A DANGEROUS BARGAIN (The Sentinel Demons)

by J. S. Scott

  There was no special man in her life. There never had been except for one boyfriend in college who had dumped her quickly when she had dropped out to help take care of her sister and her nephew. Still in his college partying mode, he wasn’t the type of guy who wanted a girlfriend with a boatload of adult responsibility.

  Kat’s full-figured body with its voluptuous ass and abundant curves wasn’t exactly a man magnet. Add her girl-next-door face and her bright copper hair…and you had a woman who never got a first glance, much less a second. She and Nora were fraternal twins, and somehow her beautiful, svelte, auburn-haired sibling had gotten the gorgeous genes. Kat had always joked the she had gotten whatever was left over. Truthfully, she wasn’t hideous, but she was honest with herself.

  But I sensed Zach’s desire for me. He really wanted me. The reasons for that she just couldn’t fathom. He was rich, gorgeous as sin, and probably the sexiest man she had ever seen. Or was he a demon? All she knew was he had felt very male, very hot, and utterly decadent.

  Kat sighed as she heard the water shut off in the bathroom, wondering why her body still ached for him. The tension was leaving her body, leaving behind only a dull longing. Either Zach was closing his thoughts or the demon was satisfied.

  Demons. Kat shook her head and tightened her arms around her body, still shocked that they truly existed. The nightmares she had been able to discount as just an overactive imagination. When the horrid little creatures had started showing up in the flesh…she could no longer deny that they did indeed exist…and they were stalking her. Hell, before her personal experience, she had believed that demons only existed in spirit, wanting to possess a human body.

  Her breath hitched as Zach came out of the bathroom, the illumination from the open door bathing the whole bedroom with light. He was dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt. His hair was damp and his eyes had turned back to a sexy chocolate brown. Her core flooded just from looking at him. Thank God he had covered that tempting torso and chest with fabric.

  Except…she already knew what lay beneath the light cotton: an incredibly built male body that her fingers itched to touch again.

  “I do want to possess you.” His harsh voice was deep as he skewered her with an intense look, his eyes roaming over her with a possessive expression, his demeanor tortured.

  “What?” Kat answered, confused.

  “I’m a demon in human form.” He stalked her slowly, moving toward the bed. “I’m not a spirit, and yes, I have darkness in my soul.” Reaching the bed, he bent down slowly, his mouth whispering against her ear in a low, growling voice. “And right now I’m a demon that wants to take over a body, but the only body I want to possess is yours. I want to be inside you, not to torment you, but to satisfy you until you can think of nothing but me.” He straightened in a slow lazy stretch, his muscular biceps flexing as he came back up to his full, impressive height.

  Kat shivered, the warmth of his breath and his erotic words still tingling against her ear. Oh. Shit. Men just didn’t look at her this way, react to her this way. And her body was on hormone overload, as though every feminine part of her was reacting to some mysterious male pheromone he was emitting from that incredibly masculine form.

  Shake it off, Kat. This guy is way out of your league. Not to mention the fact that he’s a demon. She tried to muster her common sense, but it wasn’t easy when her brain was scrambled from looking at the hottest male she’d ever seen. And his suggestive comments were really messing with her head.

  “Is what you said true? Will my nephew really be okay?” Her voice was breathless. She turned her eyes toward the wall. Maybe if she didn’t look at him, she wouldn’t feel the driving need to touch him, an instinct that was nearly overwhelming her.

  “He will. He would have stayed in remission whether you had gone with the Evils or not.” Zach slid his large body into a chair in the corner of the room, his elbows resting on his knees. Kat could feel his warm gaze and she couldn’t resist a peek at him.

  His look was fierce, but not malicious like the previous dark demons she had dealt with in the flesh and in her nightmares. She asked him hesitantly, “If the demons we encountered were evil…what does that make you?”

  “I’m a demon, Kat. A Sentinel. We try to save souls and we recruit others, those who are living without much hope, to become Sentinels if their soul is still intact. We were created by the gods eons ago to help keep the evil demons in check.” He diverted his eyes as he continued. “It doesn’t make me good. I’m still a demon and my soul is still dark. It just makes me a better alternative than the Evils. They would have sent you back to the human realm as a shell, your soul completely destroyed. Or they would have killed you after they had tortured you to increase their power. They feed off human souls.”

  Kat felt a shiver down her spine as she realized how close she had come to making a decision that would have destroyed her without any benefit to her nephew. What would have become of her if Zach hadn’t showed up? He made her feel safe, even if he was a demon. “I think you’re better than you think you are.”

  “If you could see the thoughts I’m having about you right now you wouldn’t think so,” he grumbled back. “It’s going to be a long week.”

  Kat’s heart accelerated and her palms were damp. Why would Zach have those kinds of thoughts…about her? He could have almost any woman he wanted.

  “Don’t want another woman. I want you. I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, in every way,” he answered immediately.

  Damn. I wish he’d quit saying those things. It made her feel awkward and confused.

  She looked at him suspiciously. She hadn’t spoken aloud. “You’re reading my thoughts again.” Just as he had outside her apartment.

  “Yes.”

  “Well…stop it. It’s intrusive and it makes me uncomfortable,” she scolded him lightly.

  He grinned as he leaned back in the chair. “But it’s so much more interesting that way. I like to get your thoughts completely uncensored.”

  She stood up and put her hands on her hips. “If you have a question, feel free to ask, but get out of my head.”

  Zach rose from his chair slowly, still smiling at her fierce expression and defensive stance. “I’ll try to block them,” he told her in a voice that sorely lacked conviction.

  His curving lips were slightly wicked and a lock of his dark wayward hair fell over his forehead in such a haphazard sexy manner that just looking at him had her heart thundering. The man really was a demon. Kat didn’t quite believe he would totally block her out. His look told her that he would do as he pleased, whenever he pleased.

  “Kat…if that were true, we’d be rolling around in that bed naked right now.” His voice was seductive and low, a bedroom-voice that made Kat think about black silk sheets and have visions of the two of them naked and abandoned on top of them, Zach taking her until she was crying out his name in total ecstasy.

  “You just relieved yourself. In the shower. I could sense it. You were satisfied,” she blurted out before she could censor herself. Not that guarding her words would actually help. Zach seemed pretty adept at reading every one of her thoughts.

  “Yep. All I had to do was think about the same scene you were just imagining and it didn’t take long,” he admitted shamelessly.

  Kat nearly groaned. He had stroked himself to images of fucking her. “I-I-you did?”

  “I did. And I’m far from satisfied. It barely took the edge off. I’m still aching to be inside you,” he informed her bluntly.

  So much for getting him to stop talking about sex by reminding him that he had just gotten relief. He seemed to blatantly enjoy the fact that she had sensed his release and had no shame in admitting it or turning her face bright pink with his words. The man was completely shameless.

  He shot her a devilish look as she blushed, but he changed the subject. “What would you like for dinner?”

  In her present state of arousal…even that sou
nded like a provocative question. As she glanced at his mischievous expression, she decided that it was meant to be. “I’m not picky, as you can probably tell. I devour just about anything.”

  His brows shot up and he laughed at her with his eyes, shooting her a glance that said he would like to be her next meal.

  “You are totally depraved,” she accused him with a laugh. She couldn’t help herself. He was teasing her mercilessly, but it was intoxicating to have a man like Zach flirt with her so outrageously. It was actually a new experience that both thrilled and unsettled her, making her almost believe he really desired her.

  His face changed instantly, his expression intense and dangerous. “I do desire you, Kat. More than you can imagine.”

  Damn. She couldn’t have a single thought that he wouldn’t hear. The air became electric and she shifted uncomfortably. Maybe if she tried to shield her thoughts, he wouldn’t pick them up.

  “It won’t work. I have to block you.” He motioned her toward the open bedroom door.

  “Well…do it. I hate someone creeping around in my brain,” she told him indignantly as she exited the bedroom and waited for him to lead the way to the kitchen.

  “I’ll try,” he told her solemnly, but his eyes were shining with sinful amusement.

  As he passed her, she couldn’t help admiring his broad shoulders and an ass that would make a nun take a second look.

  She thought she heard a snicker.

  “Zach.” Her voice held a warning.

  He held up a hand. “I’m trying, I’m trying.”

  She didn’t think he was really trying much at all, but she didn’t say anything else. He had rescued her from a horrible fate. Maybe there was only so much he was capable of controlling.

  He was, after all, a demon.

  She followed him, leaving enough distance to continue to admire his swaggering backside, unable to tear her eyes away.

  He was right…it was going to be a very long week.

  Chapter Four

  “Why do you think you’re not beautiful?” Zach asked as he placed his fork on the empty plate in front of him, thanking the gods that Kat had cooked. Conjuring items that were edible wasn’t really easy for a Sentinel, and he couldn’t cook worth a shit. He usually ate out with Drew and Hunter, or grabbed food wherever it was convenient. Usually his cupboards were pretty bare, but Kat had managed to make something delicious out of nothing, raiding his canned goods and non-perishable items for a pasta dish.

  Kat looked at Zach and rolled her eyes as she stood, gathering their empty plates as she answered, “You really do have lousy eyesight. Is that a demon trait?”

  “Nope. Our vision is excellent, even in the dark.” He smirked and nodded at the dishes she was holding before adding, “You don’t have to do that.”

  Kat flinched as the plates disappeared from her hands on the way to the sink. “Shit. What was that?” She turned to Zach, frowning.

  He slumped in his chair and crossed his arms in front of him. “We might not be able to cook, but we’re pretty good at cleaning up messes. We’ve been doing it for a very long time.”

  Kat turned completely toward Zach, looking around the kitchen, taking in the fact that it was once again spotless. “Everything’s done?” she asked, her voice incredulous. “Wow. That’s even better than having a dishwasher.” She looked at him in awe.

  The irony of the fact that she was looking at him like that, simply because he could make a dirty kitchen suddenly clean, didn’t escape him. Although he loved the expression of admiration on her face directed toward him, he’d much rather see it because he had done something to earn it. Then again, maybe in her mind, he had. Zach could see Kat’s memories, and he unashamedly flashed back to Kat, exhausted, but still working to keep up with domestic chores and caring for her sick nephew after she’d put in a long day or evening of work. And she’d done it all quite happily, with no regrets, because she loved her nephew and sister.

  How can she not know how fucking attractive she is, how damn tempting? Her soul warms mine. She belongs to me.

  Zach stood, his eyes raking over Kat as she stared at him with her intelligent green eyes, his demon urges pounding at him to take her. She was his radiant, and for the first time during all the years of his demon existence, he felt warm and alive, the darkness inside him kept at bay by Kat.

  She’s mine, dammit.

  Unable to stop himself, he moved closer, backing her up against the refrigerator. He knew his eyes were glowing amber, but she didn’t look afraid. She looked…fascinated and mesmerized. “Do you want to know what I see?” he growled, slapping a hand on each side of her body, clenching his jaw as he fought the urge to claim her, trying to block his thoughts so she didn’t feel obliged to obey his compulsions.

  Kat shook her head slightly at first and then nodded, the muscles in her throat flexing as she swallowed, as though she were unable to speak.

  “I see a woman with hair like wild flames that I’d happily allow to incinerate me, and eyes so green and deep that I’d gladly jump into them and drown. She has a body made for wicked, carnal nights and a heart as big as the universe,” he told her in a low, husky tone. Unable to stop himself, he buried a hand in her silky tresses and brought his mouth down to nip her earlobe as he finished, “And best of all, I see a woman who’s completely mine.”

  Zach took a deep breath, his whole body stiffening as he inhaled the fragrance of her-his mate, his radiant-the irresistible scent making his already erect member strain against the metal buttons of his jeans.

  Fuck. I can’t do this. She’s under a demon bargain, controlled by compulsion. She doesn’t need a demon mate. She deserves better after spending all of her adult life taking care of others. I’m being a selfish bastard.

  His hand fisted in her hair, struggling to contain the urge to unblock his thoughts and let her feel the compulsions.

  Dammit. He needed to fight the cravings, the soul-deep longing that had every muscle in his body quivering from trying to leash his demon desires.

  Dominate.

  Conquer.

  Take.

  Mine.

  Zach’s actions and thoughts were becoming completely visceral and beyond possessive, his humanity slipping beneath his demon yearning to have his radiant.

  “Zach,” Kat whispered, her arms coming around his neck, urging his mouth to hers.

  He felt the warm whisper of her ragged breath against his lips before he completely lost it.

  *****

  Kat melted into Zach’s heated, muscular body as his mouth claimed hers with a dominance that stole her breath and left her gasping against his lips. His velvet tongue demanded her surrender, and she gave it to him while he plundered her mouth as though he were starving…for her.

  Her core flooded with molten heat as she thrust her tongue against his, needing to get closer to him, her body and mind demanding it. Her being was deluged with the desire to sate him, the need so strong that her legs went weak from longing. She knew some of the needs belonged to him-his desire, his wants-but an equal amount were completely her own, her senses unable to resist the temptation that was uniquely Zach. Never had a man moved her so much. There was nothing spectacular about her, in looks or personality, yet Zach wanted her; the proof of his desire was pounding in her mind, and against her stomach. And she wanted him almost to the point of insanity, as if her soul were reaching for him, clawing to be joined with him. It was animalistic and primal, and Kat was helpless, intoxicated by her intense desire to be possessed by Zach.

  You’re mine, Kat. I need you. She heard his tormented voice inside her mind as one hot, fiery kiss melted into the next, and his hands cupped her ass, pulling her up and against his rock hard cock, her pussy clenching with the need to have him inside her.

  “What the fuck are you doing, Zach?” The booming voice exploded, vibrating through the entire kitchen as Zach’s mouth left Kat’s and he was yanked away from her, leaving her confused and breathless. She was pan
ting as her hand grasped the handle of the refrigerator to keep her upright, the support of Zach’s heated body completely gone.

  Kat recognized the two men holding Zach away from her, one on each side of him. Drew Winston looked immaculate in an expensive suit and tie, but Hunter was dressed casually in a black t-shirt and jeans, his face covered in cuts and bruises, looking like he’d just been through a war zone.

  “He wasn’t hurting me,” Kat protested breathlessly, her gaze focused on Zach, his glowing eyes making his expression feral as he jerked at his arms to get out of his brothers’ hold.

  The two men yanked Zach backward, shoving him none too gently into one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

  “Rein it in, Zach. You can’t do this with a rescue,” Hunter growled as he kept a forceful hand on Zach’s shoulder as Drew did the same on the other side. “You’ll hate yourself for it later.”

  Drew’s gaze trailed over Kat, finally meeting her eyes. “You okay?” he questioned kindly.

  “Yes. Of course,” she assured him, wishing they’d let go of Zach. For some reason, she hated to see him restrained. “Please let him go.” She could feel Zach’s desire to be free, and it clawed at her, made her want to try to fight the two men confining him.

  I’m okay, Kat. Don’t worry. They’re trying to help me. I lost control. The comforting words flowed through her mind, calming her.

  Her eyes were riveted on Zach as she watched his breathing return to normal and his eyes slowly change from amber to chocolate brown. At that moment, she knew how incredibly strong he was, his ability to fight off the pulverizing demon instincts that were inherent in him, speaking volumes about his strength of character, his humanity. She’d felt the full force of his raw instinct to get free, violently if needed, but he’d forced it back down, unwilling to hurt his own brothers.

  His eyes met hers as he picked up her thoughts and said aloud, “Yeah, but I didn’t do so well a few minutes ago. I’m sorry,” he said with remorse, his fierce eyes meeting hers. Shrugging off his brothers’ hold, he stood. “I’m good. Let go.”