Free The Demon Within by Stacey Brutger Page B

else made its way inside him. Careful so as not to hurt her or allow her to escape, Ruman relaxed in increments, shifting his weight until his body covered every inch of hers. By brute strength, he forced her arms to the floor, pinning them above her head.
    They lay nose to nose. Muscles quivered beneath his, tensed, waiting for an opening. For each subtle gesture, he countered. Breathing raggedly, his body sore from the punishment this human had inflicted on him, Ruman stared as if seeing her for the first time.
    A human was a human. They were born. Most lived short, insignificant lives and then died. As an angel, he had listened to their sins, recorded them since the beginning of time. And yet, only now did he wonder about their lives.
    This one was resilient.
    Unrelenting and fearless.
    Stupidly brave and reckless in the face of danger.
    And beautiful.
    The thought struck him from nowhere but once there, it wouldn’t go away. Face to face, less than an inch separating them, he studied her eyes. A deep green, so dark and mysterious he couldn’t turn away.
    So many secrets.
    The way she studied him in return gave him pause. A strange heat tightened his gut, spreading through his system in a way that made him want to get away from her and gather her close at the same time.
    She blinked, and the spell broke enough to allow breath back into his body again. Thoughts took a bit longer.
    Hair haloed her head. The color, a rich brown chopped in careless layers, revealed different shades of red and gold. He estimated the length came to the middle of her back. Unconsciously, he shifted his hold and raised a hand to touch a strand that had landed across her throat, determined to find out if her hair would be as warm and inviting as it looked.
    “My death will gain you nothing and will not go unpunished.” The muscles of her neck strained to complete the sentence. It took him a moment to comprehend and shake himself out of his stupor.
    “I am not the enemy, woman. If you’d given me a moment to explain, this could’ve been avoided.”
    “Ah, yes. I can’t imagine why I didn’t think of asking a demon half breed who broke into my house what he was doing.” She spat the slur, her accusation smarting despite the truth of her words.
    “I followed you—”
    “From the temple.”
    Ruman gave her a pointed look and waited for her silence. He’d be damned if he had to fight her every step of the way. She would play by his rules now.
    Her teeth clenched, and she lifted her chin defiantly in a way that made him want to run his fingers down her jaw. The smooth skin had a glow that drew him, distracted him. He followed the line of her jaw to her throat and saw her swallow.
    “Then explain already. You’re a little heavy for a blanket.” Her huff of breath snapped his gaze to hers, and he shook his head to rid himself from his delusional desire to touch her.
    “You summoned me at the temple. I am a guardian demon.”
    The twist of her lips was anything but humorous. “You failed miserably. The temple was destroyed.”
    Annoyed at her dismissive words and caustic attitude, Ruman shook his head. “Not to guard the temple. You.”
    “Me, what?”
    With her eyes narrowed, her gaze reminded him of a predator on the hunt. “You’re the one to be guarded.”
    A strangled sound escaped her, like her laugh caught in her throat. He almost regretted that he couldn’t hear it. Until she spoke again. “You must be joking.”
    Ruman reared back, almost losing his hold on her wiggling form. With a flex of his body, he barely managed to subdue her when she moved, lightning fast, to escape. The brief struggle left him edgy.
    Heat moved under his skin wherever they touched and spread, warming his face. Her disdain fired his temper. No one laughed at him. He was a warrior who had lived thousands of years. Even his fall from Heaven had not made him react so strongly. That punishment he deserved. This was something else.
    He stared at her,