Where Demons Fear to Tread by Stephanie Chong Read Free Book Online Page A

through the postures she’d taught him over the past few weeks. Nick’s toned body seemed to soak up the movements easily, executing them with a natural grace. She alternated between demonstrating the poses and adjusting him, guiding him deeper into the postures.
    “Good job. Your practice is really coming along,” she said. “You’re getting it, Nick.”
    He stopped and stood at the front of his mat, breathing deeply from the effort. In the sunlight filtering through the windows, she saw in his eyes the look she’d tried to ignore earlier. The look that was unmistakable now. The look that said, I’m in love with you. She’d seen it in the eyes of many different men, but never yet in the eyes of the right man.
    An image of Julian flickered through her mind. She blinked, blocking it out and bringing her attention back to her Assignee.
    Who was leaning in to kiss her.
    Caught off guard, she pushed him away more abruptly than she intended. “Nick, don’t!”
    “Why not?” he said, pushing his hands through his tousled hair. “You’re the only one who understands me. My parents don’t give a shit about what I’m going through. I have no real friends. Everyone else just wants a piece of me. I thought you really cared.”
    She backed away, not sure how to respond for a moment. Nick’s frustrated sigh tugged at her heart-strings. “I do care about you, Nick. As a friend.”
    He just wanted to be loved, she knew. In many ways, she could relate to the void he felt inside. Sensitive and artistic from an early age, Nick had been a misfit all his life. Ignored by his austere father and disliked by his high-strung diva of a mother, he was still struggling to find his own place in the world and to win their approval. His so-called friends treated him like a never-ending fountain of free drugs and alcohol. The women he slept with were mostly professionals who demanded payment for their services. Serena did understand him, though. She’d felt that same kind of void inside herself when her father had died. Like something had broken inside her that could never be repaired. Perhaps she had managed her hurt differently. Whatever the case, she knew she had been very lucky. For her, things could easily have gone very wrong.
    The line between angels and demons was a fine one.
    Yes, she understood Nick. But her job was to guard him and guide him; she could not return his desire. In time, he would deal with his feelings and they would evolve into a purely platonic relationship. At least, that was what she hoped.
    Centering herself with a deep breath, she gave him an empathetic smile. “Come on. I’ll help you with your handstands.”
    “Bet I can hold it longer than you,” he said, grinning to cover his own embarrassment. “I’ve been doing handstands on grass since I was a kid. What’s the difference between yoga and just showing off?” he teased.
    “Yoga’s not a contest,” she said mildly, trying not to sound preachy.
    “Afraid of a little healthy competition?”
    They kicked up at the same time. Balancing in the center of the room, Serena concentrated on a spot on the floor. Felt the strength of her arms and of divine love supporting her. For one moment, everything in the world seemed right again. She felt the joy of pure play flowing through her body, felt it radiating out from her student, too. Finally, Nick gave a loud yelp and collapsed in a heap beside her, laughing while she remained balanced in the posture.
    At the edge of her vision, something moved. From her upside-down position, she saw a familiar figure leaning in the doorway, watching.
    “Hello, angel.” His low, velvety voice swept over her calm like a swell crashing on the beach, and she felt herself falling, falling…

    Deva Yoga Studio was exactly the kind of place Julian hated. It was as though someone had taken Devil’s Paradise and created its exact opposite. Here, they served tea at the front desk instead of tequila shots. The quiet unnerved