Chapter 13
13
Feeli n g Off - Color
A smodeus stayed up for three more jams. He couldn’t help it. The guitar player and band leader, Tim, kept asking him to stay, and he couldn’t refuse. He was having way too much fun. He felt bad for ditching Eva, but she was the one who’d encouraged him to stay up. He hoped she didn’t mind.
Finally, after the third set was finished, he called it quits. He needed a drink, and he wanted to find Eva. All the built-up exhilaration from playing music was making him feel high, and he wanted to release into her. Physically. With sex. Lots of sex.
He stood, already looking forward to executing that plan, thinking that Earth was a weird, mostly shitty place, but that there was absolutely no comparison to the good experiences. He’d existed for countless ages in Hell and never felt close to as good as he did now just from jamming with some strangers for a couple hours. Strangers who were all smiling and clapping him on the back as he left the stage.
He made a mental note to thank Eva for encouraging him to come out tonight, since Bel had finally gotten his hands on that Nephilim blood and he’d been looking for the perfect way to celebrate.
He didn’t notice anything unusual until he stepped off the stage.
As soon as his foot landed on the floor, a woman approached him. She smiled. Looked him right in the eye. Her hair was brown, her eyes blue. Not black or gray, but brown and blue.
He froze in his tracks.
“Hey.” She smiled and twirled a lock of hair around her fingers. There was no mistaking the look in her eyes. “That was amazing.”
“Uh—” he croaked, wondering if he’d been knocked unconscious and was having a vivid dream. Smells of beer and bodies and stuffy air assailed him. Smells.
“I’m here every week, and I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Are you new here?”
“Yeah.” Surely this wasn’t really happening.
“I’m Carly.”
“Ash.”
“That’s a cool name.”
“Yeah.” He scanned the bar, looking for his brothers or Eva, suddenly feeling totally out of his element. Everywhere he looked, he saw colors. There was blue and red and yellow and orange and purple and green and— “If you’ll excuse me, I’m looking for someone.”
“Oh, sure.” She looked disappointed. “See you around?”
“Yeah.” He didn’t look back as he stepped around her. His heart was beating strangely fast, and it felt uncomfortable.
Another female immediately approached. This one had dark brown skin and a curly black afro. Her shirt was red. She smelled like floral perfume. “Hey, you really made an impression up there!”
This can’t be happening. This is not happening. I’m dreaming. “Uh, thanks.”
“Where are you from? I’ve never seen you around before. A lot of us are regulars and you get to know people.”
“I’m from... somewhere else.” He looked over her head, desperate to escape though he didn’t understand why. This had been his dream for millennia. Not one but two women were hitting on him. Subtly, with class, but he could tell by the look in their eyes that they were interested.
But even stranger, he didn’t return that interest in the slightest. He was panicking. It was weird and pathetic, but he wanted nothing more than to get the fuck out of there. He wanted Belial to come up and clear the crowd with his hulky frame so he could escape like a scared little rabbit.
Asmodeus, Prince of Hell, former Prince of Lust, wanted to flee a crowd of human females because they were attracted to him.
If his ass was dragged back to Hell right then, he would surely have found it frozen over.
Another woman approached, wedging herself in front of the girl he was already talking to. “Hey, I’m Mina. You are so talented!” This one was more direct, her gaze openly lustful. Her hair was honey-blond, her eyes brown. He was even more desperate to escape.
He scanned the grounds and finally saw Belial, towering over the people by the bar. His brother was already staring at him, blue eyes wide, looking as confused as Ash felt. Meph and Raum were probably nearby.
“I love your hair,” Mina gushed. “Can I touch it?” She reached out and grabbed a handful without waiting for permission.
Ash recoiled, which was such a freaking lame reaction to having someone hit on him, but he couldn’t help it. It was instinctual. He just didn’t want her touching his hair.
“Oh my god, your hair is totally gorgeous,” yet another girl cooed. “How long have you been growing it?”
His heart was racing, his breaths shallow and fast. Why the fuck was he reacting like this?
“You really impressed me up there!” another new woman said, fighting her way to the front of the stampede.
He stopped paying attention to the women and tried to catch Belial’s eye again, but when he looked back to where he’d been, he saw no sign of his brother. Fuck.
Another woman was touching his hair against his will, and he fought the urge to snap or growl or hiss at her. Or better yet, shift into his demon form and roar at all of them until they pissed themselves from fright and left him the fuck alone.
He didn’t care if his curse was somehow defective and he wasn’t invisible for the first time in as long as he could remember. He didn’t want these women.
He just wanted Eva.
She appeared then as if summoned by the realization that he truly wasn’t interested in any other female except her. It stunned him. Nearly knocked him on his ass.
His curse was malfunctioning, and all these women wanted him. He could have them, too, probably all at once. That was what his brothers would do. They would turn up their irresistible demon charm and whip them into a sexual frenzy that resulted in the orgy of all orgies. A dozen women all fawning over him, desperate to fuck him.
He’d been the Prince of Lust, for fuck’s sake. He’d been a legend. Insatiable.
But he didn’t want any of that right now. He didn’t want anyone but Eva.
“Hey,” she said, fighting her way to his side. Her messy bun of curls was black, her skin a rich brown, complemented by the sparkly gold of her tank top and hoop earrings, a sharp contrast against her light gray eyes. He was oddly glad that her eyes were still gray when the rest of the world was in color. “I was wondering where you were.”
He didn’t try to hide his relief at seeing her. He did, however, prevent himself from falling at her feet in gratitude for saving him. She accurately interpreted his expression and came right up to him. Winding her arms around his neck, she pressed their bodies tight together and kissed him right in front of all the other women.
He instantly calmed. He stopped with the weak-ass anxiety attack, and his mood backflipped from “freaking out” to “ready to get freaky.” He fought the urge to rub against her.
When she pulled back, those sultry gray eyes told him she wouldn’t have minded if he did.
“We keep doing this,” she said, grinning.
“Doing what?”
“Getting hot and heavy after we jam.”
His gaze darkened. “I want you.”
“You also look like you want to get away from all these thirsty people.” Eva glanced at the retreating women melting back into the crowd.
He didn’t know what to say to that. He didn’t know what the hell was going on, and he was almost more weirded out by how quickly he’d calmed when Eva showed up.
“They can’t have you,” she purred, “because you’re mine.”
He fought the urge to grab her ass and failed. And once he grabbed it, he chastised himself for fighting it in the first place. Such an ass should never not be grabbed.
“You want to get out of here?” she asked, a smile curving those luscious lips.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Thank god because I’ve been dying to get you back to my place. I want to make love to you nice and slow, all night long.”
He laughed. “Why do I feel like our roles have reversed all of a sudden?”
She fluttered her lashes. “What’s the matter, baby? Not used to seeing a woman in her power?” She gestured up and down her curvy little body, encouraging his gaze to land on the cleavage showing between the loose fabric of her shirt. “Can you handle all this?”
“Oh, I can handle it. I’ll show you how I handle you as soon as we get out of here.”
“Yep, we’re going. Right now.”
She grabbed his hand and pulled him through the crowd, but they ran into Belial. Bit late, asshole. Ash would feel embarrassed at how poorly he’d handled the horny women later. He wasn’t worried about forgetting that particular shame because he’d bet all the gold he had that Meph was never going to get tired of making fun of him for it.
“What the fuck is going on?” Bel hissed. He was trying to keep his voice down so Eva didn’t overhear, but Ash knew she was listening close to every word. “The women—”
“I have no idea. But I’m leaving with Eva.”
Belial glanced at her and then back at Ash. “You want her?”
“Yeah.”
“ Just her?”
“Yes, asshole.” He lowered his voice and hissed, “She’s also standing right there so try not to be such a dick.”
“Look around you. There’s—”
“I know, okay? I don’t know what’s going on but I’m leaving with Eva. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Belial nodded and clapped him on the shoulder with a big hand. “You’re a rock star, baby bro.”
“Not your baby bro,” Asmodeus growled. His ego was never going to recover from this night.
Bel grinned. “I never knew you were such a good musician. Why don’t you ever play?”
“What, like I was going to take up piano lessons in Hell? That’d go over well.”
Bel arched a brow, and he realized his slipup. Shit.
“I’m leaving. See you tomorrow.” He turned and fled with Eva before he made things any worse.
Ash planned all sorts of fast, frantic fucking scenarios in his head as he and Eva walked back to her place, but when the time came, the mood was... different.
She closed the door to her apartment, and they went into her bedroom without saying a word. He watched hungrily as she stripped out of her clothes just like that. She didn’t offer him a drink first, didn’t try to chat him up. She just got naked.
She left the sexy hoop earrings on but yanked the tie out of her wild hair, sending all those out-of-control curls spilling over her shoulders. She let him stare for a moment and then said, “Your turn.”
Fair was fair, so he ripped his shirt over his head and kicked off his pants, and then tackled her down to the bed. Their naked bodies intertwining, they made out like high school kids who’d just discovered how, with tongues and saliva and all the messy stuff.
“God, I missed you,” Eva said. “Is that abnormal behavior?” She chuckled, but he didn’t get the joke.
“I don’t know, but I feel the same way.” Was that him speaking, admitting such mushy crap? He didn’t recognize himself anymore. He didn’t care right now. He’d thought about her all week, and now she was here.
“Good.” She reached between their naked bodies and got a good grip on his cock. He groaned into her mouth, hips rolling.
A lesser man would have been scared of her, he thought, but he was no lesser man. No wonder he didn’t want those women at the club. Nothing compared to her.
“I had all these plans of kinky shit I wanted to do to you,” he growled as she stroked him, “but right now I just want to feel you.”
“Works for me.” Releasing him, she scooted across the bed from beneath him, rolling onto her stomach to reach the nightstand. She reached forward and tugged open the drawer, fishing around inside. He hoped it was for a condom, but he was too distracted by the ass in his face to notice anything else. He got a good grip on said ass and then flexed his fingers, loving the way it overfilled his hand. So full and delicious.
He bit her there again. Right on the cheek, nice and hard.
She moaned, which made it even better. Shifting onto his elbows, he spread her cheeks with his palms, ducked his head, and licked right up the center of her, from front to back. The very back. He wasn’t shy about it.
Her hips jerked, and she moaned some more. A second later, a condom hit him in the face. “Put that on and get inside me.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He donned that latex fucker with lightning speed and crawled over top of her. Using his knees to force her legs apart, he reached back and hefted her hips up, leaning forward and pressing his cock against her entrance. She was soaking wet and ready for him, but she still squeezed him like a fist as he eased inside her.
“Fuck, you’re so tight.” He pushed in a little more and saw stars.
She spread her legs wider and stuck her ass higher up, her back arching deeply. “More.”
“Demanding.” He gave her more. Every inch he slid in further was another inch closer to paradise.
And then he was all the way inside her, her body welcoming him like she was made for him. Bracing himself by his hands, he started a slow and steady rocking pace, flexing his ass and tilting his hips to sink deeper. Her eager cries spurred him on.
Something suddenly shifted inside him on a visceral level.
He had the urge to turn them to their sides, so he went with it. Wrapping his bottom arm around her so his bicep was her pillow, he lifted her leg up with his other arm and spread her wide open so he could fuck her as deep as possible. Their bodies aligned from top to bottom, her back pressed against his chest.
Her moans were so soft and sweet, it made him feel this crushing sensation in his chest. And when she tipped her head back, he trailed kisses along her throat and jaw. Asmodeus didn’t trail kisses on throats and jaws. And yet, for her, he did. He was pretty sure he’d do fucking anything for her.
Eva turned her head some more, so he kissed her lips. She tasted amazing. She felt even better. He wanted to drown in it. He continued to fuck her nice and slow, all the while thinking he’d never felt anything as incredible as this. He could stay in this moment forever.
He collared his hand around her throat, but not to choke her. Just to hold her against him in a way that told her she was his. Because she was his. Right now, she fucking belonged to him, and he would rip the heads off and the guts out of anyone who said otherwise.
Her inner muscles fluttered around his cock like the world’s best massage, and he knew she was close, so he released her leg and slid his fingers between the folds of her pussy, rubbing her tight little clit with just the right amount of pressure. She moaned against his lips and was coming a moment later, and damn , the clenching of her muscles around him felt way too good.
He fucked her faster, working his hips so he bottomed out with every hard thrust, and then the little minx reached down, lifted her leg again, and got a vice grip on his balls.
It was the last thing he’d expected after all the touchy-feely shit, and it sent him flying over the edge. He moaned louder than he usually did as the climax smashed into him like a two-by-four to the brain.
His hips kept rolling as he finished coming like they were loath to accept the sex was over. We’ll go again soon , he promised them. It wasn’t even one o’clock in the morning yet, and he had plans to keep her up all night.
Eva reached back to thread her hand through his hair, and they kissed lazily. “That was so good,” she purred, and he wanted to beat his chest like a gorilla. “You feel so good, Ash. I don’t want you to pull out.”
He didn’t either. “I have to throw this thing away, but I’ll be right back.”
“Mm.” Her eyes were closed. She looked so relaxed and trusting, lying there in his arms. It made his chest ache and his stomach feel light and fluttery.
Fuck, she was so beautiful. Soft and warm and indescribably inviting, yet fierce and fiery when she needed to be. She was incredible, and he was completely entranced. He fought the urge to crush her against his chest, suddenly afraid someone might try to take her away from him.
Promising himself he would find her if they did, he shook his head at his bizarre thoughts and then pulled out and climbed off the bed. He hit the bathroom to toss the condom and then heard the sound of Beethoven’s Fifth symphony coming from the kitchen. “Eva, what—?”
“That’s my phone. Hold on, I’ll get it.”
He came out of the bathroom just as she walked by, and she gave him a long look up and down his naked body. He lounged against the doorframe and checked her out right back, unable to suppress his satisfied grin. He suddenly hoped he’d left a bite mark on her ass.
“Meet me back in bed,” she said. “I’m not finished with you yet.”
He cocked a brow. “Demanding.”
“You know it.” Grinning back at him, she walked past to the kitchen.
His smile broadened when he saw her ass. There was a bite mark. He was going to add a matching one to the other cheek.
Eva fished the phone out of her bag and groaned when she saw the caller ID. It was one o’clock in the morning. Why was her dad calling her? Well, it was only ten where he was, but still. He knew about the time difference.
She muted the ringer and let it go through to voicemail. She loved her dad, but she was not talking to him when she had a naked man in her bed. Just no.
Except it immediately rang again. And then she noticed her notifications. She had ten missed texts from him too, all saying, “CALL ME RIGHT NOW.” He’d even used periods. That meant it was really serious.
She groaned again and answered the call. “Dad, it’s one o’clock here. What if I was sleeping?”
“I know you don’t go to sleep that early. You’re a musician.”
“Still, now isn’t a good time. Can I call you in the morning?”
“Your mom told me about the guy you’ve been seeing. I had to interrogate her to get her to admit where she got those four names from, but she finally caved. I wish you’d told me.”
She blinked, speechless. That was what this was about? She couldn’t believe he was calling her at one in the morning to ream her out over a guy.
“Look, honey, I need you to promise me you won’t see him or any of his brothers again.”
“Yeah, that’s not happening.”
“Eva, this is serious. You’re in danger.”
“Why? Because he has a funny name? Or because I had a stress-induced hallucination and you think I need therapy?”
“What? A hallucination of what?”
Oh . Apparently, Jacqui hadn’t told him everything after all. She smiled into the dark kitchen. Way to go, Mom. “Nothing. Look, can we talk about this tomorrow? It’s late and Ash—” She broke off. Let’s not tell Dad that demon-name guy is in my bed right now, shall we?
But he put it together. “Is he with you right now?” He sounded panicky. “Answer me, Eva. Are you with him right now?”
“Dad, what is with you? Look, I get being protective, but this is going too far. I’m a grown-ass woman, and it’s not really your choice who I date. I appreciate your concern, I really do, but now is not the time for this conversation.”
“Where are you? Honey, this is important. Please tell me where you are.”
She frowned. He sounded really worried. Scared, even, which was so unlike her fierce daddio it wasn’t funny. “I’m home, and I’m fine.”
“Is he there with you?”
“I’m not answering that! Dad, this is too much. I’m hanging up—”
“I’m coming to you right now. I won’t be long. Promise me you won’t go anywhere.”
“Uh, last I checked it’s a five-hour flight, so, sorry, but you can’t exactly promise that. Look, Dad, love you lots, but I’m going to hang up the phone now, and we can talk in the morning. Goodnight.”
She hung up the phone, put it on silent, and then tossed it back in her bag. She shook her head. Her dad was taking overprotectiveness to an unhealthy degree, and it was embarrassing that Ash had overheard all that. She’d been telling him all week how awesome her parents were, and her dad had gone and blown it, big time.
“Sorry about that,” she called out, knowing Ash would hear from the bedroom. “My dad’s crazy.” She turned to the sink, grabbing the glass she kept beside it and filling it from the tap. “I don’t know why he’s acting like that.”
She heard footsteps creaking the old wood floors as Ash walked up behind her. “He’s normally really cool,” she said, lowering her voice since she sensed him standing right there. “We actually get along, so I don’t know why he—”
A sudden icy sensation trailed down her spine, and she stiffened. Somehow, she just knew.
It wasn’t Ash standing behind her.
Suddenly, she was terrified to turn around. And yet she knew she had to.
Slowly, she twisted on her bare feet, lifted her head, and forced herself to look.
She saw the dark shape of a massively tall being, mostly silhouetted by the big wall of windows behind him.
Even in the darkness, there was no mistaking the outline of a pair of enormous wings. Spread wide, arcing above his towering form. Nor was there any missing the set of glowing yellow eyes. No iris or sclera, just yellow all the way across, with vertical slits for pupils.
It opened its mouth. Every tooth was a fang. There were two rows, top and bottom, one after the next of razor-sharp, lethal saw blades made for tearing into flesh like it was butter.
Eva opened her mouth too. And screamed.