My Demon (18 page)

Behind her, someone cleared their throat.

Startled, Alex jumped and bumped into the tap. The water blasted to full and bounced off the sink onto the front of her night dress. “Bloody hell,” she said and turned it off. Alex spun around to find Clive leaning against the door, his arms folded over his chest.

“Look what you made me do.” She grabbed the hand towel and tried to dry herself.

“You reached out to stroke the cat, and it scratched you.”

“Well yes.” She held her arm out. “That’s pretty obvious, isn’t it.”

“No, honeybun. That’s what you’re going to tell anyone who asks.” Clive smiled raunchily. His eyes ran over her body, before settling on her chest.

Not liking his lecherous expression, Alex pulled at the fabric, trying to get the night dress unstuck from her skin.

“The truth, or the nearest thing possible, is always best. That was the first and only time you saw the cat.”

“You bastard, you can’t keep sneaking up on me,” Alex protested, still holding her nightdress out and off her breasts. Her efforts didn’t stop him staring though, she thought. “Piss off, Clive. Go away. I don’t need you for this.”

“Oh but you do.” Clive gave her the type of dirty look Alex reckoned belonged better in porn movies. “You just had your first proper kill, and you liked it,” he whispered, stepping close enough to reach out and gently stroke her cheek.

She responded to his touch, despite not wanting to. “Please, please stop,” she said, her voice breathless, her words faint. She closed her eyes and tilted her head towards his warm fingers.

“You’ll be happier doing the humans now, those that have been taken over, of course.”

She nodded in agreement, still pressing up against his hand. His touch was so hot, almost burning her skin.

“They’ll be flocking to your door soon, you’ll have to get inventive, figure out a method of avoiding them. And of course, they’ll still appear to be humans to everyone else, so the old bill will be searching for the murderer.”

Alex opened her eyes and frowned. “Flocking to my door? Looking for the murderer?” Her high from doing in Tiddles had started fading. She staggered over to a chair and sat down heavily. “But I only really did them in to save my mother. You can’t be telling me they’re all going to be zoning in on me?” Clive approached her from behind and grasped her neck firmly between his hands and squeezed. She shuddered under his touch. He was so hot, like burning coals up against her skin. The fire seemed to get into her veins, flowing through her, firing up her nerve endings. She wanted him. Right now.

“I’ll help you with everything. I’ll stay with you every step of the way.” He rubbed at her tense muscles. “That is if you want me.”

She looked up at the demon, with his thick wavy black hair, stunning dark blue eyes, and those ridiculous stuffed horns balanced at a jaunty angle on his head. Of course she wanted him. He was utterly irresistible. This time, she wouldn’t back out, she promised herself as she smiled up at him.

Alex stood and pushed the chair to the side. She turned slowly and faced Clive. Eye to eye, the electricity seemed to flow. “I want you.”

Clive smiled back. “You certain?”

“Oh, yes.” She grabbed his hand and led him out of the room and up the stairs.

Clive took his time, slowly stripping her of her clothes. When she stood before him naked, still untouched, aching for him to place his hands anywhere, he took her by the shoulders and pushed her onto the bed, gently maneuvering her onto her front. For a moment, she thought he’d disappeared, leaving her alone in the bedroom, naked and unsatisfied. Just as she was about to turn her head to look, a weight settled by her feet. Then his mouth touched her calf. His kisses worked their way up her legs, licking, kissing, nipping her skin. Alex groaned as he grabbed hold of the meat of her bottom, his kisses mixed in as his fingers darted into the wet spot between her legs.

Alex couldn’t take it any longer. Her mind focused and certain, she rolled over. Clive’s cat suit had vanished, leaving a physique she’d only guessed at before—a rippling six pack, a smooth chest, and an erection that startled her just a little bit. He climbed between her legs and entered her softly at first, mouth at her breasts, teasing the nipples, pulling, tugging. Alex wrapped her legs around him and forced him deep inside of her, gasping at the mix of pleasure and pain.

Sometime later, feeling sore yet satisfied, Alex rolled over and snuggled up to Clive. He pulled her tight up to his body and began whispering sweet nothings in her ear. She fell gently into wondrous exotic dreams, of sandy warm places far away, where no blue smoke confused her and no one had to die.

 
“A
lex wake up.”

Someone shook her from side to side. They stopped for a second, before shaking her a bit harder.

“Alex wake up.”

The shaking got more intense.

“Your Mum called me. She’s worried about you. Told me you’re sleeping all the time.”

She recognized the voice as Jeremy’s.

“You can’t possibly be asleep anymore.” He gave an exasperated sounding sigh. “Come on Alex, open your eyes. You’re being stubborn now.” He paused for a moment. “Besides, I need to talk to you.”

Alex squeezed her eyes closed. Was Clive still in her bed? Did that mean Jeremy leaned over him to get to her? She almost let out a giggle at the thought of her boyfriend leaning against her lover and not having a clue. But she doubted the demon had stayed with her. His hot water bottle of a body wasn’t super-heating the bed anymore.

Christ, what did Jeremy want anyway? She’d fucked everything up, she’d snogged a stranger because she thought he was the demon she’d shagged this morning. At least she thought it was the same morning. She had been sleeping a lot. For all she knew she had skipped a day.

“Alex, I’m not going away until you open your eyes and talk to me.”

He gave a half-hearted shake.

“Tell me what’s going on!”

He started in on her with more energy this time. She rocked from side to side, her head flopping about. No one was able sleep through this, or even fake-sleep through this. At this rate, she’d be getting seasickness next.

Bloody hell. She would have to do something.

“I’m ignoring you in the hope you’ll get lost,” Alex finally said. She pulled away from him and curled up against the wall, her eyes still squeezed shut.

“She speaks! Oh, I’m not worthy.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re so funny.” She pulled even further away. Her nose touched the wall. “And if that’s the case, you can start by kissing my feet.”

“Very droll.” He sighed. “You used to think I was funny.”

“That was a long time ago.”

Jeremy thought for a moment. “I suppose four days can be a long time.”

“Fuck off.”

“Right here, right now? Might make a mess on your covers.”

“Ha, ha.” Alex grabbed her pillow and pulled it over her head. With luck she’d suffocate and avoid the inquisition she was about to be forced into. She pushed her face into the stuffing.

“But I want to talk to you.” Jeremy actually sounded needy. Cool, laid back, never bothered by a thing Jeremy was here, kneeling beside her bed and sounding like he cared.

“Go away. I’m no good for you.”

“You’re fine,” he said quietly, almost subdued.

“I’m poison, look how I showed you up at the club.”

“You’re confused, there’s a difference. I can deal with your … lapse of judgment. I can help you.”

“Bullshit, life is as it is, I cheated on you. Accept my betrayal, don’t excuse it.” Jeremy didn’t reply. Good, hopefully the words stung. “Now get out of my bedroom.”

For a moment, she thought Jeremy had gone. She rolled over, pushing the pillow to the side to enable her to see. Infuriatingly, he remained in her room. Jeremy had pulled out the little stool from her dressing table, and was perched on the small seat as he stared at her. His tall lanky frame looked nothing short of ridiculous, balanced on the low stool with his knees up by his ears. He stared at the floor, his long hair almost obscuring his face.

“No,” he said. “I’m staying put until you agree to talk to me properly.”

Jeremy’s curtain of hair parted slightly revealing his mouth. He was pouting, and a ghost of a smile escaped and flicked across her lips.

“Hey, I saw that.” He sounded cross.

“Offended, my Jeremy?” Alex raised her eyebrows.

“You mocking my pain?”

“What pain?” Alex shook free of the pillow. “You found out I’m a bitch, like ninety-nine percent of all the other women out there, and you’re surprised?” Alex rolled back over and pulled the duvet over her head.

“Mmh phmm ght mmph.” He made his voice sound muffled.

Even with the covers over her ears, she should be able to hear him. And with everything going on, he still couldn’t help but take the piss.

“Argh! Speak properly!” Alex threw the duvet back. “What the fuck? Don’t you get the hint? Tell me whatever it is you’ve come to say and get lost!” The volume of her voice rose in a crescendo.

Jeremy replied in a whisper. “You were the one percent.”

Alex sighed. Why couldn’t he go away? “Am I supposed to have a sudden flood of remorse? What do you want from me?”

Jeremy wiggled uncomfortably. The seat of the stool wobbled, and Alex wondered for a moment whether he’d broken it.

He fiddled with his hands and said, “I just want … I want to understand what happened, what made you so different in just a few days.” He finally lifted his head to meet her gaze, parting his hair to expose his pained green eyes. Pained green eyes with a blue smoke delicately wafting into the air.

Shit.

Fuck.

“Okay. Fine. Jeremy, I’ll talk to you properly. I promise.” The smoke mesmerized her. Tendrils snaked across the room towards the bed. Did he know? Did
it
, the thing inside of him understand what she’d done? “Let me get ready… I’ve got to get up, you know, shower, dress.” She backed up against the wall as the haze drifted closer. “I’ll come downstairs in half an hour. We can go for a ride. Figure out what’s going on.” She tried to not appear suspicious. “Sound okay?”

Jeremy nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’ll wait for you.” He climbed off the stool. “I’ll always wait for you.” Shoulders stooped, he left, closing the door softly behind him.

A vague pang of guilt rose up inside of her. What had she done? What had that stupid demon made her do? A week ago life was still normal. Her plans for the future included Jeremy as the central theme. She shook her head. No, don’t think like that. He had
changed
into one of them, the Others. No time for remorse.

Alex threw the covers off when she was sure Jeremy had gone. Bloody hell. The house was cold again. She guessed her mother was changing into an ecofreak along with the other changes. She grabbed her towel and shuffled into the bathroom and jumped under the shower, heat as high as she could stand, until her skin glowed a luminous pink.

How strange her life had become, what a different person she’d metamorphosed into in such a short time. Alex dried herself, scrubbed her teeth, and for a couple of minutes stared at her face in the mirror. Nothing had changed, the same Alex stood staring back, yet everything seemed new, foreign. Time to get going. He’d be wondering why she hadn’t come downstairs, and she didn’t want his blue smoke crowding her in here. Alex fixed the towel around her and took a deep breath before opening the bathroom door a slit. The landing was empty. Good. She darted out and into her room, dropped the towel, and scrambled about in her wardrobe trying to find clothes to wear. Considering the circumstances, jeans, t-shirt, and a big baggy jumper were the order of the day. She dressed and laced on some walking boots before clumping down the stairs.

Jeremy came out of the living room as she descended. He took a double look as Alex reluctantly walked up to him. The blue smoke circled around his face, flicking out, taunting her.

“Let’s go, Alex.”

He propped open the door, inhaling deeply as she squeezed by. She’d forgotten not to spray her perfume. Alex reprimanded herself as they walked up to his minibus. She had to think of something, do something. He was changed. By the rules of Clive, that meant he had to go. Mr. Duggan had been hard to do mentally, but essentially killing him had been a simple task. Tiddles had been easy as piss. But doing in Jeremy … she didn’t want to even think about it. Besides it’d be impossible, he stood over six feet tall. His lanky appearance hid a strong body. There was no way she would be able to compete.