Page 73 of Love in Unexpected Places

I keep watching until she’s out of sight, and even then, I stand on the sidewalk. The cold seeps into me, but the glow of happiness chases it away. Tara will be safe, and Brooks is dead. My life is exactly as it should be.

Vernimer and I take a cab back to the Astoria Suites. When we get to the room, we strip down to our underwear and climb into bed. I haven’t eaten today, but I’m too exhausted to do anything.

“Sleep, little one,” Vernimer whispers to me. “I will be here when you wake.”

I sleep long and deep, not waking until after seven that evening. As soon as my eyes open, my stomach growls. I’m fucking starved.

“I will order room service, little one,” my demon says softly, kissing my forehead. “You will need rest after your ordeal. You won’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.”

I smile at being spoiled. Vernimer orders a bunch of food from the menu, and we veg out in bed. It’s like all the exhaustion from the last three years has caught up to me, and it’s dragging me down. I don’t have the energy to do anything but rest against Vernimer. After dinner, I drop off to sleep again.

When I wake this time, I drag my mate to the bathroom, using the jacuzzi tub that can fit at least three Vernimers inside of it. I fill it up with water, and we both slide inside, my back to his front. I sigh and smile at the turn of events in my life. Just yesterday, I was almost raped by a client that picked me up off the street. Now, I’m in the presidential suite, lying in a jacuzzi with my demon mate.

Twenty-four hours really can change your life.

“What time is it?” I ask.

“It’s after midnight.” Vernimer runs wet fingers in my hair, then kisses me on the neck.

I grin. This is the first Christmas I’ll enjoy in my entire life. The first eighteen were spent in foster care, the last three spent walking the streets. Now, I get to spend Christmas with the demon I love.

There’s no use denying that I’m in love with Vernimer. It might be fast, but it’s real. We have a soul bound. Nothing can come between that.

“Merry Christmas, baby,” I say, not regretting how the pet name trailed off my tongue so easily.

“Merry Christmas, little one. What do you want for Christmas?”

That’s not a hard question to answer. I only want one thing. “I want to get away from here. Forever.”

“From this city?”

“From this life.”

He spins me around until I’m straddling his lap. “Do you want to go back with me to Xendail? I can live on this plane indefinitely if I want, but my home is Xendail. I can promise you that I will take care of you, make you happy, and treat you well until you decide to end your existence. I will provide you with a good life. It’ll be a big change, going from the only home you’ve ever known, but I think you’ll like my home.”

Yes, moving from Earth to a dimension of hell will be a shock, but other than Tara, I have nothing here for me. No one will miss me if I leave. I have no family to worry about me. On the other hand, if I go to Xendail, I’ll have my mate. I’ll have a life we build together. It’s a no-brainer what I want to do

“I’d love to go.”

Vernimer smiles widely and kisses me hard. His hard cock bumps against my hole, and I groan, gyrating on his lap. He snaps his fingers, and I pull back in time to see lube appear in his palm.

I grin at him and watch him slick his fingers, anticipating being taken by my mate once again.

epilogue

VERNIMER

One Year Later…

“Ilove it out here,” Lucas mutters as he leans back against my chest, the gentle waves of the northern lake of Xendail washing over us.

“Me too,” I say, wrapping my arm around him as we lounge beside the large body of water.

Lucas has been here for a full year and is still as happy as the day we arrived.

When we returned to Xendail, we stayed in my home for several days, but it didn’t feel right to have my mate in the same house where so much debauchery took place. So, I elevated Prexel in status and turned over my section of Xendail to him. He’s been great in that position since he knows how to serve and be served.

I didn’t want to remain in the fourth dimension with Lucas, lest someone think he was up for grabs. So Iascended to the third dimension, setting up a home in a wooden house made of the equivalent of a sequoia tree on Earth that was designed by magic to our liking. We could have chosen stone, but neither Lucas nor I enjoyed the coldness of the hard material.

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