When the bell rang at Clark's Diner just before closing, Alexandria Sade thought she was going to scream.
"Bobby! Can you get that? My hands are covered in soap and water!" She waited a moment and when he didn't respond, she rinsed her hands and dried them. "Man, screw Jason and Caroline for calling out tonight. This is bullshit," she murmured, glancing at her reflection in the greasy mirror in the kitchen. "Jesus." Her dark brown hair had long ago fallen around her face, only part of it still in the bun she'd pulled it in prior to the shift from hell. Her freckled skin was bare—she hadn't had time for makeup—and there were definitely dark circles under her eyes. But no matter; she had to tend to the customer out front.
Pushing through the stainless-steel swinging door, she entered the quiet dining area. The walls were lined in 50s nostalgia and the black-and-white checkerboard floor was dizzying. But it was the man standing by the entrance that made her breath hitch.
He was leaning against the hostess podium, poring over the diner's menu. His blue eyes glided over the laminated paper before he set it down, gazing at her through long, dark lashes.
Running his fingers through his raven-colored hair, he pulled back a rogue strand from his forehead and one side of his full lips pulled upward. "Are you still open?" he asked.
For a moment, she forgot how to form words; her tongue and lips didn't seem to want to cooperate. She cleared her throat and walked closer. "Y–yes. We're open. I'm so sorry it took me so long. We're short staffed, and it's just me and the fry cook in the back. Please, follow me." She walked him to a corner booth, waited for him to ease into the bright red vinyl seat, and laid a menu on the table.
"Can I get you anything to drink? If you want a beer, we have a small selection of domestic." She tried to control her breathing, but she couldn't pull her eyes from him. Did guys like this actually exist outside of the movies and TV?
Stretching his long, denim-clad legs under the table, he flipped the menu over. Every muscle in his tan arm seemed to flex while the sleeve of his t-shirt hugged his bicep tighter. "I'll just have a Coke. I have a bit of a sweet tooth." He flashed a smile, showcasing the deep dimples on each of his cheeks.
"Sure. I'll be right back." Lexie weaved through the tables, jogging back to the kitchen. Grabbing a glass, she filled it with ice and pressed it against the Coke machine. When she returned to the table, she set the glass in front of him, laying a straw next to it. "Here you go," she said, smiling warmly.
"What's your favorite dish on the menu?"
His voice was a smooth baritone which sent a shiver down her spine. She flushed, a deep pink spreading from her cheeks, down her neck, and to her chest. "Well, we're out of the daily special, so I'm going to recommend the cheeseburger." It was true; the cheeseburger was delicious, but it was also easy for poor old Bobby to cook at the last minute.
"The cheeseburger it is—" His eyes swept over her chest and landed on her name badge. "Lexie."
She smiled, the blush on her cheeks deepening. "All right then..."
"Declan." He extended his hand to her, and when she wrapped her fingers around his, there was an electric energy that passed between them. Lexie gasped, and her eyes locked on his as it coursed through her veins.
Declan shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lexie."
"The pleasure is mine," she said, and butterflies entered her stomach as he brushed his thumb over the back of her hand before letting go. "I–I need to put your order in."
Lexie ran back to the kitchen, thrust the order in Bobby's hands with the promise it was the last one, and came back to the dining room, making sure to slow her steps before she reached the doorway.
Declan grinned, following every step she made. "It looks like you've had a long night; care to join me?"
Lexie glanced around the empty restaurant. She checked her watch; they were technically closed. "Sure. Let me just..." She walked over to the door, turned the 'open' sign to 'closed,' and standing on her tiptoes, pulled the string for the neon sign. Her black t-shirt crept up her waist, exposing her not-so-flat stomach, and through the night, her shorts had ridden up further than intended, putting emphasis on her toned legs as they flexed with the exertion.
When she turned back around, she found Declan clenching the sides of the table, his knuckles white as he licked his lips.
She raised an eyebrow, thinking, Is this gorgeous creature really looking at me like that? She brushed off the thought and sat across from him, folding her hands on top of the table.
"So, tell me, Lexie, what are you doing working the late shift?"
"Well, two of my useless coworkers called out so they could go get high at some party, and I got stuck working this shift." She sighed and leaned back against the booth. "My boss knows I have nothing better to do."
"That can't be; there's no way you don't have men lining up to take you out," he coolly responded.
She scoffed. "You're kidding, right?"
"You're kidding, right?"
She shook her head and laughed. "I don't know what you're seeing, but I'm definitely not the kind of girl who goes on a lot of dates."
His stare lingered on the freckles over the bridge of her nose and the bow of her pink lips. Every sweeping motion of his eyes felt tangible. "I could help you change that." He placed his hand palm up on the table, inviting her to wrap her fingers around his.
Lexie bit her lip and studied his hand before finally moving her fingertips to his palm, barely grazing his skin before bringing her hand to brush her bangs off her forehead. "You don't want to date me, Declan...trust me."
Getting up and going to the kitchen to retrieve his plate, Lexie shook her head. There was no way she would be able to give this guy what he had to be accustomed to having. She told the truth when she said she didn't go on many dates; the last date she'd been on was her senior prom with her friend who happened to be gay. That definitely didn't count. "Bobby," she said, taking the dish from him. "You can go; I'll close up. Thank you for all your help tonight."
"You sure, hon?" Bobby glanced out at the dining room, a worry-line forming in the center of his tawny forehead.
"Absolutely. Have a nice night."
"Well, all right, if you're sure. See you Monday." He removed his dingy white apron and waved over his broad shoulder as he slipped out the back door.
She made her way back to Declan's table, setting his plate in front of him. "Sorry...I almost forgot your food."
"I apologize if I came on too strong." Declan tilted his head to the side. "Will you please sit back down with me?"
Lexie appraised him for a moment and decided he was being genuine. She bit her lip; it wasn't every day that a ridiculously sexy man invited her to sit next to him—hell, it wasn't any day. Her best friend was always pushing her to take chances; maybe this was one of those times. She sank into the booth next to him and searched his face. "All right."
They sat side-by-side for a moment, his eyes darting around the diner and his brows furrowed. "I'm curious: what makes you think I wouldn't want to go on a date with you?"
Licking her lips, she brought her hands to her lap and intertwined her fingers. "I've–I've never been on a date before," she quietly said.
Declan raised his fingers toward her face but quickly balled them into a fist. Lexie found herself leaning closer, and he slowly unfurled his hand and tucked a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear. "What else have you missed out on?"
She examined his azure eyes and felt compelled to be honest, but her voice came out no louder than a whisper. "Everything."
"I can remedy that for you," he said.
Taking in his appearance once again, she shook her head. "Are you being serious?" She stood and held her arms out to her sides. "Look at me." Her palms landed on her bare thighs with a smack. "I don't exactly seem like your type."
Declan's eyelids fluttered shut as he deeply inhaled. When his gaze settled upon her again, his eyes seemed to have darkened to midnight-blue. He reached his arm around her waist, holding her in place while his tall frame gracefully eased out of the booth. "I had no clue what drew me here tonight until the minute I laid eyes on you. This is where I'm supposed to be, at this moment, with you, Lexie."
Her breath turned shallow, and her voice was a low, gravelly rasp. "You really believe that?" She wanted to believe it too, but years of self-doubt weren't going to disappear in the course of fifteen minutes.
"I do." His fingers curled around the nape of her neck, gently tilting her head as he inched his mouth closer to hers. "Close your eyes," he gently demanded.
She obeyed, let her eyelids fall closed, and parted her lips, savoring his touch on her neck. Her heart had gone past the pounding stage and felt like it was in danger of stopping completely.
His warm breath, sweet with cola, brushed over her mouth before he softly kissed her plump lower lip. He carefully danced his lips over hers until she responded to his touch. "That's it, do what feels good to you."
To her horror, a moan escaped her, but he didn't seem to mind; in fact, he kissed her with more passion upon hearing the utterance. She parted her lips as she felt his tongue entreating entrance to her mouth.
Declan pulled her closer, and his hands were more brazen as his fingers inched their way under the hem of her shirt, gliding over the smooth skin along her spine. He pressed his hips into her soft stomach, and she felt the effect she was having on him.
Lexie gasped, putting her open palms against his chest and stepping away from him. "Oh my God, I—" She'd never so much as kissed a guy before, much less felt any other body parts against her skin. "Y–you need to go. I have to go," she stammered.
His eyes widened as she pulled away from him. "Lexie? I'm sorry...I didn't mean—"
"Please, Declan. Just go." She choked on the last word.
His mouth opened and closed before he gave a curt nod. He tossed several bills on the tabletop and moved toward the exit. As he passed her, she turned her head away from him, but that didn't stop him from grazing his pinky along the back of her hand. He pulled the door open, letting in the warm summer night breeze, and the obnoxious bell rang through the silence between them. With one last look at Lexie, he said, "I'm sorry," letting the door close behind him.
♕♕♕♕♕♕♕♕
"What the hell just happened?" Declan said to himself, shoving his hands in his pockets as he strolled down the sidewalk. The dark backstreets of Chicago were quiet except for the occasional passing car and barking dog in the distance.
Declan replayed every moment he'd spent with Lexie, trying to figure out where it all went wrong. He hadn't lied to her when he said something had drawn him to the dingy diner she worked at; it was his intention to spend the evening at one of the many nightclubs in the city, finding the right girl to spend the night with. But some cosmic force led him to her instead.
He shook his head. She was only human, yet he couldn't break through her defenses. Any other woman would have given in without much hesitation, opening her legs for him, wanting to feed his hunger. But not Lexie.
"Yo, Declan!" a voice rang out from the shadows.
Declan closed his eyes and tilted his face to the star-speckled sky. "Ezra," he drawled out his best friend's name. He knew no good could come from the imp searching for him this late at night.
Ezra grinned, a crooked expression that was his trademark. "Declan," he parroted his downcast friend's tone. "Are you not happy to see me?"
"It depends; do you have hard liquor with you, or are you here on official business?"
Ezra appeared right next to him and draped his arm over his shoulder. "Can't the answer be both?" He reached into the pocket of his jeans and drew out a silver flask, handing it to Declan. "Everything okay, mate?"
Declan popped the top off the container and shuddered as the liquid ran down his throat. Grunting through the burning sensation, he said, "I'm feeling a little off my game tonight. This girl...she didn't give in."
"A woman didn't give in to you?"
Hearing Ezra's disbelief only fueled Declan's frustration. He was done thinking about how everything had gone wrong with the sexy waitress. "That's what I said." He glared down at his slightly height-challenged friend and flicked one of the two stubby horns protruding from Ezra's dark brown hair. "Why can't you blend in like a normal human when you take their form?"
Ezra swatted Declan's hand away. "Just because I'm a lowly imp and not demon royalty like you doesn't mean I shouldn't be proud!"
Declan turned his head, hiding his grin.
Ezra may have been a demon, but he had a way of seeing the bright side of his fated existence as a servant to the throne. His optimism and acceptance helped to lift Declan from some of the darkest moments in his life. Not to mention that Ezra was the one demon who was loyal to him and not his father; his friendship was priceless.
"I know this isn't your favorite realm to inhabit, so when are you planning on telling me the real reason you're here?"
The imp sighed deeply and held his hand out for the flask. When Declan handed it back, he took a long swig and slid it into his pocket. "I don't want you to get all upset here, because it really isn't a big deal, but...you haven't checked in with your father in a while. He's getting impatient. I came to bring you back. He wishes to speak with you, and I don't think you should keep him waiting."
Running his hands through his hair, Declan released a puff of air. "Tell Asmodeus I'll be there soon. My link to Hades is weak; I haven't fed in days."
Ezra stared at Declan, his thick eyebrows furrowing. "So, one girl turned you down, and you didn't feed?"
Declan's face scrunched like he was in pain, and he shook his head in reply. The last thing he wanted to do was continue to linger on thoughts of Lexie. He was already going to toss and turn as sleep eluded him and memories of her haunted him. "Can you stall for a few more days?"
"No can do, bro. Daddy Asmo isn't going to wait. He's demanding your presence tonight."
"Fuck!"
Declan marched down the sidewalk with long strides. He took a deep breath and eased the restraints from the incubus lurking inside him for a second time that night. As his blue eyes darkened, he allowed his demonic side some rein, but the angelic force was always at the helm, controlling the lustful fever which raged inside of him. With Ezra struggling to keep up, Declan turned into a neighborhood dive bar.
Sitting at the hand-carved bar by herself was his prey—a petite blonde with horn-rimmed glasses. Without any hesitation, he slid onto the stool next to her. "Can I get you another Cosmopolitan?" He pointed to her almost empty glass.
The young woman glanced at him, and her mouth dropped. "I—uh—yes, please," she answered. He could practically feel her skin heating as she nervously adjusted her glasses.
"Bartender, one Cosmo for the lady," he called before giving her his undivided attention. "You look as if your puppy died. Why the long face, love?" He brushed the back of his index finger along her cheek.
Declan heard her breath catch at the touch of his skin against hers. She swallowed, shifting on the barstool. "It's my birthday, and my asshole boyfriend broke up with me tonight," she blurted, her face turning red.
It was clear why his demon chose this woman; she was simmering in a mixture of high emotion: hurt, anger, and revenge being the most predominant. Her lust would be off the charts, and his hunger would be well-fed.
"His loss." Declan took her drink from the bartender and with a raised eyebrow said, "Here's to a birthday you will never forget." He pressed the cold drink to her lips, and his desire ignited as her soft hand slid over his at the base of the glass.
She drank, glancing at their hands and back at him, her hazel eyes blazing behind the lenses of her glasses. Her lust was practically rolling off her in waves. With a hard swallow, she pulled away from the glass and leaned toward him, her plump, bare lips parting a couple of centimeters.
Declan set her drink on the bar, swept his lips over hers with a barely-there touch, and placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth. "Let me help you forget about him," he whispered as his hand rested on her thigh, inching its way under the hem of her skirt.
The woman's lips melted into his, as he knew they would. She shivered at his touch and scooted closer to him, pressing her mouth to his neck, kissing his smooth skin until she reached his ear. "I'm yours."
Desire swelled inside of him, and Declan paced his breathing. Always in control, he silently chanted his motto. He stood, and intertwining his fingers with hers, he guided her down the dark hallway at the back of the bar. They stepped into the shadows and his hunger spiked. He pushed her against the wall, one hand tangled in her hair as the other snaked between their bodies, pulling up the front of her flared skirt.
She moaned, moving against him with an urgency that proved her desire for him was equal to his hunger for her. Leaning her head back against the wall, she slid her hand between them, unbuttoning his pants, never breaking eye contact.
Encasing her hand in his, he pulled it away and pinned it to the wall next to her head to her moaned disapproval.
"Don't worry, baby; I'm going to give you what you need," he whispered. Sliding her panties to the side, he lifted her leg and wrapped it around his hip. The incubus demanded that he take from her what he wanted, but Declan held firm. "Look at me," he commanded, anchoring himself to his prey. She raised her eyes to his and he set a rapid pace, drawing her closer to her release. The incubus within him roared with delight, savoring her desire.
The woman appeared consumed by him, much to the satisfaction of his inner demon. With one more movement of his hips, she unraveled in his arms. Every part of her melted, devoured by him and his desire.
Declan placed his hand over her mouth, stifling her moans as he growled in her ear. "That's it, let go. That's so, so good." His veins ran hot as he consumed her lust, and euphoria rushed throughout his entire body. She tensed against him, urging him on, but he was reaching the brink of danger. He clenched his teeth, withholding his climax. When her body gave all it could, he withdrew from her.
With a deep breath, he collected a drop of his release. "Open," he said, pinching her chin between his fingers and sliding his thumb in her mouth. It was only enough to allow her to feel the same ecstasy he did; any more and her body would not be able to function and would quickly shut down. He summoned his angelic side, causing his eyes to fade to a translucent blue. Running a finger over her temple, he searched for her thoughts about her ex-boyfriend. He chose the one that would best benefit her, and said, "This was the best birthday you ever had. You broke up with your boyfriend, and you will never speak of him or to him again."
She nodded with a dazed agreement.
Declan righted her skirt before kissing her on the side of the head. "Thank you."
With that, he went into the men's room to finish what they had started by himself.
When Declan returned to the bar, he found Ezra watching a human sport neither of them truly cared for and said, "Let's get out of here."