Page 7 of I Summoned A Demon For A Date?!
"Pay off the remainder of Rosie Thompson's lease at Cedar Grove Apartments. Unit 3B." I glanced at the notice again. "And make sure all late fees are covered."
"The human you're pretending to date?" Tim's voicedripped with disdain. "Why don't you just move her into the compound if she's your mate?"
"Tim." My voice dropped an octave, letting a hint of my demon nature seep through. "Just handle it."
He sighed dramatically. "Fine. But don't forget you have that meeting next Saturday evening. The vamp situation needs to be addressed, and you can't skip this one."
"I'll be there." I'd forgotten about the meeting, but it was a week after the party so it wouldn't be a big deal. "Just take care of this."
"Already on it, boss." Keys clicked in the background. "But you owe me coffee. The good stuff from that place in Milan."
"Done." I hung up, satisfied that at least one problem was handled.
I straightened my suit jacket, a habit I'd developed over centuries of dealing with humans, and knocked on Rosie's door. The sound of stumbling and a muffled curse made my lips twitch.
"Just a second!" Her voice called out, followed by more shuffling.
When the door opened, all the carefully crafted words I'd prepared vanished. Rosie stood before me in a blue sundress that hugged her curves perfectly. The morning light caught her red hair, making it look like living flame. Her green eyes widened as she took me in, a blush creeping across her cheeks.
My demon stirred, wanting to reach out and trace that blush with our fingers, to see how far down it went. I forced my hands to stay at my sides.
"Good morning," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear shyly. "You're early."
"I am." Words. I needed words. I was a demon lord who had negotiated countless contracts, and this tiny human had rendered me nearly speechless. "You look," Beautiful. Stunning. Mine. "...appropriate for travel."
Smooth, Aldaine. Very smooth.
She glanced down at her dress, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles. "Charlie helped me pick it out yesterday. Is it okay? I wasn't sure what to wear for the drive."
"It's perfect." The words came out rougher than I intended, betraying the sudden surge of possessiveness that flared within me at the thought of another claiming her attention. I cleared my throat, forcing myself to maintain an air of casual indifference. "Are your bags ready?" My gaze drifted over her form appreciatively. The morning light caressed her skin, making the fabric of her sundress cling to the gentle curves that I yearned to explore with my own hands. Who the fuck was this Charlie character, and why did the mere thought of them helping Rosie provoke such a visceral reaction from me? I pushed the irrational jealousy aside, reminding myself that Rosie was mine. My mate, my responsibility. She would want for nothing as long as I was here.
"Yes!" She turned, giving me a view that made my demon purr in appreciation. The dress swished around her thighs as she moved to grab her luggage. "I wasn't sure how much to pack, so I might have gone a little overboard."
Two large suitcases and a garment bag sat by her couch. I moved past her to grab them, letting my arm brush against hers. The contact sent a jolt through my body and the mating bond hummed with satisfaction.
"This is fine." I needed to get us moving before I did something foolish, like push her against the wall and show her exactly what that sundress was doing to me. "The car is waiting."
"Right." She grabbed her purse and then paused. "Oh! Let me just grab the, um, eviction notice off the door. Don't want to leave that up there."
"No need." I opened the door for her. "It's been handled."
Her steps faltered. "Handled? What do you mean handled?"
I gave her my best mysterious demon lord smile. "Part of our arrangement is taking care of your housing situation, remember? Your lease has been paid in full."
The shock on Rosie's face was delightful to watch. I preened internally at providing for my mate, even as she stammered protests.
"But...that's...you can't just..." Her hands fluttered in front of her. "That must have cost thousands!"
"Shall we?" I gestured toward the stairs, ignoring her protests as I gathered her bags. The weight was nothing to me, though I made a show of adjusting them for human appearances. "The car is waiting."
"Aldaine!" She hurried after me, her sundress swishing with each step. The sound made me want to purr. "We need to talk about this. You can't just throw money around like that!"
I paused at the bottom of the stairs, turning to face her. She nearly collided with my chest, catching herself at the last moment. The scent of her, vanilla, berry, and something uniquely Rosie, filled my nose. My free hand reached out to steady her before I could stop myself.
"I can, and I will." The feel of her warm skin under my palm was intoxicating. I forced myself to let go. "It's part of our arrangement."
The town car waited exactly where I'd left it, Marcus already moving to open the trunk. Good man. I handed him the bags while Rosie continued to sputter behind me.
