A Cursed Heart, page 15
“Mal, people already know you’re my boyfriend. I don’t care what people think. I put something on the bed for you to wear.”
He had obviously planned this, I realized when I entered the bedroom to find pants, a shirt similar to Ryan’s and new shoes waiting for me. Using a touch of magic, I dressed quickly and braided my hair back.
“Do you think,” I asked as I walked into the living room while putting the finishing touches to my hair, “that I should cut my—“
“No, don’t cut your hair unless you really want to. I love it like it is.”
“Okay.” I shrugged. “People tend to stare at me.”
“Trust me, it’s not the hair. Everything about you is hot. The hair would still attract attention because of the color.”
“Then should I change—”
“Mal, just be you, okay? Now come on, we need to get lunch.”
“Wait! I need to set up some protections around the apartment. I don’t feel good about leaving it when it is clear we are being followed.”
Ryan sighed. “Fuck, yeah, I never thought about that. Will it take long?”
It took me only a few minutes to walk the apartment, sending magic into the walls, the door, the floor and ceiling. Anywhere that was vulnerable to attack was protected. “There,” I announced, “done.”
We left the apartment holding hands. I led Ryan to where I had left the car, and he drove us to a restaurant on the other side of the city.
“This place is great,” he told me as he led me by the hand into the small, well-kept building. It wasn’t all that far from Salvatore Holdings, which left me slightly uneasy. Still, I had plenty of magic to protect Ryan should I need it.
After only a moment, we were seated at a private table in the back. The tablecloth was starched white, the napkins folded into fan shapes, and the glassware gleamed in the sunlight filtering through the floor to ceiling windows near us. A small vase holding a pink rose sat between me and Ryan.
A look at the menu had my mouth watering. There were so many options!
“The food is great here. Order whatever you like.”
“It’s difficult to choose.”
“Right? Why don’t we order a bunch of appetizers and share them? We can always order a main course after, if you’re still hungry.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
An hour later, I could not stomach the idea of more food. The servings had been generous, and we had ordered far too much. I shared a look with Ryan. “I don’t think—“”
“Nah, me neither. It was good, though, right?”
“Absolutely. The company was excellent, too.”
Ryan blushed. “I’m glad we could have this. I know with Freya around—”
“Don’t.” I had to stop him. Deep down, I knew he didn’t regret having his daughter in his life. His other partners before me had made her an issue. A mistake I would not make. I loved that little girl as much as I did her father. “You wouldn’t be you without her. Ryan… I think that without Freya, I wouldn’t be… I’m falling in love with you.”
“Same.” He coughed, clearing his throat, looking awkward. “We wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for Freya because I wouldn’t have been in Jasmine’s life. Mal… I… what we have is so fucking important to me. You’ve changed my life and made everything better. I dunno what I’d do without you.”
Baby steps. I could hardly expect a full love confession immediately. Ryan had only just admitted to being attracted to me. Deeper feelings would develop over time.
Our date was a perfect little escape from our lives for a moment, but I couldn’t help feeling relieved when we returned to the apartment and the gem. Its pull was still there, though it held less of a hold on me, perhaps because of my tight bond with Ryan.
I paused when we got to the door. The magic, it was… damaged.
“Someone tried to get in.”
Turning Up The Heat
Ryan
Fear, a cold, heavy feeling, settled in my gut. “What?”
Mal stood with his hands on the door, his eyes closed. “Magic was used against my protections. They are holding steady, but I would like to use more magic to shore them up. I do not believe this was a serious attempt, only an exploratory one. They likely don’t know you have a way of knowing what happened.”
“By they, you mean Scythe, right?”
He opened his eyes to study me. They were glowing green like they did when he let his demon form out. “Yes. It could only have been him. He likely knew when to strike because he had people watching you.”
“Us. They’ve been tracking you taking Freya to school.”
His smile was forced. “I’ll be more careful of my surroundings.”
“No,” I said, reaching for him. “That wasn’t a criticism of you. I know you’d be ready in an instant to defend her if you need to.”
“She is precious to me.” He came into my arms easily, wrapping his around me in return. It felt good to have him there, where I felt like he belonged.
I laughed. “Yeah, I know, and the feeling is mutual.”
Mal and Freya getting along was non-negotiable in our relationship. It put too much strain on things when my kid didn’t like or wasn’t liked by whoever I was with. Thankfully, the pair of them adored each other. Mal wasn’t just a handy babysitter, though. He got me. He knew me. All the things I’d tried to hide, the sides of my character others wouldn’t accept, he did without question.
The thing was, the feeling was mutual. Mal had told me a lot of what he had done, and still I cared about him. Even if he showed me his darker side, I’d still be there for him. As long as he didn’t hurt me, Freya, or Lydia, then I didn’t care what it was. Okay, maybe not animals. I couldn’t be with someone who hurt animals for kicks.
“What d’you want to do about the magic?” I asked him. We still hadn’t moved away from each other. We probably looked ridiculous to other people.
“I’ll pour more magic into it when we get inside.”
“Do you have enough?”
He raised his head to grin at me. His eyes were back to the usual brown he had in this form. They sparkled with mischief. “Thanks to you, I do.”
I felt my face grow hot even as I dipped my head to kiss him softly. “I could always top it up later,” I whispered against his lips.
“Hmm, I like that idea.”
“Maybe…” I hesitated, “You could top this time.”
His eyes widened. “You want to try it? There’s no need to push yourself, Ryan.”
“I… Yeah, I do.” Everything. I wanted to try absolutely everything, as long as he was there with me.
Mrs. Roberts’ door opened, prompting us to break apart. “Hello! Oh, don’t you two look nice! Were you somewhere special?”
Mal, being far more social than me, took a few steps closer to her. “Yes, Ryan took me on a date.”
“Oh, that’s so lovely! I’m so glad Ryan has a nice man like you, Malcolm.” I wondered what she would think if she knew he could do magic.
“Do you need any help, Mrs. Roberts?”
“Oh, no, thank you. My doctor suggested I take more walks, so I’m meeting a friend from my bookclub downstairs. We’re going to take a walk around the park and then go for coffee.”
“Sounds like a wonderful afternoon.”
Once Mal was sure she was safely in the elevator, he laid his hands on the door again. “I can do some of the work from here, but we’ll need to repeat this morning’s work to ensure it’s as strong as it can be.”
“Okay, let’s get this done. I need to check the files and work on some stuff.”
There was little for me to do after I’d ensured all the files I’d copied from Salvatore Holdings were clear of anything damaging to me, aside from proof I had hacked them plus the other companies Salvatore had asked me to. I’d planted a fake reason for his extortion, which wasn’t all that fake. Jasmine had amassed a lot of debt, and my services were my method of payment without the added blackmail over my involvement in her death.
My plan was to completely torch their systems from the inside, making it look like a counterattack from the people I’d hacked. Sure, they were innocent of this, but I had no qualms about taking them down at the same time as the bastard who’d blackmailed me and controlled the city.
After Mal loaded the virus, it would be set on a timer, going off in the middle of the night. My email to Conrad was written and ready to be sent just before, leaving no time for them to get access to their data centers before they imploded. Another part of the plan was to overwrite Salvatore’s files with my copies, ensuring that if the FBI’s talented techs could recover data, it would be mine they would find.
Was it perfect? Far from it, but I hoped they wouldn’t question it too closely. It helped that Conrad knew shit was getting dicey there. He might just assume someone got lax in their rush.
Everyone was on watch, just waiting for me to deliver. I just had to send that email, and it would be done. Finally, we could put this chapter to bed and live our lives.
Except even once Salvatore was behind bars, we had another prison to worry about: Mal’s. I couldn’t stand the thought of his having to return to the gem, or his being forced into a bond with me. The thought of me growing old while he stayed frozen and waiting for his next owner scared me. If there were a way to make me and Freya demons, I’d take it.
I knew then that Malacoda was endgame for me. He was my happily ever after, like in the stories. Okay, it looked different from what I’d imagined. In my head, a pretty woman came along who loved Freya as much as I did. Instead, I got a demon with some questionable morals, with magic, and a tragic past.
Yet he loved Freya like she were his own. He made me feel like I was the best person in the world. Me, the one who had accidentally killed my ex, which made me a shitty person. He didn’t see me like that, though. To Mal, I was a defender. I’d done what I’d needed to do to protect my kid, to give her a better life. To him, the end justified the means.
Mal was the defender in our relationship. His world was me and Freya. It was impossible not to feel loved. Not a single moment of it was fake or out of duty.
Work done, I pushed away from the computer. “Want to order in dinner?”
“That sounds good. I am reluctant to leave the apartment in case another attempt is made.”
“Yeah, me too. Freya will be home in an hour or so anyway.”
We picked out what we wanted to eat, and I put the order in. Then I found a blanket, some candles and set up a picnic in the living room by pushing the coffee table to the side.
“What are you doing?” Mal asked from the sofa. His hair was splayed over the arm while his bare feet were on the other side. He was back to just wearing those damn shorts. At least they were clean once more. He’d cleaned the floor with his magic.
“We’re having another date, just an inside one.”
His smile was bright. “Two dates in one day. What have I done to deserve this?”
I went onto my knees to kiss him, just a quick peck. “Just being you. I need to make up for lost time.”
Mal pulled me against him. “There’s nothing to make up for.”
We were red faced, lips swollen, when the doorbell rang with our food delivery.
The food wasn’t as good as the restaurant, but maybe that was the vibe. I’d liked showing Mal off. He didn’t seem to notice people looking at him while we were out. The server had flirted with him and he’d ignored it, totally focused on me. I didn’t get what he saw in me when he could have anyone. Totally wasn’t about to question my luck.
Halfway through our food, Freya and Lydia joined us. After she had kissed me, Freya settled into Mal’s lap to tell him all about her adventures with Lydia.
“Hope you don’t mind that I got her nails and hair done,” Lydia said, taking a seat on the floor next to me. She stole a spring roll off my plate.
“As long as she’s happy, I don’t mind. Her hair needed to be cut anyway.”
“The stylist didn’t take much off the length. Apparently she wants to grow hers as long as Mal’s.”
My laugh startled Freya, who stopped mid-sentence to stare at me. Happy I was okay, she started telling him something again. His gaze was fixed on me, though. The look was enough to make me blush, especially when I remembered what I offered to do before we got home.
“Of course she did.”
“Was everything okay when we were gone?”
There was no way I was telling her someone tried to get into my apartment. “Yeah, we went out for lunch.”
We sat listening to Freya for a bit until it was clear she was beyond exhausted. “Let me put the princess to bed,” Mal said, rising with Freya in his arms. She was so tired, she didn’t even fight him over it.
He was gone for a good ten minutes. Lydia sat with me in silence, waiting for him to return. What I liked about my sister was her ability just to be without pushing.
“We had sex,” I finally said.
“Knew it. Was it good?”
“Best I’ve ever had.”
“Damn, no wonder you look so happy!” She picked at the remainder of my plate of food. My nerves had shut my appetite down halfway through dinner. “Hot guy with magic and he’s great in bed? You’ve scored.”
“Hell, yeah.”
“I’m glad you were willing to admit to yourself that you liked him.”
“I more than like him, Liddy. Pretty sure I love him.”
“So Freya’s dream of a wedding and a demon for a dad isn’t all that far off then?”
“Maybe not.”
Marrying Mal would be amazing, but we could only do it once everything was calm. Only once we knew he couldn’t be taken from me and was free of the heart ruby.
When Mal returned, he asked Lydia, “Could we go to your place? I would like to try it just in case it becomes necessary.”
Lydia frowned. “What do you mean, like drive you there?”
“No. With my magic. You just have to focus on your home. We can link briefly so I can see that mental picture. Once I do, I will be able to take us there.”
She looked a little green. Still, she stood with a determined look. “Alright.”
I didn’t particularly like Mal linking with Lydia, or even his having to hold her hand while he vanished them both away. Jealousy was a foreign emotion to me. This was my sister! Mal had already told me he wasn’t interested in her. It was completely irrational.
They returned, Lydia looking greener than ever, before I could have a crash out over them being gone.
“Ugh, I hated that!” Lydia whined.
Mal touched her head to break the connection and winced. “Sorry. It can be unpleasant the first few times. Ryan adapted to it quickly.” We shared a smile loaded with affection.
“Ugh, I’m leaving before your sweetness makes me puke. Bring Freya at any time, okay?”
After she kissed us both on the cheek, she left.
“Shall we clean up?” Mal asked. “Then we can go to bed. I can feel your stress rising, Ryan. Nothing has to happen if you don’t want it to.”
“Thing is, I do. I really want it to.”
The water flowed over me, washing away my anxious sweat. I didn’t know why I was so in my feelings about something I’d offered to do. Knowing Mal like I did, he would never have asked me to do this, especially if he knew I was uncomfortable. He even left me to shower on my own, sensing I needed to get my head on straight and could only do that by myself.
I knew he was waiting for me in the bedroom, already showered and likely setting the scene. He’d loved the flameless candles at our picnic dinner, so I imagined he had them spread over our bedroom.
Our. It sounded so right to consider what was my room as ours. Same as the apartment. It was our home. Mal kept it looking nice for us all. It was as much his home as it was mine.
By the time I was perfectly clean, my mind had settled. This was the guy I was nuts about. He’d make sure I was having the best time or it wouldn’t happen. I was safe with Mal.
When I strolled into the bedroom, the space was exactly how I’d imagined. Lots of the flameless candles were dotted around the room, the main light was off, casting us in the candlelight. The comforter was at the bottom of the bed, and the lube was waiting on the nightstand.
Mal was lounging on the bed, looking like a lazy tiger ready to devour its prey. When he looked at me like that, I was ready to be devoured.
“Come, lie down on the bed. Drop the towel,” he commanded with a smirk. “Let me make you feel good.”
I did as I was told, taking my place next to him. He reached for me, turning my face toward him so he could kiss me. It started off gently, then became something more demanding as I opened to his tongue. I let him lead the way, enjoying the feeling of his lips on mine and his fingertips brushing over my skin.
He plucked at my nipples, making me hiss against his lips. When the pain settled, the ache was sweet. His hand found my cock, almost fully hard, and teased it with a gentle stroke.
“Mal,” I groaned.
“Onto your front. I need to open you up.”
Surely he needed me to be on my back? Still, I did what I was told and was rewarded with the weight of Mal’s body blanketing me. He trailed kisses over my neck, my back, down to my ass.
I flinched when he pushed my ass cheeks apart. “Mal.”
“Trust me. It will feel good.”
At the first swipe of his tongue over my hole, I moaned. The feeling was strange, yet really fucking good. I didn’t want to stop.
On and on, Mal licked and sucked at my hole, then he plunged his tongue inside. I bit back a curse. Damn, this felt amazing! He carried on licking until I felt a finger inside me. The first thing I noticed was the absence of pain. All it felt was good.
Sinking into the feeling, I felt like I was floating on a cloud of bliss. I knew when Mal added another finger, but still it didn’t hurt. It had to have been magic. I should have trusted him to protect me from even the slightest pain.
Mal’s body blanketed mine once more. “Hmm, you’re going to feel amazing around me.” He nuzzled and kissed my neck before pushing his cock inside me.
