Demonic and Deserted (Eternally Yours Book 4) (8 page)

“I understand.” She circled my waist, purring in my ear like a kitten. “Yes, this attire will certainly make him jealous. Why else do you think my master insisted you wear it?”

I elbowed her away from me. “He insisted?”

She flashed a wolfish grin. For the first time, I noticed her spiky incisors. What the heck? She was some unholy crossbreed between Dracula, a fish, and a call girl, and dumb-shit that I was, I had allowed her to seduce me.

“Yes.” She tapped her chin as if lost in thought. “I believe his exact words were, ‘Make sure she wears it, or I will be very displeased,’ and you know how my master gets when he’s displeased.”

She gave me a pointed look, the wicked gleam in her eyes telling me she’d probably like to watch the Devil punish me. Okay, this bitch was getting more twisted by the minute.

“Unfortunately, I’ve seen how he gets,” I grumbled, biting my lip as I refrained from saying more. What I really wanted to do was grab that silver-plated brush off the vanity and smack her upside the head, then make a run for it. But where would I go?

“Aedan will have to hide his jealousy or he might bring my master’s wrath upon him.” She said this with a bit too much perkiness, as if she was deciding between a dark chocolate or milk chocolate candy bar. “It would be a shame for such a delicious piece of man to go to waste.” She licked her lips with a growl, and I could tell she was itching for a taste of Aedan’s cream-filled vanilla pop.

Oh, no she didn’t! That psycho demon bitch was not trying her tricks on my fiancé.

I clenched my hands, my head feeling like a boiling kettle as steam practically shot out of my ears.

“You keep your hands off him,” I said with a rumble so powerful, my voice sounded foreign to me.

The bitch had the nerve to toss back her head and laugh. “I was beginning to wonder if the kitten had claws. Jealousy becomes you, my dear.” She elbowed me with a wink. “Don’t think you’re the only one who can have fun.”

Ugh. Why did she have to remind me of the bath of shame? Even if by some miracle Aedan and I survived our captivity in sub-level thirteen, I didn’t know how I’d be able to tolerate an eternity of guilt for having cheated on the man I loved. I thought about Aedan’s first wife, Katherine, and how she’d broken his heart by seducing his brother. I was no better than her.

I supposed my only hope in securing his forgiveness was if he’d been seduced by a siren as well, even though the thought of his dick in a fishy girl’s mouth made me want to punch a hole through the wall.

Holy shit, Hell sucked. This mental and emotional torment was almost as bad as getting thrown into the lake of fire, and I had a sickening feeling our unholy host had even more forbidden torture in store for us.

* * *

A
edan was waiting for me when Hitler unlocked my door. I hesitated when I saw what my fiancé was wearing, a leotard and tunic from the days of Robin Hood and his merry men. His muscular thighs looked damned good in those burgundy tights, but I could tell he was more than uncomfortable. The look he shot me after gaping at my nipple tassels made me think the rest of his leotard was probably wedged somewhere up his ass crack.

When he lifted his arms to me, I ran to him, burying my face in his chest. I didn’t deserve his comfort after what I’d just done, but selfish me sighed in relief when he returned the hug.

“I tried to get out,” I said through a sob, my throat constricting, “but my door was stuck.” I rested my forehead against his chest, too ashamed to look him in the eye, though I knew he’d find out my dirty little secret soon enough. Unfortunately, I’d always had an expressive face, and I knew my guilt would show. 

He ran a hand down my bare back, causing a shiver to steal up my spine.

“Mine, too,” he whispered into my ear, his voice cracking like old shoe leather. 

I snuggled against him, soothed by his heartbeat, which was beating steady and strong. “Aedan, how do we get out of here?”

He kissed the top of my head. “I don’t know, but I swear to you I will not rest until I find a way.”

I wanted to tell him he couldn’t get me out of here fast enough, also that I’d cheated on him with an evil fish woman, but I couldn’t summon the nerve, so I hugged him harder. I pulled back when beads of moisture dripped onto my hand. 

I scowled. “Your hair’s wet.”

Aedan didn’t have to say a word. The flush in his face that spread all the way to the roots of his thick, wavy, and damp hair, was admission enough.  I narrowed my eyes. “Did you have a siren valet, too?”

He slowly nodded before looking down. 

I stepped back, crossing my arms. “I see. And did she give you a bath?”

He threw up his hands in mock surrender. “I refused to get in the tub, but then she sang to me.”

“And then what?” I jabbed his chest so hard, I nearly broke off my French tip. “Did she clean your sensual parts?”

If his face could get any redder, he’d have been on fire. “She had it in her hand before I could stop her, and then it just shot out.” He flung his hand as if he was jerking off an invisible penis. “Ash, she hypnotized me. Her voice was like a drug.”

I cocked both hands on my hips. “So your dick went off like a loaded gun? What are you, sixteen?” Never mind that I’d also fallen under the siren’s spell. Aedan was supposed to be perfect. Sure, it was unfair to hold him to a higher standard, but I couldn’t help myself. He was mine, and I didn’t want any other woman, or demon, giving him hand jobs.

He clasped his hands in a prayer pose. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. Ash, I’m so sorry.”

He reached for me, but I backed away, turning up my chin as I seethed with anger.

Then the Nazi monkey let out a laugh that made him sound part hyena before pointing an accusatory finger at me. “She make der naughty, too.” He held up two crooked fingers, darting his tongue between them and waggling his brows. “Das lickin’.”

Now it was Aedan’s turn to get angry. Thunderclouds swirled in his eyes as he scowled at me. “Is this true? Did your valet give you oral pleasure?””

I fought the urge to hang my head. Why should I be ashamed when he was just as guilty? “Yes, she did.” 

His jaw dropped. “Your valet was a woman?”

I slowly nodded, not sure how he’d react to my betrayal.

“She aroused you?” His voice had dropped to a low rumble.

I cringed. “Yes.”

He scratched his head, which I now noticed was indeed very wet, as if he’d soaked in the tub. Wow. He must have really enjoyed his bath.

“I didn’t think you desired women.” There was no mistaking the accusation in his tone, as if he’d just discovered my secret stash of strap-on dildos and rainbow cargo pants. 

“I don’t, normally, but she was beautiful,” I admitted, involuntarily crossing my legs as an image of her bare breasts flashed in my mind.

“So I suppose she dressed you like this?” He nodded at my tassel tits with a look that was a cross between a scowl and a pout, like he was jealous he didn’t have nipple propellers, too. 

“Don’t give me that look, Aedan.” I gestured at his crotch. “You and your demon hand job.”

“I’ve already explained myself.”

“Not good enough,” I huffed, though I knew it was wrong of me to be angry at Aedan when I’d also succumbed to a siren’s seduction. 

Monkey Hitler was making all kinds of squeaking sounds, his Nazi moustache twitching as he pointed to the end of the hall. I heaved a sigh before following him, Aedan walking silently by my side.

Shit. This was no way to start a marriage. What the heck was wrong with us? Then I remembered hell’s horny water. It probably made me angry, too, or maybe jealous. Gah! I should have learned by now not to trust hell’s beverages. I was probably better off importing water from Mexico.

The Devil was waiting for us at the bottom of the spiral staircase. He was dressed much like Aedan, though his tunic had fancier stitching and his ram horns curled around a jeweled crown. He opened his arms, a mischievous and knowing look in his eyes.

Son of a bitch.

He’d planned this. He was trying to break us up.

“Ahhh, there’s the happy couple.” He flashed a devious smile. “Ashley, won’t you come sit with me at the head of the dais while we celebrate your upcoming nuptials?”

I hesitated. “What about Aedan?”

I cast my fiancé a worried glance, but Aedan just glared at me. Was he really going to play the jealousy game while the Devil separated us again?

Our sadistic host stepped up behind me and placed a hand on my lower back, digging his nails into my skin. “Aedan can sit at the lower tables with the other demons,” he breathed into my ear. “Don’t worry. They will make him feel at home.”

The Devil ushered me toward a long table that was raised higher than the others at the head of the ballroom. The place had been turned into a medieval-style dining hall, with rushes on the floors, long wooden tables, pentagram tapestries hanging from the walls, and something I hoped was a hog roasting on the stone hearth. The women were dressed much like me, with tit flare and low-cut skirts, and most of the men wore leotards and embroidered tunics like Aedan. Court jesters danced around the tables, spilling wine on the women’s breasts and lifting up their skirts. Musicians sang bawdy songs, while the rowdy crowd cheered the lewd parts.

I wondered who all these human-beasts were; no doubt, they had been horrible people back on earth. So far, the only nefarious soul I’d recognized had been Hitler. If anyone deserved to be thrown outside, it was him. I had assumed sub-level thirteen would be nothing but a lake of fire. The Devil must have powerful magic to have created such a sanctuary. I only hoped the hotel was weatherproof and up to fire code.

I took a seat beside my unwelcome dining companion, stiffening when I watched Aedan sit between a pair of slutty cat women, their long tails swishing behind them and caressing Aedan’s ass. Why did he have to sit there? Was he trying to piss me off?

A waiter, whose pointy furry ears and sharp canines made him look like the Big Bad Wolf, filled my goblet with blood-red wine. I pushed the offending cup away. I ignored the basket of steaming bread, too. If gluten back on earth made me sick, I could only imagine the nuclear diarrhea I’d get from the wheat in Hell. 

“Why so glum?” the Devil whispered in my ear, his cool breath making my skin crawl. “This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts.”

My head snapped back as I narrowed my eyes at my captor. I knew what he was trying to do: break Aedan and me apart. But why? What was in it for him, other than the sick satisfaction of shattering two hearts? “No, I’m not.” I pulled back my shoulders and turned up my nose, feigning a confidence I didn’t feel. “I love Aedan, and he loves me.” Did he love me? He’d been so quick to leave me alone with the Devil and sit between flirty felines.

“Of course he does.” His patronizing tone dripped off his tongue with acidic venom. “Even if his loyalty may waver from time to time, he still loves you most.”

Loyalty waver? He loves me most?
Oooh, this guy was smooth, but not smooth enough. He was trying to undermine our faith in each other after sending us temptations. It’s not like he’d sent us the run-of-the—mill call girls, either. Sirens were beautiful temptresses with magical horny powers and perfectly perky and proportioned breasts. Thelix’s tits were like two ripe peaches begging for a squeeze. Damn. Just thinking about her made my girl parts ache. I had to get hold of myself. No wonder Aedan had shot his load. 

Even if Aedan was intent on cheating on me again, I wouldn’t give up on us. Aedan meant too much to me. “We both know your sirens tricked us,” I sneered.

One finely sculpted brow arched. “Did they? Or do you just wish it to be so? That way neither of you feel guilt for succumbing to your desires.”

I rolled my eyes. “Nice try, but I was definitely tricked, and I won’t let that happen again.” 

“That would be a shame,” he smirked, taking a long sip of wine. He set the goblet down, pulling his lips back in a predatory smile. 

My heart came to a thudding stop when I saw his teeth were stained as if with blood. Oh dear God, the wine looked like blood because it
was
blood! Ewww. I’ve had some foul, cheap wine before. I remembered spring break in Ensenada, drinking a glass of some shit that tasted like hairspray and then leaving a trail of vomit from the bar to the bathroom. But I drew the line at blood wine. I’d always tried to keep an open mind when it came to trying new alcoholic beverages, but this drink fell under the category of “no fucking way.” I didn’t care if he spruced it up with cherries, a ring of salt, and a toothpick umbrella.

The Devil downed the remaining contents of his goblet, then signaled the waiter for a refill. He turned his attention back to me, a drop of crimson liquid hanging off his bottom lip. “Have you forgotten my first rule?”

“No.” I folded my hands in front of me, and with a stiff spine, repeated his foul words. “‘No pleasure is too sordid, carnal, or disgusting.’”

“I’m delighted you remember.” He leaned back, his eyes dancing with merriment, though it wasn’t the jolly merriment of Santa Claus, more like the feral satisfaction of a snake who’d cornered a mouse. 

“But I’m not a cheat.” I clenched a silver-plated fork, trying to squeeze the tension out of my limbs. “Not intentionally.”

“Of course
you’re
not.” His voice dripped with mock sincerity as he nodded at Aedan. “A shame we can’t say the same for
him
.”

Aedan’s back and shoulders were rigid as the cat ladies continued to tease him with their tails. He looked at the dais from behind a pair of feline ears.  When our gazes locked, my heart skipped a beat. There was a profound determination in his eyes, and I knew right then and there that Aedan had resolved to fight for us. I only hoped his resolve was stronger than the Devil’s. 

I held my chin high, determined not to let the Devil win. “You tricked him, too.”

He threw up his hands, feigning innocence. “I had nothing to do with it.”

Yeah, and I’ve got a beachfront property right outside I’d like to sell you.