More Than Fiends (30 page)

“God, I'm right
again
!” I shouted and loved the echo as Devlin laughed beside me. “This week just keeps getting better.”

We started out of the cave, the five of us, leaving the tied-up, still-smoking demons behind.

“What about them?” Thea asked, glancing back over her shoulder.

“Eh. I'll come back tomorrow. If they're still here, I'll dust 'em.” I was just too tired to worry about them at the moment, and besides, with their boss dead, I doubted they'd be too much trouble. They were just minions, after all, not the head cheese.

Logan and Jasmine were walking ahead of us, and Thea was in between me and Devlin as we walked toward the sea and the beckoning moonlight. The tide was still rushing into the cave, and our feet slapped through an inch or two of water.

“You know,” Thea said, “just because you were right about Jett doesn't mean I'll always
listen
to you.”

I wrapped one arm around her waist and gave her another hug. “Honey,” I said, glancing up at Devlin, “I so know that. Just remember, if you want to date demons, you've got to be prepared to do a little dusting sometimes.”

“You dust. I'll date,” she said and leaned her head on my shoulder.

Devlin winked at me in the shadowy darkness and, ooh, I felt that rush right down to my hoo-hah again. Apparently, Thea wouldn't be the only Burke woman dating demons.

As we walked out onto the beach and felt the cold ocean air hit our faces, I realized that, complicated or not, my life was pretty damn interesting. And that wasn't such a bad thing, right?

Sex, dusting and demons.

Had to be safer than sex, drugs and rock and roll.

A
whole week with no dusting.

God, it felt great having my world nearly normal. Not to mention my
arm
. Apparently Duster strength includes quick healing, because the damage Judge Jenks did to it only hurt for a day or so. Of course, there were big write-ups in the newspaper about the disappearance of Judge Jenks. But no one seemed to miss him much. I certainly didn't. I admit I had a couple of nightmares, where those red eyes were spitting hate at me, but I could handle them.

I spent my mornings training with Jasmine, my days cleaning, my afternoons with Thea, enjoying having my girl safe and sound, and my nights with either Logan or Devlin hanging out at the house. I was sticking close to home since I wasn't ready to leave Thea alone just yet, not even for an exciting night of orgasms.

Both of the men in my life were doing a lot of hovering and avoided each other somehow—guy radar? But how many women are going to complain about two gorgeous men hanging around?

Not me.

Still, it was nice to have a night to myself. Thea was across the street with Zoe, and Sugar was on the floor at my feet, waiting for me to toss her some pretzels. I had a glass of cold white wine on the table in front of me, a
Buffy
DVD playing (my favorite episode, about the love spell), and cotton balls between my toes as I slapped on the last coat of OPI Nantucket Mist nail polish.

When the doorbell rang, I actually groaned. When it rang
again,
I shouted. “What am I, deaf? Give me a minute.”

I hobbled to the front door, walking on my heels so my freshly painted toes wouldn't pick up any stray dog hair off the floor and, still muttering curses on the head of whoever was interrupting my “me” night, yanked open the door.

And stood there with my mouth open. Apparently there had been a big breakdown in the Guy Radar Network.

“I brought pizza,” Logan said, waving a pepperoni-scented box from Tully's.

“I brought flowers,” Devlin said, extending an amazing, mixed-flower bouquet that looked bigger than Thea.

“Um…” I looked from one to the other of them and didn't have a clue what to do.

They were glaring at each other, and each of them shot me looks that clearly said I should be choosing
him
.

Whom to welcome? Whom to send away?

Logan's blue eyes warmed me, and Devlin's dark gaze intrigued me. Both men pulled at different corners of my heart. Both men attracted me on
way
too many levels. And both men were waiting for me to say something.

So I did the only thing I could think of at the moment. I took Devlin's flowers, then snatched the pizza box from Logan.

Grinning like a loon, I said, “Thanks, guys,” and closed the door on their hopeful expressions.

Cassidy Burke, master of postponing decisions.

Maureen Child
is the award-winning author of more than ninety romance novels, and often says she has the best job in the world. A five-time Rita nominee, Maureen lives with her family in Southern California.