Page 59 of My Demon Assistant

This was our first big project since signing up with Hanover's, and we couldn't afford to back out or cause a delay, no matter how unreasonable the client was being. Kat had made sure they wouldn't pull shit like this regularly by charging them a fair rush fee, and I hoped it would be enough. I was not going to force my employees to work themselves into exhaustion because some corporate idiots don't know how proper scheduling worked.

While I lost myself in the discussion with my team—and realized I knew them far better than I'd thought simply through their work—I was always aware of Eshim. He'd brought everyone coffee and cookies, and he was now sitting in a corner, making notes on his tablet. I trusted him to keep track of things and remind me if I forgot something important, which gave me the freedom to focus completely on the conversation at hand.

What would I do without Eshim? I hoped I'd never have to find out.

Eshim

Jerry stumbled over Tom, and I caught him before he could fall flat on his face. He was running on fumes, and I did not like it one bit.

I'd known he would have to work extra hard to finish the project on time, but this wasn't right. I was going to have to do better at taking care of him since he seemed to have no plans of doing it himself. Humans were fragile creatures, and I was not planning on taking him to Otherworld anytime soon.

Patting Tom on the head, I shifted to my true form and picked Jerry up in my lower arms. Carrying him straight to the bedroom, I held on as he struggled.

"Let me down. I can walk," he grumbled, and I rolled my eyes.

"You just proved seconds ago that you can't. Now let me take care of you, you stubborn human."

Jerry grumbled under his breath but didn't protest as I got him out of his work clothes and into some pajamas as Tom sat at my feet and wagged his tail, his small body full of excitement at having his human home. I wondered if it might be a good idea to take him to work tomorrow. I could take him outside when needed, and it would force Jerry to take some breaks when Tom demanded pets. I liked this plan.

"I'll let you out in a minute, buddy. Gotta take care of your dad first," I said, and he woofed, telling me he understood completely. Such a good boy.

When I led Jerry to the bathroom and started following him in, he turned around and pressed a palm to my chest. "Uh-huh, nope. I can piss on my own, thank you very much. Tom can't. Go help him."

I sighed, eyeing him doubtfully. What if he fell again? He could really hurt himself in the bathroom. The cabinet had sharp edges, and there were so many knobs and taps.

"I'm not drunk, Esh. Just tired. I'll be fine."

"Okay. Shout if you need anything," I warned, and he rolled his eyes. Apparently, tired Jerry was sassy.

"You'll hear me even if I don't."

Smirking because I really would, I led Tom out to the backyard, where he zoomed around for a few minutes to get rid of the excess energy—as I kept an ear on his dad—before sniffing the grass and squatting to do his business.

Once he was done, he raced up to me with a wagging tail, and I led him inside. His feeder was on a timer, so I replaced his water bowl with a fresh one before returning to the bedroom, where I found Jerry lying on the bed on his front, his arms and legs splayed out on either side like a ceiling fan.

Smiling fondly, I reached up and removed the elastic from his hair, knowing he got a headache if he slept with his hair tied up.

I debated over whether I should stay or not. He hadn't actually asked me to, and I was unsure if I was welcome. Sure, we'd spent practically every night together, but I'd never take that to mean I didn't need his permission anymore. Not until he explicitly asked me to move in or told me I was welcome anytime.

"Are you getting in?" he grumbled, face still buried in his pillow, and I grinned.

"Just a minute," I said, then turned down the lights, and climbed in beside him.

Jerry turned on his side to snuggle into my chest. Wrapping all four arms around him, I sighed happily, then snorted when Tom pushed his head between us with all his might, determined to squeeze in.

Jerry moved back with a sleepy grumble, and Tom walked around in circles before settling on a spot between us, a gummy, satisfied smile on his lips.

Snorting, I adjusted him a little so he was perched on the pillow, and he seemed to like it enough to not try to get between us again.

"Better?" I asked Jerry as I pulled him in close again, and he smiled without opening his eyes.

"Very much."

"Good. Now sleep—you need the rest."

"Yes, sir," he said quietly, then fell silent. I closed my eyes as well, soaking in the warmth of him, his presence.

I'd heard my friends talk about their mates so many times, and yet it hadn't prepared me for how good it actually felt tobewith your mate. To be in his presence, to have his eyes on you, to feel his touch...it was all so very wonderful.

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