Demon King

34

She looked at me like she could read my thoughts. “But to answer your question, no, he didn’t seduce me. We kissed once, and frankly, it was better than any s*x I’d ever had, but that was it. Mostly we talked a lot and learned about each other. There was nothing else to do.”

“So, you didn’t have s*x?” I asked. Given that Asmodeus was an incubus, that seemed almost impossible.

“No.” She shook her head. “The shifters tortured him, trying to get info on Lucifer, but Mo wouldn’t break. Even when they tried to get him to feed on me, he held back. At times, it was obvious how painful it was for him to be in the same room as a woman without feeding, especially when he was injured. But he was so strong.” Her eyes took on that faraway look again, before a small frown forced the fledgling happiness away. She definitely had a thing for him. No doubt. But she also believed there was no way to work it out. I wished I had the answers for her, but there was still so much I didn’t know about this world.

She shook her head and blinked rapidly. “How did you get the devil to rescue me? And this?” She gestured around the room. “This is so far above either of our pay grades.”

As I explained how I came looking for her, and the deal I’d made with Lucifer, she grew somber. And then downright pissed off.

“You sold yourself to him for seven nights?” she practically yelled. “Like some kind of s*x slave?”

I held up my hands, feeling the urge to quickly defend him. “He swore he wouldn’t force himself on me, and so far he’s been a perfect gentleman. I don’t know why he’s interested in me, but there’s something there. Something I can’t explain.” I paused and tried to find the words. “I know I’m in a dangerous situation, but I made a deal, and he’s delivered on his end. That just leaves my side of it.” I sucked in a breath. “I have to see it through.”

“Hannah, we can go. We can leave now. Nobody is here to stop us. We’ll go straight back home and forget any of this ever happened.”

I shook my head. “I can’t do that.”

Brandy looked at me, her gaze steady as it met mine. “I’m going home to my mom and son as soon as I can. I have to. You understand, right?”

I leaned forward and threw my arms around her. “Of course, I do. I wouldn’t expect you to stay. I don’t even really want you to—this whole trip has been about getting you home safe. That’s all I want. We don’t even have to do this spa day if you want to go now.”

She shook her head. “No, Lucifer arranged a car to drive me back to Vista as soon as this is over. I can wait until then. Besides, I think I probably need the pampering. If I arrive at home looking like this, Mom will flip.”

The facialist soon came in and gave us a treatment that was more massage than anything, but both of us moaned our way through it, so we didn’t complain. When it was over, my skin felt like a baby’s and practically glowed. Brandy looked about a thousand times better too.

Next, we were fed a ridiculously huge, fancy lunch, which Brandy devoured. Then we hit the salon and had mani-pedis while the experts did whatever they wanted to our hair. We gave them permission to do their thing, and they managed to give us both luscious waves that made us look like we were about to walk onto a movie set.

After we’d had lunch and another round of appointments, the day came to an end much faster than I wanted. Brandy had to get back to her family, and I couldn't go with her, and that was fine. But I’d just found my best friend, and I didn’t want to say goodbye to her already. Plus she’d been my entire purpose for being in Vegas. With her gone, all I had was my deal with Lucifer. The thought made my pulse race.

Brandy and I stopped in front of a limo in the private parking garage and I pulled her into a fierce hug. Emotions flooded me—thankfulness that she was safe, pleasure that she was with me, and sorrow that she had to leave, even though it was what I wanted most in the world. “I’ll see you soon. I promise.”

She stared into my eyes. “I meant what I said. Just get in this car with me, and we can both leave.”

“I can’t. I promised Lucifer I’d be his for seven days and nights, and this is only day four. I owe him three more nights. I can hardly break a promise to the devil, can I?” My heart hammered with both lust and unease when an image of his face, all dark shadows and focused masculinity, flitted through my mind. Besides, there was obviously something strange happening with me, and I needed to know the truth.

“I don’t know,” Brandy said, eyeing me with brows furrowed. “You’re hung up on him somehow. Has he seduced you yet?”

Heat filled my cheeks. “We kissed. That’s it.”

She let out a hoot. “I knew it!”

“It’s nothing more than you and Asmodeus did!”

“That’s all well and good, and maybe you’ll get some good s*x out of this, but be careful. Remember that these people are all about temptation. Guard your heart.” She shot the driver, who waited with the limo door open, a look and lowered her voice. “I’ve seen what they’re capable of, Hannah.”

I remembered last night, and how I’d cut down the gargoyles who’d come for me, and I swallowed hard. “I’ve seen some things too, but I’m handling it. Trust me.” I hugged her again. “Give my love to Jack and Donna.”