Truth or Demon (27 page)

See, there already was a change in her. A change that might let her open up to other opportunities in the future.

She picked up the mugs and carried them back to the living room. Killian lifted his head from the back of the sofa as she entered.

Lines pulled at the sides of his mouth. She hadn’t noticed them before, and she wondered if he was already regretting his suggestion.

Then he smiled when she held out the cup to him. His fingers brushed hers as he took the handle. Jolts like electricity snapped between them.

No, she decided, this wasn’t wrong. It
was
inevitable.

“So what’s the plan?” she asked, feeling nervous.

He took a sip of his coffee, looking the picture of calm, which seemed hardly fair, then said, “Well I know you need to work today. So I’m going to actually let you do that.”

She frowned. She did need to work, but this didn’t sound like the setup to a torrid affair to her.

“Then,” he continued, “you are going to get all dressed up.”

“Dressed up how?”

He smiled, the curl of his lips utterly naughty. “Are you expecting me to ask for a corset, stockings and high heels?”

She shrugged, offering him a look that stated she had no idea.

“Well, I’m definitely not opposed to that, but tonight, you are going to get dressed up in your best dress. The high heels are optional, because I know you hate them. For both outfits,” he added, his naughty smile widening.

She couldn’t help smiling back. “Thank you.”

“Then I’m going to come pick you up at six.”

She waited for him to continue, but instead he took another sip of his coffee. He set the mug down on the table and stood.

“Wait,” she said, when she realized he was planning to leave. “That’s it?”

He grinned, his golden eyes flickering with inner light. “Impatient, huh?”

Poppy blushed. Did she seem too desperate? She probably did.

Then he walked over to her, reaching to take the coffee cup from her hands. He placed it on the table, and turned back to her, taking her hands, his larger ones enveloping them. He pulled her to her feet.

Their eyes locked, and she could see desire flashing in his eyes’ depths. Heat filled her.

He leaned in and kissed her. His lips clung to hers. A sweet, lingering, wonderful kiss.

He pulled away slowly as if he didn’t really want to end the embrace, but he did, his gaze returning hers.

“I want to stay, but I’m going to leave. You work. I’ll—work. And we will have tonight.”

She nodded. Waiting did seem wise, even though her body thought it was the dumbest idea ever.

He kissed her again, this one a quick peck.

“See you at six.”

She nodded, still speechless.

He left the apartment, and she remained rooted to the spot.

Six. Part of her was eager and excited. And part of her was terrified.

This was going to be a long day.

C
HAPTER
30

“Y
ou are attracted to her.”

Killian frowned, looking around, wondering if he was somehow hearing his own voice, aloud.

Then the mangy white cat leapt up onto the kitchen counter.

“Vepar,” he muttered. “You really need a hobby.”

“A hobby like your little mortal perhaps?”

Killian gritted his teeth. Damn, he really disliked this jerk—a dislike that was intensifying with each of these unorthodox visits.

The cat paced the kitchen counter, its mangled tail flicking.

“Poppy is her name, right?”

Killian didn’t answer, not seeing any point. Why was Vepar here? Killian knew he did have to go back to Hell at some point, probably sooner rather than later, but that wasn’t Vepar’s call.

“She’s quite lovely. I can see where she’d be a delightful little hobby.”

Killian immediately tensed, glaring at Vepar. “When have you seen her?” He’d assumed Vepar knew Poppy’s name from him, not that he recalled saying it, but there was no way he should have seen her. Not if he’d only been possessing this awful cat.

Then Killian recalled the man from the art show.

“You were there last night.”

Vepar pulled back the cat’s lips in a sneer. “I was. She was delightful. And so tempting. But I doubt Satan would be as understanding.”

Killian growled low in his throat and lunged for the cat. Vepar jumped away, darting past Killian’s legs and out of the room.

“Satan would love to hear about the dalliance that’s keeping you from your work, now wouldn’t he?” Vepar called from somewhere in the living room.

Killian stood in the middle of the living room, scanning the room for grayish-white fur.

“Vepar, you stay away from her. Or I’ll—”

“You’ll what? Satan is not pleased. I’d be more worried about that, if I were you.”

Vepar purred, the sound loud and oddly perverse. Then the room fell silent.

Killian growled again. Was Vepar telling the truth? Was Satan that angered by Killian’s absence? Killian didn’t quite believe him. But at the same time, Vepar had been at the art gallery. That was why Killian hadn’t been able to use his mind control, and that was why he’d sensed something off about that man. The guy had been possessed by Vepar.

“Just kill her,” Vepar’s earlier words echoed through Killian’s head. Would Vepar do that? He would if Satan ordered it.

The only thing Killian knew for certain was Poppy had to be guarded.

Poppy made a frustrated sound low in her throat as she tossed down the mascara wand and reached for a tissue. So far, getting ready for the evening had been nothing but an exercise in frustration.

Much like the day in general. Killian had been mostly true to his word, letting her work, although he’d stopped by twice. Just to say hi, he’d said, but she’d sensed a tenseness about him.

Maybe he was honestly as nervous about all this as she was.

She swiped at her watering eye and the smudge of black that now marred her cheek. And her nerves were taking their toll. So far she’d managed to cut herself shaving, burn a lock of her hair with the curling iron, and now poke herself in the eye with the mascara.

She looked worse than when she started getting ready.

“What are you doing?”

Poppy looked in the bathroom mirror to see Daisy behind her. She had on a baseball cap and Windbreaker. A backpack was slung over her shoulder.

“Getting more makeup in my eyes than on my lashes.”

Daisy smiled, excitement on her face, which Poppy knew wasn’t related to her trip with Emma. “You look great.”

Poppy didn’t feel like she looked great.

“What time is he picking you up?”

“Six,” Poppy said, although the
he
Daisy was referring to wasn’t the
he
who was actually coming. Poppy didn’t feel good lying, but she wasn’t about to tell Daisy she was going to all this fuss for a date with Killian. Poppy still suspected Daisy had wanted to matchmake her and Killian, and she didn’t want Daisy getting any false hopes about that.

She certainly couldn’t explain that she was just having a fling with the man. No, Daisy would never know about that.

“Okay, well I have to head down to Emma’s. They are leaving in like fifteen minutes or so.”

“What time is it?” Poppy asked.

“Only five-fifteen. You have plenty of time.” Daisy grinned again like a kid finding out that Santa had left the very gift she’d asked for under the Christmas tree.

A pang of guilt tightened Poppy’s chest. But she took a deep breath and forced the remorse aside. After all, she was taking steps in the right direction.

Sort of, anyway.

Poppy turned as Daisy stepped into the bathroom. They hugged, and Poppy kissed her cheek.

“Be good.”

Daisy rolled her eyes. “I’m always good.”

“I know,” Poppy said, not holding back an ounce of the love and pride she felt for her little sister. Daisy was a great kid. She probably would have been no matter what, but Poppy allowed herself a moment of satisfaction. She had done a good job raising her sister thus far.

“Text me when you get there,” she told Daisy, hugging her again.

“Of course.”

“Actually, text me when you get on the road too.”

Daisy shook her head. “Don’t be such a worrywart. Just enjoy your evening.” She started to leave the room, then paused. “You haven’t even told me this guy’s name.”

The question caught Poppy off guard. She hesitated, then she spotted the shampoo on the edge of the tub. Herbal Essence.

“Herb,” she said automatically.

Daisy wrinkled her nose. “Herb? That’s not a hot name.”

Poppy made a face. She couldn’t disagree.

“Well, have fun with Herb. I hope he’s cuter than his name.”

“Oh, he is,” Poppy assured her. Killian was much cuter than the imaginary Professor Herb.

Daisy left then, off for her weekend of seaside fun.

What kind of fun was she going to have tonight? Poppy wondered as she returned to the mirror to repair the damage done earlier.

* * *

Killian had lurked in the hallway outside Poppy’s door most of the day—making sure Vepar, in any form, didn’t appear at her apartment. Now Daisy was gone, and he couldn’t wait any longer to see Poppy. Both to be sure she was safe and also just to see her.

Since his run-in with Vepar, he’d debated going back to the original plan of just finding Poppy a man and returning to Hell—tonight if possible. But he still wasn’t sure. Something kept telling him he had to stay. Something beyond this spell.

One thing was for sure, he had to keep Poppy safe.

He pounded on the door with more force than necessary, his nerves and protectiveness making him agitated, anxious.

What was taking her so long? He lifted his hand, ready to knock again, when he heard the knob rattle. Then the door opened to reveal a Poppy he’d never seen before.

And all other worries left his mind, as his gaze roamed over her. She looked … gorgeous.

She wore a Chinese-style dress with a high collar and ornate cloth buttons. The black brocade with bright red flowers brought out the paleness of her delicate features and the darkness of her wide eyes. Her brown hair was swept up into a loose chignon, tendrils escaping to frame her face. The dress stopped mid-thigh, revealing a long expanse of shapely legs and tiny feet encased in strappy black heels.

Her weight shifted from one of her small feet to the other, and Killian realized he was doing nothing but staring. He looked up at her face, only to realize she was staring at him too.

Once he’d formulated this “affair plan,” he’d purchased some new clothes just for this date. A Kenneth Cole suit coat, black tie. He’d also bought a Kenneth Cole shadow stripe dress shirt, which he wore with jeans. He’d even bought a new pair of black shoes. Bruno Magli.

He suspected not a single thing Poppy wore was designer, but her look blew him out of the water.

She obviously didn’t agree.

“You look amazing,” she said, smiling tentatively. Just a hint of the dimple he found so appealing appeared. A little tease.

“I think ‘amazing’ is the word that applies to you,” he told her. Then, for the first time, as if it was totally natural and truly his right, he kissed her. Right in the open doorway.

Poppy stayed in his arms for a few moments. Then, groaning, she pulled her lips away from his. But she rested her forehead against his chest.

“If we keep doing that, all the work of dressing up will be for nothing.”

Killian smiled, dropping a kiss onto the top of her head. He liked knowing she was struggling not to just head straight to the bedroom too. But he followed her lead, and with hands on her hips moved her away from him.

He smiled at her. “We’d better go now then. Or we never will.”

She nodded and disappeared back into the apartment to grab a black wrap and her purse.

Killian rested his head on the doorframe, willing his body to calm down. How could he be feeling like this? He had a crazy demon stalking Poppy. He had been gone from Hell for nearly a week. Gone from the place he considered home. And possibly, Satan was really pissed at him. Yet all he could think about was this woman. This little slip of a mortal.

He was losing his mind. But right now, he wanted nothing more than to follow her inside, close the door and ravish Poppy on every bare surface in the house. And just pretend nothing else existed except the two of them.

“Ready,” she said, returning to the door. He straightened and forced his brightest smile.

He nodded. He would figure out how to best protect her, but after tonight. Tonight was theirs.

* * *

Once out on the sidewalk, Poppy lifted her flushed face toward the evening breeze, thankful for the cool air.

One kiss and she was burning for the man. If she’d been a little more forward, she would have suggested forgetting the outing and just heading to bed. But she wasn’t that forward. Yet.

Silly girl, her aroused body told her. And she couldn’t argue. But she managed to rally and get her body under control. A bit.

“Where are we headed?” she asked.

He took her hand, linking his fingers through hers. “You just follow me.”

She smiled at his self-assured tone. “So you know your way around now, huh?”

“Well, considering I just spent a whole night walking around the city, I kind of gave myself a crash course.”

“Find any new ghosts?” she asked, wondering how many nights he’d been up wandering the spookier parts of historical Boston.

He gave her a look that she couldn’t quite decipher, and she noticed he tensed. The same tenseness she’d sensed during his visits today.

“None that we’re going to think about tonight.”

She got the definite feeling his response had a double meaning, but she didn’t understand it.

He led her to the T, and after several stops and a line change, Poppy realized they were headed for Beacon Hill.

“Where are we going?” Her curiosity was killing her.

“You’ll have to just wait and see.”

They walked another block, and then Killian stopped. Poppy looked around. “Are we here?”