A Demon’s Touch by Ella Jade

Chapter 22

Harper

I closed my laptop and stretched out my back. Angelo was lost in his computer screen. He hadn’t said a word in twenty minutes. He didn’t even flinch when I made my way around his desk to see what had him so engaged.

“What’s an Inferno Sword?” I slipped into his lap, breaking his concentration.

“Hi.” He closed his laptop and pushed it out of the way.

“You were quite taken with it.”

“It’s some relic that I read about the other day, and I wanted to research it further.”

“What is it?”

“According to the legend, Lucifer used it for much treachery and evil. It holds power that hasn’t even been tapped into yet. In the wrong hands, it could create a great deal of havoc.”

“Huh.” I shrugged. “I thought you were more into angels than demons.”

“Lucifer was once an angel.” He gathered my hair in his hand and draped it to one side of my neck. “It all fascinates me.”

“Are you going to buy it?”

“It’s not for sale.” He traced his finger along my cheek. “It’s under lock and key, collecting dust, which is probably the right thing.”

“You’re a fascinating individual.” I kissed his cheek. “I’d love to get inside that head of yours.”

“I’m afraid if you did, you would run in the opposite direction.”

“I don’t think I could run away from you.” I nipped at his bottom lip. “But I’d let you chase me.”

“That could be fun.” He tangled his fingers in my hair and brought my lips to his. “We could play hide and seek later.”

“This is a big house.” I slipped my tongue inside his mouth and swirled it around, kissing him for a few moments. “You might not find me.”

“Trust me.” He tightened his hold on my hair, taking control of the kiss. “I’ll always find you.”

“I’m counting on it.” I leaned my head back, giving him access to my neck.

“It’s been a long day.” He glided his hand beneath my skirt, toying with the edge of my panties. My nipples hardened, and the space between my legs pulsed in response.

“A stressful one.” I spread my legs, following his lead.

“I can relieve that stress for you.” He slipped his hand inside my panties. “Just like this.”

“Wait!” I pressed my hand to his chest when I remembered another commitment. “We can’t.”

“We can.”

“I promised Greta I’d come and see her.”

“You’re leaving me to go see Greta?” He squeezed my thigh. “That’s not going to work for me.”

“A raincheck.” I kissed him. “You can do whatever you want with me later.”

“If you recall, I don’t do rainchecks. Remember what happened last time?”

“No one is going to slash my tires here.” I sprung out of his lap. “Not with you, David, and Conrad around. No one gets near me around here.”

“What is so important in the kitchen?”

“Girl stuff.”

“What kind of girl stuff?”

“We’re going to talk about you.” I smiled. “Greta has known you for years. Can tell me all kinds of things about you.”

“Wonderful.” He rolled his eyes and opened his laptop. “Have fun.”

“Are you brooding?”

“Not at all.”

“Don’t be mad.” I stood between him and the desk, blocking his view of that weird sword. “I won’t be long. She wants to go over dinner menus. I told her it wasn’t necessary because she’s fantastic at what she does, but I think she wants to make me feel included, and I thought that was really sweet.”

“You are included.” He wrapped his arms around my waist. “This is your home now. We can do whatever you want with it.”

“I don’t want to change anything. It’s your house. It’s an extension of you, and I love it.”

“Do you?” He tugged me to him. “Love it?”

“I love being here.” When I pressed my finger to his lips, he kissed it. “Raincheck?”

“Raincheck.” His smile made my heart speed up. “But only because you said I could do whatever I wanted with you later.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I have plenty of ideas.” He winked. “Plenty of ways to touch you, taste you, and fuck you.”

“Hmm…”

“Hmm…” He swirled his finger over the silk of my blouse, teasing my aroused nipple. “So many ways to take you. Against the wall, in the shower, on the dresser, on your knees, from behind, upside down…”

“Upside down? Which one of us is going to be upside down?”

“I guess you’ll have to redeem that raincheck to find out, my love.” He swept his lips along my jaw and to my ear. “Don’t keep me waiting too long. I get restless when I have to wait.”

“Then, I’ll make you want a little longer.” I licked my lips. “I like when you’re restless. It gets intense.”

“You better get out of here before I won’t let you leave.” He glanced down at the bulge in his pants. “You’re going to take care of that later too.”

“I look forward to it.” I wiggled out of his hold. “I won’t be long.”

By the time I got to the door, Angelo was lost in his computer again. I’d have to look up that sword later and see what had him so captivated. When I entered the hallway, David headed past me and into the study.

“Hey, Harper.” He had his tablet tucked under his arm and a bottle of water in his hand. “Is he finished for the day?”

“I think so.”

“Perfect. I have a few things to go over with him.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind. He’s researching some sword, but other than that he’s available.”

“A sword?”

“Inferno sword.” I shrugged. “Not really my thing, but he’s quite captivated with it.”

“Interesting.” He smiled at me. “See you later.”

I continued down the hall, gazing at the portrait of the angel and her baby. They looked so happy. The baby was in absolute love with his mother, and as beautiful and as angelic as she appeared, I could tell she would do anything to protect her child.

A breeze blew past me as I stood in the hall, making up stories about the fictional characters in the picture. I stared into the foyer. The windows were closed, and the front door was shut, but the air grew cooler, ghosting along the back of my neck and making my hair move. Turning back, I took in the picture one last time before hurrying to the kitchen, all while trying to shake the bizarre sensation.

“There you are.” Greta came out of the pantry. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She pulled out a stool from the center island. “Sit down.”

“I’m fine.” I took a seat. “I was in the hall, and it got really cold. It must have been the air conditioning vents.”

“Are you sure that’s all it was?” She got me a glass of water. “You seem startled.”

“No, I’m okay. It was strange. One moment, I was looking at the portrait in the hall, making up a story about the angel and her baby, and the next, a gust of cool air swept over me,”

“Why were you making up a story about the angel and her child?”

“They seem at peace in the picture.” I drank the water. “It’s silly. They aren’t even real, but it’s a stunning portrait.”

“It is, and who knows?” She put her hands in the air. “Maybe they were real at one time in history.”

“I hope the baby grew up to be an amazing man and took care of his mama.”

“That would have been nice.”

“Would have been?”

“If they were real.” She smiled but I sensed a sadness in her tone. “Are you ready to go over next week’s menus?”

“I was thinking that you’re so wonderful at the meal planning and your food is fabulous. I don’t think you need me to help you with any of that. I can’t cook that well, so I don’t have any business in the kitchen.”

“Well, I don’t let anyone cook in here, but I don’t mind suggestions.”

“That’s kind of you, but I don’t want to change anything.”

“You have already changed so much around here.”

“I have?” I tried to blend in and not be too much of an intrusion. “I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s not a bad thing at all.” She patted my hand. “Angelo needed a change.”

“He hates change.” I giggled. “He’s regimented and into his routines.”

“That’s true, but he was lonely and, dare I say, grumpy?” She sat next to me. “He needed someone other than me and David. He needed you.”

“I needed him too.” I had been lonely for years, throwing myself into my education and then my career. “He’s helped me so much. I finally feel like I can see who I am and where I’m headed. For the first time in my life, I don’t feel lost.”

“You’re perfect for him.”

“We’re still learning one another, but he’s a lot less intimidating than he was a few weeks ago.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that.” She slapped the countertop. “He thrives off being menacing.”

“I’ve noticed and so have his business associates. When I call on his behalf, people stop whatever they’re doing and listen to what I have to say. It’s not me commanding that respect.”

“He’s spent a long time putting everything he has into his business. He’s focused and determined, but at this point in his life, he should enjoy his accomplishments. It’s time he settled down and focused on his future. A future with you.”

“That’s the plan.”

“Be patient with him. He needs a lot of patience.”

“You know him so well.” I liked Greta being around. Her presence created a calming vibe. She seemed to balance out the masculine vibes that Angelo and David gave off. She was subtle, but I had a feeling she put them in their place when she needed to. “So, how did you come to work here? You say you’ve been with him a long time, but you and David aren’t that old. Neither is Angelo, but you all have this seemingly entrenched connection.”

“Thank you.” She laughed. “Maybe I’ve just aged well.”

“Did you go to school together?”

“Uh, not really.” She twisted in her chair, hesitant to answer my question. “We met—“

“Time’s up.” Angelo strolled into the kitchen like a man on a serious mission. “I’m here to collect my girl.”

“See why I said you need to have patience with him?” Greta got up from the stool and busied herself at the sink. “He’s very demanding.” She glanced over her shoulder and shot him a devious look.

“Oh, so you were discussing me and not the menus?” He waved his finger at me. “It looks like I arrived just in time.”

“It was all good things,” I assured him. “Mostly.”

“You can trust anything Greta has to say about me.” He kissed the top of my head. “She’s honest to a fault.”

“We were just getting to the part where you guys met,” I said. “Before you barged in and interrupted.”

“It’s not that interesting.” She smiled at Angelo. “We were both in need of a friend, and the rest is history.”

“Well put.” Angelo took my hand. “People come into our lives at the exact moment we need them the most, and if it’s genuine, they stay forever.”

I glanced at our joined hands. “I couldn’t agree more.”

“I’m going to leave you two alone.” Greta flicked on the light above the sink. “Turn off the big lights when you leave.”

“We will.” Angelo laughed. “She has rules in the kitchen.”

“I’m off to meet with some friends. Are you sure you’re okay with ordering out? I could have made you something before I left.”

“It’s your night off.” Angelo pointed to the back staircase. “Go.”

“So bossy.” Greta headed up the steps.

“That’s why you love me,” he yelled after her, but she didn’t respond. “I thought she’d never leave.”

“You’re awful.” I pushed his shoulder. “She’s amazing.”

“I know.” He lowered his head, taking my chin between his fingers. “So are you.”

“I was thinking we could eat by the pool tonight. It’s beautiful outside.”

“That’s a wonderful idea. We can soak in the hot tub before dinner arrives.”

“What about hide and seek?” I bit my lip. “Are we still going to do that?”

“Yes, and everything else I promised.”

“What are we waiting for?”

When his phone rang, he sighed but took it out of his pocket. “It’s New York.”

“Take that. Do you want to patch me in?”

“I can handle it.” He kissed my cheek. “Think about what you’d like for dinner.”

“I’m going to go outside and get the fireplace set up and turn on the pool lights.”

“I’ll meet you out there in a little while.” He answered his phone. “This is Angelo St. Christian.”

I stood in the doorway for a few moments, listening to him take control of the conversation. Within a minute, he’d have them exactly where he wanted them. I could learn so much from this impressive man, but first, I wanted to learn who he was and how he came to be such an imposing figure.

As I strolled along the path to the pool, I took in the pleasant evening air. The days were getting longer, and the summer sun heated the atmosphere, but the nights had been pleasant. We’d even left the balcony doors open last night, giving me the opportunity to fall asleep in Angelo’s arms with the sound of the flowing river in the distance.

A disturbance in the bushes across from me caught my attention. I glanced into the darkness but saw nothing. It was probably an animal. When I continued on my way, an immense man stepped out of the shadows and stood inches from me.

“Oh!” I screamed. “You scared me.”

“I apologize.” His soft voice didn’t fit his physical form. “I’m looking for Angelo.”

“In the backyard?” I ran my hand through my hair as a light wind brushed along my flesh.

He inhaled, long and deep, closing his eyes for a moment. I should have been more afraid of this strange encounter, but there was something about his presence that drew me in.

“You smell like cake,” he said.

That’s weird.

“Is Angelo home?” He opened and closed his shaking hands as he continued to breathe slowly and heavily.

“I can get him for you.” I stepped back, but he moved with me. “What is your name?”

“Ralph.” He extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

When I shook his icy hand, the hairs on the back of my neck rose to full attention. That calming feeling disappeared and was replaced with a warning that I couldn’t ignore. If I turned my back to run, I feared he would chase me, so I stood there, locked in my predator’s gaze.