The weather here was always wild and stormy, but something seemed strange, off. Rushing back across the room, I slid my feet into my boots, opened my door and walked out into the hall. A loud crash came from somewhere downstairs at the same time another round of lightning lit up the darkness in a riotous show of eerie, glowing blue light flickering against the dark glossy walls.
Lothar’s door opened, and he strode out, feet bare, and hastily pulled on jeans.
“You hear the crash downstairs?” he asked.
“I was just heading down to check it out.”
He nodded and followed me down all seven floors to the foyer. A demon was at the desk and greeted us, and I strode over while Lothar scanned the area and scented the air. “I heard a loud noise down here, what’s going on?”
The demon grinned, flashing his pointed teeth. “Apologies for waking you. The storms here are intense at times, one of our cleaning staff got a fright and dropped something?—”
“Something really fucking big,” Lothar said behind me.
The demon nodded. “Well, yes it was, you are correct, but I assure you, all is well.”
“Where’s Horace?” I asked.
“He’s asleep. I’m working the night shift.”
That made sense of course, but then again, Horace was devoted to Lucifer, and I couldn’t imagine him resting, or taking time off with one of Luci’s handmaids here. “I’m just surprised he’d leave his post tonight.”
“I have been training under Horace for many years,” the demon said and bristled. “I assure you I have everything well in hand.”
“Of course, I meant no offense. We’ll head back up now.” I hadn’t been here for a seriously long time. Things changed, but still an unease slid through me.
“Sleep well,” the demon said, his lips curving.
We started back up. “I hate this place,” Lothar said beside me.
“It’s definitely not my favorite. Did anything seem off to you?” I said and tried not to look at his bare chest, or the trail of dark hair below his belly button that thickened, then disappeared behind his barely hanging-on zipper. The thing was straining, forced to do all the work without the help of a button, since he’d not bothered to do it up, and it was losing the battle.
“No more than when we got here. This whole fucking place seems off to me. If you’re asking if I sensed anything new while we were down there? No. Nothing.”
I relaxed a little…then his hand brushed mine, and I jumped, my gaze slicing up to his face. He was looking straight ahead, though. I bit my lip and looked down at my feet. Don’t look at him. His hand brushed mine again, and my breath literally caught. I couldn’t even handle the back of his hand touching mine, for fuck’s sake, how could I possibly resist him if he did more than that?
“You smell really good,” he said low.
My throat went dry. “Still no stink, huh?” I forced out.
He shook his head. “That’s gone now. I think for good. This must be how you smell to everyone else.”
We rounded the landing and headed up another flight of stairs, and his hand brushed mine again. I sucked in a breath. He had to be doing it on purpose. I tried to put more distance between us, but the staircase was narrow. “I guess I’ll take that as a win. I’d rather not stink up the place.”
As soon as the last word left my mouth, Lothar spun on me and advanced.
“What are you…” My back hit the wall.
His huge body pressed into mine, his chest pumping hard as he curled his arm around my waist. The other thrust into my hair, and he hauled me off the ground. “Kitten, you smell like clean cotton and soap, and something else, something I’d never been able to scent on you before, but it’s exactly what I imagined you should smell like.” He dragged his nose up my throat, breathing deep. “And blended with all of that, all that is you, is warm, welcoming female, and it is fucking intoxicating.”
I shivered and desperately tried to catch my breath. Welcoming female. In other words, he could smell how much I wanted him, just from the sight of him walking out of his room a short time ago. “Lothar?—”
He slammed his mouth down on mine, his knees bending as he curled his big body around me, his arms tightening like he thought I’d try to escape and was attempting to get me closer as he kissed me like a triumphant warrior home from battle.
I should stop him, but I couldn’t do it, despite every reason that I should end this right the hell now. No, I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
Matching his hunger was impossible, though, I could only surrender. His fingers cradled the back of my head as his mouth devoured mine, his lips giving fierce, claiming kisses that made my head spin. In that moment, I lost my way to the power of his need for me, and I ceded to his will. There was no fighting this—not when his resolve to have me was far stronger than mine was to resist him.
Maybe I could have this? Just one more night.
