Chapter 20

Casimir

The club pulsates with the rhythmic beat of music that gives this place a heartbeat of its own. Its veins are filled with dancing, sweaty humans; half of them are stumbling around, clearly intoxicated, and the other half are eye-fucking every warm body that walks past.

“Want to get some drinks?” Ruby asks, her hands wringing in front of her. Even looking like a gourmet meal and flanked by two powerful demons, our little firecracker is nervous. It’s a charming quirk of her personality.

It also means I get endless opportunities to remind her how perfect she is.

“Cas can get them,” Amon announces, and I roll my eyes but nod. He tugs me forward, hand firm on my nape and voice directly in my ear as he tells me what to order. A spark tiptoes up my spine, making me shiver as a gentle nip scrapes against the hinge of my jaw.

Fuck, the things this man can do with his mouth.

His grin is full of filthy promises when he pulls back, smacking my ass. “Go be a good boy and fetch.”

Still tingling from his touch, I make my way to the bar and signal the bartender. His initial annoyance fades when our eyes meet, and a flirty grin replaces his frown as he saunters over, biting his lip. “Hey there,” he purrs, leaning in close so we can hear each other. “What can I get for you?”

“Two whiskey sours for my friends, and a Puckering Chocolate Starfish for me.” I toss him a wink, as humans do, in case it motivates him to hurry.

He explodes into a cough and pounds a fist against his chest, his face flaming as he clears his windpipe. “Do… what… now?”

“A Puckering Chocolate Starfish,” I repeat louder, enunciating every syllable, and the lady beside me snorts her drink out of her nose. I thump her on the back before she flees, presumably towards the restroom to clean herself. That was messy.

The bartender’s wild-eyed stare suggests they may not serve those kinds of drinks here. That’s fine—Amon gave me a few options he thought I’d enjoy. “How about a Back Alley Tongue Puncher?”

His face is turning positively purple now, and he pulls his lips between his teeth. To be honest, he looks constipated as he says, “Listen, buddy, you’re hot but your pickup lines could use some work.”

Annoyed that he’d hit on me while I’m trying to order, I hold my hand up and silence him. “If you can’t do that, how about you make me a Creamy Briefs?”

A man that just sidled up beside me at the bar mutters a quiet, “Nope,” and walks away, and my frown digs deeper.

These people aren’t very friendly.

Through the commotion of the crowd, Amon’s howling laughter reaches my ears, and I freeze as I realize what’s happening. The bartender’s lips twitch with amusement before he can’t contain himself anymore, doubling over with laughter and slapping the bar.

“Those aren’t real drinks, are they?”

“N-n-no,” he finally gets out, tears forming in his eyes.

“Uh huh,” I mutter with a nod. “I’ve been played, haven’t I?”

“`Fraid so, buddy,” he says, still wiping his eyes. “How about I make you three whiskey sours, one on the house?”

“I’d rather have it in a cup,” I say, and he chokes out another laugh, but nods.

As he walks away, he mutters so low my demon hearing is barely able to pick up what he says. “The hot ones are always so fucking dumb.”

Strange.

Amon’s laughter hasn’t stopped as I return, carrying three glasses. Ruby’s attempt to stifle her giggles fails as her blushing skin betrays her. “Aww, Cas, did they not have what you wanted?” Amon asks, gleeful.

“Hold these, please, Ruby,” I say sweetly as I hand over the short cups.

The moment she takes them, I grab Amon by the neck and slam him against the wall, catching him off guard. He’s still grinning, his stunning smile wider than I’ve ever seen, and it makes keeping a straight face challenging.

“No luck with the puckering starfish?” he asks, wheezing against my grip.

“What do you think?”

“What about the creamy briefs?” He reaches forward and cups my cock, and I suck in a surprised gasp. “Nope,” he murmurs, giving me a slow stroke before pulling his hand away. “Not yet, at least.”

“You’re an ass,” I growl, pushing my face closer until our breath mingles in the tiny space between us. The cocky motherfucker just winks at me, then closes the distance and catches my lips in a kiss that makes me forget why I was even upset.

He pinches my lower lip between his teeth, and I groan at the sting, unable to stay mad at him. After I release him, we both shift our attention to Ruby, her face a wavering mix of exhaustion and arousal.

It’s a good look on her, honestly.

Ah, who am I kidding? My little red rose is gorgeous no matter what she’s doing.

“Bottoms up, boys,” she says, handing over our cups. I frown again, twisting to glance at my ass, and Ruby’s hand lands on my arm, forcing my attention back to her. “It just means to drink.”

Her patience is boundless, I swear.

“Obviously, I knew that,” I say, grinning as she rolls her eyes, and the three of us raise our glasses.

Amon is relaxed as he surveys the club, his tall stature giving him a clear view above the head of everyone in this crowded room. He’s the predator, on the hunt for his prey. The very second he finds his target, I recognize it by the subtle narrowing of his eyes and the confident tilt of his chin.

It’s a challenge, even from this far away.

Amon waits patiently, tapping his fingers against the tabletop, as Ruby and I finish our drinks. With a smooth smile, he takes her hand. “Ready to dance?”

Ruby grimaces, glancing down at her empty cup. “I might need more alcohol. It won’t make me graceful, but I won’t care as much.”

Chuckling, I take her glass and leave it on the table, weaving our fingers as we navigate through the throngs of people. Music here on Earth differs from what’s mainstream in Hell. It’s more upbeat, with less screaming involved… although I heard Ruby singing along to a band called Slip Not. They sounded pretty similar to many of our popular musicians.

Poor thing, she doesn’t know how to scream at all, but she tried.

“I refuse to return to the bar,” I say, and Amon’s cheeks lift in a grin. “Just pointing that out since I finally realized what creamy briefs means.”

He and Ruby both laugh, hers paired with an apologetic smile. Amon leads us towards our destination, while she’s clueless that we’re heading anywhere specific. When we get close enough, he spins and smirks down at Ruby, gripping her hips.

She’s nervous at first, but Amon guides her movements so they’re swaying in sync. I give her a chance to relax into the beat before I move in behind her, my hands over his. She glances over her shoulder at me, laying her head back on my chest, and flashes a beautiful smile that’s impossible not to kiss.

So, I do.

I lean in and press my lips to hers, although it’s a struggle to maintain any sort of rhythm as we dance.

A few songs go by like this, and slowly, Ruby loosens up. When an upbeat melody comes on, she gasps. “I love this song!” she squeals, inhibitions forgotten as she bounces to the beat. Sweat beads on her skin like dewdrops and her cheeks flush, her brilliant smile a sight to behold.

She’s a solitary rose, blooming in the sea of darkness with a fiery defiance—an irresistible burst of happiness among the crowd. Those green eyes sparkle like emeralds in the strobing lights, her creamy complexion bathed in splashes of blues, greens, and purples.

I want to worship at her feet.

Amon grabs her hand and spins her, and she shrieks, joyful laughter exploding out of her. After a few twirls, he pulls her against him, her back pressing to his chest.

Over her shoulder, he meets my gaze and gives a pointed gesture with his eyes. I return it with a subtle nod and wait a few seconds to glance in the direction he’s indicating. Immediately, I spot Ruby’s ex and his new fiancée. The brown-haired woman is dancing, but Johnny is standing shock-still, eyes glued to Ruby.

Game on.

I draw nearer to Ruby, pressing my body against hers as we move. She lays back, resting her head on Amon and giving me a serene smile. “You are beautiful,” I whisper as I lean in, and her smile spreads.

She gives a happy hum as I kiss her, gripping her hips before wandering down her legs, searching for bare skin. “Greedy thing,” Amon mutters, threading his fingers through her hair and jerking her head aside to expose her throat to him. “Maybe I want a turn.” I huff a laugh as I chase her lips, kissing her deeper as his mouth lands on her neck.

My hands travel down, tracing the contour of her leg, until I slide my fingertips under her skirt, gathering the fabric as I push higher. With a gentle swipe of my thumb, I graze her inner thigh, teasingly close to her pussy.

She moans against my kiss as Amon crowds her from behind. Ruby gasps and her head tilts up as she breaks our kiss, leaning into the sensations as my thumb swipes again. Amon and I each take one side of her neck, sucking and licking as the three of us dance to the music.

Ready to make my move, to plunge my fingers inside her and finger her until she comes in the middle of this club, I slide my hand higher when an unfamiliar voice breaks through the moment.

“Ruby?” I lift my head and meet Amon’s eyes with a snarl already on my lips. “Is… is that you?”