Chapter 5 #2
The words slipped from his tongue without his permission.
Stunned, he found himself waiting for an answer rather impatiently.
Never had a woman held his attention so.
She had big blue eyes, like cornflowers, warm chestnut hair with golden highlights, and a charming rosy glow that made him ache all over just to look at her.
Her figure, though she was sitting, was rounded perfection. She positively glowed there, in the dark, and his body reacted violently. Thank fuck for Arachne’s weaving or his cock would’ve torn a seam! That’s how hard he got, and in an instant too!
Curious.
“Oh, why bother with names. Just color me fascinated,” the vibrant woman said with a shake of her head and a small giggle.
That was when Ash noted the number of empty glasses on her table. Raising his eyebrows, he lifted one, sniffed and closed his eyes. There was enough alcohol in one cup to knock a normal on her ass, which, with another sniff, he concurred she was not. No, definitely not entirely human.
Shifter maybe?
Still, this was quite odd.
“So, what are you? An Elf? Jackalope? Angel, maybe? You sure are pretty enough to be,” she murmured.
“Uh, thanks, I think. Do you come here often?” he asked, hating the cliché, but he wanted to know more about her.
“Who me? No!” She laughed again. “I’m just a schoolteacher. Well, that’s not entirely true, You see, this morning I woke up believing I was just a teacher, Sunday school, actually. Then my stepmother told me I was something more and signed me up for whatever this is.”
“Something more?”
“Yep. Anyway, it hasn’t happened yet, so I am thinking Mim’s just a little bit nuts, then she went and introduced me to like the Eve and Aphrodite.”
“That must have been shocking.”
“Totally! But despite being ridiculously gorgeous, they were quite nice to me. They showed me around the place, explained the whole speed dating thing, and okay, I mean, I thought they were nuts.”
“As anyone rational would,” Ash replied with a grin.
She was dazzling him with her childlike enthusiasm and utter enjoyment. She seemed to be having the time of her life. Odd, considering she was entirely new to the supernatural world from what she was telling him.
“Right? But then they gave me these drinks, and so far, so good. I mean, I met a couple of men who claimed they can turn into Bears and Dragons. I mean, they sure were big! And, ooh, I even met a guy who says he’s a Jersey Devil,” she said without taking a breath.
Ash’s head was spinning, but whether that was from her fast talking or the intoxicating fragrance wafting off her, he didn’t know. He wanted to sit there and listen to her forever. But he also wanted to hunt down every male who’d spoken to her before he did.
“So, out of those Bears and Dragons, anyone take your fancy?” he could not help but ask. Nerves on edge, he waited while she swallowed more of her beverage from a straw, causing her lips to pucker most enticingly, before she shook her head no.
“Mmm mm. So far, you’re the only one who didn’t just sit here and sniff at me. Is that like a thing? Cause it’s super weird. Hey, how many calories are in these things?” she asked, picking up her hand and waving the server over for another round.
Uh oh.
Ash grimaced. No wonder she was talking a mile a minute. The glasses littering the table were all empty, having been previously full of one of Aphrodite and Eve’s special mixed drinks.
Fucking hell.
The Goddess of Love was renowned for her ability to knock a person on his or her ass with one of her cocktails.
Aphrodite! He silently cursed the Goddess when the small, luscious female who made him long for things he’d never dared before stood up.
She swayed on her feet, adorably tiny ones encased in low heels with a sling back that made his mouth water.
“Easy now,” Ash muttered, standing in time to take gentle hold of her elbows. “Steady on.”
“Thanks. I, um, need the little girls’ room,” she mumbled, and Ash nodded, without letting go. Her skin was soft and warm beneath his fingers. He quite liked it and had no plans to relinquish his hold until she spoke again.
“I need my arm back first, though.” The gorgeous stranger laughed, smiling up at him with big blue eyes that sparkled in the dim light, and fuck him, Ash couldn’t breathe.
“Beautiful,” he whispered.
“Gabby,” she corrected, gathering her purse before walking away.
“Gabby?”
“Yep. Gabriella Keen.” She hiccupped.
He stared, enthralled. She was so adorable. So full of promise. Ash should walk away now, quick before he tainted her with his past. But instead of saying goodbye, his next words surprised him.
“Lovely to meet you, Gabriella. Please allow me to escort you.”
“To the potty?” She cocked her head to the side, causing one honey colored curl to land in the lovely crevice between her bountiful breasts.
Ash swallowed, then hissed.
Actually fucking hissed.
Out loud.
His cock strained against his pants. He hadn’t felt this out of control since he’d hit Demonic puberty about two thousand years ago.
Holy fuck.
Even more astounding was the fact the curvy little minx seemed completely unaware of the affect she had on him. He could easily pick up on sexual mind games and flirtatious teasing, but she was doing neither. At least, not on purpose. Maybe that was why he was so unwilling to say his farewells.
Gabriella was like a breath of fresh air in the typically sulfuric Underworld.
He wanted to continue their conversation.
Hell, he’d listen to her read the phone book if she wanted.
So yeah. If she needed to use the facilities, hell yeah, he’d escort her.
If she wanted to go dancing, find a restaurant, go for a walk, or fuck it, fly to the moon, Ash was her guy.
Or he would be.
Soon.
Grrr.
“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” Ash replied, voice deep and gravelly. He swallowed his next growl, not wanting to scare the female. But she merely grinned, tilting her head back, stepping closer, and steadying herself with a hand on his chest.
“No one has ever said that to me before, uh, I don’t know your name,” Gabriella replied with a wide, and not entirely sober, smile.
“I’m Ash.”
“Ash? I like that. It’s unusual. Well then, Ash, I guess you can walk me to the restroom.”
Ash growled, pleasure filling him at the sound of his name on her plump lips. He wanted nothing more than to grab and pull her closer, flush against his hardened body, just so he could breathe her in and savor her warmth.
She tormented his senses with her nearness. A good kind of torture. The type that made him want her all the more. Still, she did not give in to blatant flirtation or coquettish displays. She simply was that alluring.
To be honest, it was a tad disappointing.
Did he want more than he was wanted?
Did he completely lose his touch?
What if Gabriella did not find him attractive?
He frowned.
Impossible!
Ash held out his arm, unwilling to let her wander out of his sight. His Demonic side relaxing slightly when she placed her small, warm hard on his sleeve.
“Awww, how chivalrous!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands, wobbling a bit more before she clasped onto his arm.
The second she touched him, Ash tingled all over.
He felt as if he was all aflame. He did not speak.
Couldn’t utter a syllable. So, he simply walked, navigating them through the crowded bar, growling at more than one patron for not moving out of their way fast enough.
Soon, he’d cleared a path to the ladies’ room and held the door while the lovely and slightly tipsy Gabriella walked inside.
“Be right back,” she smiled, reaching up and tapping his lips with her finger.
Ash took the opportunity to steal a kiss, pressing his lips to the warm delicate digit. The moment his skin connected with hers, Ash knew something was different.
Strange.
Special.
All the above.
The room seemed to turn red. Or maybe that was just his vision.
His heart thundered. That under-used muscle beat a furious tattoo inside of his chest. Without his meaning them to, his horns, wings, and tail all made an appearance.
Forcing their way through the delicate fabric of his suit, but what the fuck did he care?
Arachne had designed it for just that purpose.
“Uh, Ash?” Aphrodite approached him cautiously. “Ash!” she yelled, gaining his attention. Not entirely a good thing, since his lips peeled back while he snarled at her.
“Ah, she is yours, then?”
The Goddess of love was wise not to smirk, but Ash had no reply. He was still not capable of speech.
Was the Goddess correct?
Could Gabriella Keen be his one?
His fated mate.
No way.
She couldn’t be.
But the voice inside of him, his Demon voice, had only one word to say in response.
Mine.