Мишель Роуэн - Angel with Attitude

“Thank you,” she finally managed to say and raised her eyebrow in what she hoped looked like a flirtatious gesture.

“I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

“I’m Claire.”

“Julian.”

“My pleasure.”

He smiled a bit wider at that. “Not yet. But it certainly could be. In so many ways.”

“So . . . are you here for the party?”

“Of course.” He glanced over at the mayor and Nathaniel. “What is he doing here?”

“Excuse me?”

“Trying to make his move?” he sneered. “Too bad, so sad.” He tore his gaze from Nathaniel to look at Val again. “Are you here with him?”

She tried to play dumb. “Him who?”

“Nathaniel.”

“Oh.” She glanced over. “Yes, I am.”

“You deserve much, much better than him.”

She smiled at him and forced herself to touch his arm. “I totally agree.”

His lips twitched with amusement. “Claire. Beautiful Claire. I do believe I’ll enjoy getting to know you. And showing you all the ways I could satisfy you better than that poor excuse for a demon could.”

He moved to grab a drink from a passing tray and his shirt opened a bit. His pale but muscular chest revealed something else. On a long gold chain around his neck he wore the Key to

Heaven.

The Key to Heaven. Right in front of her, less than an arm’s reach away.

She must have stared at it a little too long, since Julian looked down at himself. He touched the key and she thought he meant to tuck it back inside his shirt, but he pulled it all the way out.

“Pretty isn’t it?”

“Very.”

He lifted it so it lay flat on his hand. “Do you see? There are words etched into its surface. It’s an incantation.”

“So you’re saying that it’s a magic key?”

His smile widened, although she did notice his gaze flick nervously for the briefest moment to

Reggie. “A magic key. Yes, it is. And very powerful. Do you like power, Claire?”

“Who doesn’t?”

He shook his head. “No, that is not a proper answer. Do you like power?”

She met his gaze. “I’m a witch. An evil one, that is. I absolutely adore power.”

He closed the small distance between them and took the key, tracing the end of it down her neck, along her collarbone, and down her chest to the ample cleavage that spilled out of the top of the corset. “Then we will get along just fine.”

He let the key drop back into place under his shirt and continued his exploration of her chest with the tip of his finger. She froze in place, unable to do anything about what was happening.

“Unhand her,” a voice said from behind her.

Julian smiled, but his eyes were focused on Val’s glamourized body. “Nathaniel. So good to see you again.”

“She’s with me.”

Julian’s eyes flicked to Val’s. “He’s like an incessant little insect buzzing around my head.

It’s been buzzing for nearly two hundred years, but I’m hoping it won’t for much longer.” His hand moved to boldly cup her left breast.

Nathaniel moved beside them and grabbed Julian’s wrist. Their strength must have been equal as Julian’s hand didn’t budge.

Reggie growled and shifted position on Val’s shoulder. Julian’s hand shot back like he’d been burned.

“Your animal is very protective,” he said.

She glanced at Reggie from the corner of her eye. “It’s probably his little leather hat. Makes him feel like a bodyguard.”

“Mmm.” He turned to Nathaniel, shook his head and clucked his tongue. “Nathaniel, jealousy does not become you.”

“Julian—” Nathaniel shook his own head “—you’re an asshole.”

“Such a brilliant comeback. But what else could I expect from a halfling?”

Nathaniel didn’t reply to that.

“A halfling?” Val said. “Isn’t that like a hobbit? Nathaniel, have you been holding out on me?”

Julian smiled. “A halfling is an impure demon. Something less and unworthy. Something terribly sad and pathetic.”

Nathaniel ignored Julian and looked at her. “Are you okay?”

Julian snorted. “What is this? Nathaniel concerned with someone other than himself? Claire, you must be truly special.” He moved in and whispered in her ear. “I will so enjoy taking you away from him.”

Nathaniel pushed Julian so that he staggered back. “I told you to keep your hands off her.”

Julian cocked his head to one side. “If your actions didn’t amuse me so, I would make you very sorry.”

Nathaniel faked a yawn.

Flames flashed in Julian’s eyes but they quickly died down as a smile snaked across his face.

“I think you will be one of the first I destroy.”

“Is that so? You and what army?”

“The army of my choosing. I will surround myself only with those who please me, and you have never pleased me.”

Nathaniel looked at Val. She’d been watching their tennis match of verbosity with a tight feeling in her chest—and it wasn’t just from the corset. “He’s always been full of himself, this one. Cocky son of a bitch.”

Julian laughed, then ran a warm hand down Val’s bare arm, making her skin crawl.

“I told you to unhand her.” There was no more lightness to Nathaniel’s words.

Julian held her gaze.

“Nathaniel, don’t get possessive,” Val said, knowing full well that the only way to get her hands on the key was to cozy up to Julian, even if the thought of it made her sick to her stomach. “You don’t own me. I can talk to anyone I want to.”

“Oh, yes.” Julian moved closer to whisper again in her ear. “I do think I like you.”

Nathaniel grabbed his arm, pulled him physically away from Val before his fist connected with Julian’s face with a loud smacking sound. “Don’t make me repeat myself again.”

Julian held a hand to his mouth, then pulled it away to look at the blood. “No finesse. No class. Just like the former human you are. Sad, really. Once I thought you had so much potential—almost equal to my own—but you’ve proven time and time again that you are lacking in so many ways. Especially recently. And one so lacking as you could never hope to be a part of what is about to happen here tonight.”

“A part of what?” Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed.

Julian studied him for a moment, then smiled thinly. He pulled the key from under his shirt and held it in his hand. “This.”

“What is that?”

“This is the universe in the palm of my very hand.” Julian stared down at the golden key with total reverence. “The beginning and the end. The balance of light and dark. Solidified power for me to wield at my whim.”

Nathaniel looked at it for a moment. “That’s funny. Looks like just a key to me.”

“You have no vision. It is so much more than just a key. This is Lucifer’s own Key to

Heaven.”

Val felt her stomach sink as she glanced at Nathaniel. He stared down at the harmless-looking key in Julian’s hand.

“I don’t believe you.”

Julian smiled. “We shall see, won’t we, what is to be believed. Or rather, I shall see. When I open a gateway to Heaven tonight. Won’t they be surprised to see the likes of me in their lily-

white realm? To do a little—how should I put it?—remodeling of their terribly exclusive club.

The mayor has agreed to compensate me greatly for my efforts.”

“Is that what this is all about?” Val asked, hoping the tremor in her words wasn’t too obvious.

“The party? It’s recruitment for your little demonic episode of Trading Spaces?”

“It is a coincidence that the cream of the crop of the Underworld are at the mayor’s party tonight, but it is a lucky coincidence, I’d say.” His gaze slid down to her chest. “And you are more than welcome to join me, my lovely witch. I can show you what a demon of true power is capable of.”