The Lure of the Devil (The Demons' Muse #4) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,88

before he said, "She's asleep."

"What does she know?" I asked.

He patted the air, waving me down. "She knows she got hurt. She's convinced she couldn't have been dead and that we're all overreacting." Then he looked at Luke. "She's also worried about that kiss."

"Ah, fuck," Luke grumbled.

"Pretty sure she wouldn't be opposed to that either," Sam teased. "Luke - "

But the angel pulled his hand from mine just to slap it back down, cutting him off. "Stop. Both of you. That's not the first time I've kissed that woman, and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last, but kissing is as far as it goes."

Sam just moved to drape an arm over my shoulder and give Luke a rather condescending look. "Because Ronwe wouldn't understand. Wait, no, I got this one. It's because she's mortal, right?" And he pointed to the table. "Not so much. Or are you leaning toward the whole hurting people you care about thing? Because this?" Sam swirled his finger in a circle indicating all of Luke. "It hurts the most. Us getting excited for you only to be crushed again. Trying to explain to Sia that it's not her, it's you. The times that we have to watch what we say so we don't accidentally offend you. It all hurts, Luke. Maybe just a little, and sure, we can all get over it, but what you're doing isn't helping anyone."

"Sam," Luke tried.

"No," Sam said. "You're about to drop another lame excuse, and I'm so fucking sick of being the one to mend the pieces you leave in your wake. Just stop."

Luke leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He didn't make a sound, but I could tell he wanted to. The fact that he hadn't resorted to yelling and walking off was progress, though. That he wasn't telling us we were wrong? It said more than all the rest.

"I was going to, ok?" he finally admitted.

"What?" I asked, not sure I was keeping up.

"Look." He lifted his hand to play with the quickly healing burns on his palm. "After we talked to Uriel, she took me to Earth to show me the church that is their agreed meeting point. Then she asked if we could stop by the old house. The college house." He paused to lick his lips, and his eyes dropped to the surface of the table. "She wanted to take a pregnancy test, just to be sure. It was negative, so you know. And I took her to Mac's to get a drink. I said to celebrate, but the truth was that I..."

"Wanted more time alone with her," I finished for him. "There's nothing wrong with that."

And he blew out a rush of air. "No, I know. I thought..." He paused to rub at his mouth. "Every time she and I talk, it's there. She's in love with her entire legion. I told her she has five men who want to be with her. It's always right there, but she's never really pushed. I mean, not too much. But... I...."

"You're ready to stop fighting her," Sam said gently.

Luke ignored that, but it also seemed to help. "I was flirting with her again. I told her that a few more drinks might change my mind. That's why she was at the bar. She was getting our second round when someone - "

"You," Sam interrupted. "I want to know about you, not some bar fight. I think we all know how that part ended."

So Luke swallowed, then nodded. "I knew that if she was with me, then none of you would worry. I was going to take her back to the house and..." He looked up, his eyes landing on my face. "Stop resisting. Instead, she fucking died. The moment I actually think about it, you see what happens?"

"You can't find a ladder," I said, "so you latch onto the next closest correlation. Besides, it seems that you failed at getting her killed."

"Or at least her staying dead," Sam corrected. "Luke, she's fine."

"And the next time?" he asked. "What happens when she gets hurt and doesn't do... that. Whatever that was?"

"No," Sam said, letting go of me to lean over the table, right into Luke's face. "Stop that. Just fucking give it up already, ok? You and Sia have some of the hottest chemistry I've ever seen. The two of you get in the same room and sparks fly. There's no way you can deny that."

"It's because of what she is," he