Demon's Kiss by Devereaux, J. (best sci fi novels of all time .TXT) 📗

wrapping his arms around her, Asmodeus rolled overonto his side to cradle her in the curve of his arm, his body, with her head onhis shoulder.

She gave a little sigh of regret as his cock slid out of herand his heart caught a little to hear it.

Her silvery-blue eyes looked dazed but a smile curved herlovely lips. She was paler and he could feel her heart beat a little moreheavily because of what he had taken from her, but otherwise she seemed nonethe worse for his feeding from her—a gift of the venom, for which he was verygrateful.

Actually, she looked quite pleased and very satisfied.Seeing that gave him immense pleasure.

Asmodeus had never felt so good in all his long life. Itseemed as if his blood sparkled in his veins, warm again with life, withenergy. Strength flooded him as it had not in centuries.

He didn’t even know her name.

Chapter Two

Gabriel looked up into that astonishingly beautiful face andshook her head in shock, delight and confusion. She had just fucked him, atotal stranger. A demon. That huge cock had been buried inside her, had filledher completely. And she had loved every moment of it. More than loved it, shealready wanted to do it again and again, in so many ways.

None of this made sense. She wasn’t like this but somethingabout him resonated within her, called to her in some way.

She certainly didn’t doubt now that he was real.

Her body ached pleasantly from having him inside her. Evenso, she was more than ready for round two.

“Who are you?” she asked, finally.

It seemed a good opening question, considering she hadjust fucked him, or rather he had fucked her, and prettythoroughly at that.

“My name is Asmodeus,” he answered. “My sorrow for this.Although the doing of it was more than pleasant, the way of it was not of mychoosing.”

She looked at the thick, iron shackle around his ankle andsaid, dryly, “I’m guessing.”

In wonder, she stroked a hand across the powerful curve ofone pectoral muscle, spread her fingers to try to span it. She couldn’t, evenat full stretch. She shook her head. His skin felt incredible. Although itlooked oiled, it was just incredibly smooth, like warm, supple satin or verysmooth suede. There was undeniable strength beneath that skin—it had been therewhen he touched her, caught her, steadied her.

Fucked her.

Watching his glowing eyes, she reached up to touch one ofthe gleaming horns that sprouted from his broad forehead, his silky hairparting around it. It was as smooth as polished ebony and curved to a point. Asharp point, she discovered.

Real.

Somehow he seemed neither threatening nor frightening,though he had both eaten her—sort of and actually—and fucked her, but she hadsurvived the experience.

More than survived it, really. Every nerve seemed to humwith satisfaction. Nothing else seemed to have changed. Her mind still seemedclear. It certainly didn’t appear as if her immortal soul was in any danger.Yet.

Although if this kept up it might be. Sex shouldn’t be thatgood, that incredible.

Gabriel hadn’t missed the name. She cocked her head andlifted an eyebrow.

So, he really was a demon?

Content until then to let her explore him, her caressessoothing, Asmodeus had watched her assess and consider as she touched him. Heenjoyed watching her mind work, as she adjusted to the reality of him, whountil now had been only a myth.

“Asmodeus, as in the demon Asmodeus?” she asked.

Pain lanced through him. And memories, the source of thepain. His jaw tightened, knowing the images she saw in her mind’s eye, knowingthe tales she had been told. It more than grated on him, it tore at his soul.

“Demon, yes. As those of the church named us, for Daemonaeis what we call ourselves,” he answered bitterly. “They twisted and pervertedour name, our nature, as they did so much in those times.”

Those had been dark and terrible days. It was too easy toremember the thunder of hooves, the cries, the blood and death.

She knew none of that though.

With an effort, he forced his tone to lighten and lookeddown at her, traced the curve of her cheek.

“And you are?” he asked.

He should like to know the name of the woman he had justloved, and the name of his future mate.

To his surprise, her blue eyes twinkled.

For a second she sucked on her teeth as she fought a grinbefore she held out her hand to him.

“Hi,” she said. “My name is Gabriel.”

For a moment Asmodeus was not certain he had heard right.

“Gabriel? In truth? As in the Archangel Gabriel?”

With a grin, she nodded. “Yeah.”

There was something to be said for finding humor even in asituation such as this. It kept one from going mad. So Asmodeus had to laugh,appreciating now the twinkle in her eye.

Vastly entertained, he said, “So, I have finally, well andtruly lived up to the fears of the priests and debauched an angel?”

Considering it, Gabriel grinned, remembering her own ratherenthusiastic reaction and said, “Well, I don’t know about the debauched part.I’m pretty sure I was a willing participant, but something like that.”

Demon, huh? For real.

Well.

Looking at him, touching him, it was hard to deny it.

His eyes glowed as his huge hand swallowed hers.

“A pleasure,” he said. “Truly.”

“No, the pleasure was all mine. So, do you want to tell mewhat’s going on? Why we’re being held and by whom?”

That handsome face grew grim again, furious, a barelychecked rage sparked the golden glints in his eyes and made them glow morebrightly.

His deep voice grew tight, a pained and furious angerrunning beneath it.

“Some months ago a mortal on this plane of existence found avery old translation of a book called the Malleus Maleficarum, anancient book of magic. Through it he located an equally ancient grimoire calledthe Book of Demons, another book of magic once used in ancient times bythe church to force my kind to their judgment.” His eyes darkened, shadowedwith memories. “During one of those judgments…”

For a moment, he couldn’t speak as his voice tightened.Knowing what the church had been capable of in those times, Gabriel had apretty good guess as to what those “judgments”