Page 26 of Paramour of Sin
Eve tore her blue eyes from mine to pin a glare on her lover. She gestured vaguely between the two of them and Gleason. “We have a team already in place.”
“Includingthe Demonic Lord,” Xai said pointedly. “He could handle the demon audit while you take care of questioning the Nephilim.” He glanced at Lord Zebulon. “I assume that’s the plan you had in mind?”
“Always thinking strategically,” Lord Zebulon mused.
Xai grunted.
Eve looked prepared to argue more, something she often did in Lord Zebulon’s presence. I narrowed my eyes at her, begging her not to push this, but Gleason spoke up before either of us had a real chance to react.
“Why does Ashmedai want an audit of the Nephilim in your territory?” he asked, a calculative note in his tone. The man had the brain of a scientist and the heart of a Nephilim. He didn’t ask useless questions, which meant he had a purpose now.
Lord Zebulon shrugged behind me but didn’t remove his hand from my hip. “The Archdemon didn’t elaborate, but the audit was a requirement to prolong our timeline. I didn’t ask questions since he made it clear the gift of time would not be negotiable without my acquiescing to the request.”
Eve sheathed her knife and stood, planting her hands on her hips as she addressed Lord Zebulon. “Knowing you, that’s not the only reason you agreed.”
“It’s not,” he admitted. “A demon audit seemed like a reasonable way to gather the necessary details while also interrogating potential suspects.”
Eve considered him for a long moment, then looked at me. After a beat, she nodded. “Fine. We’ll help with the Nephilim side. But I’m still reviewing the crime scenes for clues.”
Lord Zebulon’s fingers tightened against my hip with just the slightest hint of pressure. “I would expect nothing less from you, Evangeline.”
“And you’re paying me for the audit,” Eve added flippantly. She proceeded to list a price per name that had my eyebrows shooting upward.
“Eve!” I gasped as Lord Zebulon replied, “Done.”
I righted myself and took a deep, shuddering breath.Close call.For a second there, I thought my best friend was going to single-handedly send me to Hell with that outlandish request. Sure, I trusted her to help me. But there was no denying that Lord Zebulon could provide even more assistance, especially if he agreed to escort me to the trial.
Zane’s metallic-blue gaze twinkled with mischief as he looked over my shoulder at the Demonic Lord.
What…?
Oh.
Ohhh.
Lord Zebulon had baited Eve. Hewantedher to agree to help him, and went about it in a backward way. It was never about actually leaving me without his protection and assistance; it was about maneuvering Eve into the place on his chessboard where he desired her most. The Demonic Lord was notorious for his strategic manipulation.
But the look on Xai’s face said he knew exactly what Lord Zebulon had done, the censure in his stare one that seemed to say,Don’t do that again,as he moved to stand beside Eve.
I couldn’t see Lord Zebulon behind me, however, I suspected he gave him a look back that said,No promises.
Gleason shoved away from the wall and glanced around. “Glad that’s settled. Perhaps we could head out to the crime scene now? We only have twelve days.”
Eve grimaced. “Thanks for the reminder.” She jabbed a finger at the air, pointing at the Demonic Lord. “If anything happens to Gwen while I’m gone, it’s your ass, Zeb.”
I flinched at her blatant disrespect. My coffee sloshed over the edge of the mug onto my hand, but at least it was cold.
Lord Zebulon’s fingers had rested on my hip for nearly the entire conversation. At Eve’s warning, he wrapped both arms around my waist and pulled me even closer to him. “Oh, trust me, Evangeline. I’ll take care of Guinevere and meet all her needs.”
I could feel every inch of his hard body against mine from chest to groin up against my back, and the sensation sent a rush through me. Desire unfurled low inside me, and my skin flushed so hot I couldn’t breathe. One of his large hands spanned across my belly, fingertips digging into me in a show of control that made me want to bend over and offer up my body.
Eve glared at the Demonic Lord and opened her mouth to retort, but Xai swooped in behind her with astonishing speed. He gripped her by both elbows and steered her for the front door while casting a significant look back at Lord Zebulon, and then a second look at Zane.
I blinked after them, confused. Xai typically displayed protective energy around Eve, but me? That was new. It almost felt as though he cared about me. Alas, no. That was impossible. We hated each other. Or maybe it was just me who hated him?
The door closed with a finality, distracting me from my inner monologue.
And then Lord Zebulon brushed his lips against my temple, momentarily destroying my ability to think.
