One Night with the Demon Prince: Paranormal Fantasy Demon/Dragon Shifter Romance (Paranormal Protection Agency Book 9) by Mina Carter Page A
Authors: Mina Carter
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PPA had helped rescue from a deranged human with delusions of grandeur. The one woman in the world he shouldn’t—couldn’t—want.
She was never far from his thoughts.
He blinked, and something else caught his attention. The edge of a dark shadow on Coffee Girl’s skin. The growl ripped from his lips, his hand snapping out to hold her still. She froze, her gasp of fright mellowed instantly at his touch. Whether or not she realized what he was, her body reacted like every other human’s at the touch of a demon and became pliant.
With fingers as gentle as he could make them, he peeled away the fabric over her shoulder to reveal a deep, still-purpling bruise. Feral rage ripped through him. A man had done this. Used his superior strength and raised a hand to this delicate creature.
“Who did this?”
He could compel the answer from her, but she was already scared enough. He didn’t need to be an ass and add to her distress. She tried to pull away, impressive considering humanity had no natural defenses against his kind. Tears sparkled in her eyes.
“It’s nothing. I was clumsy, that’s all. Walked into a door…”
“Uh-huh.” He put her top into place and sat back, watching her carefully. “And how many times were you where the door wanted to be?”
“It wasn’t like that.” She looked down, face calm but the tremble in her hands around the mug gave her away.
“Really?”
He didn’t believe her for a moment. He’d lived in the seven hells long enough to recognize the evidence of a man’s aggression. His lips curved into a humorless grin. They called his kind monstrous, but the evil humans perpetrated on each other…it’d make even his father proud.
He extended his senses. She had bruises, no torn skin nor internal injuries. She hadn’t been raped. Opening his mouth to demand the truth, a sound in front of them in the alley made him stop dead.
“What?” Coffee Girl picked up on his tension immediately, drawing closer to him. That amused him. A human looking to a demon for protection, who’da thunk it?
“Shhh.”
Holding up his hand, he strained his ears for the sound again. There it was. A small clip against the ground and a familiar whuffle. It was a sound that chilled even his blood and one he hadn’t expected to hear in the middle of the city.
“Shit.”
Instantly he knew what it was, and why it was hanging around Frankie’s Coffee Shop. A bead of cold sweat ran down his spine. Without taking his eyes off the alley around them, he leaned closer to Coffee Girl. Kept his voice low. Between them.
“I apologize for the indelicate question but…have you ever… you know, slept with anyone?”
Amusement flooded him in the silence after his words. Him, a demon, asking carefully if a woman was a virgin. His father wouldn’t have bothered with the question. He’d have just seduced her…and tempted the wrath of the creature watching unseen from the shadows.
“What?” He could feel her cheeks burn and the sharp gaze as she leaned away from him. “No, not that it’s any business of yours!”
He let out a wry chuckle. “Sweetheart, I’m not coming on to you. I’m trying to save our lives.”
Well, his. He was fairly certain she’d be okay. For a while.
Movement tugged at the corner of his vision. Turning his head, he focused on a darker patch of shadow by a dumpster. He had excellent night vision, all demons did; a side effect of living in any of the seven hells. But if they were dealing with what he thought they were, then it wouldn’t matter. What watched them wouldn’t be seen until it wanted to be.
The shadows moved and gave a vague impression of shape. Twin pinpricks of red flared for a moment. Farther apart than he’d thought. Crap, it was already the size of a Rottweiler and infinitely more dangerous.
“What do you mean?” she asked warily. He sensed her movement before it began and slammed a hand out to hold her in place.
“Stop talking and don’t
She was never far from his thoughts.
He blinked, and something else caught his attention. The edge of a dark shadow on Coffee Girl’s skin. The growl ripped from his lips, his hand snapping out to hold her still. She froze, her gasp of fright mellowed instantly at his touch. Whether or not she realized what he was, her body reacted like every other human’s at the touch of a demon and became pliant.
With fingers as gentle as he could make them, he peeled away the fabric over her shoulder to reveal a deep, still-purpling bruise. Feral rage ripped through him. A man had done this. Used his superior strength and raised a hand to this delicate creature.
“Who did this?”
He could compel the answer from her, but she was already scared enough. He didn’t need to be an ass and add to her distress. She tried to pull away, impressive considering humanity had no natural defenses against his kind. Tears sparkled in her eyes.
“It’s nothing. I was clumsy, that’s all. Walked into a door…”
“Uh-huh.” He put her top into place and sat back, watching her carefully. “And how many times were you where the door wanted to be?”
“It wasn’t like that.” She looked down, face calm but the tremble in her hands around the mug gave her away.
“Really?”
He didn’t believe her for a moment. He’d lived in the seven hells long enough to recognize the evidence of a man’s aggression. His lips curved into a humorless grin. They called his kind monstrous, but the evil humans perpetrated on each other…it’d make even his father proud.
He extended his senses. She had bruises, no torn skin nor internal injuries. She hadn’t been raped. Opening his mouth to demand the truth, a sound in front of them in the alley made him stop dead.
“What?” Coffee Girl picked up on his tension immediately, drawing closer to him. That amused him. A human looking to a demon for protection, who’da thunk it?
“Shhh.”
Holding up his hand, he strained his ears for the sound again. There it was. A small clip against the ground and a familiar whuffle. It was a sound that chilled even his blood and one he hadn’t expected to hear in the middle of the city.
“Shit.”
Instantly he knew what it was, and why it was hanging around Frankie’s Coffee Shop. A bead of cold sweat ran down his spine. Without taking his eyes off the alley around them, he leaned closer to Coffee Girl. Kept his voice low. Between them.
“I apologize for the indelicate question but…have you ever… you know, slept with anyone?”
Amusement flooded him in the silence after his words. Him, a demon, asking carefully if a woman was a virgin. His father wouldn’t have bothered with the question. He’d have just seduced her…and tempted the wrath of the creature watching unseen from the shadows.
“What?” He could feel her cheeks burn and the sharp gaze as she leaned away from him. “No, not that it’s any business of yours!”
He let out a wry chuckle. “Sweetheart, I’m not coming on to you. I’m trying to save our lives.”
Well, his. He was fairly certain she’d be okay. For a while.
Movement tugged at the corner of his vision. Turning his head, he focused on a darker patch of shadow by a dumpster. He had excellent night vision, all demons did; a side effect of living in any of the seven hells. But if they were dealing with what he thought they were, then it wouldn’t matter. What watched them wouldn’t be seen until it wanted to be.
The shadows moved and gave a vague impression of shape. Twin pinpricks of red flared for a moment. Farther apart than he’d thought. Crap, it was already the size of a Rottweiler and infinitely more dangerous.
“What do you mean?” she asked warily. He sensed her movement before it began and slammed a hand out to hold her in place.
“Stop talking and don’t
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