My Decadent Demon (My Demon Trilogy, Book 1) (12 page)

She
frowned in compassion, her small hands rubbing his back. “Do not worry, sweet male,” she whispered. “I am already aware that you are an abductor. How much worse could you possibly be?” She laughed softly, trying to lift his spirits. But he merely buried his face in her hair. She went on with a sigh. “Behold, Cole. Do I not still remain?” Her fingers slid gently into his hair. “I assure you, I am very crafty and very clever. If I had strong reservations about you, I would be long gone by now.”

He groaned a second time. She pulled back and looked intently into his eyes, her own need for the truth still riding her hard. “Be honest with yourself, Cole, if not with me. What is worse: revealing your secret and in turn freeing your soul from its burden, or keeping it held deep within, to fester, inevitably driving a wedge between you and all those you hold dear?” He shook his head, wary apprehension churning in his eyes. Her heart stumbled at the sight. Before she could think better of it, she whispered tenderly, “I am Seraph, I fear little. And I do not fear you. No matter what you are. Tell me, and I give you my word, I will not run.” She blinked slowly up at him, her eyes drifting to his lips. “Tell me. Let the truth set you free, sweet beautiful male.”

Cole pulled her so tight to his body that he heard her squeak. Deep inside, he believed what she said. She may not know his origins, but he was very much aware of hers; an angel, incapable of lying. If she gave her word, she would keep it. He drew in a deep, fortifying breath. It was now or never. “I'm a demon, Seraphina,” he gritted between clenched teeth.

In his arms, she
stiffened. He winced, dread coiling in his gut as he waited for the fallout. But then she relaxed, a tiny giggle escaping her lips.

Cole pulled back and frowned. “What's so funny?” Her shoulders shook, her hand covering her mouth as her eyes twinkled in amusement. “I'm not lying,” he growled. “I'm telling you the truth.” To his frustration, she
laughed, giving him a dramatic look of suspicion. He threw up his hands in complete exasperation. “I give up. You win.”

Having moved from the doorway, he paced his bedroom, muttering under his breath. “I tell
her I’m special. What does she do? She thinks I’m lying. I tell her I'm a demon. What does she do? She laughs. What the hell?”

Behind him, Sera cleared the laughter from her throat. He turned to scowl at her, but her expression had him instantly stilling. She was looking at him as if she found him utterly adorable. His fists clenched as another dark curse ripped free. As he resumed his marching around the room, he knew frustration was obvious in his every jerky step, but he was beyond the point of
caring.

He glared over at Sera, her valiant attempt to keep a straight face less-than-valiant. He snarled, watching her climb atop his bed.
She plopped down on her stomach and propped her chin in her hands. He turned away, but could feel her watching his every step as he continued to wear down the rug. Back and forth he went. All the while, he could feel her lips twitching impishly.

Finally he turn
ed and leveled her with a look. Sera burst out laughing. “Oh come now, Cole. You don’t really expect me to believe you are a big, bad, nasty ole demon.” His jaw ticked in frustration as he leaned his forehead against the bed post. Sera only laughed harder, sitting back up on her heals. “You are good with the jesting! You have actually found a way to fool my lie detector.” She tilted her head, “But really, Cole. A demon?” Her look of pure bemusement had Cole fighting back the urge to gnash his teeth.

And then she scooted closer, playfully rubbing her nose against his cheek. Cole exhaled, s
uddenly sensing that she no longer cared about his secret, that she wanted only to cheer him. “You do not look like a demon,” she crooned. “And you certainly do not smell like I would imagine one to smell. As a matter of fact, you smell positively divine.” She smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling cheerfully. “Are you certain you are not of the angelic blood line?” 

Despite the way she could make his heart gallop, Cole knew she was humoring him. He eyed her warily and sighed. “No Ser
a, I'm not any kind of angel.” Unable to help himself, he cupped her face and kissed her.  He couldn't resist that sweet innocent look on her face. She was just too adorable for words in all her untainted innocence. Which made him glad he hadn't lied to her.

His breath caught as she wrapped her arms around his neck, scooting closer until her torso was flush with his. He was one big throbbing mass of arousal, perpetually on the edge from
all the times he'd stopped before things went too far. It only took one touch for her to make him harder than steel.

“Sera,” he choked out
as her tiny hands wandered over his chest. “I won’t be gentle if you persist in teasing me this way. I’ll slide so hard and so fast inside that tight channel of yours, you won't know which way is up by the time I get done with you.” Instantly, the image of her splayed naked on the bed with his cock buried deep had his nostrils flaring. And when her hands wondered down to the waist band of his pants, he could feel his eyes change to black. He growled, gritting his teeth, the bed post creaking in his hand as her fingers danced over his abs.

Sera knew she shouldn’t be touching him this way. She knew and yet her hands seemed incapable of stopping. Her fingers equally impaired as they meandered across his torso. His body was just so fantastical! A tactile wonderland!  She reveled at how the faintest touch sent his smooth, firm mounds of muscles tensing deliciously. His pectorals pumped as she explored them. His abs bunched and relaxed as she gave them homage. Her eyes, she couldn’t tear them away from his glorious torso.

And all the while, his husky words tickled her, stimulating her in ways that made her shiver in delight. He wanted to take her. To possess her. It occurred to her that perhaps she should be wary of a male with such fierce passion, such potent lust. But she wasn’t. She was quite the opposite, in fact. Positively captivated. She wanted him. She just hasn't figured out how to justify such a desire. Bugger that.

She frowned, looking up at him as she moved her hands away. Softly, she whispered, “I do not remember you, therefore I do not feel validated taking what is not rightfully mine to en
joy.” She leaned her forehead against his chest, hearing him heavily sigh. “Forgive me, Cole. I wish I could give you what you want.” Her head shook sadly. “But I simply cannot.” She moved away as her face dropped into her hands. “Truth be told, I wish nothing more than to remember this life you describe to me.”

“Yeah well, life's a bitch and then you die,” Cole drawled.  She could practically feel his body humming, like a livewire that could explode any second. How badly she wanted to ease him. Or if nothing else, cease in causing him
torment.

Cole turned and left the room, leaving Sera alone. He needed space, distance to calm himself, to cool off his overheated body. Growling, he dropped down on the living room couch. If he didn’t find a solid distraction he was going to go off - and not in a good way.

With a snap of his fingers, the television sprang to life. But as he sat there, staring sightlessly at the screen, his mind continued to race. He knew this was karma biting him in the ass. Damn bitch. She just didn't know when to leave well enough alone.

CHAPTER 11

Sweet Seductions

Cole grinned at the fun new
items he'd acquired for Sera and him. He eyed the objects where they sat on the bedside table, all the things he’d need before the night was through. He ran his fingers over each of them, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. Absently, he tapped his chin in thought, then snapped his fingers to produce the one item he'd left in the kitchen.

“There,” he murmured, turning to exit the room. “Now, where did Baby Doll run off to...”

If Cole was going to ignore her with his
secretive little projects, then Sera decided she would be productive in her own special way. What was life, after all, without purpose and goals? Her goal today would be to teach herself how to bake. How hard could it possibly be? She just had to remember not to put weapons into that stainless steel box that she couldn't remember the name of.

She shrugged, pulling what looked like a large instructional manual from a cupboard high above
her head. Dust rained down like snow. Coughing and sneezing, she flipped open the book. With just a few page turns, she found a lovely image of lime-green squares with fruit on top of them. “Perfect,” she beamed. “Perhaps I can buy my freedom from sexy Cole with some of these. I have heard on more than one occasion that the way to a human male’s heart is through his stomach.”

She nibbled her thumbnail, reading aloud, “One stick of butter, three eggs, a cup of milk, three cups flour and a cup of sugar.” Confident nod. “Alright Seraphina, you can do this.” After a quick rummage around the kitchen she finally found the ingredients.

A stick of butter went first into the bowl -intact within its wrapper. Next, she dropped in three eggs –shell and all- and began to crunch them together with a sturdy wooden spoon. She frowned down at her concoction. “Hmm. I do hope Cole likes crunchy.”

Cole shook his head, watching
her from the kitchen door. The hardcover she was reading from looked like book worms had eaten if for dinner. Where did that thing come from anyway? He crossed his arms and leaned against the jamb, staring raptly at how she was biting her lip. It wasn’t until she muttered about ‘crunchy’ that he barely bit back his laugh. “Only if it’s spread all over your body,” he smirked. 

Sera whirled around, losing her grip on the bow
l. Cole stepped to the side as the container flew by, landing upside down against a chair. Yellow egg and butter goo splattered everywhere.

“Nice toss there, doll,” he chuckled. “You should try out for the New York Mets.”
Amused, he watched as her eyes went wide. It looked like she didn't know if she should stomp her foot or bust out laughing. Finally she sighed, her disappointed frown making Cole’s heart thump a bit harder.

Re-crossing his arms, he watched as Sera grabbed two wash rags and marched over to him, a kittenish scowl on her face. “I do not suppose you could snap your fingers and clean this up?”
she asked. He flashed a stunning smile and shook his head. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I am not certain I believe you,” she growled, “but because you are half the cause for this mishap, you will be helping me right what we have wronged.”

His eyes dropped to her twitching lips. But before he could open his mouth, she whapped
him upside the head with one of the towels, then shoved it into his chest. Over to the yellow, drippy, crunchy mess, she dragged him. “I will have you know, sexy mysterious Cole,” she chattered, “that I was in the midst of making you a dessert like you have never known but- whoa!”

Abruptly she went flailing – Cole reluctantly in tow- slipping and sliding along the slimy tiles. Her free arm flapped wildly in an attempt to regain her balance. Cole jerked and pitched beside her, his eyes wide as he barked out a string of curses. Sera laughed hysterically even as she floundered for footing. “Cole!- Oh my!- Do not let me- whoop!!” With a final yelping shout, the two went down, sliding ass-first into the dripping chair. Cole groaned as Sera winced, sprawled halfway atop
him. “You truly believe the ‘New York Mets’ would have me?”

Cole laughed, rubbing of his head. But when his fingers bumped into a knot forming, he grimaced. “Well, you got the sliding part down,” he drawled, “so they might.” He looked around, then snapped his fingers, the mess instantly vanishing along with the buttery egg slime covering their bodies. Sera flashed him a look that said, ‘You are a wicked, wicked male.’ Sitting up, he chuckled. “Next time you want to fix me dessert, just come naked to my bedroom with a can of whip cream and a bowl of cherries and I'll be a happy man.”

He stood up and brushed off his clothes, only to find Sera already digging around in the refrigerator. “Sera, I have something I want to show you,” he grinned. When she made no move to halt her search, he walked over and manually extricated her. “Come with me.” Taking her hand, he pulled her through the living room toward the bedroom.

Little did Cole know, but his comment about naked bodies, whip cream, and cherries had Sera
heated and blushing fiercely. So much so that she’d had to hide her face in the freezer to cool her flushed cheeks. The visual he’d planted had nearly wrenched a moan from her lips.

As he tugged her across the open room, she sighed in relief
that he hadn’t noticed. Thank the stars above. But then it dawned on her where he was taking her. She dug in her heels in alarm. “Wait! We are headed for your bedroom.”

Cole
grinned at her over his shoulder. Her heart skipped a beat. Eyes wide, she shook her head, a nervous chuckle breaching her lips. “Oh no. No, no, no. I do not think that would be wise. Every time I go-” Sera winced, pointed to his bedroom door, “in there,” she nibbled her lip, gesturing to him, “with you… naughty things tend to happen.”

She watched as his smile grew wider. When he gave her another tug, she whimpered. “Please, Cole. You turn into a tempter beyond measure in there. I have no defense against you when in the vicinity of your bed.” She pried frantically at his fingers as he dragged her forward. “Wait. Please. What must you show me? Can it not be taken into the safety of the nice newly-cleaned kitchen?” Pleadingly, she batted her lashes at him.

A wicked idea came to Cole’s mind as he glanced back at her. “Okay,” he grinned salaciously. “Kitchen it is.” As they headed back to the kitchen, he heard her exhale in relief. He smirked. She thought she was getting her way. What a surprise she was in for. His little minx was going to learn that not all rooms where sacred. Taking her by the waist, he set her on the breakfast bar. Strong hands spread her legs wide. He smiled, stepping between them as a look of confusion crossed Sera’s face. “Don't move unless I say so.”

He snapped his fingers and produced a dark jar with no label. Setting it on the bar beside her, he next manifested a small, white, palm-sized
bag.  He could feel Sera watching him, knew she was biting her lip nervously. His gaze rose and held hers as he pulled a bar stool close and placed her foot atop its cushion. Doing the same with her other foot, he took a step back. Clothed in shorts and a tank top, she had way too many clothes on for his taste.

Clearly intrigued, Sera watched him closely. He could tell she was dying to know where he was going with this. He’d discovered a long time ago that her driving curiosity was most likely going to be her downfall. At least she didn’t seem nervous anymore. Raptly fascinated seemed more like it. He grinned. She still thinks she’s safe just because they were in the kitchen. Foolish seraph. If she remembered him, she’d know better. But for now, he was at least grateful that she found his crafty, plotting mind
enchanting. She’d always loved how unpredictable he was. Now, if he could just convince her that he was exactly what she’d wanted. Her perfect compliment. The naughty to her nice. The spice to her sugar. She’d chosen him, damn it, and he was determined to make her remember that crucial little fact.

His warm hands slid up her shins, over her knees and along her thighs. Sera stilled, then grinned. Cole
growled at the look in her eyes. She was still holding out hope that as long as they weren’t on his bed, she still stood a chance of resisting him. Not likely, he smirked to himself.

Her soft hands settled on his shoulders as she tilted her head and laughed. “What in bright blazes are you up to now?”

Cole just grinned, blatantly enjoying her silky smooth skin. Finally, he leaned over, giving her no explanation as he grabbed the jar. Time to play. With a twist of his wrist, he opened the lid and set it on the counter. Dipping his finger inside, he covered it in chocolate, then brought it to her mouth. Leisurely, he rubbed it over her bottom lip until her tongue peeked out to lick it. He bit back an approving growl.

But when she sucked him into her mouth, his grin faded. Inside the warm recesses of her mouth, her tongue was licking his finger clean. Holy hell. He blinked, then slowly pulled it free, trying to focus as he dipped it back into the jar. Taking her left leg, he slowly wrote her name. Once finished, he leaned down and licked the chocolate off, making sure to get every bit. He felt her shiver as his tongue dragged along her skin. Eyes hooding, her repeated the process on her other leg.

A huge grin spread across Sera’s face as she tried to hold back her laughter. “That tickles.” She wiggled, her smile widening on a blush. “Edible body paint. How positively divine-” she gasped when he abruptly spread her legs wider. It made her feel exposed. Vulnerable. In an amazing sort of way.

Her heart beat faster. Cole’s heated gaze somehow excited her. She watched as he picked up the small white bag and shook three candy pieces into his hand. To her guilty delight, he again dipped his finger in the jar, then made three dots on her inner thigh.  Atop each drop, she watched him place a candy, as if
embellishing her with care. And then he leaned down and sucked off the first, scraping his teeth along her flesh. She held her breath. Into his mouth, he drew the candy, suckling her skin as he went, methodically working his way up the inside of her leg.

Mesmerized, she licked her lips. “What a fantastic alternative to sweets- Oh!” she yelped as his teeth grazed her again. Her skin shimmered briefly as goose bumps erupted. A surge of unbidden desire raced through her veins. She could take it no more. If she didn’t stop his playful teasing, she would surely go up in flames. Besides, a part of her wanted to give her sexy captor a taste of his own
magnificent medicine. And she did so love to paint…

Pulling her knees
up, she planted her feet on his chest and shoved him back. “My turn!” she chirped, hopping down from the counter. With a beaming smile, she pointed to Cole and then to the bar. “You. Up there. Now.” She clapped her hands excitedly. “Come now! Move with haste!”

Cole quirked an eyebrow. Sera bounced on her feet.
He chuckled and sat up on the bar. Sera sighed happily. Such a good sport he was.

“What are you planning?” he asked, his handsome gaze watching her intently.

“Making you into a masterpiece, of course,” she grinned, wiggling her brows before dipping her finger in the chocolate. A curious smile curved his lips as he toed off his shoes, letting them fall to the floor. Without warning, he leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. She blinked, melting like the chocolate on her finger, her huge smile fading as their gazes met… and lingered. She swallowed. Starry night, his eyes would enslave her soul if she wasn’t careful. Suddenly she felt the need to return the favor. Before she could think better of it, she closed the slight distance between them and kissed his cheek, peering up at him before sheepishly looking away. “Do not ask me why I did that.”

She could feel Cole grinning down at her. And mercy did it feel exquisite. Nothing was more intoxicating than this male’s attention. Quickly, she took the jar of heavenly goodness and dipped two fingers deep, then looked up at him through long, thick lashes. “I did so love when you did this to me...” She brought her coated fingers to his lips, sighing happily as he sucked them into his mouth. When his tongue began to tease her, his eyes ever locked with hers, she bit back a breathless moan. She was falling under his spell...

He chuckled in that velvety way. Sera snapped out of it, clearing her throat as she pulled her fingers free. “So where would you like me to adorn you,” she asked softly. “Anywhere you desire. I will honor your request as a gesture of gratitude for this tasty surprise.”

His gaze scorched her as he unbuttoned his shirt and slowly shrug
ged it off. Her lids fluttered. When he finally tossed the material to the floor, he took her hand and placed it on his chest, over his heart. “Here,” he murmured. Before she could respond, he slid her coated fingers down to the taught muscles of his stomach. “And here,” his warm breath brushed across her cheek. Sera’s pulse hammered, her angelic light flickering. She was going to faint. Slowly, he brought them back up to his neck, his lips curving seductively. “Here, too. If you would.”

Heat crept up her neck. Sweet stars above, he had answered her just as she’d hoped he would. So badly she’d wanted a legitimate reason to touch him. And oh how he’d delivered. As he continued to guide her hand over his body, she continued to stand there, mesmerized by the wakes of chocolate left lingered on his flesh. He was the perfect canvas, all smooth flesh and rounded muscle. Fresh eagerness bloomed. Along his chest she began to doodle, of ivy and crescent moons and stars. Her name in swirling arcs she penned across his abs.