Sweet Temptation

Oh. Shit.

She stares over at the minibar and I slash a hand across my throat. Cut off. She frowns. She’d better not even think about having another! Damn it! She has to keep her wits about her when the Dukes get here.

I brush my hair back roughly with my fingers. So much for high tolerance.

The Dukes are right outside the door, silent. I look at A

“Father. Duke Astaroth.” I tilt my head as if I’m curious about their visit. “What can I do for you?”

Young dickhead flicks his hand to the side. “Let us in and close the door. Astaroth just wants to have a look at her.”

I step aside and close the door when they pass, then I walk to the sitting area behind them, straining my neck for a look at A

She stares up at Astaroth, the Fabio of the Dukes, as he sneers down at her.

“This one’s piss-drunk,” says Astaroth. “I can’t get a reading.”

My heart gives a giant throb of reprieve, but the show is not over. He will be suspicious if I don’t react somehow.

“A reading on what?” I ask. “A bond? You can’t be serious.” He ignores me.

Suddenly A

“You don’t waste any time,” Father says.

Ugh, no. Don’t talk to her. Go away, go away.

“There’s more!” A

Shite, A

“I’ll pass,” Father says. He’s got an impish grin on his face. “But I think you should have another.”

No, you giant knob, she should not. Damn, how long until this begins to burn off her? I feel like we’ve been standing here forever. A

Astaroth gets bored and leaves. I’m so itchy a hive of bees covers my skin. It is killing me to stand here. I move to the entertainment center, mere feet from where A

“They need more tequila in these minibar fridge thingamajigs,” A

Father looks at me with absolute mirth.

“I told you,” I spit. “She’s a lush. An idiot. I can’t believe you’d think there was a bond between us.”

Please, A

“Eh, you can’t really blame me for wondering when you wouldn’t even screw the stewardess today. You’re usually all about cougars.” Shite . . .

“Eww!” A

“See,” I mutter. “Completely immature.”

She twists open the bottle of gin, and I can’t keep my mouth shut.

“You’re trashed. You don’t need any more.”

“Oh, shaddup,” she says. I dart forward, but she pulls the bottle to her chest and throws back a sip, wagging her other pointer finger in the air. Where are my handcuffs?

“No touchie the drinkie. That’s bad, bad, bad. Why’re you bein’ so grumpy, anyways? We’re in Vegas, baby!” She stands awkwardly, grabbing the fridge and laughing. She jumps and puts her arms up, splashing a bit of gin. I would probably be laughing my arse off if this were any other time. But now?

Not amused. Any moment it’s going to begin wearing off. Any moment now would be brilliant. Until then, I must try to talk some sense into her. Father is watching with far too much interest.

“You are being obnoxious,” I tell her. “It’s bad enough I have to babysit. I’m not holding your bloody hair if you puke.”

She laughs and saunters toward me, wobbly, poking my chest. “Isss fu

Father moves into our space, sandwiching A

I’m about to get rough with him if he doesn’t take his bleedin’ hand off her waist. I have a sick, awful feeling that Father would not be above the idea of trying to punish her before the summit in his own wicked ways.

A

Father, who does not like being pushed away, is now staring at her with menace. He moves to her and grabs her arms, shaking her. “Where’s the sword?”

“I ain’t got no swooord, crazy ass,” she says in a heavy drawl. She thinks he’s being cheeky.

“Don’t talk to him like that,” I say, moving toward them. I couldn’t care less that she’s disrespected him, but I don’t want her to make him angry.

Father chuckles without humor. “We’ll see, little girl.”

“Yeah, we will!” She smiles, then flops down on the couch and gets a goofy look. “What the heck are we even talkin’ ’bout? I thought we were go

She rolls off the couch and crawls toward the minibar. Father claps a hand on my shoulder and cocks his head toward A

“Yes, sir.”

Just leave!

He puts his mouth too close to my ear and whispers. “She thinks she’s cute. She thinks she can pull one over on you. Don’t trust her. Don’t even get near her, if you can help it.” I give a tight nod.

A

“Shame to waste such a fine body on her,” he murmurs to me.

I grit my teeth.

Father pokes fun at the drunk girl a bit longer, amused by her cluelessness, and then he finally leaves. I flick him off with both hands when the door closes, bloody glad he’s gone and that things didn’t escalate further. We’re unbelievably lucky. I lean back against the entertainment center and cross my arms. Now I just have to get A

Why is she staring at me like that?

She licks her lips and gives me the classic “come hither” look. But that would be bad. Very bad right now. I shake my head. My hearing is out the door, and Pharzuph whistles as he enters the elevator.

A

A

A

Uuuugh, little vixen, do not do this to me. Don’t touch. Don’t speak. Just . . . I cover her mouth.