Page 8 of Witch's Rite
My heart squeezed in my chest. The words tumbled out of me before my brain could catch up.
"It felt the same way to me."
4
DEJA
Icouldn't bring myself to leave work early, no matter how hotly Ash stared at me or how badly I wanted to see what a naked demon really looked like. It wouldn't be fair to Nona, making her close up on her own.
But that didn't make the afternoon pass any faster.
"I'll hang out if you don't mind," Ash said at my insistence at staying until closing. "I like the feel of your space here."
"Sure," I said calmly while I internally squealed with excitement. "I'd offer you something to drink but, you know." I waved my hand dismissively at him.
Yeah, I was giving him shit for not being a tea person and probably would be for the foreseeable future.
At least Raum liked my tea. I still had yet to get Sal's opinion.
"If you give me a cup, I'll handle the beverage part myself," he said with a wink.
I gave him a quizzical look but handed him a freshly washed teacup anyway. Like a magician, he passed his hand over the rim and the cup was suddenly filled with a dark, steaming liquid. A familiar, earthy smell filled my nostrils.
"Coffee, really?" I said. Not exactly what I expected to be conjured out of thin air.
He shrugged as he brought the hot liquid to his lips and took a small sip. "Just my poison of choice."
"I see. And you take it black, I imagine?"
"As black as my soul," the handsome demon confirmed with a smirk.
I didn't doubt him for a second.
He produced a worn-out looking book in his other hand and nodded toward an empty armchair.
"I'll be out of your way, Deja," he said. "Until we can leave," he added in a lower tone.
I tried not to ogle as he settled himself with his book and coffee in my tea shop. Before long, every woman was stealing glances at him and I couldn't blame them. He looked so studious, like the hot, slightly nerdy professor that everyone had a crush on in college.
"Something tells me Mr. Hot Blonde is waiting for you to leave work," Nona teased as the minutes crawled by.
"Yeah," I said, my face heating up as I tried to concentrate on the current brew. "We might be hanging out afterward."
"Hanging out as in romantic dinner or Netflix and chill?"
"Um, kind of sounds like the second one."
"Ooh, get it, girl!" She bumped into me with the side of her hip.
"And you didn't hear this from me but um." I chewed my lip nervously. "I may have made out with the two other guys last night."
Nona's mouth dropped open. "Girl."
"And they all apparently know about each other and are okay with everything."
"Girl!"
"It sounds way too good to be true but they say they're all interested in just me."
