“Dinner?” Gabriel asked, breaking into her naughty thoughts. “Or would you rather keep staring at my cock?”
“What? I wasn’t staring at… atit. I was… um… Did you say something about dinner?” She forced a smile, even though the bright-red burn in her cheeks was all the evidence the smug bastard needed to convict her of the crime of being obsessed with him. And his cock. “Are you cooking?”
With a smirk she couldn’t help but adore, he waved a menu at her—the one from the empanada place around the corner. She hadn’t even noticed he’d been holding it.
Because she was too busy staring at his cock.
And his feet.
And the way that shirt stretched so perfectly over his torso, outlining every dip and curve of those muscles…
“Fine, but you’re buying,” she said, sidestepping him as she headed into the kitchen. “I’ll make drinks. Hey, speaking of which… Am I on the schedule tonight?”
It was a loaded question, but one she suddenly needed an answer to. He hadn’t murdered her yet, so there was still a chance she had a job. And if she was still gainfully—though somewhat unconventionally—employed, the last thing she wanted to do was miss her shift and piss off the boss who’d already threatened to kill her once today.
“No,” he said. Then, with another cocky smirk she wanted to slap, or possibly kiss, or possibly slap while kissing, “I’ve decided to close the club tonight. We’ll open again tomorrow, but you’re not going back on the schedule until we’ve got this Viansa situation figured out.”
“Fair enough,” she said, trying hard not to show her relief.
The whole thing was insane.Shewas insane. Two months ago, when he’d first given her an apron and an ultimatum, the last thing she wanted to do was become some scantily clad barmaid slinging cocktails for Gabriel and his asshole friends.
Now, she couldn’t imaginenotworking at Obsidian. Not working for him.
Funny what a difference a couple of months—and falling in love—made.
Not that it mattered now.
Jaci blew out a breath, blinking away tears. Their partnership, as he’d so clearly pointed out this morning, was nothing more than an arrangement now. A mission.
Track down the succubus. Break the curse. Send the bitch back to hell. Roll the credits.
Food ordered and drinks sufficiently mixed, they were all out of stalling tactics. So, with nothing more to lose but the last shreds of her pride and privacy, Jaci took a fortifying gulp of her Magical Mint Julep, met the vampire’s intense, forest-green gaze, and waded into the shark-infested waters of her past.
Chapter Seven
“Succubi manifest in human dreams,” Jaci said, “for the sole purpose of getting laid.”
Gabriel flashed that smirk again, sending a little zing to her stomach. “And here I thought it was to tempt the innocents to sin.”
“Tempt them tocome, would be a more accurate way of describing it. The sin part was added in later—mankind’s way of passing judgment.”
“Typical.”
Jaci nodded, taking another sip of her drink. “The end goal is always pregnancy, and they use every trick in their arsenal. Mental manipulation, erotic dream creation, fear. Sometimes they want their victims to impregnate them directly, but usually, they just collect the… you know. And bring it back to hell.”
“No, Jacinda. I actually don’t know anything about this, which is why we’re in this predicament. If Ihadknown, I would’ve found a way to divert this train wreck before—”
“Ejaculate,” she blurted out, feeling like a kid caught with porn. She gulped down some more booze, wishing it would cool the burn in her cheeks. “They collect it and use it to breed demon-human hybrids in hell.”
“For what purpose? Aren’t other demons more powerful than humans? Why would they essentially water down their line like that?”
“It’s a best-of-both worlds kind of thing. The offspring are usually immortal, with demonic powers, but have an easier time passing between realms than other demons. They have their own forms and don’t need to possess human vessels. They can basically live as humans on earth, undetected by the other supernatural races, which means they’re not bound by your Shadow Accords.”
“Great. So they don’t have to follow our rules about territories and age restrictions on demon deals.” Gabriel sighed and sipped his drink, trying not to wince.
Jaci hid her smile, recalling the first time she’d made him a drink, right before he’d put her to work at Obsidian. He’d practically swayed that day too. Just like now.
Still can’t handle my magical cocktails, huh, Prince?
