The Devil's Assistant (Watty Awards Finalist 2011)

Bonus Chapter - Ch1 from Lucius POV

Instead of heading straight to the lifts as per my normal routine, my feet pulled me towards the delectable derriere on auto-pilot. Yet it was something more than mere attraction which directed me. After living for millennia I could sense when supernatural forces were trying to take me down one path or another and as I let myself be carried forwards I could feel its subtle nudge pushing me towards her.

I stopped mere inches away. I was so close I could see the golden highlights in her hair and I could smell the subtlest hint of vanilla and roses from her perfume as it tickled my nose. My heart, which had done nothing but beat for functionality over the past dozen centuries, skipped within my chest. I kept my face blank even as shock coursed through my system. It took a lot to catch me off guard but this woman, who hadn't even looked at me yet, had evoked a reaction in my traitorous body.

"Morning Mr Satani. Here are your messages and your new PA is here." The blonde behind the desk cut in with her annoyingly perky voice, pulling me back to the present moment.

I blinked and quickly collected my wits about me as I accepted the stack of paper from Kristen. Katy? No, her name was Kirsten. You'd think that after two years her name would stick. Then again, in an existence as long as mine, two years was gone in just a blink of an eye.

The blonde smiled at me but I could feel the animosity lingering beneath her expression. A frown briefly made its way onto my face as I stared back at her. Ah yes, she was July. I could almost understand Phil's reticence about sleeping with the staff when I had a past conquest making things difficult – almost.

Letting my voice drop, I purred my next words as I flicked my way through the phone messages. "Thanks. Is the new PA hot? I could do with a new lay."

The blonde behind the counter squirmed. My lips twitched. She was still affected by my voice and, if the scowl on her face was a gauge, she wasn't happy about that in the slightest.

"Don't tell me it's a guy again? If it is, I'm going to kill the board and then I'm going to kill Phil. Slowly. They know not to mess in my - affairs." On the last word, I waggled my brows. Kirsten lips twitched. She was so clueless. She didn't know that despite the levity of the situation I was being serious – deadly serious.

The nagging pull between me and the brunette, fed up with being ignored, became more insistent until the only thing I was channelling was frustration. I couldn't even comprehend why it was so important but I knew I just needed this stranger to turn her head and look at me – just once. I needed it like a human needed air to survive. Every moment without the touch of her eyes felt as if I was suffocating.

And then, with an angry huff emitting from her lips, the brunette spun on her heels and glared up at me.

I couldn't breathe.

Noting our close proximity, she hastily stepped back into the reception desk. I barely noticed.

Staring into her fiery gaze, I felt lost. I was drawn down into the deep depths of her soul, so deep I thought I would never escape. It didn't matter that there was nothing but contempt in her gaze. My eyes drank in the dark brown eyes, the angry flush on her cheeks and the open and expressive face which relayed all of her emotions as if she were a book for me to read. She was simply beautiful.

Her lips moved and it took all of my attention to focus on the words they formed. "No Mr Satani, your new Personal Assistant would be me." She folded her arms across her chest and glared up at me. "I can assure you there will be no chance of you getting laid by me."

Instead of deterring me as she had intended, her words only enflamed my need to know her – to have her. I smirked. If only she knew the thoughts going through my head.