Page 10 of Demon Heart: The Complete Series

There was something at once warm and standoffish about him. Opposite traits playing against each other in real time, dripping with danger.

“I don’t buy into the peace talks,” Darcy said.

Why did he have to go there?

“Not even with Phillipe at the helm?” the demon wondered.

“Are you telling me you think like him?”

“Do all humans think the same? Do you all have one idea of what makes the perfect world?”

Darcy moved to the table, sitting up. “Nope.”

“Demons are the same, especially with no monarch to bespell us anymore. You have a lot more freedom of thought than us. You are probably aware of demons having to follow their monarch’s desires, dissent coming with physical consequences.”

I’d heard about that. Some demons were reported to have suffered serious injuries for going against their king or queen. I’m talking teeth falling out, a variety of wounds inflicted on their bodies every time they rebelled.

Is that what the scar on his chest was?

“But you don’t have to worry now,” I said. “You’re free to think for yourself.”

He nodded.

“Uh-huh.” What a dismissive rat.

I took the conversation in a new direction, getting to the real issue we’d been skirting around. “Who were those silver people?”

“I don’t know.” His eyes narrowed as he took another sip.

“You don’t?” Darcy cut in.

“Stop,” I bit out in warning.

“They attacked me on my way home from shopping this morning,” Xavier said. “I only wanted some bread from a rather artisanal baker close to my house.”

I could do with some toasted posh bread. “You don’t know why they attacked you?”

“No. They used a poison against me, to weaken me. They wouldn’t have got the better of me otherwise. I passed out, awoke bound in chains in a dank, dark room. I didn’t see them again until I escaped.”

“What about the poison?” I asked.

“It had weakened enough for me to run.”

How convenient.

“Listen to me, Roman,” he said. “You have picked up on my scent, haven’t you?”

Bingo! That was it, a firm explanation of my silly behavior. “You’re fucking with me.” Hurting hands be damned, I pulled out my dagger, pointing the blade at him. “Time for you to go before I practice my knife play on your face.”

“Roman…” He stood up. “Please?—”

I charged, angry over falling under the spell of cinnamon violets. Man, I felt so defiled for being manipulated like this.

He rushed to meet my attack, grabbed me, spun me, trapped me in an unbreakable hold, my back pressed against his front. The dagger fell to the carpet.

This was it, the price for helping him.

“Roman!” Darcy cried.

He’s going to tear me apart.

He brought his lips to my ear. “Please don’t jump to conclusions.”

I shivered, so helpless in his arms, my cock pulsing with excitement.

He released me. I dashed out of his reach, my rage shooting down any frivolous shit.

Welcome back!

“Get out of my flat,” I growled.

The dressing gown belt had loosened, wrenching my eyes to the possibility of getting a glimpse of his goodies.

I closed my eyes. “This is seriously pissing me off.”

“Likewise.”

Eyes open, my best glare blazing. “I?—”

“I control my scent as much as I can, but I can’t keep a firm lid on it. I just wanted to let you know it will tickle your libido.”

He may as well have told me to get my cock out with the shock in my chest. “It what?”

“A tool for enticing partners into my bed. Consenting partners, I might add. It only works on those who are interested.”

“You’re telling me you have a sex scent?”

“Pheromones,” Darcy chimed in.

Xavier sat back down. “More like a sex scent, as Roman said.”

“Hold on…” Oh my God! “Those who are interested? Are you saying…”

“You want to fuck me?” he responded. “Yes. But that doesn’t mean we will. Unless you want to.” He spread his legs like we were starring in a remake of Basic Instinct , only he kept a hand over his junk.

As much as I wanted the floor to swallow me, my pesky curiosity spiked again.

Fuck a demon? Really?

Behave yourself!

His cocky grin put up my defenses.

“That’s not going to happen,” I countered.

“Fine. Apologies for heightening your desire. Try to ignore it.”

“I don’t want you.”

“My sex scent says otherwise.”

He wasn’t wrong.

“I’ll be gone by morning, Roman. Don’t panic.”

Panic had spent too much time in my company tonight.

I needed water. “Did you seduce me into bringing you here?”

“No.” He looked offended. “I have never forced myself on anyone. You helped me because you wanted to.”

Not what I wanted to hear. Me? The problem was me? I’d made the choice to risk everything because of sympathy for this creature? No. That couldn’t be right.

No. No. No.

An interjecting squeak from Darcy. “But doesn’t Roman wanting to bang you have something to do with it?”

“It wouldn’t be enough, especially given the situation we were in.”

It would’ve been so much better if I could blame him. But this was all on me. And what did that mean? What sort of witch, The Shadow loyal to his queen, behaved in such a way?

In no mood to self-analyze, I said, “I think it’s time for bed.”

“In what context?” the demon questioned with a lascivious tone.

“Sleep!” I barked. “Nighty night, not bow-chicca-wowa!”

Darcy cracked up in his cute ratty laugh.

Xavier chuckled.

Screw both of them.

“I’ll get you some bedding,” I huffed, storming out of the room.

Armed with a duvet and a pillow, I walked in on silence.

“For me?” the demon wondered.

I swallowed back some sarcasm, dumping the bedding at his feet. “The sofa is comfy enough. Come on, Darcy.”

“Come where?” the rat questioned.

“To my bedroom. I’m not leaving you in here.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“But—”

“I like sleeping in here.” He sounded so resolute.

Xavier smiled at me.

I grunted. “You’re being serious?”

“I am,” Darcy said. “What difference does anything make now? The guy has already enjoyed a bath, tea, and your dressing gown.”

He made a good point.

“You could always sleep in here, too,” Xavier said.

From dangerous to a blatant flirt.

“I don’t think so.”

His smirk pissed me off.

“Is that it then?” he wondered.

“What more do you want? A bedtime kiss?”

Come and get one, big boy!

“Not with such a sour expression.” He pointed at me, drawing a circle in the air as if to encapsulate my face.

“I should tie you up,” I said.

“Sounds fun.”

My turn to point at him, jabbing angrily. “You might decide to eat us in the night.”

I walked right into that.

Despite his endless smirking, the demon kept his trap shut.

“Well?” I demanded, making my blushing worse.

“I won’t eat you, Roman. I’m here to rest.”

“Good.” Why did my butthole tingle like it wanted some tongue action?

Because it does.

I checked the clock. Almost midnight.

“You don’t mind the TV being on, do you, Xavier?” Darcy said.

“Not at all,” the demon replied. “I am but a humble guest.”

Stop looking at me like that! “I’m exhausted. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Roman. Thank you for everything.”

“Night,” Darcy said.

For long seconds I lingered, trapped in his gaze, so confused, painfully excited. When the TV screen flicked on, Darcy tapping his rat-sized remote control, I snapped out of it.

Xavier’s lips quirked into a smile.

“Goodnight.”

“You didn’t finish your tea.” He nodded at my mug.

“Huh?”

“Your tea.” He sipped his, making a benign move sexual.

“Tea… Oh, yeah. Tea.” I grabbed it and made a sharp exit to my bedroom.

I closed the door, back resting against it, sweating in places I’d forgotten existed.

You’re not wanking. You’re not wanking.

Nothing against self-pleasure, but I wasn’t giving into this demon-scented lust, no matter how much my cock begged for my hand.

A knock on my door.

“Yeah?” I didn’t dare answer it, especially with a boner and a bed mere feet away.

“What about my clothes?” the demon’s voice drifted into my ears.

Shit. “I’ll sort it.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

An hour later, I folded up his dry, warm clothes and finally took another chamomile tea to bed to grab a few hours of rest.

Man, my hands were throbbing. I popped some Synth pills to help with the pain.

Harboring a demon and doing his washing?

What a night!

If you have to go, Grandma, then you go.

I squeeze her hand, her dying breaths a song I’ll never shake from my mind.

How did this happen? How did we get here so quickly? One moment she was fine, she was Grandma making her jokes, whipping up her amazing roast dinners, throwing money at me to buy myself something nice when I really didn’t need it. But you try arguing with her.

“I love you so much,” I whisper, my heart feeling like it kept breaking and breaking with each passing moment.

The moment she stopped breathing would bring her peace. No more suffering. No more of this awful pain.

The moment she stopped breathing, she would leave me in the world alone.

“I miss you so much already.”

I woke up with a jolt, unable to breathe.

Grandma…

I smacked myself in the chest, willing my lungs to catch up.

Fuck. Not these dreams again. It’d been months since I’d last replayed her dying in my sleep.

My lungs woke up. I took in air, calming myself, angry at being awake when so many sleeping hours had been robbed from me already.

Some tea remained in my mug. Cold, but whatever. It helped clear the dustiness of my throat.

The rain fell again, pattering away against the window, the first hints of daylight starting to chase away the darkness.

I suddenly needed to piss.