He sighed and put the bag down on the floor. “Here I go and give you some time to yourself.
Some time to think about the things I said to you last night, for you to realize that there really is no other choice than to agree to come with me, and this is the greeting I get? Very impolite, little angel. I’m shocked.”
She scowled at him. “Okay, how about this? Go away. Please.”
He looked around at the room. “So this is the little corner of the earthly realm you’ve carved out for yourself, is it?” He picked up a pink bra she’d tossed on the bed before her shower.
“Very nice.”
She moved close enough to snatch the bra away from him. “Get out of here. You can’t tempt me. I don’t care what you say. I’m serious.”
He stretched his long, lean frame out on the bed and put his hands behind his head. “Oh, you’re serious. Then that changes everything.”
She ignored the smirk he gave her.
“Can I ask you a question?” Val moved back and leaned against the closed door, trying to make herself look as relaxed as possible while having a drop-dead gorgeous demon with ulterior motives spread across her bed.
He cocked his head to the side. “Ask anything you desire.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“I’ve practically begged you to leave. It should be obvious that I’m not going to fall at your feet and beg you to take me to Hell. Why can’t you go tempt somebody else instead?
Somebody who’ll appreciate your efforts more than I will.”
He regarded her for a moment, and propped himself up on one arm against her pillow.
“Because I care about what happens to you. I don’t want to see you here in the earthly realm.
You despise it. I can tell. Say the word and I can make it all better. You will be treated like a queen where I take you, you will serve no one but yourself.”
“No.”
The grin fell slowly from his face. “No?”
“That’s right.” Val swallowed hard and tried to keep her face expressionless. “And don’t bother trying any of your demon mojo on me. It won’t work. Alexa says you’re next to impossible to resist, but I’m resisting just fine, thanks so much.”
A shadow crossed his expression. “You’ve been talking to Alexa, have you? Why am I not surprised?”
“What do you care? I’d think anyone would want the rumor that they’re hard to resist spread about themselves. It’s sort of like the rumor about men with big feet.” Val refused to look down at Nathaniel’s shoes. “She said you’re hard to resist when you try to be. What’s that supposed to mean? Does it take a lot of effort?”
He ignored the question. “Is she still fixated on Bartholomew Barlow?”
Val crossed her arms. “Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t. Now, let’s recap, shall we? I want you to leave. Right now. And don’t come back. Ever.”
He lay back on the bed and laughed, but it didn’t sound happy. It sounded scary. “And what makes you think that anything I do is up to me?”
She frowned. “What?”
He sat up suddenly and met her eyes directly with a fierceness that made her take a step back.
“Why are you being so difficult? It’s never been like this in the past. Why now, when it’s so important that you come with me?”
“So important? What are you talking about?”
There was a long moment when he said nothing, just stared at her so intently and silently that
Val could hear her heart drumming wildly in her chest. Then finally, “This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, my little angel.”
“Yes it does. And don’t call me that.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Why not?”
“I’m not an angel anymore.” Well, not until tomorrow, she thought absently.
His mouth twisted into an unpleasant grin. “Oh, I’m well aware of that. You’re a bad, bad girl. That’s why you got sent down here. And that’s why you’re getting a visit from your friendly neighborhood demon. And I don’t give up that easily, angel. Not when it counts.”
She frowned. “Something wrong?”
“Pardon me?”
“You don’t seem to be in a very good mood. In fact, I’m not feeling tempted in the slightest tonight. Is your concentration off? Did somebody pee in your brimstone this morning?”
His eyes narrowed, but after another long moment of silence between them he started to laugh again. This time it didn’t sound scary at all. It sounded very good and made her stomach tingle warmly.
“We’re a lot alike, you and I,” he said. “I think I have an idea of what you’re going through right now. What you’re feeling. That’s why I can help you.”
“Is that right? How so?”
“I used to be human. A long, long time ago. Then I was given a chance to be something . . .”
He paused and seemed to search for the right word. “. . .Better. And it is much, much better.
And what Alexa said about every woman unable to resist me? It’s all true. I was chosen for this job for very specific reasons. I’m very good at it.”
The warm tingles in her stomach began to travel downward. Was it the sexy tone of his voice?
Was it the fact that he seemed so interested in her, even if it was only a lie? Or was he using that demon mojo again to influence her?
Tomorrow. She clung to the word. It would get her through tonight.
She gave the demon a sour look and ignored the tingles. “That leaving thing I mentioned earlier? How about that?”
His confident expression slipped slightly, and he stood. Their gazes locked.