After I took in the colossal mess in the room, it looked like a tornado and hurricane had met and danced for a bit, then gaped at him. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," he mumbled from under the covers, "You got a problem with that?"

"Why don't you let housekeeping do it? That's what they get paid for."

He flipped the blanket off his head, but still had his eyes closed. He snuggled a pillow to his chest. "Don't be an idiot. I can't have some maid sniffing around me and my stuff. Who knows what she'd find."

Exasperated, but truthfully a little relieved that this was all I had to do, I glanced around taking in the dirty clothes on the floor, and the empty beer cans and food wrappers on the tables, and thought it wouldn't be too bad. If this was it, I would do it without complaint.

But I looked back at Thane and his devilish appearance and didn't think it would really be that easy.

His eyelids popped open. "Don't just stand there. Get to work."

I eyed the pair of jeans at my foot and toed them with my boot. "I'm afraid to touch anything in case I catch something."

He grinned but it was humorless. "I think you already caught it, sugar pop."

Disgusted, I turned away from him and started picking up his clothing scattered all over the place. Jeans, t-shirts, socks, briefs strewn on just about every piece of furniture and over every inch of floor. The demon had more clothes then most girls I knew. It was odd. But it somehow made him more human. And that I didn't like to think about.

Had he been human once? Did some demon suck out his soul and make him this way?

I carried his clothes to the closet and dumped them on top of his two duffel bags. It was too bad he was in the room because I wanted to rifle through his stuff to see if there was anything Trevor and I could use against him. He had to have some kind of weakness. Even Superman had kryptonite. That's what I needed to find. Thane's green glowing rock of doom.

"You might as well shove them into that black bag. It'll be a lot easier to carry to the Laundromat that way."

I swirled around to glare at him. "I'm not doing your d.a.m.n laundry."

"Sure you are." His eyes bled black. "Or would you rather I rip out your boyfriend's guts and feed them to Devon?"

I stared at him, my stomach churning, and my heart pounding. Fear p.r.i.c.kled its way up my spine. For a moment, I'd forgotten how treacherous Thane really was. He was a killer, plain and simple, and just because he was making me clean his room instead of tearing me apart, didn't make him any less of one.

He grinned then shut his eyes again. "I thought not. I like fabric softener."

Slowly, I turned back to his pile of clothes, then feeling under them I found the zipper. I unzipped it. Pushing his clothes in, I probed inside for anything out of the ordinary. I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking for, but I was sure I would recognize it when it showed up.

Except there was nothing in the bag but more clothes, some socks, and a pair of runners, which again made the demon seem so normal. I glanced at the green bag. I unzipped it, and pulled it open. Holding my breath that he wasn't watching, I rummaged through it. There were tons of newspapers articles, cut out from various papers around the country. I caught a few bylines-one was over ten years old. Then my hand touched a rectangular wooden box. It was dark mahogany, varnished and inlaid with strange symbols.

Jackpot.

"I said black bag."

I looked over my shoulder to see Thane standing behind me. I flinched, pulling my hand back. My throat tightened and my mouth went dry. "Ah, I was just looking for more clothes. Might as well do them all at once."

He moved toward the green bag, zipped it up, and glared at me. "You have a lot of work to do. I suggest you get to it."

Nodding, I backed up, and then turned to go into the living room to pick up the garbage. Thane's gaze was on me the entire time. He suspected something but obviously it wasn't too serious, because if it had been, I wouldn't be walking around still able to toss cans and wrappers into the trash bin. I'd be a pile of blood and guts on the brown s.h.a.g carpet.

About two hours later I dragged my a.s.s and Thane's black duffel bag back to Trevor's room. He'd been playing a.s.sa.s.sin's Creed but tossed the controller onto the table the moment I came through the door. He was on his feet and coming toward me.

"Are you okay? What did he do to you?"

I dumped the bag on the floor. "Made me clean his room."

Trevor made a face. "He did what?"

"Yeah, sick right? I mean I'm not complaining considering what I imagined he'd do to me. I just picked up his garbage, cleaned the bathroom, and now," I kicked the black bag, "I have to do his laundry."

He scratched his cheek, where the bruises from yesterday were almost gone. "That's kind of strange."

"I know, right?" I collapsed on the sofa. "But I think I found something that may be useful."

He sat beside me. "What?"

"A box. There's something in it he doesn't want me to see."

"Like what?"

"I don't' know, but he was p.i.s.sed that I was in his other bag. It's important Trevor. I'm positive."

"Okay, how do we get it?"

"I think I can snag it when I take back his stupid laundry."

"Too risky." He shook his head. "What if you got caught? You're already on his watch list."

"What then?"

"I don't know. I'll think of something else."

I stood and paced, too pumped up to sit still. "Don't be dumb. This is our chance. This is what you wanted, right? Me to find a way in. That's why you brought me here isn't it? Because you thought he'd take an interest in me because I'm an anomaly."

He stared at the floor for a few moments then looked up at me. His gaze was fierce. "It's not the only reason."

I didn't know what to say then. Something hummed in the room. I could feel the sizzle of electricity over my skin. The little hairs on my arms stood to attention. The b.u.t.terflies in my stomach trembled awake.

Trevor stood and came close. I put my hands behind my back so he wouldn't see them quiver.

"It's not just about revenge. I care about you."

My mouth went dry and I licked my lips. "I care about you too."

He reached for me then, brushing his fingers across my face and tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear. I leaned into his touch.

"I was going crazy waiting for you to come back. I was worried that he was going to hurt you."

He cupped my chin in his palm and his eyes locked on mine. He leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against mine.

Oh. G.o.d. Every nerve ending in my body flared to life. In places I didn't even know had nerve endings. The b.u.t.terflies were going crazy and my thighs tingled as if I'd just run ten miles up hill. I could barely keep upright. My knees were jiggling like jello.

His mouth covered mine again. This time I could feel his tongue against mine, enticing me. As he deepened the kiss, I didn't know what to do with my hands. They were fisted along his side but this time I felt a little bolder. The heat inside me ignited a fire.

I streaked them under his t-shirt and rubbed them over the hard plane of his bare chest. I'd wanted to do that ever since I'd seen him in the shower. He was as hard but smooth as I thought he'd be, like silk wrapped stone.

He pulled away and murmured cautiously, "Salem."

"Don't stop kissing me." I nipped at his bottom lip with my teeth.

"Believe me, I don't want to," he murmured against my lips.

"Then don't."

He feathered his fingertips over my cheeks and chin. As if he was afraid to really touch me. As if I might break if he pressed too hard, too fast.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't. I won't break, Trevor. I'm not like other girls, remember?"

He stared me in the eyes then smiled. "No, you're certainly not."

"Then kiss me. Feed off me. I can make you stronger than those d.i.c.ks in Malice."

He chuckled a little, then he did as I asked. He kissed me. And it was hard and hot and wet. And I thought I would die from it.

My heart thudded so fast so hard I thought it would break my ribs. My whole body vibrated with want, with need. Trevor could've sucked me dry and I would've let him. It felt that d.a.m.n good.

I squeezed my eyes shut and dug my fingers into his shoulders. Everything was light and dark and hot and cold. I'd never experienced such a confliction of sensations in my life. It was a rush, like I was high on endorphins. And I probably was.

But then it was over and I was leaning against the wall. When I opened my eyes, I saw Trevor, shirtless, on his knees in front of me trying to breathe. Sweat slicked all of his skin.

I pushed my hair out of my face. "What...what happened?"

"You." He coughed into his hand. I saw the thick tarry substance in his palm.

"What does that mean?"

"You nearly sucked out my soul."

My heart leapt into my throat. I collapsed to my knees next to him and tried to hug him. "I'm sorry."

Still hacking, he patted my back. "I know. You couldn't help it. It's my fault anyway. I shouldn't have let it go so far."

"But we only kissed."

He made a face. "Ah, you don't..."

I followed his gaze and looked down. My t-shirt was gone. I was just in my black cotton bra. Frantically, I looked around and spied my shirt across the room.

I leapt to my feet and sprinted across the room. After s.n.a.t.c.hing my shirt from the lamp where it had landed, I pulled it on, my cheeks blazing with embarra.s.sment. I didn't even remember taking it off.

I rubbed at my arms. My skin tingled. In fact, every part of my body tingled. As if it all had been asleep and now was just waking up for the first time. I didn't want to like the sensation because of what I'd done to get it. But I couldn't help it. I was invigorated. Fresh. New.

Trevor pushed to his feet, rubbing a hand over his sweaty face.

"I'm sorry," I said again. Although I kind of didn't mean it. It felt too d.a.m.n good to be sorry for it.

"It's okay, Salem. I should've stopped it before it even started."

I licked my lips still tasting him on them. "Please, don't tell me we can't ever do that again."

He shuffled over to the sofa and collapsed on it. "We both have to learn control."

I went to the fridge, opened it and grabbed a bottle of water. I handed it to him. "How?"

He chugged half the bottle, then answered, "Carefully."

"Well how come this didn't happen when you kissed me at the club?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Different circ.u.mstances maybe."

I watched him finish the water and set the empty on the table. He looked tired, drawn, worn out. I'd done that. I'd taken his life energy from him. It now coursed through my veins, feeding my muscles.

"I'm every sorrier to say this, but I feel flipping amazing."

He gave me a look. "Nice."

I laughed. "I can't help it. I feel like I could run a marathon without any effort. Is it because you're a cambion as well? You must have different energy. I didn't feel this good even after Josh."

"I guess. I don't know."

I splayed my arms out to the side and twirled around. "You have to try this. It's amazing." I was almost giddy with the power of it.

"Well maybe next time I'll be the sucker and you be the suckee." He gave me a half smile.

I returned his smile, happy that he said there would be a next time. I thrilled at the possibility of kissing him again. Touching him even. But I just didn't have the heart to tell him that I really had no intention of being the suckee. There was no way I'd be that girl again.

"Let's use all that extra energy of yours and do Thane's laundry. The faster we do it, the quicker we can find a way to finish him."

I nodded and picked up the black duffel bag and wondered how bad it would be if I did cartwheels all the way there.