Straight to Heaven Read Free

made being in his arms feel so right. So natural. His true, human self was the part of him I liked best. Unfortunately, it was also the part of him that
he
liked least, and he hid it whenever he could.
    I gave in to temptation a little longer before reluctantly pulling out of his embrace. Then, still feeling wobbly, I sat on the edge of my bed. “What mistakes have you made?”
    He tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow.
    “You just said,
everyone
makes mistakes. What about you? Any epic fails?”
    He laughed and shook his head. “No.”
    “Not one?” I asked.
    “Not one.” His impish smile had returned. Just like that, his demon was back in the driver’s seat. It figured. “I have a perfect track record, remember?”
    “You’ve mentioned it once or twice,” I said sourly.
    William sat next to me on the bed, and when I didn’t move he bounced up and down a little to get my attention. “Neutral walls, no-nonsense bedding, not even a romantic fireplace or a TV with dirty movies. This is the un-sexiest bedroom I’ve ever encountered.” He winked. “It’s like all you do in here is sleep.”
    I wasn’t sure if he was trying to tease me out of my depression or seduce me. With William, it was never easy to tell. “Sleeping
is
all I do in here,” I said.
    “Then let’s fix that.” He took my hand and began kissing the tip of each finger. “I promise that I can make you forget your troubles.”
    I drew my hand away from his. Too late, I realized that I should have entered through the kitchen. “Is that why you were spying on me at the post office?” I asked.
    “Maybe.” He reached for me again. “You know that I want you, Lilith. Very, very much.” His dark eyes held a wanton invitation.
    It was hard to resist William’s supernatural allure, especially when he had been so kind and understanding only a few minutes before. For all his arrogance and selfishness, I
knew
that there was good buried inside his heart, no matter how deep it was or how hard he tried to hide it. Plus, the thought of using sex to make my pain go away had its appeal. Feeling anything, even lust, would be better than the guilt and anxiety that constantly threatened to break through my defenses. Right now, I wanted to put my arms around William’s waist and rub my cheek against the stubble on his chin. I wanted to feel his hands slip under my shirt and beneath my bra.
    At the same time, I also wanted a real relationship, something he insisted that we would never have. I moved farther down the bed. “You promise to make me forget my problems, but will you also promise to stay with me once the passion’s over?”
    His expression clouded over. “You know better than that. Pleasure, Lil. Pure pleasure. That’s what I can offer you.”
    As good as that sounded, it wasn’t enough. “I’m sorry,” I said, “but no.”
    At that moment, I heard the front door open and my daughter and niece come inside. “Mom,” Grace yelled. “Mom!? Are you here?”
    I stood up. “I think you’d better leave.”
    William looked sulky, but he stood up as well. He cupped my chin in his hand. “I’m not giving up on the idea of you and me and that bed. Someday, Lil, you’ll appreciate what I have to offer.”
    Unless that someday included a genuine commitment, I wasn’t about to let it happen. And since demons weren’t allowed to love, it wasn’t likely that either of us would get what we wanted.

Chapter Two
    That afternoon, I lounged poolside while my neighbor, Vickie Ballard, filled me in on the neighborhood gossip. Grace and Ari, my niece, swam in the pool, doing their best to avoid Vickie’s three jet-fueled monsters who were splashing and screaming and generally raising hell.
    Vickie had just been telling me about how Debbie Crenshaw from down the street was back in rehab, and how Casey Scarsdale from next door had
another
new boyfriend, and that Sue Bristol had caught her husband doing a live web chat while he was dressed in her lacy