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I sloalked over to the fireplace, hitching myself up to sit on the table, oddly pleased that it had the added effect of allowing me to look down at him Not that it madepower and potency And why did he have to be so daerly reminded me that it had once enjoyed his hotness quite a bit "So what’s in it for ht "Your brief time in the demon realm has done wonders for you For starters, you would have access to esture that encompassed his entire person

I lifted my chin defiantly "Well, what if I don’t want to sleep with you again?"

He tipped his head back and laughed, as close to a full belly laugh as I thought I would ever hear come out of a demon I scowled at him, and then, in a movement that was da in front ofto, dear one, but obviously it has been on yourthat occurred to you"

I flushed at the truth of his words, heat rising in my face, then abruptly his an to rise I didn’t resist as his tongue sought mine and his hands slid around to ainstabout it, and he pressed againstto pursue that line of thinking Da sexy … desirable But he’s only doing this to sway my decision …

His hand slipped beneath the silk ofover my breast Gooseflesh rippled over my body, and I could feel htened around hiasp fro to feel the exquisite perfection of his skin It was as incredible as I’d rereat sex, yeah, but … I could get sex anywhere, right?

Like maybe with Ryan?

I shuddered and broke the kiss with a s back from him I couldn’t do this, couldn’t make the kind of decision he wanted when I was overwhel on his face

"Not as delightful as you re breath and scooted back a few inches on the table--far enough that the evidence of his arousal wasn’t pressed right up against the evidence of htful, Lord Rhyzkahl, I cannot deny that But I need to be able to think clearly" I took a deep breath "What do you e, my power, my skills" He folded his arreater knowledge of the arcane?"

Shit I couldn’t deny that, not when I had a list of things that I needed to know more about upstairs on my kitchen table "Okay, there is a lot I need to learn But I’m not sure I’m ready to … er, colinted "I have never had need to do so" He leaned close to ers across my cheek "I htly batted his fingers away "Not like that"

I felt a brief shihtened, dark power s in his eyes "Yes," he said softly "Your brief sojourn in the dean to spread through me, but before I could berate myself too harshly--I batted his hand away? Holy crap, as I thinking? -- he turned away, clasping his hands lightly behind his back "Very well I oo you I will answer three questions without debt"

I blinked "Are you serious? Three questions with no debt of honor incurred?" Then I cringed Nice going, ht there

"Three questions No debt A courting gift, if you will"

I hopped off the table, relieved that he wasn’t going to be a stickler about when the questioning would start But if he was trying to "woo"a jerk about the questions certainly wouldn’t endear hiht back," I said, as I took off up the basement stairs, then raced down the hall to the kitchen, bare feet slapping against the wood floor I grabbed the paper off the table and spun to race back to the baseht into him I would have fallen back onrip ainst mine, and I nearly expected him to lower his head to kiss , then felt slightly foolish when I realized that he wasn’t looking down at aze slowly traveled around my small kitchen, and it abruptly occurred toaround like so like a modern kitchen before And most likely he hasn’t Demonic lords were rarely if ever summoned It was the others--the twelve levels of demon, reyza, syraza, zhurn, mehnta, and so forth--ere usually summoned and who had the opportunity to come to this sphere But even they had little chance to "see the world," so to speak I knew that when I summoned, it was a stark rarity for any de chamber Far too much risk of discovery by the outside world Tessa occasionally brought de chaht the ilius out only because it was practically invisible And, of course, the lords were al No wonder Kehlirik had been so elated at the opportunity to ride in the back of a U-Haul truck

"Have you been to this sphere before?" I asked, almost hesitantly "I mean, other than the time I called you And, um, the time that the Symbol Man called you Ichas "Centuries ago It was quite different, as I recall"

I gave a breathless laugh "I would irip on my arms and he released me, almost as if he was barely aware of me anymore I stepped back as he moved to the back door and opened it It briefly flashed through me that I shouldn’t allow him outside in case anyone came over, but then I remembered that not only did he not look like a demon, no one ever visited my house anyway And I would hardly be embarrassed to be seen in public with him

He walked down the stairs and out into my backyard He stopped about ten paces from my house, then looked up at the moon He inhaled--not deeply or dramatically, just the deep breath of sos I slowly followed hi at the bottom of the steps After several minutes he turned back todown at ulped softly and nodded, re the cruht was too dio back inside"

He gestured toward the house I returned inside and he followed behindthe door as I looked down at h ure out which ones were the ripped my hair, then released it and looked at the de a brief moment of disorientation as the reality struck me that Lord Rhyzkahl was in my kitchen