by Lexi Blake
And he wouldn’t give me that name without my agreement.
“Oh, I already regret it.” I turned my attention back to the herbs I was cutting. Sarah had left with an exuberant Christine to pick up some things we were going to need, and she’d stuck me with busy work. Now that we knew the name, we could call the demon. Apparently herbs were involved. “It’s not like you left me much of a choice.”
He hadn’t left me any choice at all. With the money gone, my one and only option was to push through and do the job.
In order to do the job, I needed to talk to Halfer. I could have tried calling the number he’d left again, but if he picked up this time, he would have a decisive upper hand. I needed his true name, and I needed to call him to me. It wouldn’t make him any less dangerous, and it was likely to make him royally pissed, but it was the only way I would have any real idea of what I was dealing with.
To know a demon’s true name is a powerful and dangerous thing. It’s powerful because the person who knows the demon’s name has a certain, though limited, amount of power over the demon. With a demon’s true name, a person can call the demon and the demon is forced to take that meeting. The demon can’t claim prior engagements or call in sick. He or she simply gets pulled into the spell if it’s cast properly. Upon finding himself suddenly in a protective circle not of his choosing, the demon promptly discovers he’s become some human’s bitch. That’s the powerful part. The dangerous part is when the demon breaks the circle, and the demon always, always, always breaks the circle. It might take a while, but the longer it takes, the more the demon wants to punish whoever called him.
The key to calling a demon is to not get carried away with the powerful part. My quest was to get information out of him, not to make him my attack dog. He was a businessman, and as long as I treated him with a proper amount of respect, I believed I was going to come out of this with my body parts still attached. I was thinking of it as an impromptu business meeting.
But I couldn’t get this meeting on the schedule without the proper name. Albert had come through, but he had chosen to give his boss a powerful bargaining chip, and I caved. It didn’t make me happy, though. Dev could force his way on to my crew, but he couldn’t make me like it.
He smiled a slow, sexy smile that spread across his face like a blanket of charm. I tried to not let my insides go all warm and gushy at the sight of that smile. “I know you have your doubts, but I promise to follow orders. You’ll find me a good soldier.”
I set the knife down and turned to him. “Which just points out what you don’t know. There is nothing at all military about my crew. I picked them because they can think for themselves. In the field, you have to be able to think and change the plan. There’s a great deal of creativity that goes into an enterprise of this nature. This isn’t war, Dev. It’s an art form that takes years to perfect.”
“See, I’m already learning.” He leaned against the counter and looked at me seriously. “I’m not without my talents, you know. I’ve been on my own for a long time. I know how to survive. I think you’ll find me a quick learner. I can be valuable to you, Zoey.”
There was something in the way he said “I can be valuable” that made me think I wasn’t the one he was trying to convince. I thought about what I’d learned about Dev. It must have been hard to be an outsider in such an insular world. In the human world, if a kid didn’t fit in with his family, he usually found some group of kids he did fit with. There was always some outcast who understood his pain. It hadn’t been like that for Dev. He was a mortal in a world of the eternal. His mortality was anathema to his peers. He would have no value to his family. He would have no way to prove that he was worthy.
I turned back to my work because I thought the last thing he would want to see in my face was pity. Men have a thing about that particular emotion that women don’t. Women know that there’s something comfortable in the eliciting of sympathy. We complain to our girlfriends about everything from a boyfriend’s flaws to uncomfortable shoes, and when they pity us, they share our burdens. Men don’t see it that way. They just see the weakness, so I turned away.
“We’ll see.” I applied the knife to some sort of smelly green herb.
There was more than one reason that I didn’t want Dev involved in my professional life. Beyond the fact that he was a complete novice and therefore a liability, there was the simple truth that I wanted him for myself. I wanted to explore what we’d started the night before. It was uncharted territory, and I really wanted to map it. He hadn’t even kissed me yet, and I really wanted him to kiss me. I was the novice when it came to relationships, and I was more than willing to follow his lead.
But if he worked with me, then I had to change gears and view him as something else. I had to be professional. I had to be his boss.
I had to review the facts and be as honest with myself as possible. I’d never dated anyone but Daniel. I’d had one relationship, and it had been a deep and loving one. I didn’t know how to do casual. The night before I felt a real connection with Dev. Maybe it had been one way. Maybe he hadn’t felt that connection, or it hadn’t been important to him. He was willing to throw it away to pursue some sort of revenge.
“I’m really glad I’m not thyme right now,” he said, watching me pulverize the herbs.
“Why don’t you go and see if you can help Neil.” I needed to think, and it would be so much easier if he was in another room. This close to me, I could feel his warmth and smell the soap he used, and it made me want to press myself into him. It had been so long since I’d had the solace of another body against mine that the loss of the possibility made me want to cry.
“No, I think I need to be right here doing some serious damage control.” His voice was breathy. He reached out and laid his big hand across my arm, stopping my motion. “Zoey, please tell me why you’re crying.”
I hadn’t realized I was, but now I felt the tears brush my cheeks as they journeyed down my face. “I…it’s just been a rough day.”
“And I made it so much worse.” He let his hand slide up my arm in a comforting fashion. There was nothing overtly sexual about his movement, but my skin was singing everywhere he touched.
I pulled back abruptly because I knew if I let it go, I wouldn’t be able to pull back later. I needed that touch. I needed someone to want me, but now it couldn’t be him. He was part of the crew, and there were good reasons to not get sexually involved with members of your crew. “Stop, Dev. If you wanted to date me, you should have stayed out of the business part of my life. We need to keep this professional.”
His laugh was deep and rich and infectious. “Oh, Zoey, there is absolutely nothing professional about the way I feel about you. I want to be with you in every way possible and part of that is being in your world. Don’t get me wrong. I have other reasons for wanting to do this particular job, and one day I promise I will explain, but don’t doubt that I have every intention of being with you.”
“That’s a problem, Dev. I don’t have romantic relationships with people I work with,” I stated as flatly as possible.
He just stared at me.
“I’m not with Daniel. I haven’t been with Daniel for many years. Our relationship was over years before I started to work with him.”
“But you have feelings for him,” Dev pointed out needlessly.
Feelings didn’t begin to cover it. “Of course. We were going to get married. I loved him. I love him. I can’t stop, but we’re not together. There are…complications.”
“He’s a vampire with a chip on his shoulder, and you’ve been too stubborn to let go.” Dev summed up the situation neatly. “Last night after the cleanup, I did a little research. I know all about it, but I’m willing to take the chance. If I thought you could be happy with him, I wouldn’t stand in the way, but I don’t think he’s going to change. It goes against the nature of vampires. You wouldn’t be content in that world. I think I can provide you with a happy alternative. I don’t know what�
��s been wrong with the guys you’ve dated since Daniel left you, but you should know that I don’t intend to follow the pattern, whatever it is.”
I stared at the thyme lying there on the cutting board and hoped he would move on. He didn’t.
“There have been other men?” Incredulity crept into his voice.
My silence was my answer.
“Zoey.” Dev gently cupped my chin and turned me toward him. I felt so naked and naïve in that moment. I wished I could run, but my pride forced me to stay. “How many men have you been with, sweetheart?”
I was twenty-five years old. It was ridiculous, but I had only one answer, and it was a true one. There had been no high school fumblings behind the bleachers, no college experimentation. There had been only Daniel. I’d given myself in love and longing, and he was gone from me as surely as if he was dead. I couldn’t stop the tears, and I wished in that moment that I could claim a hundred lovers. “One.”
Dev smiled softly, but he was so serious that I knew he was handling me with care. He gently brushed away my tears and came close to me. “Know this, Zoey Wharton, I will take care of you. I have every intention of having you, and when I say have, I mean fuck, but in the sweetest way possible. I will fuck you and love you and after, I will hold you. You won’t regret letting me have you, sweetheart. I will make sure you are satisfied in and out of our bed. I vow this.”
It was as serious a promise as a Fae could make. “Are you always this way with your lovers?”
His chuckle was rich with amusement. “No, I don’t normally pledge my devotion before I’ve even kissed a girl. You’re different. Most of my lovers want my body. They want simple pleasure and kindness and maybe a gift or two. But you need more. You need commitment before pleasure, and if that’s what you need, then I’ll give it to you. I want you, Zoey. I don’t think you understand how much.”
I took a deep, steadying breath. I wasn’t sure I could believe him, but I wanted to. He was close now, and I could feel the heat coming off his body. My heart started to pound with anticipation, and I really wished I had been able to put on some makeup. I’d found a pair of jeans and a tank top I kept in my old room, but there was no makeup to be found, not even a tube of lip gloss.
“It’s too soon.” My voice was barely above a whisper as I let my eyes take him in. God, he was beautiful. It was a masculine beauty, but there was no other word for it. His eyes were sensual and greener than any mere human’s. His dark hair was thick and slightly unruly. Last night it had been perfect, but this afternoon it looked lived in. I preferred the more casual Dev. And those lips…
I looked down to avoid staring at them. I was barefoot. I barely came to the middle of his chest without heels. He took my arms in his hands. I shivered slightly, but it had nothing to do with cold. He pulled me into the cradle of his body and held me there.
“I think you’re wrong,” he murmured. “I think it’s the perfect time, Zoey.”
It was the sigh that did it. Dev sort of sighed and let his head drop to mine. It was a sound of deep longing fulfilled, as though he wanted to be here with me and now he was content. My heart felt so full at that moment that I couldn’t stop my arms from winding their way around his big, warm body and relaxing against it. It felt so good to fall into him. In that moment, I felt safe and loved and wanted.
Dev was smart enough to let me take the lead. He treated me like a shy deer he wanted to feed by hand. When I pulled back and looked up at him, he didn’t pounce. He let me guide him down toward my lips and stood still while I haltingly explored his mouth. His lips were soft against mine. I pressed our mouths together in a chaste kiss. I’d always worried that Daniel would be the only man who could ever make me want him. This notion was now firmly put to rest as every nerve in my body came to life and sang a glorious chorus.
I tentatively let my tongue glide against the firmness of his mouth. Those lips were plump and I sucked the bottom one into my mouth, tasting him, feeling my power. The shudder that went through him satisfied me deeply. He let me have my way with him, allowing my tongue an easy entry. He tasted like mint, and I knew he had hoped this would happen. Knowing he’d thought about this, planned for it, made it easier for me. I pressed my body against his and felt how happy he was to be here with me. His cock was already hard and rubbed against my belly, promising all manner of comfort and pleasure.
“Zoey.” He groaned and pulled away slightly. “Sweetheart, you’re really short.”
I laughed. His neck was at an awkward angle due to our height differences. It must have been uncomfortable. “Sorry about that. I could stand on a chair.”
I tried to find a solution to our problem because stopping our impromptu make-out session wasn’t something I wanted to do. I felt alive around him. My worries melted away the minute he laid a hand on me. I wanted more of this feeling.
“I can handle it.” He lifted me with one arm, and I suddenly found myself sitting on the kitchen counter, my legs dangling. Dev shoved himself between my legs, and we were finally at the perfect height. He pulled me close, his hands on my ass, nestling himself between my legs.
His hand slid up, tracing along my back and upwards. Dev gently cupped my face and looked into my eyes. “I don’t want to push you.”
His voice had a slight desperation to it. Every woman, even one with very little experience, can translate that tone. It means please, please, please let me…
I smiled. “I think you can push me a little.”
And then I wasn’t thinking about demons or stolen money or lost loves. I was thinking about that long silent voice that was suddenly screaming at me to kiss and lick and let this man do whatever he wanted to with me. Dev let himself go now, and he was suddenly everywhere. His tongue seduced mine. His hands explored. His fingers ran up from my hips, skimming along my side until he found his way to my breasts. My nipples were hard points begging for his attention. I wanted his mouth on me, his hands roaming. The center of him pressed against me, seeking entry despite the barriers of our clothing. He was not a small man. His cock was large and blissfully erect. That glorious erection nudged insistently through the denim of my jeans. I let my legs wind around him and gave myself over to the moment.
“Please, Dev.” It had been so long. I hadn’t even touched myself. I’d been utterly alone.
He smiled, a slow curving of his lips. “You have no idea how much I want to please you. How much I can please you. I come from a long line of men whose goal in life is to please a woman. The right woman.”
He tweaked my nipples, his fingers pinching lightly. I squirmed, the feeling going straight to my pussy. His lips kept up a slow grind against mine as his fingers made their way down my torso. I held on, pulling him close. I felt connected in a way I hadn’t in forever. He delved under the waistband of my jeans. I sighed against his mouth as he found his way to my clit. With an expert touch, he started to rub.
“Hate to break up a tender moment.” A bitter voice shattered the intimacy.
I didn’t have to look out the window to know that night had fallen, and Daniel was here.
It was just instinct that made me try to push Dev away, but he was having none of it. He helped me off the counter and turned to Daniel with absolutely none of the ridiculous shame I felt. I tried to get enough air into my lungs so that I could talk.
“Sorry,” Dev said in a voice that didn’t sound sorry at all. “I guess we got carried away.” He put one arm around me. It was a casual thing, like he’d been my boyfriend for a while, but the truth was I needed his support to stand. He nestled our bodies together. “I didn’t realize it had gotten so late.”
“Obviously.” Daniel’s slight lisp let me know his fangs were out. He kept his lips tight so no one could see. “I need to talk to Zoey. Alone.”
“I think that’s up to Zoey.” Dev tightened the arm around my waist slightly.
“It’s fine.” I didn’t really want to talk to Daniel. It was going to go one of two ways. Either he was going
to be horrible about it, or he was going to act like he couldn’t care less. I wasn’t sure which would be worse. But I couldn’t avoid him, so I might as well get it over with. “Dev, could you go see if Neil needs help with the altar?”
He leaned down and planted a quick kiss on my lips. It was a small promise of things to come. “Will do, boss.” He nodded toward the counter. “Oh, I’m sorry about the herbs.”
I looked over and was surprised to see the thyme I’d been chopping had apparently grown. It was green and lush and there was a lot more of it, as though every piece I had cut had grown a new sprig.
Dev grinned down at me. “I’m afraid that happens sometimes when I get excited. My grandfather was a Green Man, you see. I might not have gotten his immortality, but I’m good with plants and…fertility rites. I’m good at making things grow and reach their full potential, if you know what I mean.”
I thought I knew what he meant, and I wished we’d had time to reach that full potential he’d been talking about. He walked out of the room, and I wished I had a tenth of his confident charm. I didn’t, and I was suddenly left alone with Daniel.
I didn’t owe him anything. He’d been with god knew how many women since he left me. From what I heard, the Vampire Council wasn’t exactly a monastery. The girls at the club were there for sex as well as blood, and Daniel had been seen with most of them. I didn’t owe him fidelity or an explanation. So why did a thousand excuses pop to the tip of my tongue? If he’d shown the slightest bit of hurt, I would have dissolved into an apologetic puddle.
“Seriously, Zoey?” His tone held a bitter bite. “You’ve known him for five minutes, and you’re already hopping into bed. I thought I knew you better. I didn’t think you were a…”
