Page 27 of Hell and Hexes
“Sorry. If Sylvie isn’t open to that sort of thing, then no can do,” Eshu told the nymph. “I’m trying to get into this witch’s pants, and it seems to be a full-time endeavor, so I doubt I’d have time for side hanky-panky either way.”
“I’ve been through the crusades, and that’s totally how it was,” Bob declared, still fixated on Eshu’s song. “Soldiers screwing their way through Europe on a papal-approved vacation. Don’t get me wrong, I was thrilled. It was like a buffet on my doorstep. Actually, it was like one of those sushi places where the food goes by your table on little conveyor belts and you just grab what you want. I miss that.”
Trapper rolled his eyes. “It’s not like you have any problem getting blood. Or tail. Everyone gets horny over vampires. Everyone. Try being twelve inches.”
Rio snickered. “I’ll take that twelve inches, big boy.”
“I’d suffocate,” the pixie shot back. “I’m not a dildo with wings, you know.”
“Can we keep playing?” Flora complained. “Not that this isn’t an enlightening discussion or anything, but I’m guarding an entrance here and I want to know if anything is sneaking up on us, not about Bob and the crusades-buffet, or Trapper’s size insecurity.”
We got back to the game, Flora effectively alerting the party about a toxic creeping night slime, and Fernando and Eshu using fire to keep the slime away. At sunrise, the party moved on with Eshu’s character in tow. In real life, it was ten o’clock at night. Normally we’d play on past midnight, but I was feeling tired, worried that I’d pushed myself too far so soon after my death and resurrection. So, I wrapped up, letting everyone know that I intended on continuing with the game next week. My friends collected their supplies, grabbing some pizza to go, and telling Eshu that they hoped he’d join our game on a permanent basis.
This sucked. The energy and libido I’d had earlier were on a serious downslide. I’d been determined to take Eshu to bed the next time I saw him, but now that he was right here in my house, my heart and genitals were ready, but the rest of my body was thinking it was time to go to bed and actually sleep.
I wasn’t supposed to have any more of Glenda’s smoothie until tomorrow morning, but I made a split--second decision as my friends were leaving, pulling it out of the cabinet and taking a quick swig.
Ugh. It tasted horrible, but I did immediately feel more alert and awake. Putting it back in the cabinet, I shoved a mint into my mouth, hoping that it was enough to cover up the nasty breath I must have. It would really suck if Eshu went to kiss me and ran screaming because I tasted like moldy seaweed and old socks.
The demon had followed me into the kitchen, watching me as I drank the smoothie and popped the mint. He silently helped me clean up the empty pizza boxes, paper plates, and load the glasses in the dishwasher.
“Are you tired?” he asked, his hand sweeping down my back.
I nodded. “That was a healing potion in the jug, so I’m not quite as tired as I was a few minutes ago.”
He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him, my back against his chest, his cheek against my hair. “Shall I carry you over to the couch and tuck you in?”
“No!” I held his hands on my stomach before he could scoop me up. “I don’t need to sleep right now. I don’t want to sleep right now.”
I’d doze off and he’d leave, and while that did seem to be our thing, I wanted more tonight, and I definitely wanted to wake up with him beside me in my bed, not alone on the couch.
“Then whatdoyou want, couch-witch?” he whispered in my ear. “More games? Or should I pull out my giant trouser snake?”
Yes, please. Although a little romancing might be in order first.
“How about a drink?”
“I’m happy to accept an offering of alcohol,” he informed me, planting a soft kiss on my neck before moving away to look in my cabinets for glasses.
I went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine, holding it up and waiting for his thumbs-up before digging the corkscrew out of the drawer.
This had been a long day for a woman who’d died two weeks ago, but I felt oddly energized. Maybe it was the smoothie. Maybe it was the zing of having a gorgeous demon flirting with me and making it quite clear that he was one crook of my finger away from being in my bed.
Sexual tension. Even better than Glenda’s smoothies. I’d need to remember that.
“What are these?”
I turned around to see Eshu holding up one of the charms I’d put together earlier today.
“I was trying to work some magic this afternoon, but I don’t think I’m one hundred percent recovered yet,” I admitted.
Funny how I could so easily tell him that, while I was hiding the same fact from Cassie.
“Understanding, affection, and calm. Yellow for creative solutions to a problem,” he murmured, running his fingers over the buttons on the charm. I swear it felt as if he were touching me, stroking me with both his hands and his words.
I dragged in a ragged breath and tried to compose myself. “How did you know? Do you have experience with luck magic?”
He turned to me, and suddenly those dark eyes were so full of intelligence, so serious that I blinked in surprise. “Indirectly, yes. But luck is your magic and I try to know everything I can about my couch-witch.” He stroked the charm again and I stared, mesmerized, actually feeling his fingers as if they were on my skin.
