by Mia Downing
“Then you’ll be in full breach of a contractual agreement you signed in blood.” An evil smile morphed Samuel’s face, and I shuddered at the hatred he shot my way. “Even if we overlook your obstinate ways, your contract lacks a date. That means you could die at any point we wish.”
He gave a dramatic pause. “Imagine Muriel’s sadness at your loss. Imagine the scars to her soul, and how much more she’ll be worth when she comes out of her depression to become my bride.”
I sucked in a breath. My death would be horrible for my mother to endure. She’d fought so hard for me, to protect me. Under the influence of his magic, I could see her falling for Samuel’s trap, and he’d comfort her right into a signed contract.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and found my voice. “If I don’t comply…you kill me.”
Samuel smiled broader in victory. “If you want to be direct about it, yes.”
As I gulped and fought back the rising bile in my throat, Leo reached over and squeezed my hand, more in a comforting way, not a warning. His thumb brushed my skin, sending ripples of something other than desire or threat along my nerve endings.
I closed my eyes for a moment to center my breathing and focused on that lifeline. A demon who claimed no compassion now offered me comfort.
I opened my eyes as Samuel’s smile faded, his gaze narrowing on our entwined hands, his perfect mouth twitching with displeasure. “In fact, I could kill you now.”
Leo hissed a sentence in demon tongue as I yanked my hand from his.
Uncomfortable warmth blanketed me, zinging along my nerves in a warning that said I could be toasted so damned easily. Beads of sweat broke out on my flushed brow as a sheen of dampness coated my heated skin, trying to cool me down as Samuel increased the heat.
My heart pounded an erratic beat as my lungs struggled to eke out each breath. I made a mental plea for luck’s protection as I braced myself.
“Enough,” Leo said loudly.
The blaze of heat resided, returning my skin to its normal, pasty color sans the blood that had drained to my feet. I shook as I sank into the chair, thanking the luck of Leo’s intervention.
Leo shifted to a more protective stance at the edge of his seat, angling himself between me and Samuel. “I can see this meeting is not going in the right direction, so let’s come to an agreement.”
“There is no agreement, Leonard, except the one you carved on her back in her own blood.”
“I beg to differ, Samael.” Leo cast a guarded glance in my direction. He adjusted those cufflinks of his again, tugging them into place. “If she wasn’t needed, we wouldn’t be here.”
I tried not to stare at them with panicked fascination. Those were demon names. Ones that Babu warned me not to utter. I don’t know if I was relieved to know them or terrified I’d screw up.
Samuel settled back in his chair, the proverbial storm cloud abating as he gave Leo the floor with a flick of a wrist.
Leo rose, tugged his cufflink, and slammed his hand into his pocket. Perching on the edge of Samuel’s desk, he presented the demeanor of an amiable moderator. “Despite Muriel’s quest for a fairytale wedding, her instincts have been sparked to take a closer look at you and especially at me. She’s been asking questions, has she not?”
“Yes,” Samuel growled. “She refuses to pepper Olivia with questions because she ‘doesn’t want to seem overprotective.’ But I can’t get the woman to shut up. Or stop her Internet searches. I’ve already stopped her from purchasing a background check.”
I jerked in surprise. I knew she’d worry, but I didn’t realize she’d take it to the next level behind my back. Was Leo trying to help me out by sharing that information? Because they could have discussed this at any point, without my presence.
“And Olivia is also having difficulty with the transition.” Leo jingled change for a second. “We’re not destitute. What does it matter if Olivia waits a month, or two months, or even a year to comply with contractual details?”
“It matters because this is not how things are done, and you know it.”
“Well, we both know Olivia’s contract is…special. And special things often require a little more work.” Leo smiled down at me as if to woo me to his side of the negotiations. “So we allow her some leeway until the wedding.”
I wanted to scream that I was right there, and I could hear them, discussing me like I was an item they’d purchased and were now unhappy with. But for once, brains trumped difficult.
“And how does this help me with Muriel?” Confusion flickered on the older man’s face as he struggled to understand. “Because ending her contract now would be easier in the long run.”
I tensed. Before I could protest, Leo pointed a finger at me, using magic to pin me to the seat and seal my mouth, his hand never once touching me.
“Yes, I could end her contract,” Leo agreed. “But who knows how long before Muriel recovers from her grief at her daughter’s loss and is ready to marry? She seems to be a woman of deep love and affection. You’ve wasted enough time on this project. I think the faster option is to get Muriel down the wedding aisle with Olivia’s assistance.”
The clock ticked loudly in the silence that reigned.
“Yes, I agree.” Samuel sat back in his chair, his thumb and forefinger steepled under his chin. He seemed to be mentally nibbling at the worm Leo had bated at the end of his very one-sided hook. “But Olivia’s good luck impacts your magical usage in a negative way. It’s not good for business.”
“You know business has never been better. A missed day here or there keeps the underlings on their toes. I don’t foresee issues going forward.”
“True,” Samuel mused.
“You have to dull your usage of magic for Muriel. I can suffer through this for a short time.” Leo cocked his head and jingled his change as if an idea popped into his evil brain. “Learning to operate without magic, though annoying, is going to make me more useful in dealing with humans going forward. There are more pure souls to conquer. Think of how this could benefit us in the future.”
Samuel must have seen the benefits, because the corners of his mouth twitched. He lowered his hands and folded them on his desk. “Yes. But she needs to agree to leave the magical doings to us from this point on.”
“I have no power over magic,” I finally piped up, my lips now free. “I had nothing to do with any of this.”
“Are you sure? Because a lie would tarnish your soul,” Samuel chided in a mocking tone. “If you’re manipulating the magic, then it needs to stop. Now.” The or else was implied as my skin blazed again in warning.
As brave as I wanted to be…I whimpered.
“I don’t believe she’s behind this,” Leo said. “The luck she’s invoked doesn’t seem to work on demands or orders. I’ve tested this.”
To my blessed relief, the heat dissipated.
The intercom buzzed. “Mr. Weston, your next meeting has arrived.”
Samuel pushed a button. “Excellent, Tanya. Thank you.” He released it and glanced pointedly at Leo. “I want a verbal agreement. Is she on board?”
Leo nodded. “Olivia will agree to cast me in a beneficial light as her boyfriend, thus easing Muriel’s fears. She’ll agree to assist you however she can to get her mother to the wedding on the date you present.” Leo smiled in my direction. “And after the wedding, Olivia will comply with all sections of her contract.
“In return, we’ll negotiate a clause that will see to Muriel’s happiness. Non-compliance will result in Olivia losing usage of her soul. All verbal agreement to this addendum will be binding from this date forward, without the requirement of further blood spilled.”
Oh, hell no.
Before I could open my mouth to object, Leo leaned in so his breath tickled my ear. “You will agree to all of the above, or I’ll simply end your contract now.”
The finality of his words sent a chill down my spine that chased away any residual twinges of Samuel’s heat. Though I didn’t
want to, I nodded. “I agree.”
Samuel rose, his chair squeaking with the haste of his movement. He slapped Leo on the shoulder with fatherly good cheer. “Excellent negotiations, Leo.”
“Thank you, sir.” They shook hands, and Leo stepped aside to draw me out of my chair.
Samuel held out a hand, the smile on his handsome face now reaching his eyes. How he could easily morph from wanting to kill me to playing the doting stepfather, I had no clue. “I’m glad we could work out an amicable agreement.”
“Thank you.” I slipped my numb hand in his.
“Well.” Samuel let go of my hand and contemplated his watch. “Will I see either of you at dinner tonight?”
“We can’t,” Leo demurred. “I have that Paris debacle to see to, if you recall.”
Samuel waved a hand. “Yes, yes.” He escorted us to his door and smiled down at me. “I’ll see you both for dinner tomorrow then. Muriel is hoping you’ll help her hammer down wedding details in the morning.”
I forced my numb lips to smile back. “I’ll be there.”
“Good.”
We walked out the office door, and it quietly closed behind us. I glanced up at Leo, and the chill returned to his expression. He stared straight ahead, his lips pursed to a fine line as he grabbed my elbow and whisked me down the hall at a furious pace.
The air whooshed, and suddenly we were in my hallway, walking down the dingy red rug to my apartment.
I fumbled with my keys and managed to get the door open despite the furious jingling of change behind me. Leo wasted no time shoving me inside, slamming the door, and planting me up against it. I gasped.
His breath came hot on my face, his eyes wild with emotions I couldn’t name. “If Samuel approaches you with some deal that I haven’t discussed with you, you are to tell me right away. Do you understand?”
“What?” Hurriedly, I thought back and recalled Samuel’s offer to purchase my contract and Leo’s demonic outburst afterward.
“You heard me.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t make a deal with him.”
Leo’s crazed look should have been a warning for me to shut up and scheme alone. Instead, I blurted out, “But if it will save my mother—”
“You do not want him to own your contract.” The wild look darkened to something that hinted of anger. “You lucked out when I contracted you. You may not see it that way, but take my word for it.”
“But my mother—”
“Will figure it out,” he ground out between clenched teeth. “Will you come to me if he approaches you?”
Afraid, I slowly nodded. “Is there a problem?”
“Demons don’t work well together when it comes to souls. You weren’t supposed to be my contract, and he’s not happy about it.” He glowered. “Which is why you’ll do well to heed my warning.”
“But—”
“You. Are. Mine.” His head lowered, his lips claiming mine in fierce possession.
Chapter Ten
They say possession is nine-tenths of the law, and Leo’s mouth possessed mine in the hottest kiss ever, his tongue diving in to chase mine, his lips hard as they slanted across my mouth.
He’d said before that angry sex was hot. I wasn’t angry, but he was, evident in the way he stripped his suit jacket and flung it to the floor, his hands then working the buttons on my shirt. Need exploded in my belly, core, along my skin, zinging along every nerve, my panties instantly soaked.
My hand trembled as I grabbed his and placed it between my thighs to cup my heated sex.
“Magic,” he demanded between kisses, his fingers stroking the wet fabric of my panties.
“Yes.” Just this once, I wanted him however he wanted me—magic or no.
He groaned and kissed me harder. Cool air hit skin as my clothes disappeared, his hands covering my breasts, his naked hips pressing me against the wall.
“Where do you want it, Liv?” His hand slid between my bare thighs and immediately sought my folds. Hot fingers plunged in, his thumb rubbing that sensitive bundle of nerves. “Here, the bedroom, over the couch, in a kitchen chair…”
“Please.” I panted between his kisses, not caring as long as he satisfied the ache deep inside me.
He turned me so I faced the door, one hand wrapped in my ponytail, the other finding my sex from behind. His hard length ground against my ass. He kissed my neck, my jaw, using my hair to direct the fall of his lips. “If Samuel didn’t have security measures around his office, I’d fuck you on his desk. You’re mine.”
His mouth on my neck made my knees weak, those lips nipping, licking, and sucking every inch of my exposed flesh. I loved the rasp of his stubble, tickling my sensitive skin. It was more erotic than if he’d spun me and gone down on me in the hallway. “How much would it tarnish my soul?”
“Mmm.” The sound shot shocks straight from my ear to my core. “Enough for us to go celebrate.”
“Isn’t he working still?”
His hand stopped stroking, his fingers slipping away. I wiggled at the loss. “He’s with your mother.”
“You asked?” My heart jumped to my throat at the idea. “Please tell me you didn’t ask permission to screw me on his desk.”
He snorted and spun me around so my back pressed against the door again, his erection hard against my stomach. “Dear old Dad and I don’t have that sort of relationship. And as much as I’d like to tell Samuel to fuck off, sex on his desk is a bit risky.” Gentle nips peppered my lips. “However…”
“Yes?” It surprised me a demon would find anything risky, but I guess everyone had limits. I wiggled a little, rubbing myself along his length, stimulating that bundle of nerves neglected by his hand.
“If you’re up for something dirty that would piss Samuel off…”
“What are we waiting for?” The combination of Leo’s ire and the magic excited me beyond reason. If giving in to his desires furthered my cause, I’d go for it. “But I want clothes. Just in case.”
“Chicken.”
Before I knew it, he’d transported us both—wearing clothes—to an empty office that wasn’t Samuel’s. He nudged the chair out of the way and laid me across a stately oak desk. My skirt had scrunched up around my waist, the hem just barely covering my crotch.
He slung his jacket over the desk chair, undid his cufflinks, and rolled up his sleeves, each movement slow and deliberate. It surprised me he’d do these things himself given he had full use of magic here, but he must have realized the power of seduction in those simple acts. I devoured each movement like he’d disappear forever.
“Whose office are we defiling?”
“Mine.” Those large hands slowly worked his belt, the buckle clanging against the leather. He popped the button, and the rasp of his zipper sent a shiver up my spine.
I rose on my elbows for a better view as he withdrew his hard length. He gave it a long, lazy stroke that made my core clench. “You’re going to be fucking the vice president of Weston Enterprises.”
“My, my.” I licked my dry lips, impressed by the title and what he held in his hand. “And is that all for me?”
“Only if you’ve been naughty.” He stepped between my legs. One long finger skimmed up my thigh and stroked the length of my soaked sex through my panties. He hooked the lacy edge and slid a finger under the damp material, along my slit, and finally sank it deep into my core.
I moaned and arched my back, wanting more of him.
He added a second finger, pumping them gently into my eager flesh. “I know this is new to you, but demons are greedy and possessive. You are mine, Olivia. Don’t test that. Ever.”
“Yes,” I agreed breathlessly. Unfortunately, I was his. And at this point, I didn’t care. “Condom.”
My panties disappeared, and he eased forward, his condom-encased length dragging through my wetness before sinking home.
I gasped at the invasion, surprised I was that ready that quickly. In fact, an orgasm waited in the wings as my blood heated
to just under the boiling point. I wrapped my legs around his lean hips as he surged again.
The danger and excitement of it all had me panting for breath, my entire body on fire as I hung on to his shoulders. He pressed me back onto the leather planner, one hand fisting my ponytail as he kissed me, his tongue stabbing into my mouth. The other hand ripped the buttons of my blouse, exposing my breasts. He kneaded one, plucking my nipple through my bra as he turned up the power in his thrusts.
He broke the kiss to whisper something in demonic, the ending hiss hot against the damp skin of my neck. My back heated like it did when I’d sealed the deal with him, but not at all in a painful sense. That heat blended with the foreign words he uttered, mixing in an erotic blend that made my blood race. He gently bit my neck, his tongue caressing the marks his teeth left.
That must have excited him, because his thrusts became erratic, matching his breathing in short then long draws. “You’re mine,” he whispered.
“Yes.” My core clenched harder around his length. So damned close, on the edge of the biggest orgasm yet. My toes curled in anticipation as every nerve hummed.
“Come for me, Olivia,” Leo panted against my ear.
And like a good possession, I came, harder than I ever had. I gripped his shoulders tight, my eyes closed on the waves of ecstasy coursing through my core. Samuel could pop in and kill us right now. I didn’t care. All I cared about was the joy spreading over my skin, through my bloodstream, along every pore.
He jerked and came with a groan, pressing his damp forehead to my shoulder as he panted for breath. We remained that way for what seemed forever, though it’d only been long enough for us to catch our breaths and let our skin cool. He pulled out and rolled off me, and I scrambled upright to fix my clothes before someone wandered in.
“So this is your office.” I smoothed my skirt and glanced around. His office was smaller than Samuel’s, with a desk, a hutch behind it, and a small sitting area. Still elegant with exquisite and expensive appointments. The antique rug alone cost a pretty penny. A leather sofa and two arm chairs flanked a cold gas fireplace. “You couldn’t do me on the sofa?”
