Free Demon's Kiss by V. J. Devereaux Page A

risen
fast but not fast enough. He’d been part of a team sent to Iraq to protect some
of Templeton’s interests. Afterward he’d been charged with assault and murder
but the charges had eventually been dropped. When Templeton had hired him she’d
wondered why he needed a mercenary.
    Now she knew.
    Gabriel pretended to ignore him but she didn’t ignore the
danger he presented to her. There were men who entered the military to serve
their country and there were those who went in to kick some ass. He was one of
the latter, it was there in his eyes. She was fairly certain he wouldn’t push
it…yet.
    With a nod to his men to indicate they should keep their
weapons on her, Baker made the gesture that opened the door between the rings.
    It was good to know Templeton wasn’t the only one who could
do that. That gave her some ideas.
    Unlike her unceremonious entrance, they were far more
careful as they passed through that ephemeral tunnel.
    They escorted her to the bathroom but let her use the
facility alone, for which she was grateful. The explanation for their lack of
concern waited inside.
    Escape was not only extremely unlikely, it was impossible,
as there were no windows and only the one door. She had the oppressive sense
they were deep underground. As the room had probably been intended for
Asmodeus’ use, it had very likely been thoroughly vetted for any possible
weapons or anything that could be used as one. It seemed oddly unused.
Apparently Baker and his men didn’t take advantage of it.
    More than anything though, she wanted to be clean, for
herself and for Asmodeus, for when he touched her, ate her, fed from her, made
love to her.
    As much as she loved making love to him though and loved the
scent of him on her skin—and just the thought of him had her aching—she would
be glad to be clean. Just the feel of the hot water as it ran over her skin
felt wonderful.
    After the shower she pulled on the light silk dress he had
conjured for her out of thin air, fingering it in mild disbelief. Magic. As
beautiful as it was, it was also all she had to wear for the moment.
    On their return, from the corners of her eyes, Gabriel noted
the small signs as the guards relaxed their attentiveness. Her diffidence eased
their alertness. That she hadn’t tried to escape was another indication to them
that she was beaten. Having seen Asmodeus, the sheer size of him, and knowing
him to be a demon, they would wonder what had happened behind the smoke and
their speculations only confirmed their assessment of her. She wasn’t a threat.
    She noted how many men Baker had that she could see and
their positions. It was useful information.
    It seemed as though hours went by but having no watch there
was no way for her to gauge the time that passed.
    Gabriel knew the moment that Asmodeus returned to the
building, sensing him nearby somehow. Elation filled her and surprised her. Or
perhaps it wasn’t so surprising, considering he was her only ally here.
    She let out a sigh of intense relief all the same but she
was careful not to let Templeton’s men see.
    Asmodeus was back and safe.
    In the back of her mind, she knew it was more than relief
she felt, that it was more than just a common bond. Much more. To her
astonishment, her breasts felt tight, her nipples and pussy ached. Every inch
of her body seemed to sing in response to his immediate presence, to his need.
His hunger for her was nearly palpable with each step closer to her.
    Even more so once he entered the room.
    That hunger in his eyes was for her, not just for what he
took from her, but for Gabriel herself.
    His brilliant eyes glowed when his gaze settled on her and
her heartbeat accelerated just at the sight of him. Even as he entered the room
he was shifting to his true form. It was an effort for her not to smile with
relief, with pleasure, when she saw him. All she could think of was his mouth
on hers, his body against hers as he feasted on her, devoured her, his huge
cock