Demons Like It Hot (29 page)

“Give me the pot, Serah. It’s heavy and you’ve clearly got other things on your mind.”

Yeah, she had other things on her mind, all right. And it was all his fault. She should have known he had ulterior motives. But what exactly were those motives? “Fine, take the pot.” She thrust it out toward him.

“Careful!”

But it was too late. The force of her hands sent water flying up out of the pot and down Matthias’s new shirt. He jumped backward, water dripping down the black linen onto the checkered floor below. Thank goodness the shirt was black instead of white. That was one view she couldn’t handle.

“I told you to be careful.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled. “You made me uncomfortable.”

“I’m trying to be friendly.”

Friendly? This was more than friendly. This was positively delicious.

Matthias scooped the now-empty pot from her hands and set it next to the sink. He reached to unbutton his shirt.

Her eyes widened, giving saucers a run for their money. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Taking my shirt off.” He plucked open another button.

She rolled her lips over her teeth. “Why?”

“It’s wet. It needs to dry.” He reached for the other button.

Serah gulped. She stood riveted, watching his fingers work the buttons. Her pulse thumped in her ears. She balled her fists at her sides. “I suppose you didn’t bring a change of clothes with you?”

“I’m not psychic. I didn’t know you’d douse me with lukewarm water.” The shirt spread open, exposing a hair-sprinkled pectoral. She’d already seen it, so why did it keep affecting her this way?

“I said I was sorry.” She sucked in a breath and turned away. She had to. If she continued to gape at the work of art that was his body, she’d melt right into the black-and-white ceramic tiles.

“I know.” He turned her to face him. “I’ve tried keeping my distance from you, Serah. I can’t do it anymore.”

Close
your
eyes
, her practical side warned.

And miss the positively delicious view? Her naughty side thought not. Curiosity always won in the end. Serah opened her eyes. The linen shirt hung off his shoulders. Droplets of water trailed down his chest, and farther down the contours of his abs to pool around his navel. Her fingers yearned to trace the droplet’s path.

“You confuse me. One moment you’re distant. The next moment, you’re kissing me. Then you go back to brooding.”

“I’ve done some bad things, Serah. Unforgivable things.” Matthias raked a hand through his sandy brown hair.

“Yet, here you are, protecting me.” What would one tiny touch do? He obviously needed some comfort. She took her fingertip and traced the long, jagged scar just above his left pectoral. “How did you get this scar?”

His muscle twitched against her finger and his breath hitched. “It was a long time ago.”

“I wish you’d open up. I’d be able to trust you more.”

“Trust this.”

With that, he crushed her to him. With his thumb and forefinger he raised her chin, angling her gaze to meet his. Those onyx eyes seared into her. His large hands roved down over her bottom and back up to lock in her curls.

Did people really kiss like this? Like that scene from
Gone
with
the
Wind
where Rhett finally gives Scarlett a kiss to remember. But Serah wasn’t Scarlett, and she wasn’t quite sure she’d be able to pull away from Matthias, let alone slap him.

As if eager to feel those hard lips against hers again, her lips parted. A ragged breath escaped her mouth. Her practical side managed to ball her fists. She should resist him. He had secrets. Dark secrets. She shouldn’t trust him. But oddly enough, she did.

She relaxed in his arms and unballed her fists. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. She pulled his mouth to hers.

“Serah. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

“I beg to differ,” she breathed against his lips. She punctuated her sentence with a swirl of her tongue against his lower lip. Electricity zipped between them. She grabbed his sodden shirt and flung it from his body. Maybe she could seduce the truth out of him. Then again, who exactly was being seduced? Him and his smooth talking—he was just as guilty as she was.

With more daring than she had possessed in the past ten years, she moved her hands down his pecs and swirled her finger along each contour of his six-pack and brushed her fingertips along the muscles that tapered down to his hidden bounty. His body tensed against her ministrations.

“We can’t do this here. We’re in your kitchen.”

“We’re only kissing. No sanitary concerns there.”

Matthias nodded. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“Seriously? You’re not taking advantage of me.” She swirled a fingertip along his nipple. Hot energy fired inside her. “Why is there so much heat when I touch you?” Serah asked.

“I think you know why, Serah.” Matthias yanked her against him again, his grip more fierce and intense. “I’m warning you, Serah. You don’t know what I am.”

“I know you want to kiss me. What’s so wrong with that?”

“You might not like it.”

Like hell she wouldn’t. So the guy was an ass at times, but he did know how to kiss. And they’d already kissed anyway. “I kissed you already once. I liked it then.”

“You did?”

His inquisitiveness caught her off-guard. Yet somehow she found it a turn-on. “A lot.”

“You seriously don’t know what you do.”

“Maybe I don’t, but right now I don’t care.”

Matthias growled deep within his chest, the vibrations reverberating against her body. He hoisted her up against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her hands frantically digging into the corded muscles along his shoulders. His heat throbbed and radiated against her, right down to her core. “We can’t do this here,” he drawled, with a leisurely lick along her earlobe.

“Fine, the first door on the left then,” she gasped out. Who knew the room she’d set up as sleeping quarters would get more action than sleep. “Lock this time.” Oh God, she couldn’t even manage complete sentences anymore. She was doomed.

Matthias’s mouth moved to the base of her neck where her pulse bobbed. His tongue traveled with slow, sensuous strokes against each throbbing beat.

Throwing her head back, Serah moaned. Fingers clawing into his hair, she pulled him closer. “Please?” she gasped out. Not wanting to prolong the wait any longer, she took both hands and craned his head to meet her gaze. She brought his lips to hers.

Allowing her tongue to swirl along his lips, she prodded them open. Hunger and lust combined as she swept into his mouth. Tongue darting and gliding with Matthias’s, Serah murmured against his lips. Taking his lower lip into her mouth, she nibbled his tender flesh. She pulled her lips away and gazed up at him. “I’m through asking nicely.”

“I can’t resist you any longer.” He plowed across the kitchen, scattering utensils, pots, and pans in his wake. The clamoring echoed faintly in her ears as other, more passionate, senses took control of her body.

Without missing one step, Matthias kicked open the door, swung around to catch the doorknob behind him and draw it closed. He flipped the light switch and snapped the lock in place.

“A bedroom?”

Serah felt her cheeks flush more. “I’ve pulled a few all-nighters. Makes it a little easier.”

“Very convenient,” he murmured, tracing his hands up and down her curves. It amazed her how even through the layers of her dress and jacket, his touch still sent shivers of pleasure spiraling through her.

He laid her gently on the twin bed, fluffing the pillows beneath her head. “The bed’s kind of small. I don’t want to break it.”

“I hardly use it anyway.” Serah’s hands moved up the expanse of his chest and across his shoulders and down over his biceps. The hard muscle flexed and bunched as he scooted next to her.

He took her hands, held them in place above her head and looked down at her. “Are you sure you want this?”

“It’s just sex.”

He let out a sharp breath. Surely he wasn’t expecting more? They were nothing alike. They were just frustrated and needed some release.

“Yes, just sex.”

With that, he lowered his mouth to hers, their lips joining again. He nibbled and suckled her lips, prodding them open with his tongue. It was like their tongues were made for each other. They swirled, laved, and slid along each other in perfect harmony.

God, he was good. Then again, he had centuries of practice. Centuries, her mind screamed. He probably had a lot more experience than she did. She tensed against his body.

“Did I do something? Do you—” He abruptly ended his question.

“How many times have you done this?”

“I’m not inexperienced,” he said, his hands moving to unbutton her chef’s jacket. “But it’s been about four centuries, so I’m a little rusty.”

Four centuries? And here she complained to Lucy about her four years of forced celibacy. “I’m rusty too,” she said, her hands working the buckle of his belt. Ripping it open, she threw the belt to the floor and eagerly tugged at the button and zipper. She offered a secret prayer that he’d ditched the boxers. The easier the access the better.

Matthias returned the favor, ripping open her jacket and sending buttons flying in every direction. “Too many clothes,” he murmured, tracing his tongue along her collarbone. His hands moved into her hair, loosening the ponytail at the nape of her neck. Her curls fell to her shoulders.

“I love your hair,” he whispered against her lips. Fingers tangled in her curls, he pulled her head closer.

His hands continued their delicious ministrations, swirling massaging and stroking each curve of her body. Gripping the tie of her dress, he yanked, sending the fabric falling off her body.

“You’re so beautiful.” He pushed the dress off her shoulders. “No slip? Maybe you’re not as pure as I thought.” His fingertip traced against the lace of her pink pushup bra.

“Told you,” she gasped out.

“Nah,” he said with a long lick down her cleavage. “You’re still pure.”

Oh no. He wasn’t stopping now. She might have pure blood, but that didn’t mean she had pure mind. She reached for his zipper and yanked it down.

She caught a glimpse of black-and-red polka dots, shielding his manhood from her view. “I was hoping you’d lost those,” she said tracing her fingertips across the silky fabric.

Matthias gulped, the pulse bobbing along his neck. She might as well give him a show. With a reluctant breath, she moved back to her own body, tracing her fingers up her sides and over her back.

“What are you doing?”

“This.” She unhooked her bra, letting it slip off her shoulders and off her body. She moved her hands back down her body to trace along the hem of her matching panties.

“You are a temptress,” he groaned, pushing her down against the pillows.

“No, I’m just demonstrating how you undress.”

“Clothing has changed a lot since I last did this.” Matthias said, placing kisses along her collar and down her cleavage. “Could you help me?” He blew a long breath over one of her nipples.

Her nipple pebbled instantly as his breath swirled around the sensitive nub. Hot moisture pooled between her thighs. “I can’t concentrate,” she managed to breathe out.

“I imagine that means I’m doing a good job?” He swirled a tongue across one nipple, his calloused fingers kneading the other. His other hand roamed down her stomach to trace along her navel then lower, to graze the elastic band of her panties. She never knew foreplay could feel so good.

“Please,” she gasped, her hips grinding up against his hands.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to complicate our arrangement.”

“It’s just sex.” But was it really? She’d had sex enough to know that nothing ever felt this explosive before. Then again, she’d never done it with a demon before. Maybe that’s why. But seriously, did it matter? She just wanted to feel his body against hers.

“Yes, just sex,” he murmured, his mouth moving lower, between her breasts and further down her stomach. With slow, almost agonizing movements, he slid her panties down her legs and off her feet.

“Much better,” he murmured.

“I know what would make it even better.” Serah reached out to grab the waistline of his cargo pants. “Getting these pants off you.” To finish her sentence, she traced her fingertips across the bulge of silk popping from his pants.

Matthias groaned. “You know not what you do.”

“Oh, I know exactly what I’m doing.” She laced her fingers into the fabric and yanked both pants and boxers down. She had never thought that particular part of the male anatomy to be attractive. Until now.

It jutted out, the rosy tip beckoning her to reach out and touch it. She’d never seen one so thick. He was definitely more than a handful. It was pure torture keeping her hands to herself.

Nibbling her lip, she fought back the urge to reach out and trace her fingertips against the bulging veins. Would he like it?