Free The Repentant Demon Trilogy Book 1: The Demon Calumnius by Samantha Johns

are serious, who have paid a lot of money for tuition, and who chose to be there.  While reading your assignments, I was thinking that you could easily be a writer, if that's what you wanted.”
    “Maybe, I could write about archeology, someday,” he admitted. “If I discover something important enough to write about. I'd love to work on translating the ancient tablets found, some 30,000 in the British Museum, which are just sitting there in storage.  Who knows what secrets they hold?”
    “So you followed in your father's footsteps in the military,” she urged him on.
    “So I followed my father's footsteps,” he concurred, “which pleased him to no end—went to officer's training at Quantico, which was his dream, and flew the Osprey—that really made him proud.  I had just finished training and was assigned, of course, to the Iraq War.  That's my story.”
    He rose, taking his plate and glass to the kitchen sink, indicating he had finished talking—at least about his life.  Very neat and orderly , she thought, from all that military training .  He'd probably go nuts living with all my paper clutter, not to mention the way I can let things go if I'm very involved in my work.
    “What brought you to Saint Louis, then?” she asked, not wanting it to end just yet.  He seemed to be preparing to leave.
    “The Middle Eastern Studies program at Washington University,” he stated simply.  “But after only one class I saw the courses were more geared toward careers in politics and government.  Then I met one of the teachers who directed me to the extensive programs on antiquities, and I switched.  I had no idea how much they had to offer.  So I'll be finished with my studies in about a year.”
    “So how did you end up in my class?” she wondered. “It's really an introductory-level course.  Surely you were beyond that, besides being a day student.”
    “I was drawn to your bio,” he said, reluctant to admit it, “and your picture.  I wanted to meet you.  And I thought the class would be fun—which it was.”
    “Fun?  Nobody has ever said that about my classes,” she said.  “And you wanted to meet me?  That's another first.”
    “Oh, I doubt that,” he said.  “You just didn't know about it.  Probably, the other guys were intimidated away, but I'm a lot braver than most.”
    “It takes bravery to approach me?” she gasped.  “No wonder I never get any dates—not that I would have time for that anyway.”
    Oh, this is getting promising, thought Calumnius.  They are flirting, actually flirting.
    “You don't seem to know how beautiful you are, Abigail,” he said sincerely. “It's very obvious to all the men in your classes.  I watched them.  Not a one of them didn't admire you—even the jerks.  Whether you know it or not, you send out a strong keep away message with your body language.  That, plus all your credentials, is very intimidating to most guys.  We still are affected by that old stereotype that the man should be smarter, more accomplished, and make more money than the woman on his arm.”
    “Well, the money part would be no problem,” she teased.  “So you are the brave one, the one with courage enough to approach me?  What makes you so unafraid?”
    “Courage doesn't mean without fear,” he stated, smiling. “It means in spite of fear.  I was shaking in my boots that first night, waiting for you in the hall, sure that you might slap me or something.”
    “Slap you!” She smiled with amusement.  “Apparently you do not realize how attractive you are either.  I wouldn't slap you, but I admit if I had realized in the beginning that your interest in me was purely physical, I might had declined your request to meet with me.  I'm very cautious about involvements.”
    “Why? If I may ask.”
    “Perhaps because of my parents,” she said.  “I don't want to be like them, putting their physical desires before everything else—even the welfare of their own