Kiss of a Demon King

After all, they'd spent the last four days in and around the house, mainly in bed. But she also had ulterior motives. . ..

'It's packed tonight,' he said as his new sports car prowled the shell parking lot for a space. They were out in the middle of a swamp-how could this place be so crowded?

When he finally parked, she said, 'I still think you should have let me drive.'

'Not a chance,' he said, as he exited the car.

Once she'd woken the morning after their first night of lovemaking, he'd had a surprise for her. He'd hought a new vehicle for himself and had one delivered for her as well. But she'd just blinked at the shiny red convert­ible in confusion. 'I can't drive.'

'I'm going to teach you,' he'd said confidently.

At the end of the lesson, he'd declared her the most aggressive and dangerous driver he'd ever encountered. Which meant.. . number one!

And after that, Rydstrom had arranged for Lore ven­dors of the finest clothing and jewelry to come to the house and supply her with everything she could need. She'd asked him, 'Are you trying to buy my affection?'

'Is it working?' he'd answered.

Now as he opened her door, she was assailed by damp air and the sound of music and raucous laughter.

Gods, he looked good. He wore dark jeans, and a black button-down shirt, with an expensive leather belt and boots. His overall air said, 'Money, power, and I know it.'

When he helped her out, he bent down and briefly kissed her lips. 'Are you sure you don't want to go back to bed?' Her lusty demon seemed insatiable. In fact, they both were.

He was so fascinating, loving it when she brushed kisses over his face to show affection-and shuddering in bliss when her nails raked down his back. This morn­ing, she'd caught him twisting in front of a mirror to inspect the scratches. 'Sign of a job well done, then?' he'd said proudly, flashing her a sexy grin that made her toes curl with delight.

She would have been more than happy to go back to their bed. But this evening she'd experienced a twinge of discomfort-not pain, just a feeling that seemed out of place in an immortal. The old Sabine had roused, the one who held survival paramount. Though she'd grown confident about defeating the morsus, she always had a plan B.

Tonight she was scouting for a vampire who could trace her back to Rothkalina just in case things got bad....

'You look stunning tonight,' he said. 'I'd have told you earlier, but you robbed me of speech.' Earlier, when he'd spotted her coming down the stairs, he'd done a stutter step.

'I thought you'd be more resistant about my attire.' Though she'd worn her hair as wild as ever, she'd donned a simple headdress, and her navy blue kohl was drawn more conservatively for him, only streaking back to her temples. But her skirt was short, her boots were high, and her top was a metal mesh bandeau held in place by chains connected to her choker, two in the front and four climbing up her back.

'I refuse to have you deem me old and stodgy again.' As he ran his eyes over her, he took her hands and spread her arms out at the sides. 'Will I be jealous that other males see you like this? Without doubt. My horns will go ramrod straight from the first double take. But it also makes me proud.'

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him, his warmth and scent making her lids grow heavy as she gazed up at him. 'People have pitied me

for going so long without finding my female. Now I want to show you off, and I want to be so bloody smug because it was always going to be you for me-I just had to do my time.'

Over the last four days, when he'd said things like this with his tone gruff and his eyes so piercing she almost feared he was too wonderful-too handsome and good and considerate to possibly be hers.

This time with Rydstrom had been blissful. But in all fairness, it hadn't always been perfect. For one thing, he'd insisted she learn how to swim, teaching her in his luxurious pool. Though she was already getting better, she spent more time attached to him, arms wrapped around his head.

And he still drank demon brew, ate steaks, and sucked on little buglike creatures called crayfish. But he did make sure she had vegetables to eat and sweet wine to drink. He'd even brought a bottle in the car for her tonight, in case she couldn't find a drink she liked inside.

With that thought in mind, she turned her attention to the ramshackle tavern. A battered neon sign glowed, but the lettering was illegible. 'So what's this place called anyway?' It was situated over the water, nestled among cypress trees and looked like it would blow apart with a strong wind. A precarious-looking pier led out to it. 'The Thirsty Thistle or something like that?'

'It's just called Erol's. Now if anything goes south inside, just stay behind me. Promise me.'

He was overprotective to a fault. 'I can't promise you that, or there's going to be clay all over your kitchen floor.'

'Our kitchen floor.'

'Demon, if anything goes south in there, I won't need you to take care of me. I'll need you to help me take care of us.'

That seemed to throw him. She turned and sauntered onto the pier, leaving him with a bemused expression on his face. The big demon male was having to learn some new tricks with her.

When she began tip-toeing so her stiletto boot heels wouldn't get stuck between the planks, he asked, 'Why don't you wear flats and just make them look like boots?'

'Because wearing these makes me feel sexy.'

'Would being carried by your man make you feel sexy now?'

'I can manage, King Charming,' she said. 'So, if it's really packed inside, will you see anyone you know? Perhaps one of the thousands of demonesses you've bed­ded, like Durinda,' she said, teasing him.

When he fell silent, she faced him. 'I was just joking- I know you weren't with her. Wait, why do you look so guilty?' Why would Rydstrom appear guilty at the mention of the female- Suddenly she felt like she couldn't get enough air. 'You didn't... in the camp ... you weren't with her ...'

'Gods, no! But I told you I hadn't slept with her. And, apparently, a millennium ago or so, I did.'

Relief sailed through her, but then she said, 'You told me you hadn't.'

He ran his hand over the back of his neck. 'I'd . . . forgotten.'

'Did she have to remind you?' When he reluctantly nodded, she burst out laughing.

'It's not funny,' he said gruffly. 'It was embarrassing as hell,' he added, looking like he'd begun fighting a grin.

Still laughing, she said, 'I would have given gold to hear that conversation!'

'I'd thought you'd be angry.'

After another chuckle, she said, 'Not at funny things. Hey, I have an idea! Maybe we should start a database and enter all the names of females you tagged, so you can keep up with them-'

'You think so, smart ass?' He swooped her up in his arms. 'All I care about is the last entry.' He charged down the pier, with her laughing the whole way.

At the entrance, he let her slide down his body. As they walked in, Rydstrom had his hand on her hip and his shoulders back, looking arrogant and every inch the king. She loved it.

The interior was dimly lit and crowded. In the cor­ner, an old-fashioned juke box played twangy songs. On the back wall, skulls framed a mirror, their eye sockets laced with Christmas tree lights.

The place had its charm.

They passed the bar where a pair of startlingly good-looking twins sat. She suspected the two males were Lykae, and was proven right when they spoke with a thick Scottish accent.

'Damnation, Rydstrom, where'd you get her?' one said as he shot to his feet off a stool. 'And she's dressed up like a sorceress of yore.' He whistled low.

The brother added, 'Does the lass have a sister?'

Rydstrom acknowledged them with a cool nod, then said, 'Sabine, this is Uilleam and Munro, Lykae soldiers.'

'I do have a sister,' Sabine eagerly said. 'You'd love her, and she would certainly