Page 1 of Bottoms Up (Mythic Beast #4)

Silver

I shut off the water, grabbed the bath towel with my eyes closed, and rubbed my face dry before lowering the towel.

And there he was. An absolutely gorgeous man leaned against the far wall of the bathroom like he’d stepped out of a wet dream. My dick hardened and my pussy clenched, but I ignored both.

“Xaephan,” I said. “In the flesh.”

“Jules Alva Copperfield,” the demon replied, voice like sin on velvet. “Stage name Silver.”

I knew the necklace was back because I could feel the cold metal against my heated skin, but I ignored it.

“No deals,” I told the sexy-as-fuck Lord of Lust.

His grin was slow, wicked, with the promise of countless devastating temptations, and the visual wrapped around my spine and squeezed my dick like a vise.

He opened the glass shower door so there was nothing between us, and used a smoky voice that vibrated through my blood like bass under my skin to ask, “Even if I could turn you one gender or the other? Choose, and all your sexy bits will fit. I can change those pretty pussy lips into gonads, or I can make your lovely dick into a proper clit. I can deepen that tight little cunt and make it fertile. You want kids, Jules? I can make it happen no matter which side you choose, makes no difference to me whether it’s balls pumping sperm or ovaries dropping eggs.

” A shrug. “You know your issue isn’t a DNA thing, so no worries about having healthy kids. ”

I stared at him.

If he’d given me the offer at twelve, or fourteen, or probably even sixteen, I’d have jumped at the deal without blinking — whatever the cost. Well, not my parents or stepsiblings, but maybe my first-born child, since I wouldn’t have met it yet.

But now?

No .

I like who I am. Sure, a deeper vaj would be nice, but fuck . I actually like having a dick and a pussy.

“No deal.” My voice didn’t shake. “I’m supposed to tell you we can arrange a time to talk with Kirsten and her Shīfù present, but that’s all I have to say.”

The steam coiled around us, curling around him like it wanted him. The steam wasn’t the only thing attracted to him, but I needed to focus.

He didn’t smile, he smirked , and I realized he probably knew what was in my head as easily as Marco and Mordecai.

“I used to listen in on Kirsten’s therapy sessions, and I remember you. A real-life hermaphrodite, and a kinky one, to boot.”

“You aren’t welcome here. Leave.”

“Hand over the coin and I’ll walk right out, petite perle .”

Red flag number one was him showing up at all, but red flag number two was being given a nickname — a term of endearment that was a thousand percent bullshit no matter how fucking sexy he made it sound.

He was standing in the door, but I turned sideways and made it out without touching him, and he didn’t move to stop me.

I strolled to my phone without rushing, opened the text app, and sent an X to Kirsten.

No bars. No service.

“She’ll get your text when I’m gone,” he said, casual as breathing, now leaning against the doorframe. “Care for a roll in the hay while we negotiate?”

I settled my phone back on the side table and met his gaze. “No negotiations. No deals. You aren’t welcome. Leave.”

Someone popped into the room, but it wasn’t Kirsten.

Xaephan took three steps towards us and crossed his arms over his chest. “Nike. Or should I say Victoria?”

“You should.” Her tone stayed even. “Silver told you to leave. You should do so.”

“The young lad has something I wish to bargain for.”

“And the young lad wishes to do so with counsel present.” She didn’t blink. “You have a way to contact Kirsten. Do so, and set a time for everyone to meet in the same room. If there are any deals to make, they aren’t going to happen tonight.”

Xaephan turned back to me. Looked at me like he could see through bone and memory. My dick stiffened even more, my heartbeat trapped in it, and my empty pussy ached with need.

“I can leave your outside sexy bits the same and make it so you can get pregnant.”

I stared at him. Did I even want kids? I didn’t think so. At least, not a child I had to give birth to, but was that because I felt like a boy at the moment? If I felt like a girl tonight, would the idea of giving birth appeal?

But I remembered Kirsten’s advice and her warnings about how good he is at manipulation, at knowing what you want and figuring out how to offer it, so I told him, “No deal. I’m open to possibly negotiating that later, with counsel, but not tonight, so no deal. Please leave.”

Victoria tilted her head. “Your brother warns that Kirsten is close to Silver, and that harming Silver could put your son at risk.”

Xaephan’s eyes snapped to the winged woman. He didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Just glared until I thought one of them might burst into flames, and then blinked out of existence. Poof .

Twenty seconds later, Kirsten was in the room, and she looked at Victoria with a nod. “Thank you.” She inhaled deeply. “I don’t smell brimstone.”

“I’m not convinced he was actually in the room. I couldn’t scent him. It might have been some kind of projection.”

“He asked if I wanted a roll in the hay while we negotiated,” I told her, “but I said no. No deals. I also told him to leave. Over and over.”

“Which was perfect. Did the hotel give you a way to check out on their app?”

I nodded, and she said, “You should do so. I’ll text Animal to come to your room. We’ll see if he wants a quick trip to Homewood, since that’s where I’m taking you. How were you getting home tomorrow?”

“First class, commercial. I can’t get my money back, but I don’t care. I’d appreciate a fast trip to your place, where he can’t get to me.”

“He probably had to put something together fast to come to you within hours,” she said. “If you’d offered to hand it over, he likely had a human on the premises you could’ve handed it to, and they’d have gotten it to him, if he wasn’t actually here.”

“You warned me it would make itself known when it wanted to be seen.”