He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot

by Stephanie Rowe

  “Becca’s dying,” Theresa wailed. “Do something!”

  “Go get the stuff we need to break the link.” The edges of his vision were starting to blacken. Shit. He wasn’t going to make it long enough for the dragon to go back to the condo to get the supplies. Too dizzy. The vial around Theresa’s neck glinted, and he had to close his eyes against the glare. Paige groaned and collapsed, and he realized he was starting to lose her, too. He was probably starting to drain Satan, as well, taking away Satan’s ability to support Paige. “Find Satan! We need to break him off from me so Paige will be okay, and we have to hook Becca back up to him. He’s recovered enough that his immortality should pull him through—” He stopped suddenly as he realized what he’d said. “Wait!”

  She whirled back around, the vial dangling around her neck, her body halfway out of the tent. “What is it?”

  “Give me the vial.”

  Theresa yanked if off instantly. “It didn’t help her last time—”

  He grabbed it from her. “No, it’s for me. Since Satan and Becca are immortal, they need an immortal life force to support them. Satan’s immortal life force. A mortal can’t support an immortal. It makes sense.” He chugged a drink of it and set it down, holding Becca to his chest. Three drinks. He was breaking all sorts of Otherworld laws by drinking from Mona, by becoming immortal, but he didn’t give a rip. “How long do I have to wait between drinks?”

  “Not long. Maybe a minute. You think it’ll work? Becoming immortal?”

  “It has to.” He looked at his watch, then felt Becca convulse against him. He cursed and held her tighter, sending her all the energy he had. “I love you, Becca. You hang on for me.” He felt a pulse from deep within her, and he pressed harder with his life force.

  His back was screaming, and he closed his eyes as the tent began to spin.

  “Take the next one.” Theresa’s voice was distant, faint. “Nick? Are you still with me?”

  “Got it.” He fumbled for it, then felt her claw wrap around his hand and guide it to his mouth. He drank hard, then let his hand drop. “Tell me when for the next one.” He gave up sitting and let himself fade to the floor, pulling Becca up against him. He could feel her warmth against him and he closed his eyes, let himself drift.

  “Stay with me, Nick.”

  He jumped at the sound of Theresa’s voice, as she brought him back from wherever he’d been.

  “Nick. Here.” He felt the cool crystal against his lips and struggled to remember what he was supposed to do with it. “Drink it, you dumbass! Drink it now!”

  He drank it, and then the world went black.

  Twenty-six

  Becca had a headache from hell.

  She groaned and pressed her hand to her forehead, then felt something shift under her. Something warm. “Nick?” She opened her eyes to see Nick smiling down at her, his eyes half-mast and weary. “What happened?”

  “Let’s just say I’m going to have to use my connections on the Council to keep Theresa and myself out of the Chamber. Want to go work for them with me?”

  She raised her brows. “I already have a job at Vic’s.”

  “Mmm…” He thumbed her cheek. “How do you feel?”

  She worked herself to a seated position and flexed her arms. “Pretty good, actually.” She cocked her head. “Still linked to you, if the raging love consuming me is any indication. What’s up?”

  “Mom!”

  She turned just in time to catch Paige as she flung herself into Becca’s arms. They both tumbled backward and landed in a pile on Nick, who chuckled and wrapped his arms around both of them. Becca brushed Paige’s hair out of her face and looked at Nick. “What happened?”

  “You needed Satan’s immortal life force to keep you alive.” He grinned. “Theresa helped me take care of the immortal part. So now, I have Satan’s immortal life force in my body, keeping you alive without a problem.”

  Becca stared at him, hope exploding inside her. “You’re serious? We’re all set? And fine?”

  He nodded. “We’re all good.”

  “My favorite Rivka!” The tent flap opened, and Satan stuck his head inside. “I am much healed. Let us restore our life forces and conquer hell again.” He nodded at Nick. “Man-friend, I am much glad you decided to let my son leave unharmed. Excellent decision.”

  Becca glanced at Nick’s face, surprised to see it calm. “You let Satan Jr. go?”

  “Easy choice.” He kissed her forehead. “Easy choice.”

  Satan batted Nick away from Becca. “Do not manhandle my Rivka anymore. I am recovered. I take over.”

  Becca and Nick looked at each other, and she knew she couldn’t go back. But it would be a serious damper on their success if Satan decided to kill them off. Then she had an idea, and she turned to Satan. “Satan, you still owe Nick a favor, don’t you?”

  His eyebrows went up, and he waited.

  “He wants you to release Paige and me from Rivka duty and your life force. Nick will support us.”

  There was total silence in the tent, and then a stream of black smoke began to pour from the top of Satan’s head. He lifted a glowing red finger at Nick.

  “I order you not to kill or injure me,” Nick said quickly.

  Satan turned the finger toward Becca, and Paige shouted and tried lunge at Satan, but Nick grabbed her by the ankle and hauled her back. “Or anyone in this tent!” Nick yelled.

  Theresa immediately shoved herself the rest of the way into the tent, leaving virtually no room for anyone else to move. “I’m in the tent, too,” she announced.

  Satan’s gaze flickered with rage. “I kill you and your family for trying to steal my Rivkas. I do not owe you that level of a favor. You cannot take them.”

  Well, so much for that grand idea.

  Theresa sneezed, and the vial bumped Satan in the ear. He whacked it aside, then turned to look at it, a gleam of anticipation in his gaze. He reached out to touch it, and Theresa yanked it out of his reach. “Don’t even think about it, big guy. I’m not going there again.”

  “Wait!” Becca leaned forward. “Satan, being killed by an old lady with a gun was pretty pathetic, don’t you think?”

  “Do not bring up that incident ever again,” Satan ordered her. “Never happened. I do not recall it.”

  She happily ignored his order. “Well, it shows that you’re vulnerable, and it’s just a matter of time until someone else tries it again, only this time Nick won’t be around to save you.”

  Satan glared at Nick. “Man-friend did not save me. I used him to save myself.”

  “Anyway,” Becca continued. “What if Nick and I were able to persuade Theresa to let you take three sips of Mona and become more indestructible? So that water couldn’t take you down? Only beheading?”

  Theresa squealed and clamped her hand over the vial. “Oh, no way, girlfriend. The Council would so kill me.”

  “I can take care of the Council,” Nick said. “Trust me on that one.”

  Theresa shook her head. “No, seriously, that’s a really bad idea. Do you have any idea how bad that Chamber is?”

  Becca and Nick exchanged glances. “Yes,” they said in unison.

  “No deal,” Satan said. “I will just steal Goblet and take immortality for myself.”

  Theresa wrapped her fist around it, and Nick gave Satan a long look. “You forget, Satan, I can just order you not to. I’m not giving you back your own freedom unless you agree.”

  Satan cocked his head. “You blackmail me? Threaten me?”

  “Yep.”

  Satan broke into a huge smile and clapped Nick on the shoulder. “Most impressive negotiating. I admire underhanded tactic. For that, I agree. It is deal. I will release my favorite Rivka and her pathetic apprentice to man-friend in return for three drinks of Goblet. And then I call in my debt that my favorite Rivka owes me.” He looked at Becca. “You will continue to be my Rivka, even though man-friend supports you.”

  She studied him, saw the vulner
ability in his eyes, and felt her heart soften. Satan wasn’t just bluster. He’d be lost without her, at least until he recovered from his breakup with Iris and developed some self-confidence. “How about I just become your friend?” When his face didn’t change, she added, “Best friend. I’ll become your best friend. That’s better than a Rivka, because I’m doing it because I want to, not because I have to.”

  Satan cocked his head. “Best friend? What does that mean?”

  “It means you can stop by and visit any time. We’ll hang out, give each other advice, and help each other out of tough situations. And it means we don’t ever use deadly force or torture devices against each other.”

  Slowly, Satan nodded. “That is excellent idea. I like that. Will you harvest souls for me, too?”

  “Nope. You’ll have to get one of your other Rivkas to do that.”

  “Will you train them?”

  She grinned. “If you pay me well enough.”

  He beamed. “Excellent. I am very rich. I pay you for services and I get best friend for free. It is deal?”

  She nodded. “Deal. Debt paid?”

  “Debt paid.”

  She grinned and relaxed against Nick, who hugged her tight against him.

  “So, we agree?” Nick asked. “Your immortality in exchange for Becca and Paige’s freedom?”

  “It is deal.” Satan held out his hand, and Nick grasped it. “You must come to dinner with your woman on Sunday, man-friend. We have much to discuss.”

  Nick grinned. “I’ll have to check with Becca. She’s in charge.” Then he winked at Becca, and she smiled back, still not quite able to believe what was happening. Satan had released her? She was free? To be with Nick?

  Theresa’s tail flicked. “Okay, enough with the sappy stuff. I’m not handing over this vial to Satan until I get a written release form from the Council freeing me of all liability.”

  “Then let’s go,” Nick said. “I want this settled.” He grabbed Becca’s hand and smiled at her. “Will you take us back to Dani’s apartment so we can break Satan’s link to me and hook up Paige instead?”

  She grinned. “When you ask so nicely, of course.”

  And then she faded the entire group into the ground.

  “Hello? Becca? We brought breakfast!”

  Nick opened his eyes at the sound of a door slamming and female laughter coming from the front of Becca’s apartment. He recognized the voices of Theresa and Paige as they discussed how to save Paige’s soul and debated about who was the Markku who’d actually tried to kill Becca, since he hadn’t been at the Penha camp.

  He kissed the collarbone of the woman in his arms. “Sweetie, your girlfriends have arrived for some bonding.”

  She stirred, and the feel of her warm body against his made him grin. Her backside pressed against his groin, and she made a soft noise of contentment. He kissed the nape of her neck and slipped his hand down and flattened it over her bare belly as a cabinet slammed in the kitchen.

  “Where do you keep your coffee filters?” Theresa shouted. “Never mind. Paige found them.”

  Becca shifted and laid her hand over his, entwining her fingers around his. “Where’d they get a key?” she mumbled.

  “I gave it to them.”

  She twisted around so she could face him, her eyes sleepy and content. “Why’d you do that? You know I like my privacy.”

  He pulled her closer so he could kiss her. “Give it up, Rivka, I know you love them. You’re just one big ball of love these days.”

  She smiled and kissed him back. “Never. I’m a cold-hearted shell of a woman.” Then she opened her eyes and looked at him, her hand pressed to his bare chest, and opened her soul to him.

  He slipped inside her with his spirit and wrapped himself around her deep, pulsating warmth that he knew so intimately, and let her feel how much he loved her.

  She smiled, her eyes warm and soft. “I love you, too.”

  Her cell phone rang suddenly, and she leaned past him to check the screen. Then she grinned and shut the phone off and tossed it on the floor.

  He smiled at her pleased expression as she settled herself on top of him again. “Who was that?”

  “Satan.” Her eyes were dancing and her joy sparkled into his being. “I didn’t take his call.”

  He pulled her tighter against him, basking in her happiness. “Good feeling, huh?”

  “Been waiting a hundred years for that moment.” She kissed him, and he felt her love in the simple touch. “Thank you for giving me my freedom.”

  “You think you’re free?” He grabbed her around the waist and tossed her under him, propping himself up over her. “Ravish me now, woman. I’m going to make you my sex slave for all eternity.”

  Her eyes widened with amusement as she made no move to ravish him. “Promise?”

  He laughed and shook his head. “You’re never going to worry about me controlling you, are you? I’m powerless to command the woman I love.”

  She wrapped her legs around his waist and tugged him down. “Oh, you’ve got lots of power, Nick. More power than Satan ever had over me, and it’s all voluntary.”

  He grinned at the happiness in her face. “I love you, you know.”

  She slid her hands through his hair. “I know. I love you, too. And my friends. And Paige. So much love in my life. Who’d have thought?”

  “Oh, I knew it all along.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Such arrogance. How will I ever humble you?”

  He grinned wickedly. “Oh, I beg you to try. Humble me, please.”

  She raised her brow. “You’re begging me already? I knew I wore the pants in this relationship.”

  “No way, my darling. Neither of us is wearing pants for the rest of the day. Or night. And probably tomorrow.”

  She grinned as he began showing her exactly why he didn’t want her wearing pants. “But my friends are waiting for me…”

  He threw her legs over his shoulders. “Your friends love you enough that they’ll understand if you make them wait.”

  “They do, don’t they?” She arched up to meet him, clutching the sheets as the light began to build inside her with every move of his hips, and knew that finally she was home.

  About the Author

  Golden Heart winner Stephanie Rowe wrote her first novel when she was ten and sold her first book twenty-three years later. After a brief stint as an attorney, Stephanie decided wearing suits wasn’t her style and opted for a more fulfilling career. Stephanie now spends her days immersed in magical worlds creating quirky stories about smart, scrappy women who find true love while braving the insanity of the modern world and Otherworldly challenges. When she’s not glued to the computer or avoiding housework, Stephanie spends her time reading, playing tennis, and hanging out with her own fantasy man and their two Labradors. You can reach Stephanie on the Web at www.stephanierowe.com.

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  Paige jerked awake, clutching her hands to her chest against the pain searing her body. She knew instantly that the blackness in her soul was trying to take over, trying to consume her while she slept.

  She threw herself out of the bed, slamming into the wall as she gasped for air.

  She dropped to her knees, her hands flat on the floor as her body recoiled, as the air vanished from her lungs.

  Trying to take her.

  I am good.

  I love my friends.

  I. Am. Love.

  Her fingers dug into the floor as a convulsion of pain knifed through her heart. Her mouth opened, no sound, no air, no anything.

  She lunged for the night table, where an orchid sat, a gift to her roommate from her new boyfriend, given with love. Representing all that was pure and alive.

  She crushed the blossom in her fist and scrunched her eyes shut, sending everything black into the
plant as fast as she could. She felt the orchid scream as she filled it with death and pain and hell, shredding the life from the flower, just how she killed every living thing she touched.

  The plant exploded in a billow of black ash, and Paige felt a wave of relief even as her calf convulsed with pain, feeding on the death she’d just caused. The pressure left her lungs and she dropped to the floor with a moan, her cheek pressing against the soft carpet. “God, that sucked.”

  She closed her eyes and thought about Dani and Theresa. Embraced her love for Becca. Felt the pain recede into her leg, settling back down. Until next time.

  Next time.

  What innocent thing would she have to kill next time to save herself? And how much farther would that death take her toward her future?

  She rolled onto her back with another groan and draped her arm over her forehead. “There has to be a better way—” She froze, suddenly aware she wasn’t alone in the room anymore.

  There was another presence. A dark one. Not from hell…but deserving of it.

  Slowly, she moved her arm so she could peek at the room. She couldn’t see anyone or anything. But she could feel it.

  Something eased up her bare leg. Something cold. Something evil. Something definitely not human.

  She opened her hand, ready to flare up a fireball as she felt it creep its way along her thigh. The touch was so light that she never would have noticed it if she weren’t already so freaked out by almost getting sucked into a void of mindless hell.

  It inched up her belly, along her ribs, to her throat, until the whole front of her body was covered with a flittering itch—it settled on her like a blanket, pressing against her, like it was trying to get through her skin.

  She forced herself to wait, to lie still, certain she had only one chance to take it out. No move until she knew where to hit it. Let it think she hadn’t noticed it.

  But God, she wanted to twitch, to scratch, to kick the creepy feeling off her. Because that’s what it was. Nothing more substantial than a feeling. But a really, really bad one.