Chapter One

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 and 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. She exhaled, reminding herself why she was here.

She was bait. Hard to believe the water god making his way to the beach, surfboard in his hands, was her quarry.

Dayum. She licked her lips and tipped her sunglasses down over the bridge of her nose, hoping her knees would stop knocking. She wasn’t very good at this stealth thing. Her heart was pounding, her palms sweating, and she hoped to God she remembered how to flirt.

Derek had informed her their intelligence on Nic indicated he went for blondes. Since she was the only blonde hunter, that put her front and center in their game of bait and snatch.

They didn’t even know how much demon blood Nic had inside him, what he was capable of, if anything. Only that they had to grab him and get him out of Sydney in a hurry so they could figure it out.

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 walked his way out of the ocean toward her.

And nearby the hunters were in place, ready to make the grab. As soon as she got him out of eyesight of the rest of the people hanging around the sandy beach. Surprisingly, they weren’t alone, even though it was so early in the morning.

Which meant they had to lure him away. They had a plan, had discussed it, practiced it, worked it all out, knowing Nic had shown up here every morning to surf. Ever since he’d returned to Australia, he’d come to this location. At least in this he was predictable.

Shay hoped the rest of their intelligence about him was right—like the fact he really did like blondes, that he was one hell of a ladies’ man, and that he was in the mood for a little action this early in the day.

When he cleared the waves he caught sight of her. She leaned against the shack where he’d stored his gear, 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 the side to size her up.

She suddenly felt naked in her all-too-tiny bikini, wishing she had a towel or a cover-up. But that would hide the lure, wouldn’t it? Ugh. She much preferred killing demons to flirting with gorgeous men. Digging her toes into the sand, she said, “You looked great out there.”

He grinned, showing off white, even teeth. “You surf?”

“A little. Not as good as you.”

“You’re not from around here.”

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

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

“Shay Peterson.” She slipped her hand in his and tried not to shudder. God, she had 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, 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 beef-cake. When was the last time that had happened?

Too long. Back before demons and an utter change in her lifestyle.

Back to work.

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

“Right now? Watching you surf.”

“On vacation?”

“Sort of. I’m definitely on vacation and enjoying this spectacular beach and ocean, but I’m also a freelance writer. So it’s a working vacation. Hoping I can score a job while I’m here.”

He nodded. “And why do I get the idea you being on this beach has something to do with your work…and with me?”

At least he hadn’t told her to take a hike. “Because you’re wickedly perceptive?”

“I’d be happy to talk surfing or anything else with you. And if you used your beautiful body as incentive, I’m not about to say no.”

It worked. She almost sighed in relief. “I won’t say no to an interview, either.”

He arched a brow. “I like a woman who doesn’t say no.”

Oh, he was smooth. Too smooth. “I don’t say yes to everything.”

“Then you haven’t spent enough time with the right man.”

He was really good at this. Her body warmed considerably and the sun hadn’t risen high enough yet to attribute it to the summer heat. “You think you’re the right man?”

“Spend some time with me and decide.”

This was working. She wasn’t rusty at the flirting thing after all. Good to know. Now she had to finesse this just right and get him where she needed him. “How about I buy you breakfast and we can talk? Or…whatever?”

He had a lopsided grin that curled her toes. She melted into the sand.

Must remember he’s a demon, Shay. You don’t like demons. Derek as a half demon was just fine. That didn’t mean Nic was fine. He could be a bad guy.

“Sounds good to me. Let me stow my board and we can grab a bite at the breakfast bar down the beach.”

“Uh, I was thinking of someplace a little more…private?” Her body tensed as she waited for his reaction. Please let this work.

When one brow went up and his gorgeous eyes sparkled, she knew she had him.

“Sure, babe. You want me to follow you?”

She almost squealed in delight, but forced herself to keep her reaction low key, seductive even. “How about I drive? I know a great place, but it’s off the beaten path a little.”

“You familiar with out-of-the-way spots already? Thought you weren’t from around here.”

“I’m talking about the place I rented. It’s secluded and I’d like to get you alone. For the interview, of course. I’ll even cook. I make a killer omelet.”

His eyes lit up with a sensuous gleam she couldn’t mistake for anything other than what it was—sexual interest. Another time, another place, her pulse might be racing for another reason entirely. Right now she was just hoping against hope she could get him into position. Though her mind was conjuring up all kinds of positions she’d like to get Nic Diavolo in at the moment, and none of them had to do with what the hunters wanted him for.

“You’ve got a deal.”

Once he stowed his board in his SUV, he followed her to her vehicle, one she had a damned hard time maneuvering since the steering wheel was on the wrong side. Everything in Australia was on the wrong side, including the roads. Fortunately, where she had to take him wasn’t far.

Now that she had him, she was nervous. The car was small and he was big. And close, the tiny seats all too near each other. And she was trying to concentrate on the road and making it back to the house and remembering what she was supposed to do and say to him. And he smelled like salty ocean and she kept glancing over at his muscled legs and his arms, the fine hairs there bleached by the sun.

Maybe she should just kill him now. That would solve a lot of her issues, like how she could possibly be so damned attracted to a man who was probably a human-killing demon and son of Ben, one of the lords of the Sons of Darkness.

Then again, Derek was Ben’s son and he was just fine. Normal. Human-looking and not a vicious demon at all. Well, he had turned vicious demon when he’d fought Ben on the island, but he hadn’t turned on the hunters. He’d just fought the Sons of Darkness. The bad guys. And he hated the demon side of himself. Maybe Nic would be the same way.

And maybe not.

Shit. Sometimes she just thought too much.

“You doing okay over there?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah,” she replied, shooting him a glance and a half-assed smile. “Trying to concentrate on your roads. They’re on the wrong side.”

He grinned. “I could have driven.”

She shrugged. “I like a challenge.”

“I like a woman with guts.”

She turned into the long driveway leading up to the house on the cliff. Nice, private, still enshrouded in the morning fog that hadn’t quite lifted this far out.

Oh, man. She could really like this guy. He was drop-dead gorgeous with a body to die for, charming and easy going.

And in about five minutes he was going to hate her for all eternity.

 

Nic studied the curvy blonde as she exited the car and offered up another glimpse of her well-toned thighs as her shorts rode up her legs.

Damn. He’d caught a stellar wave this morning, adrenaline was pumping through his veins, his head was clear, and he’d been, if he was guessing right, propositioned by one hot woman.

What better way to start the day? And here he’d sworn off the opposite sex. So what was it about this one that made him jump back into the game again? He’d decided that women were after nothing but his money and he was tired of wasting his time. A year of solitude had done wonders. He hadn’t missed them a bit. Until Miss Golden-Blonde-and-Gorgeous tossed him a little curve on the beach and he was drooling like he hadn’t had any in a year.

Well, as a matter of fact, he hadn’t had any in a year. Which probably explained his sudden interest. Though lots of women more beautiful than Shay Peterson had offered and he’d said no. Something about her hit him right away. Fresh faced and innocent, yet with a sensual allure his body refused to ignore. Whatever she was offering, he wanted it.

Why the hell not? It wasn’t like he had anything better to do today.

“Nice place you’ve got here,” he said, surveying the hill top retreat while she fumbled for the door key.

“Huh?” She looked over at him, frowned, then nodded. “Oh. Yeah. Thanks.”

She seemed distracted and a little ditzy. Then again, he didn’t really care if they had brains or not. At least not for what they were planning to do. She was gorgeous, with her honey blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and full lips, and she smelled like a rain forest. Her body was nonstop curves and she was in great shape.

Who cared if she had a working brain cell? It wasn’t like he was interested in a lifelong commitment. Though she did say she was a freelance reporter. And that took some smarts. He wondered if that was just a line to get him in the sack. It wouldn’t be the first time a woman had used subterfuge to get him alone. He was pretty damn popular, mostly because he was rich and available. Women flocked to him thinking they might be the one to snag his heart and become Mrs. Diavolo.

Right. Like that was ever going to happen.

She was struggling with the lock. He slipped his hand in hers and took the key. “Let me do that.”

She jerked her hand away as if he was on fire. Skittish much? Damn, she’d gotten nervous all of a sudden. He turned the key and unlocked the door, then pushed it open and let her go in first.

Besides, this way he could watch her ass. And a mighty fine one at that. He grinned.

“I hope you like eggs,” she said as she led him down a long hallway. She seemed a lot more relaxed now.

“I love eggs.”

The house was dark. All the shutters were closed.

“Don’t you want to turn on some lights in here?” he asked.

“No, I like the mood. Come on in here.”

She’d damn near run down the hall. Maybe she was really hungry. Or maybe they weren’t going to have break fast at all. She might be stripping and planning to offer her self up for breakfast. Who knew when it came to women? He never could figure out what they really wanted.

When he rounded the corner, his heart skipped a beat and he went cold.

There was Shay, chewing her bottom lip as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

But she wasn’t naked and she damn sure wasn’t alone. There were a half dozen beefy-looking guys flanking her. And a couple of women, too.

“What the hell’s going on?” he asked.

“Welcome home, Nic.”

He started to turn at a deep voice behind him, but then the prick of a needle sliding into his biceps made him jerk.

“Hey! What the…”

He couldn’t even get the words out as he began to crumple to the floor. Strong arms circled him before he crashed in a heap. Nausea rolled in his stomach as he fought whatever drug they’d injected him with.

He heard them talking, but it was fuzzy, like an echo chamber.

“Derek, is that going to hurt him?”

Shay’s voice. The only one he recognized. Then the guy’s voice he heard behind him responding with “No. Just put him to sleep for a while so we can move him.”

Shit, shit, shit. This wasn’t good. Kidnapping…or something worse? He was losing it, couldn’t stay conscious.

He’d been ambushed.

Ah, hell. He knew his dick would get him in trouble one day.

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