Chapter 36
It didn't take me too long to get dressed. I managed to shower, shave, put on makeup, dry my hair, and style it, all in less than an hour. Deciding what to wear, that was harder. First, because I'd never lived with the man I wanted to pick up before, and second, my perfect outfit exposed the top of the seal. Pulling that off, I went for option number two, a cute little white dress. It showed off my assets, made my hair look that much brighter, yet was still comfortable. With the massive diamond at my throat, even my eyes stood out. From the way Nick kept smiling at me, he clearly approved.
Once we were all dressed to impress – which took the guys a lot less time than me – we gathered in the living room. The moment I walked in, all four of them shot to their feet. Nick looked proud, Sam's eyes went right to my cleavage, Luke refused to look at anything but my face, and then there was Bel. His lips were parted slightly and his eyes kept moving up and down, over and over like he couldn't believe my transformation. I took that as a sign I really did clean up well, which was exactly what I'd been going for.
"All right," Nick said. "Sam, Bel, you two go first. If there's a problem, one comes back and the other deals with it. If we don't see you in sixty seconds, we'll meet you there."
"Deal," Sam agreed, then they both stepped out of sight.
Sixty seconds later, we followed. Nick held my hand, but he let me direct the trip – and I almost got it. We showed up about four feet away from my intended "landing spot," so to speak. Not bad for my first try. As a group, we walked around to the entrance just like any other cluster of typical college kids, but I felt on top of the world.
Inside, it was early enough that some of the chairs were still empty, as were two of the pool tables. Beelzebub grabbed one and begged Nick to teach him the rules. That, of course, was right up Nick's alley, since it involved so much math. Sam and I headed to the bar to grab drinks. By the time we made it back, they'd already started drawing a crowd.
Two pretty girls leaned against the wall. Cocktails in hand, their faces were pressed close to hide their words, but their eyes were on the two demons. Sam noticed too. Tapping my arm, he tilted his head at the pair.
"Didn't I hear something about you wanting to show off a bit? Looks like the perfect time to go hang on your man."
"Oh yeah," I agreed.
Holding both my glass and Nick's bottle of beer, I made my way over and set them on the edge of the pool table beside Nick. One on either side, which gave me an excuse to wrap my arms around him. With a deep chuckle, he stole his drink from my hand and turned to face me.
"Well hello, beautiful."
"Hey, yourself. You trying to draw a crowd?" I flicked my eyes toward the girls.
Nick didn't bother looking. "I was trying to catch the eye of the most beautiful woman in all five realms." His free hand pressed against my back, encouraging me to come just a little closer. "Because that dress is perfectly sinful."
"Punny," I teased. "But I guess that means you approve, huh?"
"Mhm. Trust me, I can't wait to take you out of it." He leaned closer and kissed my neck. "So are you enjoying being let off your leash for a bit?"
"Yeah." I giggled when he kissed me again. "And you are not going to convince me to rush home, as tempting as it may be right now."
"Busted," he admitted, pulling back. "Just promise me that if anything goes wrong, you'll jump there. No waiting for the rest of us, ok?"
"I promise!" To prove my point, I poked my finger into his side. "Now stop being paranoid and enjoy yourself. Hell, if nothing else, show Bel some of the more exciting changes he missed over the last few years."
"Like miniskirts?" Nick teased. "Yep, he's already noticed. He likes bras, too, it seems."
"What?" Bel asked. "I heard that."
Which he clearly hadn't if he was asking what we'd said, so I called back, "Nick was just saying that you're an embarrassment at pool!"
"Then you play him. It's not exactly a fair match."
I flapped a hand at him then turned back to Nick. "So I think Sam's on the prowl. Where'd Luke take off to?"
He tilted his head toward the other side of the bar. "Looking around. He doesn't tend to draw as much attention from Mike's friends. And Sam's asking about Delta Phi."
"Gotcha. In other words, they're still working, huh?"
"Always. But you, my dear, are here to have fun." Stepping around me, he gestured at the balls scattered across the table. "How do you feel about pool?"
The next thing I knew, Nick had talked me into playing against Bel. I was horrible, but so was the newly awoken demon, so it worked out. The guys returned only to vanish again when something caught their eye. More people showed up, pushing us all closer together, but none of them set off my angel alarm bells. Then again, my glass was never empty, although the drink often changed, and I probably wouldn't have noticed if an angel bumped right into me. By the second game, I was definitely smiling way too much. That's when Luke appeared, handing me yet one more.
"Drunk yet?" he asked.
"Tipsy!" I giggled, passing him my pool cue. "But, I need the one room you boys can't use. Can you win this game for me? I'm solids."
"Sure." Luke lined up a shot and I somehow managed to stagger to the ladies room.
Like all bars, inside the women's restroom was a social club, and a line. Dozens of single women vied for space at the mirrors, all trying to make sure they looked good enough to find a friend before the end of the night. Most of them were giggling about guys. I'd finally gotten my turn in one of the stalls when I heard a pair talking about my friends.
"Oh my god, there's four of them, and each one is better than the last!" one squealed. "And did you see the guy with the pink hair? He's so hot!"
"I am definitely going home with one of them," the other girl declared.
"First, you have to actually talk to them."
I stepped out in time to see a pair of backs retreating. I knew exactly how I'd felt the first time I saw Nick, so couldn't blame them at all. That didn't mean I was honestly thrilled about it. Sure, I knew the guys deserved a little attention, but I'd kinda gotten used to it just being the five of us against the world. Unconsciously, my mind tried to make those girls into villains, dreaming up ways the angels could've mind-fucked them just to cause problems, but I knew better. The feeling twisting my gut was a whole lot more mundane.
And the boys really were hotties. Of course women were going to hit on them. Trying to remind myself they deserved this, I washed my hands thinking about Bel's possible reactions. If I hurried, I might even get to see him blush. If I didn't, I wouldn't have to see them kissing someone.
Ugh! Taking a deep breath, I forced my stupid jealousy back down and left the bathroom. Tonight was going to be fun. I finally had the chance to seduce Nick properly, and I'd been dreaming about making Death drool for far too long. I was almost over it when I wove my way through the last line of people and reached my friends. The first thing I saw was Sam's magenta hair. The second? Well, she was tall, curvy, and bent over to give him a perfect view right down her dress.
Just as I forced my eyes away, a breath tickled the side of my neck. "You should go save him." It was Nick, and he sounded amused.
"Oh?" I glanced back to see his eyes sparkling. "And how would I do that?"
His gaze dropped to my lips. "I wouldn't want to pressure you, but I'm sure if his 'girlfriend' appeared, he'd be appreciative."
"Nick," I hissed. "Maybe he's into her?"
"Nope." He smiled. "Trust me, Sia. She's not his type. Just go bail him out so this doesn't get ugly. We're trying to blend in, remember?"
"Then you remember," I told him, "that this was your idea."
"Mm, and it's not like you haven't made out with him before. This time, I get to watch." With his smile growing even bigger, he grabbed my shoulders and turned me toward the demon of seduction, then gave a little push.
I staggered forward, mostly because that was the very last thing I'd ever expected to come out of Nick's mouth. Granted, he had a point, but still! It also made it clear exactly how he expected me to make this happen. So, doing my best to make the stagger look intoxicated instead of just stupefied, I brushed past the girl and threw my arms around Sam's neck.
"Hey, baby!" I drawled, aware that my drunk impersonation was a little too good. I wasn't wasted, but it wouldn't take much more before I was.
Sam's hands immediately closed on my waist. "Whoa, there. You ok, sweetie?"
"Mhm." I leaned closer, pressing my mouth beside his ear. "Nick said you might need your girlfriend for a few minutes."
He ducked his head and chuckled. "You have no idea." Then he pulled away just enough to gesture to the girl beside us. "Sia, this is Alison. And this is my girlfriend, Sia."
"Your..." Alison's mouth paused, still open. "Oh." Then she looked at me. "Sorry."
"All good. He is pretty cute, so I don't blame you at all."
She sighed. "That obvious, huh? So, any of your friends single?"
"Nope," Sam answered before I could offer a name. "Sorry."
She slowly nodded her head, clearly trying to come up with a good excuse to get out of there. "Yeah. I'll, um, go try my luck elsewhere, I guess. Nice to meet you, Sam and Sia."
The moment she was far enough away, both Bel and Luke snorted out their laughter like they'd only barely held it in. Sam, however, just groaned and shot Nick a dirty look. Me? I was a little confused. Clearly, there was a joke I'd missed.
"Someone wanna fill me in?"
"Nope," Luke said, suddenly a little too interested in his pool game. The one that used to be mine.
"But I thought..." I let that trail off when Nick tried to smother a laugh. "Ok, what's so damned funny?"
"You," Bel said. Leaning on his pool cue, he looked over at me. "They think it's cute how you keep treating us like normal men."
"And how the hell am I supposed to treat you guys?"
Sam's hands reclaimed their spot on my waist and he pressed in behind me. "Like demons," he whispered. "Now go kiss your boyfriend and stop worrying about it."
This time, Sam was the one nudging me to make my way around the table. Nick didn't move, just lifted his beer to his lips and splashed back a drink. That didn't hide the little smile playing on his lips. I decided Sam was right, and with as many drinks as I'd had, worrying was far beyond my capabilities. Nick didn't look mad, so I was still in his good graces. I'd also just saved Sam without having to resort to any public displays of affection.
"I think you set me up," I accused as I slid my arm around his waist.
He made a face but shook his head. "No setting up, dove. Just helping out a friend." Then he turned to face me and leaned closer. "And proving that you can stop worrying all the time about upsetting me. I heard about your talk the other day."
"Uh..."
"Bad at keeping boyfriends, worried we'll ditch you and leave you to deal with angels alone. Any of this sound familiar?" He lifted a brow.
It did, and he knew it. "So you talked to Sam, huh?"
"Sam talked to me. He said this has been eating at you for a while, so why didn't you say something?"
I flailed an arm toward him. "Suck at dating. Hello! What am I going to say? Hey, Nick, your best friend is hot and smells good, but don't take that the wrong way?"
He nodded. "Yeah, basically. Or how about Luke's great abs? Maybe Bel's cute dimples?" Then he hooked a finger under my chin and made me look at him. "I told you. For the first time in four and a half billion years, Sia, I don't feel the need to lie about who I am. You shouldn't either."
That was a very long time. Just hearing him say it like that made it sound even more impressive. "I didn't lie, Nick. I just don't want you to think I'm not thrilled with us – because I am!"
"I know that. Just like I now know that the reason you looked so scared when I caught Sam sitting beside you wasn't because you thought he'd force you to do something you weren't interested in, but because you thought I'd assume the worst. Right?"
Biting at my lip, I managed to both hang my head and nod it. "Pretty much. He was helping me with a drawing of you, I mean, the blue you, and I didn't think you'd approve."
"Ah. So why did you avoid him for days after?"
"Because I was pretty sure I'd crossed a line and wanted to put some distance between us. I mean, I didn't want Sam to get the wrong idea – or you!"
"Mm." He stepped a little closer. "Would it help if I said I won't dump you because I get jealous?"
All I could do was shrug. "But I don't want to make you jealous. That's kinda the point. I mean, we're together, and I'm perfectly happy with you – but checking out guys is... I dunno... a habit?"
"Natural," he corrected. "Big secret of the universe, Sia – dating someone doesn't make you either blind or stupid."
"Ha. Ha," I mock laughed. "You know exactly what I'm saying."
"Uh huh." He paused, leaning back to look at me. "But I don't think you understand what I'm trying to tell you. We've been chasing each other for years, and you didn't spend that time just waiting for me. And I don't care. You were happy, and that makes me happy. Whether you were dating that plump kid from the grocery store or the asshole frat boy, you still thought about me. You still painted me."
"But I thought you were a hallucination."
He shrugged. "And you still wanted me. Nothing else matters. I can't promise I won't get jealous, but I can promise I will never try to turn you into a possession."
To buy a little time for that to sink in, I lifted my drink and finished it off. When that was done, I pulled away from him to find a trash can, holding up a finger to show I'd be back. So far as I could tell, Nick was trying to say he didn't want to be exclusive. Was that honestly what he meant? Had this thing between us already run its course? I tossed the plastic cup away with a little more force than necessary and turned back. I guess if I wanted to know, the easiest way would be to just ask.
If only that was as easy as it sounded. Asking meant I might get an answer I didn't like. It also meant I could make a complete fool of myself. While I wanted to be all tough and sure of myself, it seemed there were certain simple things that scared the hell out of me. Like laying it all out there, and I was about to do exactly that.
"Ok," I said when I returned. "So you want us to date other people?"
Nick's head twitched slightly. "No. Not really where I was going with that." He huffed out a heavy breath and glanced away.
I couldn't tell if he was annoyed, hurt, or confused. Either way, his eyes landed right on Sam, the person who'd started all of this. While I watched, a smile slowly pulled one corner of Nick's lip higher.
"Do you remember what Luke mentioned at your sealing? About me not telling you a piece of demonic history?" he asked.
"Yeah..."
Nick nodded. "And do you remember your response about wanting some hot stories?"
I felt my face growing warmer. "You mean about some hot demon on demon –" Before I could finish, Nick just walked away.
I stood there in complete shock. I knew he was listening, and I knew he was trying to make a serious point, but he hadn't even let me finish? Then I realized where he was going. Without pausing, Nick slipped around behind Bel, ignored the group of coeds sitting at a table watching our game, and marched straight up to Sam. The magenta-haired demon looked up but Nick didn't hesitate. His hand cupped the side of Sam's face, the other closing on the shorter guy's ribs, and without even bothering to ask permission, Satan kissed the shit out of the demon of seduction.
I slapped both of my hands over my mouth, but I didn't dare blink.
It was hot. It was probably the sexiest thing I'd ever seen in my life. As their mouths met, Sam caught Nick's neck, pulling him closer. I could see their tongues through the gaps in their lips, but there wasn't space between their bodies. Muscles bulged and hands grasped. They kissed like lovers who knew each other well, with the kind of passion I'd only found in Nick, and all I could think was that it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen in my life.
And that I probably needed a new set of panties after watching that.
With one last brush of lips, Nick pulled away. For a moment, the two demons locked eyes, then Sam's head jerked to the side, toward me. Nick's eyes followed. I swear I was breathing as hard as either one of them. To prove it, I fanned myself, making a show of it. I watched as Sam's shoulders relaxed and he laughed.
"Jealous?" Nick asked, raising his voice to carry.
I just shook my head, torn between smiling stupidly and gaping at them like they were a spectacle. Thankfully, Nick didn't expect a retort across the bar. After saying something to Sam, he made his way back over and pulled me up against him.
"That's what I'm trying to tell you," he said softly. "Sometimes there's nothing to be worried about."
I tilted my head across the pool table. "You and Sam have a thing?"
"Had. A long time ago. Like before the fairy kind of long ago." He ducked his head to meet my eyes. "Am I in shit for that?"
"Nope. Oh, no. Not at all. That was..."
"Hot?" he offered with a smile.
I nodded emphatically. "Yep, very."
"But aren't you jealous and going to dump me? Clearly, kissing someone else is a big no-no according to your rules."
"Yeah, but, no..." I groaned and shoved a hand across my face, wishing my words would return. "Sam's cool. He's my friend. I mean, if you were ditching me to pick up guys – or girls – it'd be different but –" Again, I just stopped. This time, it was because I realized I was saying almost exactly what he had.
"Yeah, I think you finally get it. The five of us share something that no one else will ever be able to understand, and that changes all the rules. When I see you practicing with Bel, drawing with Sam, or hanging out with Luke, I like it. I'm never going to put rules on you that can't withstand a few million years, Sia. You shouldn't try to put them on yourself either. Sure, I want you to like me most, but we are a legion, and you're a part of that now."
"You know," I said softly, sliding a little closer to him. "I think that little display may have gotten your wish, because I'm suddenly very ready to go home and show you which demon I like most."
"Yeah?" He palmed the back of my neck. "And here I was thinking that since your shields are working so well, this would be the perfect chance to see what you thought of that demon in real life."
"Vesdar?" I asked.
Nick nodded. "I did make you a promise, after all." Then he raised his voice. "Hey, Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm taking Sia to the beach. If anything happens, I'll call."
Luke laughed. "I'm pretty sure something will happen, but I'll be listening. Go have fun, you two. The water should be nice this time of year."