“Look,” I broke the silence. “What do you want? Someone to love you? You want to put a spell on someone? Cause them to die or something? The lottery? You’ve discovered you’re dying and you want six more years? What is it?”
He opened his mouth wordlessly, surprised at my impatience. I didn’t have time to play around. I was trying to enjoy my vacation and a certain sexy neighbor. Right now the Olorisha was cutting into my precious time.
I tapped a foot. “Well, what the hell do you want?”
He crossed his arms over his chest, his bottom lip hanging low as he pouted. “They laugh at me.”
I almost rolled my eyes. Almost. “Okay, and?” I prompted.
“I want them to pay.”
I almost gagged. I did not kill. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do it, but when humans died they had such a look of…helplessness that it was painful for me to see. I was no angel but I wasn’t going to kill for the thrill of it.
I mimicked his body language and folded my arm across my chest. The Olorisha glanced at my ample chest before he shook his head and glanced somewhere above my head. Yeah buddy, I glared at him, look away.
“I don’t kill.”
He shook his head, his eyes wide. “I don’t want them dead!” he exclaimed. “I want them to see that you are real.” He leaned forward suddenly and reached for my arm. I arched an eyebrow and he hastily removed his hand.
“You want me to reveal myself to other humans?”
He nodded. “Exactly.”
I shook my head. “That’s not how this works.” I leaned back against the cushions of the couch. It was quite comfortable in the small house and with the air conditioning off, the temperature was starting to spike. Beads of sweat popped out on the Olorisha’s forehead. I wondered if it was the heat of the house or his nervousness that was making him sweat more. After all, he was making a deal with the devil.
“But, you’re supposed to do everything I say!”
I smiled at his outburst. “Sorry. Not how this works.” I repeated. “You can’t wish me to show myself to someone. You summoned me. Only you can see me in my demon form. You have to wish for something that affects you. Money, love, long life.” I smiled again. “Well, six more years anyway, but who’s counting?”
He fumed as he sat there. Frustration covered his face as his teeth ground together. Oh well. Perhaps he should have thought this through. Although, it was a lie. I could reveal myself to whomever I wanted. Most demons couldn’t, but I wasn’t most demons. But I wasn’t going to reveal myself to a bunch of religious nuts who probably knew I existed and simply wanted nothing to do with this particular Olorisha. I felt a bit sorry for him. He was probably trying really hard to fit in and this was to be his way to garner respect.
Suddenly my pity vanished. He was not going to use me to get his respect. There was a reason a demon did not simply reveal themselves to anyone. It was about survival. If every human knew that demons existed, there was only a matter of time before they discovered how to summon them, and then every demon in hell was potentially at the beck and call of any human willing to risk their souls to summon them.
Humans were a fickle lot. I shuddered as I imagined the lovesick teens, scorned wives, and brokenhearted men who would summon a demon for revenge to later regret it. Wars could wage. Demon against demon. Contrary to popular belief, we could technically die. No. It was a good thing the safeguards were in place.
I stood up. “Look, I would love to help, but I really have to get going.” I walked towards the door and saw the stunned look on his face. I guess he expected me to simply grant his wish and then disappear. I shrugged. Nothing was fair. Besides, he really had no idea what he was doing. All he simply had to do was command me and I could not resist. Instead I walked out to the patio and sighed as he followed me. His long robes swished around his feet and my own feet hurt as I walked over the scalloped pavers in the backyard.
The night sounds of Miami were starting to get louder. Cars whizzed by. Dogs barked. TV’s blared. Somewhere nearby a car door slammed. A child a few doors down cried. Rather loudly. I looked back at the Olorisha. He had a determined look on his face and I knew that he would take me up on the offer of granting his wish.
“But, don’t I—!”
He stopped again as I held up my hand for silence. I could tell he was inexperienced when talking to a demon. It was all about negotiating. Not that I had a lot of experience myself, my dad had kept me guarded from such things, so I only knew the stories. I turned toward him, a tad bit apologetic. He did look rather ridiculous with the long robes and sneakers.
“Seriously, I know this is not the way you wanted this to work out and although I am not obligated to fulfill your wish, after all, you did make a deal. No getting out of that one. Perhaps I will be nice and owe you one, but right now I have other things to do.” I waved a hand. Even though I was still not quite sober, using a simple spell to find home shouldn’t be too bad.
I may not end up home, but I would be far away from this lunatic. “So good luck and good bye.” I muttered a spell, but before I could vanish I saw the shocked look of a brown haired man with round glasses. The reporter from Evan’s open forum discussion. And he had just watched me disappear.
*
I stomped into my condo and instantly felt my right foot step in something wet. And yellow. And smelly. I tried to use a spell to clean up Orthus’ mess and cursed when the yellow smelly liquid remained on the floor. Orthus raised his head and glared at me.
Really, Helena? You’re that drunk that you can’t even get rid of a little piss? Princess of Hell. Sheesh! Want me to take care of it? He looked at the mess, his nose wrinkled and twitched and in a moment it had disappeared.
I glared back at him, feet aching and gaze slightly unfocused. “If it were that easy, why the fuck didn’t you do that in the first place?” I asked irritably.
More fun watching you get rid of it. He padded over to me. You stink! Where have you been?
I ignored Orthus’ question. I had no doubt that I smelled. In fact, there was a good reason why demons didn’t mess with spells when drunk. I shuddered as I thought of the swamp water I had ended up in after I had vanished in front of the reporter and the Olorisha. Although the water was nice and warm, it had smelled. And was filled with animals that seemed to want to take a chunk out of me. Until I had shown them differently. Now I had enough alligator skin to cover a couch, make a few curtains and a damn rug. All that was before I had to walk home.
Apparently, no spells and limited funds could only get you so far in Miami and to be honest, it didn’t get you very far at all. I glared at Orthus again, put a hand to my aching head and headed to my bedroom, marching straight into the bathroom to toss my shoes into a corner. Quickly running hot water into the tub, I sank my weary body into the water even before it had finished filling.
I sank beneath the suds as if the hot water could remove the past twenty-four hours. I wouldn’t have been challenged by Bri, wouldn’t have gotten drunk in the bar, wouldn’t have been summoned by an Olorisha and my fucking feet would not be hurting right now. Overuse and alcohol was causing my soothing spell to lose its effectiveness and I held my breath as the heat from the water soaked into my bones, then pushed myself free of the water to catch a breath. I scrubbed my hair as I noticed a leaf drift by me in the water and I grimaced, and then plucked another twiggy leaf out of my curls before I stepped out of the tub to towel dry.
Sitting down on my bed, I plugged in my dead cell phone. It whirred to life as it started sucking the electricity it needed to stay operational and I heard a beep. Missed call. I looked at the display. Evan. He had probably called me when I was being led like a damn lamb to the Olorisha. Or it could have been when I was lost in the jungle of the Everglades or wherever it was that I had been. I felt bad about my behavior earlier that day and I knew that I had been a little bit bitchy. I promised myself to call him first thing in the morning.
He didn’t give me that chan
ce. As I sat there thinking about what I would say to him, my phone buzzed. Evan. My stomach gave a funny lurch at the thought of him. I picked up the phone and answered it. I was tired and hungry and not at all my usual self. Evan picked up on that right away.
“What are you doing?” He asked without preamble.
“Nothing much.” I shrugged knowing he could not see me. “Long day, even longer night so I was planning on going to bed.” As much as I hated to admit it, I was too tired to flirt. I would play our little game tomorrow. My feet ached, my head ached, my back ached; places I didn’t even know I had, ached. It was all too much for a girl to take on an empty stomach.
Evan vetoed my decision to go to bed. He played his trump card. Even if he didn’t know it was a trump card. “Want some dinner? I’m buying.”
How was I to say no? I was hungry. Too drunk to use my powers and too tired to go out for food. He had said the magic words. No further debate was necessary and I quickly said yes and hung up. I grabbed a sundress, slipped it over my head, pulled my still wet hair into a ponytail and slipped on a pair of ballet flats. I was too hungry to take the time to dress up and besides, I didn’t want to seem desperate. I raced across the hall, and rang the doorbell. Seconds before Evan opened the door, I wondered if he had extended this invite to Bri as well. I hoped not. In the mood I was, seeing she would not be good for her health. Powers or no powers.
Evan opened the door and stared at me. I stared back, taking in the T-shirt and khaki shorts he wore with a pair of flip-flops. He continued to stare and I began to feel a tad bit anxious. My stomach growled and broke his trance. He smiled, a slight curling of his lips as he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the room and into his arms. I returned the hug, puzzled and a bit embarrassed at my enthusiastic display, then broke free as my stomach growled again.
Evan laughed. “So it was the offer of food and not me that brought you here.”
I smiled at him as he held my hand and dragged me into the living room. We sat on the couch that Bri had occupied a week ago and my fingers dug into the bowl of potato chips that sat on the coffee table in front of us.
Evan stretched his long legs and laid his head on the back of the couch. “Food should be here in about ten minutes.” He looked away for a moment and I studied his profile. Sharp and angular. He suddenly looked back at me and I felt myself caught by his blue eyes. Damn this man was good-looking. No wonder Bri was territorial. I would be too. I would be pissing all over his couch, his leg, his car. Anything to let the other bitches know he was mine.
I wondered how long Bri had been working on him and if they had done anything besides hanging out. I didn’t want to think about Evan with another woman although I knew that he was obviously not pure. Hell, I wasn’t either. Far from it, but I wanted him all to myself.
He reached over to clasp my hands; holding my hands in both of his and brought them up to his lips. The heat of his kiss spread through my hands and down to my stomach. “I’m really sorry I was such as ass,” he said apologetically.
I raised an eyebrow. “It’s okay. You can be an ass sometimes.”
He laughed at my comment. “I don’t know if I should take that as an insult or forgiveness.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I think I’ll choose forgiveness.” He kissed my hands again. “But I am really sorry. I wanted to spend time with you and I totally forgot that I had meetings that day and that Bri was going to help me.”
He shrugged. “I know you don’t really like Bri,” he seemed to struggle to find the appropriate words. “She can be a…handful sometimes,” he said, “although she is not a bad person.” He released my hands to rake his through his hair. “I should say this now because I want you to understand. Bri and I almost had a fling once. I knew it wouldn’t last and it didn’t, but we are still friends.”
I said nothing as I listened to his speech. I knew what kind of friend Bri wanted to be. The part about them almost having a fling floored me. I desperately wanted to ask what “almost having a fling” entailed. Before I could open my mouth the doorbell rang. Evan walked over to the door and the smell of Chinese food wafted in. My mouth watered. I was famished. He turned with the food in his hand and I swear it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. Evan was already sexy as sin. But carrying food? Now he was almost too good to be true.
Less than an hour later, I was sprawled on Evan’s couch. He sat next to me, his hands massaging my back as I moaned. I had eaten like a glutton in front of him and did not care. Now I was full and although I was sleepy, Evan’s hands on my skin was starting to arouse feelings in me best suited for another time. I was about to tell him that I needed to leave when I felt his hands trace the column of my neck. A moment later, his lips kissed the same spot and I started to tremble. I should not be feeling this way towards this human this quickly. He hadn’t even kissed me yet and I could already feel the wetness between my legs.
This was different than simple sex. Sex with humans was nothing new for me. Hell sex was not a big deal where I was from. But the feelings that instantly caught fire in me were too deep, too strong for mere sex. His powerful fingers gripped my shoulders as he kissed his way up my neck, across my nape and down the other side to my shoulder. I shivered as he pulled the strap of my sundress off one shoulder and kissed my bare skin. An electric current zinged through me and my stomach clenched.
My fingers lightly touched his hands and he froze.
“Helena?” he whispered. “Are you okay? Is this okay?” He sighed. “I don’t want to rush you or make you do anything you don’t want.”
I shook my head and smiled. “It’s okay.”
He released the breath he was holding and his lips went back to my neck. “You are so damn beautiful,” he whispered against my flesh, causing my nipples to bead. I tilted my head to give him better access and he took it; laving his tongue along my neck and nipping my earlobe between his teeth. He let out an unsteady breath as his hands moved lower and cupped my full breasts.
“Helena? Are you sure about this?”
I nodded quickly. The man was a study in patience. I was practically putty in his arms, where normally I was the aggressor and he was still making sure I wanted him. He was making sure I was comfortable with what we were doing. I was suddenly tired of waiting. I turned in his arms and captured his lips with mine.
He smiled in surprise and then allowed me to deepen the kiss. “Trust you to take charge,” he said against my lips.
I smiled back. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
He grinned and then looked up in surprise as he suddenly found himself beneath me. My strong thighs held him in place and I leaned over and put my lips back on his. His hands gripped my hips and my heavy breasts fell against his chest.
Without thinking, I leaned up and whipped my dress over my head. Evan’s mouth fell open as his lustful gaze travelled up and down my naked body. “You are just full of surprises,” he said as he moved his hands involuntarily against my skin.
I reached up and undid the ponytail allowing my hair to swing free. Evan sat up, with me still straddling his lap, and tangled one large hand in my curls. He wrapped the red tresses around his hand and pulled my head back. His lips sought my neck and he trailed kisses down my throat. I was on fire. No human or demon had ever made me burn this way. It was as if he was in my core. He released my hair and I moaned, bereft. In no time, he had discarded his shirt and his pants lay unbuckled and low on his hips.
“Helena,” his voice was ragged. “What are you doing to me?”
I shook my head. Me doing something to him? The man was pure sin. Better than chocolate. He had a witch and a demon fighting over him. And he thought I was doing something to him? His hands against my skin pushed all coherent thought from my mind as he cupped my breasts again and I arched my back as he bent his lips to suckle. Oh my. He must have made his mother very happy when he was a nursing baby. He teased and played. He kneaded and bit. And when I thought I could take no more, his hands slipped low
er.
He lowered me gently to the couch and draped his body over mine. He looked into my eyes and his blue eyes darken with lust and…something else. He kissed me again, our breaths harsh in the room and my eyes rolled into my head as his hands found my center. He touched my nub and I jerked at the current that passed through me. He laughed, a deep sound that made my stomach clench again and wet the hand covering my mound. He felt the change and his laughter stopped. I reached lower and shoved my hands past the course blond hair on his stomach and into his pants. My hands curled around his hot hardness and he arched his back.
Evan grinned at me, his blue eyes flashing a hunger that I echoed before he slipped a finger into my honeyed heat. I licked my lips at the feeling of fulfillment and his eyes darkened at my obvious pleasure. He pulled his finger away and moved down my body, my hands protesting as his shaft was pulled away beyond my reach. Moments later, his cool tongue touched my center and my hands flew to the back of his head. I wanted to pull him into my core which was quickly heating up. His tongue was slow and sure as it flicked my nub and licked up and down my wet slit. He pulled my nether lips into his mouth and teased me as my hips arched beneath him. I muttered incoherently, my legs wrapped tightly around his broad back.
The fire in my core started to spread out and I knew it was a matter of time before I burst into flames. As if he sensed this, Evan stopped. He crawled up my body and moved back to my lips before thoroughly kissing me. I tasted my juices on his tongue and it made me wetter still. He shoved off his pants and boxer briefs, his moves quick and impatient. I moved to pull his shaft in my hands again and he stopped me, holding my hands high above my head.
“If you touch me right now, this is going to be over very quickly,” he warned.
I smiled. “We don’t want that.”
Evan smiled back before quickly kissing me. “We don’t want that. We want this done the right way.”
He leaned away from me and reached onto the coffee table for his wallet. He pulled a slim foil packet from the leather, tore it open and within seconds, had rolled the latex down his length. I stretched languidly and watched him as he watched me, enjoying the feeling of power as his eyes glazed. His penis jumped and I bit my lip as I stared at him. His penis was beautiful. It was long and wide and had a thick vein that ran down its length, from the round head to the nest of dense blond hair at the base. His eyes remained a dark blue as he leaned into me and in mere moments was sheathed inside my body. I sighed. My muscles were stretched around the girth of him. I wiggled my ass and he grabbed my hips, stilling my movements. I gave him time and then he started to move.
Hell in Heels Page 7
