Asmodeus: Demon of Lust---Part One (Princes of Hell)

by Humphreys, Sara

She glanced down at their interlocked fingers and sucked in a deep breath. “Ben, I don’t think...”

  “It’s okay.” Ben brought her hands to his lips and placed a warm kiss on her knuckles. It was sweet and almost familial in nature, bringing to mind images of a big brother or something. “You don’t have to say a word, Kai. I’ve been an attorney a long time and if there’s one thing I can do it’s read people.” He dropped her hands and stepped back as he reached into his pocket for his keys. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

  “Thanks,” Kai said. She grabbed the strap of her satchel again and let out a slow breath. “Still friends?”

  “Of course.” Ben winked. “But I’ll keep hoping for more.”

  Kai watched him walk to his car and guilt tugged at her. Turning someone down was never easy and always made her feel bad, but at least Ben took it well. He was, after all, the only person she really knew out here.

  “Hey, Kai,” Ben called to her from the open door of his car. “Promise me one thing.”

  “Sure.” Kai shrugged. “What?”

  “Be careful with Mr. Miles.” He tapped the roof of the car with his fingers. “Like I said, I’m pretty good at reading people and let’s just say I couldn’t get a clear bead on him.”

  Kai shivered and crossed her arms over her chest as a warm gust of summer air whipped around her.

  “It’s fine, Ben. He’s only going to be working for me for a couple of days,” Kai insisted. Her face heated with embarrassment because Ben read her like an open book. Apparently, she didn’t hide her attraction for Aaron as well as she thought she did. “I’m his temporary employer. That’s all. Believe me, I don’t have the time or inclination to date anyone right now.”

  He nodded but didn’t seem anymore convinced about the denial than she was. Who was she kidding? No one. She fiddled with the ring, seeking comfort from the family heirloom.

  “I tell you what, the final copies of the documents from Jacob’s estate will be ready in a day or two. How about if I bring them out to you at the house? It would make me feel better to see how you’re faring. I’ll even bring lunch with me, so you don’t have to go to any trouble. Lunch on me.” He raised his hands in surrender. “As friends.”

  “Sounds good,” Kai laughed.

  Kai waved as Ben drove off, but one name kept running through her mind. Aaron Miles. She drove her confused butt home as fast as possible and as the quiet scenery passed by, her thumb fiddled with the iron band of the ring on her right hand. A million questions swam through her head at once.

  Why didn’t Aaron have an aura? If he was a Dark One and they were evil, why on earth would he help her? Why did he seem to suck Ben’s aura away with one touch and hers, but neither of them were hurt?

  Why was she insanely attracted to him when she should be running in the other direction? What the heck was a Custodian of the Light? Did it have to do with seeing auras and why hadn’t her mother told her about it?

  Above the tsunami of queries, one kept rising up above all the rest. Who the hell was Aaron Miles?

  Chapter Four

  Asmodeus spent the night in the cheap motel and though he slept off and on, it was far from restful. His thoughts had been consumed, not only by Kai and the ring, but the unexpected arrival of Ben Flaherty.

  Asmodeus swore under his breath as he pulled the Harley into the long, winding driveway of Kai’s property. Sweat trickled down his back and he squirmed against the unfamiliar sensation. Being mortal was messy, but Lucifer was right to put them all down here as humans. It probably saved his life.

  Ben Flaherty was Fae.

  The guy was a damn fairy and, based on the strength of his light, Asmodeus would be willing to bet Ben was a pureblood or at the very least, a hybrid in full use of his powers. At first, he thought the mission was going to be over before it started, but Ben hadn’t flinched. He likely saw Asmodeus’ lack of an aura but if he did, Ben gave no sign of it. Not yet, at least.

  When Ben suggested that Kai take off the ring and give it to him for appraisal, Asmodeus had to stop himself from jumping across the table. But Kai had showed zero interest in relinquishing the ring and zero interest in Ben for that matter. Ben, on the other hand, seemed quite interested in Kai but the real question was why? Was he after Kai or the ring? Or both?

  Regardless of the answer, Ben Flaherty was going to prove to be a pain in the ass. At the very least, his presence put a wrinkle in Asmodeus’ plans but it was more than that.

  Asmodeus kept a close eye on Ben through the evening and was less than pleased when Ben put his arm around Kai. He didn’t like it one damn bit. Not because he thought Kai was interested in Ben, she clearly wasn’t but...well, he didn’t have a good reason...it just bugged the shit out of him to see another man attempting to lay some kind of claim on her.

  There were two options. Either Ben had no idea who Asmodeus was, or he did and the son of a bitch was biding his time. He was sure about one thing. Ben was Fae and was after that ring as much as Asmodeus was. Given the moves he was putting on Kai, Ben was probably hoping to woo it out from under her too.

  Fat fucking chance.

  Heat flared up Asmodeus’ back and he revved the engine of the Harley as a flock of birds swooped low and into a nearby tree. There was no way he was going to let that damned fairy bastard get close to Kai or the ring. Given the appearance of Ben, Asmodeus knew he was going to have to pick up the pace or risk losing the ring.

  If he’d been here in his non-mortal form, Ben would have spotted him immediately and that could have created a shit storm of epic proportions. A fucking fairy free for all. Instead of having dinner with Kai, he would have ended up dodging skin-searing rays of light for the evening.

  The Power of the Light was a fairy’s strongest weapon and, if wielded properly, it could turn man or demon to dust. Their power was fueled by innocence and rooted in purity. Some say they are an extension of the Hand of God and, based on what he’d seen, he wouldn’t doubt it.

  If there was any chance Asmodeus was going to have to tangle with the Fae, his powers better come back or Lucifer better give them back. Last night, at the motel, he’d tried to utilize his telekinesis and some basic heat manipulation and neither worked. He was tempted to reach out to Lucifer but given that he still didn’t have the ring, he decided to hold off.

  Asmodeus smirked as he pulled the bike up by the faded red barn. Fairies in human stories were cute little sprites with wings and magic wands, but Asmodeus knew first hand that they could be as lethal as any demon.

  There was nothing more dangerous than a pissed off fairy. “You’re late, Mr. Miles.” Kai shouted from the porch.

  Case in point.

  Asmodeus chuckled as he dismounted the bike and tucked the key into the front pocket of his jeans. Kai was leaning against the porch railing and those dark eyes were peering at him over the rim of a cup of coffee. Wearing cut off jean shorts, a bright pink tank top and a pair of Converse sneakers, she looked like a homegrown farm girl. Her long blond hair was swept back in a ponytail and as he strode closer, he saw her face was free of makeup. Kai was naturally beautiful although she seemed completely unaware of it. But perhaps that was one of the reasons he found her so attractive.

  “Morning.” He stopped at the foot of the porch steps, grinning.

  “You’re late,” she repeated with a smile.

  “How do you figure?” Asmodeus asked as he removed his sunglasses and hooked them into the collar of his t-shirt. He casually surveyed the property as he climbed the steps to meet her. “It’s just about nine now. Give or take. It’s close anyway.”

  “Close only counts in horseshoes and grenades,” Kai said before taking another sip of coffee.

  “I see,” he said moving closer so there was only a foot or so between them. Asmodeus dropped his voice low and kept his eyes on hers. “Throw a lot of grenades, do you?”

  “No,” Kai laughed and held his stare. “It was something my dad used to say. Sorry. It’s silly.�
� Kai rubbed her thumb along the edge of her coffee mug and he noticed the ring was still on her hand. “I don’t know why I’m giving you a hard time. You’re not really that late.”

  “Certainly not as late as your friend was last night.”

  “True,” Kai said with a small smile as her eyes met his. “But this is business and that was—”

  “Pleasure?” Asmodeus arched one eyebrow.

  Kai stilled and her dark eyes remained firmly fixed with his. She was beautiful and had a purity within her that he’d only seen once before. In all his three thousand years only one woman had entranced him and tempted him to relinquish his position in the Brotherhood.

  However, when he’d told her who and what was...Vivian had rejected him. Shunned him and cut him out of her life. Asmodeus’ brow furrowed as the uncomfortable memories flooded his mind. After that fiasco, he vowed never to expose himself to that kind of ass-kicking again. Not that any of that mattered. He was here to seduce Kai and get the ring. That’s it.

  A cat let out a loud meow from the doorway, bringing him from his thoughts.

  “Be nice,” Kai said with a narrow-eyed look toward the Siamese cat. She flicked her gaze to Asmodeus and shrugged. “She’s not great with—”

  Before Kai could finish her sentence, the cat was rubbing up against Asmodeus’ leg and purring like an engine. He leaned down and scooped up the cat, which was more than pleased by the extra attention. Scratching her behind the ears as he cradled her to his chest, Asmodeus locked eyes with Kai, who was visibly stunned.

  “I can’t believe it.” Kai shook her head and looked from Asmodeus to the satisfied feline. “Zephyr doesn’t like anyone—especially men—and she never lets anyone pick her up. Not even me sometimes...Looks like all kinds of women have a fondness for you, Mr. Miles. You charm waitresses and cats alike.”

  “Dogs tend to like me best but every now and then I meet a cat who’ll warm up to me.” Asmodeus glanced at the purring feline and could only imagine what his Hellhounds would have to say about this particular incident. “Zephyr, huh?” Asmodeus said. “That’s derived from the name Zephyrus, the Greek God of Wind. Isn’t it?”

  “I guess,” Kai laughed. “My dad used to read me Babar the Elephant stories when I was little and Zephyr was the name of his monkey.”

  Asmodeus gave her a skeptical look. “An elephant with a pet monkey?”

  “Yes.” Kai leaned over and scratched Zephyr. “You know about Greek gods but not Babar? What kind of childhood did you have?”

  “It was almost non-existent,” he murmured.

  Kai smiled at him as she spoke but quickly dropped her hand when her fingertips grazed his amid the feline’s fur. Her face reddened and she looked away from him.

  “We should probably get started. I’ll show you the barn.”

  Asmodeus placed Zephyr on the ground and smiled as the cat gave him an annoyed look. “Your father was right, by the way,” Asmodeus said as he turned his eyes to hers.

  “About what, Mr. Miles?”

  “Being close only counts in horseshoes and grenades...but I hope you won’t start throwing any at me.” A smile spread across Asmodeus’ face as he watched Kai’s cheeks redden further. “I’ll be on time tomorrow, honest.” He held his hand over his heart and winked. “Ms. Kelly.”

  “You are too much,” Kai said with a chuckle as she rolled her eyes. She pushed herself away from the railing, walked a wide path around him and trotted down the steps toward the barn. “I’m not as easy as the cat. Follow me, Rico Suave,” she called over her shoulder.

  The woman literally laughed in his face.

  Asmodeus, too stunned to say a word, turned around and followed her toward the barn. He shook his head and ran a hand over his hair as though he might be able to soothe his wounded ego. No woman, ever in all his three thousand years, had been unaffected by his flirtations—ever.

  It looked like seducing Kai wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought. Damn. He could not remember a time when he ever had to actually try to seduce a woman. As the Demon of Lust...he simply did it.

  He watched her as she moved ahead of him and into the barn and a smile cracked his face. Nope. Seducing Kai wasn’t going to be easy, but he bet it would be a hell of a lot more fun. If there was one thing Asmodeus enjoyed, it was a challenge and Kai Kelly had just thrown down the proverbial gauntlet.

  “So this place is a hot mess,” Kai said on a sigh as she walked around the clutter-filled barn. “There are eight stalls and he obviously had horses here at one point or another. Too bad there aren’t any here now. I used to love to ride when I was little.” A wistful smile played at her lips as she tugged at an old bridle hanging on the wall. “My mom loved horses and taught me how to ride when I was barely three years old.”

  Asmodeus studied her carefully and noticed that every time Kai spoke of her parents, her light grew brighter. There may be no love lost for her grandfather but the woman clearly loved her parents and missed them. Kai swiped at her eyes, emotions running just under the surface were bubbling over. She turned her back on him obviously not wanting him to see her getting upset.

  “What I’d like you to do today is go through all of this and see if there’s anything salvageable. Stuff that I could sell, okay? I have a Dumpster being delivered today, in fact I’m surprised it’s not here yet.”

  “You don’t want to keep the good stuff?” Asmodeus asked as he opened and closed one of the stall doors. He squatted down and had a look at the hinges, which were in surprisingly good shape. Rising to his feet, he pounded on the beams with his fist. “With a little elbow grease, this place could easily house horses again and be a functioning barn.”

  “I’m not sure if I’m staying here,” Kai said as she picked through a pile of debris. “I’m cleaning this place out so I can sell it...if I want to.”

  Asmodeus sensed anger and resentment beneath the surface. Not wanting to upset her further, he simply nodded his understanding and perused the rest of the barn. A door along the left side caught his attention. “Where does this lead?” He asked pulling on the handle, only to find it wouldn’t open. “It’s locked.”

  “I have no idea,” Kai muttered. “More junk, I’m sure. It’s probably a storage closet.”

  “I don’t think so.” Asmodeus gestured toward the ceiling. “Did you notice that this barn has a flat ceiling and not a vaulted one? There’s a second floor.”

  “Huh?” Kai stopped what she was doing and made a face as she stepped over a box and came over to the door. Standing next to him, she tugged on it but it still didn’t open. “You’re right. I have a key ring in the house with a bunch of skeleton keys. A couple of them were unmarked, maybe one of them will work. But I wouldn’t get too excited about it because, based on the rest of the stuff I’ve found, it’s probably more junk.”

  Asmodeus leaned against the wall and studied her profile. High cheekbones, a small button nose and full pink lips came together to form a gorgeous face. She reminded him of goddess statues from ancient Greece.

  Flawlessly beautiful. ”Not everything was junk,” he said quietly.

  Kai turned to look at him and her eyes widened when he took her fingers in his and lifted her hand.

  Her skin was warm and silky soft and her slender hand fit in his with exquisite perfection. Asmodeus ran his thumb over the top of her fingers, careful to avoid touching the ring. He wasn’t sure what would happen to him or how it would affect Kai if he did and now certainly wasn’t the time to find out.

  “You found this,” he murmured with a nod toward the ring. “It’s most definitely not junk.”

  Kai’s body quivered as he held her hand, but she didn’t pull away. Her eyes searched his as he pulled her closer still. Warmth radiated from her small form and her tongue darted out, moistening her lip in a disarmingly seductive way.

  “It—it may not even be worth anything,” Kai said.

  “It’s worth something to you, so that’s all that matters.” He lifted her
fingers to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. “That makes it priceless.”

  Silence stretched out between them with only the beat of his own heart thundering in his ears. He stared into her large brown eyes and wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to cover those plump limps with his and dive deep.

  But the rumbling sound of an approaching truck quickly put a damper on their stolen moment.

  “Th—that’s probably the company delivering the Dumpster,” Kai said as she tugged her hand from his grip. She jutted a thumb over her shoulder and started walking backward. “I should get out there and tell them how I want it—I mean where I want the Dumpster.”

  Asmodeus suppressed a grin as Kai stumbled over a rake briefly before regaining her balance. She huffed a strand of hair off her face and leaned the rake against the wall.

  “Okay, so I’ll let you get started in here.” Kai stopped by the open doors of the barn and looked back at Asmodeus. She paused for a moment as though deciding on something. “Lunch is at noon. The kitchen is to the left and if you need the bathroom it’s on the first floor behind the staircase.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He winked. Kai rolled her eyes but he didn’t miss the smile as she walked outside.

  Asmodeus snagged a pair of old work gloves from one of the cluttered shelves and tugged them on. Kai’s beautiful face lingered in his mind and as he started pulling apart various piles, he entertained himself with images of what she would look like spread naked beneath him.

  Asmodeus, I’m assuming I don’t have to tell you that you are in close proximity to the ring. Lucifer’s irritated voice shot suddenly into Asmodeus’ mind and set his teeth on edge. There were several disturbances in the energy field of your location, but I am still unable to see exactly where it is. In fact, there are times when I’m having difficulty pinpointing your location as well and I suspect it’s when you’re closest to the ring.

  I’m not surprised. Asmodeus chucked a broken wooden wheelbarrow into the Dumpster that had been deposited in the driveway. Stalking back into the barn, he picked up another old, broken piece of gardening equipment. I’m well aware of its location and I’d bet the reason you can’t pinpoint it is because it’s in the possession of a Fae.