Black witches and sex magic went hand in hand, after all. It was how the other witch, Selina, had managed to take Darrak’s power and force him to make her into a black witch three hundred years ago. Each time they’d been together she’d become more powerful.
And her soul had become more damaged.
It was the only thought keeping him from losing his mind and taking Eden right now.
Because he really, really wanted to.
Demons typically gave in to their carnal needs. It was kind of in their nature.
“Eden . . . please . . .” Darrak managed as she worked her way back up his body and kissed his mouth again—and yes, he kissed her back. He couldn’t help it. There was such deep desire in her eyes. For him. This would normally please him very much, but at the moment he couldn’t help but be scared by it. Scared for her.
This was a side effect of using her black magic. It instinctually drove her toward seeking more power. This was how she’d get it. If they were together again like this, it would take her deeper into the darkness; it would sacrifice more of her soul.
He just wished he was stronger right now. Not only physically, but mentally. But the more she touched him, kissed him, the weaker he got.
It was a single thought that stopped him from ripping off her dress and burying himself deep inside of her:
Leena was right.
He loved Eden.
Whether or not it was real or if it would last once his curse was broken was another thing. He loved her.
And he didn’t want her soul to be damned.
Okay, it was more than a single thought. But it was all connected.
“Eden, uh . . . stop this right . . . right now.” He really wished he could sound more convincing.
“Darrak, please, I want you.” She pushed him back onto the bed and straddled his extremely aroused body.
Damn her mouth and her hands. They were not making this easy for him.
He caught her wrists in his grip, flipped her over, and pinned her down against the bed.
She smiled wickedly up at him. “That’s more like it,” she purred.
And he thought only Lucifer knew how to torture him? Wrong, so very wrong.
She wanted him. Would it really be so bad?
A few minutes of pure pleasure—
In return for her immortal soul bound for the pit for all eternity. He was a demon but he refused to be the one to damn her more than she already was.
Still. He couldn’t honestly say he wasn’t tempted. He wasn’t that altruistic.
“Eden.” He said her name harshly. “I know it’s always been hard for you to keep your hands off me, but you need to snap out of this right now.”
He forced himself to reconjure clothes that worked as a minor barrier between his body and hers. Didn’t help much but it was something. She really didn’t know how to take no for an answer and held tightly to him as he tried to push her away. Then he shakily got up from the bed, quickly moved to the bathroom, and poured a glass of water, which he brought back to her.
Eden crawled toward him on the bed, her eyes bright green and following his every move like a predator.
“Please, Darrak. I know you want me.”
“You couldn’t be more right about that.”
Her hands moved up his legs to his chest again. She pressed her mouth against the fabric of his T-shirt. “Please make love to me.”
Darrak gritted his teeth and forced himself to ignore her touch and the tempting invitation. “I brought this for you.”
She looked at the glass of water. “But I’m not thirsty.”
“It’s not to drink.”
He threw the cold water in her face.
Eden sputtered and wiped her eyes. “Darrak!”
“I didn’t want to have to slap you. This is a little wetter but still effective. I hope.”
Her eyes widened little by little as clarity came into her gaze. “Oh, shit.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
She touched her lips as if remembering all the places they’d traveled in the last few minutes. “Oh, shit.”
“Right. Well, don’t worry, it’s over.”
“Took you long enough to stop me.”
“Don’t blame me that you can’t keep your hands, or mouth, off me.”
Eden fell back onto the bed and clamped a pillow over her face. “Oh, my God!” came the muffled pronouncement.
Embarrassment? Regret? Disgust? He wasn’t exactly sure. But whatever she was feeling, she now seemed to be trying to smother the memory right out of herself.
He grabbed the pillow and pulled it away. She looked up at him with worry.
Darrak really hated himself for having these very inconvenient feelings for this woman before him. He wished they’d go away and never come back. He didn’t like feeling so human around her, moving quickly between concern and desire. But he couldn’t help the fact that he liked being with her, being close to her. He liked how she smelled, how she tasted, how she felt.
Was Theo right? Was what he felt for her only an illusion? Was this unfamiliar emotion that had burrowed deep into his chest a fleeting thing? Because of that emotion he’d single-handedly destroyed her life, and there wasn’t a whole hell of a lot he could do about it now. All he could do was try to prevent further damage any way he could.
And he was not even slightly amused by the flush that had come into her cheeks as she realized that she’d very thoroughly molested him before getting a glass of water thrown in her face for her troubles. Well, maybe a little amused.
Something seemed wrong with this scenario when the water thrower was an ex-incubus.
In all his existence he’d never felt this way before. For anyone. To put it mildly, it was very inconvenient.
Luckily, if nothing else, she didn’t feel the same for him. She might feel a strange affection for the demon who’d ruined her life, maybe a bit of lust—or a lot depending on the day—but Eden didn’t love him.
It was a relief, actually. Her saving grace. It made things much easier.
“You need to rid yourself of any remaining black magic right now,” Darrak said. “Try to concentrate. Can you do that?”
She nodded and closed her eyes.
The next moment all the magic that filled the room left in a rush. The glass he held fell to the carpeted floor as pain swept over him and he rapidly lost solid form again. It was only Eden’s powerful magic that helped him attain that form during dark hours. Before he could say another word, his body turned to black smoke. He suddenly felt desperate to find shelter. In this form he was very susceptible, as close to true death as a demon could get, apart from being on the receiving end of an exorcism. He didn’t even make a conscious choice; he simply moved toward Eden as if attracted magnetically.
As he possessed her, she cringed and clutched at the bedsheets.
He hated hurting her. If nothing else, at least it was fast.
“We’ll fix this,” he said when he was able to communicate with her again.
“Oh, yeah?” she replied after a moment. “I think I’ve heard that line before.”
“Theo will help us.”
She exhaled shakily. “You’re sure you trust him?”
“With my very existence. Which seems to be rather appropriate right about now.”
“What if he can’t help?” she asked.
“He will.”
“But if he can’t?” she persisted.
“Then we’ll find another way.”
“The eternal optimist.”
“Who knew?” He was quiet for a moment. “I know I shouldn’t have borrowed your body . . .”
“No, you shouldn’t have.”
“But I’ve decided I’m not sorry.”
She tensed. “Not even a little?”
“I’m sorry you were so upset about it, but it had to be done and I stand by my decision.”
“Let’s just forget it.”
“Really?”
“For now. It’s been a long night.”
“What the hell did Ben want from you, anyhow? Did he really want to kill you?” Anger and hatred flared inside him as he thought about the cop who’d put Eden’s life at risk that night.
She hesitated. “No. He wanted to save me.”
He wanted to ask her to clarify. It felt as if she was holding something back, but he didn’t push her. “Doesn’t sound like it to me.”
“He means well. He’s made some . . . bad decisions, but he means well.”
Why was she still defending him? That didn’t sit well with him. “A lot of men have done evil all in the name of good.”
“Kind of preachy for a demon, aren’t you?”
“You’re right.” He hesitated. “It’s disturbing, actually.”
It only confirmed what Theo said. Demons didn’t preach right from wrong. Demons weren’t “nice.” They were powerful and dangerous opportunists. They were loyal to their own kind when it served them. Their own existence was of first priority to them, bar none.
Darrak wasn’t nice. Hell, he didn’t even want to be nice.
If Eden had met the pre-curse him face-to-face . . .
Well, she wouldn’t have been trying to make love to him. She wouldn’t feel remotely safe with him. And he wouldn’t feel this overwhelming need to protect her, even from himself.
Darrak trusted Theo as much as one demon could trust another. But Theo had no artificial humanity to deal with like he did. And Theo was not remotely nice by any definition of the word.
For the chance to break his curse, Darrak had no choice but to take a risk and meet with him at noon and take Eden along for the ride. He couldn’t say he wasn’t worried about this.
Even though demons didn’t worry. Or, at least, they shouldn’t.
On the bright side, he’d never had souvlaki before. It sounded delicious.
Eden slept in until after nine o’clock. The alarm clock didn’t go off. She assumed Darrak turned it off so she could recover from what had happened last night.
Last night.
Oh, boy.
Darrak was nowhere to be seen. She dragged herself out of bed and went to the bathroom, staring at her bleary-eyed reflection. She splashed some water on her face, then stared some more. Her gaze then fixed on her amulet.
Just like the circles under her eyes, it was significantly darker this morning.
Her hand shook as she drew a brush through her tangled hair. Her throat felt thick and her eyes were shiny. She wasn’t going to cry. That would be a really wimpy thing to do.
Everything was going to be okay.
Even though Eden’s soul had darkened from using her black magic again.
Even though someone had tried to kill her the moment they found out she was a black witch.
And that someone had been helped by Ben, a man she used to have a major crush on.
Also, she’d been unable to stop herself from jumping Darrak’s bones, and he’d soundly rejected her by throwing a glass of water in her face. The particular memory made her face flush with embarrassment.
Oh, and she couldn’t forget the news that her father was an angel.
Yeah. That little fact was still hard to wrap her head around.
Because of him, she had some sort of celestial energy inside of her fighting with her black magic and threatening to tear her into two separate and very pissed off pieces.
Did that cover it?
Her stomach lurched. Not painful this time. Just sick.
Eden had always wished for an exciting life. She really should have been more specific.
She forced herself to get ready for the day. She showered, dressed, and makeupped. She still had a glimmer of hope, and to this she clung desperately.
Unfortunately, that glimmer of hope was Darrak’s friend Theo.
The glimmer of hope flickered like a match in a strong wind, threatening to plunge her into darkness at any given moment.
Finally, she went out to the kitchenette to find Darrak and Leena both waiting for her.
“Morning!” Leena said cheerily. She obviously didn’t remember a thing from last night after being put back to sleep.
“Morning,” Eden replied, trying to force a smile to her face. She failed.
Darrak eyed her warily. “How are you?”
She couldn’t look him in the eyes. “I’ve been better.”
“Listen, about last night—” he began.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She didn’t want to talk about anything from last night. In fact, she’d decided against telling Darrak what Oliver said regarding her father. Besides, she didn’t know for sure if it was true or not.
“But—”
“No, Darrak.” She went to the fridge and poured her daily glass of orange juice. Her queasy stomach protested, but she downed it anyhow.
“What happened last night?” Leena asked.
“Nothing.”
She felt Darrak staring at her, but she didn’t look at him.
The phone rang and she picked it up on the third ring.
“Eden,” Andy greeted her cheerily. Why was everyone so damned cheery this morning? “Running a little late today?”
“Yeah. Sorry. I’ll be in the office soon.”
“No worries. You got through a ton of files yesterday, so we’re all caught up. Take your time. Listen, I want you to join me for my cheating werewolf spouse stakeout. It’ll be good for you to see a master investigator like me at work.”
If nothing else, she was glad Andy was accepting the recent paranormal infestation in his life and business so easily. Although, it was likely he was in the land of denial. She really wished she could join him there. It was a happy place.
“When?” she asked.
“Noon. I can swing by the office and pick you up.”
That was when they were supposed to meet Theo the demon for Greek food.
“Can’t, I’m afraid. I have an appointment scheduled.”
“Is it important?”
“Vital.” She flicked a glance at Darrak, and memories of the prior night flooded back to her. “Can you handle it okay on your own?”
“Oh, sure. All I’m doing is snapping some pictures. It won’t be a problem. Just thought I’d offer. I’ll touch base with you later, okay?”
“Okay. Good luck.”
She hung up. Andy wanted her to learn the ropes of being a private investigator, and she had to admit, she’d started taking more of an interest in the business. She was naturally curious. Her case of the moment, although it wasn’t an official one, was figuring out who killed Graham. She wished she had more time to devote to it.
It wouldn’t be today, however. Her only priority was figuring out if Darrak’s friend was really going to help them or if he was just blowing smoke.
Since he was a demon, the smoke blowing might be quite literal.
“I feel like something’s going on that you two aren’t telling me,” Leena said. “If you tell me, I might be able to help out a bit more.”
“Yes, that would be nice,” Darrak replied. “What exactly is it you do around here? Other than watch television all day, that is?”
She gave him a dirty look. “This isn’t permanent.”
“So you keep telling us.”
“Us.” Leena shot a glance in Eden’s direction. “He makes it sound like the two of you are a couple.”
Eden really didn’t need any bickering today. She was seriously close to the edge.
“Currently we’re a two for one deal,” Eden admitted tightly. “But, no, we’re not a couple.”
“Let’s leave, Eden,” Darrak grumbled. “I need to get away from Catwoman or I might say something I’ll regret.”
“Feeling uncomfortable around me?” Leena asked. “Is it because I remind you you’re as unwelcome here as I am?”
Eden hissed out a breath, wishing for the days when her apartment was empty except for her and a pile of magazines. Now she was constantl
y living an episode of Three’s Company. From Hell.
She rubbed her temples. “You’re not unwelcome. I promised you could stay until you sorted out your issues—”
“Which could take forever,” Darrak said.
“Right back at you,” Leena snapped.
“Come on.” Eden grabbed Darrak’s tense arm and directed him toward the front door. If they fought another minute, she was seriously going to lose her patience.
The wards she’d instinctively set last night wouldn’t protect her after she left the building. She’d have to keep an eye out for Ben and Oliver. However, they knew what she was capable of, and they wouldn’t know she didn’t use that black magic every day of the week. She’d be surprised if they approached her today, figuring they’d take a little while to lick their wounds.
Just the thought of a threat made magic begin to crackle down her arm.
Bad black magic. Go away.
Just like yesterday, her new neighbor Lucas was leaving at the same time as they were. Eden glanced at her watch. Maybe his alarm clock hadn’t gone off, either.
He looked over at her. “Hey, there. Eden, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.” Small talk in the hallway felt like a chore this morning, but she’d give it a shot. “How’s that housewarming party coming along, Lucas?”
“Slowly.”
Leena peered out the front door to see whom Eden spoke to, and her eyes widened as she took in the attractive man next door. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced. I’m Kathleen Harris. But you can call me Leena.”
He approached and firmly shook her hand. “Lucas Campbell.”
“So we’re neighbors, huh?” she grinned. “Feel free to borrow some of my sugar anytime you like.”
“And by that,” Darrak said, “she means she’d be happy to have sex with you.”
Eden almost laughed. If a snort could manage to sound hysterical, she’d nailed it.
Leena glared at the demon. “Just ignore him. Darrak talks out of his ass most of the time.”
Lucas’s eyebrows were high, but there was a smile on his face. “So, sugar, you say. I’ll definitely remember you’re the go-to gal for borrowing the sweet stuff around here.”
Her mortified look turned to one of amusement. “I am. Stop by any time. I’m always here.”