Brady's Hellion (2 page)

Raven was staying up here in the sun and she was
going to have the life she felt she deserved. One where she didn’t
have interfering, even if well-meaning, relatives who totally
cramped her style. Plus Shar and her mother had plans that involved
her settling down with the mate of their choosing. They talked
about how some politically based marriages could succeed
personally. Their example was Shar’s marriage.

Oh right. It was a well-known secret that Shar’s wife
Matthis, was fucking every member of her private guard.

She wasn’t going to allow her family to dictate her
future the way they had her past.

She stopped at the chaise lounge that held her towel
and beach bag. She dug her toes in the sand lifting her face to the
sun.

This was the world she belonged in.

Raven looked as if she wasn’t doing anything more
important than standing there enjoying the heat stealing through
her body. Except there was the sensation that someone was watching
her. It wasn’t anything unsettling, more a heated exchange that
sent her pulse racing. She set her surfboard down by her chaise and
made a casual sweep of the area to see if she could find her secret
admirer.

It turned out not to be too difficult. And what she
saw she liked. Very much. He looked to be several inches over six
feet, which went very well with her lean five-foot-ten. Muscles
that she gauged didn’t come from a gym, short-cropped brown hair
and one of those little beards that should make him look like a
university professor but made him look hot instead. She could see a
jagged scar running up the outside of one leg to burrow under the
hem of his khaki cargo shorts. She flirted with the idea of
wondering just how far up that scar traveled. He looked incredibly
fit otherwise. Extremely fit. No, amazingly sexy with an
olive-green t-shirt that stretched over a broad chest. At first
sight she would assume he was a soldier here on leave, but she
couldn’t imagine a regular soldier could afford an exclusive resort
where a week’s stay typically cost the price of a small car and
that was just for one of the low budge rooms.

She was positive it wouldn’t take much to find out
who he was. The nice thing about being a dark lord’s sister, even
if only a stepsister, was the powers she had. But she didn’t want
to use her gift. And as tempting as he was, she told herself she
didn’t want a man either.

She came here to lie on the beach, soak up the sun,
surf, and see how many umbrella decorated drinks she could down in
one evening. Sex wasn't on her to-do list.

Still, a sweep of her eyes in that direction gave her
a new look at the man, sprawled in the tall cane-backed stool that
because of his height was more like a chair. His legs were spread
out in front of him making him look like some sort of Grand Poobah.
She wouldn’t have been surprised if a serving girl approached him
on her knees and serviced him. Dark glasses covered his eyes, but
she knew he was watching her with an intensity she could feel like
a layer of heat covering her skin.

And this heat was nothing like the heat at home.

Determinedly turning her back on him, she picked up
her towel and dried her arms and shoulder then bent over to dry her
legs so that he had a perfect view of her ass.

No reason not to give him something to look at.

*****

Whoa Mama! Brady almost choked on his drink. Luckily,
the burning from the mark disappeared as soon as he acknowledged
his charge. Considering the way his dick was standing at attention
he was amazed that Shar trusted him to watch over this incredibly
sexy woman when the overlord insisted Brady was there to keep her
safe. But who was going to keep her safe from Brady?

“Raven is young and isn’t well-versed with the
outside world. I’m also worried about someone taking advantage of
her,” Shar had told him.

“Are you talking physical danger?” He didn’t even
want to think what would be after any of Shar’s relatives or if
bullets could stop them.

“I’m in a political battle down here, Brady,” Shar
said pompously. “Some factions don’t agree with my vision of what
we need to do next. I’d hoped that Raven would help the family in
furthering my agenda, but she has this crazy need to visit the
human world. She has this crazy idea she needs freedom to do her
own thing.” He shook his head in frustration. “I’m certain once she
has thissilly vacation she’ll come to her senses and do what’s
right for the family.”

Brady began to wonder if this Raven wasn’t some
bratty teenager who was prone to temper tantrums. “I still say
you’d be better off using your own people.”

“That wouldn’t work well at all. They don’t do well
among humans.” The dark lord grimaced. “There have been incidents
in the past that are best not to be repeated.”

Brady thought of the private guards he passed as he
was escorted to Shar’s office. Each one a healthy eight-foot-ten
inch of pure muscle, soulless eyes that could see even through
pitch-black, hooked nose that could track down anything living or
dead, razor-sharp teeth that could probably tear steel apart. Yep,
Definitely not creatures to let loose on unsuspecting humans.

“You see…” Shar hesitated, “the time will come when
Raven will have to assume her duties down here. It won’t be long
before she can no longer ignore family obligations”

“So you’re letting her out to sow her wild oats, so
to speak,” Brady said.

Shar beamed “Exactly. Perhaps it will be easier for
her once she truly comes to realize her destiny is down here. Many
of us go through this time where we think life is better up there,
but it doesn’t take us long to realize we need to be with our kind.
While she’s there, I need to know she won’t make any undesirable
alliances. I know what can happen during this time.” He coughed
uncomfortably.” “Iif you’re there, you can befriend her in order
watch over her properly. She’ll have her time away and come back
ready to work for the family’s best interests.”

Brady wasn’t sure he liked the idea of anyone having
to live Below even if this Raven had obviously grown up here.
Still, he’d be a fool to turn down the job when Shar was offering a
lot of money. “Just tell me where to catch up with your sister and
I’ll make sure she’s kept safe and sound,” he assured the
creature.

“Oh yeah, I’m only too happy to keep the lady under
observation,” he murmured, lifting his glass to catch the
bartender’s eye. In seconds, he had another JD on the rocks sitting
before him.

This was the cushiest job he’d had since, well,
ever.

Feeling a twinge in his thigh where a knife had
sliced in too deep, he stretched out his leg. At least the bastard
with the knife wasn’t going to cut anyone ever again. When he
looked up again, his charge was missing.

Fuck!

“Hi, Mike, could I have a Tie Me To The Bedpost!
please?”

Brady didn’t need the burning sensation across the
mark to warn him who was standing nearby. He looked up and found
Raven standing at the end of the bar. The drink name fostered all
sorts of fascinating images, every one of them having to do with
the two of them naked, a variety of silk scarves, and massage oil.
If he wasn’t careful he was going to explode here and now. He
shifted to give his aching balls a little more room.

“Sure thing, Rae.” The bartender left Brady without
hesitation and mixed the drink quickly, adding a bright orange
stirrer in the glass before handing it to her.

She offered Brady a brief smile and concentrated on
her drink.

There was never a better opening. “Interesting drink
name.” Okay, not scintillating conversation, but he was never one
for small talk.

“The gift shop has a tropical drink book and Mike’s
letting me try every one listed in the book,” she replied, edging
up onto a barstool.

“Are you going through it alphabetically or by the
most interesting ones first?” he asked, intrigued by her vacation
hobby.

“Rae’s trying the fun sounding ones first.” Mike
grinned. After catching a look in Brady’s eyes he quickly moved on
to another customer at the other end of the bar.

“You do pretty well with that board out there,” Brady
commented. “No offense, but aren’t long boards pretty heavy for
someone as lightweight as you?”

Raven grinned. Brady couldn’t believe that this beach
babe grew up in the Underworld where the a black on black wardrobe,
deathly pale skin, and red glowing eyes were the norm. No way
anyone would assume she was related to Shar.

“The good thing is once I’m out on the water the
waves do all the work for me. I’m just out there for the ride. As
for when I’m back on land, it takes some muscle to bring it in. I
consider it a good upper body workout.” Her comment immediately
brought Brady’s gaze to her tits. She ignored his less than subtle
perusal and sipped her drink. She smiled and nodded. “This is
definitely another one I like. I’m Rae.” She held out her hand.

Brady found her skin warm from the sun but not moist
like Shar’s skin had been. He didn’t miss the small shock that
zipped along between their hands and judging from the slight
widening of her beautiful blue eyes, she felt it too. He silently
applauded her for not jerking her hand back.

“Brady. So are you here for the surfing, Rae?” Damn,
he might be better at this small talk than he thought he was.

“Sun, sand and relaxation. What about you?”

Since he’d planned on striking up a conversation with
her as soon as he could, he had his story prepared. But now that
he’d met her and gazed into eyes he felt he could drown in, he
wished this meeting wasn’t deliberate. He wished they could have
run into each other in a bar, talked a bit, he’d invite her out for
dinner, and maybe there was a chance more would happen. They were
going to be there for a month, so there was hope. Instead, in case
Shar had a way of watching, he was determinedly keeping his eyes on
her face and not on her barely covered breasts. Was there a chance
she was tanned all over? He wouldn’t mind finding out.

“I’m here on some R&R. I’ve been overseas a lot
and wanted some downtime,” he said, knowing his vague answer would
imply he was in the military instead of his usual gig as an
independent contractor. He sorely needed the sharp bite of the JD
he was sipping. Since he’d quit smoking, he needed something to
keep his hands busy. Hell, he felt like a hormonally challenged
teenager. Was there something about Raven that gave off some sex
pheromones? He wouldn’t be surprised given the way bartender Mike
hovered nearby. As it was all Brady had to do is look at the sunny
blonde sitting nearby and he felt his tongue hanging out and his
dick all ready and willing to dive into action.

Down, boy, he mentally admonished his randy body
part. We don’t want to be pulled down into some demon world, do we?
We’re here to protect Raven, not fuck her.

Except at that moment Raven leaned forward, resting
her forearms on the bar top which gave him an even better view of
what looked like a perfect set of tits. Not so large they’d smother
him and not so small he’d never find them. Nope, just the right
size for him.

She was still looking at him in a calculating way he
swore was a tactic he’d used many times. He never minded a direct
woman. It was always nice to know you were on the same page.

He waited for her to suggest they meet for dinner.
He’d respectfully decline and still manage to be in the hotel
restaurant the same time she was. He didn’t want to appear too
eager to spend time with her.

“So Brady.”

“So Rae.” He grinned, mimicking her tone.

Her voice was low and held a husky tone that flowed
over him like warm water. “Do you surf?”

Chapter Two

“Not good, Rae. Not good at all,” Raven muttered, as
she stripped off her bikini and stepped into the shower that
resembled a rock waterfall. “Why not bore the man into a coma?
There were a million questions you could ask him other than if he
surfed?” Which surprised her when he admitted he did surf but
hadn’t had the chance to go out for some time. Still feeling like
an idiot with her question, she made her escape as soon as she
could and retreated to her suite before she screwed up any more.
Who knew carrying on a conversation with a human man could be so
difficult?

She stood under the flowing water and looked at the
bottles of body washes and bath oils set on the shelf like a
smorgasbord of scents. Shopping proved to be a feast for the senses
as well as the eyes as she indulged in bright colored clothing with
not a hint of black anywhere along with cosmetics and bath and body
products that would keep her smelling delicious for a lifetime.
After settling on a bottle of body wash guaranteed to make her
smell like crème brulee, she took her time with her shower. A
lavish application of matching body lotion left her glowing all
over.

“Brady Hayes.” She rolled the name around in her
mouth liking the way it sounded. She appreciated what she’d seen
the moment she stepped out of the water and noticed a man who sat
head and shoulders above the others. Rugged, muscular and above all
else, hot. Now that was the kind of vacation souvenir that didn’t
show up in any of the gift shops.

A few bills slipped to one of the bellmen earlier
gave her the information that Brady’s suite was two doors down from
hers. Not that she planned to visit him on the spur of the moment.
She just liked having the knowledge. In her family, knowledge was
better than gold.

As Raven left the bathroom, the sharp tang of
something unpleasant struck her nostrils. She muttered a nasty
curse used in her world and walked over to the coffee table. A
many-petaled flower lay on the wood and she knew it hadn’t been
there when she went in to take her shower and definitely wasn’t
something the hotel maid would have brought in. The purple petals
were so dark they appeared black with sharp spines shooting out of
the middle. The Astay flower was a rare species in her world and
highly prized. She personally considered them ugly and smelly. And
she knew this could only come from one individual. “Bastard.” She
made a face and went to the closet, digging in the rear for a small
leather case. The only thing she’d brought from her world. Demon
magic insured no one would see it. Gray dust from one of the vials
sprinkled over the flower caused the bloom to disappear in a puff
of disgusting oily smoke.