Demons Prefer Blondes (22 page)

Rafe offered a slow nod. “It could be your friend.”

Blowing out an exasperated breath, she jetted toward the gigantic purse of many colors and fished inside. Flipping open the receiver, she checked her missed calls. Serah it was. She hit the send button and listened as Lady Gaga crooned in her ear. Whoever invented ring-back tones should be shot. Then again, she wasn’t any better, with her Justin Timberlake ringtone.

“Hello?” Serah’s voice crackled on the other line. Stupid cell phone reception.

“Hey girl. You rang?”

“Yeah. Okay if Squeaky and I head on over? The storm’s let up.”

“Let me check with Rafe.”

Serah’s huff crackled through the phone. “What happened to the Lucy I used to know. The one who did stuff without asking?”

“Still here, goober. But I want you safe and not some crazy demon’s dinner.”

“Whatever, I have Squeaky here to protect me.”

“Whatever, my ass. These demons are powerful. Look at the blizzard that just rolled through here. Something tells me they aren’t done yet.”

“Fine, go ask Rafe.”

“Okay.” Covering the phone, she turned to Rafe, who pulled his T-shirt back on. She held back a sigh. There was no more time for play. “So Serah wants to come back here.”

Rafe shook his head. “It isn’t safe. Even Kalli is keeping vigil in the shop with your employees.”

“All right.” She put the phone back to her ear. “He says it’s still not safe.”

Serah’s long breath of air reverberated in her ear. “Fine, bye. Squeaky and I are going to watch
The Godfather
trilogy for the millionth time. Why can’t he have a fetish for historical sagas instead?”

“Sorry, girl. I’ll call you back when Rafe and I have more news.”

“Rafe and you,” she said, sarcasm dripping on each word.

She bit her lip to prevent herself from lashing out. It wasn’t like she wasn’t the only person who was stressed. Taking a deep breath, Lucy composed herself. “Look, I’m just as aggravated as you. I’m cooped up in this tiny house with
your
dusty box and only Rafe to keep me company.”

Serah snorted “Try spending the evening with a stupid primate and
The Godfather
movie marathon. At least you have a sexy man to keep you company. I have a fucking monkey!”

“But you love Squeaky. And, remember, he’s a chimp, not a monkey.”

“Kiss my ass.”

Her eyes rolled to the ceiling. “Whatever. Just wait a few more hours. Rafe says that once the solstice has passed, the threat lowers.”

“Fine. I suppose I can play
Donnie Brasco
or
Prizzi’s Honor
instead. That’ll keep him occupied for another three or four hours.” There was no masking the sarcasm in her voice.

“Good.”

“Are you sure I can’t come over? There’s something about Rafe I don’t like.”

Blowing out a breath, she adjusted the phone at her ear. “I know he comes off as standoffish, but he means well.” She smiled. “He’s very protective.”

“That’s what you think.” Serah clucked her tongue. “He’s hiding something. Has he done anything to you?”

Did she know they did it? Her mind reeled. She hoped not. “No. He’s been all right.”

“Only all right?” Her voice raised an octave. “I would’ve thought he’d be better than that.” Was that a lip smack? Then again, it shouldn’t surprise her. Besides shopping, Serah had one other weakness… the opposite sex.

“If anything happened between Rafe and me, you’d be the first to know.”

“Good.” The phone scratched a bit. “Squeaky! Stop. I’ll call back later.” The phone went dead.

Flipping the phone shut, she turned to Rafe. “That was weird.”

“Your friend seems strange in general.”

She shook her head. “Weirder than usual.”

With silver eyes blazing, Rafe strode toward her. His expression still stern, he raised her chin to meet his gaze. “She just found out her best friend is a sex demon. Give her a break.”

And just earlier, she’d said she didn’t trust him? Yet Rafe had just defended her. “Yeah, I will.”

Rafe smiled. “Good.” He reached down and took her hand in his. Bringing it up to his mouth, he let his lips brush across her fingertips. Tingles and sizzles raced through each finger down to her toes. He had a way with… everything.

“Thanks, Rafe. I know this isn’t how you planned on spending your winter solstice.”

Rafe chuckled and pulled her closer. “We don’t have seasons in Limbo.” He gazed down at her, his silver eyes sparking. “Regardless of my initial displeasure, there isn’t anywhere I’d rather be.”

“What about your sister?”

“Shh.” Rafe brought his fingers to her lips. “Her rescue is in capable hands. The Fore-Demons brought me here for a reason.”

“Yeah, and they brought Squeaky here for a reason. I’ve yet to learn why. The little guy seems more attached to Serah than you.”

He sucked in a deep breath. “I still don’t fully understand how the Fore-Demons work. But over the centuries I’ve learned not to question them.” A slow smile crept to his lips. “Enough chitchat. We need to clean up before Kalli arrives with the sword.”

“I suppose we can’t have her smelling us on each other,” she said with a shrug. Truth be told, she enjoyed the spicy scent he left on her. She didn’t want to wash it off at all.

A loud chuckle burst from his mouth, a sound that was becoming more frequent. “No, I just thought you would like to freshen up. Kalli’s pretty astute. She’ll know what we did, with or without showers.”

“Yeah, she is. I’m sure reading people’s minds helps somewhat.” Thank goodness she’d learned how to keep inquiring minds out.

“A little too much, I’m certain.” Rafe reached out and hauled her against him. The hardness of his chest against the soft roundness of her breasts caused her skin to sizzle. “One more kiss before you shower.” He took her lips with his, savage hunger filling both of them as tongues tangled and swirled against each other. His hands moved up and down her back, strong, demanding, and protective. Heat flamed between them, hotter than Hell itself. She never wanted it to end.

A gust of ice cold air swirled around. What the hell? A ball of cool blue energy floated in the air. Growling, Rafe pulled himself from the embrace.

“W-what’s going on?” she mumbled, pulling her flimsy robe to her body. It did little to protect her from the biting cold. There was only one explanation. Senses now fully acute, she charged toward the table, letting her robe fly behind her. Reaching out, she palmed the dagger and spun around, ready to slice.

“Lucy! No.” But it was too late. She spun around, eyes blazing as she gripped the dagger, ready to strike.

Materializing next to him, in a pile of ice shards and swirling fog, Dominic swiped icicles from his hair and shoulders. “Did I arrive at a bad time?”

“Turn and drop your weapons.”

Lucy stood firm, her voice commanding. It took Rafael’s breath away.

“I guess I did,” Dominic muttered. “Why on earth do I feel compelled to obey? What in the hell is going on?”

With a slow swivel, Dominic turned around, his eyes widening. “Whoa! Is this your succubus?” he asked, flipping his coat back and extracting his ceremonial Paladin sword. He plunked it to the floor and pulled two daggers from his belt, letting them clang on top of the sword.

“Enough chitchat.” Lucy kept her tone even. With a flourish of her dagger, she kept it trained on Dominic. “I sense another sword.” At that, she gasped, her mouth forming a perfect
O
.

Her royal powers had grown stronger. No doubt. “You’d do best to obey her, Nic.”

“Very well.” Reaching behind his back, inside his long black leather trench coat, Dominic pulled out a magnificent jade-sheathed katana. Trimmed with gold and encrusted with rubies, it was a treasure worthy of a king. How had Nic come across such an exquisite weapon? Kneeling down, with gentle care, he placed the weapon on the beige carpeted floor.

“Wow, someone’s watched one too many episodes of
The Highlander
.” Still gripping her dagger, Lucy glanced down at the katana. “Nice piece though.”

Rafael came to stand next to his friend and wrap his arm around his shoulder. “Lucy, it’s okay. He’s one of us. May I introduce Dominic Duvane, my commander?”

“Commander?” Dominic rolled his eyes. “I thought we were friends.” He took cautious steps toward Lucy and extended his hand in greeting. “So you’re the succubus?”

Lucy narrowed her eyes into a pensive gaze. “In the flesh, and you’re the one who’s supposed to rescue Rafe’s sister?”

Rafael winced at her biting tone. Poor Dominic didn’t know what he was getting into.

Dominic gulped. “Indeed, I am,” replied, extending his hand further.

Drawing her robe closed, Lucy gazed down at the proffered hand and back up at Dominic. “And why aren’t you out looking for her?”

“Oh, I do love your spark,” Dominic said with a friendly smile. “But I have news for Rafe and a gift for you.”

She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. “A gift?”

A sheepish smile curved Dominic’s lips. “Kalli mentioned you needed a weapon and since I needed to speak with Rafe, I decided to deliver it myself.” His gaze lowered to the katana.

“That? Is my sword?”

Ah, now it made sense. A weapon worthy of a king—or a princess. There wasn’t any better weapon for Lucy. It was perfect, just like her.

Dominic grinned. “Indeed, it is, blessed by the Angel Gabriel himself.” He leaned closer to Rafael. “Even I have yet to have a weapon blessed by an archangel. We’ve more than just your sister to discuss.”

“I suppose we do. But why not let Lucy try out her sword first.”

Dominic nodded. “Very well.” Reaching down he picked up the katana and handed it to Lucy. “Be careful, it’s—”

With elegance and precision, Lucy pulled out the sword. Gripping the carved jade hilt, she swung the sword in a graceful arc, the silver blade sparking.

“—sharp.” Dominic’s eyebrows quirked up, shock and bewilderment clear on his face.

Lucy drew her finger across the blade, a small drop of crimson pooling then instantly fading away. “Yep, it is.”

With a sly smile, she slid the blade back in. Setting the blade against the table, she pushed a strand of hair from her brow.

“Thank you, Rafe. For allowing me to fight.”

Rafael nodded, casting his gaze down to the floor. He couldn’t let Dominic see him like this. He wasn’t weak. “You should thank Dominic.”

“Of course!” She took Dominic’s hand in his, a friendly smile sweeping across her lips. “Thank you, Mr. Duvane.” Watching her fingers clasp his friend’s, he rolled his tongue against his lips. Did Nic feel the same heat? His jaw twitched and his blood boiled. For his sanity, he hoped not.

Dominic eyes glowed a soft gold, not the molten spark he’d seen when he was with Coby. Rafael breathed a sigh of relief. “Call me Nic; everyone else does.”

Her gaze warm, she withdrew her hand. “Thank you, Nic. The katana is perfect. I need to take that shower now.” Angling her gaze back to Rafael, her amber eyes sparked. The little temptress. The thought of Lucy naked in the shower sent all the blood in his body right down to his shaft.

Not in front of Nic.

With a shimmy of her hips, she turned around and sashayed down the hall, the silk robe dancing against her legs.

“I’ll be back.” The seductive tone floated to his ears. Blasted vixen knew what she was doing. “Have fun, boys.” With that, the door snicked shut.

Dominic rubbed his hand along his jaw, his gaze narrowing. “Tell me everything.”

“What of my sister?”

“Something tells me this might be a tad bit more important.” With a flourish, Dominic whipped off his coat and flung himself onto the futon. His face scrunched into a wince. “Does your succubus enjoy a little torture too?”

“My succubus?”

His friend threw his head back in laughter. “Don’t try and hide it. I saw the way you look at each other. That, and the scent of sex clings to the air.”

He lifted his head and sniffed around the room. “Damn good sex, too.”

Bloody hell. Nic and his over-sensitive nostrils. He could smell brimstone a mile away. An impressive skill to possess, when needed. And Rafael didn’t need it now. “It was only sex.”

“Whatever you want to tell yourself,” Dominic said with a roll of his eyes. “So tell me why she’s so powerful?”

Rubbing his temples, Rafael took a seat in Lucy’s dilapidated easy chair. This time, he’d forego reclining. But he couldn’t forego the truth. “Her father is a powerful incubus.”

His friend’s eyes narrowed, and his brow creased. “Just how powerful?”

Rafael couldn’t beat around the bush with Dominic. “Her father is the king.”

His friend’s eyes widened. “Lilu?”

“Is there anyone else?”

His friend raked his fingers through his hair. “No wonder Lamia and her minion were lurking about.” He blew out an aggravated breath. “I should’ve known there was a reason Kalli wasn’t forthcoming.”

“Kalli doesn’t know. Yet.” Rafael narrowed his gaze at his friend. “Spying, I see?”

“I prefer ‘keeping tabs.’” The elder demon’s lips curved into a wry smile. “For your protection, of course.”

“I don’t need protection.”

Dominic clenched his fists. “I promised Coby that I’d keep you safe.”

He winced at his friend’s strangled words. “I know you have feelings for her.”

Dominic sucked in a breath as he adjusted his large frame on Lucy’s futon. “Is it that obvious?”

“As obvious as a bump on a log.” Since they’d already broached the topic of his sister, Rafael was ready to hear more. “So what about my sister?”

Drumming his fingers on the wrought iron arm of the futon, Dominic nodded. “Coby’s alive, in Belial’s palace. She seems unharmed.” An anguished breath wrenched from his mouth. “Too unharmed.”

He leaned in, his eyes sparking. “I’ll rescue her, if I have to storm the hellhole myself.”

Rafael steepled his fingers and nodded. He’d known Dominic long enough. He spoke the truth. “Thank you, Nic. Coby and I are lucky to have you as a friend.”

“And I you,” he replied with a friendly pat on the back. His gaze shifted down the hall. “How long does it take your
princess
to shower?”

“I haven’t any idea. How long do humans usually shower?”

“It depends on how
dirty
they are,” his friend replied with a punch to his arm. “Doesn’t she know demons don’t need to shower?”

“There are many things she needs to learn.” And he wanted to be the one who taught her. He owed it to her.

“And you plan to instruct her, don’t you?”

“If it will benefit the mission, and the Fore-Demons allow it, yes.”

Dominic nodded. “They have.” He leaned in, lowering his voice a few notches. “I know you care for more than just the mission, but I won’t hold that against you. She’s quite a magnificent creature.”

She was more than a creature. She was Lucia Gregory, sassy hairstylist that just happened to be a sex demon. She was fascinating and he wanted her more than ever.

Blast Nic for being so astute.

He ground his teeth into his lower lip. As insane as it seemed, he more than wanted her. He
needed
her. More than any other woman. Ever. The intensity should worry him, yet he felt comfortable. Alive. With a quick swipe of a wayward strand of hair, he turned his gaze to Dominic. Did he feel the same way for his sister? More than likely. Even though they both tried to deny it.

“So you’re protective, aren’t you?”

“I was given orders.”

Chuckling, Dominic shook his head. “True, but your protection goes deeper, does it not? Like you’d do anything for her?”

“How would you know?”

His friend let out a long whoosh of air. “Because it’s how I feel for your sister, you fool.”

Curse him. Always making a valid point. A point he couldn’t afford to agree with right now. Maybe later, after he skewered Belial and sent the chest back to Limbo.

***

Flicking her hair back, Lucy allowed the cascading water to lick and caress her skin, wishing it were Rafe instead. Unfortunately, the pleasure would have to wait, thanks to the other demon who had made an unexpected visit. Did these guys have to take lessons in looking sexy? Dominic, tall and ripped, had a cocky smile, wavy sandy brown hair, and a golden tan. Sexy in his own right, but he didn’t hold a candle to Rafe. Maybe she could set him up with Serah. She had a thing for the Matthew McConaughey types.

With a resigned sigh, she cranked the faucet off, the pipes groaning in response. Thus ended the shortest shower ever recorded. Not that she was complaining. The faint scent of Rafe and all his sexiness still clung to her.

“
Mmm
,” she said, bringing her arm to her nose. A wide smile spread to her lips as the exotic spices wafted. But enough orgasms already. They had a mission. They needed to return the chest. And when that was done, she would help find Rafe’s sister. She owed it to him. Dominic Duvane be damned. He didn’t know Lucia Anne Gregory, succubus extraordinaire. Yeah, she may have only been a succubus for a few days, but she had a lifetime of powers at her disposal—and now a kick-ass katana.

She
would
kick some serious ass.

Shuffling out of the shower, she grabbed a towel and patted herself dry. What in the hell were those two talking about? Putting her ear to the wall didn’t help. They must have soundproofed the room.

With a resigned sigh, she made her way through the door that adjoined the bedroom. Throwing on a pair of purple yoga pants and a sweatshirt, she swiveled to the bedroom mirror. Hair no longer wet, she gaped in silence. If she knew she’d have instant self-drying hair, she wouldn’t have bought that fancy blow-dryer last weekend.

“Unbelievable,” she breathed out, scraping a hand through her hair. To her delight, it flipped out around her face. Screw that. It was more than surreal. It was magnificent.

She twirled a lock of hair around her finger and made her way out of the bedroom. Tuning her ears, she strained to catch the two demons’ conversation.

“So how do you plan to storm Belial’s castle?” Rafe’s voice, although muffled, carried down the hall.

Now that’s what I’m talking about.
She would storm right alongside them. A determined grin spread across her lips. She wouldn’t take no for an answer.

With a flourish, she stole into the room. “Castle storming? Count me in.”

“I think not,” Rafe said, placing his hands on his hips. “You’re lucky I’m letting you in on this mission.”

After a quick roll of her eyes, she raised her chin defiantly. “Oh yeah. We’ll see about that.”

The friction in the room spiked and energy crackled. She loved their little spats. Rafe’s silver eyes swirled and his jaw twitched. So predictable, but it was part of his charm.

“Oh my, did you feel that?” With a shake of his head, Dominic gazed down at his arm. “My arm hair is standing on end. That’s some electricity between you two.” He turned to face Lucy, his smile apologetic. “Storming Belial’s castle is my mission and my mission alone. The Fore-Demons requested it.”

“If the Fore-Demons told you to jump off a cliff, would you?”

Dominic shrugged. “We’re immortal, you know.”

Another demon with a strange sense of humor. It took a couple of seconds for those words to register. Immortal? Then again, Rafe, himself, was over four hundred and fifty years old. “Does that mean I am too?” She’d read enough vampire novels and spent enough time with Rafe to know that immortality wasn’t all that great.

Noticing her nervousness, Rafe edged closer and raised her chin to meet his gaze. “We don’t know. One thing’s certain though.”

She rolled her lip between her teeth. “What’s that?”

“Your life energy is strong. If you’re not immortal, you will still live a
very
long time.” His gaze was warm and reassuring—as much as it could be in this situation.

With a nod, she flashed a bright smile. “Hopefully not long enough that I’ll need to resort to identity theft.”

“Identity theft?” Dominic threw back his head in a loud guffaw. “We’re demons. We make our own identities.”

“Wow, comforting,” she mumbled. “But don’t you think storming a castle all by your lonesome a suicide mission, even for an immortal?”

Dominic shrugged, his wavy sandy hair brushing against his brow. “It very well may be.” He turned to his friend. “Everything appears okay. The Fore-Demons will be pleased.”

“The Fore-Demons can kiss my ass.” After all they’d put Rafe through over the centuries, they needed to do a lot of it.

Sidling next to her, Rafe wrapped his fingers around her arm in a steely grip. “Lucy, not now,” he whispered.