An Angel on A Demon's Shoulder (A BBW Paranormal Romance) (Demon Brothers' Trilogy Book 3) Read online

  Wiping the disgusting ooze from his face, he opened a portal and left hell behind for another day. He breathed in a lungful of fresh air as the portal opened into his backyard on the human realm. Unlike his parents and siblings who had only recently purchased homes here, he’d had one for years. He’d gotten tired of living in hotel rooms when a bounty proved a little elusive. He couldn’t blame the souls from trying to escape. Hell wasn’t a nice place even for a demon.

  Not wanting to get any of the green liquid in his house, he walked toward the large Olympic sized swimming pool he’d had installed when he’d purchased the house. He chucked his clothes then set them on fire. It was easier that way. No substance known to man could remove that stain. At once, he felt cleaner, lighter. But then he always did after a job was complete, especially if he didn’t have to take a life force. He did that part of his job well, but he never did it easily. All life was precise, but sometimes the creatures he hunted were inhibited by a force too vicious to remain in any realm.

  He took a moment to imagine the feel of the cool water closing over him before he dived into the deep end. He swam underwater the entire length of the pool and back before coming up for air. The sensation of the liquid over his skin felt delicious. He could think of only one thing that felt better. The liquid heat of a woman’s pussy on his hot cock.

  Diving again, he swam a few more laps, working off the excess energy that always clung to him after a job. Usually, he’d find a woman to fuck. But not tonight. He’d broken it off with the last woman he’d had warming his bed a month ago. She’d been almost perfect. Tall, blonde, experienced. But she hadn’t been Clementine.

  He grabbed the edge of the pool and hoisted himself out of the water. Running his fingers through his hair, he flicked away most of the water. As he let the cool breeze dry the moisture on his body, he realized he wasn’t alone. His body tensed, and he cursed himself for letting someone get the drop on him. Then, the sweet perfume of his intruder wafted towards him.

  He cursed again. This time for an entirely different reason.

  Clementine.

  Clementine was his intruder.

  He turned his head, finally seeing the dark shape outlined in one of his bamboo lounge chairs. She sat with her arms hugging her bent knees. The long, flowing white dress she usually wore was absent this evening. Tonight, she wore a pair of dark jeans topped with an oversized lightweight sweater. The neck had slipped over one creamy shoulder, revealing the strap of a lacy white bra. So virginal.

  But then Clementine was virginal in all respects. She was an angel after all.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” He grabbed a towel from the stack his housekeeper kept by the chairs, grateful he’d told her to splurge and get the thick, fluffy ones. It hid his body’s reaction to Clementine. Somewhat. As he walked, he felt the softness of the terrycloth rub against his semi-hard dick. It reminded him of the softness of feathers. And feathers reminded him of Clementine.

  His arousal shot up another notch.

  How was it that he found himself attracted to this woman? She was nothing like the woman he usually bedded. He preferred long-legged, slim-hipped blondes. Not a dark brunette whose legs were short and curvy.

  Or maybe you slept with those other women because they didn’t look like Clementine? His inner demon mocked him. The son-of-a-bitch had been mouthing off more than usual lately.

  And right more often than not. Remington was beginning to realize his attraction to the angel was more than just having what he couldn’t have.

  He walked forward until he stood in front of her, his hands on his hips as he looked down at her. She tipped her head back as he neared and his eyes followed the line of her brown hair. In the sunshine, red highlights made it look as if it were on fire. Or maybe that was the reflection from her halo. Not that angels had actual halos floating above their heads. Just as demons didn’t have horns protruding from their skulls. Each species did have an aura about them. Light and golden for angels, dark and red for demons.

  Clementine, however, did have wings. He’s seen them more than once, usually when she thought no one was looking, especially at his parents’ home in heaven. An angel rarely spread his or her wings when others were around. It was an intimate experience, seeing an angel with their wings fully expanded. He understood that. He understood that vulnerability.

  “Why are you here?” He repeated his question.

  Clementine sat on the lounge chair beside Remington’s pool trying to keep the shivers at bay. The human realm’s weather was different from heaven. In heaven, the temperature was always the same. Here, one never knew exactly what the weather would be. She’d dressed in jeans and a sweater, but it had turned cooler the longer she’d sat by the pool. She could have gotten into his house. She didn’t have the ability to open portals, but she could have done it the old-fashioned way and used the key he kept hidden beneath the flowerpot on the front porch.

  “Luc sent me.”

  One of his dark brow rose in question as he snorted, “Why?”

  Clementine shrugged one shoulder. She knew why, but she didn’t want to be the one to tell the demon. She’d argued with the Prince of Hell that what he was doing wasn’t necessary. She’d argued with Remington’s mother, her boss, that it wasn’t necessary. Neither of them would be detoured. She shivered again.

  “Damn it, you’re freezing out here.” Before she could protest, he bent down and took her elbow, pulling her from the chair and behind him into his house. As they walked across the concrete surrounding the pool, she saw twinkles of light and knew his house was protected by spells. She concentrated to see if she could unravel them and saw some had been cast by witches and others by faes. She shuddered, seeing a touch of the dark fae in a few of them.

  The very reason she was here.

  Then her attention was snagged by the man walking in front of her. He’d slicked his dark hair back on his head, the longish ends curling around his neck. His broad shoulders were clearly outlined by the landscape lighting. Dang, the man, was big, she thought, stumbling slightly. His hand tightened on hers and pulled her closer. The top of her head barely reached the top of his shoulder. His broad shoulders tapered down to a trim waist. The top half of him had more than his fair share of masculine beauty, but that wasn’t the best view. The white towel he’d wrapped around his waist had soaked up the water still on his body from his late night swim. It had soaked it up in all the right places. His ass cheeks were clearly outlined beneath the soft fabric, clenching and releasing as he walked. Thick thighs and huge calves made him a walking, fucking wet dream.

  She mentally slapped a hand over her mouth at her language. But damn it, she might be an angel, but she was also a woman.

  He opened his back door and ushered her inside. The cool air hit her, and she went into a full body shiver. Wrapping her arms around herself, she rubbed her arms. She heard a grunted curse and then a heavy weight fell on her shoulder. The scent of him surrounded her. She pulled the two sides of the sweater he’d give her close. “Thank you.”

  Another grunt greeted her. “I’m going to go put some clothes on.”

  “Don’t do it on my account,” Clementine murmured as he left the room, her eyes eating at him hungrily. Oh, what she wouldn’t give for that towel to fall off.

  She stood in the center of the room not feeling comfortable to walk around. So she waited just as he’d left. In just a few moments, he was back, dressed as he usually was. Jeans and a dark t-shirt. He walked to the stove and turned on a burner, reaching above the island for a small pot. She watched, mesmerized by his actions as he retrieved milk from the refrigerator and a bottle of chocolate syrup from a large pantry. She realized he was making hot chocolate. She crept forward until she stood at the end of the island.

  “Sit down.” He ordered, and she did, taking a seat on one of the padded barstools. In minutes, a steaming cup of chocolate was in front of her. “Now tell me why Luc sent you to my house.”

  She took a sip wondering how she should handle this. Either way, he was going to be mad as hell, she thought with a grimace. She took another sip of the devilishly delicious drink. This, plus his sweater, was warming her up nicely.

  She sat down her cup. “This should explain everything.” She waved her hand, and a parchment scroll appeared before Remington.

  He grabbed it without saying a word. She braced herself, knowing that silence wouldn’t last. Not once he read what the scroll said.

  Remington grabbed the scroll, keeping his eyes on Clementine as if she might disappear into thin air even though she couldn’t open portals at will. He could. All of the Conroy brothers had powers they’d inherited from their parents. Rafe could throw fireballs, and Roark could conjure things with just a thought. Remington could open portals and do a few extra things he didn’t think his family was aware of.

  Of course, his brothers used to have extra powers as well when they worked for the Prince of Darkness. Those had been taken away once the curse that had kept them in servitude had been lifted. Roark, who had chosen to continue his job as a bounty hunter, had gotten back his powers.

  Opening the yellowed paper, he began to read—and grew more enraged the more he read. He’d been assigned to act as Clementine’s bodyguard. He looked up at the woman sitting so calmly at his kitchen counter. “What the fuck?”

  “It wasn’t my idea.”

  “I don’t fucking care whose idea it is, why the fuck do you need a bodyguard?” Oh, he was outraged that he was being pulled from his regular duties to play babysitter for an angel. Why wouldn’t he be? He was Luc’s top hunter. His job was to take on the more dangerous of beings who decided hell just wasn’t working out for them. But what got his demon’s blood boiling was the fact that she apparently n
eeded his protection. He glanced back down at the paper in his hand, hoping for more details. Nothing else was written. As he formed his next thought, the paper ignited and was gone, a small cloud of ashes all that remained. They disappeared too.

  He stepped to the counter, placed his hands on the marble top and leaned over until he was inches from her beautiful face. For a brief moment, he forgot everything. Everything except the dark brown of her eyes, the pink bow of her upper lip, the soft hint of chocolate of her breath. A sharp prod from his demon brought him back to his senses. The creature had always been overly protective of Clementine.

  “Why do you need a bodyguard, Clementine?”

  “I don’t need one, Remington. Luc is just overreacting.” She lowered her eyes, a sure indication that she was lying to him, or withholding information he needed to have. He held on to his temper—barely.

  “Okay. Then tell me why you think he thinks you need a bodyguard.”

  She sighed and hugged his sweater closer. A shudder of awareness ripped through him. Here she was in his house, wearing his clothes… focus, Rem, focus.

  “A dark fae, may—and I stress that word—may have made some threats towards me.”

  Remington grew still. “A dark fae?”

  Fae were usually small, female beings who radiated goodness and light. Dark fae were… different. A male-dominated species that could range in size from one or two feet in stature to over seven. Unlike their sister race, they were dark in coloring and dark in nature.

  “Why is a dark fae threatening you, Clementine?”

  “It’s not just me he’s threatening, although he has been more forceful because I did go out with him—”

  “What!” Remington roared, his voice almost loud enough to shatter the glass in his kitchen windows.

  Clementine’s hand clamped over her ears. An angel’s hearing was very sensitive.

  “You went out with a dark fae? What were you thinking? Better yet, what was my mother thinking?” Remington pushed himself away from the counter and away from her. He started pacing the kitchen floor, his fingers running through his hair. He’d known she was dating, was the very reason why he’d kissed her, not once, but twice. His ego had refused to allow her to see other men and not acknowledge he was a man.

  She wasn’t supposed to date. She was an angel. Pure. Innocent. Okay, he knew angels had sex. He was the result of an angel having sex. But still… not her. She was—

  Damn it to hell and back, she was his.

  “I’m a grown woman, Remington. I can date whomever I want. With or without your mother’s permission. Or yours, might I remind you.”

  He stopped pacing and turned her way. He knew his eyes were glowing and wasn’t surprised to see her shift on her seat. He had to give her credit for not up and running. Lesser beings had. He silently urged her to run so he could catch her. But she was correct. It wasn’t any of his business. Yet.

  “You said he wasn’t just threatening you. Who else?” He knew he wasn’t going to like her answer when she bit her lower lip. A sure sign she was nervous. “Clementine?”

  “Your mother. He’s also threatening your mother.”

  Shit. Damn. Fuck. Fuck. He raised his arms, gripping his head with the hands. He wasn’t surprised. Since his mother had taken Clementine on as her assistant, they had been in more trouble than he’d ever remembered. They were both softhearted, and fierce warriors all wrapped up in frail female bodies. “What did you two do this time?”

  Clementine frowned. “We didn’t do anything. We simply took his children and placed them with another family member.”

  Angels were the ‘social workers’ of the supernatural world and his mother had been doing the same type of work since before her children had been born. He didn’t doubt that what they had done had been in the best interest of the children, but they could have tangled with a being far less dangerous than a dark fae.

  “Come on. We’re leaving.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. In seconds, a portal had opened, and they were traveling through space and time.

  Clementine gasped as Remington pulled her behind him into the portal. She didn’t have to guess to know where they were headed. Her guess was confirmed when she found herself in the home of her employer, Rachel Conroy. When the portal collapsed, she clung to Remington’s arm as dizziness assailed her. She never did like going through portals.

  “Remington! Clementine! What on earth are you doing here?”

  Remington grimaced when his mother jumped off his father’s lap from the leather chair they’d been sharing. He’d learned long ago not to unexpectedly portal in where his parents were concerned. He still cringed when he remembered the scene he’d walked in on when he’d accidently opened a portal to their bedroom when he was a teenager. He’d received much more than a slap on the back of his head for that one. “Sorry,” he apologized quickly.

  His father rose to his feet. “Don’t worry about it son, the good stuff doesn’t happen until the after midnight.”

  “Ravjeer!” Remington had to smile when a deep shade of pink flooded his mother’s cheek. She quickly turned her attention back to Remington. “What are you doing here, son?”

  Remington pulled Clementine forward from where she’d been hiding slightly behind him. “She told me about your problem, Mother.”

  Rachel waved her hand. “Oh, that. It’s nothing.”

  “Nothing? A dark fae is after both of you.” He turned his attention to his father. “Did you know about this?”

  His father frowned at him. “Yes, son. I did. In fact, I’m the one that told Luc.”

  “Why is Luc involved?”

  His parents exchanged a look. “The dark fae is one of his.”

  For some reason, Remington wasn’t shocked by that fact. Everything started to make sense. Except why Clementine had been dating a dark fae to begin with. “He’s a hunter?”

  “Afraid so.”

  “I need to see Luc.”

  “Of course.”

  He turned to Clementine, resisting the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless. “You’re staying here with my parents. When I get back, we’ll figure something out.” He wasn’t sure being her bodyguard was a good idea, but his demon was refusing to allow him to turn her safety over to someone else.

  “I want to go with you. I didn’t ask for this you know.”

  He didn’t answer. There was nothing to say. If Luc decided she needed a bodyguard, then she needed a bodyguard. Luc was all about letting the chips fall where they may. Free will usually landed humans and supernaturals alike on his doorstep. Bad decisions were always made in the heat of the moment. Remington opened a portal and was gone before she could say anything else.

  CHAPTER THREE

  CLEMENTINE WATCHED AS Remington poofed out of sight before turning her attention to her reluctant hosts. “Well, that was rude.” She forced a wide smile as she met her employer’s eyes. “I’m sorry we interrupted your evening.”

  “Nonsense, Clementine. You know you are always welcome here.”

  “Thank you.” She walked to the oversized stuffed chair and sat down, her legs still trembling from the ride through the portal. She’d never get used to those things. Ravjeer and Rachel sat down on the couch, side-by-side. She’d never seen the couple together when they weren’t touching in some way.

  In hell for the second time that night, Remington opened a portal at the end of the long granite hallway that led to Luc’s office. He needed the time to get his emotions under control. Emotions. Something he’d spent his entire adult life trying to oppress. He’d seen what they could do to a man—a demon caught unawares. His family had suffered under the burden of a curse because some demon ancestor couldn’t keep his ‘emotions’ under control.

  A witch who had gotten her panties in a wad had cursed the Conroy family to servitude under the Prince of Darkness until a demon fell in love with a witch—and the witch loved him back. Thankfully, his older brother Roark had done just that. Even better, the curvy witch he’d lost his heart to felt the same way. And voila. Curse lifted.