Page 2 of Minions and Magic
She shook her head, mouth tight with disapproval. “Well, I don’t think that sounds right. And what happens after these people die? Do you torture them with more than constipation and yeast infections?”
I shrugged. “Once they die, it’s all out of my hands. My job is done. Their soul goes on to some other demon in hell. I don’t bother myself with the administrative policy of what soul goes where and to who for what punishment. All I do is make the deals, deliver the requested wish, then make whatever remains of their lives miserable.”
She didn’t look particularly impressed by any of that. I clearly wasn’t making a good impression on this witch, and for some crazy reason that bothered me. I wanted her to like me. I wanted her to find me clever and funny, smart and resourceful. Yeah. Crazy, I know.
“So Mr. Allen sold his soul to you? For what?” The witch asked.
I waved my hand around at the largesse. “What do you think? Money. It’s the usual request. That and sex.”
The woman’s eyebrows shot up. “He seriously didn’t earn this money?”
I shrugged. “Well, technically I guess he did. But it never would have happened if I hadn’t intervened. Benjamin Frederick Allen may have been upper middle class without the deal he struck, but no mansion, no yacht, no private jet, no daughter-marrying-a-trust-fund-heir.” I sent another slow, sexy smile her way. “No amazing catering of this party by a truly talented chef.”
Her arms remained across her chest. “You haven’t eaten anything yet. It might taste like my smoothies for all you know.”
I had no idea what smoothies had to do with anything. Did she notlikesmoothies? Did she lack the ability to make one? Because I couldn’t imagine how someone who could cook all this could screw up a simple blended beverage.
“Well,” I tried the sexy smile again, “I wouldloveto eat something, if only someone would stop smacking my fingers when I attempt it.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I see auras, I’ll have you know. You weren’t going to eat that ginger cake, you were going to put some demon spell on it. Make it rot, or taste like dust, or give everyone who ate it explosive diarrhea or something.”
It wasn’t as if I’d lied to her. Maybe. I couldn’t really remember half the time when I had told a lie. But either way, I really did want to try the cake, and a few of these other foods. Suddenly the day was less about ruining Benjamin Frederick Allen’s life and more about this witch.
She regarded me for a moment then slid a slice of the cake onto a plate, handing it to me with a fork. I took a bite and had to pause to savor the texture and flavors before swallowing. Moist with a delicate crumb, the cake had the refreshing tang of fresh ginger tempered with a hint of vanilla, and balanced with a shadowy trace of Ceylonese cinnamon. And the icing… It had the richness of buttercream without the sweetness. I’d thought it was cream cheese, but it lacked the signature sour notes of that frosting.
It was magic. Once more I looked at the witch before me with her red hair and freckles, with the smug satisfied smile of someone who knew how good her culinary skills truly were. Pride. It was the best sin of all and it made my heart sing to see such a thing in her.
I wanted her. I wanted her magic sizzling against my skin. I wanted her body and her soul. I wanted her in my bed, by my side. I wanted her for all eternity. I was a crossroads demon, and all I desired was only one bargain away.
But first I needed to finish this slice of cake.
I swallowed that last amazing bite and was just about to wind up my pitch, when I found another plate in my hands. This one held the mushroom pâté surrounded by chunks of hearty bread.
It was a farmhouse style bread that had a thick crust with a faint dusting of flour and an uneven, bold crumb. I sniffed and caught a faint note of sourdough. Scooping up the pâté with a chunk of bread, I popped it into my mouth. The creamy-earthy complexity of the mushroom pâté mixed with the robust texture of the bread delivered a taste that angels would have described as heavenly.
I finished, and she shoved something else in my hands—a huge prime rib sandwich that took up the entire real estate of the tiny plate.
“Here. I need to get back to work. Help yourself to the food.” She waved a stern finger under my nose. “But if I hear of one person getting sick, I’ll hunt you down and lock you in a magical circle for the next two thousand years. Got it?”
I wanted to smile, but it wouldn’t have been sexy at the moment given that my mouth was full of beef and sinus-cleansing horseradish. She was lying about the magical circle and the two thousand years thing, but she wasn’t lying about hunting me down. The thought sent a rush of desire through me. I was tempted to see exactly what shewoulddo with me if I tampered with her food.
But I had a better idea—one that would lead to a more mutually beneficial, long-term relationship with this witch than her trapping me with her magic. She’d be a worthy opponent, a tricky prey to catch, but I’d never lost a deal before and I was confident I wouldn’t this time either.
I needed a plan. And I intended to get to work on one, just as soon as I finished this sandwich and ate some lamb meatballs as well as a few other things.
Chapter 2
Glenda
Ademon.
I tried really hard not to stare at him as I went about my duties, but he was always there in the corner of my vision.
Wow. Totally hot. I mean, smoking, inferno-of-hell hot.
Don’t get me wrong, the demons who my sisters were bonded with were good-looking guys, but they did nothing for me. I’d just assumed maybe I wasn’t into demons. I wasn’t into a lot of possible romantic partners that I met—humans, shifters, vampires, fae, or any of the other supernatural beings who called Accident their home. Yeah, I’d dated a bit and even had a boyfriend or two throughout the years, but none of them had ever made my heart race the sort of giddy rhythm that this demon had.
Physically, he was a good-looking guy with golden-blond hair, bright blue eyes, and that self-assured, sexy smile that sent electricity zinging right down between my legs. I’d met lots of handsome men in my life, and none of them had rocked my world quite like this demon.
