Page 17 of Devils Don’t Deal

My heart fluttered and my skin got hot then cold. Was I blushing? Probably. Idiotic fairy fair skin.

He tucked my hand in his arm and frowned at the rabbit. “Don’t let him bite you again.”

He smelled like anger and caramel. Such a delicious combination. What could I bake like that? Some kind of spice cake with a cream cheese frosting and a caramel melt pour. “You’re worried we’re going to get into an abusive relationship? Don’t worry. The next time he bites me, I’ll bite him back.” I flashed my sharp teeth again.

The frown stayed between his brows. “I’m afraid he’d like that even more.”

I frowned down at Pavlov. “Well, I guess you’d better not bite me again. Sound good?”

The rabbit blinked at me then closed his eyes. Clearly a very successful conversation there. I grasped Philius’s arm and descended the broad, curving stairs with him, holding the rabbit against my shoulder. He gave it several glances with that same frown. Did he really expect me to keep it in a cage when it was still so sick? It wouldn’t happen, not when the last time I’d looked away from the rabbit, he’d eaten cursed macarons.

The devil seemed distinctly displeased with this entire thing, which was ridiculous because if I had my way, I’d be in my shop scraping down the ceiling and getting it ready for fresh plaster. I hadn’t asked to go to dinner with him, not now, not ever. And I never would.

When the stairs opened to the lobby, there was a stir as everyone looked up at us.

There was a woman on fire, flickering flames rising around her, but no one seemed to notice. Seriously? She met my gaze and gave me a look as cold as ice. Were the flames real or special effects? Would she mind if I threw a bucket of something over her?

“Does that woman know she’s burning?” I whispered.

“Of course.”

“And it’s okay?”

“I have anti-flame spells over the whole of Wonderland.”

“Even the fireplaces?”

He gave me a funny look. “Not the fireplaces.”

“Then they’re not over the whole of Wonderland.”

“It was a figure of speech.”

“Or it was a figure of lies, but who can tell the truth between twisted words when they’ve been marinating in lies and deals for so long?”

His lips quirked up in a devil smile. Imagine that, the devil having a devil smile. “Are you going to lecture me during all our dinners?”

Was I blushing? “Maybe. Hopefully they don’t last long enough for there to be much talking. I need to get back to work.”

“I see. It’s a good thing I included that clause in the deal, or you’d probably starve and work yourself to death. If you don’t have proper rest every night, I’ll extend our dinners long enough for you to sleep.”

“No idea why you’d think that’s something to brag about, putting me to sleep during our dinners.”

“I wasn’t bragging.” He gave me a sharp smile as he leaned closer. “One thing about me, I never brag.”

His eyes glimmered in the most deliciously dangerous way.

I pulled away and turned back to look at the crowd still watching us with different levels of interest. When I saw the group of goblins in tuxedos, I stumbled and would’ve gone down if not for his solid strength. The leader flashed me a smile of his sharp teeth while I grasped the devil’s arm as tightly as I could. They were the goblins who’d invaded my apartment and chased me into Wonderland!

The way the goblin dragged his eyes over me was positively disturbing. My dress wasn’t that suggestive. Sure, the skirt went to my upper thigh, but the bodice had good coverage.

“What are the goblins doing here?” I hissed, turning to glare at the devil.

He shrugged. “They’d like me to fulfil my part of the deal, then I’ll own all their debts as well.”

I blinked at him. “The goblins made a deal with you? Is everyone an idiot?”

His smile was absolute deliciousness. “In all my many interactions, I’ve come to the conclusion that yes, everyone is an idiot of one flavor or another. It’s a universal truth.”