Page 26 of My Demon Assistant

The door opened just as I raised my hand, and we both jumped.

"Oh! Hey, Eshim," Jerry greeted, pushing his hair behind his ears. His hair was loose, and framed his face in soft waves that I really wanted to run my fingers through.

"Hey, Jerry. Here," I said, thrusting the bag of takeout at him. Then I jerked it back and held out my other hand with the flowers. That was what I'd wanted to give him.

Get it together, Eshim.

Jerry smiled as he took the flowers from me, amusement shining in his eyes. "Thank you, these are beautiful."

"So are you," I blurted before I could think about it, and Jerry's eyes widened before he snorted.

"Sweet talker. Come on in before Tom decides to take a walk."

As if Tom had heard—and understood—him, he raced toward the door. I stepped inside, and Jerry shut the door moments before the dog could make his escape. I'd looked up his breed after I first met him, and read up on Welsh corgis just in case Jerry ever asked me to take care of him. Which was a good thing because Jerry sometimes brought him to work with him.

"Here, I'll put the food in the kitchen. We can eat in a while unless you're hungry?"

I shook my head as I handed over the food, then said, "The food will stay warm, so you can just put it on the counter or something."

Jerry blinked, then glanced down at the food. "It will?"

"Yep. Magic can be used in many ways."

"Huh," he said, which told me nothing about how he felt about the whole thing. "Take a seat. I'll be right back."

Jerry disappeared through a doorway, presumably into the kitchen, and I took a moment to look around.

The living room was cozy, with a short hallway from the front door where you could take off your shoes and put your coat away that opened into a warm room with soft orange walls and a real fireplace on one wall. A large window faced the front of the house with a bench seat in front of it that had a pillow and some blankets on it. A reading spot, maybe? There were a few dog toys on the floor near the bench, and I wondered if Tom had claimed the spot as his. It was optimal for people-watching.

There was a big couch in the center of the room, deep enough for two people to cuddle comfortably in. My mind instantly filled with images of Jerry and me curled up together on the couch with the lights turned low and a movie playing on his large flatscreen.

A few potted plants sat in the corners, and the walls were covered in framed pictures, mostly of Jerry, Archer, and Kat, but there were a few recent ones that included Gunner, Lux, and even Fressia.

This wasn't just a house. It felt like a home.

I'd just settled on the couch—near the center so Jerry would have to sit close to me—when Jerry returned, and joined me, Tom at his heels. He picked up the dog and plopped him in his lap, where Tom settled comfortably as if he was a housecat.

"You have a beautiful home," I said, and Jerry smiled.

"Thank you."

"Did you do the interior?" I asked curiously, and his eyes went a little wide.

"Yeah. Good guess."

I smiled. "It wasn't a guess so much as...I recognized your style? It has a certain warmth, a homey feeling that I associate with you."

Jerry's lips parted, as if he was surprised by my assessment, and then he turned his gaze to Tom, who'd gone belly-up on his lap. Jerry rubbed Tom's belly and hid behind his curtain of hair, and I was tempted once again to reach out and touch. Was it as soft and silky as it looked?

"Ah, thank you." Then Jerry seemed to shake himself, and glanced up at me, his green eyes bright. "Do you want to watch a movie now?"

I'd have been happy to keep talking with him, but I sensed he needed some time to breathe and get comfortable, so I nodded.

Smiling, he picked up the remote, and I snuck a little closer to him as he fiddled with it. The warmth of his body soaked into mine, and I hummed under my breath. Who needed Afterworld when you could have this?

Jerry

Eshim wassoclose. If I leaned sideway even a little, our arms would press together. He was big too, bigger than me. Sure, he was only a few inches taller, but he was far more ripped. I wondered what it would feel like to be held down by that strong body. Then I wondered what it would feel like to holdhimdown, knowing he could push me away at any point but wouldn't. I wasn't sure which idea I liked better.

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