Demon Rescuer

Her hair had smelled like wildflowers. Something about her made him feel almost human again. He tried to clear his mind but he couldn't stop picturing her, especially how her brown hair kept falling so alluringly in front of her bottomless dark eyes.

From the rooftops, he had watched Lia as she walked confidently out of her apartment. Most women would still be hiding after being attacked the way she had been, but Lia was different. She had sensed him, even if she had no idea what she was sensing. And she had surprised him again in the park with her determination to fight the other demons by herself, even after being attacked the other night.

She was unique.

She made him feel almost human again.

* * * * *

A phone call to her local precinct confirmed Jasper's statements. But she couldn't think of that now. She had to focus on Da Cenza's journal. It wasn't that the notes weren't interesting; in fact, they were fascinating; they spoke of a small Aztec cult devoted to hunting demons. The last living member of this cult converted to Christianity, and he confessed his story to Da Cenza shortly before his death.

The journal was everything she hoped it would be.

So why did her mind keep wandering back to Jasper?

She forced herself back to the friar's journal. "Hmmm...Shamans carried old magic, given the form of black blades," she read to herself. "These blades blessed with the mark of their pagan god, Quetzalcoatl, kill the unkillable and banish the unbanishable. Power can be transferred and stolen with the use of these blades. Grasping the blade, a bearer of blood can give a command and have a demon's will be done."

De Cenza had even included a rough drawing of Quetzacoatl's mark, an Asian-like feathered dragon, with long whiskers.

Seventeen minutes later, not that she was counting, her buzzer rang at precisely 6 p.m.

She ran to the window, looked down.

Jasper stood on the sidewalk, waving to her from below.

Lia grabbed a brush and frantically tried to tame the frizz in her hair as she grabbed her keys. She paused at an oval mirror hanging on the wall, trying to make herself presentable. The dark frames of her glasses made her look like an owl. Crap. Why the hell hadn't she ever gotten contacts? Locking the door behind her, she forced herself not to rush downstairs, but to walk down slowly and calmly.

She opened the foyer door. At once, the cold winter wind, mixed with a warm clove-like musk hit her senses. Long strands of black hair had escaped from his tied-back hair.

Surely she could think of something witty to say now.

"Umm. Hi."

He inclined his head to her. "Lia."

She led him upstairs. She felt incredibly warm, and self-conscious as if his eyes were lingering on her much too large butt.

In Lia's studio apartment, her "living room area" was separated from her "bedroom" by some bookshelves. In the living room, she only had one old blue loveseat. She sat facing him, her back leaning against one arm of the love seat, one leg tucked underneath her and one leg free. His frame took up so much of the loveseat that she couldn't help but touch him.

"There's something I need to tell you," he said softly, gazing into her eyes.

Her hand that rested on the back of the loveseat absently began stroking his shoulder. What was it about him that was so magnetic? She looked down. His hands were oddly callused, and beautiful. A thick silver band with crude carvings sat on his right index finger. "Why don't you start from the beginning?"

He hesitated. "The man that was in your apartment the other night was a proto-demon, a human host from which a demon has not yet spawned. Those people in the park last night were demons as well, but fully grown demons."

She reached for his face. The dark stubble on his chin was rough against her fingertips.

A shiver ran through her. She couldn't help but reach one hand up and trace the strong line of his jaw. "Demons. My Abuela told me about demons. But she also said there were no more demons."

Jasper frowned. "Your grandmother? Who is your grandmother?"

"No one you would know. But she once worked with my great grandmother, Selena de la Vega."

He cocked his head at her, his eyes reassessing her. Lia closed her eyes, unable to stand the scrutiny, even if her hands couldn't stop touching his very solid biceps. "The Selena de la Vega? You're Selena de la Vega's great-granddaughter?"

"Yes. But I'm not like her." She wasn't a renown demon hunter. She wasn't strong, bold, brave or beautiful.

Jasper brought a hand to her cheek. "No. You're not like her. But yes, you are strong, bold, brave, and beautiful."

She found herself leaning into his touch, even as a sober realization began to take hold.

"You're a demon aren't you, Jasper? You hunt humans with sexual mimicry. How better to lure your prey than by being attractive to them?"

Jasper simply looked at her, the truth reflected in his eyes.

Lia blinked. Her heart pounding, she stood up, and calmly walked towards her bedroom area.

She could feel his gaze hot on her back.

"I'm not your average demon, Lia."

She opened the drawer of her nightstand.

She reached in the drawer and undid the trigger's safety, blocking his view with her body. "Do you feed off of humans?"

"No. Once I was free of the man who turned me from human into demon, I swore to only feed off of other demons."

As she stood up, she suddenly felt his heat.

He had managed to sneak up behind her without her being aware.

He whispered into her ear. "Just what do you think you're going to do with that gun?" His breath against her neck sent her pulse racing. "Are you going to shoot me, Lia?"

She trembled. She didn't even know if it was alarm or desire. Lia tightened her grip on the gun. "Are you going to try to eat me?"

His voice was low, close to her ear. "Only if you want me to."

His hot firm mouth was on her bare neck. Heat thrummed and expanded, even as she found her senses opening up to him.

All he had said was true. Jasper was a demon who hunted other demons. He was one of the good guys.

But that didn't mean he was going to be "good" with her.

She closed her eyes as she leaned into him. His hands slid up her shirt. His palms were hot against her stomach, even hotter on her breasts.

"Lia," he whispered. "You don't have to be afraid of me."

Lia reset the safety on the gun with trembling hands. "I know."

She turned. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar and just below, revealing the strong lines of his neck.

Her eyes flicked upwards.

He reached for her glasses, folded them and set them gently on her nightstand. She grabbed his hands. At the first touch desire and need ripped through her with the force of a fiery tornado. Her knees went weak. "What is this, Jasper?"

"You tell me."

His mouth pressed down on hers, firm and strong. He tasted of hot summer nights. The kiss vibrated through her body, spreading feverish warmth. The hunger of his kiss beckoned primal sensations. Her hands clenched on the thin cloth of his white collared shirt.

This is foolish. But his cologne, a subtle oriental musk, enthralled her senses. His hands at the small of her back pressed her against his hard length.

She couldn't stop.

He drew back, fumbling with her shirt. She pulled him down, falling backwards on to her bed. His mouth sought her throat, licking long strokes, promising more. Each touch of his skin against her bare flesh quickened her pulse. His lips brushed the base of her throat as he unzipped her jeans. His hands slid inside her pants, cupping her ass with his hands. She shivered at the feel of those tiled abs as she unbuttoned his pants. In the space of moments, she found herself naked beneath his searing blue gaze.

She reached upwards and untied his long black hair. His black hair ran down his shoulders like shiny wet silk. Her fingers spread around his strong back, drifting over thin scars, down to the hollow in his back.

His hands caressed her breasts as he rubbed her taut nipples with his thumbs. The brush of his hot fingertips sent little shocks straight to her clit. His long hair tickled her as it fell, framing his face.

"Lia," he whispered, a gentle amazement in his eyes, "Beautiful Lia."

She gasped, closing her eyes in pleasure, as she ran her hands along the powerful planes of his chest. It was insane. Her senses fired rapidly. She had never wanted, needed anyone this badly in her life. She wanted to consume him, drink him in. Or was that his thoughts of her? Entangled in body, entangled in thoughts, body, mind and desire were becoming one.

"Damn you, demon. Is it always like this?"

He lowered his mouth to her bare nipple.

Her eyes flew open.

He lifted his head so he could look her in the eyes. His had a shimmering unearthly luster. Dark energy radiated from him, alluring her like a moth to a fire.

"No." His voice vibrated with a masculine echo, washing over her skin like a full body caress. "Never like this."

He circled a nipple with the tip of his tongue. She moaned. Her senses opened.

He was telling the truth.

Her senses had to be wrong. She pulled him between her legs so he could feel her wetness soaking through the cloth of her panties. "You're such a liar."

He trailed kisses down her curved stomach. "You know I'm not. But you can believe it if you want."

He paused at her sheer red panties and grinned as he slid them down. He lowered his mouth to the tip of her engorged clit. The kiss sent shudders throughout her body. She couldn't help but arch. She grabbed his thick beautiful hands.

"Lia," he said, her name like a prayer. "You taste of magic." He slid her panties down further. He licked a long stroke upward tracing her delicate folds on one side. Then the other. He took his hands from her and covered her round ass, pressing her against his mouth.

She grabbed a pillow, trying to contain the pleasure, trying to keep the waves from crashing into her psyche. She couldn't lose control this quickly. She wouldn't be able to read him anymore. And that meant she couldn't trust him.

A finger dipped inside of her. But oh, it felt so damn good.

The sensations magnified, and rebounded throughout her body. She gasped for air, drowning in fire. He pressed his lips against her pussy, alternately sucking and nibbling in a staccato rhythm.

Rippled bliss spilled over her. It caressed at her resistance, melting under his hot strong tongue. Her fingers entangled in the dark hair that covered her thighs. His hands cupped her ass, as he feasted on her desire. Tension built in her abdomen, spiraling until her body shuddered.

Jasper lifted his mouth, trailing kisses up her stomach, between her breasts, around her neck. He was all sleek rippling muscle. She ran her hands around his shoulders as he nibbled on her ear.

"Lia, you are delicious."

She breathed his name, unable to think of what else to say. "Jasper."

"But that's only the beginning."

He positioned the tip of his cock against her entrance. It was big and blunt. Primal need swelled in her.

Jasper kissed her. Her mind spilled open. Need became animalistic fury.

She thrust her hips at him trying to take him in. He moved with her, keeping his tip at the same depth, teasing her. She pulled him toward her and kissed him, flashing open the barriers of her mind, teasing him with her desire.

He surged into her. She let out a gasp at the twinge of pain.

It was impossible. How could he be so big?

He groaned, flexing his cock inside her, eliciting a moan. "Lia, you are so impossibly tight."

Jasper let out a curse in a language she had never heard. His head rolled back. "Oh yes."

He thrust within her. She shuddered. Each stroke, each sensation was magnified, as his mind stabbed into her consciousness with each maddening thrust. Not only could she feel him, she could feel his sensations. His cock was so hard and supersensitive; he filled every bit of her tight cunt.

Each stroke brought a new depth of pleasure. All she could do was to hold on. She bit down on his shoulder, trying to stifle a scream. The pressure built, twisting higher and higher.

And then his cock began to vibrate inside her.

Her eyes widened.

He grinned at her, a demonic evil grin.

It just wasn't possible. It wasn't humanly possible.

A tornado of bliss erupted from her core, spinning, swamping, driving all thoughts from her mind. Nothing existed except for hot primal pleasure. It whipped through her body, ecstasy drummed itself into every cell in her body.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she got her breath back. "What the hell was that at the end there?"

He shifted in her, still solid.

"Demons have excellent control over all parts of their bodies."

* * * * *

In the aftermath, she lay in his arms. The smell of his cologne, her arousal and their passion lingered in the air. His hand lazily caressed the length of her arm as he nuzzled her neck.

She had opened to him, not just physically, but mentally. Her barriers had fallen.

And now she couldn't read him anymore.

It was too much.

She pushed his hands away, pushed him away and sat up.

His thick arm snaked around her waist, determined to keep her near him. "Stop Lia. I know what you're thinking. Stop being afraid."

She crossed her arms protectively around herself. "This isn't going to work."

"Don't think so much." His hand dipped between her legs. Heat swelled in her once more.

"Just because we had sex...oh."

His fingers pushed into her as his thumb lazily rubbed her clit.

He kissed the small of her back. The touch of his lips sent shivers up her spine. "Go on."

"I mean, I just met you yesterday."

He kissed the back of her neck. "Time doesn't change what's between us."

"Sex. That's all." But oh, such incredible soul shattering sex. Even now, his fingers were making her soak the sheets.

"No. It's not. Read me. You are my other half. You know it's true."

"Are you crazy? It doesn't work like that."

"Read me, Lia. Open your mind to me."

"I can't. I can't read you anymore, Jasper. I can't read anyone once I've...become intimate with them."

A low predatory rumble startled her. In a single fluid motion, he flipped her underneath him. His big body fiercely pinned her to the bed. His cock surged into her already slick pussy.

"There will be no talk of others." His cock invaded her, hot, demanding. Her body traitorously responded, with pleasure that tingled from her core to her fingertips. "You are mine. And I am yours. And I am going to fuck you, Lia. I am going to fuck you up, down, left and right until there is nothing else but me and your pleasure."

She shut her eyes.

His hand was gentle against her cheek. "Don't be afraid of the pleasure."

"It's too much." She was falling apart. Jasper smashed her to pieces. She would evaporate.

He twisted her hands above her head, holding her down with a single hand.

His voice had become rough, a hint of a Russian accent creeping in his voice. "Yes you can. Fight me all you want. But you cannot deny me."

His hard cock thrust into her.

She struggled underneath him, but all she managed in her wiggling was to elicit a satisfied groan from him. "Jasper!"

"You cannot lie to me. I know you better than you know yourself."

She gritted her teeth, shoving against him, trying to get him to move off of her but every movement, every motion slid his cock further inside her. Soon, his cock pulsed in her, as her hips slid up and down in a maddening rhythm of pleasure and anger.

"You masochistic brute," she gasped as sweet shivers began to overcome her.

"You can't expect anything else from a demon." He shifted and his cock began to thrum against that sweet spot within.

She grabbed fistfuls of his long black hair. "Damn you."

He groaned, lowering his head. "Do you know how hot you get when you curse me?"

Oh god. It was too much. Too much. His tongue plunged into her mouth. She couldn't stop him, couldn't avoid him. He was everywhere, hot demanding, invading her. Pleasure throbbed within her, rising, cresting.

His cock began to vibrate once more.

It shattered her weak barriers. Her mind opened. The wave of their combined pleasure crashed into them. She clung to him, and him to her, two became one as the world spun around them.

She didn't know how long they lay there. It could have been hours. It could have been days. But her life had utterly irrevocably changed because of him.

Pleasure, terror, euphoria, fear all swirled within her.

Jasper lifted his head to look up at her. His hair was entangled around her.

"You destroy me, Lia," he breathed.

"Me? You touch me and I fall to pieces."

He drew her closer to him.

"Listen to me Jasper. I have issues. I don't trust easily. I don't think I've ever trusted anyone, except for my grandmother. I'm very independent. I hate relying on others or having others rely on me."

He made shushing sounds against the top of her head. "I know. You're Selena del la Vega's great granddaughter. But we'll work it out."

"My great-grandmother has nothing to do with it. And don't start using the word 'we'. There is no 'we.' There is just Jasper, and Lia, who happen to be..." She refused to used the word relationship; that was too much. "Fuck buddies," she concluded.

Jasper nipped at a bare shoulder, sending a shiver through her.

"So then, let's fuck, buddy," he said a smile in his voice.

He tilted her chin so that he could look into her eyes.

She couldn't help it. A giggle erupted from her. Sheer unstoppable joy spread within her.

No. She couldn't. She clamped down on that.

He watched the expressions on her face. Understanding dawned in his eyes. "So much fear, Lia, You are like a nervous rabbit." He stroked her dark brown hair.

"I don't know even know you Jasper."

"So then, we will go slow. We will go at your pace. Whatever you are comfortable with."

"Thank you."

"I will not even follow you 24 hours. Maybe 23."

Her head jerked up.

He kissed her on the nose. "That was a joke, maya lyoubova."

She frowned. "What did you just call me?"

"Oh that. Just a Russian term of endearment. Like sweetie."

"No it's not. You're --"

Abruptly, he jumped out of bed and stood up.

Tension radiated off him in waves.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"He's here. The one who's been after you."

Suddenly, she heard it in her head. It was a voice she had been all too familiar with. But never like this before.

"Lia...LIA...You are mine...Come to me..."

Lia brought her hand up to her mouth.

"It's Jon." She looked up to Jasper. "He's been stalking me since high school."

"You didn't tell me you knew demons before."

"He's a demon? He wasn't when I knew him."

Jasper cocked his head, as if listening to something else. He grabbed his pants and began shoving them on. "He's on the roof. I'm going up there."

"You're not going without me."

He stopped. "You're joking right? You're going to stay here where it's safe."

But Lia had already gotten up. She opened the drawer of her nightstand, withdrawing her gun, checking it to make sure it was fully loaded.

"I bought this thing to protect myself. I'm tired of him and I'm tired of running away. I don't care if he's a demon, this is ending NOW."

Jasper stood at the door, braced for a fight. "You think a gun is going to stop a demon?"

She stopped. "What can?"

"Unless your gun is enchanted, it's not going to work."

As much as it galled her to admit it, she knew he was right. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a business card. "If something goes wrong, call this number."

Reluctantly Lia took the card from his hand. Nothing ever changed. She was always helpless.