Chapter 28
28
Love H a n dles
A shaft of sunlight on her face woke Eva, and she blinked, cracking her eyelids to read the display on the clock. Ten o’clock. A little later than she normally cared to sleep in, but then, last night had been pretty full-on. Honestly, it was amazing she’d woken up at all and not just died of shock.
There was a heavy arm slung over her side, a strong thigh shoved between her legs, and a leathery wing draped over her body. That last one was a bit weird, but it was all part of the package of her demon lover, and she wouldn’t have changed him for the world.
My funny valentine , she thought with a smile.
With that in mind, she rolled onto her other side so she was facing him. He was still sleeping, his handsome face relaxed into a softness she’d never see otherwise. Thick lashes lay against his cheeks, the kind that would make a girl envious, and that hair... It was all over the place. Between their bodies, trapped by his arms, under his head, her head, and spilling all over the pillows. She loved it. It was beautiful. It was him .
“What are you smiling at?” he mumbled without opening his eyes.
“How do you know I’m smiling?”
He cracked one eyelid, revealing a stunning indigo iris. “I can just tell.”
“I was thinking you look handsome when you sleep.”
His other eye opened, lips curving up.
“But you look even better when you’re awake and looking at me like that.”
He rolled, coming over top of her. He moved slowly, still groggy, but there was nothing sleepy about the erection suddenly nudging between her legs. The little nightie she’d gone to bed in was conveniently bunched around her waist, and she hadn’t worn underwear at all.
“I like your wings,” she said, and she did. They didn’t freak her out at all anymore.
He tensed. “I forgot.” He started folding them back like he was going to disappear them, so she quickly reached over his shoulder to stroke the fine boney ridge of one.
“Leave them. I mean it. I like them.”
He searched her face as if looking for signs of untruth, and then slowly, he unfolded them again until they were draped over the edges of the bed. She looked at that guarded expression and realized that if they were going to do this, she’d better make it very clear that she accepted him for who he was. Horrible, dark past included. Wings, horns, and red skin included.
And they were going to do this. She did accept him. She hadn’t been kidding when she told him she loved him, and damn it, she was going to make sure he knew it.
She lifted the hand from his wing and placed it on his cheek. “I want to see the horns too.”
His brows rose slightly, but he didn’t refuse. A moment later, his horns grew out of his skull as if by magic—and she supposed it was—curving down and then swooping up to sharp points. Wow, that was going to take some getting used to.
She had a pretty good idea where to start. Reaching up, she gripped both horns and yanked him down for a kiss. “Love handles,” she murmured against his lips.
“Mm?”
“You can grab me by my love handles, and I can grab you by yours.”
He pulled back a little though she didn’t let go of him. “You don’t have horns.”
She grinned. “No, love handles are the flesh on a woman’s body right here.” She released one horn to grab the skin above her hip. Ash’s eyes darkened as he surveyed.
“I like this term.” He replaced her hand with his own and gripped her tightly, hauling her against him and working his hips against hers nice and slow.
She tipped her head back with a moan, eyes falling shut. God, that felt good.
He continued his ministrations, releasing her hip to slide his fingers through her wetness to stroke her clit until her nerves were singing and she was nearly ready to come already. Just as she hovered on the edge, he slid that hand down and under her thigh, lifting her leg and hooking it over his forearm so she was spread wide for him. He positioned himself at her entrance and then pushed inside, inch by agonizing, glorious inch.
“Condom?” she managed, though it was the hardest thing she’d ever done to focus through the haze of pleasure.
“I can’t get you pregnant, Eva.”
Her eyes opened. Was it just her or did he look sad? Still, she wasn’t in a hurry to bring any babies into the middle of all this. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Demons don’t reproduce that way. Or at all. We’re created from hellfire—long story. But I’ve been around a long time. I would know if it were possible.”
“So you used them before because... ?”
“So you wouldn’t know I was different.”
“Well, now I know, so you don’t have to hide, right?”
He nodded, but seemed wary, like he expected her to be mad.
She wasn’t. “Babe, you’re inside me right now, so can we talk about the logistics of demon babies another time? I’m finding it kinda hard to focus.”
Her comment had the desired effect. He smirked and then got right back into the sex, working her with slow, easy thrusts while she gripped his strong shoulders.
She slid her palms down to his biceps and then back up through his silky hair to grab his horns again, which were so incredibly sexy she was going to make sure he had horns every time they made love from now on. He released her leg, so she wrapped them both around his hips and dug her heels into his delicious, tight ass, encouraging his thrusts.
“I love fucking you like this,” he murmured, kissing down her neck. “Nice and slow.”
“More,” she moaned, tipping her head back to give him better access.
“Not yet.”
She responded by digging her heels extra hard into his ass.
He responded by biting her lightly on the throat, which only increased her passion. “Open your eyes, Eva. I want you to see who’s inside you.”
She did as he asked and opened her eyes.
And stiffened in surprise.
He was red. And his eyes were black.
“Ash,” she moaned. The sight of him like that had somehow gone from frightening to sexy as fuck, and her blood heated with desire.
Then, as she watched, he grew to his seven-foot-tall size. His shoulders were so broad, they blocked out her view of the room. He grew everywhere , in fact, and she gasped at the sudden stretch inside her, the tightness almost unbearable.
“Oh fuck, Ash!” She gripped his biceps desperately, the muscles rigid beneath her fingers.
He stilled his thrusts, giving her a chance to adjust to his new size, but those freaky, all-black eyes narrowed in challenge.
He was daring her to accept him, she realized. Accept all of him. Even his hands had turned to claws, though he was careful where he held her not to scratch her.
As she panted through the intensity, a sense of forbidden desire came over her. She should have been afraid to make love to a monster. He was a big, red beast and the furthest thing from human. She should have been afraid, but she wasn’t.
She was really turned on and feeling like a naughty girl.
“Can you take it?” he growled. “Can you take me?”
“Fuck. Yes .” She slid her hands up his arms and over his shoulders, and then she buried them in his hair. “Give me everything.”
“Your eyes are glowing again.” His voice was reverent. “You’re so beautiful.”
“Ash...”
Finally, he began to move. He did a slow slide out of her and then pushed back in, finishing with a roll of his hips that made her see stars. His cock was borderline too big in this form, but she was loving the stretch. She moaned at the exquisite fullness, bordering on the edge of pain.
“Who’s fucking you right now, Eva?”
“You are.”
His hips rolled again. “Who am I?”
“Asmodeus.”
And again. “Who am I?”
“My demon. Mine. My big, red demon with his big, red co— Fuck , Ash.”
His next thrust sent her core clenching up, and it was his turn to moan. “You feel so good. You’re squeezing me so tight.”
“More, baby. I can take more.”
Sharp teeth nipped at her sensitive throat. “Don’t want to hurt you.”
“I don’t care if it hurts. More.”
He gave her what she wanted, bracing his hands on either side of her and rising up to thrust deeper. From this position, she caught a full view of the beast taking her, and it was so alien, so forbidden, and yet so right , that it sent her flying over the edge.
She came hard, feeling the contractions of her inner muscles rippling around his thick length. Ash moaned, thrusting harder and faster until he was throwing his head back, spine arching as he fell into his own climax.
He collapsed atop her, and she wrapped her arms and legs as tightly as she could around him and held him close, loving the way he groaned softly as he came down from the orgasm’s high. Loving the way his broad back expanded and retracted with his heaving breaths. Loving the way his weight crushed her into the mattress. Loving the fact that there were leathery wings draped over them the entire time they made love.
He rolled suddenly, gathering her into his arms as he turned onto his back, his wings folding beneath him. Black claws stroked a stray curl from her face as solid black eyes stared into hers.
“You are so precious,” he said. “Like a treasure. My treasure.”
She smiled. He might still be learning what love was, but he used other words he did understand to say the same thing. In a way, it was almost more meaningful because it was his own unique way of expressing himself.
“I love you too,” she told him.
He blinked as if he’d forgotten the meaning of that word again. But then he said, “I love you.”
They both tensed, waiting to see if he’d pass out this time. When nothing happened, Eva chuckled and Ash smiled.
“What’s your middle name?” he asked.
“Ariel.”
“Ariel. That’s nice.”
“Why?”
His expression became serious. “I love you, Evangeline Ariel Gregory.” He smiled again. “How does that sound?”
Heart melting. “It sounds perfect. Music to my ears. What about you? Do you have any fancy names?”
He shrugged a muscled, red shoulder. “Asmodeus, Ashmedai, Asmodai, Asmodaios, Hashmedai, Khashmodai, Hammadai, Shamdon, Shidonai... and a few more that I can’t remember right now.”
Eva’s mouth was open. “Oh my god.”
“You asked.”
“I think I’ll stick with Ash.”
“Fine by me.”
“Well, Ash, Asmodeus, Ashme-doo-da-day, I love you too.”
He smiled. “Music to my ears.”
After a shower that turned into another sexual marathon, they headed downstairs for breakfast. Meph was back to his usual, grinning self while Raum brooded and cuddled with Thelonious, and Bel busied himself in the kitchen like yesterday had never happened.
The only clue that things were not back to normal was Jacqui.
For Eva’s entire life, her parents had always been rock solid. She’d never seen them have a serious fight, and until now, it hadn’t occurred to her that they could fight. But if there was ever a good reason to, this was surely it.
Though she tried her hardest to smile and participate in the conversations, Eva could tell her mom’s heart was broken, and it broke her own heart to see it. Worse, she was leaving back to Montreal today, and her mom would be alone in the big house.
She was so angry at her dad for all the lies.
She was angry at him for being the cause of that emptiness she’d struggled with her whole life. She realized now it was a result of her Nephilim side being bound with powerful magic. If Ash hadn’t come along, she probably would have gone to her grave never knowing why she’d always felt like a piece of herself was missing.
And she would have died after a human’s lifespan, because the binding Dan had put on her cut her off from her immortality. He’d believed he was giving her a chance at a safe, human life, but the fact that he’d taken such a huge decision out of her hands was a betrayal.
But more than anger on her own behalf, she was angry at Dan for hurting Jacqui.
She couldn’t imagine how her mom was feeling, her partner of almost thirty years suddenly revealing that he was not who she’d believed he was. That the life they’d built together was built on a lie.
If the foundation is weak, the structure will fall. Well, it had finally fallen, and Jacqui was left behind in the wreckage.
Eva was so angry at her dad she wanted to scream... but he was still her dad. She needed time to come to terms with everything, but she wasn’t going to cut him out of her life. Immortal Grigori or not, she knew Dan would be suffering just as much as Jacqui in the coming months.
Her parents had given her so much love and support throughout her life. She wanted to be there for them now—for both of them—in whatever way she could.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come back with us?” she asked her mom again. “You could stay with me. I don’t have much room, but we could make it work.”
Jacqui smiled, but her eyes were sad. “That’s sweet, honey, but I’ll be fine. I think some alone time will do me good, actually. I’ll focus on my work if I get lonely. But I might decide to take you up on that so keep your couch open.”
“It’s always open to you, Mom.”
She pulled Eva into her arms and hugged her tightly. Neither of them let go for a time. When they finally pulled apart, Jacqui gently wiped a tear from Eva’s cheek.
“Don’t worry about me, dear,” she said softly. “I’ll be okay.”
“Mom...”
“I love you, my beautiful daughter. And I’m so proud of you.”
“I love you too,” Eva said hoarsely, watching as Jacqui brushed tears from her own eyes and smiled warmly.
And then it was time to go. Jacqui fussed over them and made them all promise to come visit soon. She told Belial he could cook in her kitchen whenever he wanted, and she told Meph he could come build stuff in the studio.
They headed out together to the barn, Raum carrying Thelonious, and stepped through the ruined front doors. The walls were blackened, most of the windows blown out, and the overpowering scent of burnt building materials stung the nostrils and made Eva’s eyes water.
They crossed the wreckage into Dan’s office where she noted the grimoire her mom had told her about was absent. They cleared a bit of floor space, and Belial borrowed chalk from the blackboard and whipped off the complicated gate sigil in record speed.
“There.” He tossed the chalk back on the tray and dusted his hands off.
“That’s incredible,” Jacqui said, surveying the complex design with an awed expression.
He shrugged. “It’s just a gate.”
“You drew it so fast and so perfectly.”
“He’s been drawing those things since the dawn of time,” Ash said. “I’d hope he’d have mastered it by now.”
She chuckled. “Well, I’m still impressed.”
“Wait until you see them step into it and disappear,” Eva said.
“Time to go, then,” Bel said. “Meph! Get your ass in here.”
Meph appeared in the doorway, token devilish grin in place. “Ready?”
“I’m going to shove you in to get you back for the last time, asswipe.”
Meph dodged Bel’s reaching arms and darted around the outside of the circle. To everyone’s surprise, he swept up Jacqui into a hug, lifting her effortlessly with those ripped, tattooed arms, and spun her around in a circle.
She laughed and smiled her first real smile since Dan had left, and Eva could have hugged the stupid demon herself for cheering her mom up.
“Bye, Jacks,” Meph said, grinning. “Thanks for crying over my lifeless body.”
Raum smacked him on the back of the head. “Don’t be a dick.”
He rubbed his head and glared at his brother. “I was being serious! No one’s ever cried over me before.”
Jacqui was blushing, but she said, “You’re welcome. Try to stay out of trouble.”
“Can’t make any promises.”
“I said try .”
Belial grabbed him and threw him into the gate, and he was gone. “Oh my—” Jacqui gasped. “You weren’t kidding when you said they just disappeared! Is he okay?”
“He’s fine.” Then he and Raum and Thelonious said their goodbyes and stepped through the gate.
When it was just Eva and Ash remaining, Eva turned to him with a frown. “Do I have to drink your blood again?”
He shook his head. “It’s still in your system from before. And actually, Nephilim can teleport. You just have to learn how.”
Her eyes widened. “I can teleport ?”
He nodded, lips curving. “You’ll have to practice though. Maybe your dad can teach you.”
“Good idea,” Jacqui agreed. “It’s important you learn how to protect yourself.”
“I intend to,” Eva promised. And then, after more heartfelt goodbyes and promises to visit and call, she and Ash held hands and stepped through the gate and found themselves back in Belial’s bedroom in their dumpy apartment.
They didn’t waste time there, but all loaded up in Eva’s car and headed back to her place. She couldn’t stop laughing at the sight of the four huge men trying to fit in her tiny car. She took pity on Belial and gave him the front passenger seat—there was no way she was letting any of them drive after seeing Ash behind the wheel—but he was still folded nearly in half and his head pressed into the roof. He scowled the entire drive.
When she parked in her spot behind her building, the demons jerked open the doors and sort of spilled out of the car, stretching and complaining about their aching bodies.
Chuckling, Eva looked up, seeking out her apartment window as she remembered with a sigh that it was smashed out and needed repairing. Except, as she looked, she saw nothing but smooth glass. She searched all the windows, certain she must be mixing up which apartment was hers, but none of them showed any signs of breakage.
“That’s weird.” She pointed up. “My window should be smashed, but it’s not.”
“Maybe your dad fixed it when he was here,” Ash suggested.
“Maybe.”
They headed inside and climbed on the elevator, where Meph proceeded to push the buttons for every single floor, earning another smack on the head from Raum. Finally, they arrived on Eva’s floor—the elevator continuing its diligent journey onward—and headed down the hall to stop outside her door.
Abruptly, the mood shifted from casual to tense, that dark look of focus coming into all four demons’ eyes that had freaked Eva out before. Now, she was just glad they were on her side.
“You’re sure he’s here?” Bel whispered.
Ash nodded. “Dan told me he trapped him in a sigil.”
Bel sighed. “I don’t want to do this. Mishetsu isn’t bad.”
“We have to. For Eva’s safety.”
Bel nodded and gestured for Eva to unlock the door, so she did. Ash held her back with a hand and Bel entered the apartment.
“Shit.”
That didn’t sound good. Heart speeding up, she filed inside behind Meph and Raum and surveyed her home. The smashed window had indeed been fixed, and the carnage from the battle was mysteriously absent. The upended pots were righted, the paintings hanging straight, the instruments put in their places. The only thing that didn’t belong was the sigil drawn on the living room floor, this one even more complex than the hellgate.
It was empty.
“Motherfucker,” said Meph.
“Where’d he go?”
Bel crossed the room. “The line is broken here.” He pointed to the infinitesimal smudge with his shoe. “It’s enough for a demon as powerful as him to escape.”
Eva wandered into the kitchen. “What the hell?” There were dishes in the drainer that had already been cleaned. Dishes she hadn’t used. She opened the fridge. There was a pot of food she hadn’t cooked in it.
“I think someone’s been living here.”
As if summoned by her very words, the bedroom door creaked open, and a tall, gray-skinned demon stepped out, rubbing sleep from his yellow eyes and stretching his arms above his head and his wings out to the sides.
He froze when he saw them all staring at him, arms still in the air.
His arms dropped.
“What the fuck?” Meph echoed Eva’s thoughts precisely.
The Hunter’s black hair was mussed from sleep, hanging in thick strands onto his face and over his chest, a few sticking straight up. His long, whip-like tail waved steadily as if it had a mind of its own.
“You escaped,” Bel said, stating the obvious. “Why are you still here?”
Mist looked at Eva and at Ash, and then he looked back at Belial. “I have decided to take a vaca—”
He stopped, head snapping back to Eva. Then he sniffed once, and his eyes widened.
“Nephilim.”