Page 69 of The Devil and His Sparrow

“You know …” Zagan said slowly. I reluctantly peeled my eyes away from the screen, only to find him focused on the movie. “I know that demon.”

My jaw dropped before I could stop it, and my gaze darted between the TV and him. I squeezed the stuffed dragon in my arms tighter. “What? Really?”

He looked at me, his face the perfect mask of seriousness. I held my breath as I waited for him to answer. Suddenly, he gave me a shit-eating grin. “No, not really.”

I released the breath I’d been holding on a laugh and gently punched him in the arm. “You asshat!”

He chuckled and looked at the TV again. “In all honesty though, I hate how humans portray demons in movies. We don’t all smell like rotting meat and death. I mean, do I smell like that?”

I already knew the answer, but I made a show of sniffing him, which earned me a fleeting glare. “Nah. You smell good. Though, I feel like that’s part of your particular job description. It would be kind of hard to get laid if you smelled like shit.”

“Exactly. They’re generalizing us. Only the flashy, attention seeking demons stink up the place. They have a thing for dramatics and think they’re better than the rest of us demons because they can possess people. As if we can’t be violent or cause destruction since we don’t possess people.”

I raked my eyes over him. “Can you be destructive like that?”

He turned to me, and his arm brushed mine. It sent a jolt right down to my fingers and toes.

“Of course,” he answered, oblivious to what his brief contact did to me. “Incubi and Succubi can still beat some ass when we want to. You almost got to see that first hand today. It takes a lot to rile us up, but if we do get to that place, everyone knows to watch the fuck out.”

And he’d gotten to that place today. Over me. The thought made my cheeks hot, and I bit my lip to keep from grinning. For some reason, having him get pissed off on my behalf made me feel fuzzy inside.

It also turned me on, which was freaking odd. Was it normal to be turned on over something like that?

“You got pretty heated today,” I teased him in an effort to alleviate the feeling inside my chest.

His eyes never left my own. “Of course I did. You’re mine, and no one fucking touches what’s mine.”

I stopped breathing. I licked my suddenly dry lips, and his blue eyes flicked down to my mouth as I whispered, “Yours?”

Something swelled to life between us. The air grew charged, like a livewire sparking with the threat of exploding into flames. I didn’t know who moved or if we both did, but our faces drew closer, the distance between us getting smaller. We were two magnets being drawn to the other, unable to deny the pull.

“Knock, knock,” a sing-songy voice suddenly cheered from the doorway.

I reared back and looked at the dragon in my lap as my entire face heated with embarrassment.

Eden appeared in the room with her arms loaded down in shopping bags. Her golden eyes spotted us on the bed, and she covered her mouth with her fingers as she gasped, “Oops! Did I interrupt you two? Feel free to continue. I don’t mind watching.”

I ducked my head even lower. I couldn’t believe she’d just walked in on … well, I wasn’t sure what she’d walked in on.

“Eden,” Zagan grumbled, and I didn’t miss the trace of annoyance in his tone. “Glad you made it. Are those all the clothes?”

Eden raised her arms, jostling the shopping bags. “Sure are. I brought loads of goodies for our darling Iyla.”

I turned the movie down as Eden brought the bags over to deposit on the bed. Her strawberry blonde locks were pulled back in a braid, and she sported a tight strapless green dress that stopped just shy of her knees.

She started pulling garments out of the bags and chattering away about the articles. Jeans, dresses of every kind, blouses, loungewear. It seemed never-ending, and—

My eyes widened as she held up something black and lacey. “What is that?”

Zagan chuckled, the sound all lust and no humor. “I like that one.”

I glanced at him and found his lustful eyes trailing over my still seated form. I gave him an incredulous look. “Of course you do. I’d basically be naked in it.”

“You’re gorgeous,” Eden said, tossing me the lingerie. “And like I always say. If you have it, flaunt it, babe.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Zagan agreed.

My phone vibrated while Eden continued showing off more of what she’d brought me. I had her hold and stepped out into the hall to answer Nahla’s call.

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