Sculpting a Demon (9 page)

She ducked her head as she nodded, but he saw the smile trying to form on her lips. “Sit,” he said, guiding her back to the table. “Eat. It seems that we have a night of drinking and socializing and fucking ahead of us. You’ll need your strength.”

She laughed and he let out a long sigh of relief. They sat down, and once again he took her in his arms. He couldn’t help himself. Having her so close and not touching her would be an abomination.

As she ate, the need to know what spell she had cast gnawed at him once more. How was he to fulfill her desires if he couldn’t ascertain what they were? He’d tried everything he could think of to learn the purpose of his summons, but none of it had worked. There was only one thing left to do. He had to know. “What spell did you cast?”

“You don’t know?” she asked.

“No,” he admitted. “I only heard your voice.”

She tilted her head from side to side, seeming almost embarrassed. “It was a love spell,” she said finally.

The room seemed to shift around him as the words left her mouth. A wave of unease swept through him, settling low in his stomach. “To seduce someone specific?” he asked.

“Nope,” she said, picking up another piece of chicken. “Just your basic send-me-my-true-love stuff.”

He fought back the urge to vomit. There was no way he could spin an innocent request like that into something that could conceivably fall under the purviews of hell. If only she had asked for someone specific, then he could argue coercion, point out that the spell was shaded by black magic and personal gain. What a mess. By answering her call, he had broken a cardinal rule of all of magic and now both sides would be after him, if they weren’t already. When they found him, they were going to drag him back to the bowels of hell and do their very best to make him scream. And eventually he would.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“You sure? You look a little pale.”

“Do I?” he said absently as a far worse thought hit him. He had been so concerned with devising a way to save himself, he hadn’t fully realized the implications of what she had said. A love spell. He had answered a love spell. A love spell is what had called to him in the depths of hell, tugging at the very core of his being, demanding action. He squeezed his eyes shut. This was bad. Very, very bad.

Her fingertips traced his forehead, the side of his face as she brushed his hair out of his eyes. She kissed his lips lightly, delicately, more a whisper of a touch than a kiss. “Is there anything I can do?” she asked.

Arien nearly laughed. That she should comfort him! Unbelievable. The sweetness of her gesture mixed with something else, something more within him, and a viselike grip squeezed his heart. “It’s okay, my sweet,” he said, kissing her fingertips. “Really, it is.”

Maybe it was worth it, he thought as he rested his chin on her shoulder. To be able to have been here with her. To be able to feel this way. And thinking that, he knew right then and there that he was in serious trouble. Perhaps he had been from the moment he heard her voice. But love? Really? A creature such as he should be incapable of such an emotion.

And then he remembered the angst he felt while sitting idly in hell. The feeling of waiting. Of wanting something more. Of something missing. Could it be?
How
could it be? All he knew was that the thought of spending the rest of eternity rotting at Hordas’ bar after they were finished punishing him filled him with horror and fury. And sorrow. This is where he wanted to be. He was not going to leave her side. There had to be a way. He only hoped he’d be able to find it in time.

Chapter Eight

The Loading Dock was packed when they entered, and it seemed to Lila that every beautiful person in the entire city was in attendance. Arien’s hand was a comforting weight on her lower back as they walked through the club and she shivered as his fingers traced small, titillating circles over skin. She glanced over at him, but he was distracted, his head turning in every direction, taking in all the sights and sounds.

“Are you impressed?” she asked.

He shrugged one shoulder. “It reminds me of hell.”

Lila blinked. “Really?” she asked. She’d never given much thought to hell and all that it might entail, but the idea that it would be similar to a dance club had certainly never crossed her mind.

“The music is different,” he said. “But the principle is the same.”

“I thought hell was supposed to be horrible,” she said. “Burning, agony, torment. You know, the opposite of fun.”

“For most perhaps, but hell was created by my brethren,” he said. “We do our best to keep ourselves entertained.” He looked down at her, his face earnest. “But never think it isn’t a punishment, because it is. Regardless of whatever fun it may offer, hell is the utter absence of the Divine, and that alone is an agony beyond anything you could ever imagine.”

“You miss it,” she said, the revelation shocking her even as she spoke. “Heaven. You miss it, don’t you?”

A smile curved his lips, but it was bitter. “It is my curse to forever long for all that was lost to me.”

“Then why don’t you go back?”

Even his laughter was tinged with bitterness. “It isn’t that simple, my M—” He caught himself. “Lila.” As he said her name, his face changed, the bitterness replaced by a radiance that stole her breath. “Besides, I rather enjoy being a demon.”

“Do you?”

“Yes,” he said, and that wicked grin danced across his lips. “If I wasn’t a demon, I couldn’t do this,” he said, and then dipped his head. His mouth met hers for a hard kiss. “Or this,” he said, his hand sliding up and over her waist to cup her breast. He pulled her closer, the beginnings of his erection pressing against her hip. Heat flared within her and the need for him to fill her again became a deep, pulsing ache. “Or this,” he said, his voice hoarse. He kissed her throat and his hand glided back down her body to give her ass a gentle squeeze.

How she loved the feel of his hands on her! She didn’t think she’d ever be able to get enough of him. With all the sex they’d had over the course of the day, she should’ve been satiated for like the next five years. But she wasn’t. Not by a long shot. “You sure lust isn’t your sin?” she asked playfully.

“Not Lust,” he said so softly she didn’t think she was meant to hear.

“Let’s get this over with,” she said. “I’ve got plans for you, and they do not include sitting in this club all night.”

“What might those plans be?” he asked with a mischievous grin.

She bit her lower lip to contain her smile and shook her head. “You’ll just have to wait and see,” she said, and laced her fingers through his.

They wove their way through the scantily clad, gyrating bodies toward a staircase in the far corner of the club.

“Hi,” she said to the man standing beside the staircase, clipboard in hand. “Lila Callahan, plus one.”

The man checked his clipboard to make sure she was cool enough to enter the VIP domain. Seemingly satisfied, he nodded to her and then unfastened the velvet rope blocking the staircase.

As they climbed the stairs, nervousness fluttered in her belly. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted Arien to meet Angie. More than one man had lost interest in her at the sight of her friend. Not that she could blame them. With her five-hundred-dollar hair, perfect gym body and impeccable designer wardrobe, Angie was a much more attractive option. She only hoped that Arien wouldn’t think so. She didn’t know if she could bear it if he did.

As if he sensed her unease, his arm came around her shoulders and he pulled her against him. She sighed as she snuggled into his embrace. She didn’t know how he did it, but with the simplest gestures he managed to make her feel so wonderful.

She spotted Angie over by the bar and waved to her. Angie grinned widely and met them halfway.

“Look at you!” Angie said, taking both of Lila’s hands. “All glowy and stuff.” Her smile grew as her eyes flicked from Arien back to Lila. “I’m jealous,” she whispered, and then moved around Lila. “Hello,” she said a tad breathlessly as she extended her hand to Arien.

He took her hand, kissed the back of it and bowed at the waist. “An honor.”

“My, my, my,” Angie said. “And charming too,” she said, her eyes roaming over every inch of him.

“Angie, this is Arien,” Lila said. “Arien, Angie.” She shifted her weight beside them as they regarded one another. She got the distinct impression that they were sizing each other up, but the moment passed quickly. Arien dropped Angie’s hand and put his arm back around Lila’s shoulders.

A handsome blond man, not quite as tall as Arien but nearly as wide, made his way through the crowd toward them. When he reached her side, Angie threw her arms around him. “This is Dyne,” she said, practically beaming. “He’s Torque’s PR man. Isn’t he scrumptious?” she asked Lila.

Lila had to admit that this Dyne was indeed a sight. The man was a barely contained torrent of raw sexual energy. Every line of his body, every movement screamed hot, volatile, mind-blowing sex. She could understand Angie’s enthusiasm, but even recognizing that this man was truly sex on a stick, nothing about him moved her, made her wet and excited and breathless the way Arien did. Lila nodded to her friend though, happy for her.

Dyne bent down and whispered something into Angie’s ear, and for the first time in all the years she had known Angie, her friend blushed.

“Promises, promises,” Angie said, and then, even more shockingly, she giggled. Angie. Giggled. It was beyond comprehension.

“Now you boys make nice,” Angie said, taking hold of Lila. “Lila and I have to go powder our noses.” She pulled Lila toward the ladies’ room before she could even open her mouth to object.

“That is quite a man you got there,” Angie said once they entered the restroom. “Where did you find him?”

“He kinda found me,” Lila said. “But, Angie, he isn’t—”

Angie’s shriek cut Lila off. “It worked, didn’t it?” She danced around in a little circle. “It worked! I’m
so
doing it the minute I get back to New York. Hugh Jackman here I come!”

“Angie, stop.” She let out a disgusted grunt and grabbed Angie’s shoulder to get her to stop dancing. “You’ve got it all wrong. He isn’t a man. He’s…” How was she going to get her friend to understand when she didn’t fully understand herself? “Angie, he’s a
demon
.”

“Who cares what he is?” Angie asked. “He’s totally fuckalicious.”

“He’s what?” Lila asked, and then closed her eyes and squeezed the bridge of her nose. “You aren’t listening to me. That damn spell conjured a demon.”

Angie finally settled down and let out a long sigh. “The spell didn’t conjure a demon. You did, Lila.”

“What?” she exclaimed, and then cringed as another woman entered the bathroom. She pulled Angie toward the sinks and lowered her voice. “What are you talking about?”

“That spell was meant to attract your true love. Your soul mate. Obviously he’s yours.”

“That can’t be,” Lila said, completely taken aback.

“Oh, come off it, Lila. I saw the way he looks at you. And the way that you look back at him. You’re totally hot for him and I don’t just mean his cock.”

“I only met him this morning,” Lila said. She’d known him only hours really, and yet she felt such an ease, such a comfort with him, it was as though she’d known him a lifetime. But regardless of what it felt like, it still could not be. “There’s no way.”

“Love knows no bounds,” Angie said with the wave of her hand. “Or time constraints, in this case. Besides, we’ve all heard the stories of eyes meeting across a crowded room, sparks flying, instant bliss, true love at first sight, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.” Angie smiled. “It’s what keeps Hollywood in business. And it gives us all something to hope for.”

“I think that magazine you work for has finally mushed your brains,” Lila said. “That shit just does not happen.”

“But it did happen.” She met Lila’s eyes. “And you know it.”

Lila was silent for a long moment. He was everything she had asked for. Everything and so much more. He made her feel special. Beautiful. With him, she didn’t feel awkward or weird or worthless. With him, she felt alive. Truly, utterly, wonderfully
alive
. And when he looked at her… She shook her head, still unwilling to accept the truth. “He’s not human, Angie.”

“Don’t be such a xenophobe, Lila. It’s very un-PC.” She leaned back against the sink. “What kind of demon is he anyway? Some kind of fertility sex god, ancient-man-of-mystery thing? He’s certainly hot enough.”

Lila’s eyebrows furrowed. “You know, you’re taking this whole demon thing way better than I did. If you’d asked me yesterday, I’d have sworn they didn’t exist. How can you be so blasé?”

Angie shrugged. “It’s a strange and wondrous world. Considering that people pay obscene amounts of money to inject themselves with botulism, is meeting a demon really all that shocking?” She nudged Lila with her elbow. “So, come on. What’s his deal?”

“He’s a fallen angel.”

“An angel?” Angie asked. “Nice.” She paused. “He’s not a virgin, is he? ’Cause, you know, those angels… All pure and stuff.”

Lila snorted. “Doubtful.”

“Really?” Angie asked. “That good, huh?”