Demon Tempted (Karmic Lust) (6 page)

“I will get in touch with C&C, or do you want to do that?”

Eva took a deep breath. She’d let what Lili said pass because she was sure she deserved more than just snide remarks. Truth be told though, she wasn’t sure how long before she couldn’t take it anymore. Once again, being human sucked. As a demon she could have done more than just simply nod and agree. Yet at the same time Kamuel had put her in her place to learn a lesson. But damned if that meant she had to take abuse.

“I’ll do it. You’ve done a lot while I was gone. So I will take care of that for us. Oh, I did want to ask, as I’ve not seen him. How is Clay?”

“He’s fine if a bit insufferable.” Eva sniffed dismissively.

“I’m told that they took away your powers as a demon. Is that true?”

“Yes, I am for all intents and purposes fully human and definitely fallible.”

Liliana grimaced, but if she was going to say anything, it was cut short by a knock at the door. Liliana opened the door wide, and they both watched Jess saunter in. She had the biggest grin on her face and was as bubbly as all get out. She held a big sheaf of papers in her hands.

“My two most favorite bosses together again in the same room at last. I’d begun to wonder if we’d ever be one happy family again.”

Both Liliana and Eva laughed as did Jess. Eva wasn’t sure if she knew what had happened between Liliana and her, but she did know she most likely had felt some of the residual tension popping off both women.

“Are you smiling because a certain platinum-haired male has been snooping around here?” Liliana asked Jess.

Jess rolled her eyes and laughed. “Yeah, he seems like someone used to getting what he wants all the time. I’ve decided to let him stew a bit. I haven’t agreed to a date yet.”

“Remie is a great guy, Jess, seriously,” Eva said.

Jess grinned at them. “Okay, being set up by your bosses is kind of a weird situation.”

“Jess, you’re like family.”

“I know, Eva, and I appreciate everything you and Lili have done for me, truly I do. I’ve just had horrible luck in the men department, and I am not sure if getting into another relationship would be beneficial for me.”

“We just want you happy and besides he took a liking to you on his own. Nothing to do with anything we said,” Lili chimed in.

“Again, I thank you two, but I am going to take this slow. Every time I rush, something comes in to mess it up.”

Eva was the first to ask about the papers Jess still held. “So you going to tell us what those are?”

Jess blushed and giggled. “Oh yeah, these just came in. It’s the flyers you ordered Eva to hand out and hang up around town for the big anniversary sale.” She moved over to the desk and set the flyers down. She handed one to Eva and then to Lili. They both thanked her and looked over the flyers.

“I like them. Thank you for ordering them, Eva,” Lili said. “This is grand advertisement for our anniversary month. I appreciate you taking care of this while I was gone.”

“It’s both of our responsibilities to take care of the store.” Exasperated, Eva couldn’t help the bite that flowed through those words. Shit, she may have been a sorry excuse for a sister, but she fucking knew how to run
Two Sisters Sinful Delights
. She watched as Lili arched her eyebrow as if to say she was going to let that one slide. Sweet Jess was clueless as she babbled on incessantly about the upcoming anniversary and what a good thing it would be for the business. Crisis averted for now. Thank the Lord—saved by the Jess.

The rest of the workday went well once she and Liliana got back into the groove of how they’d worked together before. It was actually quite nice to be working with her sister again. One could hope it was a sign of good things to come.

Liliana paced back and forth in the master bedroom, only stopping when she heard Samael clear his throat.

“Wearing a hole in the carpet isn’t going to help the situation, Lili.”

“I know, Samael, but pacing is better than blowing up, isn’t it?” She studied him beneath her lashes, still so amazed that he was hers.

“There isn’t anything wrong with being angry. It becomes a problem when you hold on to it.”

“I’m not trying to hold on to anything. I want us to be able to move on. It’s been a month.”

“We are moving on, Lili. We still have each other and forever.”

“But until this situation with Eva is resolved, I don’t feel like I can move on. I feel stuck, in stasis. I wonder if we’ll ever have a relationship again.”

“Clay is working on it, Lili. This didn’t happen overnight, so we can’t expect that it will be done just as quickly.”

She observed him with a pout on her lips as he strolled over to her and pulled her close, gripping her below the black t-shirt of his that she was wearing. She fixed her gaze on him and nodded in agreement.

“You’re right this was a long time coming, and it won’t be something that we can fix right off.” She wrapped her arms up around his neck as she peered into his eyes. “It just makes me sad that Eva and I don’t have the relationship that we used to have. I miss having a sister. Though she wasn’t just that—she was a friend too.”

“See now that’s the key. You said, don’t—not can’t. If you’d said can’t I fear you’d be right. Who knows? If everything turns out the way it should, you may have your friend and sister back.” He leaned in and kissed her softly, caressing her ass in fluid motion that had her aching for more. If anything the lust she felt for her dark demon was building, not dwindling.

“You’re right. That’s enough talk about this right now. I need you.” She lifted her head up and kissed him, all the hunger and desire that she felt for him in that kiss. She’d get through this.
She had Samael, and it would all work out. Hopefully, just hopefully, Eva and Clay would go along for the ride and be okay in the process as well.

****

Eva found herself seated at her favorite table at Diego’s trying to wait patiently for Clay, who by the time on her watch was about ten minutes late. The place was hopping with the usual crowd and close to being wall to wall on a Thursday night. She could have her pick of the men there, but she wanted Clay. Damn him. He’d promised her drinks and dancing since she’d gone a whole month without, as he put it,
causing any issues
. It was like he expected her to blow shit up.

The existence they’d settled into was one with sexual benefits and nothing more. She wouldn’t allow there to be anymore. When the situation seemed to get too heavy she either left or she put things back into prospective by turning the circumstances sexual again. It was going to be the only way she could save herself, especially when he decided to walk away from her.

Nursing her lemon martini she glanced around the room, and her eyes met for what seemed to be the hundredth time eyes of the deepest green she’d ever seen. She found herself looking away from him quickly just as she had the last few times. Something about his gaze made her feel a bit disconcerted. She wasn’t sure why that would be.

He was handsome, of course, with pitch-colored hair that curled at his shoulders and a tanned body and damn if that body didn’t fill out that suit well. So why did she feel as if something wasn’t right? She was being silly. That had to be it, a long day in a human body made for an overactive imagination from this girl. She had the strangest feeling that she knew him.

“May I have this seat?” How the heck did he get over to her so fast? She looked up into those deep green eyes and swallowed. Fuck, Mr. Slick had made it to her table. He was trouble. She could sense it just by looking at his swagger. He was worry that she could ill afford.

“I’m waiting for someone,”
she said hastily.

“Well then he won’t mind if I keep the pretty little lady company.” He settled in the chair next to her, and she frowned.

“Little lady?”

“Oh I’m sorry, darlin’. I’m old school.”

“Apparently you are. Women don’t like to be called little lady anymore.”

“Do forgive me. Would you accept another drink from me in apology?”

She held up her glass showing she still had a bit left from her first drink. “I’m nursing my lemon drop martini.”

“How about I get you an apple martini instead of boring old lemon, hmm?”

He raised his hand anyway and ushered over the waitress who happened to be at the next table. He ordered the other martini for her, and the waitress was off to the bar. Before she could protest the waitress had come over and set another drink before her.

“You seriously didn’t have to do that.”

She looked toward the door to see if Clay had arrived and by the time she turned around, Mr. Slick was even closer than he had been before. So close she could see his eyes dilating and for some reason she found that she couldn’t look away. Hell, she didn’t want to look away.

“Oh but seriously, I wanted to do it. Take the drink. I don’t bite unless asked.”

The more she looked in his eyes, the more she forgot what she was looking for and why she was there. She shivered, raised her glass to her lips and drank a bit of courage.

“My date will be here soon.”

“So you said and the time keeps ticking by. My name is Oz, and you are?” Why did it feel like he already knew the answer to that question?

“My name is Eva.”

“Eva … what a beautiful name you have. I am a lover of names myself, and I know what your name means.”

“Oh, do tell.” She’d play dumb. She knew exactly what her name meant, but she wanted to see if he was all talk or if he really did know.

“It means giver of life.”

He’d hit the bull’s eye. So he wasn’t all talk, but he was a player who played the game well.

“You’re right. Wow, and here I thought you were just trying to come on to me.”

“Who says I’m not?” he countered.

His voice was as smooth as butter melting on toast, and she found she was drawn to him. Though always in the back of her mind she thought of Clay and what he would think about the whole situation. Just as she was about to say something, she felt a touch on her shoulder and turned to see the object of her thoughts standing there.

“Hey baby, sorry I’m late. Mind introducing me to your friend?” Clay sat on her opposite side, so she was sitting between two very virile males. She looked at one and then the other.

Oz leaned back with a lazy grin on his lips. “Yes, please introduce us.”

“Clay, this is Oz. I just met Oz sitting here waiting for you. He was kind enough to give me another drink and keep me company.” There was so much testosterone at the table one could cut it with a knife. She placed her hand on Clay’s thigh under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. That seemed to calm him if but for a moment.

Oz was the first to move, and he reached over and held his hand out. Eva waited with bated breath to see if Clay would take his hand. She let that breath go when Clay shook the other man’s hand. The handshake seemed to go on longer than it should with Oz yet again making the first move of letting go of Clay’s hand and lounging back in his seat.
Shit! Is he really just going to continue to sit here?

Clay stood and held his hand out for Eva. “Pardon us, Oz. I’m going to dance with my woman. Come on, Hermosa, I promised you a dance.”

She took his hand and moved away from the table. She and Clay looked back to see Oz smirking and raising his glass in salute.

“Okay, Clay, what was that bit of cock holding going on over there?”

He’d pulled her onto the dance floor, bringing her close for the slow music that played. He didn’t say anything for a moment, so she laid her head on his shoulder as she let the melody take over.

“Just making sure he knows you’re my woman.”

She pulled back to gawk at him. “Your woman? I didn’t think you were into such caveman antics, Clay.”

“So tell me, what’s the difference between me holding the jealous card and not you? I didn’t think you had a monopoly on that.”

Those words effectively put her in her place, and she laid her head back on his shoulder. Clay was jealous. It sort of gave her that warm and fuzzy feeling inside, but she wasn’t sure she liked that one bit. Though to turn the tables on him and let him be the simpering fool? That had merit. She gave a soft snicker.

“That laugh doesn’t bode well for me. Do tell me what you’re laughing about.”

“Now what fun would that be?”

“Your friend has finally left our table.” She peeked over Clay’s shoulder and saw that Oz was indeed gone. The sigh she gave was one of relief.

She turned back around and nuzzled his neck, breathing in the scent that was purely Clay. He always smelled so earthy and masculine.

“What was the holdup?”

“Holdup?” Clay asked.

“Don’t play dumb. You know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m referring to the fact that you were late at least thirty minutes by my calculations, and that’s not like you.”

“You’re right, Eva. I’m sorry. There was something I had to deal with.”

“You couldn’t have called me? You have my cell number; even a text would have been fine. Hell, you can even talk to my mind.
You’re a fricking demon, for hell’s sake.”