have the same value in the Netherworld.”
That made another shiver run down her arms. “A thousand years old and you’ve never had a donut before?”
“I had no idea what I’ve been missing.”
“Empty calories. You’ll get fat.”
“I don’t have to worry about that. My body will remain the same no matter what I eat.” He placed his palm over his flat stomach.
“Lucky.” She wasn’t going to consider the demon’s body. Which she’d seen in all its glory first thing that morning, if only for a short time.
Bottom line, Darrak had every right to be vain about how he looked. He was just as gorgeous as Ben, but in an entirely different and much more darkly dangerous way. But she knew what he was and she knew what he could do. She wanted a normal man in her life. Ben was normal.
She had no interest in the demon in that way. After all, he was a demon. It didn’t take a brainiac or a horror movie aficionado to see that was a bad idea.
However, sitting in her car, he didn’t seem like a demon. He just seemed like a hot guy who knew how to easily push her buttons. All of them, apparently.
She cleared her throat. “We should probably get you some new clothes. There’s a mall just up ahead.”
“Clothes? You’re thinking fashion at a time like this?”
“You said you couldn’t… conjure… anything other than what you’re wearing.”
“I thought this was adequate. Isn’t it?” He looked down at himself.
“It’s getting really cold. It’s supposed to warm up a bit but after that the temperature will be nose-diving to penguin climate. You need a coat.”
“Temperature doesn’t affect me.”
“Yeah, but people will wonder why you’re walking around in short sleeves.”
He nodded. “Of course. Appearances are very important to you, aren’t they?”
“I don’t really care one way or the other.” She was silent for a moment. It was frustrating talking to him. “Were you always a demon?”
“What? Oh, more questions?”
“I’m just getting warmed up.”
“Some demons were once humans. Others were fallen angels. And others were created as demons from the energy of the Netherworld itself—hellfire, actually. I fit into the latter category.”
He was created from hellfire? That was so strange she couldn’t even begin to wrap her head around it. “You sound very human.”
“From you, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You fit in. No one would ever guess what you really are.”
“See, you’re saying that with the thought that demons are completely different than humans. We’re not all that different. You need to forget about everything you’ve ever believed.”
“Easier said than done.” She swallowed. “You have powers, though. Powers of conjuring up clothes that otherwise could be bought at Old Navy or the Gap. Anything else?”
“I used to have a few tricks up my sleeve. But maintaining form seems to currently take up all my energy.”
“So what could you do?”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. “Lots of fun things.”
“Such as?”
He sighed. “Maybe some new clothes would be a good idea. We can pick you up some new hand towels while we’re at it. You said there’s a mall around here?”
Was he trying to change the subject? “Darrak, we need to—”
His body suddenly tensed and he inhaled sharply. “He’s here.”
She frowned. “Who’s here?”
Darrak’s eyes widened and he craned his head to the right. Another car was gaining on them, moving right up until it was only inches from her bumper.
“Who the hell is that?” she said out loud.
Darrak didn’t answer, but he reached out to clutch her forearm hard enough to hurt.
The pursuing car swerved into the lane to her left and quickly gained until they were side by side. Eden struggled to keep the car on the road.
Palms sweating, she looked out the passenger side window past Darrak to see who the maniac driver was.
Her eyes locked with Malcolm’s. The exorcist from last night.
TEN
Malcolm turned his angelic face toward Eden. His lips were moving but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. Eden pressed the gas pedal down to the floor and sped up, taking the next right into the mall parking lot and stopped the car. She looked over her shoulder but couldn’t see Malcolm anymore. He hadn’t followed her any farther.
“Maybe he was just being friendly.” She looked at Darrak. He was pale and there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead. His breath came shallow and rapid.
“Darrak!” She undid her seat belt so she could take him by his shoulders and shake him. “Are you okay?”
He wasn’t talking. His blue eyes rolled back into his head.
“What did he do to you?”
Malcolm had already started the exorcism last night. Had he been trying to continue it, even at a distance? How was that even possible? Whatever he’d been doing, it was enough to hurt Darrak.
Darrak blinked after a moment and his eyes slowly regained focus. But he was still pale. “Eden…”
“What can I do?”
“I didn’t realize how weak I am.”
“It takes a real man to admit something like that.” She tried to sound light.
“I’m stronger when I’m possessing you. When I have my own body I’m more susceptible. I can draw from your strength when I’m inside.”
“So turn to smoke and possess me again.” She couldn’t believe she was actually suggesting it.
“I can’t control that. Not when it’s daylight. But I—I do need some of your energy.”
“What?”
“The fairy… she hates demons because she knows how similar she is to us. Unseelie fairies must drain the energy from humans to survive and grow more powerful. They have to. They have no choice. A demon can survive just fine without doing this, but we can skim a little off the top if necessary.”
“So skim, already.”
He snorted softly. “So willing? And here I thought you hated me.”
“I do. But you can take a little energy if it’ll make you feel better. After all, I was the one to introduce you to Malcolm in the first place.”
“Guilt is a powerful emotion.” His dark brows drew together. “This wouldn’t be enough to hurt you.”
“Stop talking and do what you have to do. Just don’t break the skin.”
“That won’t be necessary. I simply need an opening to that bright, shiny soul of yours.” He brought his hands up to either side of her face and drew her closer to him.
She braced herself. “That sounds very—”
He kissed her. And not just any kiss. Open mouthed and, if she hadn’t been sitting down, completely knee-weakening.
After a moment it started to make the rest of her feel weak as well.
But, she supposed, that was because he was purposefully draining her energy. She moaned a little against his lips because the kiss felt surprisingly, well, amazing. If this is what being drained by a demon felt like, then she was seriously considering signing up as a regular donor.
Just when the kiss was deepening further, he broke it off.
“I think that’s more than enough,” he said.
“Oh. Well, good.” She pressed her lips together and cleared her throat.
“Thank you. I feel much better now.” He sounded tired. “Do you mind if we go back to your apartment so I can rest? That really took it out of me.”
That made two of them. “Sure.”
Darrak didn’t seem as affected by the kiss as she was. Her cheeks felt
hot. She was embarrassed by how easily she’d been ready to climb onto his lap just from a simple kiss. Then again, it wasn’t a real kiss, was it? It was a dip into a lip-shaped donation box and she’d been feeling charitable.
She directed her Toyota back onto the road and drove to her apartment, parking in her designated spot outside. Darrak was still unsteady, but he didn’t ask for any more help and got out of the car by himself. Which was fine. It would probably be safer if she didn’t touch him at the moment.
What the hell was wrong with her? One little kiss and now she was swooning over him? Hardly.
Maybe she’d spend the rest of the day cleaning up her apartment. Even aside from the mess Darrak had left in the kitchen, it could use a good fall cleaning. Then she’d figure out what she was going to wear on her date with Ben. Maybe she should cancel it after all. Or reschedule it to a more opportune time.
There were too many other things to think about, including the unlicensed case she was going to start tomorrow. The thought of cheating husbands didn’t put her in a very romantic mood, even if she wasn’t dealing with her inner—sometimes outer—demon.
No. It would go on as scheduled. She wouldn’t let the insanity she was dealing with mess with her chance at her shiny piece of happy.
Now there was a guy to swoon over—a human one, too. And swoon she would. It wasn’t just the fact that he was gorgeous. She wasn’t that superficial. He was charming and noble and brave and, well… normal. Dealing with a demon only made her realize how much she wanted stability.
She wanted Ben in her life if she had half a chance with him, and she wanted Darrak out of her life. Period. That should be simple enough to remember.
This time Eden didn’t try to lose Darrak at the elevators. They got on together and went up to the fourteenth floor.
She didn’t want to deal with the cat. Hopefully it hadn’t shredded her curtains yet. Or peed on her carpet.
After unlocking the door and pushing it open, she looked at the very weary Darrak and suddenly realized how tired she also was. “Help yourself to the bed. Just don’t get too used to it.”
His lips curled. “So generous.”
She cleared her throat nervously. “You think Malcolm has it in for you or was it just a coincidence he was pacing us on the road?”
The Demon in Me Page 10
