The Demon's Song - By Kendra Leigh Castle Page 0,21

single deep breath to catch the mouthwatering scent of bacon in the air.

Bacon. Someone was cooking breakfast. Someone who wasn’t Amy…and who’d been on her couch last night. Her smile faded as her memories returned. Memories that included a fragment of being sung to so that she’d shut up and go to sleep instead of asking questions. It had been heartbreakingly beautiful.

Damn him.

Her temper had only just kicked in when the arguing started.

“I can’t believe you blew off hunting to play housewife. I should have brought you an apron. With puppies and kitties on it, even. Maybe some ribbon.”

The voice had her opening her eyes. It was unfamiliar, deep and resonant, but not nearly as musical as Phenex’s. She had a moment of pure panic until she heard a voice she did know respond. He didn’t sound angry or threatened. Just deeply annoyed.

The relief she felt at his presence was as overwhelming as it was nonsensical. She should have wished him gone. But her better judgment didn’t seem to have a thing to do with her reactions to him.

“Keep it up. Really,” Phenex was saying. “Because once I shove this frying pan up your ass I’ll be welcomed back to Terra Noctem as a hero.”

“You’re in a good mood. I’m going to assume the Betty Crocker act hasn’t gotten you laid yet, then?”

There was a muffled sound, like something heavy connecting with a solid piece of furniture…or person. Sofia was up like a shot, though it occurred to her even as her feet hit the floor that staying in her room might be a better idea. Still, this was her home. She refused to hide.

Sofia barely registered that she was still in her scrubs, minus her shoes, before she was standing in her living room and staring at yet another oversized warrior type, this one sprawled on her floor and rubbing his head. His back was to her, but she had an excellent view of Phenex as he loomed over the stranger, brandishing the smaller of her cast-iron frying pans. For a few seconds, he didn’t seem to notice her. Then those deep blue eyes lifted, connecting with hers, and she felt something electric sizzle through her from head to toe.

Only one word formed in her head: wow.

It wasn’t right for a man to be so beautiful that the sight of him knocked her on her ass every single time. He was manipulative and underhanded and incredibly dangerous, and all she could seem to think about was pawing at him. Normally, in life-or-death situations, sex was the last thing on her mind. Now, here she was ignoring an assault in favor of fantasies about getting Phenex’s clothes off.

It didn’t help that she was pretty positive he’d be on board with that.

“Bastard,” the man on the floor growled. Then he stilled, and Sofia had the fleeting impression of a predator scenting its prey before he turned his head to look at her. She blinked, thinking she must be imagining him. Her mouth went dry and words evaporated.

There was more than one of them. And this one was a masterpiece.

He could have stepped from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the very image of a classical angel and twice as stunning for being flesh and blood. His features were chiseled, though slightly full lips lent a hint of sensual softness to his face. His wavy hair was a golden crown, begging for fingers to toy with its silken softness. Eyes the color of emeralds, stunningly clear, watched her with frank assessment. He was beautiful. Completely, ridiculously beautiful.

And from the way his mouth curved, a motion both slight and seductive, he knew it.

It was only that hint of arrogance that allowed Sofia to quit gawking and pull herself together. Her cheeks flooded with heat when she saw the look on Phenex’s face. He knew what she’d been thinking, too. And to say he didn’t seem to like it was an understatement. Actually, from the way his hand tightened around the handle of the frying pan, it looked like he wanted to give the new guy another good whack with it.

Desperate to prevent a bloodbath in the middle of her apartment, Sofia jumped in with the first thing that came to mind.

“Please don’t kill each other. I can’t afford a cleaning crew, and I don’t want to have to deal with violence before I’ve had my coffee.”

The men were perfectly still for a moment, and then the blond’s face lit with an amused grin.