The Price of Possession by Dakota Brown (universal ebook reader txt) 📗

hadn'tknown how to use the dishwasher, but he did know how to do dishes by hand. "Yes.I'll see you soon, Mal." He grinned at the vampire. "Thank you forbreakfast."

I walked Mal to the door.

He wrapped me in another soul-feeding hug and gave mea relatively chaste kiss. "Call me if you want. I hope to see you again,Chris Price."

I didn't reply, just watched him leave. He drove ahybrid. Go figure.

Once Mal had left, I wrapped my arms around myself andshivered, feeling a little empty. That was a weird feeling for me. Usually, Iwas glad to get a lover gone and get back to my life. Now I felt a little lost.I wandered back to the kitchen.

"What are we doing today?" Sabian camearound the counter and stood next to me.

"Um, not much until Darius gets here with someclothes for you."

"I've heard so much from some of the other demonswho've come back from being topside. I want to see it all." He bounced onhis toes.

"Okay, great. Rule number one, though. Don't tellanyone you're a demon."

"Duh."

My jaw dropped and then I shook my head. Right.

"I guess I don't have any other rules. I'm notgood at following them, anyway. Here, um, let me show you the TV. I need to doa few things around the house. We can head out once you have some clothes."

His face lit up and I found myself smiling in return.Maybe not quite as empty as I had thought.

Chapter 6

Price

Darius arrived a few hours later. I was outside, tryingnot to get sunburnt while at the same time enjoying being in the fresh air.

"So, how's the demon?" he asked by way ofgreeting.

"Does dishes, so I guess he can stay. Currentlylearning about the world through the TV."

"Lord help us all," Darius intoned.

I laughed.

"And your dungeon master?"

"Dear God, Darius, seriously?" I sputtered.

He smiled and crossed his arms.

"Well, he cooks."

"By the pleased expression on your face, he doesmore than cook."

"You really want the details?" He was goingto get an earful if he kept pushing. When he didn't reply right away, Ishrugged. "He knows how to take care of a woman."

"Good."

"Tell me you brought some clothes for Sabian?"

"I did my best without him actually there. By theway, are you aware that incubi are shape shifters?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh really?"

"Yes. In fact, an incubus is merely a lust demonwho has taken male form instead of female form."

"You mean he's a succubus, too?"

"If he wants to be."

"Okay, then." I pinched the bridge of mynose. "Can't say I knew that. Not my area of expertise. Skipped right overthe sex demons and focused on the ones I thought I was more likely to meet."

Darius chuckled. He grabbed a few bags from his carand followed me into the house.

"Sabian! Company."

We met the demon in the living area and Darius heldout the bags to him. "I just got some basics. I hope they fit."

The demon looked in the bags and his eyes lit up. "Thankyou, priest."

Now I was curious what Darius had gotten that made thedemon so happy.

It turned out that Sabian was simply easily pleased. Acouple of pair of jeans and some plain T-shirts, underwear, socks, and hikingboots. Darius had done very well guessing the demon's size, or the demon hadsimply adjusted himself to fit. I didn't want to know at this point.

He also had zero sense of modesty. After Sabianinspected all of the clothing he shed the robe and dressed in the living room.It wasn't exactly as if we hadn't seen him naked already, it just surprised me.Darius simply shook his head and turned his attention outside while Sabian slidon his new clothing.

The T-shirts were just tight enough to make looking atthe handsome demon very fun, and the way his jeans hugged his hips should havebeen illegal.

"I've taken the information Sabian gave to me tothe police. They're working on finding new leads. If there's anything you canhelp them with, I'll be in touch."

I didn't bother to point out that I hadn't offered tohelp further, Sabian had. Darius knew if he asked, I'd come.

Darius stayed for a little while longer before headingback to his church, leaving a now clothed Sabian and I alone. I kind of didn'twant to take him to work with me. I kind of did. I never took guys I was datingor just sleeping with to the pizza shop and if they showed up there, they weresummarily kicked out and told not to return. If they really wanted pizza, I'dget them take out. I was not sleeping with or dating Sabian, but it felt thesame.

Oh well, I wasn't about to leave him on his own, atleast not yet, and I had a few things to do, including teaching Billy how to dopayroll.

I leaned against the frame of the sliding glass door,arms crossed. My father had stood that way many times in the past and I'd takenup the habit at some point. The doors faced west, and we got some spectacularviews of the desert as the sun set.

Sabian came over behind me and put his hand on myshoulder. I stiffened for a moment before relaxing into his touch. Unlike Mal's,his hand was quite warm.

When I didn't pull away, he dragged his fingerslightly down my bicep and across my forearm until he could tuck his hand aroundmine. Sabian fitted himself against my back, put his other arm around my waist,and stood there, holding me.

Eventually I remembered to breathe again, though myheart sped at his proximity. After I relaxed a little, Sabian tightened the armaround my waist, rubbing my hip gently. I leaned back against his chest,stomach tightening with need, heart racing again. What was I doing? Mal hadn'tminded Sabian feeding off us, but surely he would mind if the minute he was outof my sight, I jumped the demon.

As if sensing my hesitation, Sabian stilled his hand,just holding me, while I tried to get my racing heart under control again. Ifinally calmed down, though now I ached for release. Damn him, anyway. Havingan incubus around was going to be really interesting if he affected me likethat