Page 3 of Snowed in with the Demon Lord
He made a noise, half-annoyed, half-amused. “Yes, you were lost. My cabin is at the end of the road. You are very lucky I found you.”
“The GPS stopped working,” I said. As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Blaming my car for the mistake sounded like an excuse. “Um. Anyway, thank you. If you hadn’t found me, I’d me…”
I trailed off, and he finished for me. “Dead. You would be dead.”
“Yeah.”
He stepped closer, standing over me, and I caught myself biting my lip as I looked up at him. His presence was like nothing I’d ever encountered, nearly knocking the breath out of me.
“I’m Holly, um, Holly Lucas.” I spoke to fill the silence, to save myself from staring up at that gorgeous, implausible body in mute embarrassment.
He looked down and met my gaze, and I’d swear his eyes glowed. A dark red, like coals almost burned out. Above them, his horns curled up and back from his forehead, and I couldn’t see how he kept them on.
“I am Abaddon,” he said after a weighty pause.
“Just one name, huh? Are you a rock star or something?”
“It has always been enough for me.”
Was he joking along with me? He sounded entirely serious.
“I guess Abaddon is kind of a unique name,” I said dubiously and tried to stand.
‘Tried’ being the operative word. I got halfway up before my legs buckled and I fell back, only for Abaddon to catch me.
Powerful fingers gripped my arms with curious delicacy, holding me like a precious ornament he might break if he wasn’t careful. His fiery touch burned, not just warm, but burning hot in a pulsing rhythm. As though instead of blood, his heart pumped fire around his body.
The fire didn’t burn me, though it should have. The pulses of heat made me shudder and breathe a deep, gasping breath. Which was a big mistake, because I got a lungful ofeau d’Abaddon,and I wasnotprepared.
Heavy, musky, indefinably manly, Abaddon’s scent was smoke and darkness and need, all wrapped in a heady incense. I shuddered as it filled my senses, and my body responded eagerly.
He steadied me, making sure I’d caught my balance before letting go and taking a step back. I grabbed onto the sofa for balance, staring at him, and letting myself reallyseehim for the first time.
It wasn’t a trick of the firelight; his skin was crimson. The horns weren’t props, they grew from his skull. No makeup could explain his burning gaze, either. And now I noticed his tail snaking out behind him, flicking through the air.
He looked enough like a human that I could pretend he was one, but once I paid attention, I knew he wasn’t. Which left a question I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask.
“What are you?”
3
ABADDON
The mortal asked a fair question. One I should have a ready answer for.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t prepared one, and now that I needed it, I cursed myself for that. The human stared up at me, her eyes widening and pulse racing, and I gazed back at her, lost in the beautiful green of her eyes.
I should not have brought her here. It’s too dangerous for her, and for me. My exile is almost over. I do not need this distraction.
Telling myself that didn’t help fight the distraction, though. The mortal’s warmth pulled me closer, and her touch lit my body on fire in a way like nothing else.
“You’re a demon, aren’t you?” The fear in her voice worked where my willpower failed, breaking my mesmerized stare. She stepped back, moving too fast and unsteadily to be safe. I needed to tell her something, or she’d hurt herself in a panic.
“A demon is not what you think.”
“…that’s not a denial.” She glanced around, looking for something. Probably a weapon, she’d want to be able to defend herself. My instincts drove me toward her, to grab her andprotect her, and I resisted with difficulty. Longing for her now ran too much risk.
“It is not,” I replied. “I am Abaddon, Lord of Dis, and I am what you would call a demon. That does not make me a one-dimensional villain or monster.”
