One Handsome Devil (4 page)

"Are you really a prince?"

"A lot of us are. Being a prince of demons is sort of like being head of a cell block. You'd a lot rather be somewhere else."

Sara touched her tongue to her lips, then folded her arms under her breasts. From another woman, both gestures would have been provocative, challenging. From Sara, they were exciting in the way that only innocence can excite.

"What would you wish for?"

He smiled bitterly. “I'm a demon. I can have anything I want."

"Except?"

"Except what really matters, of course."

"That sounds depressing."

"Try it for a few thousand years and then we'll talk depression."

"Have you ever thought about becoming something else?"

"That isn't possible."

"What if I wish it?"

"Wishes don't work that way."

"Do you know what Katra and I were doing in our seance before you showed up?"

"I wasn't paying attention. I was going about my business when I got sucked in like Dorothy and the Oz thing."

"What we were doing in our seance was calling for my perfect mate."

"Yeah? Well, make a wish and I'll yank up the best that's available right now."

"I think it's too late for that."

His stomach sank. He didn't like the thoughts floating on the surface of her brain.

"What are you talking about?"

"I think you're my perfect mate."

Katra tried to keep her heartbeat under control as she shifted her aging Chevy Corsica into gear. Her car hadn't felt so solid for years. Just additional confirmation that things were finally going right in her life. She forced herself to grin. Who would have guessed a seance could lead to this.

The aging double-wide she shared with her mother and sister needed jacking up and a paint job. Well, they wouldn't have to worry about that. Now that she'd won the lottery, Katra figured they could move into something a little more comfortable.

Today being her day for miracles, she even found a parking place only one door down in the trailer park—next to a shining Jaguar. Now that was definitely new. Nobody in the trailer park drove anything like that.

Katra slammed her car door and headed for home.

"Mom, it's me."

"Hello, darling daughter.” Her mother met her at the door simpering. When Minnie talked like that, Katra knew she was in big trouble. In general, the only thing that kept her mother from being permanently glued to the television set was sleep.

"Hi mom, what's up?"

"You have someone to see you.” Minnie's sing-song voice was another giveaway. Minnie wheeled her massive body out of the way, letting Katra see who was waiting.

Katra forced herself to look. What kind of man was Jack likely to choose? For that matter, who dated women on a demon's orders? This just might have been a bad idea after all.

The man was gorgeous. Dressed in an unstructured linen suit over a black t-shirt, he could have stepped off the cover of GQ. His slightly long blond hair hung over his collar giving him the air of a Saxon pirate.

"Well, hello,” the vision purred.

She stuck her hand out and stepped forward. “I'm Katra O'Hara."

The man looked at her hand for a moment then broke into a white-teethed grin. “I'm devastated that you don't remember me, Katra."

He hardly looked devastated. In fact, he looked good enough to eat. Not that Katra believed in doing
that.
At least not on a first date. She wracked her brain but came up empty. “I'm afraid I don't."

"Derrick Benton. We were in Chemistry together."

"Derrick saw the announcement about you being teacher of the month in the
Morning News
,” her mother gushed. “He said he was too shy to ask you out in high school."

More good news. He wasn't just some sneaky vulture who'd heard about her lottery winnings. With Minnie for a mother, word would definitely have gotten around.

"He doesn't look shy any more,” Katra's sister Mona observed. Katra couldn't remember the last time Mona had worn anything but a nightshirt around the house. Now she was wearing a cocktail dress—Katra's only nice cocktail dress—and pearls. The extra fifty pounds Mona carried around made it certain that the dress would be Mona's from now on.

Mona was right, though. Derrick didn't look shy. Katra didn't have any memory of Derrick being shy in High School either. He'd bounced between cheerleaders starting when he was a freshman.

"I've been living in Seattle but recently moved back to Dallas,” Derrick explained. “When I saw your name, I thought I would look you up.” He paused a moment. “You look great."

Yeah, sure. Katra had a sneaking suspicion she smelled like fire and brimstone after her run-in with Jack. She hadn't bothered with makeup since she had planned on spending the day helping Katra clean her storage shed, and her jeans had big rips in the knees and in the seat. Perfect.

"What were you doing in Seattle?” she asked. If she could just trust her mother and sister for ten minutes, she would run into her room and change. The way Mona looked at Derrick, though, Katra wasn't sure he would survive even five.

"I worked for a software company.” Derrick smiled. “Microsoft bought them and I ended up without a job and with a pile of money. So I came home. I figured I'd look around and maybe start something myself."

"Software. I don't remember you being one of the computer jocks at school."

Derrick laughed easily. “Not programming. That's too much like work. In sales, all you have to do is talk the game. Trust me, I can manage that part."

Katra didn't doubt it. She also didn't doubt that he must be having second thoughts about his visit about now, what with the trailer park and her mother in a moomoo. A hundred and eighty pounds of Mona vamping like there was no tomorrow could put off even a dedicated boyfriend, let alone someone she barely remembered from high school. Of course, Katra smelling like fire and brimstone only made things worse. “Why don't you wait out here for a couple of minutes while I change. Give me ten minutes and I'll buy you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

He cast a quick look at Mona. “Uh, maybe I could wait in your bedroom. You know, talk to you while you changed."

If she hadn't seen that glance, Katra would have been concerned she had a pervert on her hands. Since she had, she felt only sympathy. Mona could try the patience of a saint. And Derrick definitely didn't look saintly. Thank goodness.

"All right, I'll change in the bathroom and you can talk to me through the door.” She opened her bedroom door, then wished she'd thought before opening her mouth. Stockings and bras hung drying from every doorknob and yesterday's jeans were still plopped at the foot of the bed where she'd dropped them before collapsing last night.

She took a deep breath. Well, no point in hiding the real Katra from Derrick. Sooner or later he'd discover who she really was. “The place is a mess but if you can stand it, you're welcome."

Derrick didn't seem disgusted. He looked around, his gray eyes taking in everything in the room as if he was a cop or something rather than a software sales guy.

"Sit on the bed,” she offered. At least she'd made it that morning. When he complied, she made a quick tour of the room, scooped up most of her laundry, and headed for the bathroom.

What she saw in the mirror had probably frightened Sara's Demon let alone an innocent salesman. She turned on the faucet and plunged her face into the water. “So who have you kept in touch with since school?” she sputtered once she'd caught her breath. It was a desperate attempt to find something to talk about.

"Hardly anybody,” he answered. He named the football team's quarterback, three of the cheerleaders, and the class president. “How about you?"

"Just Lena Bovade who teaches at my school and Sara Slocum. Remember her?"

"Blonde, skinny, brain-and-a-half, liked bad boys but didn't put out?"

It wasn't the kindest description but it was definitely Sara. “Yeah. She's a petroleum geologist now and we're still best friends."

Katra hunted through the stack of bras until she found the miracle one, then pulled a thin low-cut sweater from her closet and finished the outfit off with a pair of tight-fit black slacks. Dressed like that, she wasn't afraid of anything or anybody.

"Wow,” Derrick breathed as she emerged from the bathroom. “You're definitely all grown up now."

Katra fought back a momentary and completely irrational disappointment. She'd chosen to dress sexy and he appreciated it. What had she expected?

"I'm not looking for a lover forever, just for a while,” Sara told Jack, explaining her irrational offer to herself as much as to him. “It's not like you don't find me attractive.” If she'd read that wrong, she'd take herself out back and put herself out of her misery.

The demon reeled back as if struck by Sara's words. Despite his unpleasant earlier experiences, he brushed against the wards. Again, his touch set off a storm of blue sparks.

"I'm a demon,” Jack protested. “You were looking for a boyfriend. Well, just ask. I'll get you one like I got Katra. That's probably why your magic brought me."

"I asked for a boyfriend. I didn't ask for someone to grant me a wish."

Jack sighed. “Are you always this illogical or did you damage something when you cast that spell?"

He was still trying to make her mad, Sara could see that. Still, he had a point. What did it say about her if the spirits of the earth thought her perfect date was a demon straight out of Hell?

"Ten minutes ago you were saying that I should look at things more rationally. Well, ration this. I was
looking
for my perfect mate,
casting magic,
calling my perfect mate. Then you showed up. We made a pentacle and it's so strong you can't escape it. If the magic didn't work, what are you doing here? If it did work, you're it."

"I
can't
be your perfect mate."

Sara had to agree with that. What the magic had to be telling her was that there was no perfect mate for her. That she would have to make do with a purely physical relationship. Still, despite a few minor irregularities, like bat-wings and horns, Jack definitely looked like he could hold up his own end on the physical side. She'd been good for too long. If she wasn't going to be happy-ever-after, at least she could work on happy-right-now.

"You'll do."

Jack sank to the floor. He moved with a boneless grace that made Sara's insides quiver.

"Couldn't you just take your three wishes and let me go?” he demanded.

She sucked in a quivering breath. Maybe she had misread him. She wasn't the world's leading expert on males, by a long shot. And demon males might be different from human males. It wasn't as if she'd force him to go to bed with her. She'd rather go without than be anyone's pity-lover. Still, Jack's look held more than a little desire. And she couldn't remember having felt this randy even when she'd been in high school and Mike Soesby had taken her to the prom.

"Just tell me what's wrong with my reasoning,” she demanded, “if you can. I didn't ask for my soul mate to be a demon you know."

Jack turned his deep blue eyes up at her. “Women always think they are going to save the bad boy. Well, it never works. Besides, a demon is worse than any bad boy who ever lived. We can't be saved."

She winced. He was hitting below the belt with that since her history was littered with bad boys and broken hopes. She decided to give it one more try. “Don't be patronizing and answer the question."

Jack sighed and crushed his fingers into fists so tight his knuckles turned white. “You're a human and I'm a demon."

"Mixed species, huh?” It sounded gross, and maybe Jack thought about her like she would about her cat. “If you honestly don't desire me, you're off the hook?"

Sara held her breath. She wanted to cover her ears closed rather than listen to Jack's reply but had to hear.

"Of course I desire you. I'm a demon."

"You keep saying that like it's the worst thing in the world."

"Not only the world. The worst thing in creation."

"Spare me. You have power and you can't tell a lie. Most girls would kill for a man like that."

"Girls who hang around with demons learn to kill, if they live long enough."

She shuddered, but she could see through his strategy. “Well, I'm not planning on hanging around with you that long. I'm just looking for a good time and I think you're it. I guess I'll just have to settle for one handsome devil tonight."

Jack shook his head as if he couldn't believe her foolishness. “I could get you a guy a lot better looking than me. One missing the horns and the bat-wings.” He gave a slow, easy spread of his wings and hovered inches from the ground. “These little accessories make trips to the beach a little outre."

"I don't like the beach."

Jack's eyes narrowed. “All right, this is my final offer. In addition to good looking, he'll have a decent job and won't mess around any more than the average guy."

She sighed.

"I'm not done,” Jack protested. “Also, I'll find some intelligent. I'll even make sure he has a sense of humor."

Sara folded her arms across her chest and stared at him. His eyes followed her movement, lingered on her breasts for just a second.

A thrill shivered through her at the brush of his awareness, his unstated acknowledgment of her as a woman. “You don't listen too good, do you? You're stuck with me. Besides, there isn't a guy in the world with a decent sense of humor. They all think the Three Stooges are funny."

He looked confused. “The Three Stooges
are
funny."

"See."

Jack's lips curled up. “All right you got me. But I'm not a guy."

He might not be a human, but Sara's internal radar told her he definitely was all guy. “Jack, get it through your horned skull. I don't want your three wishes. I don't trust you to deliver them. What I trust is the magic that brought you here."

Jack set his jaw and glared at her.

He looked so darned cute she was almost tempted to jump across the glowing blue wards and pat him on the head. That definitely wouldn't be a good idea.