Yet.
“You arehot,” he proclaimed.
I was now.I bit my bottom lip and curled my hands into fists to keep from fanning myself and making it all too obvious what his compliment did to me.
His molten gaze dropped to my lips.
I skirted around him and jerked open the door before stumbling out onto the porch, welcoming the cool air as it hit my exposed skin.
We’d passed the boutique on the way here, but I suddenly realized I hadn’t eaten or had my daily dose of caffeine yet today and had reached that point where I was reasonably confident I could not continue to function without a cup of joe and some sweet carbs to go along with it.
“Coffee first,” I announced, striding across the street without waiting to see if Asmoday would follow.
The coffee shop, Witch’s Brew, had dark wood detailing, walls that were deep purple, and magic hung on the air like a living, breathing entity.All the clues to the proprietor’s identity were there, which was good because witches’ heredity wasn’t nearly as obvious as, say, a demon.Or a yeti.Or gorgon.Or mummy.
You get my drift.
Witches, by contrast, appeared entirely human.If they didn’t tell you outright, you either had to touch them or catch them casting a spell to confirm their nature.
Instead of simply looking human, Arrythmia’s resident witch more closely resembled a super model.
The woman who stepped through the swinging door behind the counter of the coffee shop was probably six foot and thin as a rail, with a curtain of crazy long black hair that fell past her waist.
She wore what could best be described as a sexy schoolgirl uniform: white button-down shirt with most of the buttons unlatched to show off the type of cleavage that was usually only possible via surgical enhancements or a really good bra, a satin blazer cinched at the waist and decorated with black lace, and pleated black skirt just long enough to (barely) cover the naughty bits.
And let’s not forget the fuck me Mary Janes with cute little bows on the straps.
I hated to think it, but she’d look damn good on Asmoday’s arm.
Speaking of, her sexy witch’s gaze lapped up Asmoday like warm milk while she wrapped herself around him and simpered, and I took it all back.
She looked terrible there.She shouldn’t be touching him.She shouldn’t be near him.She shouldn’t even belookingat him—and what the hell?
I turned around to catch a glimpse of myself in the reflection in the window, not that the wide-eyed, blue-haired woman staring back was helping my confusion in any way.
Wait.Don’t even tell me I was jealous.
Hellfire and brimstone, I didn’t even want to be attracted to the guy!
“Why don’t you wait outside, Daruka, and I’ll grab something for both of us?”Asmoday suggested.
Why did he not want me inside this coffee shop, hmm?
“Daruka?”Sexy Witch purred, studying me like a bug under a microscope rather than the sizzling way she’d sized up Asmoday.“Is this your sister, Asmoday?”
“Nope,” I said, popping the P.I felt like I was watching myself up on a movie screen.I had zero control over anything that was happening.
Sexy Witch arched a single brow.I’d always wanted to do that but had never been able to accomplish it, despite spending hours in front of a mirror trying.
“Selina,” Asmoday said hurriedly, “this is Daruka.She’s new in town.Just arrived this morning.Daruka, Selina.She runs the coffee shop, and if you hadn’t guessed it yet, she’s a witch.”
“And you are another demon,” Selina said to me.
“I am.”Normally, I downplayed the demon aspect of my nature, since most people tended to fear us.Mermaids were far more likable.
This was a special circumstance.
“Two demons,” Selina said slowly, now eyeing me suspiciously.“Gal should have closed that hellmouth a bit more quickly.”
