Asmodeus: Demon of Lust---Part One (Princes of Hell) by Sara Humphreys Page A

first hand that they could be as lethal as any demon.
    There was nothing more dangerous than a pissed off fairy. “You’re late, Mr. Miles.” Kai shouted from the porch.
    Case in point.
    Asmodeus chuckled as he dismounted the bike and tucked the key into the front pocket of his jeans. Kai was leaning against the porch railing and those dark eyes were peering at him over the rim of a cup of coffee. Wearing cut off jean shorts, a bright pink tank top and a pair of Converse sneakers, she looked like a homegrown farm girl. Her long blond hair was swept back in a ponytail and as he strode closer, he saw her face was free of makeup. Kai was naturally beautiful although she seemed completely unaware of it. But perhaps that was one of the reasons he found her so attractive.
    “Morning.” He stopped at the foot of the porch steps, grinning.
    “You’re late,” she repeated with a smile.
    “How do you figure?” Asmodeus asked as he removed his sunglasses and hooked them into the collar of his t-shirt. He casually surveyed the property as he climbed the steps to meet her. “It’s just about nine now. Give or take. It’s close anyway.”
    “Close only counts in horseshoes and grenades,” Kai said before taking another sip of coffee.
    “I see,” he said moving closer so there was only a foot or so between them. Asmodeus dropped his voice low and kept his eyes on hers. “Throw a lot of grenades, do you?”
    “No,” Kai laughed and held his stare. “It was something my dad used to say. Sorry. It’s silly.” Kai rubbed her thumb along the edge of her coffee mug and he noticed the ring was still on her hand. “I don’t know why I’m giving you a hard time. You’re not really that late.”
    “Certainly not as late as your friend was last night.”
    “True,” Kai said with a small smile as her eyes met his. “But this is business and that was—”
    “Pleasure?” Asmodeus arched one eyebrow.
    Kai stilled and her dark eyes remained firmly fixed with his. She was beautiful and had a purity within her that he’d only seen once before. In all his three thousand years only one woman had entranced him and tempted him to relinquish his position in the Brotherhood.
    However, when he’d told her who and what was...Vivian had rejected him. Shunned him and cut him out of her life. Asmodeus’ brow furrowed as the uncomfortable memories flooded his mind. After that fiasco, he vowed never to expose himself to that kind of ass-kicking again. Not that any of that mattered. He was here to seduce Kai and get the ring. That’s it.
    A cat let out a loud meow from the doorway, bringing him from his thoughts.
    “Be nice,” Kai said with a narrow-eyed look toward the Siamese cat. She flicked her gaze to Asmodeus and shrugged. “She’s not great with—”
    Before Kai could finish her sentence, the cat was rubbing up against Asmodeus’ leg and purring like an engine. He leaned down and scooped up the cat, which was more than pleased by the extra attention. Scratching her behind the ears as he cradled her to his chest, Asmodeus locked eyes with Kai, who was visibly stunned.
    “I can’t believe it.” Kai shook her head and looked from Asmodeus to the satisfied feline. “Zephyr doesn’t like anyone—especially men—and she never lets anyone pick her up. Not even me sometimes...Looks like all kinds of women have a fondness for you, Mr. Miles. You charm waitresses and cats alike.”
    “Dogs tend to like me best but every now and then I meet a cat who’ll warm up to me.” Asmodeus glanced at the purring feline and could only imagine what his Hellhounds would have to say about this particular incident. “Zephyr, huh?” Asmodeus said. “That’s derived from the name Zephyrus, the Greek God of Wind. Isn’t it?”
    “I guess,” Kai laughed. “My dad used to read me Babar the Elephant stories when I was little and Zephyr was the name of his monkey.”
    Asmodeus gave her a skeptical look. “An elephant with a pet