A Glow of Stars & Dusk by Eve L. Mitchell

“Out with it,”Ruairidh ordered as he let go of me, and the two of us stood outside the pub in the rain.

“It’s always raining lately,” I deflected.

“As you often tell me, it’s winter in Scotland.”

“Wiseass.”

Ruairidh looked at me and shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “Is it me and Abby?”

I’d been staring at the road to the cemetery, remembering how this shitshow had started. My head whipped back to him. “What?”

“Are you pissed about me hooking up with Abby?”

“You’re hooking up with Abby?” I asked incredulously. “For real?”

“You didn’t know?” Ruairidh flushed. “Oh, um, well, yeah.”

“She hates me.”

“You don’t like her either.”

“Are you kidding me?” I stared at him in wonder. “Why must you always sleep with the women who hate me?” I couldn’t believe this. “She has always been a bitch to me.”

“Why don’t you ask yourself why they hate you?” Ruairidh said in exasperation.

Arsehole. “This is what you brought me out here for?” I demanded.

“No.” He sighed. “Kind of. Well…”

“Well what?” I snapped.

“The guy.”

“The guy? What guy?” He was sleeping with Abby, this was horrible. He knew how much I detested her and she me.

“Your guy. The guy with the friends who are all inside the pub, the guy who was making you scream yesterday when I walked in on you and him going at it in bed.”

I had so many questions, like what did he see, was Sam as amazing looking naked as he was dressed, but I didn’t think this was the time or how I could ask what he looked like naked when I was supposed to have been naked with him. Yeah, that conversation would only be awkward. “Why would this be about the guy? And his name is Sam.”

“Where the hell did he come from?” Ruairidh asked me irritably. “You’ve never mentioned him.”

“Dating site.”

“What?” Ruairidh stared at me.

I wet my lips and nodded. “Yeah, singles dot match or something like that.”

“You met someone who looks like him on a dating site?” Ruairidh looked sceptical.

“Yeah, all the cool kids are doing it.”

“Cool kids don’t say cool kids,” he mocked me.

Enough was enough. “Really? Maybe they just sleep with their best friend’s arch enemies. It’s so hard to keep up when the knives are so deep in your back.” I went back into the pub.

When I sat down, there were three shots of whisky beside a fresh pint of cider and blackcurrant. I took a drink of my half-finished cider. “Who am I to thank for my drinks?”

“We thought you may need it,” Chaz said with a gentle pat on my hand.

“You could hear?” I asked as I stared at my hands. My peripheral vision registered Ruairidh walking back into the pub and heading to the bar.

“We guessed,” Der offered.

So they could hear. Fantastic. “I thought you guys were playing cards and strategizing.” My unspoken plea was answered, and they picked up their game of cards again.

After a while, I had drunk my three whisky shots and was almost finished with my second cider. I had a lovely buzz on with a strong undercurrent of vengeful bitch happening.

Sam leaned into me and dipped his head, his mouth level at my ear. “Just so you know, I do look just as good as you imagined naked.”

Holy shit, was I daydreaming about Sam naked? No. I met his mocking stare with irritation. “You eavesdropped on my mind.”

“You were practically screaming.” He shrugged as he sat back.

I looked up at the table. Der and Ros were now playing darts. Pen was deep in conversation with Chaz, and Zel was playing pool with one of the local farmers. “When did they leave us?”

“Well, you’ve been moping into your drink for so long we didn’t think now was the time to talk to you about what we need, so they moved on.”

“Like Ruairidh,” I snorted as I drank more alcohol.

“I don’t see the attraction you have for him,” Sam said easily as he drank his beer. “He’s pale, he’s not loyal, which makes him a shit friend.”

“You know nothing about him!” I whispered fiercely.

Sam huffed out a derisive snort. “I know enough.”

“Like what. What do you know?” I challenged him. Sam met my stare and looked over the bar with a slight shake of his head. “As I thought, nothing.”

“He plays you for a fool, and you let him,” Sam bit out. “Look at him, drooling over that bar woman, yet every few minutes he looks to see if you are watching. When you’re not, he stands there hardly speaking. When he thinks you are watching, he leans over to her, whispers in her ear, touches her. He’s so obvious he’s pathetic.”

I looked at Sam before my eyes flicked to Ruairidh. “Obvious about what?”

Sam ignored me. “He watches us all the time to see if we’re talking. And you sit and mourn over a lover you don’t even want.”

“What are you talking about?” I demanded quietly. “Are you saying he’s jealous? Of you?”

“You are as ignorant as you are stupid.”

“Wow.” I took another drink. “You’re a dick.” I stood up, ignoring the sway of my body as the alcohol took effect. “I’m going to the ladies’, feel free to not be here when I return.”

I ignored everyone as I headed to the bathroom. I didn’t know what Sam was trying to say. Ruairidh was trying to make me jealous? I was making him jealous? My head was swimming. When I came out of the toilets, Chaz was going into the men’s.

“Demons pee?” I blurted. Ooops. Chaz gave an embarrassed laugh and nodded, his hand on the door to go in. “Well, it is a python you’re packing, you best go drain that snake.”

Holy shit, did I say that out loud?

Chaz looked embarrassed for me, but he said nothing and simply went into the toilets. Turning, I came face to face with Sam. “Oh.”

“Oh.” He grimaced as he looked me over.

“You heard?”

“Unfortunately,” he answered as he leaned against the wall as he watched me carefully.

“Not my best pick-up line,” I laughed carelessly. Pick-up line? What was I saying?

“Do you mean flirtations?”

I giggled. “Flirtations, that’s kinda cute.”

Sam didn’t seem to appreciate being called cute. Very suddenly, I was against the wall with a whole lot of demon caging me in. “You are so young, but not that young.” His finger traced my jawline as he watched me, his eyes taking on a low green glow. “Your red-headed useless friend is not for you.” When I went to protest, his finger pressed against my lips. “He only wants you now because he has an image imprinted on his brain of me fucking you hard from behind, while you scream in pleasure.” His finger pressed harder against my lips, stopping my words. “He has kept you dangling for years. Even if you were meant for him, the way he has treated you is poor. Have more respect for yourself, you’re not a potholder.”

I jerked my head to the side and glared at Sam. “Placeholder, stupid demon. You mean placeholder.”

Sam didn’t look bothered by my interruption. “My brother, Chaz? Actually, none of my brothers are for you. Leave Chaz alone, you confuse his loyalties with your flirtations, and you disrupt our mission.”

“I’m hardly a femme fatale.” My hands came up to pull his arms away from the wall. I needed away from him. He was so close. “Flirting is harmless.”

“Not for you,” Sam growled, and his eyes glowed brighter.

“Why are you such a dick to me?” I asked him softly as I looked up at him. “What did I ever do to you?”

“We will find the Druid’s remains in the morning. You should sober up now so you are ready for the day. You have drunk enough.”

“You’re such a prick.”

Chaz stepped out of the toilets, looking between the two of us with uncertainty. “Are you okay?”

“I’m peachy,” I said as I beamed at him, deciding to ignore every single word Sam had just said to me. He really was hot. He smiled easily at me, and as he passed, I made to follow him. I heard the long-suffering sigh before I registered it properly.

Sam tugged me back and smoothly turned me to face him. His look made me lose my smile, and as I went to question him, he glowered. “He is not what you want.”

“Look, I think I know—”

His mouth covered mine. His tongue parted my lips and then was stroking mine as my hands tangled in his hair. He felt so good. I was pressed against the wall, and using the wall for support, I basically climbed up his body to wrap my legs around him, even as his hands dug into my bum, pulling me closer.

Dear Lord and all his heavenly angels, where the hell did this guy learn to kiss? I was lost.

Lost in his touch, lost in his kiss, lost in him.

His lips left mine, and I mewled in protest but soon was gasping as he kissed down my throat, his tongue and teeth nibbling on my neck. Sam’s hand moved up and snaked under my shirt, his calloused fingers amazingly rough against my soft, sensitive skin. I felt my shirt get pushed up, and I didn’t even care I was in the back of a pub, between the toilets, making out with a demon, who was now licking and sucking at my nipple.

Sam let out a low groan, and suddenly we were moving. I was in a stall, perched on a toilet cistern as my hands greedily unbuttoned Sam’s jeans. As I reached in past his fly, I felt a shiver of fear as my fingers brushed against his dick. Were all demons hung like horses? Stroking him, I was aware of Sam growling at me to lift my arse as he pulled my own jeans down.

Pushing my underwear to the side, his hand was between my legs, and I almost combusted as he stroked me skilfully. His mouth was covering mine, and I relished the way he kissed me, strong and confident, like his touch. I was on the brink of a huge orgasm. Then his hand tangled in my hair, and I clenched around him, riding his hand with wild abandon as his mouth captured my cries of pleasure.

I felt him withdraw from me and opened my eyes to see him licking his fingers with a wicked gleam in his eyes. With a grin, I moved off the cistern and sat on the toilet lid, the wooden seat lid cold on the back of my legs. Without a word, I reached forward and took him into my mouth, my tongue lapping at his crown before moving down to lick and taste more of him before I closed my lips around him. Sam’s hands buried in my hair as I worked his dick, needing both hands to wrap around it and keep it steady. God, he was huge. He hit the back of my throat, and I knew I had barely any of him in. My hand dropped to cup his balls, and I heard him groan in appreciation. Picking up my pace, I worked him hard, and soon he was thrusting into my mouth with more speed, his hands tightening in my hair. I heard a whispered warning, and then he was coming in my mouth with a low groan. I looked up at him to see his head tilted back, his eyes closed as he enjoyed his release. My head dropped against his abs as he slipped free of my mouth and we both caught our breath.

We stayed like that for a moment or more before reality crashed in and bitch-slapped me back to the present. I had just given a demon a blow job in the men’s toilet in Abby’s bar.

What the fuck was I doing?

I looked up at Sam, who had stepped back and was buttoning himself back up. “As I was saying, we go to the Druid’s in the morning, so you need to go home and sleep it off.”

“What?” I shook my head to clear it a little.

Sam dipped his head to kiss me full on the lips, regardless of where my mouth had just been. “As I said, those outside are not for you.” He pulled back and straightened. “And now they know it as well as you do.” He tugged me to my feet. “Now go home to bed before I finish what we started and you get no sleep at all.” His smug smirk made me want to physically harm him.

My only saving grace was that the pub had a back door, and I had no problem slipping out of it and walking the long road back to my cottage in the dark. I felt kind of shitty, but I refused to cry. What had I expected? Regardless of whether human or demon, the males in my life were complete wankers.

* * *

In the morning,I was reluctant to get out of bed. I knew they were in my cottage, I had a hellhound lying across my bedroom doorway. My head ached and I felt sick. Cider and blackcurrant was bad. Whisky was good, cider was bad and always gave me a hangover. But if I didn’t drink the cider, then I was usually wasted after a few whiskies. I groaned as I remembered Sam from last night.

My thighs clenched as I thought about him in the toilets. I pulled my pillow over my face as I screamed into it in frustration. Images of him kissing me, touching me, pleasuring me swam in my head. I could still taste his kisses and feel his lips moving over mine. I felt my cheeks flood with shame as I thought about what came next. Sitting on a toilet, in Abby’s bar of all places, giving a demon head. I fleetingly felt a twinge of excitement as I remembered how manly he was. Why my jaw wasn’t broken was a credit to the whisky, I think.

I could never ever look at him again. With the pillow still over my face, and both hands curled into the sides of it, I contemplated my options.

I had always wanted to go to Norway. Especially in winter. All that snow and hot tubs sounded amazing. However, to leave the country, I needed my passport, and it was in the drawer in my desk in the living room. Running away was off the table.

I could pretend I didn’t remember? I mean, I drank a lot of whisky in a short time on an empty stomach, and the whole village knew I was a terrible drunk. I immediately dismissed this. That wasn’t fair to Sam, I had been aware of what I was doing. True, it may not have been a situation I would have found myself in if I was completely sober, but to blame alcohol for my actions? No, that made me out to be a liar. Plus, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure I wouldn’t have done the same sober, he was the walking definition of sex, and to say I wasn’t attracted to him would be a lie.

So…I would just own up to being a desperate, emotional female who made bad decisions when she had been drinking whisky. Something told me he may already know that.

I threw the pillow away from me, and it was caught by the very demon I was hoping to never see again. I half sat up in shock and then lay back down again, pulling the duvet over my head. I was not ready for this.

“Morning.” Sam’s voice was full of amusement, and I felt him get closer to the bed. “How’s your head?”

“Sore,” I answered truthfully.

“How you feeling?”

“Mortified,” I whispered under the duvet.

“You have nothing to be ashamed about,” he said gruffly, and I felt the bed dip as he sat on it. He tugged the duvet off of me, and I looked up at his devastatingly handsome face with that bloody smirk and hated myself some more because all I wanted to do was kiss him again. “You enjoy sex, there is no shame in it.”

“So, it was just sex for you?” I asked quietly.

“Sex is natural.” Sam shrugged. “Humans put too much weight on the act itself. It’s good you’re freer in your thinking.”

“Did you just say I was easy?” I don’t care that I was thinking like that about myself, he wasn’t getting to call me easy.

“Easy, loose, they’re just words.” Sam stood looking very pleased with himself and handed me back the pillow. “Now, we need to go find the Druid’s remains. Your red-haired friend will be here soon, try to be convincing.”

“Convincing about what?” I yelled after him as he left the room. “Sam! Sam. Bloody useless demon.” I threw the duvet off, ignoring the fact my hair was unbrushed and my pj bottoms had holes in them and that my pj top had a Care Bear motif. They were comfy. I thought about changing, but deciding they’d seen me in worse, I rushed to the kitchen to find them all in it, including Ruairidh.

“Ah, here she is,” Sam said as he placed his cup down and crossed the kitchen to meet me. He was wearing jeans again and a navy chunky cable knit sweater. I looked them all over—they looked like they fell off the local Woollen Mills catalogue. I didn’t want to know what they had done to secure the clothes. “You oversleep? I knew I wore you out,” Sam told me with a gleam in his eye.

Ruairidh coughed lightly in embarrassment, and I was ready to disclose everything when Sam kissed me. In the kitchen. In my cottage. In front of everyone.

Dissatisfied with the lack of my response, he deepened the kiss. I felt myself relax into him, and soon I was wrapped in his embrace, kissing him back with perhaps too much enthusiasm for someone who had yet to brush their teeth. I felt my feet lift from the floor, and we were moving, but Sam still had my full attention as his hand cupped my bottom. He pulled back from me and looked down at me.

“Not feeling that bad about last night after all.” A smile played around his lips. “Get ready, we leave in twenty.” He stood back, and I felt the chill as he did so.

“What?” My eyes blinked rapidly as I tried to figure out what had just happened and why I was back in my bedroom.

“The Druid, witch. Get ready. You’re wasting time.”

“What was that?” I asked as I pointed to the door.

Sam looked over his shoulder and back at me blankly. “What was what?”

“In the kitchen!” I exclaimed as my hands flung up into the air, betraying my exasperation.

“A reminder that his days of dangling his dick in front of you like a carrot are over.” Sam’s grin was full of menace. “He missed his chance, I won’t.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re excused,” Sam said as he turned to the door. “Eighteen minutes, don’t be any longer, I have no problem coming in and getting you.”

He closed the door behind him, and I stood in my bedroom in confusion. My head hurt. My lips were swollen, and all I could taste was Sam. My fingers traced over my lips as I tried to catch up with what was happening.

His head popped back around the door. “Oh, and don’t forget to brush your teeth. Morning after bar breath? Not a fan. Go, get moving, I don’t have all day to wait for you.”

Please, God, kill me now.