Things Forbidden (6 page)

“If it will make you happy,”
Paris said flashing
his most charming grin.  “
Why don’t you return?  I will take care of this business.”

“But I want to see
you discipline her for insulting me
,” Salem said, the natural whine
in her voice rising even higher.  “She needs to learn her place now.”
 

“I believe
the sun will set soon
, my dear,” Paris said,
with a glance at his watch
, “didn’t you want to pick out a cake for the ceremony?”

“Oh yes,” Salem said.  Her eyes grew wide with her excitement as she rubbed her hands together in anticipation.  She licked her puffy lips, salivating just thinking about the cake. 
She couldn’t risk shifting in front of a human, even if it was for cake. 
“I want a big one. 
Expensive too.”

“Anything you like,” Paris said, his cheeks beginning to ache from
the
forced smile.  Salem disappeared from the room and his face dropped as he looked at Zoe.

“What
was she talking about?” Zoe asked him
quietly
, still stinging from his suddenly harsh regard.  Paris
could feel the fear overwhelming her every emotion and he found he did not like it. 

“You do
not know what you have done
,” Paris said, his voice
softening significantly. 
He could smell the salty tears that were on the edge of spilling.  “Just do as I say, and I may still be able to fix this.”

“How can I trust you?” Zoe said, near hysteria as her tears began to flow.  “You have done everything you can to trick me, since the very mo
ment I met you.  All I wanted was
to be left alone.”

Paris was completely at a loss.  He was used to crying.  Most of the humans he did business tried to use it for sympathy
at some point
.  It usually had no effect on him, but he found Zoe’s tears to be especially discomforting.  He wasn’t quite sure why, but he just wanted her to stop.  Not because he found the sound or smell irritating,
which was usually the case
with humans, b
ut because he just didn’t want her to cry.
  He didn’t want to hear or smell
her
crying.

“I made a mistake,” Paris said.  It was a phrase he never uttered, mostly because it never happened.  But he hoped it would calm
Zoe
, at least enough to stop her crying.  He had e
very intention
of rectifying this
situation.  He had learned his lesson and he wa
s done chasing his curiosity.  “I will fix this.  And I will leave you alone.”

His last words were surprisingly painful to say. 
There was still so much he
wanted from her.  So much he wanted to finish.  He wanted to taste more than just her soft lips.  He wanted to feel more than just a gentle touch.  He wanted to do the one thing that was most forbidden to his kind.  He wanted it with every fiber of his being. 
Faster than she could even comprehend, he
was beside her.  He
wrapped his arm arou
nd her, pulling her into his chest.
 

“Stop crying,”
he
said, his voice little more than a husky whisper, “I will not let anything happen to you, but you need to do exactly as I say.”

Chapter Eleven

“Do
you love her?” Zoe asked,
as she wiped the tears from her eyes.  She had calmed down significantly from her initial shock at becoming a demon’s slave. 

“Do not be ridiculous,” Paris said with a scoff, “Does it look like I love her?”

“Well,” Zoe said, “y
ou give her anything she
whines for
.”

Zoe
didn’t really think he did.  At least, she couldn’t understand how he could.  She was never one to judge, or dislike people based on how they looked, but this demoness was
downright ugly
.  They just did not look right together.  He was so handsome and charming.  She was
just
so off-putting
in every way
.  But he treated her like a princess.  It didn’t make any sense.

“I have to,” Paris said.  He didn’t care to elaborate any further.  He was not in the habit of explaining himself
to anyone. 

“
Why did you kiss me?” Zoe asked, wanting to get off the subject of the spoiled demoness.  The question had been on her mind since it happened anyone, maybe he would be inclined to answer her. 
 

“Because I wanted to,” Paris said.  He knew she was looking for more, but he had been asking himself the same thing.

“
Even though you are
engaged,” Zoe asked.  She wasn’t sure if demon relationships worked the same as human ones.
  The last thing she wanted to be was a
home wrecker
. 
Even if he didn’t really love her
.

“That’s a recent development,” Paris said.  “Now stop talking.  We must go.”

“Where are we going?” She asked.

“Just be quiet,” he said as he once again wrapped his arm around her.  She blinked and they were
suddenly
not in her bedroom any more.

“This is my home,” Paris
s
aid, seeing her shock and
confusion
at the sudden change of scenery
.
“You will
stay here.”

“Stay here?” she said, looking around the rather sizeable apartment.  “Where are you going?”

“I thought I said be quiet,” he said
.  Zoe could see an unspoken pressure
weighing on him.  He had lost all his playfulness, and although he was hiding it very well, she could tell he was concerned.

“Look, I just want to know what is going on,”
Zoe said,
“I’ll trust you, and do what you say.  But I just need to know.”

“
Breaching
our contract as you did brings heavy consequences,” Paris said.  His eyes were fixed on Zoe’s as he spoke. 
“
Eternal servitude
.”

“Are you really going to fix this?” Zoe asked. 
Her mind was screaming that there was no way she could trust him.  He had tricked her before, after all. 

“I’m going to do my best, Zoe,” he said.  She could see the sincerity in his eyes and it brought her a little bit of comfort.

“Ok,” she said, with a small nod.  “What do you need me to do?”

“Just stay here, and try not to do anything stupid,” he said.  He disappeared b
efore she even had time to respond
.

#

His
apartment was absolutely ridiculous.  No one needed that much space.  Zoe roamed the empty rooms, losin
g count after the about the eight
.  She had never seen a place
this big inside
the city.  His heating and cooling bill alone must cost him a fortune.  It had a very modern design, clean but entirely uninviting. 
Just like the clothing store he owned. 
She couldn’t seem to find a place to sit that d
idn’t make her uncomfortable, s
o
instead she decided to pass the time snooping
.  She still wasn’t sure that she could trust Paris.  Maybe she could find something to h
old against him, just in case he was trying to trick her yet again
. 

She picked
her way around the massive apartment
, opening drawers and looking in boxes.  For the most part everything was empty.  Even the kitchen only had a bare fridge and dusty cupboards. 
At the end of a hallway lined with rooms that ran off from the main living room, she found a
massive room.
  It was the most amazing thing she had ever seen and she envied him more than she had ever envied anybody
in that moment
.  He had all the c
lassics, as well as all the current
bestselling books.  There were books in every category of non-fiction imaginable, all meticulously arranged on rows of bookshelves that filled the rather large room. 
She walked through the space, marveling at the sheer number of books he had, wondering if he had even opened most of them.  His private collection would rival most libraries she had been to.  In the middle of the room was a table with a chair, and a small lamp.  A book was prominently displayed on the table.
  The cover was old and worn, binding a thick stack of yellowed parchment.
  Zoe ran her fingers over the black, pebbled leather cover, reading the gold embossed letters on the front. 
Demon
ic
Protocol
.

Chapter Twelve

“My Lor
d,” Jackson said, with a mocking
grin and an exaggerated bow as he saw Paris enter the shop.  “How is your blushing bride?”

“You know I’m going to kill you,” Paris said, not sharing in his friend’s amusement.  “It will be my first act as Grand Elder.”

Jackson couldn’t hold back his laughter.  It really was the funniest thing he had ever seen.  There wasn’t a demon alive that could stomach a night with the Grand Elder’s daughter.  And here was Paris, the most desired male demon, betrothed to her.  In truth, Jackson was a bit jealous of her.  He wouldn’t mind spending at least one night with Paris.   

“I always knew you were a braver dem
on than I,” Jackson said, “
I’m looking forward to the engagement party tonight.”

“I have no intention of mating her,”
Paris said, knowing full well what his friend’s reaction would be.  His father was on the Council.  It was that same Council that had a hand in the arrangement of the union.  Paris wasn’t stupid.  This wasn’t just about the Grand Elder’s spoiled daughter getting her way.  And it wasn’t about having an heir either.  It was something more than that.
  There was a quiet power struggle going on between Council members, and this was simply a manifestation of that.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Jackson said.

“I’m sure you are,” Paris said.  “But I need to know that you’ll be on my side when the time comes.”

“You know I’m always on your side, Paris,” he
said
, the smile fading momentarily from his face
.
  “There is no need to even ask.”

“Good,” Paris said.  He wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to do yet, but whatever it was he would need someone he could count on. 

“I had the most interesting encounter today,” Jackson said, changing the subject.  He didn’t have the greatest relationship with his father, but the thought of having to betray him was not something he wanted to dwell on.  He prefe
rred living in blissful denial
whenever he could.

“Is that so?” P
aris said, knowing
exactly where this was going.  He knew when the girl summoned him that she must have found Jackson.  It happened all the time.  It was the suit.  He knew they were unique, and of the highest quality.  That’s why he wore them, and sold them.  But it was an inconvenience that it seemed to help people find him more often than he wanted.  And Jackson was far too loose lipped about his
personal
information. 

“A rather attractive human woman,” Jackson
said,
a twinkle in his blue eye
s
.  “And guess who she was looking for.”

“My newest client,” Paris said.  He really did not want to get into this.  It wasn’t that he was afraid of Jackson knowing the truth.  Jackson would never betray him. 
Even if he did commit the ultimate infraction.
  He simply did not want to deal with his bothersome taunts. 
Especially at the moment.
  He had far more important issues to deal with.

“She looked very new, Paris,”
Jackson
continued, even as he sensed his friends rising irritation
.  “I don’t need to remind you
of
the dangers of a General Agent turning an
Untouched.  You did assess her, right?”

“Of course I assessed her,” Paris
scoff
ed,
offended at the very idea that he would need the reminder
. 

“And you are certain?  She was not
Unt
ouched
?” Jackson asked, pushing the subject
.  He could see his friend was getting annoyed with his line of questioning, but he knew it was necessary.  Jackson had been there to help pick up the pieces through many messes over the centuries.  He knew when his friend was doing something that could blow up in his face.