Page 22 of Hell Bound

As nonchalantly as I could, I let my eyes drift from side to side, scanning the throng of demons until I found him.

Unlike everyone else in the ballroom, his eyes were averted from me. They were glued to something in his hand as he…

Is that bastard cleaning under his nails?

For reasons I couldn’t explain, that pissed me off beyond measure. Maybe I’d been hoping for a reassuring nod, or a flirtatious wink.

His refusing to even acknowledge my presence had my blood boiling.

Since I could hardly snap out his name during this hushed silence, I pointedly looked away from Morningstar. Two could play the “I don’t even notice how sexy you are” game.

And I would win.

All of this took only seconds, and too few of those at that. Suddenly I was at the bottom step and a path formed before me as the demons stepped away to let me pass.

Their stares burned over every inch of my bare skin, hot where I had gone cold the moment Asmodeus spoke to me.

“The normal rules apply, my friends. My wife may not remember them, but see that you do.”

Rules? Hana hadn’t said anything beyond a whispered ‘good luck’ while Tavila and the other two maids, Gilémé and Sveva, had swept out without a word.

It’s a game.

As soon as the thought occurred, my gut screamed that I was right. Asmodeus was playing a game with rules I didn’t know, but I was still expected to follow them.

The salacious grin he shot my way said he couldn’t wait to watch me fail.

In that instant I made a decision. I might not believe that I was his queen, but I was damn sure going to be the most gracious hostess I could. He’d be expecting me to slip up.

Enjoy waiting, you son of a bitch.

I could do this. Mingle, smile, and pretend I wasn’t 84% naked.

No problem.

When I reached Asmodeus on the dais he watched from, a bit of his cocksure attitude had disappeared, replaced by scrutiny.

He didn’t know what to make of my confident air, and I marked one point in the Liliana column.

His brows dipped in a frown for only an instant before he faced the crowd.

“Welcome back to the Infernal Court, Queen Lilith.” It wasn’t really directed at me, but it rang through my head like a death knell.

It was the second time I’d heard that title, and even though I hated it on his lips, it didn’t feel as foreign as it had when I’d arrived.

Lily.

The name echoed through my head in a husky voice, sending a shiver down my spine. Intimate. Possessive.Growly.

“Now, all of you enjoy yourselves until the main event begins.”

I didn’t like the sound of that, but Asmodeus turned away from me without another word, leaving me to fend for myself. Unsure of where to start, I took the empty seat beside Asmodeus.

I scanned the room again, hoping to find a friendly face. I saw plenty of gazes fixed on me.

Not a single one could be interpreted as remotely friendly.

A giggle from beside me caught my attention. That sound didnotbelong in a place like this. Imagine my surprise when I saw Tavila handing Asmodeus a goblet of something, a flirtatious smile on her face.

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