Demon grunted, studying Clytie through the viewer.
“Boyfriends?”
“None I can find, but then she’s been busy. Her sister married young, two kids, boy, girl, dad gone a lot. Helped her sister raise them, got a college degree, and helped her start a successful business, plus the art on the side.”
“Who has time to date?”
“Exactly. Hell, she was in the PTA.” Mac shook his head more than a little impressed. “Recently the brother in law retired. She left the shop and went out on her own. I don’t even think she drew a salary when she worked with her sister. Always had at least one other job at all times. Leases a loft in a bad area, has a studio attached. Has had moderate success with her art and is moving in to the big time with a showing next week at the Paul Gorbin gallery downtown. Had it rough, but she’s golden.”
“I’m keeping her.”
Mac looked him over, raising a brow at the flat statement. “What does she say?”
“I’m working on it.”
“She’s human.”
“She’s mine.”
“Then you need to see this.” He said, pointing at the monitor, and flipping up the volume. When Demon saw Ben, he stood up with a growl.
“Sit down. If she’s going to be around, you need to know.”
Clytie sighed, the sun warm on her face, the tinkle of the fountain soothing. She had never taken a vacation before, but if she did, she would want her time to be like this, only with underwear... and chocolate. She knew she needed to find her purse, check her messages, and come up with a plan on dealing with her first love affair. For all she knew her first one night stand, but she didn’t think so. She hoped Demon didn’t want the "wam bam, thank you mam,” but what did she know?
A door open and she glanced up to see Ben coming through the glass walls to the garden, from the opposite side of where she had entered. Shirtless, shoeless with his hair mussed from sleep, he wore low riding sweats and nothing else. Wow. Beautiful. Golden skin, lithe muscles, and defined abs, any girl’s dream of Adonis. When he saw her taking him in he smiled, a very wicked suggestive smile and rubbed his hand over his six-pack in a leisurely way.
Clytie rolled her eyes and laughed at his flagrant flirting. He sat down at the end of her chaise, one hand going to her foot to rub along her ankle under her jeans.
“I guess that answers my question.” She said, shaking her leg until his hand fell off.
“What question?” When she stopped shaking her foot at him his hand once again came to settle on her ankle, but at least this time resting on jean not skin.
“You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
His teeth flashed, “Now why would I want to do that?”
“You’re wasting your time.” She warned, waving one admonishing finger at him.
He placed his right hand on the chaise caging her between his arms and leaned forward. “Come on darlin’. You have to be a little tempted.”
“Nope. You are a look but don’t touch.”
“I’m a ..? I am not.”
“Yes, you are. I can spot them a mile away.” She pulled her foot up and used her toes to push him back. He grabbed her foot pulling it to his waist and holding it when she would have wrestled it back. For all intents and purposes, he sat between her legs. His smile became a touch wicked. Clytie rolled her eyes and patted his cheek. “See, right there, that proves my point. You are a definite Look but don’t touch.”
“I’m not entirely certain what you mean by that, but it doesn’t sound like me. I’m a look and touch, ask anyone.” He leaned forward again, his smile predatory.
“Let me make myself clear. You have a nice face, extremely hot body, and seem like a lot of fun to be around. I’m not going to have sex with you.”
He sat back, the wicked gleam gone from his eyes. “That’s clear enough.” He sighed dramatically, standing. “How about breakfast?”
Her smile lit up and Ben blinked at the swift change from pretty to beautiful. She stood up, her magnificent breasts moving freely beneath her shirt and he had to remind himself she was off limits.
“I changed my mind. If you feed me I’ll marry you and have your babies.”
“Does it have to be in that order?” He opened the glass door into the main home and held it open for her.
She laughed as she went by. “That depends. What’s on the menu?”
“I make a mean omelet.”
“With mushrooms and green peppers?”
“Of course.”
“O.K. You clear it with Demon and I’m all yours.”
He groaned, “There’s always a catch. Women.” He stopped her in the doorway.
“So, if I’m a look but don’t touch what is Demon?”
Her smile turned wicked. “Multiple orgasms.”
Ben appeared pained and released her arm starting for the kitchen. “I so did not need to hear that.”
Her throaty laugh trailed behind her as she followed Ben down the hall. Nobody had to know she enjoyed the view.
In the control room, Demon switched off the sound and sat back. Even through a microphone, her laugh was damn sexy.
In the few minutes, he had been watching her conversation with Ben he had run the gamut from rage to fierce possession and back again. He couldn’t decide if he should strangle Mac or thank him. He put his head in his hands and breathed deep trying to find some calm before he stomped into the kitchen and took her ass-up over the kitchen island.
Mac switched off the monitor. “Like I said. Golden.”
“Don’t do that again.” His voice gravely, he eyes bleak. “Seriously Mac. I know what you and Ben were doing but your intentions don’t matter. With her, I can’t find my balance. The thought of another man near her... Fuck. She’s mine. Right now, I can’t decide if I want to bloody up Bens pretty face or fuck her in front of you both to prove she’s mine. Christ. I don’t even know what I’m saying.” He rubbed both hands over his head in his agitation. He met Mac’s eyes again. “I bit her. My damn wolf marking his territory, and I like it. I want to take her in every way a man can take a woman and then I want to brand my name on her ass. A fucking virgin, and this morning I was talking about taking her up the ass. She met me yesterday, Jesus, no wonder she freaked out. Anyone else would have run screaming for the door.”
“Most women take one glimpse of you and run for the door. She didn’t run. Not then and not now.” Mac’s voice was matter of fact. “She’s not the running kind. And quite frankly if you threatened to take her up the ass with that monster of yours and she’s downstairs having an omelet you can pretty much bet she isn’t going to.”
“And when she finds out what I am, what we all are?
“Only time will tell. It may never even become an issue.” He patted Demon on the back and stood. “Now, what’s say we have some breakfast, and if it makes you feel better, neither myself nor Ben would have any problem watching you fuck Clytie on the kitchen floor.” That shocked a laugh out of Demon, and Mac keyed in the code to get them out of the booth. “Seriously, for you, anything.”