Page 38 of A Demon Is Forever

“Cool.” Zuri’sdawn light grey gaze, eerily reminiscent of their father’s eyes, shifted to thenearby work surface where several components lay. Shaw shifted to block herview, not wanting her sister to get distracted. “Oh, right. Well, you can takemy jeep if you need it.”

“Won’t you beneeding it?”

“Will I?”

“Z, it’s familydinner night.”

“It is? Already? Imean, yes, of course it is, and I totally plan to be there. But I can cadge alift with Monroe.”

“Nope. She’s hipdeep in a prison break escapee hunt.”

“Oh, then I’lljust drive something from the test pool.”

Accepting Zuri’skeys, Shaw pocketed them. Turning as she heard Kaleb exit the bathroom, herbreath catching in the back of her throat in surprise. How did the Demon do it?He looked like a Freyja-damned pirate, in tight black pants, thigh high leatherboots and a billowing black shirt that he’d tied loosely together with thedrawstrings at the neckline, since there were no buttons. Gifting everyoneflashes of his hard chest and defined pecs with every step he took.

Suddenly Shaw wasreliving their fake kiss outside the linen closet back at the hotel. Theunexpected heat… connection, she’d discovered with this Demon. That heat wasback simmering away in her gut, and… lower still. It was beyond irritating torealise she was attracted to pretty packaging, although Kaleb in all black, heexuded an air of intriguing danger.

Tucking the endsof his bloodied purple top tighter around his hand, Kaleb glanced up to findthe two Bengala sisters staring at him. With distinctly different skin, eye andhair colours, they should have looked nothing alike but there was no denyingthey shared the same plush wide lips, small straight nose, and the exact sameunimpressed expression. A Demon would have to work bloody hard to catch theirattention and hold onto it. “Thanks for the loan. That was quite the array ofinteresting clothes to choose from. Dare I ask where the original owners are?”

“Sometimes we liketo play dress-up with the crash test dummies before we… kablooey.” Zuri’s handswent wide, imitating an explosion. “That look might be left over from ourromance cover book week.” Zuri made several more explosive sounds. “Fun was hadby all… except for the crash test dummies I suppose.”

“I’ve always beenpartial to big and little…” He glanced meaningful at Shaw. “…bangs. Maybe Icould watch you work some day?”

Zuri suddenlylooked intrigued. “Have you ever tested how much damage a Conflict Demon cantake before things stop growing back?”

InstantlyKaleb’s expression changed, the smile and dimple still present, but Shaw couldread that dimmed twinkle in his eyes like a book. He was thinking of the damagedex-Berserkers now, and the long physical and mental road to recovery they wereon.

“No time to talkshop, I’m afraid. I need to check in with my Department. Update Helgastein.Plus, Kaleb needs to visit Medical so they can take a look at his hand.”

“And you need tofind me a weapon, don’t forget that.”

“A weapon?” Zuriclicked a button on a nearby remote. The rear wall of the laboratory slidingback, revealing a display of over a hundred plus sharp bladed weapons in allshapes and sizes. “Anything there take your fancy?”

“You are adelight.” The twinkle once more on high beam, Kaleb striding over to the wallto consider his options.

“I appreciate allyour help, Z. See you tonight, seven sharp.” Shaw thanked her sister.

“Tonight?”

“Family dinner.”Shaw reminded again.

“Oh, yeah.Absolutely. Oh, nice choice, Kaleb. Let me find you a sheathe for that baby.”

Shaw shook her headin exasperation as they left Zuri’s laboratory. Ignoring the Elves across theenormous cavernous Staging Area, who were eyeing them with equal partscuriosity and disdain at the sight of the hilt of the slightly curving swordKaleb had chosen. “You look like that dude from that film.” Reaching theelevators Shaw stabbed the button hard and vigorously. They always came fasterif you let them know you were in a hurry.

“That doesn’tactually narrow anything down for me. Dude in what film?”

“You know the one…The Prissy Bride.”

“The PrincessBride?” The elevator arrived, Kaleb following Shaw inside. “You’re saying Ilook like the Dread Pirate Roberts? The devilishly handsome and wickedly smarthero? The one who saves a Kingdom from a royal despot? Winning the heart of themost beautiful woman in the land and saving her life in the bargain? Thatdude?”

“Yeah. You kind oflook like him in that get up. I can’t recall the storyline, other than therewere some sword fights. But I do remember him getting dead. You’d definitelymake a pretty corpse in your fancy new outfit.”

Leaning overslightly, not quite touching Shaw, the edges of Kaleb’s lips twisted upwards justever so slightly with a suggestive smile. “Can’t stop think about me, huh,Valkyrie?”

Damn, the Demonwas merely standing there, yet for some strange reason she could feel the burnof his body heat through her clothes. Adding sizzling little pops to the alienwarmth simmering away low in her gut. Shaw was quickly coming to therealisation that the idea of fucking the Conflict Demon was no longercompletely abhorrent. Though she found all the peripheral stuff that came withbeing near him all the time still irritating and more than a little confusing.

Like why did shelike the slightly suggestive smile he was sending her right now so much morethan the big broad grin he gifted the world almost constantly?

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