He was a little taken back about that, but then a small smirk slipped onto his face. “You were interested in me… No matter my makeup.”
I threw up my hands. “Yes. Don't flatter yourself too much,” I grumbled.
His hands rose like he was going to come over and hug me when he stopped mid-step and retreated. What the fuck changed from when we were fucking to now?
He was looking at the ground, his face hardening. I could see him rebuilding his walls as he switched back to his professional voice. “It doesn't matter. None of this really does, because that was not what I came here to do.”
I was starting to get irritated. I liked him better when he was Dom-ing me. “Then what are you doing here, Mr. North?” I asked in my professional tone this time, trying to match the shit he was trying to throw my way.
I watched his face. His jaw ticked, and his eyes flashed with regret. This was a look I had been getting used to lately. It was so eerily similar to the two other men who had also rocked my world and pissed me off at the same time. I guess dear old Dad wasn't done yet and I had another contender to deal with.
I should have known by the power, but they are all so different, so unique, that I didn't really know how they would be connected. Also, this one had come at me with a different approach, so I might as well see how he was going to try to get me across the portal I knew was to come.
“Well, get on with it then,” I spat out, irritated because I felt duped again.
Why was it that the men who really burned my oil were such douche nozzles? It was really starting to hurt my ego… I mean a little, not enough to really do any damage because it was just fucking, right? I heard this quiet laughter in my head then, laughing at myself and my thoughts, which was really aggravating.
His back went stiff as a board as he made himself taller and intimidating, a trick that I'm sure worked in the human world, but I knew myself, my worth, my strength. Nothing intimidated me.Except for love. Shut the fuck up, brain. I didn't have time for an inner therapist!
“Well, as you know, your father has gathered some… beings… to try to get you over into Hell. Well, I am one of those beings.”
“Clearly.” I rolled my eyes, thinking about how I was going to get him back for giving me amazing orgasms and turning on me like a little bitch.
His eyes narrowed and I felt that anger rise inside of him again, but he kept his voice strong and professional, hiding his fury.
“Yes, well, I am not as idiotic as my brothers. I didn’t come at you full force. I was hoping that I could appeal to your intellect, and we could come to a sort of agreement.”
I smirked at him, amusement coating my words as I said, “Brothers, eh? I should have known. You all have a different power that I have never felt before. They are both so yummy as well.”
I smirked at him, assuming that this would bug him like it does with most Others. They hated that demons could taste them. They thought we considered them as cattle—and some do, but I don’t. I respected them for having more than what humans could give. It made us demons less… vicious… for food. Gave us fuller bellies and made us more compliant with the world.
He didn’t balk at my words. In fact, his magic rose around him. Almost like it had heard me and wanted me to take it and consume it again, but more this time. It wanted me to drain him… but why? I guess I needed to keep the conversation going to see if I could find out.
“Intellect? Well, that's definitely different from your brothers. I’m a little excited to see what you have come up with.”
He smiled at that, but it was one of those wolfish smiles that said he thought he had me by the balls… or by the ovaries. Well, that just didn’t have the same ring to it, did it? Nope, I was going to keep with balls. Especially when it was his that I was going to crush.
“Yes, well, when Con and War came up empty-handed, it seemed like their approach was the wrong way to go.”
His words surprised me so much that I blurted, “So they gave me their real names. Huh.”
I hadn't thought they had. I was just counting it against them for the many lies they’d each told me. It shouldn’t matter that they’d given me this truth. It shouldn’t cloud my judgment, but it did. It was the smallest little seed of hope that even if the bulk of what they said was a lie, some—even a tiny amount—of what we’d shared was the truth and real.
He watched me, seeing something in my eyes as he whispered, “I’m Fame.”
My eyes snapped to his, questioning why he’d given me this small truth like his brothers. Could he tell I liked knowing their names? Was he trying to weaken me by giving me his? What was his end goal?
Thoughts kept swirling as he cleared his throat, and I felt the shimmer of a portal being opened. That effectively brought me out of my head, and my attention snapped back to him and his gorgeous face, which saw and thought too much.
My eyes flicked to the portal to Hell, seeing the Hellscape through it and shuttering. As I kept looking, I saw that the edges weren’t trying to close like the others.
He must’ve noticed my question in my face because he easily said, “Before I came, I had Lucifer add a longer timer to this portal, knowing I would need to talk to you before it closed.” He straightened up, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed, “This is the deal. If you don't walk through this portal, I will make sure to pull this contract from you.”
My eyes snapped over to his as I let out a growl.
“I have done my homework on you. If you get this contract, you, your company, and your employees would be set for a very long time. So much so that others would want to work for you. It would be the cornerstone to building your entire empire.” He smirked at me, but for once, it didn't reach his eyes.
“But if you do walk through the portal, I will make sure the contract goes through. I will even help whoever you put in charge, pro bono, to make sure it’s run exactly how you want it to be.”
