Well, that was mildly alarming.Fallen angels reveled inpower and status, which meant that this shindig had probably been arranged fora purpose.An evil purpose.
“Huh,” he said casually.“Never met him.”
“I hadn’t either until I agreed to speak at the conference.He seems...very intense.”She paused to wave at someone near the grand piano.“Are all fallen angels like that?”
“There’s a saying in Heaven,” he said lightly.“Angels keeptheir humor in their wings.”
“Sowhen they get cut off...”
“So does their humor.”He shrugged.“Of course, fallenangels do grow wings eventually.”
“But their sense of humor doesn’t grow back?”
“Oh, it does,” he said, thinking ofAzagothand his pitch-black sense of humor.“You just don’t want to be on the funnyside of it.”
She reached up and toyed with the multicolored choker aroundher slender neck, the dozens of rings on her fingers glinting in the light fromthe chandelier overhead.There were even little gemstones decorating her nails.She must be wearing a freaking fortune in jewels.
“Well, what about you?”she asked.“You seem to be a littleless on the intense side.”
He narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion, figuring thatflirting might help get him what he wanted.Plus, as he’d already established,she was hot—for a demon.Especially for a demon.
“Is ‘intense’ code for ‘asshole’?”
She laughed, a delicate sound that was almost...musical.What kind of demon was she?A succubus, maybe?That would explain why he waspicturing her tangled in bedsheets and why his cock was throbbing against thefabric of his pants.He wouldn’t complain, though.The expensive pants feltmuch better on his sensitive skin than the scratchy monk garb he was sure hadbeen fashioned from nettles.
“I say we change the subject.”Still smiling, she took a sipof her drink.“Sowhat brings you to the conference?Did you catch any of the panels?”
Panels?He could only imagine the topics at a place likethis.Plague Spells 101: The Pros and Cons ofMagically-EnhancedViruses.Warlocks and Witches and Sorcerers, Oh, My!Human Sacrifice: Yea orNay?
“No,” he said, clearing his throat.“I just arrived.I cameto seeyou, actually.Glad I tracked you down.”
Instantly, she lost the impish smile, and he cursed hismistake at making himself sound like an obsessed nut job.
“Tracked me down?”Even the temperature of her voice droppeda couple of frosty degrees.
“Not like a stalker or anything,” he said hastily,attempting to come off as charming.Not creepy.
He hoped.
“I went by your shop, but your staff told me you were givinga presentation tonight at a conference in Austria.Took it from there withresearch, and here I am.”He put on his best chagrined face.“Not creepy atall.”
She must have agreed, because there was a slight thaw in hereyes.“This is a very...exclusive...gathering, Mr.Razr.How did you arrange aninvitation?Especially at the last minute?”
“I’m a fallen angel,” he explained with a hint of fallenangel-like imperiousness.“I get what I want.”
Hadn’t hurt thatAzagothlet Razrdo a little name-dropping, either.No one wanted to piss off the being whowould eventually oversee the future of their soul.
“Really.”Her voice, now completely ice-free, went low, acaress that stroked him just under the skin.“Intriguing.”She gave him a coylook as she lifted her glass to her mouth.“So why did you go to so muchtrouble to track me down?”
“I’m looking for a very special gemstone, and I hear you’rethe best at locating rare and precious stones.”
“I am,” she said with an arrogance he had to admire.“Butwhy is this such an emergency that it couldn’t wait until office hourstomorrow?”
“No emergency.”He shifted closer to her, testing hisboundaries.“It’s just that I saw your portrait on the wall of your shop anddecided I didn’t want to wait to meet you.”
Her ruby lips curved in amusement.“Flattering.But you’reavoiding the real question.”
Lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, he dippedhis head closer to hers.“The room has ears.”
