Demons Like It Hot (2 page)

Exactly what mission was he signing up for? What was so urgent that the great Paladin Rafael Deleon needed his help? After all, wasn’t he the one that was prophesied? “Fine. I accept Rafael Deleon as my handler.” As soon as he muttered the words, he was certain he’d regret it.

As if reading his mind—which he was certain they were—the Paladin council stood and nodded to him.

An indiscernible smile crept across Astra’s lips. “Very wise decision, Ambrose. Now it is time to hear your mission. Deleon, do the honors.”

Rafael nodded in return. “Thank you, my lieges.” With stony silver eyes he glared at Matthias. “Your mission is this: You will guard my fiancée’s best friend: Serah SanGermano.”

The frozen tundra of Siberia sounded better after all.

“
Mon Dieu!
The fondue!”

“What?” Serah SanGermano clutched her grandmother’s watch, its warmth flooding her body, and spun around. Flames shot out from the burners, flickering and taunting. Heat continued to flood her every pore. Her cheeks, fingers, and toes tingled. Every receptor fired in her body. She sucked in a breath. Would it ever stop?

“The stove broke!” Edie, her sous-chef shouted, her French accent thickening. She fumbled with the knobs, twisting and turning each direction. “
Merde
…” she mumbled beneath her breath.

Flames licked, flicked and taunted. More pans bubbled, threatening to spew their contents.

Oh
God, not the vichyssoise too!

Serah shook her head to clear her jumbled thoughts. What in the hell was going on?—and she did mean hell. She had her reasons. But there was something different about this. Something unnatural, yet no evil lingered. She had a nose for it—literally.

She’d always believed in the netherworld and the occult. She never knew just how close it was—until now. Now those demons wouldn’t leave her alone. An imp here, a ghoul there. Nothing terribly harmful. They mostly just liked to stir up trouble. More or less just a nuisance in her busy life. Thankfully, she had Lucy, her half-succubus friend, and Lucy’s demon fiancé, Rafe, to help her. Who would have guessed that not all demons are bad?

More energy pounded its way through her body, filling her with intense heat—a heat she didn’t need or want. She shook her wrist, the silver band with its tiny diamonds sparkling and flashing.

Stupid
watch.
Nonni told her to wear it at all times, that she’d be there to help Serah claim her destiny. Well, where was Nonni now? Gone, and it was all her fault. Serah shuddered as she stifled a sigh. She’d always love her grandmother, but she couldn’t bear it anymore.

“You do something, Ms. SanGermano!” Edie flailed her arms back and forth, words so colorful they could only mean something she shouldn’t dare repeat spewing from her mouth.

More heat shot into Serah’s wrist and her head buzzed. Something wasn’t right, but she had a business to run. People were counting on her. She had customers to take care of. She couldn’t let them down.

A giant bubble of chocolate popped in the air, coating Edie and her purple, custom-made chef’s jacket in gooey chocolate. With that, another gush of chocolate erupted. Chocolate sprayed in every direction, all over the floors, the walls and ceiling… everywhere. Serah reached for a towel and lunged for the fondue pot, her Jimmy Choos slipping across the slimy chocolate coating the floor. Bad choice in shoes, she knew, but she had a client to meet with.

“Aiee!” Serah shouted as her legs slipped beneath her. Pitching forward, she threw her arms out in a futile attempt to catch herself. She only slipped more. With an unceremonious plop, Serah landed face first in the ocean of chocolate. Who knew one pot could hold so much chocolate? She loved the decadent treat, but this much and she’d end up in a diabetic coma.

“Damn it,” she muttered beneath her breath. What the hell was going on? Swiping the sticky sweet liquid from her face, she crawled toward the counter. She gripped the edge and pulled herself up. Without thinking, Serah swiped chocolate-coated fingers through her curls.
Ugh!
The rich sweet scent of cocoa clung to the air. She rubbed her nose, her fingers smushing into more sticky warmth. It certainly gave new meaning to
brownnosing
.

Chocolate continued to gush in the air like Old Faithful. More pots rumbled and shook, threatening to spill their contents. Serah sniffed the air, hoping to catch a whiff of evil demon. Not a rotten egg in the vicinity. Just great. She didn’t need this. Not now. Not ever.

Serah glanced down at the watch, the diamonds sparkling—taunting her, its unmerciful warmth spreading everywhere, down to the tips of her toes.

Sorry, Nonni, but I just can’t wear it anymore.

With that, Serah ripped off the watch and shoved it into the pocket of her jacket, where it would be safe—for now. After all, it was her grandmother’s watch. She had wanted her to have it. Serah couldn’t disrespect her memory. Not after everything she’d given up for her.

Edie shook her head, chocolate drops flinging from her chef’s hat and normally red hair. “I no sign on for zis, but I see you need help.” She stomped toward the utility closet and threw open the door. “Ve must clean now. Before Health Department cloze uz down.” With a smile, she wheeled out the bucket and mop. “I did not think people used zeez s’ings no more.”

“Mop’s always been good to me. I just can’t part with him.”

“After this mess, he might be the one who parts company.” The thick voice wafted through the air, along with the faint hint of lemon. Kalli Corapolous sauntered in, her tall, buckle-down boots squishing in the chocolaty layer coating the floor. Flinging a purple dreadlock to the side, she scanned the kitchen. What in the hell was she doing here?

“I’ve come to clean,” she said on a whispered breath. “I noticed a spike in otherworldly powers and came as soon as I could.”

“Do you mind?” Serah asked, her voice taking on a tinge of irritation. Her best friend, Lucy, told her all about Kalli’s demonic gifts.

“Mind what? The look on your face said it all. No mind reading necessary.” Kalli smiled, a warm smile despite the Goth getup she chose to wear. “Lucy’s on her way too.”

Great. Just what she needed. Everyone meddling in her life. She didn’t need help. Nothing was wrong. So she had a few unfortunate mishaps with a few minor imps and wraiths. Big deal. They’d seen worse.

“Just a little mishap with the fondue pot.” Serah smiled, twisting a finger in a chocolaty curl. “I was experimenting. I read somewhere that chocolate and its antioxidants were good for your face and hair.”

Serah popped a fingertip in her mouth and smacked her lips. The rich chocolate exploded on her tongue. Damn, Edie made a killer fondue. Too bad it was now sprayed across the kitchen. What a waste of fine chocolate.

Kalli’s gaze narrowed and she pursed her lips, the silver loop in her lower lip jutting out. “I’ll have to ask Lucy about that. I’m still getting refreshed with my hairstyling skills.”

Well this was an excellent way to change the subject.

“So has Lucy actually let you style hair yet?” Serah leaned against the counter, her arm landing in yet another puddle of chocolate. “Ick.”

Her question apparently fell on deaf ears. With a wary eye, Kalli continued to scan the shop. “Where’s Edie?”

“In the back room filling a bucket. Something tells me we may need more than a mop though?” Serah forced a chuckle.

Kalli nodded, her expression stern and stony. “What happened, Serah? And tell me the truth. I can smell bullshit a mile away.”

“Nothing happened. The fondue got a little too hot and boiled over. No imps, demons, or wraiths around.”

“There might not be demons, but something strange is going on.” Kalli turned to her, her amethyst eyes sparking. She grabbed her by the shoulders. “You and I both know this isn’t normal. You need help.”

A huff escaped Serah’s lips and she placed her hands on her hips. “The only thing I have going on is a rehearsal dinner and if I don’t get everything done, then my business is shot.”

She spun away from the counter and plodded to the sink. A quick turn from Serah, and the faucets roared to life. Squirting some soap into her hand, Serah lathered up. With a splash of water to her face, she scrubbed away the chocolate. She’d probably have blackheads for months now. She scrubbed her face harder.

“If you scrub any harder, your skin will fall off.” Her best friend’s normally smooth and silky voice grated in her eardrums. Now that Kalli had her reinforcements, she was due for an earful.

With a sharp twist, Serah turned off the water. Steeling herself against the admonishments of one and a half demons, she gripped the edge of the sink. Then again, the human half of Lucia Anne Gregory was just as formidable as the succubus half—if not more.

She turned to her friend and mustered the most confident and collected tone she could. “Lucy, everything’s fine. As I was telling Kalli, it was just an accident.”

“Pbbbt… A big accident.” Edie pushed her way into the kitchen, the yellow mop bucket sloshing in front of her. Pulling the lever, she released the wringer and yanked out the mop. Like a French ninja, she swung the mop from one hand to the other. Drops of water flung from the yarns, ricocheting against the wall. Passing her hand across her face, she brushed off some of the drops.

“I’ve got some
industrial
cleaners, Edie. I’m sure Serah won’t mind you taking off early.” A sly smile spread across Kalli’s lips. She turned to Serah and narrowed her gaze. “Right, Serah?”

“Uh, yeah.” Serah balled her hands into tight fists. “You can take the rest of the day off, Edie.”

Edie arched an auburn brow, her lips pressed firmly together. “Everyzing iz okay? You sure?”

“Yes.”

She nodded. “Okay. Don’t forget to feed
le
chat
.”

Serah smirked.
Le
chat
was quite able to feed himself. The cat, who had adopted her as his own, was way too intelligent for his own good. Why did all the strange beasts wind up on her doorstep?

“This is getting old really fast,” Lucy ground out as soon as the door clicked shut. Raking a hand through her always perfectly styled hair (one of the few benefits of being part sex demon), she rolled her tongue between her teeth. Her hazel eyes sparked as she shot Serah a penetrating glare.

Serah threw her hands up in frustration. “What now? How many times do I have to say it was an accident?”

“Rafe says you’re hiding something.”

“So can he read minds now?”

“Not funny.”

“So speaking of your other half, where is he?”

“He’s meeting with the Fore-Demons to discuss our impending nuptials and… other matters.”

“Don’t tell me you need their permission to marry.”

With a roll of her eyes, Lucy grabbed the only stool not coated with chocolate and took a seat. “Like I’d listen to them anyway.”

“You are the Sex Princess, after all.”

Being the daughter of the Sexubi King definitely had its advantages. Then again, it had its disadvantages too. Serah saw what could happen if Lucy’s powers were unleashed. Pheromones from hell. Thank goodness she’d learned to control those powers, or she’d never be able to go out in public. Then again, she and Rafe did enjoy their
privacy.

“It’s
Sexubi
Princess. Big difference.” Her gaze softened. “Seriously, hon. We’re worried about you.”

Were they suggesting she have herself committed? Then again, some days that’s what she thought she should do. The odors that barraged her night and day. The imps who liked to play. Luckily, with the protection charms they insisted she use, she was safe. Then again how good was a protection charm when it couldn’t protect her from herself?

The princess got her way.

Then again, even if she wasn’t royalty, Lucy would still get her way. One of the reasons Serah loved her so much. She never gave up.

“We’re going to talk about this privately.” Lucy dragged her toward the door leading to her office.

“I work better alone, anyway,” Kalli said, flinging the fondue pot into the sink.

“Don’t you remember anything from that day?” Lucy asked as she kicked the door shut. She flopped into the leather, high-back chair and steepled her fingers. As if on cue, she tapped her foot. Impatience certainly wasn’t a virtue. Then again, she was part sex demon. She probably didn’t need to worry about virtues.

“What day?” Serah asked nonchalantly. She slung herself into her chair and kicked her feet up on her desk. Swiveling the chair from side to side, she flashed her friend a sweet smile. Of course she knew what day. They’d been through this before.

“I told you I don’t remember. One moment I’m on the phone with you, the next I’m being yanked by my coat by a man who’s too blond for his own good.” If it wasn’t for the cinnamon and sewer smell that lingered in the air, she might have been attracted.