“What?”
“Nothing. Nothing. It’s simply that you have quite a bit of…oh. Never mind.”
Curious, Tula went into the bathroom—a huge space complete with a sauna, whirlpool tub and two-person shower. Zac loved his personal grooming. Especially deep conditioning. He was complicated like that.
Tula glanced in the mirror and held back a scream. Her hair was plastered with slobber on one side, and she had dried-up white stuff on her face.
“Seriously?” She wanted to cry.
“Everything all right?” Hilbert appeared in the doorway, holding a big glass of his blueberry-beer-painkiller smoothie.
“Yeah.” Tula sighed. “It’s just…I feel so gross all the time.”
Hilbert stepped in the room and set his drink on the counter. He grabbed a clean washcloth and held it under the faucet.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He climbed up on the counter. “Seeing what we can do to get you all shiny and glowing.”
“You don’t have to—”
He got up on his tiptoes and ran the warm cloth over the side of her face. “Isn’t that better?”
“I can do it myself, Hilbert.”
“I know. But this is nicer.”
He bent down, rinsed the cloth again, and ran it over her lips and cheek. She closed her eyes. Gods, how she missed being cared for and touched. It had been over nine months since she’d seen Zac and had any real contact with anyone—the affectionate sort, anyway.
“Mmm…that feels nice.” When she opened her eyes, Hilbert’s warm gaze greeted her. Was that a look of…adoration in his eyes?
A tingle erupted in her stomach as the two locked eyes. Honestly, the way he was looking at her was how she’d hoped Zac would have gazed at her when they finally met last night.
Sadly, he had given her a disgusted scowl.
“Thank you, Hilbert. I appreciate you not dry heaving this time.”
He frowned up at her with confusion.
“Remember? Yesterday? When you saw me in the elevator? You nearly threw up.”
“Not true! I was simply…I was…” He tilted his head to one side as if studying her. “I’m sorry for how I treated you. And look, Gola, neither of us are beauty queens, but perhaps this is an opportunity.”
“For?”
“Well, like you said last night. Friendship. We get each other, and that makes for great company. There’s no pressure to be someone we are not. No judgment. And I sense we are both going through a bit of internal turmoil. I would like to be there for you. Maybe inject a little fun in your life, too?”
Hilbert didn’t understand the full situation. This wasn’t her real body, and she needed to confront Zac—know for sure he didn’t feel their connection. Meanwhile, the clock was ticking. And if she didn’t end up with Zac, then the demon king would be pursuing her.
On the other hand, should it matter? Why couldn’t she continue to be friends with Hilbert? She did enjoy hanging around him. He was down to earth. He was kind and didn’t let his ugliness get in the way of going after what he wanted. He’d literally marched into the party last night and demanded a dance from her demon-possessed body.
“So, do we have a deal?” Hilbert asked, trying to brush a lock of her stringy hair from her brow but unable to reach.
“Yeah.”
Loud laughter exploded in the living room.
It sounded like Zac.
Tula rushed out into the hall, following the sound to the living room, where she found Zac peeling off Gola’s clothes.
My clothes. My body! The two were going at it, kissing and grinding. Zac whipped off his shirt and then went for Gola’s bra, grabbing a handful of her breasts.
“Gods, woman,” said Zac to Gola. “How I missed you. I can’t get enough. I’m going to fuck you five different ways, and then we’re getting married.”
Tula stood there in the doorway, her eyes filling with tears. Zac didn’t even notice her standing there. He didn’t sense her presence. Worst of all, he was clearly absorbed in his lust for her body.
A body I’m not in. Tula felt her heart tearing in two.
A warm hand slid into hers. “It’ll be okay, Gola. I promise,” Hilbert muttered.
She turned her head and looked down at the strange little man, his reassuring gaze telling her she wasn’t alone.
“Come on, let’s go get breakfast,” he added.
Hilbert pulled her through the living room, where Zac and Gola were now going at it on the black leather couch. She tried not to look, but she had to. She needed to remember this moment so there were no regrets when she put Zac in her past and never looked back.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Man, that was rough. The devastated look on Tula’s demon face almost made Zac lose the bet with Maury.
Here he was with a piece of information that could take away Tula’s broken heart in an instant, but doing so would have dire consequences. Mainly, he’d be chained to a wall in the underworld while Maury pursued Tula. No way was he going to put her in that man’s path. Still, it hadn’t been easy watching Hilbert taking the clothes off Tula’s body and touching her breasts.