Chapter Two

H e stepped out of the waves like the god Poseidon, at home in his element. Drenched, bronzed, his shorts riding low on his hips showcasing lean six-pack abs, the sculpted body of a man who worked hard at his sport. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him.

His sun-tipped brown hair was cut short and spiked up in all directions as he shook the salt spray from it with a wild twist of his head. Shay held her breath, wondering if the shorts balancing precariously on his slim hips would drop to his ankles.

No such luck. The pictures she’d seen of him hadn’t done him justice. Though the photographs showed a charming, handsome man, up close he was just devastating. She exhaled, reminding herself why she was here.

She was bait. Lou and Derek had jumped on her suggestion and allowed her to be the front man, er, woman, on the mission. So now that she’d opened her mouth and volunteered, she had to get the job done. She was equal parts excited and terrified at what would happen when they met, already knowing she was going to feel the telltale zing. She’d been experiencing it for weeks, just glimpsing him from afar.

Hard to believe the water god making his way to the beach, surfboard in his hands, was her quarry. As far as assignments went, this one was pretty damn good-looking.

She licked her lips and tipped her sunglasses down over the bridge of her nose, wishing her knees would stop knocking. She wasn’t very good at this stealth stuff. Her heart was pounding, her palms were sweating, and she hoped to God she remembered how to flirt. It had been a really long time. She was out of practice.

So here she stood on a secluded beach in Sydney, Australia, just past dawn, while the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on strolled out of the ocean toward her.

When he hit the sandy beach he caught sight of her. Positioning herself against the shack where he’d stored his gear, she struck the most seductively casual pose she could manage without looking obvious and smiled as he approached.

“Mornin’,” she said.

“G’day,” he shot back, tilting his head to size her up.

Oh, that accent. She melted into the sand under his careful perusal of her, and suddenly felt damn near naked in her all-too-tiny bikini, wishing she’d worn a cover-up. But that would hide the lure, wouldn’t it? Ugh. She much preferred killing demons to flirting with gorgeous men.

C’mon, Shay. You’re a southern girl. You were born to flirt.

Digging her toes in the sand, she tossed her head toward the ocean. “You looked great out there.”

His quick grin showed off white, even teeth. “You surf?”

“A little. Not as good as you.”

“You’re not from here, are you?”

“My southern drawl gave me away, didn’t it? Not quite Aussie.”

With a laugh, he said, “No, not quite.” He leaned his board against the shack and held out his hand. “Nic Diavolo.”

“Shay Pearson.” She slipped her hand in his and tried not to shudder. Zing. There it was, the rush, the heat, the visions.

Darkness. Nic surrounded by demons, all grasping at him, stroking his feet, treating him like he was their god. She sensed evil and fear, though she didn’t know if the fear was coming from Nic, or somewhere else.

As soon as it appeared, it was gone.

“You cold?” he asked, shaking her out of the vision.

She blinked and shook her head. “Maybe a little.”

“Get out of the shade and into the sun. It’s a little chilly in the mornings.” He took her hand and led her onto the beach, into the warm sand and sunshine. Shay used the time to file away the psychic vision that had grabbed hold of her, the one she had known she was going to have as soon as she touched him.

She’d already had visions about him, but none that strong. She knew touching him would bring it out, knew there’d be a connection.

The damn curse, anyway. She hated it. It revealed too much. Things she didn’t want to know.

Okay, she always hated it. Who the hell would think being a little psychic was a gift?

“Better now?”

She focused on his face and gave him a bright smile, remembering why she was out here. “Absolutely. Thank you.”

God, she used to have such a weakness for good-looking men. And damn, was Nic a prime example of perfection. Piercing blue eyes the same color as the ocean, a square jaw, a straight nose, and a body she could spend days and nights exploring.

And he might just be a demon, Shay. Don’t forget that.

Oh, yeah. She had forgotten. Just for a second she had simply enjoyed the company of a delectable hunk of beefcake. When was the last time that had happened?

Too long. Before demons and an utter change in her lifestyle.

Back to work.

“So what are you doing in Sydney, Shay Pearson?”

“Right now? Watching you surf. And hoping I could finagle a lesson or two out of you. I’ve heard you’re the best out here.”

He tilted his head to the side and grinned. Oh, man, that was sexy.

“The best, huh?”

“That’s what I’ve heard from the locals around here.”

“Are you on vacation?”

“Yes. Enjoying a month in Australia. These waves are spectacular.”

“They have been, yeah. Want to come play with me for a while?”

She resisted the urge to drool. Play with him? Oh, yeah. She’d love to play with him. But he’d just taken the bait. “If you mean do I want to surf with you, the answer is absolutely yes. I’d love to. If I wouldn’t be imposing.”

“Nah, not at all. I just came up for a breather and a quick drink, then was going back to it. I’d be more than happy to give a pretty sheila like you a few lessons.”

The bio on him being popular with the women wasn’t exaggerated. He was gorgeous; his voice alone made her wet, and she already wanted to lick her way up and down his chiseled abs. To say nothing of wanting to explore what was underneath his board shorts.

Yeah, he was good, all right. Now she had to spend some time with him, earn his trust, and get him to open up to her. She had two days, max. Two days to figure out the vibes she was getting from him and what they meant. The visions were bizarre—different from any others she’d gotten before. They were more surreal, not concrete like something was about to happen. Or at least she hoped what she’d seen wasn’t real.

“You warm enough now?” he asked.

“Yes. Very.” She dug her toes in the sand.

“Let’s go surfing then. You got a board?”

“Over there.” She thumbed behind her toward the shack.

“Go grab it and I’ll meet you at the water’s edge.”

She nodded and turned toward the shack, taking a quick glance at the tiny white house nestled within the trees on the hillside. She knew the demon hunters were watching her interact with Nic, and felt a little self-conscious about it, but shrugged it off.

She was doing her job, and nothing more. As far as the visions…no one needed to know about those. She’d never told anyone about them, not even Lou and Derek or the other hunters. And she never would.

They were her secret to live with.

 

Nic relaxed on his board, staying seated and keeping an eye on Shay as she crested a small wave in front of him.

She was pretty good for a novice. A few short hours and she was up and riding comfortably. She had no fear; she relaxed, listened to his instructions, and then put them into play, which was why she got up so easily.

And he had a great view of her ass and legs from where he sat, riding the wave into shore.

Tanned and blond with great curves, she was the kind of woman who fired his jets. And it had been a long damn time since any woman had done that. In fact, he’d sworn off women over a year ago and done the celibacy thing—until Shay’s sweet smile and the touch of her hand had sent a shockwave through his body. He wasn’t much for karma and destiny or any of that other voodoo kind of shit, but he knew chemistry, and he definitely felt it with Shay.

They’d been surfing for several hours now, and she was easy to be around. She wasn’t flirtatious, just friendly. No expectations other than surfing. She laughed easily, didn’t ask him probing questions, and seemed to have no expectations other than having him teach her the basics of riding the waves.

That he could handle. Beyond that? Well, he’d see. But he wasn’t ready to let go of her just yet, which surprised him, because he’d lost the taste for the wild life with women a long time ago. Oh, he still hung out at the bars with his mates, but that was as far as it went. He didn’t bring women home, and sex was out of the question.

He’d grown tired of the merry-go-round, and needed a mental and physical break from women.

At least until Shay.

He grabbed his board and stepped onto the beach. She had stabbed her board into the sand and was wringing out her hair.

“Did you see that?” she asked, her body visibly trembling with excitement. “Did you see that wave?”

He grinned. “I did. You rocked it.”

She laughed. “I did, didn’t I? Thank you so much. The pointers you gave were so helpful.”

“You have a natural ability, you’re coordinated, and you aren’t afraid to dump. That’s half the battle.”

She blew out a breath. “Well, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.” She held out her hand. “Thank you, Nic.”

He slipped his hand in hers and frowned. “Are you leaving?”

“I don’t want to take up any more of your time. I’m sure you have things to do.”

“I do. I’m starving. Surfing works up an appetite.”

“Yes, it does. I’m hungry, too. That’s why I figured it was time to quit.”

“You want to grab a bite to eat?”

She hesitated for a second. “Uh, sure. If you’d like. But I’m buying. It’s the least I can do.”

Damn. Didn’t she know who he was? No woman ever offered to buy him a meal. She really was unusual. “Sure. You pick the place.”

“Oh, I’m not that familiar with what’s around here. How about you choose?”

“Sure. If you don’t mind a short drive, there’s a great restaurant with an incredible view.”

Again the hesitation. Her gaze darted toward the hills, then back at him. “Okay.”

They stowed their boards on the top of his SUV, Shay grabbed her cover-up, and they were off, heading toward an out-of-the-way restaurant that had the best seafood in the city. Not fancy or expensive, which was probably why he liked it. No pretension, and no one treated him any differently from the average surfer bum off the beach.

They ate fish and chips outside, and talked.

“So where are you from, Shay?”

“Georgia.”

“Are you here in Sydney with your family or friends?”

She grabbed a chip with her fingers and popped it in her mouth. He liked to watch her eat. She did it with gusto, unlike the women he usually hung around with, who hardly ever ate anything. “No. By myself.”

He arched a brow. “Really.”

She grinned. “Yeah. Why? Is that a problem?”

“Not really. It’s just quite a distance for a woman to travel on her own.”

She snorted. “I’m a big girl. I can handle it. I’ve been on my own for a long time. I’m used to it.”

“You’re lucky.” He wished he was on his own. There were always too many people watching over him, trying to keep him in line and tracking his whereabouts. Not that it did them much good, since he’d always done exactly what he wanted to.

She sipped her iced tea and tilted her head. “Why am I lucky?”

“That you don’t have anyone to answer to.”

“And you do?”

“Yes and no.”

She laughed. “Ohhh, cryptic, are we? I like a little mystery in a man.”

And he liked her. Mainly because he really didn’t think she had any idea who he was, how much money he had, or what his last name meant. That was refreshing; she knew him only from the locals and only because of his surfing ability. Most women he met targeted the Diavolo money, so he never really knew if they gave a shit about him as a person or not.

Then again, he never really cared about them, either, so it was mutually beneficial. He got what he wanted out of the deal, and so did they.

Nothing.

No wonder he’d stopped playing the game, for a while, anyway.

He might want to start playing again. But there was another reason he’d stayed away from women for so long.

The dreams. They’d grown darker and more frequent, had started wrapping around his conscious thoughts.

He even thought he’d seen those monsters in his own father’s house, in the cellars.

There was something seriously fucked-up about that. Enough that it spooked him into keeping his distance from women. He was afraid of what was inside his mind, of what he was seeing and feeling.

But it had just been that one time, and it had never happened again. Probably a hangover, or the remnants of one of his stupid nightmares. He’d had them so long he’d probably started sleepwalking, or had narcolepsy and was falling asleep and dreaming in the daytime, and that’s why he thought he’d seen monsters in the basement talking to his dad.

Because, obviously, that hadn’t happened. That was the stuff of kid nightmares, and he was long past childhood. It was time to blow it off and start living again. And what better way to get back in the game than with the vivacious blonde across the table from him?

They finished eating and sat back, quietly enjoying the surf and the beachgoers.

“I’m jealous you get to live this life every day,” Shay said, propping her feet up on the wooden railing.

“I don’t do this every day.”

She turned her head. “Oh. For some reason I thought you were a professional surfer.”

He laughed. “I wish. I’m not that good.”

“I thought you were.”

“You’re a novice. You don’t know the difference.”

She sniffed and lifted her chin. “I rode a huge wave, I’ll have you know.”

“It was a tiny wave.”

“Okay, maybe it was.” She laughed. “But I didn’t fall off.”

“Hey, you did great for a beginner. I was impressed.”

She grinned. “Thanks. And I still think you’re awesome. I’ve been sitting on the beach watching you for days. If you don’t surf for a living, you should. What do you do?”

“This and that. Business stuff.”

She squinted. “More mystery. Do you want me to guess or are you some kind of secret agent and you’ll have to kill me if you tell me?”

God, she made him laugh. Genuine, unaffected laughter. “Not a secret agent, trust me. Just an average, run-of-the-mill business guy. I run a company with my father.”

“Oh, the family business. How fun. I guess.”

“Not really. Pretty boring. I try to stay away from it as much as possible. I’d rather be physical.”

“Hence the surfing.”

“Right.”

“What kind of business is it?”

He supposed if he spent any time with Shay at all she was going to find out eventually, so he might as well tell her. He’d find out soon enough if she was the gold-digger type. “Diamonds. We own Diavolo Diamonds. Ever heard of them?”

“Oh, so you own a jewelry store?”

He snorted at that. “Uh, no. We own a diamond mine.”

 

Shay resisted the urge to jump out of the chair and pump her fist. Bingo! Now they were getting somewhere, though she’d thoroughly enjoyed bantering with Nic.

He’d told her who he was and about the mine. Which meant he trusted her, at least a little. This was a very good thing. The next step was gaining even more of his trust.

She widened her eyes and feigned shock. “Are you serious? A diamond mine? Holy crap.”

“Yeah.”

He looked disappointed that he’d told her. She’d have to fix that.

“I’ll bet that keeps you busy. How do you find time to do the fun things like surfing?”

“I’m in corporate sales, so I travel a lot. It allows me freedom to do the other things I enjoy, like surfing.”

“Sales, huh? So you don’t get to play with the diamonds in the mines?”

“Uh, no.”

“Too bad. I imagine unearthing raw diamonds would be a thrill.”

“Not quite. The mines are filthy, dark, and dirty. The process is lengthy and tedious from start to finish.”

“I can’t even imagine all that goes into mining diamonds. I’ll bet it’s fascinating.”

“It is. The rough diamonds aren’t pretty at all. Nothing like what you see at the jewelry stores.”

“I’d love to learn about it sometime.”

He arched a brow, his eyes narrowing. “Like diamonds, do you?”

She shrugged. “Not really. I’m not a flashy stones kind of girl. To be honest, I don’t even wear jewelry.” To prove her point, she held out her fingers. “See? Not a ring in sight.” Then she pulled her hair behind her ears. “Not even earrings.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I guess I prefer precious stones on other things, not on me.”

“What other things?”

“Daggers. I collect them.” She had to give him a piece of her history since he’d given her information about himself.

“That’s one hell of a hobby. Most women I’ve known collect knickknacks or antiques or pottery.”

“I got interested in them in college when I took a course on ancient civilizations. My professor was into daggers; she showed me her collection, and I was hooked. I have a few of my own now, though not nearly as many as she had. They’re like my security blanket. I always carry a few with me.”

“Interesting protection. You know how to use them?”

She grinned. “You bet I do.”

“You are one fascinating woman, Shay Pearson.”

She cast him a half smile. “You have no idea, Nic Diavolo.”

He leaned forward in the chair. “I’d like to get more of an idea. Come home with me.”

Uh, okay. Now that she hadn’t expected.

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