Haley was caught in a whirlwind, the slightest contact with him had brought a torrent of graphic images from his mind into hers, and she stared stiffly at the coffee table. The vision showed a much younger Damian, stripped naked with his wrists bound above him, chained to a cement wall in a dark room. A girl with short brown hair and thick bangs paced in front of him, holding a black whip, wearing only thigh high boots and a black corset laced around her middle, leaving her small breasts and bare sex fully exposed.
“I love you, Damian, my pet, and you love me too, don’t you?”
She whipped his genitals. “Don’t you love me?” Her curiously high-pitched voice echoed through Haley’s head, disturbing her to the core.
The impish girl’s name, Marybelle, rang clearly in her mind, accompanied by an image of Damian, young and clean-shaven, lying on a rough wooden table, his ankles and wrists bound apart with coarse rope. Marybelle blew her bangs out of her eyes as she leaned over him, studying his chest.
“So firm and perfect,” she cooed in her cartoonish voice. “Not anymore.”
She formed a glowing spark between her fingertips, the yellow flame flickering with familiar black and shimmering green magic, and Haley knew at once the girl was a witch.
“You love me, don’t you, Damian?” Black smoke whirled in the air, and his jaw clenched tightly when she held the supernatural flame to his chest. “Say the words.”
“Yes. I love you.”
She continued to burn him, giggling at his broken whisper. Plagued by a disgusted sickness in her already queasy stomach, Haley blindly stared ahead.
“Scoot over.” Aimee shooed her further down the couch.
Haley’s heart raced as she shuffled along at Aimee’s request, moving closer to Damian, and sat in the curve of the couch right beside him. Folding her legs beneath her, she held her gaze to the TV screen and worked at keeping her fast-paced breathing under control.
With her senses on high alert, her chest tightened into a strained knot. The grim sight of Damian and his pixie-like captor loomed in the back of her mind, but there was something different about the feeling gripped between her breasts, and she realized it wasn’t her own. She was experiencing Damian’s emotions.
He stared at the laptop screen with an intense expression, his features etched in stone.
Marybelle’s voice sang through both their heads. “You love me, don’t you, my pet?”
Haley felt the constricting anxiety in Damian’s chest as the gruesome image of his burning skin flashed through their minds, and a rush of jumbled thoughts spun through his head. He seemed to be feeling an intense aversion to her, made even more uncomfortable by her close proximity to him on the couch.
A series of memories flashed, tortured recollections of his suffering at the hands of Marybelle. She’d given him scars all over his body in countless grisly ways, and Haley tried to keep from visibly cringing.
The flaming joint made its way around the room, and Aimee extended it toward her. Haley gratefully grasped it, taking a slow drag as she tried to forget her unsettling view into Damian’s mind. His animosity toward her hung thickly in the air between them, and she turned her face away, lowering her gaze to her lap as she blew out a thin cloud of smoke. She relaxed slightly at the sudden euphoric lift from the marijuana.
She held the burning joint between her fingers with trepidation, suddenly aware it was her turn to offer it to Damian, and stretched a hesitant hand in his direction. He glanced up and caught her reluctant gaze for a second, his stunning green eyes reflecting a deep inner struggle before casually taking it from her, careful not to connect his fingers with hers.
They hadn’t even touched, and his thoughts opened up to her again. Isn’t his mind supposed to be guarded like the rest of that wicked family? How is this even possible? Haley calmly shifted her focus to the movie ahead, listening to his internal dialogue as he inhaled a long hit from the joint.
… At least she doesn’t know about your weakness. Christ, you’re fucking immortal, but you can’t protect yourself from a tiny little witch… Just calm the fuck down. It’s not like she’s going to attack you in front of a house full of witnesses.
Haley sat in a cloud of confusion for a moment. Does he think I’m gonna try to hurt him?
When he reached his arm forward to crush the joint into an ashtray, the rough scars along his forearms were barely visible, mostly hidden under black tattoos, and she almost jumped at his sudden, harsh voice in her mind. Focus on the mission. Stop letting yourself get sidetracked by the witch.
Seconds after his self-directed commands, he stood up, closing the laptop to take with him. He turned his back to her, and his tall, powerful form surprised her. He’d seemed smaller in his memories. Probably because he was strapped to a table in most of them.
“Where’re you going?” Adam glanced back at him as Damian headed toward the door.
“Library.” He abruptly left the room.
“How long are you guys staying?” Aimee directed her question at Adam.
Haley slid over to Damian’s empty place on the couch. His lingering body heat warmed her, and she found herself curiously attracted to it, nestling deeper into the cozy fabric.
“No idea.” Adam tossed his book on the table. “We don’t even know what we’re hunting. All we’ve got is a few bodies and a pack of skinned mortem rats. Hales, you think you could let us in to go through the supernatural files at Hawthorne Tower? Uncle Eli hasn’t answered my calls.”
Haley barely heard him, lost in the TV screen, and strangely enveloped by the warm cushion. “Hmm?”
Aimee gave him a half-smile. “She didn’t go to work today because we were so hungover. We can’t just go in there and use the file room.”
“Yeah, it’s a Thursday, ladies. You were out getting trashed on a Wednesday night?”
“Ladies night…” Ginger sang out, keeping her gaze on the movie.
“An ‘after work drink’ turned into a crazy late night.” Aimee shrugged nonchalantly. “Drinks taste so much better when they’re free.”
“You live off your parents’ bank account. All your drinks are free.” Adam shook his head.
“Guess we’re spending the night then.” Noah looked at Ginger with a lustful glow in his mahogany brown eyes. “Can you take us to the Tower tomorrow, Haley?”
“Oh… Uh, sure.” Haley couldn’t keep from drifting to the horrific view of Damian’s past. His severe torture at the hands of the dark witch had most likely been the spark of his unprovoked hatred toward her. She wondered how he’d managed to escape from Marybelle’s clutches.
CHAPTER THREE
Damian abruptly woke on the couch in the darkened living room with the sense he was being watched. He furrowed his brows at the dangerous witch in front of him, scarcely able to make out her hourglass figure in the sliver of sunlight from a gap in the curtain.
“What are you doing?” Lowering his arm to his side, he sat upright.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Haley’s gaze darted downward. “I was…” He tried to probe her mind, and she promptly pushed him out, forming an invisible shield around her thoughts. “I was looking for Adam.” She cleared her throat lightly.
Panicked by her unknown intentions as his eyes adjusted to the low light in the room, he pinpointed his gaze on her. A blur of white and black polka dotted silk, awkwardly standing with her face turned away from him. Her neckline plunged deeply, brought up to tie in a silky bow behind her slender neck, accentuating her bare shoulders.
“He’s in the library.” Surprised at how soft his own voice sounded, Damian suddenly felt an intense urge to pull at the ribbon until it slid down her perky breasts.
“Oh, all right, thank you.” Her eyes wandered nervously. “I wasn’t…um…watching you.”
He raised an eyebrow as her creamy complexion turned pink.
“Adam, I mean, Aimee said Adam was in here, so…” The girl could barely breathe.
Shameful self-loathing tore through
him as he recalled her tear-filled eyes, their bright blue depths staring up at him from Raden’s table.
She rushed to the doorway, a black tulle slip under the hem of her dress swaying at her sexy thighs. With a sudden ache in his groin, he caught a peek at the red soles on her black high heels. Her ponytail bounced as she hurried away from him. He imagined how she would look perched on his lap without any clothes on.
Forcefully eliminating that thought from his mind, he stood, cracking his neck back and forth, and headed into the sun-soaked hallway. She’s a goddamn witch, what are you thinking? He happened to be oddly vulnerable to their magic, rendered completely powerless, and tended to harbor an automatic hatred for them. If this beautiful witch was, in fact, planning any kind of vengeance toward him, he’d be royally fucked. Not to mention, she’s Adam and Stephen’s little sister. That’s gotta be some kind of guy code violation.
Walking into an empty bathroom, he undressed to take a shower and found his cock standing firmly at attention. He rolled his eyes. Even if you did want her, I’m sure she fucking hates you. You let her get tortured while you sat inches away. Leave her the fuck alone.
He scrubbed himself hard in the shower, trying to rid his mind of her, but was still achingly swollen between his legs. His thoughts drifted to what she’d looked like sleeping next to him the day before, perfect pink nipples barely showing through her lacy white top in just the right light, those sexy fuck-me heels with the red soles as she walked away. He’d never experienced such a strong attraction to anyone before, and it was insanely distracting, especially since she was entirely off-limits to him.
Lowering his head in frustration, he let the water wash over him for a moment. Just thinking about her couldn’t hurt anything. He moved his hand to his pulsing cock and began to stroke it.
CHAPTER FOUR
The morning turned into afternoon, and Damian stood outside Haley’s open office door as she sat inputting data at her computer. Adam knocked on the doorjamb.
“Come in.” She continued typing as Adam strolled in and took a seat in front of her desk. Noah followed, walking past her to the collection of books covering the back wall, and Damian lingered in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, his gaze at the floor.
“Ginger already let us into the file room upstairs.” Adam blew out an exhausted breath. “We didn’t find anything, but you mind if we raid your wall o’ books? I know you’ve got a couple rare spell collections back there.”
“Sure. They aren’t organized at all. Sorry.”
“Shouldn’t take long with three people.” Adam got up and went to the bookcase.
Damian made his way to the shelves with a grim disposition. The scent of peaches and vanilla in the room somehow intoxicated his senses. Though he made a strong effort not to look in her direction, he’d still managed to notice she was wearing glasses, thick black frames that perfectly accented her blue eyes. His traitorous dick began to increase in size.
He started sorting through the hundreds of books along her wall. She clearly liked to read. A mental picture of Haley, reading next to him in bed with her glasses on, sent a rush of pleasure downward, and he lost focus. What the fuck? He’d never imagined a visual like that before, let alone gotten hard from it. Teeming with frustration, Damian resolved to finish his work as quickly as possible and get the hell out of there.
They were making maddeningly slow headway on the mission. After digging through volumes of books, one surfaced with the mention of mortem rats. The spell didn’t involve death or immortality, just a mild anti-aging potion requiring the use of their flesh, but it was better than nothing. “We’ll need to copy these pages and send them to headquarters.”
Adam agreed with Damian. “Haley, where can we find a copier around here?”
“Oh, I’ll take you.” She stood up from her chair, smoothing her dress. “It’s on this floor, but I’d have to draw you a map to get you there.”
Adam turned to Noah. “Andrews, you wanna go with her?”
“Actually, Ginge is down in the lobby with Thai food, I’m gonna help her carry it up here. Damian, why don’t you go?”
Damian grasped the thick, leather-bound book with a slight nod, inwardly cursing his new task. He had a hard enough time keeping his fantasies under control in a room full of people. Now they were going on an office errand alone together.
She walked briskly beside him in the hallway, an amazing feat in those sky-high heels of hers, and Damian tried not to think about them clicking softly against the tile floor. He lifted his gaze from her shoes, only to be distracted by her bare legs, and wondered what they would feel like wrapped around him.
She led him to a white copier in a small room before glancing up at him. “Di-did you…”
He took the opportunity to stare at her while he waited for her to finish stuttering her question. Her sexy glasses were driving him crazy. She was too hot to wear them. They just made her look like she was about to take them off and shake out her ponytail for him. God, she’s nervous. Why on earth would a girl like this ever be nervous? Right…because you’re the fucking devil.
“Um… Did you want me to…” She gestured to the book in his hand, unsure how to ask if he needed help with the machine.
“No, I’ve got it.” Damian let her off the hook, opening the copier and positioning the pages on the glass.
Haley took a quiet breath. Boy, he is surly. Her pulse steadily rose at his abrupt demeanor. But as he worked diligently, she admired his extreme focus. Through his tough and dark exterior, his stunning green eyes, framed with heavy, dark lashes, were like a shining light, revealing a possible vulnerability underneath. He must attract a lot of female attention.
“Haley.” Bradley stood beside her, a gleam of determination on his chiseled features, and her comfort level dropped.
“Hello.” She smiled politely.
“I heard you went next door for a few drinks the other night. You should have called me. I could have come along.”
“It was really more of a girls’ night.” Haley gave him a gracious look, folding her arms to cover her middle.
“Just you and your girls, hmm. They’re bringing out a little bit of a wild side in you.” His blue eyes twinkled with charisma, and he nudged her shoulder, lingering just briefly at her bare skin. “That reminds me, is your friend Aimee seeing anyone?”
“No.” Haley perked up, delightfully surprised by his question. “She’s single.”
“Oh good, Lance was asking about her. I guess he ran into her in the stairwell or something.” He ran a hand through his tousled blond hair, giving her a magnetizing grin. “And you’re single, right?”
Her heart sank with dread. “Yes.”
“So bring your girls. Let’s go out tonight.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t.” Though Bradley was undoubtedly a very good-looking man, Haley was immune to his charms. “I’ll be working late.”
“Come on, it’s Friday. You never leave this place.” He flashed an alluring smile, seductively lowering his voice. “It’ll be fun, you’ll see.”
“Really, I’m…” Haley shook her head. “I actually do have to work.”
Bradley’s bellowing thoughts echoed loudly. He’d asked her out more than a dozen times over the last several months and, having rarely ever experienced rejection, was even more determined to get her to say yes.
“One drink.” Bradley tilted his head, unleashing the power of his ocean blue eyes. “At McCormack’s. It’s right next door. You’re barely leaving the Tower.”
Uneasy and brimming with guilt, Haley tried not to sigh aloud. If Bradley could behold what was underneath her clothes, he would not be pursuing her so vigilantly. He’d run quickly once he found the darkness buried in her past, and unfortunately, the five-inch initial burnt into her skin was a dead giveaway. She’d only been to bed with one man since her escape from Hell, and he’d lost his erection upon seeing the R stamped on her stomach. She spent the next five years avoiding that exac
t scenario, perfectly satisfied with the idea of abstaining from men entirely. But poor, adorable playboy Bradley didn’t seem to be giving up anytime soon.
She stared at him in silence, aware that his melting gaze probably worked wonders on women everywhere. Aimee had practically swooned when she first laid eyes on him.
“Well?” Impatiently awaiting her reply, Bradley moved forward to slide his arm around her shoulders.
“I’m done here.” Damian slammed the book shut. “Ready to go?”
Haley pulled her gaze in his direction. “Yes.” She gave Bradley a fleeting look. “I’m sorry. I need to get back to work.”
Damian headed for the doorway, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and Haley stayed close by his side, adjusting her glasses and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
They walked back into her office to find Aimee, Ginger, and Noah huddled around white containers of Thai food scattered all over Haley’s desk, and she sat down at her computer.
“Adam’s sleeping in an office somewhere.” Noah threw away his empty Styrofoam container, brushed off his hands, and pointed to a stack of spell books on the edge of the overcrowded desk. “That’s where he left off. And there’s food if you want.”
Damian shook his head and got to work.
“To my beautiful cousin,” Noah read the inside cover of a hardback book. “Hope this helps you get back on the horse. XOXO, Ginge. Aww…” He opened to a random page, raising his eyebrows. “Holy shit. This is porn.”
“What? No, it isn’t.” Ginger defended.
Noah looked up from the book with a broad smile. “Ginge, this is totally porn.” He examined the page again, reading aloud. “He wrapped his finger around mine, joining them together, and pushed them both inside me, disorienting me with my own touch. Jackson’s sculpted body hovered over me, his erection dripping against my thigh…” Noah laughed playfully. “You gave your cousin porn.”
Paramour for the Devil Page 2
