by Milly Taiden
Davi’s eyes widened. Shit. She’d taken too long to answer. “You! You don’t like sex!”
Ah hell. She snorted, twisting her lip and rolling her eyes. “Oh, please.”
“Don’t try to trick me, Laura.” Davi blinked her gorgeous burgundy eyes at her. “You don’t like sex. The question is, why?”
She sighed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Davi stared at Laura with new eyes. Her assistant did not like sex. That should be a crime. Maybe that was the reason she was in the pit. Davi’s mother, Riyanna, had never given her Laura’s complete file, so she didn’t know why Laura was in hell. It was time she got her hands on it.
“What do you think of Damien?” Davi asked, watching Laura’s complexion turn shades of red, which was hard since she was dark.
“He’s... big.”
Davi’s brows flew up. Big? She narrowed her eyes and stared more intently at Laura. “Big where?”
Laura wrung her hands. A clear indication she was nervous. “He’s, er, tall.”
She was lying. Davi took a step back and turned away from Laura so she wouldn’t see Davi’s triumphant smile. “That he is.”
Davi walked over to her massive desk and flicked her wrist. A folder appeared in her hand. “I’m going to handle Damien’s first match.”
“You are?” Laura asked, her voice filled with shock.
Davi donned a bored expression and glanced at Laura. “Yes. I have someone in mind for him.”
“Oh.” Her shoulders slumped. “Okay, I’ll send you what information I gathered from him.”
Davi grinned. “Excellent.”
Davi watched Laura leave her office. She shook her head at how see-through Laura was. Davi flashed to her mother’s suite door. As one of the daughters of the Queen of the Underworld, she had the ability to move to and from places without needing to walk. All she had to do was think of where she wanted to go and she’d materialize in that place. It was a definite perk when the pit was so big. She grinned at the set of brass male balls her mother used for people to knock on the door. Every time she used them, the sound of a man in pain surrounded the entrance. Davi, being just as bad as her mother, she slammed the balls on the wooden door as hard as possible and waited, laughing at the man screaming in pain.
“Enter,” Riyanna called out with a husky tone that made every male in the vicinity groan.
Davi glanced down at her outfit. It would do. She didn’t have time to go strap on some leather for her mom. She pushed the large door open and sauntered in.
Riyanna sat back on a leather chair while two souls rubbed her feet. The men glanced up at Davi, open lust in their eyes.
“I did not tell you to stop!” An invisible whip cracked over the back of the men.
“Hello, mother.” Davi flashed her mother a smile and bent down to offer Riyanna a kiss on each cheek.
“Davianne. Have you figured out your problem yet?” her mother asked, bright red glowing in her eyes.
Davi flung a long raven lock of hair over her shoulder. “I have. I’ve decided to match minions.”
Riyanna nodded. “That’s quite astute of you, daughter.”
“I have a question, mother.” She sat on the sofa across from Riyanna. “I never got Laura’s complete file. Where is it?”
Riyanna raised a hand, motioning for her minions to stop and then curled a hand to push them to the door. They staggered away by the wave of power shoving at them.
“Laura. How is Laura?” Riyanna lifted a perfectly arched brow and stared at Davi.
“Great. I’m making her miserable.”
Riyanna sighed. “Davi, darling. Laura is not your typical soul. She cannot be treated as such.”
“I’m not treating her like the others. She’s a first in my matchmaking scheme,” Davi said proudly.
“Who are you matching her with?” Riyanna frowned and then blinked her eyes wide. “Damien Wrath?”
Davi nodded. “He’s perfect for her.”
Riyanna scrunched her nose for a second. “You’re right. He is perfect for her.” She stood, walking barefoot over the stone floor. “Go. I have business to attend to. Besides, I have a date tonight.”
She always had a date. Riyanna was the queen of the underworld. She was wanted by every man in the world and the underworld.
Davi appeared back at her office and summoned Damien. His existence was about to take a turn for the worse... for a little bit.
FOUR
Damien knew he’d done a lot of things while alive, but none bad enough to merit the torture Davi was putting him through.
“What do you mean you found me a match?” How in all hell had she done that? He had yet to even fill out the registration Laura had emailed him.
Davi gave him an innocent smile. “I have your best interests at heart.”
He glared at her. “You have no heart.”
“Okay, you’re right. I have my own best interest in mind, but this is going to be good. You have a date tonight.”
Fucking hell. He couldn’t believe she’d done this to him. A date? What the fuck was this, a new form of torture?
“I—”
She lifted a red tipped finger and placed it over her lips, indicating for him to be quiet. “You will do as I say, shifter. I do not need a reason to do what I please.”
“Fine.” Now he had to figure out how to see Laura and get rid of the date that night.
Davi waved her fingers and Damien went from being in her office, to standing by a restaurant table at the edge of the pit. Lost Souls was known for being the romantic restaurant in the Seventh. Just fucking awesome.
Someone tapped him from behind. He turned around and sighed. She’d set him up with one of the workers at the local bar. A waitress that had been trying to get in his pants for years.
“Hi, Elena.”
“Damien!” she squeaked, throwing herself in his arms. “I couldn’t believe it when Davi told me you were looking to get matched,” she gushed. “I just joined Hellmatchand was so scared I couldn’t find a man that could”—she leaned intohis ear— “fulfill my needs.”
“Elena, listen,” he said, trying to pry her off him. The woman was like a leech, attached to his arm. “I’m not really looking for a match.”
Elena patted his hand and rubbed her cheek on his shoulder. “Davi said you were shy.” She pressed her breasts on his arm. “Don’t worry, handsome. I’ll take good care of you.”
Fuckity fuck fuck. How the hell was he going to get rid of Elena? She had been hinting at sliding into his bed for a long time. This was turning into a nightmare.
He sat down, hoping the night wouldn’t last as long as he knew Elena would want it to.
“Tell me about yourself, Damien,” she said, her eyes filled with lust. She licked her lips in what he could only assume was her way of flirting with him.
Damien hadn’t been interested in anyone since his wife. Except for Laura. Now that he finally got his body in working order, Davi insisted on matching him with some other woman. Instead of giving him Laura, the one woman he had connected with, she shoved someone else in his path.
“Not much to tell, Elena.”
“Do you have a sturdy bed?” She winked. “I bet a big guy like you needs a solid frame to... sleep on.”
He cleared his throat, unsure what to say. With Laura, it had come so easily. Flirting with her had been fun and a turn on. He didn’t know how to flirt with anyone else. Nor did he want to. Kele had not been the love of his life, but she’d been a caring, loving woman who had won his respect and faithfulness. Even in death.
Until now. Now all he wanted was a taste of Laura. The animal inside him roared at the need growing to near explosive levels.
“Have you ever been married?” The question burst out of his mouth. He hadn’t expected it to, and from Elena’s wide eyes, neither had she.
“No. Are you... are you looking for a wife?” she asked, excitement sparking in her eyes.
Oh, shit. “No! No. I was just curious.”
Good going, asshole. Now she was going to think he wanted to get married or something.
She bit her lip and lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “I would love to get married.” She met his gaze. “I want a man that can do me like I’m a bad girl that deserves to be punished.”
He glanced around the restaurant. Other men glanced at their table, interested.
“Elena—”
“I want you, Damien. I want you to take me to your big bed and fuck me with what I know is a big cock. I can tell.” She gave a salacious grin. “Now I want to see it firsthand.”
* * *
Laura grumbled on her way into Davi’s office for the millionth time in the past ten minutes. Her boss was on a roll, asking her to do everything and anything under the sun.
“Oh, good. You’re back.” Davi smiled and held out a set of keys in her hand. “Take these to Lost Souls for me.”
She frowned. Lost Souls? Why would Davi send her to interrupt someone’s romantic evening?
“Damien forgot them before he left.” Davi supplied as if reading her mind.
She took the keys and stomped out of Davi’s office. What did she care that he was off on a date with some bimbo, anyway? It wasn’t like she was interested in a big, half-naked barbarian. Men like him didn’t know how to move around the house without breaking something with their size.
She marched into Lost Souls and gaped at the woman sitting on Damien’s lap.
“Take me home, Damien. Fuck me all night long!”
Whoa! That was more than Laura or anyone in the restaurant needed to hear.
“Do it, buddy,” one guy said, “or I’m going to end up taking her home with me.” Something his date didn’t find amusing from the way she broke the wine bottle over his head.
Laura’s anger started to rise. After practically throwing himself at her like she was the woman he wanted in his bed, now he had some woman on his lap? This guy had some nerve.
“Elena, I don’t think you understand that this is not what I’m looking for.”
“Damien, please. I’m burning from the inside. Cool the hunger in my pussy,” Elena groaned, raking her nails into his hair.
Damien met Laura’s gaze and smiled. “Elena, as much as I’d love to cool things here, I’m afraid I’m going to have to go. Davi needs me.”
He picked Elena up off his lap and sat her on the chair he vacated.
He rushed away from the table and grabbed Laura by the arm, tugging her to the entrance of the restaurant. “Let’s go.”
“Damien!” Elena yelled at their back. “Come back. You’re supposed to fuck my head into the wall tonight.”
Laura gasped. “You promised her that?”
He frowned and continued marching down the street, hauling her by his side. “Of course not. Elena has had a crush on me for a while now.”
Laura tugged her arm out of his hold and stopped, slapping her hands on her hips. “Did you tell her you don’t want to sleep with her?”
“Yeah. She doesn’t really understand the word no. Now let’s go before she glues herself to my side and I need a crowbar to get her off.”
Laura frowned at Damien and realized something about him. “You don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
He tugged at her arm again. “Not if it’s not necessary. I have never really liked disrespecting females. It’s not her fault her hormones are making her crazy.”
Laura lifted her brows and blew a raspberry. “She can learn to control herself.”
“Damien! Come here you sexy thang!” Elena’s screams closed in on them.
“Come on!” he growled.
She pressed down on her heels and didn’t follow along. “No.”
Elena was close to them when Laura turned to face the other woman. “Hi, Elena.” She smiled politely. “Damien can’t talk to you right now. He’s really got to run.”
Elena narrowed her eyes, curling her lip at her. “Damien is coming home with me.” She leaned closer. “He wants me.”
Laura’s anger rose swiftly. “No, no he doesn’t. He is running from you, Elena.”
Laura didn’t normally argue with people, especially women. She wasn’t that kind of person. But seeing Elena’s gaze roving over her like she was a piece of trash pissed her off.
“Look, Elena—” Damien started.
“What the hell are you supposed to be dressed as, anyway? A librarian?” Elena spat at Laura. “Look around you. We’re in hell. This is the epitome of Sin City.”
“I don’t feel I need to explain myself to you.” She bit the words out through gritted teeth.
Elena smiled coldly. “Just like I figured. Get the hell out of my way. Damien is coming with me.”
“No!” Laura said, grabbing Elena’s hand and shoving her away from Damien. This wasn’t about Damien anymore. It was about Elena’s lack of respect. And her inability to understand and accept being rejected. “He’s staying right here.”
She moved in front of Damien, protecting him from the buxom redhead Elena.
“I don’t need you to defend me,” he muttered at her back.
Elena lifted a hand to reach for Damien. “That’s right. He wants to come with me.”
“Touch him at your own risk,” Laura said softly.
Elena laughed. “Or what?” Instead of grabbing Damien, she shoved Laura’s shoulder. “What are you going to do little librarian?”
Laura’s fury hadn’t been tampered with in a long time. She’d forgotten how quickly her anger could surface and take hold of her. Rage bubbled up inside her, blasting through her veins in earth-shattering blasts. She lost all control of the monster she’d thought she’d tamed long ago. Her fiery temper.
Without a second’s hesitation, she lifted a hand and slapped Elena so hard across the face, that the hit sounded loud in the busy street.
“You, bitch!” Elena made a move to grab her hair, but Laura’s anger knew no bounds.
Laura took hold of Elena’s wrists, crouched under Elena’s arms and used her heel to flip her easily over her shoulder. Elena slammed on the ground with a loud thump.
“Learn when to stay down,” Laura threw back.
She turned around and motioned Damien to follow her. “Let’s go.”
His brows rose and a smile split his too sexy lips. “You getting bossy on me?”
They started walking away from Elena’s up close and personal visit to the floor, when the redhead grabbed her bun from behind.
“You think you’ve won?” Elena shrieked.
Sharp needles of pain shot through her scalp. Elena grabbed on to Laura’s hair, yanking hard enough to make Laura see red. Laura flew into a rage. She pushed back, sending both Elena and herself bumping into the side of a building. Elena grunted. Laura flipped around, grabbed Elena by the straps of her tank top and shoved her through the glass door of another bar.
Glass shattered all over. Loud cheering sounded around them. Patrons of the bar moved out of their way to watch the fight.
Elena kicked Laura off of her. Laura wobbled back, breaking a table when she couldn’t find her balance. She didn’t stay down. A second later, she picked up a wooden chair and slammed it over Elena, splintering it into pieces.
Another cheer went through the bar.
Laura’s anger had toppled over. She couldn’t contain the rage anymore. She jumped on Elena, pinning Elena with her legs. Then, she swung a fist and hit Elena’s cheek so hard the sound of bone breaking filled the room. She couldn’t stop. She grabbed Elena’s hair, slammed her head on the ground repeatedly, until someone picked her up off the other woman.
“Calm down, Laura,” Damien muttered by her ear.
A final cheer and a standing ovation took place. Damien dragged her out of the destroyed bar into the streets again. She tried to shake his hold, but he was stronger than her. Dammit.
“Let me go!”
“Stop fighting me,” he said, his arms turned into two stee
l bands around her chest. A red haze of fury still covered her vision.
It took her a few moments of deep breathing to calm her rage. Once she pushed the explosion of anger out of her system, she stopped moving and cleared her throat. “You can let me go now.”
He slowly unwrapped his arms from her upper body and stepped back. Holy shit. She hadn’t done that since she’d been sent to hell. Her vicious temper was one of the things Riyanna had asked her to try and control. It was the reason she was in hell to begin with.
She pulled away from him, wanting to bury her head under the hot red sand of the Pit’s acid beach. Walking quickly toward her building, she didn’t say anything until they were a few doors away from her apartment.
“You have quite a temper there. I think we should find you some ways to let your anger out from time to time.” Damien chuckled when they reached her door.
Crap. She hadn’t wanted anyone to see that side of her again. She didn’t even know what pushed her so hard so fast. Elena didn’t say anything she hadn’t heard before. It was the idea of Elena sleeping with Damien that had brought out her anger. Not good. The last thing she needed was to feel some kind of desire for the shifter.
Ribbons of heat crowded her cheeks. She didn’t want to look at him from the embarrassment she felt. She’d hidden her temper and lack of control over it for hundreds of years. All it had taken was for Elena to speak of her desire for Damien and the fury had made a comeback.
She made a grab for the knob, opened the door and finally turned to look at him. Need exploded in her belly, shooting through her veins like wildfire. She gasped. What the hell was wrong with her? She’d never had this kind of reaction to someone after letting her anger run wild.
He inhaled sharply. “Laura...”
Passion sizzled inside her, swiftly taking a hold of her. She licked her lips and met his gaze. Oh, sweet mother of all things naughty. She wanted him. But she shouldn’t. Hell, she might not be able to handle a man like him. She probably needed lessons to please him in bed. But she couldn’t get her body to care about any of that.
