Demon at My Door (16 page)

Rick’s eyes narrow. “Who? Masterson?”

I shake my head and roll my eyes. “No. How many times do I have to tell you, that’s over.”

His face relaxes a little. “Yeah, I heard about the paint today.”

A groan escapes my lips as I bury my face in my hands. Rick pulls me down beside him on the bed. “Stew is an asshole. He’s lucky it was just paint and not a fist to the face.”

That makes Rick laugh. “Let’s hope I never piss you off.”

“I highly doubt that would ever happen. You’re not like all the other jerks around here. You’d never lie to me.”

He frowns. “Natalie…” The way he says my names sounds bad. Like what he’s about to tell me isn’t good news. “There is something I am keeping from you.”

I knew it. He is too good to be true. “You have a girlfriend or something, right?”

“What?” The bewildered look on his face speaks volumes. “No. Why would you think that?”

“Because, Rick. Nothing good ever happens to me. People always let me down when I peel back their layers. They’re never who they say they are. You have become my best friend. The one person I can trust. So, what is it then?” Tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. Hopefully whatever he’s hiding isn’t something that will make me hate him. 

He’s quiet for a second while he searches my face. “I’m…”—he swallows like he’s getting choked-up, but then he gives me a sad smile—“It’s—it’s nothing, really. I mean, I can’t dance, and well, I was worried you wouldn’t want to be my date for this party if you knew.”

My right fist connects with his shoulder. “Dancing? You let me worry like that because you can’t dance? Maybe you are a jerk after all.”

He laughs. “I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know before we got to serious. No dancing is sometimes a deal breaker.” I shake my head at him, but he just grins even more. “So, are you ready to go to your new BFF’s party?”

I squeeze my eyes shut and sigh. “I dread seeing her, actually. There is something I need to talk to her about, but I don’t want to go to another party.”

“We don’t have to go. You can just talk to her at school, right? We can do something else if you’d rather. I have her cell number. You can text her and tell her we aren’t going to make it.” He pushes a lock of my hair off my shoulder and his fingers linger on the exposed skin where my shoulder and neck meet.

“Okay, sounds good.” I bite my lip. “No movies, though. Okay?”

“I think I’ve learned my lesson there. What do you have in mind?”

Rick’s staring at me expectantly, waiting for my solution. My gaze shifts to his lips and the only thing flashing in my brain is kissing him again. I know the demon said no loose ends, but maybe a little fling with Rick can keep me happy for the rest of eternity. Dying a virgin has crossed my mind a time or two. How lame would that be? Rick obviously has no problem with getting close to me. And even though I’m not exactly in love with him, more like of a serious like, maybe getting close to Rick would be okay.   

Sheepishly, I smile at him. “Well, you’ve been to my house a few times, but I don’t even have a clue where you live. That’s something a girlfriend should know, right?”

He raises an eyebrow. “So, are we official now?”

It seems less slutty as long as we are a couple. “Yeah. I mean, if you want.”

My heart pauses on a beat for a millisecond until a grin stretches across his face. “So that’s a yes?” I ask, probing him for answers.

“Yes. It’s a definite yes.” I bite my lip, fighting my elated grin. He grazes my cheek with his fingertips. “I’ve wanted this more than you know.”

His lips press to mine, and butterflies twist in the pit of my stomach. The feeling of belonging to someone engulfs me, and the desire to be close to Rick pulsates through my veins. If we had more time, I think I could love him. I mean,
really
love him. He’s practically the ideal guy. A girl would have to be completely insane not to fall for him.   

Rick pulls away. His charcoal-gray eyes stir with need. “Come on. Let’s go to my place. There’s no one there.”

Once in his car, he steals a glance in my direction every couple of minutes. My hand rests in his while he shifts gears. A smile tickles my lips when I meet his eyes. My body fills with nervous anticipation when Rick slows and turns down an alley. It leads to a private driveway, which then turns into an empty parking lot. I gawk at the sign on the building.

My left eye brow lifts. “Um, Rick? What are we doing at Fletcher’s Funeral Home?”

He turns toward me. “You said you wanted to see where I lived.”

A shudder runs down my spine. “Seriously? You live here?”

Creepy.

He shrugs his shoulders. “It’s not as bad as you think. Actually, I don’t live in the funeral parlor. I live there.” He points to the second floor above the three-car garage. “It’s a small apartment and my family owns the funeral parlor so I don’t even have to pay rent while I’m in school.”

“So, you live alone?” 

“Awesome, huh?” He waggles his eyebrows. “Come on. I’ll show you my bachelor pad.”

We make our way up the outside staircase leading to Rick’s place. He unlocks the door, turns on the light, and leads me inside. “It’s not much, but it’s better than living with a roommate or with my family.”

“You don’t like Dr. Fletcher?” I ask before I realize I’ve just let it slip that I know her. That was one secret I didn’t want him knowing.

Rick stops mid stride and tilts his head. “You know Lilim?”

The back of my neck stings with tension, so I rub it. “Yeah. She’s sort of my shrink. I’ve been going to one since I was a teenager and got caught with a deadly weapon trying to protect myself from a demon. It’s nice to talk about the demon stuff with someone who will keep it confidential.”

He chuckles. “You were really going to shoot him, weren’t you? I can tell you don’t like him.”

A humph escapes my lips. “Hate him is more like it.” Then I stop dead in my tracks. I don’t remember ever telling him I got caught with a gun specifically. I referred to it as a weapon only.  “I never said anything about a gun to you before. How did you know?”

Rick shrugs. “You must have told me.” The he quickly tries to get us back on track of our original conversation. “Hate is such a strong word, Nat.”

My eyes search his face, but he’s relaxed, not a hint of tension in his face. So, I decide to relax. I must’ve told him about the gun and forgot about it. “Not strong enough to truly describe my feelings toward him though.”

His fingers rub my shoulder. “He might just grow on you. You have a whole eternity to get to know him, right?”

I push his hand off me. “Ha. Ha. Very funny, Rick.”

He smiles. “You never know.”

"It’s nice in here,” I say as I take in the dark green walls and white-carpeted room. “Very manly.” 

He sits on his black leather couch, which takes up most of the claustrophobic room, and pats the cushion beside him. Without question, I fold myself onto the seat next to him. He throws his arm around me. It feels natural. Cozy. I turn my face toward him. 

His eyes are smiling more than his lips when he whispers, “Hi.”

I smile back. “Hi.”

My hair drifts into my eyes, and he brushes it away from my face. His thumb traces my cheek. Electric tingles zing deep into my bones. I turn my head into his hand and nuzzle it. Rick tilts my chin up and kisses me deeply. The smell of him swirls around me as my fingers find their way into his long hair. He crushes me to him, yet it still doesn’t feel close enough. 

He traces my bottom lip with his tongue and runs his hand down my back, stopping at my waist—testing the waters. Warm fingers slide under my shirt, and my whole body starts to tingle. My bones hum with need as I squeeze myself tighter against his chest. He kisses me so deep, I’m not sure I’m even living on air anymore. The very essence of Rick seems to be enough to sustain my very existence.

I lie back on the couch and pull his body on top of mine. We lay there, pressed together like magnets, as I trace the waistband of his jeans with a light touch. A moan reverberates in his chest as his fingers knot in my hair. 

My fingers need to explore. They find their way underneath his shirt and onto his muscular frame. The ripples of his abs glide under my hands, and I memorize every inch of him by touch. My insides burn with intense heat, one I’ve never felt before. A flame only Rick can extinguish. Gentle kisses trail down my neck, and I toss my head back and let a little groan slip.

He has no idea how much I need this—how much I need him. 

Panting a little I realize I’ve never wanted someone more than I want Rick at this moment. Not even with Stew have I felt such a connection. 

There’s so much heat between us—going all the way seems like a natural step. A step I need. I reach for the buttons of his jeans, a little unsure if I should take the lead on this. I need him to know I want to do this with him. Rick’s eyes grow wide as his hand grips my wrist.  

“Not here.” His breath is hot on my lips.

My hands freeze as confusion floods my brain. A flash of rejection zings my brain. “What? This seems like a perfect time.” 

Without answering me, he rolls off the couch and cradles me in his arms in one motion like I weigh practically nothing. “It is a perfect time. I just meant not on the couch.” He kisses me while I’m pressed against his sculpted chest. “My bedroom has an actual bed and I need to sprawl you out and explore every inch of you.” 

Oh. He scared me for a second, but the thought of being tangled up in some sheets with him excites me. One corner of my lips turns up. “A bed would be good.”

It’s like a scene from an old movie. The one with the bride being carried over the threshold and for some reason it doesn’t even feel cheesy. How could it? The only thing in the air is pure romance and lust. 

We enter his dark bedroom. My arms encircle his neck, and I strain my neck to place a kiss on his lips. There’s a large bed filling up most of the space in the room. He lays me down, and instantly I’m surrounded by the smell of him. The thought of lying in the very place he dreams brings me to another level of closeness with him. 

The moonlight streams in from the only window in the room and illuminates Rick. He’s beautiful in this light—nearly perfect. 

He pulls his black tee shirt over his head and tosses it to the floor. His body is sculpted like a Greek statue with tattoos covering his right arm all the way up to his shoulder.  He looks even better shirtless than I had imagined a thousand times before. A little sigh breaks out from behind my lips. His body is amazing. No wonder I’m not the only girl around campus that’s noticed Rick’s a hottie. 

Directly over his heart, there’s a circle of snakes inked into his skin. Three snakes in the tattoo form a perfect circle, nose to tail and polishing off his devilish handsome look.

The rest of his clothes come off just as quick until he’s down to his boxers. I study the contours of his body. The defined muscle that cuts in from his hips tells me he’s toned everywhere. My lungs suck in a quick breath as he climbs onto his bed beside me. It’s like he’s about to devour my body, and I’m going to love every second of this.  

Once the deed is done, there’s no going back. We’ll never be just friends again. We’ll be so much more and for a second I hesitate. 

Is it fair to him to do this? I mean, he probably believes we’ll have a lifetime together. Will it make me totally selfish to do this when I know I’m about to become evil and may never see him again?      

Before I can change my mind and ask him to stop, he kisses my neck and whispers, “You’re so beautiful.”

My heart skips a beat as I melt. Maybe it’s better this way. I won’t be around long enough to screw things up. We can have this magical, short-lived romance before I die and he’ll be left with the memory of the girl he once loved. 

I search out his lips. Honestly, I didn’t have intentions on sleeping with him so soon, but right now that’s the only thing I want to do. It’s the only way I’ll be able to get the closeness I crave and free my mind from all the craziness even for just a little while.  

Rick caresses my shoulder, then my arm, and pauses at the hem of my shirt. All I can think about is his fiery touch and how much I want his skin on mine. One by one, he slips each button from the hole in my Polo shirt, never pulling his eyes away from mine as he starts to undress me. There’s pure lust in his eyes and just staring into them causes an intense tingle between my legs. 

After what feels like an eternity, he slides the shirt over my head. A soft moan escapes my lips as his breathtaking body covers mine. He rolls over and pulls me on top of him. His fingers glide up and down my spine. My eyes drift shut and I lean in for a kiss.

In one swift motion he sits up and forces my legs open until they wrap around his waist. His hard cock presses against me. The only thing separating it from my moist flesh is two thin pieces of fabric. Rick reaches under my skirt and grabs my ass with both hands and encourages me to ride him with our clothes still on. 

The sensation of him rubbing against me causes me to tingle, and my panties feel wet. Rick unclasps my bra and then tosses it to the floor. In a normal situation, I would feel shy about having my body on display, but with Rick, I want him to touch me. 

I keep working my hips against him and soon a feeling builds up taking over every sense in my body. I wrap my arms around his neck and moan in his ear. 

Rick rubs his thumb over my pebbled nipple. “That’s it, baby. Come for me.”

I bite my lip as he sucks my pink nipple into his mouth. My fingers find their way into his hair as I explode into full body tingles. My legs quiver below me as I ride the wave of intense pleasure. 

Rick lies back, pulling me down on top of him, once I settle down. “You are so fucking hot when you come. I can’t wait to do that again with me inside you.”

I lean in and kiss him hungrily. I never knew talking in bed was such a turn on. My lips part, and his tongue snakes its way into my mouth as I try to show him how much I want him. His dick jerks under me, and I can tell he’s getting my message and is ready to have his way with me.