Drop Dead Demons (14 page)

Ayden had been rushed and on edge ever since he’d hustled me out of the caves and into his car, which we had to ourselves since Luna and Lucian were at their afterschool clubs. He was talking about as fast as he was driving.

“I canceled our golf game at the country club today, but kept next week’s tennis reservation. For now. And I already signed us up for a hot air balloon ride. They start next month so shouldn’t be a problem.” He laughed nervously. “We hope, right?”

I’d thought we could squeeze in a mini-date, kind of make up for last night’s fiasco, maybe even find out what he wanted to talk about. I was trying to find a bit of personal life in the midst of this demon crap taking over my existence, but he’d shut me down on all counts.

“Sure you don’t want to stop for coffee?” I tried again, talking in a rush to get in an entire sentence. “My treat.”

He looked uncomfortable. “I would, but I’ve got this…meeting thing. Rain check?”

“Sure.”

Why not? I might be dead by morning, the whole assassin thing going on and all, but what the heck, rain check sounded peachy. I white-knuckled the door as Ayden fishtailed around another corner.

When the car was back on four wheels, I said, “I could’ve taken the bus.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Ayden shook his head, eyes straight ahead. “If you’re not in a shielded building then you need to be with a hunter. And if you remember, the last time you ditched me for the bus, things turned disastrous.”

“Sure.” I thumped into the seat. “Bring that up. Like I was supposed to know a Kalifera would hunt me down.”

“Sorry. I’m just…” He sighed. “Please. Stay home so I know you’re safe while we figure some things out. Now, what was I saying before?” He worked the clutch of his Audi, shifting hard as he weaved in and out of what little traffic Gossamer Falls could muster on a weekday afternoon. Someone honked. Again. “Right. Explaining blood contracts.”

Because that was so romantic. 

“I get the gist.” I gripped my seat to help steady. “Someone, somewhere, sometime made a contract with the demon to protect me if certain conditions were met. We don’t know what conditions or who set it up, but my hand bled. It activated. And now I’ve got a slobbering demon guard dog. See, I was listening.” I chewed my lip. “Will she go after Rose?”

“If he was attacking you directly, yes,” Ayden said. “But he’s too smart for that. And since she’s more brawn than brains, it’s your family I’m worried about. Best she stays in the tunnels.” 

“Meaning?”

“For instance, if she saw Lucian fighting with you for the remote or Oron throwing oatmeal at your head, she’d take them out as fast as if Rose was coming at you with a chainsaw. She can’t differentiate between threats.”

My eyes bugged. “Oh, God. What if she shows up at my house?” I leaned toward him and put a hand on his thigh.

He jumped, the car jerked left, we swerved into oncoming traffic, horns blared, Ayden swung the wheel right. The seatbelt checked my sideways freefall as we skidded briefly onto the gravel of the shoulder, clipped the metal guardrail with a high-pitched ping then steadied into the correct lane.

“You alright?” he almost shouted, his head swiveling back and forth from the road to me.

“I’m fine.” Once I’d swallowed down the multitude of internal organs that had jettisoned up my throat.

He swore under his breath and thumped the steering wheel. “We don’t have to worry about Rose killing you. I’ll do it for him! I am such an idiot.”

I nearly choked on the pungent smell of burnt rubber. “What’s wrong? Are you worried about this afternoon’s meeting?”

“What?” Ayden barked another nervous laugh then cleared his throat and wiped a hand across his mouth. “Why would you say that?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe…” Juggling two women can make you jumpy. Literally. “What’s the meeting about?”

He regripped the steering wheel. “Boring stuff. You wouldn’t be interested.”

“Sure I am.” I struggled to keep the frustration from my voice. “Is it Mandatum stuff?”

“Uhhh, yes.” He nodded. “Stuff I’m required, as part of my training, to analyze with…someone my dad knows regarding recent incidents and how best to,” he pulled one hand off the wheel to wave it in the air, “handle the fallout of some unexpected supernatural reactions that could have disastrous long-term effects on…various scenarios that hunters have to deal with and — Trust me. Boring stuff. Oh look, we’re here.”

We actually weren’t there. We were still a few blocks from my house, but Ayden cut off his babbling and used the time to grab my backpack from the rear seat and plop it on my lap. As we pulled up to the curb outside my house, he leaned across me for what I thought was an amorous move at a kiss, so I started to pucker up. Even closed my eyes.

“That son of a—” Ayden glared out my window. 

Then he was out of the car. Halfway up my driveway he doubled back and opened my door.

“Sorry.” He took my backpack and hauled me out of the car, nudging me and my shredded ego along faster.

Our kitchen smelled heavenly, but I made a face because it was infected with Australian scum. Ayden hadn’t been happy when he’d seen Matthias’s BMW in the driveway. I was less so.

Mom plopped a slice of banana bread onto Matthias’s plate.

“Not another one.” The Aussie sat at our kitchen table playing thumb war with Selena who was perched on his lap. “I’m stuffed.”

Mom pointed the knife at him. “It’s still warm. Eat.”

“What is the royal Payne doing here?” Sometimes I cracked myself up. What didn’t make me laugh was mom treating him like a king and serving him yummilious, baked goods that he didn’t deserve.

The glass on the French doors to the backyard squealed as Helsing pawed frantically to get in.

“Ugh.” Mom groaned. “Ayden, could you get the door?  What a spaz! He was doing this a few hours ago to get out. Make up your mind, cat.”

Ayden opened the door and did a quick glance over the backyard. Helsing darted in, flung a hiss at Matthias and laced through my ankles with a motorboat purr. At least one family member was on my anti-Aussie side.

“I thought you were busy?” Ayden flicked the back of Matthias’s head, then stole the banana bread Mom had put on the Aussie’s plate and made a big show of taking a huge bite.

“Ayden!” Mom admonished.

“Sorry,” Ayden said through guilty mouthfuls. “Too delicious to resist.”

“There’s plenty.” Mom smiled and pulled on her bright red lobster claw pot holders to pull out a fresh loaf from the oven. “But Matty gets the most because he saved my baby.”

Matthias blushed. “I didn’t do anything.”

Selena trapped his thumb. “I won!”

“Saved her from what?” A centimole demon? My heart stuttered. No. That didn’t make sense.

“Some boy tried to kiss her on the playground.” Mom turned to Selena. “Show them what you did, honey.”

My pint-sized blonde sister scooted off Matthias’s lap, handed him Bubbles, and got into a fighting stance, feet planted, fists raised like Popeye after he’d downed a can of spinach. She scrunched her face into a scowl and yelled in a faint Australian accent, “Get the bloody hell away from me!” then she jabbed a tiny fist into the air.

“Yeah,” Ayden smirked. “Kind of has your name written all over it.”

Selena climbed back onto Matthias’s lap. “Then he cried. There was blood.”

“A little bloody nose. Nothing he didn’t deserve. Principal threatened to suspend her. Unbelievable.” Mom made a disgusted noise. “I gave them a piece
and a half
of my mind on that. Then Aunt M threatened a sexual harassment lawsuit with her corporation’s team of ‘best lawyers money can buy,’ and Sheriff Payne showed up to smooth things over. It’s all good now.” 

Great. The big jerk was a hero. Man, I hated when they treated my nemesis like the golden boy. If they only knew. Kidnapping, anyone?

Matthias caught my sneer, and smiled ever so sweetly. “Mrs. Lahey, I’m just glad
someone
was able to protect her.”

What was that supposed to mean?

I wanted to strangle the obnoxious creep, but had to refrain because Mom smiled and kissed the top of his head as she went by. He flinched. Mom didn’t notice.

But I did.

I strode over from behind and wrapped an arm around Matthias’s neck in a loving chokehold then put on my most perky voice, infused with cheerleader-level enthusiasm.

“Oh my gosh, Selena, isn’t Matty like the best big brother ever!”

Then I started kissing his cheek over and over with loud smooch noises.

“What the bloody—”

He stiffened and was about to shove me off, but Selena squealed, “Ever, kever, tever!” and started kissing his other cheek — like I knew she would — and Mom uttered a sentimental, “Ahhh,” and he had to freeze and suck it up. It was a beautiful thing.

Until Ayden pulled me off.  

“Can’t have my girlfriend kissing other guys,” he said with a laugh. “Selena, I think Bubbles’ eye patch is coming off.”

“No!” Selena took the toy to better light and studied it closely.

A strange look passed between Ayden and Matthias. I didn’t understand it, but the high color in the Aussie’s cheeks started to dissipate.

Peachy. Along with keeping secrets and his distance, Ayden was ruining what little fun I had torturing Matthias. I couldn’t win.

“I’ve got homework.” I glared at Ayden and grabbed for my backpack, but he slid it out of reach with his foot and caught my elbow.

“Sure, right after you show me that thing outside that you promised to show me.” When I tried to pull away, he whispered, “I think the demon followed you home.”

As Ayden led me through the sliding French door and headed toward the rear of the backyard, I frantically scanned the area.

“Where did you see her?”

“I didn’t,” he said. “You were angry and I needed you alone to say sorry, but I had to shut down that down. Matthias couldn’t take anymore.”

“What? You scared me to death!” I hissed as my adrenalin pumps switched from fear-based to fury-driven. “Besides, I thought it was because you didn’t want your girlfriend kissing other guys.”

He pulled me behind some hedges then let go, facing me.

“Not that I’m worried about Matthias, but come to think of it, no, I don’t want my girlfriend kissing other guys.”

“Why not?” I grumbled. “Not like you’re doing much of it.” 

Disbelief contorted his face. “Wh-what?”

“Nothing.” I folded my arms and kicked my toe into the grass.

“Oh, no. Let’s…
explore
this.” He flicked his jacket back and rested his hands on his hips. “I take you places. We do things together. Share interests. I enjoy your company because I enjoy spending time getting to know you. We talk. But…and let me get this straight, I am a bad boyfriend because I’m not trying to jump you twenty-four seven. Did I,” he cleared his throat, “did I get that about right?”

I didn’t know where to look. Just knew I didn’t want to look at him. “I didn’t say, ‘bad.’”

“Not in so many words but…” He tried to catch my eye. “You do know how that sounds, right?”

“Sure, now that you said it like that.” This was embarrassing. The guy practically wrote the Perfect Boyfriend Manual, and I was complaining.  

“Said it…
like that?
” He spread his arms and leaned back. “How else am I supposed to say it?”

“Maybe a better term would be…neglectful?”

“Neglectful.”

“Not as far as…doing stuff.” Explaining this was a little tougher than I thought.

His lips curved into a suggestive smile. “No. Just as far as
doing stuff
.”

I blushed. “You know, maybe I meant more that you seemed...uninterested. In, ah, in ahhh,” I moved my palm in circles in the air in front of me.

He lifted one brow. “Uninterested in your…
chest?
”

“What?” I realized my hand had been circling right over my boobs. Nice move, Aurora. I rolled my eyes. Was he playing with me? Didn’t matter. “No! Not…that!”

“Good.” His dark eyes glittered with amusement. “Because I can assure you I find your chest
very
interesting. At times, downright mesmerizing.”

I folded my arms over my chest. “Me! Uninterested in
me
.”

“Uninterested.” He looked to the heavens for a brief moment then sighed. “You mean sexually. Uninterested. In you.”

Why did he keep repeating everything I said? Certainly didn’t sound better a second time around.

He shook his head. “This just gets better and better.” 

Really? Because that wasn’t how I was seeing it.

Then he started laughing. It built from a chuckle to full-on shoulder-shaking, near knee-slapping guffaws.

I squinted. “This is funny to you?”

“Oh,” he wiped his eyes, “you have no idea.”

Humiliation stung. “Glad I could be such a joke.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“You should go.” I made a shooing motion. “Don’t want to keep you from your important meeting thing.”

“Won’t do me much good if you think—” He laughed again. “Never mind. Sorry. Everything can wait. Let’s stay on topic. You feel I’ve neglected you. Physically in general. Kissing specifically. Fair enough. Challenge accepted.”

“Challenge? I didn’t issue any challenge.” Did I?

“Let’s do this.”

“Do what?”

“I’m going to kiss you.”

“Whoa!” My hands flew into the air and I moved to escape. “This is stupid.”

He blocked my path. “Hold on. Not stupid at all. You have a valid point, just give me a minute.”  He rolled his shoulders, shook out his arms, rocked on the balls of his feet a few times, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. “Okay. I’m ready.”

I frowned. “You have to
gear-up
to kiss me?”

“Aurora.” Ayden’s voice was low and deep and seemed to reach across to stroke my skin. He walked toward me with slow measured steps. Under heavy lids, his eyes stalked me, the faintest amber simmering in the dark brown depths. “You have no idea what I go through when I’m near you.”

And he was near me now. So close the heat from his body snaked around and enveloped mine, holding us in a cocoon, isolating us from the cold outside world. Even without touching me I felt like his captive, wrapped within some aura of daring emotions that weaved around us, waiting for a chance to strike. Waiting for a chance to hook under my skin and never let go.

He murmured, “Close your eyes.”

“What?” I started to step back, but he caught my arms, fingers tight around my biceps, keeping our bodies close. 

“Aurora.” His voice took on a commanding edge that made it clear he expected no argument. “You’ve made your concerns clear. Now give me the chance to…address them.”

“By kissing me?”

“By kissing you.”

He really liked to repeat stuff.

One side of his mouth quirked up. “At least, that’s where we’ll start.”

Ohhh, boy.

He sighed. “Don’t panic.”

“I’m not panicking.” I was so panicking.

“I can see you panicking.”

“How can you see me panicking?”

“I see a lot more than you give me credit for. So for now, just a kiss, I promise. Better for both of us, anyway.” Before I could ask what that meant, he slid the fingers of both hands into my hair and held my face in his hands. His look filled with intensity. “Close your eyes. No, I didn’t say roll your eyes. You know what, just hold still.”

“Wow. You really know how to sweet talk a gir—”

He kissed me. Quick and fast. Like he was tasting a medicine to judge the level of horrible flavor.

Odd. Borderline insulting.

He raised his head and let his gaze meander over my features. He appeared pleased, seemed to relax. A faint smile touched his lips. He breathed deep, gave an almost imperceptible nod then his head lowered.

This time the kiss was slower. Softer. And short. His lips barely brushed mine before he pulled away. But his mouth hovered, his breath coasting across my lips and cheeks, tickling down my neck. I smelled the sweet aroma of baked banana bread. And licked my lips.

My hands came up, grazing across his stomach. My fingers skimmed over the firm contours of his abdomen, and through his thin T-shirt, I felt the muscles tense harder at my touch. His breath paused. His eyes flicked down, but otherwise he seemed to freeze. When I laid my palms lightly on his chest, his heart
th-thumped
several quick beats, then steadied. He inhaled slowly, regripped my face in his hands, and moved in again.

Lips against mine. Tender. Lingering longer between the moments when he took his mouth away. Tingles zinged across my skin. I was
zingled
. Great new word. I raised on tip-toe, trying to follow his lips each time they backed off, because the zingling was oh-so delightful, but his hands firmly held my face and kept me at bay.

Was he teasing? Playing with my emotions. But his expression was so serious, as if he was concentrating hard to…

What? I didn’t know. But I had his full attention now and didn’t want to break his avid focus. My skin prickled with goosebumps, awakening new sensations, feelings of desire bubbling up from deep within. 

His hand slipped behind my neck, and his head dipped, and I readied for a real kiss, a hard kiss, something to help alleviate the mounting pressure of my cravings. But his lips merely brushed mine, so soft it almost wasn’t a touch, yet my body reacted as if electrified.

Nerves ignited. Anticipation fluttered in my stomach as his lips dropped faint kisses along the line of my mouth, taking great care to cover every inch, and taking way too much time about it.

My hands clenched. He was kissing me, but he wasn’t
kissing
me, and he wouldn’t let me kiss
him
and…I wanted to.

When his tongue flicked the corner of my mouth, my breath hitched and my lips parted with a sigh. Although why I could still breathe was beyond me. My knees were trembling. They’d probably give out any second. Not that I cared. I’d closed my eyes ages ago because these overwhelming sensations sapped my strength, leaving me on just this side of limp, and it was way too much work to keep eyelids open.

Ayden’s tongue traced along the delicate skin on the inside of my lips. It was as if every nerve ending gathered to each spot he touched, making the flesh so terribly sensitive the contact was almost painful. Almost.

When I shivered, he paused, and I took the opening to capture his lips with mine. Finally.

He jumped at the contact. His hands tightened on my face, became warmer, and just when I thought he would back off, his shoulders relaxed, and he returned the kiss. A huge relief, because stopping now should be against the law. Maybe it was.

Cruel and unusual punishment.   

His touch was sensuous and unhurried and settled all of my anxious energy into something languid. I leaned into him, my fingers spreading over the solid feel of his chest. The rhythm and pressure of his kisses increased, and he seemed more and more reluctant to pull his lips from mine.

His hands slipped down to cup my neck, thumbs stroking slowly up and down my throat. My pulse quickened. I reached one hand up to slip it around his neck, to pull us closer, to have his mouth stop teasing mine, to crush him into me.

But he pulled away, and took a step back.

I wanted to tell him to stay close, to keep touching me, but with my breath coming in such halting bursts, I couldn’t speak.

Staring at the ground, he licked his lips — luscious lips that should be on mine. Then he swallowed. Blinked slowly, lids heavy. I knew that feeling. But in his case he was probably having trouble holding up those ridiculously thick lashes that cast mysteriously sexy shadows on his cheeks. Mysteriously sexy shadows? Yeah, I was in trouble.  

The rise and fall of his chest increased. “Aurora, I…”

In a deliberate movement that appeared to take great effort, his gaze lifted to meet mine. The dark chocolate was almost gone, nearly overcome by sparks of red and orange, like burning coals ready to ignite.

My breath caught at the heat of that look. Something tangible and alive jumped across the space between us, something in a hot rush to infiltrate my body, pulsing with the beat of my heart, wild and strong and asking for more.

“I think…” His voice was rough, every syllable skating on sandpaper. He shook his head, his expression frustrated. “Was that…more of what you were looking for?” 

More? I almost laughed. Oh, yes, it was more. More than I expected. And everything I’d imagined. At my silence, dark emotions flickered across the handsome lines of his face. His jaw tightened.

I touched a hand to his cheek. “I believe that was both more and,” I took a shaky breath, “not nearly enough.”

It took him a beat, but then a smile of satisfaction curved his lips, and when my hands slid up to tangle my fingers in the silk of his hair and pull him to me, he didn’t resist.

I loved his sweet taste. The feel of his mouth as it moved with sensuous longing over mine. Warmth tingled along the back of my neck, shimmied down my spine. His arms slid around my waist as his mouth pressed harder. The tingling heat wrapped around my rib cage, sparking a fire that burned in my belly. My body arced against him, trying desperately to capture the feel of every part of him. His arms around my waist tightened. His hands started to roam, exploring my body—

He loosed his hold. I pressed closer, but his hands moved to my sides, his mouth pulled away.

“Aurora, this isn’t—”

“Yes, it is.” I didn’t know what he was going to say, but I was sure I wouldn’t agree because these feelings were too vitally important to my immediate emotional and physical well-being to do anything but act on them.

Ayden had his hands on my wrists, trying to disengage. “No, I really think—”

“Don’t think.” I kissed him to shut him up. “You talk too much.” And I didn’t want to hear it.

He started to kiss me back, then groaned and slipped his hands to my hips to push me away, so I reached up both arms and wrapped them around his neck. The move lifted my shirt from under his hands and when his skin made direct contact with mine, something snapped.

He became unnaturally still. The air thickened. A warm breeze spiraled around us like a coiling serpent. An intense energy seemed to ripple through his entire body. And then he moved. 

One hand slipped under my shirt and around my waist, hot fingers splayed against my bare skin and crushed me to him. His other hand dug into the flesh of my hip and somehow, a moment later my back was up against a tree, the rough surface biting through my shirt.