Part 36 (1/2)

'I'd be happy to talk surfing or anything else with you. And if you used your beautiful body as incentive, I'm not about to say no.'

It worked. She almost sighed in relief. 'I won't say no to an interview, either.'

He arched a brow. 'I like a woman who doesn't say no.'

Oh, he was smooth. Too smooth. 'I don't say yes to everything.'

'Then you haven't spent enough time with the right man.'

He was really really good at this. Her body warmed considerably and the sun hadn't risen high enough yet to attribute it to the summer heat. 'You think you're the right man?' good at this. Her body warmed considerably and the sun hadn't risen high enough yet to attribute it to the summer heat. 'You think you're the right man?'

'Spend some time with me and decide.'

This was working. She wasn't rusty at the flirting thing after all. Good to know. Now she had to finesse this just right and get him where she needed him. 'How about I buy you breakfast and we can talk? Orwhatever?'

He had a lopsided grin that curled her toes. She melted into the sand.

Must remember he's a demon, Shay. You don't like demons. Derek as a half demon was just fine. That didn't mean Nic was fine. He could be a bad guy. Derek as a half demon was just fine. That didn't mean Nic was fine. He could be a bad guy.

'Sounds good to me. Let me stow my board and we can grab a bite at the breakfast bar down the beach.'

'Uh, I was thinking of someplace a little moreprivate?' Her body tensed as she waited for his reaction. Please let this work. Please let this work.

When one brow went up and his gorgeous eyes sparkled, she knew she had him.

'Sure, babe. You want me to follow you?'

She almost squealed in delight, but forced herself to keep her reaction low key, seductive even. 'How about I drive? I know a great place, but it's off the beaten path a little.'

'You familiar with out-of-the-way spots already? Thought you weren't from around here.'

'I'm talking about the place I rented. It's secluded and I'd like to get you alone. For the interview, of course. I'll even cook. I make a killer omelet.'

His eyes lit up with a sensuous gleam she couldn't mistake for anything other than what it was!s.e.xual interest. Another time, another place, her pulse might be racing for another reason entirely. Right now she was just hoping against hope she could get him into position. Though her mind was conjuring up all kinds of positions she'd like to get Nic Diavolo in at the moment, and none of them had to do with what the hunters wanted him for.

'You've got a deal.'

Once he stowed his board in his SUV, he followed her to her vehicle, one she had a d.a.m.ned hard time maneuvering since the steering wheel was on the wrong side. Everything in Australia was on the wrong side, including the roads. Fortunately, where she had to take him wasn't far.

Now that she had him, she was nervous. The car was small and he was big. And close, the tiny seats all too near each other. And she was trying to concentrate on the road and making it back to the house and remembering what she was supposed to do and say to him. And he smelled like salty ocean and she kept glancing over at his muscled legs and his arms, the fine hairs there bleached by the sun.

Maybe she should just kill him now. That would solve a lot of her issues, like how she could possibly be so d.a.m.ned attracted to a man who was probably a human-killing demon and son of Ben, one of the lords of the Sons of Darkness.

Then again, Derek was Ben's son and he was just fine. Normal. Human-looking and not a vicious demon at all. Well, he had turned vicious demon when he'd fought Ben on the island, but he hadn't turned on the hunters. He'd just fought the Sons of Darkness. The bad guys. And he hated the demon side of himself. Maybe Nic would be the same way.

And maybe not.

s.h.i.+t. Sometimes she just thought too much.

'You doing okay over there?' he asked.

'Uh, yeah,' she replied, shooting him a glance and a half-a.s.sed smile. 'Trying to concentrate on your roads. They're on the wrong side.'

He grinned. 'I could have driven.'

She shrugged. 'I like a challenge.'

'I like a woman with guts.'

She turned into the long driveway leading up to the house on the cliff. Nice, private, still enshrouded in the morning fog that hadn't quite lifted this far out.

Oh, man. She could really like this guy. He was drop-dead gorgeous with a body to die for, charming and easy going.

And in about five minutes he was going to hate her for all eternity.

Nic studied the curvy blonde as she exited the car and offered up another glimpse of her well-toned thighs as her shorts rode up her legs.