Demons Like It Hot (Demons Unleashed #2)(20)

With a small sigh, she plopped down into the softness of the cushiony love seat. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. A short nap wouldn’t hurt. She’d had an exhausting day. He’d warded the shop anyway. She was safe.

But she wasn’t safe from her overactive imagination. He was shirtless again. His hard body pressed against her, her fingers gripped tightly around his arms, his biceps rippling against her fingertips. His mouth, gentle yet demanding, sucked, nibbled, and nipped at her neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His tongue swirled along her earlobe. Of course he would know her secret spot, she’d pulled him there. His hands, large and calloused, roamed over the swell of her breasts, and down to her thighs, ready to begin their journey back upward.

Her breath caught and her pulse skyrocketed. A soft murmur escaped her lips. Part of her wanted to expand on this fantasy; the other, more practical side struggled to tamp down her libido. She couldn’t afford the embarrassment of orgasming in public.

Forcing her eyes open, she jumped up from the couch. “Stop it!”

Throwing open the door, Matthias growled. His shirt was unbuttoned, and it fell off his shoulders, exposing the breadth of his chest. She bit her lip. “For the tenth time, I’m not doing anything.” His look of frustration molded into one of concern. Onyx eyes searching, he gripped her shoulders. With an odd gentleness, he raised her chin to look up at him.

“What happened, Serah?”

“Nothing. Just a dream.”

“What did you see?”

She gnawed her lower lip. She couldn’t tell him the truth that he was making her hormones go bonkers. He was probably an incubus or something. Then again, as territorial as her kind was, Lucy could easily detect another Sexubi. Serah still laughed at the name. Had he been a Sexubi, the introductions would not have been so pleasant.

“I… I forgot.”

Matthias jaw ticked. “I know you don’t trust me, but I am here to protect you. At least trust that.”

Serah crossed her arms. So he thought she didn’t trust him. Well, it wasn’t a complete lie. More like she couldn’t trust herself. He was like her own demon-sized helping of molten lava cake. That sort of deliciousness always ended up in disaster.

“I know you mean well. I just think your being here is unnecessary.”

“Necessary enough that the Fore-Demons sent me. That should be proof enough.”

“I’ve heard how these Fore-Demons operate.” Serah yanked her head away. She couldn’t let herself fall into the pool of that intense gaze again.

“I’m new to taking orders from the Council, but I do know they have their reasons. You are special. You need protection.”

“Seriously, this is getting old.” Serah reached down to pick up one of the shoe boxes, but stopped in her tracks.

The faint hint of sewer and cloves wafted to her nose. Not now. Not in front of him.

Her stomach roiled as the odor grew stronger. Her nose twitched. Shivers of revulsion crawled across her skin. She couldn’t let him see her like this. Otherwise her cover would be blown more than it already was.

Hard muscled arms wrapped around her, pulling her against Matthias’s rigid chest. Her breath caught, as the heat radiated between their bodies. Her body, against her own better judgment, molded against his. God, all that hard muscle. It felt too good. “What the hell?”

“Shh,” he whispered, his breath teasing along her earlobe. With stealthy—too stealthy by Serah’s standards—footsteps, he backed into the changing room and slammed the door shut with his foot.

“Do you sense it?”

Serah forced a mask of bemusement. “Sense what?” she managed.

“Don’t play ignorant with me, Serah. I saw your reaction.”

These demons were too smart for their own good. She clenched her fists. This one especially. How was it that he could read her so well?

“You grabbed me so tight, what other reaction did you expect?”

“Stop it, Serah. I saw you tense before I grabbed you.”

“You read into things too much. And you barely know me.”

“Centuries as a demon have taught me how to gauge people’s reactions. You smell the demon, same as I.”

Serah narrowed her gaze. If he wasn’t a full Paladin, how could he sense the Infernati?

“I thought you weren’t officially blessed as a Paladin yet. How can you smell demons?”

Matthias crossed his arms and leaned in, his onyx gaze burning. “I’m a trained mercenary. That’s all you need to know.” He turned away and swept up the clothes in his arms.

“Wow. You expect me to trust you to protect me, and you can’t even answer a simple question?”

“It isn’t simple.”

The odor of sewer and thick spice grew stronger. Serah’s stomach continued to roil. Whoever this demon was, he was powerful. They always left the strongest scent. Imps and wraiths, on the other hand, she could tolerate. Now she was on the verge of losing her lunch.

“Whatever. We need to get going.” She looked down at her grandmother’s watch—a quarter to eight. “The store closes in fifteen minutes.”

“There is a demon out there. A powerful one.”

“That’s not fair to Charlie out there. I’m sure he has things to do.”