What a Demon Wants (3 page)

Jude hesitated, then found himself nodding.

What the hell was he doing? He couldn’t do this. Being here was too much. It was a situation that was making him feel strange things. And remember things he didn’t want to think about again. Ever again.

He’d learned long, long ago the best way to be an effective bodyguard, killer, machine, was to feel nothing.

Maksim searched Jude’s face, and Jude knew the other man was looking for something to assure himself he could trust him. A virtual stranger.

Then Maksim nodded, apparently finding the answer he wanted. Although Jude didn’t know how or what he found. He didn’t know if Maksim could trust him, or if he could trust himself.

“I’ll call you from the hospital,” Maksim said to Ellina.

“Okay. Let me know if you need anything. Love you both.” Ellina followed them to the door.

“Call Maggie and Erika,” Jude heard Jo say from outside the door.

“I will.” Ellina waved, waiting in the doorway until Jude heard Maksim’s car start and speed away from the house.

After the whir of activity, the sudden silence in the small cottage was harsh and unnerving. Then Ellina turned to him. Her face wore that serene mask he’d seen when he first entered her house. Nothing odd about her eyes. Nothing amiss, and he now wondered if he’d just imagined some strange change in her.

“Thanks for agreeing to stay, but you can go.”

Jude didn’t respond for a moment, surprised by her abruptness, but considered taking her up on the invitation.

“No, I’m staying.”

He couldn’t go.

Ellina stared at him for a moment, then shrugged.

“You are one odd dude,” she said, then strode out of the lavender living room, disappearing down a hall the color of blue cotton candy.

“You have no idea,” Jude muttered to the empty room.

Chapter 3

Ellina fled straight to her office and closed the door. She knew her comment and abrupt departure were rude, but she had to put some space between herself and this guy. This very annoying and confusing guy.

Not to mention, she’d felt herself losing control. Jo’s starting labor had unnerved her.

Ellina didn’t know nothin’ about birthin’ no babies. But she’d gotten control back quickly.

Normally something like that wouldn’t distress her, so it had to have been the combination of her interaction with Jude and then the surprise of Jo’s contractions.

Usually it was only two things that made her agitated. Crowds. She had a hard time controlling herself in crowds. And arousal.

And she refused to believe arousal played a factor here. Yes, Jude was good looking, but she’d long ago learned to quash attraction. For everyone involved.

Still, her hasty exit was rude. Then again, what was the proper etiquette for having a bodyguard in your house? Especially one who one minute didn’t want to be there, and the next insisted on staying? Did she show him around her place? Did she tell him to make himself at home?

Or did she just hide until he changed his mind yet again and left?

Of course, he’d changed his mind when money had come up. So he was only staying for the cash.

That didn’t smooth her ruffled ego. Ruffled ego? This was all so silly.

Ellina actually giggled to herself at their whole exchange. Then she giggled even louder. She’d always had a terrible habit of laughing about things that really weren’t funny.

She suspected it was because she was always so aware of being controlled. Something had to give.

She moved around her desk, composing herself. Sitting down, she checked the hallway for shifts in the shadows to see if he’d followed her. She noticed nothing and only silence filled her apartment.

Still watching the door, Ellina nibbled her lower lip and debated what to do. She could pay him off to leave, but she knew she likely couldn’t meet the price Maksim would pay. She had plenty of money, but Maksim had demon powers. Money was no issue. And why was she giving up her hard-earned money to get rid of someone she didn’t even want to hire in the first place?

Seemingly, she’d have to suffer with this guy—at least until Jo had the baby, then she’d pressure Maksim to forget this silly idea. Hell, plead if she had to.

So what to do in the meantime?

“Well, the most obvious answer is work,” she muttered to herself. The odd bodyguard could do what odd bodyguards did without her assistance. And she needed to get this chapter done. Today.

She wiggled her computer mouse against her Hello Kitty mouse pad, waiting for her monitor screen to flicker to life, jarred out of sleep mode. The chapter, half-done, stared at her. She forced herself to reread the last words she’d written and get her thoughts back to the next section of her book.

That’s right, Jenny had just found a strange man in her bakery. That was appropriate, wasn’t it?

She glanced back at her door. She wondered why the other job he’d mentioned was more appealing to him. And what had turned him off from the moment they met?

Who cared?

She didn’t.

She turned back to the sentence she’d started, reading it again. And again.

Making an irritated noise low in her throat, she shoved back her chair and stood. She headed to the door, pausing with her fingers on the handle.

She just wanted to know if he was still here, right? It was unnerving not to know.

That was probably the reason she couldn’t concentrate. Once she knew that, then she could get back to work. And she should probably tell him to make himself at home. She didn’t have time to entertain him.

Ellina started to push down the handle, but paused again. She had to admit hiding out in here was more appealing. But he was her employee, so she needed to give him some ground rules. She didn’t have a clue what those rules were, but…

“I can’t just leave him standing in the living room. He needs some sort of directions, right?”

Taking a deep breath, she tugged open her door. As soon as she did, a large body loomed in front of her, blocking her from leaving her office.

Ellina yelped and stepped back.

“Are you okay?” Jude stood there, arms crossed over his chest, legs slightly apart.

“What are you doing out here?” she managed to snap, even as her thumping heart stole her breath.

“Guarding you.”

She frowned. So much for being able to tell if he’d followed her down the hall.

Clearly he’d been standing here the whole time.

Had he heard her talking to herself? Worse yet, had he heard her laughing? That had to have seemed slightly crazy, at best. She didn’t ask, not sure if she wanted the answer, so instead she asked, “So this is what you are going to do? Just stand around in the hallway all day?”

“And night,” he added, his tone bland.

Her frown deepened. Well, that answered one question. He clearly hadn’t decided to leave again in the last ten minutes.

“Money makes the world go ’round,” she murmured.

“Pardon?”

She ignored his question. “I can’t concentrate knowing that you’re lurking out here.”

“I’m not lurking. I’m guarding.”

“Well, whatever you’re doing, I can’t concentrate. You want to leave. And I want you to leave, so why don’t you just go now. I’ll even tell Maksim you did stay for a while.”

“That would be a lie.”

Ellina gritted her teeth. “My brother is a demon. He enjoys a good sin every now and then. And you can’t tell me that a guy like you cares about a lie every now and then either.”

She tried to read his reaction to that assessment, but aside from a slight tic in his jaw, his expression told her nothing.

“I’ll even pay you to leave.”

Still no reaction. Nothing.

“I don’t need a bodyguard,” she added once she realized he didn’t intend to answer her. “My brother is a bit of an alarmist. An interesting fact, that. Many demons overreact.

I’ve even written about it.”

Jude leaned one shoulder against the wall, looking decidedly disinclined to go anywhere. And, frankly, a little bored with her.

So it surprised Ellina when he said, “I’ve read your brother’s report about the incidents that have happened to you. They sound a little suspicious to me. Definitely reasons for concern.”

“Yeah, well, then you’re probably an alarmist too.”

Jude quirked his lips in a gesture that Ellina couldn’t exactly label as a smile. More a smirk. But the curl of his lips hinted at a dimple in his left cheek that had remained hidden until that moment.

“I think you’re confusing alarm with caution,” he said.

Ellina made a face, frustrated that they were talking in circles. “Listen, you don’t want this job. And I don’t want you here. So please just go.”

Jude knew he was being handed his out—again—but he couldn’t do it.

Money. Maybe even enough money to make this his last gig.

Keep your eyes on the prize, buddy.

Plus he had read the report, and either someone was out to get this woman, or she had the worst luck of anyone he’d ever encountered. And given that he had some pretty crappy luck, Jude felt pretty confident no one’s luck was quite that bad.

No, he couldn’t leave her alone. She could be in real trouble. That wouldn’t be…

He stopped his train of thought. That wouldn’t be financially wise.

“I’m staying.”

Ellina glared at him, the flash of irritation in her pale eyes making them more brilliant, this time making them glint like polished aquamarines. The firm set of her lips did nothing to diminish their fullness.

He forced his eyes to a point on the wall over her left shoulder, telling himself his notice of those things meant nothing. Just like he was now noting the small nail hole that marred the paint and plaster, right there beside her. Something must have once hung there.

A painting? A photo?

But the notice of the nail hole wasn’t what pulled his muscles taut, or caused his blood to speed up to a low hum in his ears. No, that was all the woman in front of him.

He had to get a grip on his disobedient body. This woman was a job. If she wasn’t a job, he’d have to leave immediately.

Just focus on the cash. On the future finally within your reach.

After several seconds lost on regaining his perspective, he realized Ellina hadn’t reacted to his last statement, but neither had she moved. When he looked back to her, she simply stood, watching him. Those pale eyes searching for something.

Actually he was surprised by her silence. He’d expected her to argue. To get more irritated. But her probing look made him uncomfortable. More uncomfortable. He, a man who’d been in dozens, maybe hundreds, of awkward and awful positions, yet this woman’s penetrating stare made him want to turn and leave. To run away.

Like the coward he really was.

She studied him a moment longer, then sighed. “Okay, obviously I’m not going to win this. So what do we do? Because I’m on a deadline, and I can’t be worrying or wondering what you are doing.”

“You don’t have to do either. I’ll just be here in case something goes wrong.”

She nodded, then smiled. Her full lips turned up in a wide smile, revealing perfect white teeth. The smile lit her eyes.

His breath seized in his chest like stepping out into arctic air. He wished that freezing effect would reach the rest of his body, which burned at the simple gesture.

“Can you wait for something to go wrong while hanging out in the living room?

Does it require you standing in the hallway?”

He forced his attention away from that literally breathtaking smile. Back to the nail hole. Maybe there’d been a hook there once. Or a clock. A mirror?

“I can remain in the living room,” he said after a second, his voice calmer, cooler than the fiery rush in his veins. “But leave your door open. I need to be able to hear you if you need me.”

He would be able to hear her anyway. His hearing was highly developed, but staying in the living room was a concession to them both. For her work, and for his mental health.

Normally he didn’t like to be that far away from a client, so having the door open seemed like a good compromise.

“I’ll be quiet,” he added, when he stole a quick look back to her and saw she was nibbling at her lower lip, debating his request. He quickly looked at the wall again. A small shelf, maybe?

“Fine,” Ellina said. He could feel her eyes on him a moment longer, then she turned back to her office. Out of habit, she started to close the door behind her, then stopped, making a slight face that was even appealing in its cuteness, as she realized what she was doing.

He wanted to groan.

“Sorry,” she said and pushed the door open, then headed toward her desk.

Jude didn’t linger, realizing she wouldn’t appreciate that. And frankly, he didn’t want to watch her lithe body strolling across the room. He turned and strode away from the doorway—and her. He needed space too.

As soon as he was in the living room, he pulled in a steadying breath. He had to stay focused. He had to see this—and her—as like any other gig.

Of course, if he was really treating this post like any other one, he wouldn’t have actually left his position in the hallway. Maybe he’d have moved away a little, but he’d have stayed there. Close by.

No, agreeing to wait in the living room was more for himself than her. And that wasn’t a good approach. He should never come first over a client. But he needed a moment to refocus. To get his head screwed on right. Both heads, he added, trying to ignore the one that still stood at half-mast.

Breathing in deeply, he glanced around the room. The whole cottage was small. He’d definitely hear if anything went wrong. And he could be to her in a fraction of a second if necessary.

All great justifications, buddy.

If he was dealing with a paranormal attacker, then it was always best to be as close as possible. He was fast, but he’d learned the hard way there was always someone, or something, faster.

He paced the room again, then decided if he was going to take the coward’s way out and keep space between them, he should at least do something productive. He hadn’t explored the house, and he needed to know where all the points of entry and other danger zones were.

He had a fairly good idea of the layout. It was a typical shotgun cottage, popular in Louisiana, and they all followed the same basic floor plan. But this one had obviously been modified, probably when plumbing and the bathroom had been added.

He walked down the narrow hallway, stepping into a galley-style kitchen. The whole space seemed miniature. A two-burner cooktop with a small oven below. A dorm room–

size fridge located under the tile counter. Even the sink was smaller than average size.

Above the counter were three cupboards, painted lemon yellow, adding to the colorful, whimsical theme that Ellina seemed to favor.

While Jude made note of all the kitchen’s features, or lack thereof, what he concentrated on was entries and exits. The lack of a window was good. Not that a preternatural attacker would need a window or a door to enter her place, but he still liked to know where the vulnerable areas were.

And even without an easy outside entry, the kitchen was still not a very safe place.

Because it was so confined, Ellina could be easily cornered here. He made a note of that.

The next room was the bath, which was larger than he expected, and with only one window, high on the wall and not big enough for anyone but a child to get through. The bathroom had three doors; the one he’d entered through came from the hallway.

Three doors were good and bad. Easier escape for Ellina, but also easier access for an intruder.

One of the doors stood ajar; he pushed it farther open to find a small bedroom. A double bed took up most of the space, and the lack of personal items on the nightstand and small chest of drawers made him think this was a guest room. The door on the other side of the bed must lead back to the living room.

Behind bathroom door number three had to be Ellina’s bedroom.