jacket."
Xypher couldn't breathe at the gentleness of
her fleeting touch that set fire to his entire
being. It wasn't designed to hurt or to control.
It was nothing more than a friendly touch any
human might give to another.
He'd never been touched like that.
Awed by her kindness, he followed her into a
store. Not that he was following per se. He never
followed anyone. She only led because he didn't
know where they were going.
As they entered the store, he paused at the
sight of a mannequin with a corset, short skirt,
and striped leggings.
"Is something wrong?" Simone asked.
know a demon who dresses like this."
Her face lost color. "A demon?" she whispered.
Xypher nodded. "She travels with Acheron as his
companion. Simi." "Simi Parthenopaeus?"
Xypher was shocked by the exuberance of the
clerk's voice. Short with jet-black hair, she
stood on the opposite side of a glass counter
filled with jewelry and goblets.
95
Simone frowned at the woman. "You know Simi?"
The dark-haired woman's smile widened. "Oh,
yeah, we all know Simi and her sister. They clean
us out every time they're in town. We love them.
Are you a friend of theirs?"
Xypher bit back a snort. Friend . . .
there was a word no one had ever applied to him
before. But he couldn't exactly tell the woman
that he was more an ally who once helped Acheron,
Simi, and her sister hold off an army of demons
and save the world.
"Yeah, we're friends."
"Oh, honey, then welcome to Roadkill. Any
friend of the Parthenopaeuses is a friend of ours.
What can I do for you?"
"We need to get him some clothes," Simone said.
She pointed to a leather jacket high up on the
wall. "Can we see that?"
The woman stepped out from around the counter
to get it down.
She handed it to Xypher who shrugged it on. It
was all he could do not to moan at how good the
warm leather felt on his skin after being cold for
all these days. The jacket was heavy, but he
welcomed the weight of it.
It felt really, really good.
Simone smiled as she came up to him and
adjusted it. Her hands brushed against his neck,
making him instantly hard. "Very nice. Looks good
on you. You like it?"
He didn't even know how to respond. "It's
okay," he said, knowing that was incorrect. It was
so much more than just okay. He wanted to hug her
for the gift.
Simone stepped back as a strange wave of desire
went through her and she didn't know why. Okay,
maybe she did. Xypher looked hot in the black
motorcycle jacket that was painted with an anarchy
96
symbol on the left shoulder and the Misfits face
on the back. She wanted to stroke the leather and
feel the hard body underneath. He looked so
dangerous and feral.
Which he really was.
It was all she could do not to purr.
"How many shirts you want?" Jesse asked.
Simone blinked before she stepped back,
grateful for Jesse's interference. "At least a
dozen."
"A dozen what?" The sales clerk stared at her.
Simone blushed as she realized the woman didn't
know Jesse was standing beside her. "Sorry, I was
thinking out loud."
"Ah. I thought you were speaking in code." The
woman's gaze slid down Xypher's abdomen. "'Cause
I'm sure he has a deadly dozen concealed."
Simone had no idea why, but a flash of jealousy
went through her. How ridiculous was that? Yet
when she corrected the woman, her tone was clipped
by that stupid, unexpected emotion. "Eight,
actually."
The clerk was impressed.
"Really?" She nodded.
"Damn, you're one lucky woman. Mine's only got
a single, but I love him anyway."
Simone laughed.
Xypher didn't. "What are you two talking
about?"
Simone patted Xypher on the arm. "Nothing,
sweetie. Let's get you a couple of sweaters and
some shirts and pants."
Jesse rolled his eyes. "They're ogling you,
dude. Talking about your assets and the fact that
you're nauseatingly ripped, which I would have
been had I not bit the dust at seventeen." He
puffed out his chest, trying to make himself look
97
more
Xypher couldn't breathe at the gentleness of
her fleeting touch that set fire to his entire
being. It wasn't designed to hurt or to control.
It was nothing more than a friendly touch any
human might give to another.
He'd never been touched like that.
Awed by her kindness, he followed her into a
store. Not that he was following per se. He never
followed anyone. She only led because he didn't
know where they were going.
As they entered the store, he paused at the
sight of a mannequin with a corset, short skirt,
and striped leggings.
"Is something wrong?" Simone asked.
know a demon who dresses like this."
Her face lost color. "A demon?" she whispered.
Xypher nodded. "She travels with Acheron as his
companion. Simi." "Simi Parthenopaeus?"
Xypher was shocked by the exuberance of the
clerk's voice. Short with jet-black hair, she
stood on the opposite side of a glass counter
filled with jewelry and goblets.
95
Simone frowned at the woman. "You know Simi?"
The dark-haired woman's smile widened. "Oh,
yeah, we all know Simi and her sister. They clean
us out every time they're in town. We love them.
Are you a friend of theirs?"
Xypher bit back a snort. Friend . . .
there was a word no one had ever applied to him
before. But he couldn't exactly tell the woman
that he was more an ally who once helped Acheron,
Simi, and her sister hold off an army of demons
and save the world.
"Yeah, we're friends."
"Oh, honey, then welcome to Roadkill. Any
friend of the Parthenopaeuses is a friend of ours.
What can I do for you?"
"We need to get him some clothes," Simone said.
She pointed to a leather jacket high up on the
wall. "Can we see that?"
The woman stepped out from around the counter
to get it down.
She handed it to Xypher who shrugged it on. It
was all he could do not to moan at how good the
warm leather felt on his skin after being cold for
all these days. The jacket was heavy, but he
welcomed the weight of it.
It felt really, really good.
Simone smiled as she came up to him and
adjusted it. Her hands brushed against his neck,
making him instantly hard. "Very nice. Looks good
on you. You like it?"
He didn't even know how to respond. "It's
okay," he said, knowing that was incorrect. It was
so much more than just okay. He wanted to hug her
for the gift.
Simone stepped back as a strange wave of desire
went through her and she didn't know why. Okay,
maybe she did. Xypher looked hot in the black
motorcycle jacket that was painted with an anarchy
96
symbol on the left shoulder and the Misfits face
on the back. She wanted to stroke the leather and
feel the hard body underneath. He looked so
dangerous and feral.
Which he really was.
It was all she could do not to purr.
"How many shirts you want?" Jesse asked.
Simone blinked before she stepped back,
grateful for Jesse's interference. "At least a
dozen."
"A dozen what?" The sales clerk stared at her.
Simone blushed as she realized the woman didn't
know Jesse was standing beside her. "Sorry, I was
thinking out loud."
"Ah. I thought you were speaking in code." The
woman's gaze slid down Xypher's abdomen. "'Cause
I'm sure he has a deadly dozen concealed."
Simone had no idea why, but a flash of jealousy
went through her. How ridiculous was that? Yet
when she corrected the woman, her tone was clipped
by that stupid, unexpected emotion. "Eight,
actually."
The clerk was impressed.
"Really?" She nodded.
"Damn, you're one lucky woman. Mine's only got
a single, but I love him anyway."
Simone laughed.
Xypher didn't. "What are you two talking
about?"
Simone patted Xypher on the arm. "Nothing,
sweetie. Let's get you a couple of sweaters and
some shirts and pants."
Jesse rolled his eyes. "They're ogling you,
dude. Talking about your assets and the fact that
you're nauseatingly ripped, which I would have
been had I not bit the dust at seventeen." He
puffed out his chest, trying to make himself look
97
more
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