Desiring A Demon (Archangels) (3 page)

“Hey, Zee, what’s up?” she asked.

His ready smile weakened a bit
,
and Rafe stared at her. “What the hell happened to you?”

Fear shot through her. “What?” She glanced down at herself but didn’t see anything out of place with her jeans and plain gray T-shirt. “What are you talking about?”

“You look like you ran a marathon,” Zerach replied.

“Did you just get home?” Rafe asked. “It’s not that hot outside.”

She fanned herself with one hand. “It is to me. Maybe I’m coming down with something.” She stood. “I’m going to take a shower.”

Neither man said a word as she left. A glance in the bathroom mirror showed her face bright red and covered in a sheen of sweat. She also looked exhausted. No wonder they’d stared. With a groan
,
she took off her clothes and stepped under an ice-cold spray. Steam wafted from her skin, which was still a normal color. She half expected all of her body to be crimson by now. After quite a few minutes she began to feel more normal and turned off the water.

A knock sounded at her bedroom door as Rafe said, “Hey, Asta.”

She wrapped a large towel around her body and opened the door. “What?”

He leaned against the doorframe and simply stared for a moment, seeming to take all of her in with a single slow sweep of his gaze. She shivered and crossed her arms over her breasts.

“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he said.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m going to take a nap.”

Neither of them moved.

“Rafe?”

“Yeah?”

“You need to move so I can close the door.”

He grinned and caused her pulse to speed up again.

“Oh yeah. Okay.”

Then he turned and walked away. It took strength of will not to watch him, but she managed to close the door and lock it instead. Then she leaned her forehead against it and sighed. “Impossible.”

The attraction between them was stupid. If only she could keep remembering that until she moved away.

It took an hour and a half for her to give up on taking a nap. She was still too restless. Finally, she left her bed with a huff and headed to the kitchen, where Rafe soon found her.

…

Rafe simply looked on as she hummed and baked. Her hair had grown out since they’d met a few months ago. Now
,
instead of half-inch purple spikes all over her head, she sported strands a couple of inches long that went from black to purple tips. The overall look couldn’t be pulled off by many without appearing ridiculous. Asta was sexy as hell. She was temptation incarnate and he again wondered if her sudden appearance in his life wasn’t some sort of test. He growled under his breath at the thought.

“If you’re going to be such a damn grouch, go do it somewhere else,” she said with a huff of annoyance.

He rolled his eyes and slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans
,
so hopefully she wouldn’t see them clenched into fists. Why was this so damn hard for him? He’d had no problem with discipline before. Being in the same room as a desirable woman happened often to a man who acted as a human lawyer during the weekday. So why was this little demonling causing such havoc within him? He’d leave the room as she suggested but knew he’d just walk right back to her side within a few minutes…as he had the last time he’d walked away. Whatever it was about her that drew him couldn’t be denied, or pinpointed. It was driving him crazy.

With a sigh of resignation he dropped into one of the chairs at his kitchen table and leaned his elbows on the polished wooden surface. Asta ignored him for the most part as she finished mixing chocolate chips into her cookie dough. The woman could cook, no doubt about it. Which he decided was a good thing since she’d put on a few pounds in the past weeks. When they’d met she had been muscular but too thin. The bar where she’d worked had been a busy one
,
but that hadn’t been the worst of it. Her demon half had begun to bleed through
,
and although she’d been fighting it every step of the way, she’d started arguing with the other employees almost constantly and customers had complained.

“Why don’t you go do something?” she asked as she scooped balls of dough out of the bowl and dropped them onto a cookie sheet
.

“I’m waiting to hear from Mike
.
He’s got a job for me, but I don’t know what it is yet.”

She slid the cookies into the oven then crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. While she pretended to study his kitchen décor, he made no effort not to watch her. Finally, she busied herself by cleaning. Every sway of her hips as she wiped down the counters mesmerized him. Had he ever seen a more perfect ass? Probably not. Though he instinctively wanted to help her straighten the small mess she’d made, he knew better than to try. Asta was fiercely independent and the kitchen was now her domain. He’d learned early on to stay out of her way in this room.

Soon a hint of the cookies began wafting through the air. She finished cleaning and checked the timer. His stomach rumbled
,
and she laughed. “For men who don’t need to eat, you and your brothers sure put a dent in the groceries.”

“I love food as much as any human. Nothing wrong with that.”

“No. I guess not.”

She looked away, presumably through the nearby window. But he knew she was avoiding his gaze because he couldn’t seem to look away from her. At least she no longer blushed when she caught him staring. He couldn’t be sure the attraction went both ways. Though she’d confessed to Isadora that staying with him made her feel safer, Asta had never given any other reason for not wanting to move on.

The timer dinged
,
and Asta opened the oven. Rafe almost swallowed his tongue when she bent at the waist to pull out the cookies. Yeah, he had a serious case of raging lust going on
.
Just as he was about to sit on his hands to keep from reaching for her, the phone rang and he pulled his attention reluctantly away.

“Hello?”

“Warehouse district.”

“Be there soon.”

Rafe hung up and turned to face Asta, but she’d left. His pulse sped up and he reached for her telepathically. She was in her room
.

He wondered at the oddity of Mike calling him on the phone instead of speaking to him telepathically. His brother never did anything without a reason. So Rafe made sure his mental barriers were as strong as ever to keep everyone out of his head. They’d never had trouble with any non-angel being able to read their thoughts before, but they also didn’t know the extent of the higher-level demons’ powers.

There were things happening in Houston that he couldn’t discuss with Asta
,
no matter how much he might want to. Mike had already warned him against trusting her completely. Rafe was glad he hadn’t killed her when they first met. Since her father was one of their fiercest enemies, it had been a distinct possibility.

Rafe wiped his hands down his face and snagged one more cookie before heading to Asta’s room.

…

Asta felt Rafe coming from clear across the house. It wasn’t a mansion by any means, but still a larger dwelling than she’d ever lived in before. But she felt him coming for her and didn’t know how much longer the fight against her hormones would last. She wanted him on a primal level that was hard to deny, especially when he looked at her like she was the last ice cream cone on a hot summer day. His lust called to both her demon and human halves. They both wanted him just as badly. But at what cost? Never before had she felt safe and welcome. Never before had she lived so long in one place since puberty hit and her demon side came calling. This set
-
up was too good to last, but she wanted it for as long as she could muster. Sleeping with the man who sheltered her had to be the worst possible thing she could do.

He knocked, like she knew he would, like he always did. Three short raps before he’d wait for her to call him in. She didn’t bother locking the door; it wouldn’t make a difference. He was stronger than a human man and could twist the knob right off the door if he wanted. But he never did anything so drastic. If she didn’t reply, he’d walk away for a while. Then he’d be back with those three short raps. She’d only tested him once and he’d remained the perfect gentleman, staying away until she finally let him in. No, she couldn’t mess this up.

“Come in,” she called.

He opened the door but stayed in the doorway, leaning against it as if without a care in the world. On weekends
,
he preferred well-washed jeans and a plain T-shirt in varying colors. Today’s matched his sky-blue eyes. He stood barefoot and still towered over her five-ten height.

He crossed his arms, bulging biceps nabbing her attention before she snapped it away to glare at him in annoyance. “Can I help you?”

He smirked
,
and she could imagine the pornographic response that had popped into his head. For being angels, she had quickly learned the brothers’ thoughts were hardly angelic. Luckily for both of them he held his tongue and just nodded. “You heard me on the phone. I’m meeting Mike in a bit.”

“Yeah. So?”

“So, you gonna be all right here alone for tonight?”

She rolled her eyes. He asked her that every time he left her alone. “Yes,
Dad
, I’ll be fine. I won’t even stay up late or anything.”

He chuckled. “Stay up as late as you want. Drink all my beer. Hell, you can even check out the stash of porn under my bed. Just don’t leave this house without calling me first.”

The amused smirk remained even as he doled out his stern requirement. When she’d first moved in, a statement like that from him put her in a rage
,
and she’d stormed out of the house more than once. He always followed
,
and it didn’t take her long to realize he always would. No one ever had before. No one had ever cared enough. But this man— No. This
Archangel
did care, and that’s why he wanted her to stay inside at night. The threat from her father was still all too real, and they both knew it.

She shrugged and gave a small nod of acceptance. “Yeah. Whatever.”

His smirk faded. “I shouldn’t be out too late. Maybe we can go get ice cream or something when I get back.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “All the sugar you inhale might not affect you, angel, but it sure as shit sticks to me. Look at how damn big my hips are getting.”

He made a show of looking her over from head to toe, stopping at her hips and breasts for a longer assessment. “I don’t see a problem.”

She reflexively crossed her arms, though it hid nothing. “You wouldn’t.”

“Most women would be happy about that.”

“Yeah
,
but I’m not most women.”

He pushed away from the door and muttered under his breath, “Tell me about it
,
” knowing damn well she’d heard him.

As he turned away
,
she remembered why she couldn’t keep her promise tonight. “Shit. Rafe.”

He looked back and raised a brow in question.

“I forgot. I start work tonight.”

“Where?”

“A liquor store about ten minutes away.”

An odd expression crossed his face, somewhere between annoyance and fear. But then he shook his head. “All right. Just be careful and text me when you get there, okay?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Text me when you leave and if I’m not here, text me when you get home.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, okay. Jeez.”

“Asta—”

“I will, I will. You better go before Mike comes looking for you.”

That seemed to annoy him but he finally nodded and headed for the back door.

Chapter Three

Asta didn’t bother watching him walk out of the house, but she had a brief moment of panic when his key in the front door lock echoed in the hallway. She had to remind herself she wasn’t locked in against her will. No. She actually had a key to the doors of this house. It wasn’t a dark, dingy attic with rats scurrying through the walls
,
either. It had been nearly a decade since she’d had that experience and those nightmares rarely surfaced. But the memories were never far away.

Shaking her head at the thought, she began to pace around the room. There were still two hours to go before she had to leave for work. She hated it when Rafe left. Not because she was alone, but because all she did was think of him while he was gone. No one in her life had ever affected her this way
,
and it scared the hell out of her. The men in her past had all been one-night stands
,
and that was fine by her. Who the hell wanted the drama of a boyfriend anyway?

But Rafe would be more than a one-night stand. He would be more intense than a boyfriend. A protector above all else, he also made her want to be a better person. He pulled feelings out of her she hadn’t known existed and made her head spin with every thoughtful act. There was no way she could ever live up to what he deserved, but she craved him. His absence didn’t stop the craving one damn bit, it just made her want him more.

Rubbing her temples with her fingertips
,
she went back into the kitchen to bake something else. As she pulled eggs and milk from the refrigerator a dull throb started at the base of her spine. She straightened immediately and shut the door, quickly placing the cold items on the counter. Turning her palms up, she noticed the skin beginning to glow a deep crimson. An unpleasant tingling sensation started in her belly. “Oh shit.”

The tingling raced up her back and out to her extremities. She threw her head back and opened her mouth on a silent scream as smoke billowed from her throat. The pain was so intense she swore her eyeballs were boiling, but had no way to know for certain. Every inch of skin burned as if on fire and her clothes began to smoke. Soon her shirt turned to ash and fell to her feet. Her jeans took a little longer
,
and she was barefoot, but eventually she stood naked in the kitchen
,
shaking like a newborn kitten.

“J-J-Jesus.” Saying that caused pain to spike through her head. “Fuck!”

She grabbed her head and doubled over as tears filled her eyes. She didn’t even bother fighting them. She didn’t know what the fuck had just happened or why, but it had to be a very bad sign.

She crumpled to the floor and huddled into herself, lying in the fetal position as the last of the pain slowly faded. All around her, dark gray ash rested in small piles that would be a pain in the ass to clean up. She needed to move and get on that soon, or she might fall asleep and Rafe would find her like this.

“No,” she croaked. Bad enough she was about to miss the first night of her new job, but being found crumpled on the floor in this mess was the very last thing she needed.

Rolling onto her stomach, she inched her way up onto her knees, whimpering along the way. It was a painful journey but she eventually made it to her feet. The mess on the floor would have to wait. First
,
she needed to clean herself up and put clothes back on. Rafe might or might not want to see her naked, but there was no way in hell he’d see her like this.

Slowly, she made her way through the house to her room. She staggered into the bathroom and was about to reach for the faucet knobs when her reflection caught her attention. She froze and stared in horror at the image. All her life she’d carried a red mark on the back of one shoulder. It was too vivid to pass as a birthmark and appeared much more like a tattoo
,
a vague red blob many people mistook for a misshapen heart. She never answered questions about it because she didn’t have the answers. Her mother hadn’t either.

The tattoo, or whatever, had covered a spot behind her left shoulder about the size of her fist. Now it had spread over her shoulder and down her collarbone to end as a teardrop the size of a quarter
,
right above her heart. She trembled at the sight, shaking so badly she had to grip the sink to steady herself. Nausea rolled through her belly but she diligently pushed it away. She would not let this control her in any way. It took a few deep breaths and a short pep talk to tear her gaze away from the mirror, but she made it under an ice cold spray.

The sound of Rafe’s wings on the air came to her from less than a mile away
.
She’d never confessed to the angels about her superior hearing that was as strong as theirs. She turned off the shower and grabbed a robe before practically flying to the kitchen. Rafe walked in as she dumped the last of the ashes into the trash can. There was no way to clear the scent from the air or clean the smudges on the tile. He set his hands on his hips and looked around with a frown on his face.

“What the hell happened here?”

“I burned something. Sorry about the mess but I’m cleaning it up.”

She kept her head bowed and set the broom aside, going to the sink to find cleaning solution for the mop. Suddenly
,
Rafe was beside her and tipping her chin up with one finger. “What the hell happened to you?”

Panic seized her chest and explanations ran through her head. She had no clue what he was seeing
,
so remained silent instead.

“You’re white as a ghost
,
Asta. And you’re shaking.”

He grasped her elbow and steered her into a chair before laying one large palm against her forehead. “You’re also burning up. Have you ever had a fever before, or even a cold?”

“No. I don’t usually get sick. Maybe it’s something I ate.”

He looked skeptical even as he nodded. “Maybe. I’ll take care of the floor. Why don’t you go lie down?”

She was tempted to argue to keep him from doing the chore, but her body protested any more physical work. It took all her energy to stand. “Yeah, okay.”

She shuffled out of the room and prayed he’d leave her alone the rest of the night. She wasn’t going to start her new job after all, but she couldn’t even muster the energy to care.

…

Dread filled Rafe as she left the kitchen. At the time he first met Asta
,
the light demon taint on her skin had been almost impossible to detect, especially when surrounded by the smells of the bar where she’d worked. Over the past few months
,
he’d grown used to her scent and often didn’t notice it at all. But his kitchen now stank of demon as if he’d opened a portal himself. Was it possible
she
had? For what purpose? As far as he knew, she had no idea how to let demons into the human realm
.
She’d lived as a human her whole life, only learning she was half something
-
else recently. Originally, she’d thought she was possessed. But her situation was worse. Much worse.

When he and his brothers had told her what she was, she gave no indication she was devastated, but the grim acceptance on her face implied everything he needed to know. Later that night, she fell apart in his arms. His heart broke for her because each day she’d wage a battle with her demon side—and the time would come when her humanity would be obliterated forever
.

Now he stood in his kitchen and studied the black smudges on his floor as he inhaled the telltale scent of a serious demon. This wasn’t the scent of a fledgling or demonling half
-
breed. The brimstone and evil smell sparked his blood and made his palms itch for his sword. It was the powerful smell of Armoros and other high-level demons. Something Asta shouldn’t have the know-how or energy to call into this plane on her own. He closed his eyes and felt the energy within his home. All the usual wards were still intact. To the best of his ability to tell, Asta hadn’t left the house or let anyone in through the doors or windows. He studied the floor again.

He should call on his brothers. Collectively
,
there was very little their band of Archangels hadn’t seen or experienced over the eons of their existence. But involving any of them would mean alerting Mike to a possible problem with Asta, and that felt like a betrayal. He blinked at the thought. Not telling them was another kind of betrayal, but to his brothers. When in the hell had his loyalty shifted?

“Shit.”

He shook his head and got to work cleaning the tile, putting off any decisions for the moment. First he’d talk to her and see if any confessions were forthcoming. Her half-demon status meant he couldn’t read her thoughts like he could with a full-blooded human. Demon brainwaves were too chaotic and bestial. And the angels tried not to pry into anyone’s thoughts without permission except in the direst circumstances. This might qualify but he couldn’t get past her demon traits to know what she might be hiding.

Once he finished cleaning
,
he headed to her room. The door was closed
,
and he was sorely tempted to walk right in. She never locked it, not even when she showered. He knocked three times and waited.

“Come in.”

Her voice was faint
,
and his breath caught at the sight of her when he entered. She’d grown even paler
,
and her demon taint permeated the room. He ignored it and went to her side. She was spread out on the bed, lying on her back with her eyes closed. Her robe had been replaced by a shirt now drenched in sweat and a pair of faded denim shorts. The soles of her feet were bright red and looked painful. Her chest moved rapidly up and down as she panted for breath. He sat beside her and placed a palm on her forehead, then gasped and jerked it back. Her skin was boiling hot to the touch.

“Damn it, Asta. What’s going on? If you know what’s happening to you, you need to tell me.”

“Too many cookies?”

“It’s not funny.”

“I know… I’m fine.”

He closed his eyes a moment and prayed for patience. She would tell him she was fine even while hanging from a noose. “There’s obviously something wrong. You’ve never had glowing red feet and boiling hot skin before.”

She sighed and shook her head. “You don’t know that. Barely know me at all.”

Frustration and anger filled him in equal measure. “Is that so, demon? How long have you been in my home?”

The pain in her eyes cooled his anger in a heartbeat, but it was too late to take back his hasty words.

“Too long? Want me out now?”

“No,” he answered immediately. He ran a hand over her bare leg. “You don’t have to leave unless you want to.”

It was a lie. He knew he wouldn’t let her leave unless he was confident she had somewhere safe to go.

“Whatever. You’re back early.”

“Yeah. Mike just wanted to show me something downtown. I’m in for the night unless he calls again, but it’s not likely.”

She rolled over
,
facing away from him and pulling her leg from his reach. “I’m tired. Go away.”

The last thing he wanted to do was leave her alone in her condition. “Asta—”

“Get. Out. Now.”

Though he was tempted to ignore her demand, he knew better than to push his luck. He needed her to trust him with her secrets. Now wasn’t the time to test her. “Fine. Holler if you need me. I’ll hear you.”

She didn’t bother replying, but he took her silence as assent. After one final look at her, he rose and walked out the door. He closed it silently behind him but remained standing outside. Now what?

The right thing to do would be alerting Mike to the situation. A part of Rafe knew it was his job to do so. Unfortunately, a bigger part of him was ignoring that fact. His concern for Asta outweighed his sense of duty, something that had never happened before. He groaned and ran his hands through his hair. There was only one other thing to do. He headed for his bookshelves.

…

Asta felt him leave the shadow of her bedroom door and sighed in relief even as another pain shot through her. How much longer could she hold him off before he simply kicked her out? Tears clogged her throat at the thought of trying to make her way on the streets again. As soon as Rafe had offered her room and board she’d quit the shithole bar job and never looked back. Now she realized what a fool she’d been. Sure he wanted her here now, while she was still acting and appearing mostly human. But what would he do if he realized her demon half was taking over?

She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling as she gave her emotions free reign. Silent tears stained her cheeks and she didn’t bother trying to wipe them away. Her arms hurt too much to lift anyway. The pain was everywhere, though not nearly as bad as it had been before Rafe got home. Thank goodness. There had to be an explanation for why this was happening to her now.

The last time she’d suffered weird changes like this had been when she’d hit puberty. No way could she be going through that again, right? She frowned to herself at the thought. What if demons aged differently and she was going through a form of puberty again, but for her demon half?

“Oh, fuck no,” she whimpered.

The last thing she needed was the emotional rollercoaster of her early teens to hit her again. Rafe would definitely kick her out then.

After a few calming breaths, her tears dried up
,
and her chaotic thoughts seemed to settle. Rafe had already demonstrated on a few occasions that he’d put up with a lot of shit from her. When he upset her and she ranted and raved, he simply crossed his arms and waited her out. When he frightened her with his kindness and caring and she ran away, he simply followed.

“But for how long?”

And that was the crux of the matter. He was an Archangel
,
and she was half of everything he’d been fighting against for millennia. How long would he allow her to remain in his home, in his life, before he turned on her? She couldn’t trust him any more than she trusted her father. No, her best bet would be to keep looking out for number one and damn the consequences. Raphael might be the best man she’d ever met, but he wasn’t for the likes of her
,
and she’d best remember he wasn’t truly a man at all
.