Page 42 of I Summoned A Demon For A Date?!
Whatever complicated thing existed between us, whatever had made him pull away last night, I'd sort it out later. Right now, in this strange new reality where my father had stood up for me, where Jan had acknowledged her failings, I needed him near.
I needed to believe, just for this moment, that impossible things could happen.
Chapter Nineteen
CHAPTER 19: ALDAINE
Stay.
The word hung in the room, a simple command that struck me with the force of a physical blow. My wrist burned beneath her touch, her fingers pressing against my pulse point where no doubt she could feel the sudden spike in my heartbeat.
I had planned to give her space, to retreat as I'd done last night. To maintain the careful distance I'd been trying, and failing, to establish since the moment I'd felt the bond snap into place between us.
But she'd asked me to stay.
Demons are creatures of possession and dominance. We take. We claim. We mark. But to be invited? To bewantedrather than feared or obeyed? The sensation was unfamiliar enough to leave me momentarily speechless.
"Of course," I managed, my voice rougher than I intended.
I settled back into my seat beside her, hyperaware of every place our bodies nearly touched, her elbow almostgrazing mine, the edge of her knee centimeters from my thigh under the table. The breakfast continued around us, but I registered little beyond the burning awareness of her proximity and the lingering echo of that single word.
Stay.
More intimate, somehow, than if she'd pulled me into a kiss. More dangerous too. A kiss I could have resisted, could have filed away as mere physical attraction. But this reaching for me not in passion but in need, in trust, was a weakness I hadn't anticipated.
Rita leaned across the table, pulling Rosie into conversation, something about Jan's sudden change of heart and speculation about what had triggered my mate's father to finally grow a spine. I nodded at appropriate intervals, offering bland responses when directly addressed, but my attention remained fixed on Rosie.
The warm morning light caught in her hair, illuminating strands of copper and gold amid the deeper red. Her pulse fluttered visibly at the base of her throat, a delicate rhythm that stirred ancient instincts. I wanted to press my lips there, to feel her lifeblood rushing beneath my touch. I wanted to sink my teeth into that soft flesh and mark her as mine for all to see.
Mine. The word reverberated through me, a primal claim I had no right to make. Not yet. Not when she still didn't know what she truly was to me.
I'd run last night because I'd come too close to telling her everything.
I'd run because I was a coward.
Because if I told her the truth, that fate had bound us irrevocably together, that she was meant to be mine for eternity, she'd think it was just another trick. Another demonic contract. Another way to take away her choice.
And I couldn't bear to see fear or revulsion replace the warmth in her eyes when she looked at me now.
"..Don't you think, Aldaine?"
I blinked, realizing Rita had addressed me directly. "I'm sorry?"
The woman's eyes twinkled knowingly. "I was just saying that you and Rosie make quite the striking couple. I've never seen her so radiant."
"Rita!" Rosie protested, a blush spreading across her cheeks. The color was enchanting, making the constellation of freckles across her nose stand out in sharp relief.
"What? It's true. He looks at you like you hung the moon. Don't think I haven't noticed." She winked at me conspiratorially. "You hold onto this one, Rosie. Men who look at women that way are rare creatures indeed."
I should have denied it. Should have played it off with a casual joke or deflection. Instead, I found myself meeting Rita's gaze steadily. "She makes it easy," my voice quiet.
Rosie's sharp intake of breath was audible only to me. From the corner of my eye, I saw her fingers tighten around her coffee cup.
Breakfast concluded shortly after, with most guests dispersing to prepare for the day's activities. Some mentioned planned excursions into town, others discussed the bridal shower the next day. Through it all, Rosie remained at my side, her presence a constant, burning awareness.
When the dining room had emptied save for a few lingering guests, she turned to me, eyes bright with a mixture of emotions I couldn't fully decipher.
"Would you like to go for a walk?" she asked. "There's a beautiful garden path that leads down to the edge of the forest. It's quiet." The last word carried weight, an unspoken acknowledgment that we needed privacy for whatever would come next.
