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“Yes. It’s a definite yes.” I bite my lip, fighting my elated grin. He grazes my cheek with his fingertips. “I’ve wanted this more than you know.”
His lips press to mine, and butterflies twist in the pit of my stomach. The feeling of belonging to someone engulfs me, and the desire to be close to Rick pulsates through my veins. If we had more time, I think I could love him. I mean, really love him. He’s practically the ideal guy. A girl would have to be completely insane not to fall for him.
Rick pulls away. His charcoal-gray eyes stir with need. “Come on. Let’s go to my place. There’s no one there.”
Once in his car, he steals a glance in my direction every couple of minutes. My hand rests in his while he shifts gears. A smile tickles my lips when I meet his eyes. My body fills with nervous anticipation when Rick slows and turns down an alley. It leads to a private driveway, which then turns into an empty parking lot. I gawk at the sign on the building.
My left eye brow lifts. “Um, Rick? What are we doing at Fletcher’s Funeral Home?”
He turns toward me. “You said you wanted to see where I lived.”
A shudder runs down my spine. “Seriously? You live here?”
Creepy.
He shrugs his shoulders. “It’s not as bad as you think. Actually, I don’t live in the funeral parlor. I live there.” He points to the second floor above the three-car garage. “It’s a small apartment and my family owns the funeral parlor so I don’t even have to pay rent while I’m in school.”
“So, you live alone?”
“Awesome, huh?” He waggles his eyebrows. “Come on. I’ll show you my bachelor pad.”
We make our way up the outside staircase leading to Rick’s place. He unlocks the door, turns on the light, and leads me inside. “It’s not much, but it’s better than living with a roommate or with my family.”
“You don’t like Dr. Fletcher?” I ask before I realize I’ve just let it slip that I know her. That was one secret I didn’t want him knowing.
Rick stops mid stride and tilts his head. “You know Lilim?”
The back of my neck stings with tension, so I rub it. “Yeah. She’s sort of my shrink. I’ve been going to one since I was a teenager and got caught with a deadly weapon trying to protect myself from a demon. It’s nice to talk about the demon stuff with someone who will keep it confidential.”
He chuckles. “You were really going to shoot him, weren’t you? I can tell you don’t like him.”
A humph escapes my lips. “Hate him is more like it.” Then I stop dead in my tracks. I don’t remember ever telling him I got caught with a gun specifically. I referred to it as a weapon only. “I never said anything about a gun to you before. How did you know?”
Rick shrugs. “You must have told me.” The he quickly tries to get us back on track of our original conversation. “Hate is such a strong word, Nat.”
My eyes search his face, but he’s relaxed, not a hint of tension in his face. So, I decide to relax. I must’ve told him about the gun and forgot about it. “Not strong enough to truly describe my feelings toward him though.”
His fingers rub my shoulder. “He might just grow on you. You have a whole eternity to get to know him, right?”
I push his hand off me. “Ha. Ha. Very funny, Rick.”
He smiles. “You never know.”
"It’s nice in here,” I say as I take in the dark green walls and white-carpeted room. “Very manly.”
He sits on his black leather couch, which takes up most of the claustrophobic room, and pats the cushion beside him. Without question, I fold myself onto the seat next to him. He throws his arm around me. It feels natural. Cozy. I turn my face toward him.
His eyes are smiling more than his lips when he whispers, “Hi.”
I smile back. “Hi.”
My hair drifts into my eyes, and he brushes it away from my face. His thumb traces my cheek. Electric tingles zing deep into my bones. I turn my head into his hand and nuzzle it. Rick tilts my chin up and kisses me deeply. The smell of him swirls around me as my fingers find their way into his long hair. He crushes me to him, yet it still doesn’t feel close enough.
He traces my bottom lip with his tongue and runs his hand down my back, stopping at my waist—testing the waters. Warm fingers slide under my shirt, and my whole body starts to tingle. My bones hum with need as I squeeze myself tighter against his chest. He kisses me so deep, I’m not sure I’m even living on air anymore. The very essence of Rick seems to be enough to sustain my very existence.
I lie back on the couch and pull his body on top of mine. We lay there, pressed together like magnets, as I trace the waistband of his jeans with a light touch. A moan reverberates in his chest as his fingers knot in my hair.
My fingers need to explore. They find their way underneath his shirt and onto his muscular frame. The ripples of his abs glide under my hands, and I memorize every inch of him by touch. My insides burn with intense heat, one I’ve never felt before. A flame only Rick can extinguish. Gentle kisses trail down my neck, and I toss my head back and let a little groan slip.
He has no idea how much I need this—how much I need him.
Panting a little I realize I’ve never wanted someone more than I want Rick at this moment. Not even with Stew have I felt such a connection.
There’s so much heat between us—going all the way seems like a natural step. A step I need. I reach for the buttons of his jeans, a little unsure if I should take the lead on this. I need him to know I want to do this with him. Rick’s eyes grow wide as his hand grips my wrist.
“Not here.” His breath is hot on my lips.
My hands freeze as confusion floods my brain. A flash of rejection zings my brain. “What? This seems like a perfect time.”
Without answering me, he rolls off the couch and cradles me in his arms in one motion like I weigh practically nothing. “It is a perfect time. I just meant not on the couch.” He kisses me while I’m pressed against his sculpted chest. “My bedroom has an actual bed and I need to sprawl you out and explore every inch of you.”
Oh. He scared me for a second, but the thought of being tangled up in some sheets with him excites me. One corner of my lips turns up. “A bed would be good.”
It’s like a scene from an old movie. The one with the bride being carried over the threshold and for some reason it doesn’t even feel cheesy. How could it? The only thing in the air is pure romance and lust.
We enter his dark bedroom. My arms encircle his neck, and I strain my neck to place a kiss on his lips. There’s a large bed filling up most of the space in the room. He lays me down, and instantly I’m surrounded by the smell of him. The thought of lying in the very place he dreams brings me to another level of closeness with him.
The moonlight streams in from the only window in the room and illuminates Rick. He’s beautiful in this light—nearly perfect.
He pulls his black t-shirt over his head and tosses it to the floor. His body is sculpted like a Greek statue with tattoos covering his right arm all the way up to his shoulder. He looks even better shirtless than I had imagined a thousand times before. A little sigh breaks out from behind my lips. His body is amazing. No wonder I’m not the only girl around campus that’s noticed Rick’s a hottie.
Directly over his heart, there’s a circle of snakes inked into his skin. Three snakes in the tattoo form a perfect circle, nose to tail and polishing off his devilish handsome look.
The rest of his clothes come off just as quick until he’s down to his boxers. I study the contours of his body. The defined muscle that cuts in from his hips tells me he’s toned everywhere. My lungs suck in a quick breath as he climbs onto his bed beside me. It’s like he’s about to devour my body, and I’m going to love every second of this.
Once the deed is done, there’s no going back. We’ll never be just friends again. We’ll be so much more and for a second I hesitate.
Is it fair to him to do this? I mean, he probably believes we�
�ll have a lifetime together. Will it make me totally selfish to do this when I know I’m about to become evil and may never see him again?
Before I can change my mind and ask him to stop, he kisses my neck and whispers, “You’re so beautiful.”
My heart skips a beat as I melt. Maybe it’s better this way. I won’t be around long enough to screw things up. We can have this magical, short-lived romance before I die and he’ll be left with the memory of the girl he once loved.
I search out his lips. Honestly, I didn’t have intentions on sleeping with him so soon, but right now that’s the only thing I want to do. It’s the only way I’ll be able to get the closeness I crave and free my mind from all the craziness even for just a little while.
Rick caresses my shoulder, then my arm, and pauses at the hem of my shirt. All I can think about is his fiery touch and how much I want his skin on mine. One by one, he slips each button from the hole in my Polo shirt, never pulling his eyes away from mine as he starts to undress me. There’s pure lust in his eyes and just staring into them causes an intense tingle between my legs.
After what feels like an eternity, he slides the shirt over my head. A soft moan escapes my lips as his breathtaking body covers mine. He rolls over and pulls me on top of him. His fingers glide up and down my spine. My eyes drift shut and I lean in for a kiss.
In one swift motion he sits up and forces my legs open until they wrap around his waist. His hard cock presses against me. The only thing separating it from my moist flesh is two thin pieces of fabric. Rick reaches under my skirt and grabs my ass with both hands and encourages me to ride him with our clothes still on.
The sensation of him rubbing against me causes me to tingle, and my panties feel wet. Rick unclasps my bra and then tosses it to the floor. In a normal situation, I would feel shy about having my body on display, but with Rick, I want him to touch me.
I keep working my hips against him and soon a feeling builds up taking over every sense in my body. I wrap my arms around his neck and moan in his ear.
Rick rubs his thumb over my pebbled nipple. “That’s it, baby. Come for me.”
I bite my lip as he sucks my pink nipple into his mouth. My fingers find their way into his hair as I explode into full body tingles. My legs quiver below me as I ride the wave of intense pleasure.
Rick lies back, pulling me down on top of him, once I settle down. “You are so fucking hot when you come. I can’t wait to do that again with me inside you.”
I lean in and kiss him hungrily. I never knew talking in bed was such a turn on. My lips part, and his tongue snakes its way into my mouth as I try to show him how much I want him. His dick jerks under me, and I can tell he’s getting my message and is ready to have his way with me.
I reach down and try to reposition myself. A gasp slips out of my lips as I break away from Rick’s kiss as my hand slips into nothingness. All my weight is concentrated on my right arm and when my hand goes down, there’s nothing but thin air to lean on. I nearly topple off Rick, but claw at his chest to keep from falling over. Where the fuck is the bed?
My eyes spring open. A scream rips up from my throat when I realize we are a good three feet higher than the bed. Panic springs from every cell in my body. I scramble to get away from Rick, and I slam onto my right side when I make contact with the hard-wood floor. Air whooshes from my lungs, and I’m stunned by the fall for a second, but quickly regain my bearings. Something’s not right. He’s not right. Who just randomly floats during sex?
Someone that’s not human.
My mouth gapes open in shock as Rick levitates above the bed. I can’t move. All of my limbs just quiver like a heart out of rhythm. Humans can’t float like that and there’s only one thing I know of that has supernatural abilities like that. My soul crushes at the thought of his deception. My hands cover my mouth and I shake my head violently. No! This can’t be.
This whole time he’s been keeping secrets from me, trying to make me fall in love with him—listening to my secrets, pretending to be concerned, when he was one of them this whole time. Everything was just a lie. What kind of person, no scratch that, monster does that?
An evil, sick freak—that’s who does that.
“What the fuck?” I yell out loud in anger as I frantically search for my shirt with my hands, but never taking my eyes off him. My stomach rolls. This was one twist I didn’t see coming. Isn’t my life screwed-up enough?
He sits up and meets my glare with pained eyes.
How could he? How could he do this to me? Why? Why me? Why does this crazy shit have to happen to me? My fists ball up and I want to scream. I’m losing it. I can feel the crack forming in my brain. There’s not enough air in the room and it’s smothering me. I have to get out of here.
My sights never leave him as I try to buy some time to figure out how to get out of here alive. “Why did you bring me here? Are you going to try and kill me, because if so, get in line asshole.”
He grimaces like I’ve just smacked him in the face. “Nat, I can explain.”
Explain? I don’t want him to say another word to me ever again, let alone explain why he’s such a liar.
The top I had on somehow lodged itself under his bed. Both of my hands grip it hard and I growl while I tug it free. I jerk it over my head and peel myself from the floor. Slowly, I back away from him. The pulse in my neck is pounding so hard I can feel it in my face. Who knows what he is capable of?
“What are you?” I demand firmly, desperate hear him say what I already know.
The sea in his eyes thrashes violently. “I think you know.”
My hearts pumps wildly, and sheer panic envelopes me as my fear is confirmed. “You’re a demon?” My voice squeaks a little as I say it aloud. A flash of the small dagger in my purse flashes in my brain. If I can get to that, I may have a shot of making it out of here alive. A shake overtakes my hands as adrenaline flows through my veins while I work out my plan.
He nods. His mouth pulled into a tight line.
He lowers himself to a standing position in front of me with ease. “Not just a demon, I’m your demon.”
My skin crawls as his snake tattoo comes to life and slithers around on his skin. My insides churn as the contents of my stomach threaten to expel. I grab onto his dresser to keep upright on my wobbly legs. “That’s not possible.” I can hear the quiver in my voice. The fear I always try to hide from my boy demon cracks through my veil and the room starts to spin like I’m about to pass out. Tears sting my eyes. “My demon is a little boy!”
He shrugs and holds up his hands like he’s guilty. “I can take on whatever age or form I need to help me make deals. When I first met you in this life, you were five, so I appeared to you as a boy to earn your trust. I can change forms at will. It’s one of the few perks of being a demon. I’ve appeared to you in different forms throughout your life—to stay close to you. Whenever I need to collect a soul or remind you of our deal, I choose to show you my childhood form. But this”—he grabs his chest over his heart—“is my true form. The true me—the me that loves you.” His torso moves forward, like he’s getting ready to come toward me.
“Stay back!” I hold a shaky hand out, attempting to stop him. “Just stay away from me. You tricked me—all this time. I thought I could trust you.”
“You can trust me.” He steps forward. “I’m still the same person. Nothing has to change. Things will be so much better now that you know.”
"Just shut up!” My vision blurs before I blink away the tears. “I told you things. We almost…” I almost had sex with him. The thought causes my stomach to lurch.
He reaches for me, but I swat his hand away as I take another step back. “Please, Nat. Give me a chance to explain.”
A chance? Is he serious? “Stay away from me. You evil bastard!”
He steps closer. “I can’t. You belong to me. We have to stay together. It’s more important now, than ever.”
“Screw you! I don’t belong to anybody!”
I sprint into his living room. The shaggy carpet trips up my foot but I manage to keep my balance. The purse I carried in is still on the couch and relief floods me. One good thing he taught me over the years is to always be prepared for his arrival and the possibility of a fight. Scooping up my purse, I reach in and feel for the blessed knife. The hilt of the dagger meets my palm. With a tight grip on my weapon, I spin to face him.
Rick’s leaning against the frame of his bedroom door, unfazed by me, and he’s smirking. This is no game to me. That smug bastard is going to have the fight of his life if he wants to take my soul. “I’m not dying without a fight.”
He shakes his head and steps in front of me. “I’m not going to kill you.”
“Then you won’t mind if I leave,” I say as I sprint toward his front door. I thrust my hand toward the knob, but he grabs me from behind before I can get the door open.
Damn.
He spins me around and pushes my back against the door.
The knuckles on my right hand are white as I raise the dagger up. The snake tattoo on his chest is the perfect target. I lunge forward with as much force as I have in me. Like always, he catches my wrist before I can make contact.
He stares me dead in the eye. I jerk my arm, but his grip is too tight. My left hand shoves at his chest. “Stop, Nat. Just listen.”
I go still but hang on to my weapon so tight my fingers go numb. He tries to turn my face to look at him with his free hand, but I whip away from him, disgusted.
He sighs heavily as he removes the knife from my hand with ease and takes a step back. His left hand rubs his forehead while he holds the dagger in his right. “This is not how I wanted you to find out about this.” He looks at me, and I wonder if I can somehow get my knife back. “But, you know, Natalie, rules are rules. We made a deal, remember? We can’t change that. You knew I’d come for you. I made sure you wouldn’t forget me. That’s why I stuck you with that dream every night and collected every soul I possibly could near you. So you’d know I’m real, and I’d be back.”