Page 65 of I Summoned A Demon For A Date?!
"Well," I drawled, deliberately casual. "I don't know if I'm interested in meeting a bunch of stuffy old demons who probably just want to interrogate me about my intentions."
"Rosie," he began, then caught the twitch of my lips. "You're teasing me again."
"Payback," I informed him primly, "for that little stunt you pulled with the kiss-and-drive routine."
His laugh was rich and full, filling the car and warming me from the inside out. "Fair enough."
I leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Of course I'll come to your family meeting. I can't promise not to embarrass you with tales of how you begged me to move in with you, though."
"I did not beg," he protested with mock indignation. "Demons of my rank do not beg."
"Mm-hmm," I nodded solemnly. "If you say so."
His hand found mine, twining our fingers together. "Impertinent human."
"Your impertinent human," I corrected softly. "Always."
The smile he gave me then was worth everything. Every fear, every doubt, every moment of uncertainty.
Whatever came next, we would face it together.
Epilouge
EPILOUGE
Ismoothed down the front of my dress for what must have been the hundredth time, nervously checking my reflection in the restaurant's gilt-framed mirror. The black cocktail dress Aldaine had insisted on buying me "It's not every day you meet my clan, Rosie" hugged every curve of my body in a way that felt both empowering and slightly terrifying.
"Stop fidgeting," Aldaine murmured, his hand settling possessively at the small of my back. "You look ravishing."
"Easy for you to say," I whispered back. "You're not the human about to walk into a room full of demons."
His lips quirked into that half-smile that never failed to make my heart skip. "No, I'm just the demon bringing his human mate to meet the family. Believe me, I'm the one they'll judge more harshly."
I took a deep breath, drawing strength from his steady presence beside me. Through our bond, I could feel his confidence, his pride, and beneath it all, a thincurrent of nervousness that matched my own. Somehow, knowing that even he wasn't completely unflappable made me feel better.
"Okay," I nodded, squaring my shoulders. "Let's do this."
The private dining room of Cendrillon was exactly what you'd expect from a restaurant where the menu didn't list prices, because if you had to ask, you couldn't afford it. Crystal chandeliers cast prismatic light over walls paneled in dark wood, while plush crimson carpet muffled our footsteps. The long table dominating the center of the room gleamed like obsidian, set with china so delicate it looked like it might shatter if you breathed too hard.
I still couldn't wrap my head around how Aldaine had casually signed the check for a glass of sparkling water that probably cost more than my monthly grocery budget. Back before I'd lost my job, anyway.
The room fell silent as we entered, a dozen pairs of eyes swiveling to assess us. No, to assess me. I resisted the urge to hide behind Aldaine's broad shoulders.
"You're late," drawled a willowy blonde woman whose perfect features were almost painful to look at. Her eyes, an unnatural shade of violet, narrowed as they swept over me.
"Fashionably so," Aldaine replied smoothly, his hand never leaving my back. "Everyone, this is Rosie Thompson."
He paused, and I felt a ripple of power emanate from him, not the gentle warmth I was used to through our bond, but something ancient and dangerous that made the air in the room feel suddenly heavy.
"She is my mate," he continued, his voice dropping to a register that sent shivers down my spine. "Treat her with respect and I won't tear out your innards."
I blinked at the casual violence of the threat, but around the table, several beings actually nodded as if this was a perfectly reasonable introduction. The blonde rolled her eyes,but there was new wariness in her expression as she looked at me again.
"Charming as always, Aldaine," said a man, at least, I thought it was a man, with skin the color of burnished copper and eyes like liquid gold. "Perhaps introductions are in order for the lady's benefit as well?"
Aldaine inclined his head. "Of course. Rosie, let me tell you who's who."
He guided me around the table, pointing out each member of his "family" with brief explanations that left me reeling.
