An Angel on A Demon's Shoulder (A BBW Paranormal Romance) (Demon Brothers' Trilogy Book 3) (2 page)

She knew why. She was always comparing herself to the women in Remington’s life. The tall, thin blondes who wore their sophistication and experience like a second skin. Nothing like Clementine. Clementine was short and curvy. Cute. Innocent. Way too innocent for the likes of Remington. And it had nothing to do with the fact that she was an angel. She’d just been sheltered her entire life, having lost her parents very early.

While she’d experienced a brief flare of hope when his two brothers had chosen and mated with a woman who were curvy just like Clementine, that hope had died when Remington had started dating his latest woman. Not only did she look like a Barbie doll incarnate, but she was also a succubus to boot. The complete opposite of Clementine in every conceivable way.

“No matter what I ask, Clementine, I always get a smart-mouthed answer from you. Why is that?”

He took a step toward her, and she forced herself to stand her ground. Rachel had once told her that demons admired courage in the face danger above all else. Did Remington realize how dangerous he was to her peace of mind? She hoped not. He stopped only inches from her, so close she could see every one of the thick lashes that surrounded his dark eyes. As she held his gaze, the darkness started swirling, sparking with golden fire.

“Does your mouth—”

“Let’s eat.” Rafe burst into the dining room, either completely insensitive to the currents flowing between her and Remington or just not caring.

She stepped away from the big demon, trying to get her breathing under control. In minutes, everyone was settled around the table. Remington sat beside his mother and ignored Clementine for the rest of the meal. She ate a piece of pepperoni pizza slowly, one of her favorite treats tasting like sawdust in her mouth. It was a good thing she’d decided to move on with her life and start dating again.

As if controlled by the fates themselves, her cell phone started ringing. She laid down her half-eaten piece of pizza and pulled the phone from her back pocket. A number flashed on the screen, and then a name appeared. Eric. The man she was currently dating. She’d decided that if she was going to dip her toes into the dating game, she needed to start somewhere safe. A stockbroker from Hoboken was about as safe as she could get, she ventured to guess. She caught Rachel’s eye. “I need to take this, please.”

“Of course, my dear. Is it that handsome human you’ve been going out with?”

Against her will, her eyes darted to Remington to see if he had any reaction to his mother’s question. Of course not. Why should he care? He was deep in conversation with his brother Roark.

“Yes. Please excuse me.” She shifted her seat back as she slid her finger across the screen to accept the call. “Hello.”

Remington’s body froze the moment his mother asked about Clementine’s call. It took all his restraint not to start interrogating his mother about her assistant. Since when had she started dating? And why the fuck should he mind? Yeah, he’d like to get under the curvy angel’s wings, but that was all. He wasn’t the settling down type. He might occasionally have thoughts of a wife and kids, but that was it. Thoughts. Something to occupy his mind in the long hours before dawn. Not something he really craved.

Oh, yeah?
His demon smirked at him.

Clementine returned to the table and picked up her half-eaten pizza. He tried to get a read on her, but couldn’t. Had the call upset her? Delighted her? That thought had his hand tightening around the paper napkin he held. No one said anything. Didn’t ask any questions, and he certainly couldn’t.

The conversation around him kept going. He heard his mother ask about Julie and Kayley, his brothers’ wives. His father wanted to know if Rafe had found a job yet. He smiled at that. He thought Rafe was slacking since he’d decided to stay at home until his daughter was born. An unborn daughter who was already exhibiting some extraordinary powers. Remington couldn’t blame him for wanting to stay close.

No, he couldn’t blame him at all for wanting to stay close to the woman he loved.

Everyone continued to eat for another ten minutes. Then, Ravjeer was on his feet giving orders. “Remington since you decided to freeload this morning, you can help unpack the rest of the truck.”

He groused as was expected of him and gave his brothers a flinty look. “What, Rafe and Roark not man enough to unload a little truck like that? I’d be ashamed of myself if I were the two of you.”

Clementine watched as Remington rose to his feet and walked outside to the moving van. On autopilot, she helped Rachel clean away the pizza boxes and used plates and napkins. Once they were done, the other woman handed Clementine the black trash bag. “Be a dear and put this in one of the cans outside, please.”

“Okay.” Clementine agreed readily. The garbage cans were at the back of the house. Remington was out front.

“Oh, and when you’re done, go help Remington. He’ll need to know where the boxes go.”

“I-I.” Clementine swallowed her protest. There was no way for her to get out of helping the man. Rachel, after all, was her employer; she had to do what she was told. She walked slowly out the back door, putting away the garbage and making her way to the front of the house at an even slower pace. Maybe he was done. He was a demon, after all, supernatural speed and all. Surely, he’d want to get the job done as quickly as possible.

“Sweet heavens above,” Clementina murmured as she turned the corner and saw Remington walk to the entrance of the large moving van. He’d taken off his dark t-shirt, and now his chest was bare, revealing a body that was wide and strong and a naturally dark tone. His abdomen was flat, the ridges running up and down it, begging for a woman’s mouth to lick every one of them. She raised her hand to her mouth to make sure she wasn’t drooling.

She might be innocent in body, but her fantasies were off the charts. Fantasies with this man. A man that she’d never had.

“Like what you see, sweetheart?”

Bright red color flooded Clementine’s cheeks when she realized he had caught her staring at him. Much to her regret, no smart mouthed reply came to her. But then, what could she say? Cause yeah, she did like what she was seeing. A lot. She strode forward, putting on her power face as she liked to call it. She wore it when she found herself in a situation she was unfamiliar with. Like now. Facing a half-naked demon.

“You’re mother sent me to help.” She walked up the metal ramp to the open back of the truck.

“Well, bless my mother’s good thinking.” She squealed when his hand reached out, and he yanked her inside. Before she could blink, the door slid shut behind her, leaving them in darkness.

“What are you doing?” she protested, unable to see anything.

“Something I should have done a long time ago.” She gasped when he pushed her backward with his big body. Instinctively, her hands went out to grab hold of something. Since he had no shirt on, her hands met with a male of masculine flesh. Hot and hard.

His hips rocked against hers, and she realized he was hot and hard all over. Sensations she’d never felt before seemed to explode around her seconds before his mouth was covering hers.

Hot, hard, and possessive. That’s how he took her. Wanted to take her, Remington thought to himself as his mouth covered Clementine’s. As the sweet taste of her burst onto his tongue, he wondered why the hell he’d waited so long to kiss her. Moving his hips, he flexed his cock against the swell of her belly. So damn soft and sweet. Her mouth moved beneath him with that innocence he so craved. Craved from the bottom of his soul.

“Let me in, baby,” he demanded. She opened to him shyly, and he thrust his tongue inside, rough and aggressive as his demon. He was a demon, he reminded himself. A creature with no finesse, a creature only wanting satisfaction. He nipped at her bottom lip sharply, licking away the drop of blood he drew. “So, good. So good.”

Again and again, he tasted her, losing track of time, track of reality.

“Hey, open up in there!”

The pounding on the door behind Clementine didn’t register at first. He was too lost in the feel of Clementine in his arms. The taste of her on his lips.

“Remington! What the hell are you doing in there?” A hard slam of Rafe’s fists against the door had the van almost rocking on its wheels.

“Shit,” Remington muttered against her lips. Even in the face of his brother’s wrath, he was reluctant to draw away from her completely.

Clementine’s mind teetered on the edge of madness when Remington’s mouth finally lifted from hers. The stifling air from the van closed in around her, making it difficult for her to breath. Or was that the effect of Remington’s kisses.

Kisses! Her hand flew to her mouth, covering the swollen flesh. “What did you do?” she gasped.

“If I have to explain that to you, you’re more innocent than I thought.”

“No, I. Why?”

“Well, since you’re dating, I thought you could use some experience.” He leaned down until he could stare her right in the eyes. “And what better way for an angel to gain experience than with a demon.”

His sardonic tone pounded at her like stones falling from a mountain. Hard and sharp. Her eyes searched his, not wanting to believe what he was saying—or why he was saying it. Regret. Regret shone through the darkness in his eyes. Behind her, she felt the door start to slide open. Not waiting for it to open the whole way, she hurried out, ignoring the curious glance Rafe threw her way. She headed toward the car Rachel had recently purchased so she could get around in the human realm. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found the key in the ignition. She would have to remind Rachel that leaving the key wasn’t such a good idea. Things were different in the human realm. Not everyone was trustworthy. She saw the brothers arguing as she pulled away and wondered what Remington was telling his brother.

That he’d given the curvy angel a lesson in kissing. That he’d given her a pity kiss?

“Well damn.” Remington watched as Clementine pulled away from the curb in his mother’s car. What the fuck had he just done?

Rafe stepped inside the van giving Remington a look only an older brother could give. “Care to explain why you had Clementine locked in the van?”

“No.” He turned away from the sight of his mother’s car disappearing down the street, a twinge of worry washing over him. Did Clementine even know how to drive? Well, apparently, his demon laughed, seeing how she pulled out, hell bent for leather.

“Shut the fuck up,” he cursed, grabbing two boxes, needing the pull on his muscles to ease the ache between his legs. He turned back to the door only to have Rafe bar his way.

“Shut the fuck up?” While Roark always played the older brother card, Rafe rarely did.

“I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to my demon.” Rafe would know what he meant. He was trying to quell that something inside that rose up, almost became a separate part of him at times. Not unlike a shifter who harbored an animal spirit inside, demons had something a little extra inside them as well. A piece of evil? Certainly a piece of ‘bad.’

It was up to the other parts of him to keep it inside, controlled. A demon could choose either side—good or evil. With angel DNA making up the other half of his soul, it was pretty much a given he would be ‘good.’

Did Clementine see him that way?

“What gives bro, you got the hots for mother’s assistant?”

“No.” he immediately denied.

“No one would care, you know.”

“Really? Like they didn’t care when you put the moves on her first assistant?” Rachel Conroy had decided to go back to work when Remington had started school. The women she had hired had been the stuff of a teenage boy’s fantasies. Built like a brick outhouse, she’d worked the pre-pubescent Rafe’s hormones into a frenzy. A woman, who according to Rafe, had returned his favor before their father had put the cabash as on the ill-fated affair. Their mother had delayed entering the workforce for another couple of years.

“Don’t go looking for excuses, Remington. If you like the woman—”

“Get out of my way.” Remington moved forward, and Rafe took a step to the side.

“You deserve happiness, Rem, same as Roark and me.”

“No, I’m not the same as you and Roark.”

Rafe picked up a box and followed Remington. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Remington turned around. “Look, I’m not like you and Roark.  My job has never been the same as yours. It’s affected me.”

He didn’t know how to explain away the darkness that sometimes tried to override his sense of right and wrong. He wanted to explain it away by the amount of time he spent with his bounties. But he knew the truth. There was something different about him.

“Don’t give me that bullshit.”

“It’s not bullshit.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Let it go, bro. Let it go.”

Rafe cursed but let the subject drop.

“CLEMENTINE? WHERE DID
you go, darling?”

Clementine jerked her head up, seeing the concerned face of her employer. They had spent the morning going over Rachel’s appointments for the rest of the month. Rachel was an angel extraordinaire in Clementine’s opinion. She helped supernaturals in all walks of life with all sorts of problems, mainly focusing on the family unit.

“Oh, sorry. I guess I zoned out there for a moment.” It had been two weeks since she’d helped Rachel move into her new house in the human real. Two weeks since she’d shared that searing kiss with Remington.

Two weeks and she still didn’t know what that had happened.

Two weeks of hoping if it would happen again.

“No problem. Were you thinking about your hot date tonight?”

“Who has a hot date tonight?” A deep voice sounded behind Clementine making her jump.

“Remington, how good to see you,” Rachel smiled at her youngest son even as Clementine started to frown at his intrusion. Not that he’d walked into a confidential meeting or anything. They were sitting in one of the large hallways of Rachel and Ravjeer’s dwelling in heaven.

Remington returned his mother’s kiss. “Mother. Clementine.”

“Remington,” she returned his greeting and straightened the papers in her hands, preparing to get up and flee. Just as she did, Rachel’s phone rang. She looked at the screen then smiled at Clementine.

“I need to take this. Be a dear and keep Remington entertained, will you dear?”

And before Clementine could protest, she was walking away.

She watched with cautious eyes as Remington took the seat his mother had just vacated. “So you have a hot date tonight?”

Clementine fidgeted with her white robe, running her fingernail along one of the seams. “I have a date tonight, yes. Not that it’s any of your business.”

“My mother told you to keep me entertained, Clemy. I think hearing about your date tonight would be very entertaining.”

“Don’t call me that. And details of my love life are not for your entertainment.”

“I beg to differ.” His low voice rumbled across the space between them. “I find your love life very interesting.”

“Remington.” Her breath caught in the back of her throat at the look in his eyes. “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Flirting with me.”

He shrugged one of his shoulders, a shutter coming down over his eyes. “Because you’re so easy to tease. You take the bait so beautifully.”

“Don’t,” she said. “Just don’t.” She rose to her feet, knowing she couldn’t spend another minute with the sexy demon. Her body was throbbing with need, and all he’d done was talk to her.

As she moved to walk past him, one of his large hands came out catching her wrist, pulling her to a stop. “But I want to, Clementine. I want to tease you. Damn it to hell and back, I want to taste you again.”

His low growl was followed by a sharp tug on her arm, and before she knew it, she was tumbling down onto his lap. As soon as her rounded bottom hit the front of his jeans, she tried to twist away. His cock inflated in what felt like an instant, becoming a hard ridge along her ass. His hands clapped onto her hips, holding her in place. “That’s it, baby,” he whispered as he bucked up against her. “That’s it.”

Clementine stilled beneath his hold. As he pushed their bodies together, he closed his eyes and threw his head back. She was stilled by the raw sensuality that covered his face. He was a true hybrid of an angel and a demon. His coloring was dark, but his features were beautiful. His nose was straight and strong, his chin square and honest. But she saw beneath the surface, beneath the façade that was presented to the world. Ever since she’d met the demon, she’d sensed the shadow that covered his soul. It wasn’t just his demon, it had, she felt, something to do with his job. She instinctively knew he did more for the Prince of Darkness than he told anyone else about. Something far more dangerous than bounty hunting like his brothers.

Suddenly, as if sensing her close scrutiny, his head snapped forward, and his eyes opened. His hands tightened on her hips, pressing her down on his lap. “Tell me, Clementine, will your date make you feel like this tonight?”

He lifted one of his hands and grabbed the back of her head, holding her still as his mouth took hers. It was as hot as it was soft. As different as night and day from their other kiss, but completely the same. Why? Because it was Remington kissing her. He asked permission to deepen the kiss with a tentative touch of his tongue. She opened to him, how could she not. She eased her arms around his neck, rewarded by the groan that sounded through his chest as he pulled her closer.

So close. Her breasts ached beneath her soft, white robe, wanting his touch. She pulled back slightly to whisper his name. “Remington.”

He kissed the edge of her mouth before trailing kisses along her jaw. “Do you know how beautiful you are?” he whispered back.

She didn’t believe him. Not really. Men, demons, said things in the heat of the moment. Then it didn’t matter. He was groaning, and she was moaning as the kiss went deeper, harder, rougher, his hands pressing against her back while she opened up for the thrust of his tongue.

He pulled her up on him, so her body was snug along his. His thick arms surrounded her, while his mouth tasted her. Heaven, she thought. He tasted just like heaven

“Why is this happening?” she asked. His hand closed around her breast, squeezing the fullness. Clementine gasped, her eyes drifting close. He dragged his thumb across her nipple, and a tremor stole over her.

“Why does it matter?” he whispered as he nibbled on her ear at the same time he pinched her nipple.

What
did
it matter? Clementine asked herself. It didn’t. Except… there was no future for her with him. Just a good time.

Again, the little imp that seemed to dog her steps lately asked, what did it matter?

It mattered because Clementine wanted that future. She wanted a husband and babies.

She somehow managed to get her hands between them and pushed against his chest. He let her pull away, even helping her to stand when her wobbly legs wouldn’t support her. He didn’t ask her to stay.

And that was Clementine’s answer.

~*~

There were some parts of Remington’s job that he loved and some that he hated. Slime exploding from a runaway troll was something he most definitely did not like. One hard hit and the creature’s jaw had exploded, showering him with the green, sticky substance. He shoved the troll into the iron-barred cell and turned away. Unlike in the human realm, in hell, there was no paperwork or red tape when an escapee was returned. He’d caught the bad guy, returned him to jail, and that was it.

Wiping the disgusting ooze from his face, he opened a portal and left hell behind for another day. He breathed in a lungful of fresh air as the portal opened into his backyard on the human realm. Unlike his parents and siblings who had only recently purchased homes here, he’d had one for years. He’d gotten tired of living in hotel rooms when a bounty proved a little elusive. He couldn’t blame the souls from trying to escape. Hell wasn’t a nice place even for a demon.

Not wanting to get any of the green liquid in his house, he walked toward the large Olympic sized swimming pool he’d had installed when he’d purchased the house. He chucked his clothes then set them on fire. It was easier that way. No substance known to man could remove that stain. At once, he felt cleaner, lighter. But then he always did after a job was complete, especially if he didn’t have to take a life force. He did that part of his job well, but he never did it easily. All life was precise, but sometimes the creatures he hunted were inhibited by a force too vicious to remain in any realm.

He took a moment to imagine the feel of the cool water closing over him before he dived into the deep end. He swam underwater the entire length of the pool and back before coming up for air. The sensation of the liquid over his skin felt delicious. He could think of only one thing that felt better. The liquid heat of a woman’s pussy on his hot cock.

Diving again, he swam a few more laps, working off the excess energy that always clung to him after a job. Usually, he’d find a woman to fuck. But not tonight. He’d broken it off with the last woman he’d had warming his bed a month ago. She’d been almost perfect. Tall, blonde, experienced. But she hadn’t been Clementine.

He grabbed the edge of the pool and hoisted himself out of the water. Running his fingers through his hair, he flicked away most of the water. As he let the cool breeze dry the moisture on his body, he realized he wasn’t alone. His body tensed, and he cursed himself for letting someone get the drop on him. Then, the sweet perfume of his intruder wafted towards him.

He cursed again. This time for an entirely different reason.

Clementine.

Clementine was his intruder.

He turned his head, finally seeing the dark shape outlined in one of his bamboo lounge chairs. She sat with her arms hugging her bent knees. The long, flowing white dress she usually wore was absent this evening. Tonight, she wore a pair of dark jeans topped with an oversized lightweight sweater. The neck had slipped over one creamy shoulder, revealing the strap of a lacy white bra. So virginal.

But then Clementine was virginal in all respects. She was an angel after all.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He grabbed a towel from the stack his housekeeper kept by the chairs, grateful he’d told her to splurge and get the thick, fluffy ones. It hid his body’s reaction to Clementine. Somewhat. As he walked, he felt the softness of the terrycloth rub against his semi-hard dick. It reminded him of the softness of feathers. And feathers reminded him of Clementine.

His arousal shot up another notch.

How was it that he found himself attracted to this woman? She was nothing like the woman he usually bedded. He preferred long-legged, slim-hipped blondes. Not a dark brunette whose legs were short and curvy.

Or maybe you slept with those other women because they didn’t look like Clementine
? His inner demon mocked him. The son-of-a-bitch had been mouthing off more than usual lately.

And right more often than not. Remington was beginning to realize his attraction to the angel was more than just having what he couldn’t have.

He walked forward until he stood in front of her, his hands on his hips as he looked down at her. She tipped her head back as he neared and his eyes followed the line of her brown hair. In the sunshine, red highlights made it look as if it were on fire. Or maybe that was the reflection from her halo. Not that angels had actual halos floating above their heads. Just as demons didn’t have horns protruding from their skulls. Each species did have an aura about them. Light and golden for angels, dark and red for demons.

Clementine, however, did have wings. He’s seen them more than once, usually when she thought no one was looking, especially at his parents’ home in heaven. An angel rarely spread his or her wings when others were around. It was an intimate experience, seeing an angel with their wings fully expanded. He understood that. He understood that vulnerability.

“Why are you here?” He repeated his question.

Clementine sat on the lounge chair beside Remington’s pool trying to keep the shivers at bay. The human realm’s weather was different from heaven. In heaven, the temperature was always the same. Here, one never knew exactly what the weather would be. She’d dressed in jeans and a sweater, but it had turned cooler the longer she’d sat by the pool. She could have gotten into his house. She didn’t have the ability to open portals, but she could have done it the old-fashioned way and used the key he kept hidden beneath the flowerpot on the front porch.

“Luc sent me.”

One of his dark brow rose in question as he snorted, “Why?”

Clementine shrugged one shoulder. She knew why, but she didn’t want to be the one to tell the demon. She’d argued with the Prince of Hell that what he was doing wasn’t necessary. She’d argued with Remington’s mother, her boss, that it wasn’t necessary. Neither of them would be detoured. She shivered again.

“Damn it, you’re freezing out here.” Before she could protest, he bent down and took her elbow, pulling her from the chair and behind him into his house. As they walked across the concrete surrounding the pool, she saw twinkles of light and knew his house was protected by spells. She concentrated to see if she could unravel them and saw some had been cast by witches and others by faes. She shuddered, seeing a touch of the dark fae in a few of them.

The very reason she was here.

Then her attention was snagged by the man walking in front of her. He’d slicked his dark hair back on his head, the longish ends curling around his neck. His broad shoulders were clearly outlined by the landscape lighting. Dang, the man, was big, she thought, stumbling slightly. His hand tightened on hers and pulled her closer. The top of her head barely reached the top of his shoulder. His broad shoulders tapered down to a trim waist. The top half of him had more than his fair share of masculine beauty, but that wasn’t the best view.  The white towel he’d wrapped around his waist had soaked up the water still on his body from his late night swim. It had soaked it up in all the right places. His ass cheeks were clearly outlined beneath the soft fabric, clenching and releasing as he walked. Thick thighs and huge calves made him a walking, fucking wet dream.