Read Asmodeus: Demon of Lust---Part One (Princes of Hell) for Free Online Page B

simple. You see, a simple woman wouldn’t bring another man out on a date.”
    “Ben!” Kai scrambled out of the booth and stood next to him. She didn’t miss the amused look on Aaron’s face as she attempted to explain. “I know this looks really strange but I was in Clive’s gas station and—and I fainted from the heat. Mr. Miles caught me and I wanted to buy him dinner to say thank you.”
    “I was just leaving,” Asmodeus said as he started to slide out of the booth. “You know what they say, two’s company and three’s a crowd.”
    “Don’t be silly,” Ben said with a wave of his hand. “Please stay. After all, I should thank you, actually. I’m horribly late and if you weren’t here, poor Kai would be sitting in this place all by herself.” Ben turned to Kai with a contrite look. “I hope you can forgive me for being so late, Kai. I got held up on a call with a persnickety client. I promise I’ll be on time for our next date.”
    “Who says you’ll get another one?” Aaron asked with a cocky grin. “You are pretty late.”
    “I don’t think we’ve bee properly introduced. I’m Kai’s date , Ben Flaherty.”
    Ben stuck his hand out, offering Aaron a handshake and the tension was thick as they stared each other down. A slow grin spread over Aaron’s face as he reached over to accept.
    Kai was about to interrupt and say something to break the tension. However, as soon as the two men shook hands, Ben’s aura sputtered and blinked, like a light about to go out. Her look of concern caught Ben’s attention.
    “Kai?” Ben said as he looked at Kai with concern. “Something wrong?” he asked quietly.
    “No,” Kai said quickly. She scooted back into the booth, making room for Ben who sat next to her. “I’m just tired from all the unpacking at the house. I’m amazed that one old man had so much crap.”
    Another first. The only time she’d ever seen a person’s aura blink like that was when someone was dying. She’d seen it in the hospital after the car accident on the night her parents died, and it was not a sight she’d easily forget. But Ben seemed completely unaware of anything out of the ordinary. Strange. Kai hadn’t felt any drain or pull on her energy when Aaron had touched her. At least she didn’t think so. Of course she had been passed out at the time.
    “What old man?” Aaron asked.
    “My grandfather,” Kai said before taking a sip of her beer. “Although, it feels odd calling him that because I never even met him. Anyway, he died and I’m his next of kin so I inherited his place and the decades-worth of crap inside.”
    “Still nothing of interest?” Ben asked absently as he flagged down the waitress.
    “Actually,” Kai said extending her right hand, showing him the ring. “I found this in an old crate with pictures of my grandmother. It’s really cool-looking. I’ve never seen anything like it. Have you?”
    Ben leaned forward and took her fingers in his, which were warm and soft. He had the hands of a man who’d never put in a hard day’s work in his life. Kai flicked her eyes to Aaron, who was staring at the ring with an intense look on his face. He turned those ice blue eyes to her and leaned back in the booth as he took a long pull of his beer.
    Kai’s face heated as he blatantly stared at her while Ben looked at the ring. She’d never had anyone focus so totally and completely on her before. Oh, sure, men hit on her sometimes and when she did tarot readings, her customers tuned into her, but this was different. When Aaron looked at her, it was as though he pushed past all of her external layers, the ones the world saw, and he could see her .
    A shiver ran up her spine and for the first time in her life, Kai felt exposed. Being able to read other people’s auras was one thing but having someone look inside her that way was quite another. It was like her soul was naked and laid bare before him...his for the taking.
    “Well, this is