After sealing the deal with Helena's blood, Cyn is determined to keep the mocha skinned beauty by his side. The curse has claimed the majority of her family, and now he must work extra hard to ensure her safety. However, there's a little more to Helena than meets the eye. He soon discovers she is the key to ending the Pearsall curse, but she is also the instrument for unleashing Hell on earth.
Excerpt
The severance package had run out, and she couldn’t afford to let their bills lay by the wayside. The wolves were upon her and between threatening calls from collection agencies and nastygrams, she thought she’d lose her mind. She had been forced to take other measures back then. She’d called upon Cyn for monetary reasons.
“Like…now!”
The demon’s baritone voice ended on a demanding hiss, snapping her back into reality. A shiver ran up her spine as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Okay, maybe she could make it happen. Cyn certainly wasn’t taking no for an answer and she was determined to look after her aunt, at all costs. Soon she’d be at his disposal.
“Once again, when can you move in?”
“Move in?” Live under a demon’s roof? What the hell had she been thinking when she signed her soul away last year?
He impatiently strummed his long fingers against the lacquer desk. “Well…yes. I mentioned that the day you summoned me, or have you forgotten my terms of the bargain?” He winked at her, causing a bolt of desire to ripple through her tummy and straight to her clit. The man had skills. She could tell. One round in the sack with him and something told her she’d never want to leave.
When her brain finally overpowered her body, Helena’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. This wasn’t going to be on her terms she knew. How could she think to outsmart a demon? She had hoped she would be able to avoid all of this. After all, living under the same roof with a sexy demon of lust that possessed the god-given talent to set one’s panties on fire surely would pose a problem in the future. She wasn’t sure she’d leave the bargain unscathed. Those in her family who sought monetary assistance from their personal demons never did. They always lost in one way or another.
“Well.” She chose her words wisely. “I was thinking of reporting to you for eight hours a day. You know, like a regular job.” Her palms grew sweaty, and she wiped them on her black wool dress. Hopefully he’d agree to this, but deep down she knew he wouldn’t. If looks could kill, she’d be dead by now. Cyn’s hardened gaze seemed to snatch the breath from her, and not in a good way.
“Do you think you can just slip in and out of my realm? What do you take me for?”
Damn it! He was bound and determined to be as stubborn as she was! “Well, I was just thinking…”
Cyn growled. “I’m not paying you to think! Eight hours a day will never be enough to sate my appetite for you.” His eyes grew dark as an impending storm as he sniffed the air. “You…smell so good. I’ve never known the essence of a human to be so pure…yet so.” He inhaled deeply as his claws lengthened from his fingertips. “So dark…enticing…sexy. I could devour you right now.”
She shivered as Cyn’s demonic form wavered before her eyes. A fascinating pull and a strong aura of electricity sizzled and snapped in the atmosphere. Something stirred deep within her mind and body.
“Dark and enticing?” She laughed. “Yeah. Okay.”
“Do not make light of our situation!” He slammed his fist down on the desk. “Helena, I’ve waited for you for well over a year.” His voice was a low snarl. “I need to have you by my side. I don’t like delays. When I’m in need of…certain services, I’d prefer you not keep me waiting.” He studied her intensely before cocking a brow. “Do you wish to back out? Remember the consequences of not fulfilling your end of the bargain. I can take everything away from you and your aunt will be put away in that home. Perhaps you’ll be forced to move out of the home you’ve come to love.”
Helena squeezed her eyes shut at the thought of putting her aunt into a nursing home. That was just unacceptable. It was even more heart wrenching to lose her three-bedroom, single-family home. She’d put her blood, sweat, and tears into everything she owned. Well, with the demon’s assistance, of course.
“Um. Yes, I’ll do whatever is necessary.” Her mind raced as she concocted a plan to rearrange her schedule. Aunt Mimi would be okay; she promised herself she’d check in on the woman twice a day when she wasn’t servicing Cyn. She wrung her hands nervously in her lap, not wanting to show him that she was afraid, but it was too late. By the look in his eyes, he’d already scented her fears.
As if reading her mind, the demon spoke. “I will allow your aunt to move in too. She’ll be placed in the west wing and will be looked after very well, I assure you.” He leaned back into the black leather chair and folded his arms against his massive chest. “Surely you don’t think me to be so cruel and leave her behind with no one to depend on? You can see her whenever you’re not servicing me, of course.”
A brief moment of relief swept through her. Her aunt needed her and she had no intention of deserting the woman. They’d come too far.
“Thank you.” The breath was pushed from her lungs as the man’s gaze hardened again. She’d caught him looking at her cleavage. He smiled, baring razor-sharp teeth. Did he lick his lips? Suddenly she felt like she’d become a mouthwatering buffet, the way he was eyeing her up.
“Very good. I’ll make the necessary arrangements to bring her here. In the meantime, I’ll give you a tour of the mansion and show you where you’ll be sleeping.”
“Oh! My things. I’ll need my clothes and…”
He cut her off abruptly. “You’ll have everything you need here with me. Clothes, toiletries, anything you want. Now…to complete this bargain.” Cyn opened one of the drawers and pulled out an old scroll. With a dark smile, he unrolled it and glanced at her. “I suggest you reread the terms of our bargain. I advise you to read over everything carefully, just as you did a year ago.” He motioned for her to take the fragile-looking material. When she did, her hand shook.
Available at Sugar and Spice Press
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