My Decadent Demon (My Demon Trilogy, Book 1) (11 page)

Cole moaned, the sight of her barely clad breasts jiggling making his manhood twitch with need. He had to get away from her before he did something he’d regret. “No Sera, we shall not,” he muttered, forcing his eyelids
to close.

Bare-ass naked, he rolled off the bed and headed for the bathroom - to take a very cold shower. With the door
left ajar, he turned on the water and stepped beneath its bitter cold spray. Large hands splayed against the wall as frigid rivers of ice racked his tightly rung body. He dropped his head and clenched his jaw until his teeth began to chatter. That angel was going to be the death of him.

Back in the bedroom, Sera frowned. Cole had left looking less than pleased, and she somehow felt responsible. Was it something she’d said? Slender fingers raked through her hair as she let out a sigh.

But then his memories came back to her. How had he done that? Made those visions feel so utterly... real? She rubbed her breastbone, her soul strangely troubled.

Her ey
es moved back to the bathroom. She didn’t like seeing him sad. In another place and time, she knew she would enjoy making him happy. Every minute of every day. But he was not just some male to be smitten with. No, Cole was some sort of magic-strewn rogue who had kidnapped her from her home and was currently endeavoring to brainwash her.

With a restless heart, she slipped from the bed and, once dressed, began plotting a way to escape.

CHAPTER 10

“Come and get it!”

Cole set out the food he'd conjured up, hoping to tantalize Sera's taste buds with normal edibles so she’d stop trying to eat the damn houseplants. He'd thrown out every one he could find after catching her eating a fern leaf yesterday. Shit, who knew what else she'd try to eat. Maybe feeding her this meal would help so she didn't go snacking on things that didn’t belong in her mouth.

“Sera,” he shouted, heading toward the bedroom. “I have something for you.”

In the back of her awareness, Sera could hear Cole calling her, but she was too engrossed with the images flashing across the TV. Sprawled out on a mattress, lying on her stomach with her head where her feet should be, she stared wide-eyed at the screen. She tilted h
er head - then titled it more- until she was looking at the pictures from a sideways perspective. Cut-rate music throbbed from the speakers, pumping through the room as female gasps, masculine grunts and a myriad of skin slapping noises made their way into Cole’s hallway.

Her jaw dropped open as her eyes grew wide. “Sweet stars above...” she murmured, awestruck. “I sooo
want to try that with- Oh my!” She gasped, blinking repeatedly at the newest turn of events.

Cole followed the sound of music until he reached the spare bedroom’s doorway.  Sera was hanging off the end of the bed, watching the TV upside down with a peculiar smile on her face.

“What are you watching?” he chuckled. Sera squeaked in surprise, toppling off the mattress to land in a heap on the floor. Cole shook his head and laughed. Sauntering over he helped her up. “Sera, you don't need to be watching that. You can do that with me anytime you want.” He winked at her
, helping her straighten her shirt. “Come on, Luv,” he chuckled again, enjoying the flush in her cheeks. “I’ve got dinner ready for us.”

Her blush only darkened,
clearly mortified that he’d caught her watching such a thing. But then her eyes flashed. He sighed, suddenly realizing all the questions she’d be hitting him with shortly regarding the movie’s creative and colorful content. Yet, as they walked down the hallway, he couldn’t help smirking. Her innocent ignorance was just so Sera.

“Cole,” she began, eying him curiously as they entered the living room. “Those lovers. They were doing the most peculiar things with their bodies...”

He chuckled again, tugging her along by her hand. Which direction was she going with this? There were so many his angel could take. He looked over his shoulder and grinned. “And?” he prompted.

She shrugged sheepishly, following in his footsteps. “And I would like to learn how to do them. The sounds that female’s ministrations were causing her male to make were positively divine.” She smiled up at him, biting her lip. “Do you make such lovely sounds, Cole?”

The question shouldn’t have given him pause, but for some reason it did. It wasn’t often that he got to witness true curiosity, in its most sincere and unadulterated form, untainted by twisted, perverted intensions. It was one of his many inward ironies when it came to Sera. For a demon to enjoy such purity went against everything he stood for.

“Hell, as long as you rub me the right way, I'll make any noise you want me to,” he grinned as they arrived at the living room coffee table. B
y the way her face lit up, she must have liked his answer. He gestured for her to sit atop a myriad of large pillows surrounding his colorful spread of food. As she wiggled about, clearly determined to get optimally comfortable, Cole smiled. Again, so Sera...

H
er attention locked onto the food. Brown eyes widened in delight. He sat down across from her, watching in amusement as she nibbled eagerly on selective pieces. When she noticed him staring, she tilted her head, her cheeks still tinted with red.

“Sera,” he smirked, resuming with their conversation. “I know you’re not innocent.” She merely looked at him, her lips curving slightly. But while it clearly wasn’t a salacious smile, it was still inviting; as if she didn’t mind him believing such a thing, even if to her it wasn’t true.

He took a bite of his food, watching her intently, but stopped when she licked her fingers – an action she began repeating after each and every bite. He looked down quickly, tamping back a groan as he struggled not to get turned on. But as he reached down inconspicuously to readjust himself, he discovered he was too late. He cursed. With Sera around, he’d become a perpetual walking hard-on.

Eyes on her meal, Sera smiled inwardly, still considering Cole’s earlier words. So sweet they had been, offering to appease her audial needs. He made her feel beautiful, wanted, like she was the only woman in the world. And despite her better judgment, she liked the feeling.

Her eyes resumed roaming the interesting array of edibles, but always found their way back to him. And each time they did, her thoughts went back to that TV program, to those delightfully creative activities that that couple had been engaging in.

She cleared her throat, squirming awkwardly on her pillow, endeavoring to respond to his most recent remark. “I suppose ‘innocence’ holds varying meaning among sp
ecies.” She grinned at him. Abruptly she changed the subject as a new thought came to mind. “Tell me. When did you find time to procure and prepare all of this wonderment? I did not see any of these items in your refrigerator, nor in your cabinets.” She tilted her head as she studied him, a look of suspicious intrigue flickering in her eyes. “It is as if all this appeared out of thin air. How could that be?”

Her eyes narrowed when Cole merely grinned, then abruptly snapped his fingers to make a drink appear. “Just like that,” he shrugged, wiggling his fingers. “I'm just that special. I can make anything appear and disappear.” Sera’s back straightened immediately as she stopped chewing to stare at him. She frowned when he groaned, putting down his
fork. “Oh hell, here it comes. Your curiosity just spiked.”

Sheepishly, she bit her lip, which to her delight, caused him to smile. Which, in turn, made her melt in response. She sighed dreamily. With Cole around, she was ever a ‘puddle of swoon.’ But she didn’t mind. She
realized she loved making him smile.

She watched
him as he leaned back on his pillow, clearly waiting for her multitudes of questions to begin. “Go ahead,” he prompted her. “Ask me what it is that’s bouncing around in that head of yours. I can practically hear Hamster double-timing it in his wheel.”

She blinked at his odd remark, then out-right laughed, throwing a piece of food at him. He barely dodged it. “Am I really that transparent?” she asked. “That predictable?”  He merely raised a brow and grinned. Her insides instantly ignited. Heavens on fire, she loved when he made that face. He was pure charisma, sexy and mysterious, setting her spirit aflame. But he did
n’t need to know such a thing. It would empower him unfairly. And he was already entirely too self-confident - which as it was, she found positively delicious.

To hide her dreamy sentiments, she sniffed indignantly and took a sip of her wine, eyeing him over the glass’s rim. Finally she shifted atop her pillow. “Alright, I must admit, you have my curiosity piqued. I must know. How do you wield such magic? Are you a wizard?”

She frowned as he grimaced visibly. Was suggesting him a male witch offensive? “Hell no, I'm not a wizard,” he grunted before shrugging. “Maybe I was just such a handsome specimen that the powers that be said, ‘Oh look, let’s make him
extra
special.’” He smirked, taking another bite. Sera couldn’t help laughing, nor could she resist lobbing another piece of food at him. “Sera,” he laughed, dodging the second projectile, “food is meant to be eaten, not thrown at my head.” 

She froze as he picked up a grape and tossed it her way. It hit her chest, then fell down the front of her shirt. She yelped, then scowled as Cole laughed, sitting back in clear satisfaction to watch her retrieve it from her cleavage. Shameless male!

Once the grape was extricated, Sera raised a brow, refusing to be deterred off subject. “While your explanation is amusing, I am afraid it will not suffice in sating my intrigue.” An impish grin emerged. “If I am able to make this morsel land inside your mouth, you will tell me the truth. If I am unable, you can ask a truth of me. Do we have a deal, handsome male of curious talent?”

Cole shook his head with a chuckle. “I'm not letting you play hoops with my mouth, Sera. I am what I am; special with a twist.”  With one last bite, he set down his fork and wiped his mouth. As he watched her bouncing the grape in her h
and, he couldn’t help wondering what was going through her active mind now. Had she accepted his less-than-forthcoming summation? In all honesty, he wasn't sure she'd believe him even if he
did
tell her the truth. He remained silent as Sera nibbled her lip. Most likely she was debating the next tactic to use to get him to divulge more about his ‘specialness.’

She eyed him.

He eyed her back.

She grinned.

He grinned back.

War of the wills, he drawled to himself, how
nice.

She suddenly laughed and shook her head. “Do not play games with me, Cole, or I will have no choice but to think you afraid to tell me your little secret.” He watched her shift closer. “Are you a closet gypsy of some sort?” A fresh smile played on her lips. “I bet you are. And I will tell you now, before you open those plump, perfect lips of yours, that as an angel I can smell deceit. So do not even bother with falsities.” Amused at her antics, Cole grinned. His little seraph thought herself so clever. She beamed at him brightly, crossing her arms. “Well?” she
prompted. “Out with it, terrified gypsy man.”

Cole leaned back on his elb
ows. “Have I told a lie yet, little angel? Like I said before, I'm just a special person, not a gypsy vagabond.” Her dubious expression made him laugh. Shaking his head, he decided to disclose a bit more. “I was born like all people. I just turned out a little different when I finally grew up.”

He inclined back further, hands clasped behind his head, ankles crossed wit
hout a care. In reality, he was very much aware that if Sera ever found out what he truly was, she'd probably run screaming, just like she'd done a hundred years before.

Her face turned frustrated. Cole lifted a brow as she suddenly put down her fork and crawled around the table toward him.
She smiled at him sweetly, then sat on her heels at his side.

His gaze dropped down, watching her fingers pluck random little pillow fuzzies
off the surface of his shirt. “‘All people’ does not include you, Cole,” she murmured. “You are indeed special. I will certainly give you that. But you are also something else; something that you clearly have reservations revealing to me.”

She tilted her head and sighed, the sight causing Cole’s heart to thud in his chest. “If I am really your mate, your love, like you claim,” she went on, “then why do you keep such information from me? I am not a simpleton. I recognize powerful energy, just as all angels do.”

Cole’s eyes lifted. A genuine frown was curving her lips. “Should I assume that this ‘relationship’ we once had was imbalanced?” she asked. “Did you frequently keep things from me?” Cole tensed, seeing where she was going. She sat up straight and stiffly crossed her arms. “Because if that is the case then…” she shrugged sadly, starting to turn from him, “then I fear the future for us is rather bleak indeed.”

Cole scowled, grabbing her arm. “I’ve never lied to you, Sera. You did know what I was before, but...” he rubbed his face, “I’m not lying to you now and I didn't lie to you then.”

With a snap of his fingers, he returned the living room to its previous state and swiftly got to his feet. He needed to escape her accusing eyes. Long strides took him down the hallway as another finger snap dropped the shutters on every window in the house. He didn’t want Sera getting any bright ideas while he was busy hiding.

Inside his bedroom, he yanked off his shirt and tossed it aside. He was beyond aggravated, but more at himself than anything. He threw his shoes hard enough to leave two gaping holes in the wall.

A small sound emitted, dragging his attention to the door. Sera stood there, watching him quietly. “Just drop it, Sera,” he grumbled, stalking into the bathroom and slamming the door.

Back in the bedroom’s doorway, Sera frowned. She hadn't meant to ruin their lovely dinner with her intrusive questions. But in her own defense, her questions were valid. She had a right to know what he was, did she not?
She chewed anxiously on her thumbnail, then walked to the bathroom door. As she stared at it morosely, she listened to the activity – or lack thereof - on the other side. What was he doing? Was he ok? She splayed her hands on the wood and leaned her forehead against it. Softly, she apologized. “Cole? I am sorry. I did not mean to upset you.”

The muted sound of his breathing ceased. Sera blinked, her brows dipping. A ripe curse resounded as Cole abruptly yanked open the door. She stumbled into him with a yelp. But to her surprise, her caught her and pulled her into his arms.

“I'm the one that's sorry,” he murmured, hugging her tight. “I'm acting like an ass. I just-” he cleared his throat, swallowing audibly, “I just don't-” a groan left his lips as he buried his head into her shoulder. Despite their predicament, Sera’s heart went out to him. She could tell he was struggling, trying desperately to get out the words he knew she needed to hear. She had a strange, foreboding feeling that he was afraid of losing her. “Just accept me for who I am,” he beseeched, “right now in this moment.” His voice was so low; she could barely hear his plea.