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  She tried to hide her surprise. Never had any man caused such a reaction. She shook it off to her overactive libido.

  “Hi, I’m Brock. It’s nice to meet you.” He released his grip just as fast as he’d taken it. He was certainly a jittery demon, not that she could blame him.

  “Look, I don’t mean to pry, but maybe, you shouldn’t go in alone.” She shuffled her foot trying to stomp down her nerves. Why was she so edgy? She could only surmise it was the presence of this man. She hadn’t been around her own kind in a few years and had actually forgotten how much sexual energy a demon male oozed. “I’d be happy to accompany you.”

  Shit, she realized she’d be happy to do many things with this man. The lack of sex was causing her desires to kick in, not to mention her magic would soon need refueling. Sex made the demon stronger and fucking her own kind…well that was like drinking Red Bull followed by an espresso chaser. She’d be fully recharged.

  “Why would you offer to do that? You don’t even know me.” His statement carried the same surprise currently shown on his chiseled face.

  “To be honest, I miss our people. I haven’t been around our kind in a few years.” She felt her cheeks heat. “I’m also kinda selfish and would love the company.” She set her camera on the nearby glass table. “I haven’t had breakfast yet, and I’d love for you to join me. There’s no reason to go in there,” she tipped her head toward the vacant house, “right now, is there?”

  He stood silently for what seemed an eternity and shuffled from one foot to the other. His body appeared tense, ready to spring at any moment. Was he going to run? Sarah held her breath, hoping she hadn’t come on too strong and scared him off. It was evident this man was still in a fragile state of mind. He looked at his house then back to her.

  “Actually, breakfast sounds real good. I’m in no hurry to open that tomb.” For the first time since he’d appeared on her deck, his body relaxed.

  Sarah started toward the patio door, tossing a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure her yummy neighbor followed. “Good. Come on inside, and I’ll whip us up an omelet.”

  * * * *

  Brock followed Sarah through the glass doors and into a spacious living area. He quickly scanned the room, looking for the presence of another male. Anything that would indicate a man, demon or human had been here recently. He inhaled but only caught the light citrus scent of orange blossoms and coffee. He furrowed his brows, realizing the scent he enjoyed came from her. He hadn’t been around many unmated females of his own kind since that dreaded night. He feared the fates might see fit to bestow another mate upon him, and he simply couldn’t handle it.

  His gaze was drawn back to Sarah’s swaying hips as she walked to the open kitchen. He found his cock growing stiff at the sight of her ass in the tight shorts. The female had thrown him off-guard when he sensed her next door. Then when he’d realized she watched him, he’d been angry at the intrusion and gone over to set her straight. However, her beauty had left him unsettled. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her wide, blue eyes had stared back at him. He could almost imagine their darkening color when she was aroused. Her body was perfection. Her trim waist, wide hips and breasts reached out to him, begging to be touched.

  “Do you like ham and cheese?”

  “Huh?” He realized he’d been caught staring at her and now felt like a child with his hand in the cookie jar.

  She gave him a wide smile. “Your omelet. Do you like ham and cheese?”

  “Oh yes. Anything is fine. Can I help?”

  “I’m good, but you can keep me company.” She waved to a seat on the other side of the kitchen island.

  He plunked himself onto the cushioned stool and watched her pull the ingredients from the fridge. The sight of her bent over made him swallow a groan. Her shorts rode up and revealed a nice view of rounded flesh. He tried to remove the image of slipping behind her and pushing in his cock to the hilt. He could almost feel her soft, rounded hips under his grip.

  When Sarah straightened with a start, he realized his power had flared out and actually touched her. Fuck.

  He started to rise from his seat. “This wasn’t a good idea,” he stated, holding back his disappointment. He hadn’t realized how much he craved the touch of his own kind or how much he really missed his mate. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to invade you like that.”

  Sarah reached him before he could turn and run. Delicate fingers touched his arm and ignited an inferno in his gut.

  “Don’t go. Please.” Her eyes begged him. “I’m flattered. And…and well, it was nice.” She let him go and twisted her hands together, dropping her gaze to the floor. “To be honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt any man’s touch.”

  He thought for a long moment and realized he didn’t really want to leave either. He wished to learn more about Sarah. Not to mention, he was seriously considering her offer to accompany him into the house. He didn’t want to go in there alone, and to ask any of his friends to come with him would make him appear weak. She had offered, though. Maybe, it was simply her curiosity, but at this point, he didn’t care. He was desperate to have the task of opening the house and going through all its contents done and over. He nodded and sat back down. “I’ll stay.”

  She gave him a kind smile that helped him relax. “Good.”

  He cleared his throat. “So if I may ask, how long has it been for you?” He watched while she busied herself chopping up the ham.

  She paused as if uneasy.

  “I’m sorry, that was rude of me.”

  She flashed a nervous smile. “No, I don’t mind talking about it. It’s been almost a year.” She pushed a mug of coffee in front of him along with a bottle of agave and some cream then set out plates and utensils. He tried not to remember when his mate used to do this for him. He’d loved helping her in the kitchen and had forgotten how much he missed it.

  “Unless you count the sex I’ve paid for, which was six months ago.” She cracked several eggs into a bowl and whipped them.

  “Uh. I see.”

  She looked over her shoulder with a raised brow. “You’re wondering why I pay?”

  The woman standing over a hot skillet was beautiful enough she could have her pick of men. Of course, he wondered. “Well to be honest…”

  “I met a man long ago. Human. He fell in love with me, and I broke his heart.” She turned to grate some cheese, and he saw the pain in her eyes. It was apparent she was still racked with guilt about it. He found he didn’t like that look on her face and wanted to soothe it away.

  “I understand. It’s the one curse of being with humans. Did he know what you were?”

  Sarah shoved a steaming plate of food at him and a big glass of milk. “He did, and I tried to warn him that we could only be lovers, but a person can’t help how they feel.”

  For some reason, Brock hated the thought of another loving her, even a human. He shoved his envy down, attributing it to his lack of companionship. “So you decided it was better to hire someone to pleasure you?”

  She sat next to him. “No. It was after I fell in love that I decided I had to pay for sex until I found my mate.”

  He could only nod. Just the word “mate” made his skin crawl. “This smells really good.”

  “Thanks.”

  He took a bite and let the saltiness of the ham settle on his tongue before swallowing. “So how long have you lived here?” It seemed like a change of subject was in order.

  She wiped a napkin across her plump lips, and he had to divert his gaze before he did something stupid. Like kiss her.

  “About a year. I love photography, and this place gives me some wonderful pictures. I can sell them at the local markets during the busy season.” She sipped her coffee. “What made you come back now?”

  He looked down at his food and wondered if it hadn’t been for Damis and Kat’s pushiness if he’d be here at all. “I have some good friends who told me it was time to let go of m
y past.”

  She touched his arm, sending a shockwave of desire straight to his groin and fear through his blood. “I’m sorry for your loss, but your friends are right. It’s time to move on.” She stabbed at her plate. “Why didn’t they come with you, though? Did they really expect you to do this alone?”

  Brock shrugged and focused on his food. “My best friend Damis has found his mate so he’s a little busy. In addition, he is preparing to take over his father’s rule. His mate, Kat, would have volunteered, but I couldn’t ask her to do that.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “For fuck sake, I’m a grown man and should be able to do this on my own.” Realization hit. “Wait, you know what happened?”

  She met his gaze and looked a bit uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. It’s kinda common knowledge around here. People tend to ask about the house encased in magic.” She sucked in a breath and turned back to her plate. “There’s nothing wrong with leaning on friends, but I understand your reluctance.” She gave him an understanding smile. “I still hope you’ll allow me to help.”

  He wasn’t sure yet if he would accept her help. Something about her comforted him and scared the shit out of him at the same time.

  * * * *

  Sarah stood outside the house and watched while Brock unraveled the magic woven around it. The demon fidgeted and paced, and on more than one occasion, she worried he would run from her. She hoped, once inside, he would be able to find peace. Something in her gut told her his jitters were not all due to the opening of old wounds. She realized she actually made him nervous. When she’d caught him admiring her assets, she’d been anything but angry. His roving eyes had sent moisture between her thighs and a longing that nearly had her shoving him to the floor to sate her desire. Hot, inviting, he made her mouth water. She wondered if he tasted anything like the spicy cinnamon scent she inhaled every time she got near him and decided she needed to find out. Would it be in poor taste to seduce him when he was at his weakest? For some reason, she didn’t care, and that was really out of character for her.

  “Sarah?”

  She looked up and met his dark, brown eyes, noting a twinkle of mischief in them.

  “Find something you like?” he chuckled.

  Shit. She’d been caught staring at his ass. Well, it wasn’t her fault he filled out a pair of jeans like nobody’s business. Not to mention he was standing two steps up from her which put the muscular perfection right at eye level. She curled her lips upward. “As a matter of fact, yes. Yes, I did.” There, let him chew on that! She hoped he’d take it as a hint of her interest.

  He tipped back his head in laughter. “Well, I guess I deserve that after I gawked at you.”

  He pushed the door open, his features immediately schooled. Her heart ached for him and longed to see the sexy smile again. Her new goal was to get him through this and help him move on. She wanted to get to know the real Brock. The one who wasn’t in pain.

  “I’ll go first just to make sure it’s safe.” He slipped past the threshold and disappeared. Sarah remained on the first step, waiting for him to give her the all clear. Minutes later, he stuck his head out, his face ashen. “You can come in.”

  She made her way up the remaining steps and through the doorway, not sure what she would find inside and half expecting her senses to be assaulted. She took in a deep breath and found the air to be crisp and clean. She must have had a puzzled look on her face.

  “The spell kept everything out so there’s no mildew or mold,” he stated matter of fact.

  She glanced around the spacious kitchen and felt as if she’d stepped back in time. The white porcelain refrigerator and gas range with its side storage compartment were state of the art for the period when the house had been previously occupied. Everything glistened as if freshly cleaned, waiting for the museum patrons to walk through the time capsule. She noticed Brock no longer stood next to her so she moved across the linoleum floor to the beige carpeted living room. She found him standing in the center, staring down at the floor.

  “Brock?” She walked up and stood next to him. He didn’t respond and almost seemed to be mesmerized except that his hands balled into fists then released, only to repeat the process. Her heart fractured. Clearly, this was where he had found his mate. She reached out to touch him but hesitated unsure how he would respond. “Brock, maybe this wasn’t a good idea. I think we should leave.”

  He lifted his head and glanced around the room. “No. I need to face my ghosts. I guess I wasn’t expecting it to be this difficult.” He ran his fingers through his short, blond hair. “Hell, I’m not really sure what I was expecting.”

  It was heartbreaking to see him so vulnerable. This time, she didn’t stop herself from placing a hand on his arm.

  “Is this where…?” She couldn’t finish the question without her voice giving away her emotions.

  Brock looked back to the ground. “Mina was here. Her heart removed.”

  Sarah squeezed his arm. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry.” The pain of finding one’s mate dead was simply something she couldn’t comprehend. How he must have suffered.

  “I couldn’t move. All I could do was stand here helplessly and yell. It was Damis who came to my aid. He led me away from here and took over the investigation.”

  “Did they find who did it?” She kept her voice lowered to a soothing whisper.

  “Yes.” He finally lifted his gaze to look at her. “Some organization that wanted to eradicate our kind. They feared our races mixing and producing freak children. Didn’t seem to matter much that Mina and I were mated with a child of our own. They hated all demons.”

  She shook her head in disbelief. There had been so much hate and misunderstanding during that time. “How though…I mean your mate had to have been strong enough to fight them off with her magic.”

  He lifted his lip into a snarl. “She trusted them. They called themselves our friends. They were our neighbors. I can only imagine they used our son to get her to comply. She would have done anything for him.”

  Sarah’s stomach lurched, and she had to swallow to keep from tossing her breakfast. If she correctly recalled the stories, the baby, only nine months old, had been found in his crib. Dead. “What can I do to help you?”

  He let out a long breath. “Tell me where to start. I guess I should get some boxes and pack up their belongings. Or maybe I should just torch the fucking place.”

  She wanted to pull him to her and make everything all right, except she couldn’t. Only time would ease his pain, and it looked as if not even that had worked for him. “Burning the house down will not make things better. Did Mina have any favorite charities? Maybe, you could donate it in her honor.”

  For the first time since they crossed the threshold of this time capsule, she saw hope spring into his eyes.

  “That’s a great idea. She loved animals, and I’m sure the local rescue could use the money.” He pulled her close and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.” His gaze softened. “For the first time since I started this quest, I’m actually excited. Mina would be happy to have her and our son’s memory honored this way.” Brock released her. “Shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  Her cheek still burned where he’d pressed his lips. She wanted more. Wanted him to pull her to his hard, lean body and claim her mouth. “It’s okay. I didn’t mind.” Other than I want you to throw me to the floor and fuck the hell out of me now. No, I didn’t mind at all. “I also think it would be a good idea to box up anything you want to keep. Everything else can stay with the house. The rescue can host an auction and make extra funds.”

  Brock nodded. “I guess we should get started.”

  Chapter Three

  Sarah worked downstairs cleaning out the kitchen. Sorting dishes and boxing them up to make things easier at auction time. Brock stared at the closed doors on his bedroom closet. They mocked him, telling him to run far away and never come back. He let out a sigh and took a step forward.

  “I can beat this
,” he whispered under his breath. He reminded himself Sarah was downstairs. He only needed call to her, and she would come.

  He reached for the handle but jerked his hand back. Anger reached in his gut, grabbed his intestines and twisted. “For fucks sake, get a grip on yourself.” He wiped sweat from his brow. “Mina, I feel like such a damn pussy.”

  “If you were human, this would be easier.”

  His muscles bunched at the sound of Sarah’s voice. Embarrassment flushed hot across his cheeks, but she was right. Demons mated for life and losing one’s loved one was like having part of the soul ripped away. Some never recovered, but Brock was determined not to be a casualty anymore. Mina would not have wanted that for him.

  “You’re right of course.” He turned and looked into Sarah’s compassionate, blue eyes. He’d just met this woman and already she’d offered to help him with so much.

  “Fuck it.” He marched back to the closet, flung open the doors and was greeted with Mina’s clothes. Her favorite black gown, the one she’d worn when they’d attended the inauguration of the mayor. He ripped it from its hanger and held it out in front of him as if it were a poisonous snake.

  “Do you suppose anyone would want a dress this old?” He steadied his voice, holding back the emotions that flooded him.

  Sarah fondled the sequined material. “Absolutely. Vintage clothing is making a comeback, you know.”

  No, he didn’t know that, but he’d take her word for it. “Fine. We’ll box up this stuff up and send it to the local thrift shop.” He grabbed a carton from the corner, unfolded it and ran tape across the bottom then tossed the dress inside.

  Sarah touched his arm. “Here, let me help.” She reached inside the box and retrieved the crumpled garment. She folded it into a neat little package then smiled at him. “You have to treat it with care.”