3
“Wakey, wakey, sleepy head.”
Vik jerked awake. A disheveled Dillon stared down at him. Oh, Home! He’d meant to get up early and restore the apartment’s glamour. Instead, his overnighter stared at bare rock walls adorned with flickering torches, which now bathed his pale skin ingold.
One moment before Dillon would likely run screaming, he showed himself beauty personified. Oh well, if Vik would never see him again, he’d take a second chance at the honesty thing. “You’regorgeous.”
“And that’s not a costume.” Dillon spoke matter-of-factly, stroking a finger against Vik’s horn. “You’re some kind of demon, aren’tyou?”
“Ninjas are demons, too, aren’t they?” Vik really, really needed to get outmore.
Dillon traced his fingers over the tips of Vik’s horns, inspiring a shudder, then plinked one of the ornate gold rings in Vik’s earlobe—his mark of rank. “We met at a costume party. I wore acostume.”
“You’re human?” How had Vik wound up with a human? Humans dreaded demons, and had to be mind-altered sometimes if they learned the truth about who they’d slept with. Vik should know. He’d woken up to shrieks often enough. Nothing about Dillon’s casual attitude indicated fear. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll steal yoursoul?”
“Ralph’s been my neighbor for three years, and the only thing he’s ever stolen from me is an old boyfriend—and he did me a favor, so all’sgood.”
“You… you know about demons?” If he didn’t, Vik would gladly teachhim.
“Sure. There’s some real bad ones out there, but unless I miss my guess, you’re sixth level, so kinda all right.” He ran his hand down to Vik’s morning erection and grinned. “Some parts more all right thanothers.”
How the Home did he know so much about demons? And sixth level demons in particular. “It doesn’t bother you that you slept with ademon?”
Dillon’s cheeks flushed. Ah, a new addition to the growing list of things Vik found attractive in the human. “Don’t take this the wrong way, hot stuff, but this ain’t my first rodeo. Besides, you were a bitobvious.”
“Obvious how?” Really? And Vik had been socareful.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Dillon sat next to Vik, ticking off points on his fingers. “Losing control, melting glass with your bare hands, your drinks going up in steam. The view from your window is the New York Skyline—about forty years ago—and we made it to your supposedly New York apartment in ten minutes, in a cab that was probably only a figment of my imagination. We started off in Vegas. Your appearance? That’s why most of the guys at last night’s party avoided you. Most new demons only come up to the surface to find mates, and the party crowd aren’t really into one night stands that last thousands of years. Kinda shallow if you askme.”
“How do you know allthis?”
“Ralph has a big mouth, and he called me up, told me he had a special friend coming. I dusted off my costume and you know therest.”
Vik sat up with his knees to his chest, the stone floor cold against his bare butt. Damn, he’d dropped his glamour of thick carpeting somewhere in the night. He draped his arms over his legs and stared at his hands. “Then you know about mymother.”
Dillon snickered. “Yeah. Talk about the mother-in-law fromHell!”
“I have a few hours left to find a mate or she plans to choose one for me.” Vik heaved out a sigh. “And whoever I pick will have to challenge two female demons forme.”
Amazing how Dillon managed to raise Vik’s head with a single finger. “I know how it was for Ralph when we first met, hiding from his parents’ demands, never really free to live his ownlife.”
“You andRalph?”
“Old news. But I’m willing to help you. You take me home to Mama, she gets off your back, we both go back to doing what we wannado.”
Vik narrowed his eyes. “What’s in it foryou?”
“Dude! Have you ever slept with a demon? No, don’t answerthat.”
“Have you ever NOT slept with one?” Vik grumbled under hisbreath.
“What’sthat?”
“Oh, nothing.” The guy did offer to help. Vik couldn’t be too hard on him. Besides, he wasn’t too bad in bed. He glanced around the apartment at the surfaces they’d used the night before. Okay, the guy wasn’t bad on couches either. Or kitchen tables. The spin they’d taken on the ottoman had been a bit awkward, but… “I didn’t know you were human. Do you really think you stand a chance against two femaledemons?”
“I don’t intend to fight them—I intend to make themyield.”
A thin, pale human who came up to Vik’s shoulder? Taking on two demonesses? “Really?How?”
