Touch of the Demon Read Online Free Page A

time when he had relinquished everything in the
heat of passion.
    Was that the
only reason she wanted to stay with him?
    She tried to
block her mind against the inevitable answer, but the answer hummed
in every nerve she possessed.
    Because the
true reason she was staying with him was that she wanted to. For herself .

Chapter
Two
     
    Rafe didn’t
question why he wanted to spend more time with the woman. The
moment when destiny hovered on the cusp between darkness and light
had passed. By fucking her, he had ensured that the predicted chaos
would never come to fruition. Humans wouldn’t rise against their
gods, and the gods wouldn’t issue the dark angels an ultimatum.
    The future was
already irrevocably altered, so it didn’t matter if he left her
here in this filthy alley and returned to his own sphere. Didn’t
matter if he took her soul or not. Killed her or allowed her to
live.
    And yet he
chose to take her with him. The reason why was of no
consequence.
    “Here.” Her
breathless voice penetrated his thoughts and he watched her push
open a door set in the grimy stone wall.
    She looked up
at him. He had an overwhelming urge to see her face in the light,
to discover the color of her eyes and find out whether her hair
truly did resemble starlight, or if it was just an illusion of the
night.
    He wanted to
take her off planet. Wanted to take her back to his own civilized
time where they could indulge every comfort. But the desire to be
inside her again consumed him. And so he followed her.
    The decrepit
hag hunched by the desolate fire in the grate barely turned her
head as they crossed the timber floor of the shabby dwelling.
Cloaked in darkness they were merely a draught of warm air, a
shimmer over the soul.
    The stairs
creaked as she led the way, and he barely noticed the stench of
humanity or air of decay as she took them into a tiny room.
    He kicked the
door shut behind them. Pitch black surrounded them. Her elusive
scent danced in the air, obliterating the underlying despair that
permeated every pore of the mean dwelling.
    But he wanted
light. Needed to see her. As she pressed herself against him, he
used his powers to gather the primitive illumination they used in
this time. A thousand candles sprung to life, and he wrapped his
arm around her shoulders before the fear claimed her.
    He felt her
laugh, as if the phenomenon she’d just witnessed was commonplace.
And then he looked at her.
    Her silver hair
was no night-time illusion. In the flickering glow of the candles
it appeared alive, a shimmering silver cloud of silk which curled
over her shoulders and down her back.
    And her eyes.
Awe stabbed through Rafe as he looked into those fathomless gold
and green eyes. He had been wrong. This woman embraced more of her
immortal heritage than he’d been led to believe. But how could he
have not guessed, when she claimed such an irresistible hold upon
him?
    Celeste’s laugh
caught in her throat as she looked at the man in her arms. In the
dark, he had appeared formidable. In this light, he was pure
magnificence.
    Eyes so dark
they appeared black mesmerized her with their all-encompassing
power. His face possessed a harsh beauty that both inflamed and
terrified her, forcibly reminding her he was not of her world.
    The knowledge
only made her want him more than before.
    “You have the
beauty of the heavens.” His voice was hushed.
    “No,” she said
softly. “My beauty is of the Earth.”
    His hand
caressed the side of her face. Was it her imagination, or did his
fingers shake?
    “Heaven or
Earth. Is there a difference?”
    She pulled the
ties of her cloak and tossed it over the rickety bed. “I’m of the
Earth,” she repeated.
    “Which makes
you also part of the heavens,” he said, and his fingers trailed
across the top of her exposed breasts. “A part of me.” His voice
was suddenly possessive and Celeste shivered in anticipation as he
tugged her dress over her hips.
    He drew in an
appreciative breath as