when GL appears from a side room in all his stuffy butler glory.
“Good day, sirs.”
“Hey, Strut,” Crux says cheerfully, as if he’s not carrying a half naked and half muddy me on his back.
I give Grumpy a two fingered wave. “They’re carrying me so I don’t get the floors dirty, see?” I brag in a you can’t be mad at me for this tone.
“Hmm.” He doesn’t sound impressed, but it’s a lot better than raving mad like my last bog incident.
Echo gives my ass a little shove, hurrying Crux along. “Could you send up some food, Strut? We’re all famished.” Echo punctuates that word with a little shadow action, as the dark wisps wrap around my waist and start moving up to tease the edge of my breasts.
“Of course,” Strut answers as Crux starts climbing the stairs.
“Thank you!” I call back to Grumpy. I really want to get on his good side, especially now that he’s delivering our meal. I can’t have another food fiasco so soon after the dinner party.
I’m insanely curious as Crux takes me upstairs and into a part of the mansion I haven’t been to yet. This place is huge, and I’ve seen very little of it. “What’s with the not having electricity in this place?” I ask, looking around as Crux hits the top of the staircase and then walks down a lantern-lit hallway.
“Jerif prefers candles and fireplaces since he can control it,” Echo replies.
“Yeah, but what about TVs and internet? Or a working fridge and microwave? He can’t control all of that.”
“We have imps to cook for us, and we don’t have time for the other stuff. We’re always dealing with the Gate.”
For some reason, that makes me feel sad. “I’m sorry that you guys have had to struggle with this for so long,” I tell them. “I hope I can help lighten the load.”
Crux’s hand gives my leg a little squeeze. “You helped us the minute you agreed to try. Knowing now you’re a Nihil means we’ll probably be set. You’re more powerful than all of us, and I can’t see the Hellgate needing more than the five of us to keep it stable for a really long time.”
I lean forward and place a kiss on the side of his neck, making him hum in appreciation. “Good. I’m glad.”
Once again, Echo’s shadows open one of the doors, and Crux strides inside. He doesn’t stop in the bedroom though. I barely get a chance to take in the dark wood and forest green bed as he tosses my scythe on it before he heads right for the en suite bathroom.
The whole back of the space is a giant wet room made of dark gray tiles, with just a short glass half-wall separating it from the rest of the bathroom. There’s one large rectangular waterfall showerhead on the ceiling that spreads along the span of the wet space, and a few chrome handhelds installed on the wall.
Crux veers toward the gray countertops, backing up so he can set me down. I let go, my ass hitting the cold marble. My wings have to open up to fit, so the backs graze against the large mirror behind me. The guys stand in front of me, taking me in. I cross my legs and lean back on my hands, knowing very well how this position arches my back and juts out my breasts. The perky twins look good in this corseted bodysuit.
“You’ve got me up here...so what now?” I ask with a teasing, sultry edge to my voice.
Echo bites his lip. “Let’s get you cleaned up, and then...we eat.”
Fuck. I don’t think he’s talking about the food.
His shadows move out, spiraling over to the faucets in the wet space, making the lengthy showerhead on the ceiling start gushing steaming hot water.
“Come on, dirty girl,” Crux says, quirking a finger at me. “Let us help you wash the bog away.”
With a smile, I hop off the countertop and head for the shower, making sure to sashay my hips a little more than usual as I walk toward the water. I can feel their eyes on me, following every inch of exposed skin, and it makes me feel so sexy to be the center of their attention.
Excitement rushes through me because I know this is going to be good, but it’s more than the promise of amazing sex that has me panting and ready to squeal like a kid who just got a surprise puppy. There’s an ease to