Page 69 of Hooked on a Demon
But then… then his mind wanders to Eliana. It eases the feeling of impending doom enough that he can allow himself to be excited to see his girl tonight.
His girl.
CHAPTER39
Eliana
Arriving home with only a few minutes to spare before Declan is expected, Eliana dashes through her house, tossing whatever she can into hiding spots, hoping he doesn’t move cushions or open cupboards. It’s not that she keeps a filthy house, but between the showcase, her own training, and spending time with him, cleaning hasn’t been a priority.
With the house looking somewhat presentable, she heads into the kitchen, taking out a container of leftover rice and stir fry to pop in the microwave to reheat. When it beeps a minute later, she takes it out, cursing to herself as the steam stings her fingers.
“I don’t have time for this,” she says, taking a forkful of the mix and putting it in her mouth. “Ah. Hot,” she pants around the food, sucking air into her mouth to try and cool it more quickly. Normally, she’d bring it to the living room, toss on her favorite show, and allow it to cool, but with Declan coming over—for the first time—her stomach flutters and her energy is chaotic.
Why did she ask him here? Into her space. She could have suggested that she go back to his place again. His place is nice. Well, furnished. Clean—especially for a guy who works with grease and dirt all day. But no, her stupid brain invited him over, and now it has her convinced that he’s going to hate it. And with the showcase tomorrow? Fuck, this was a bad idea.
Shoving another forkful of food into her mouth, a knock sounds at the door, pulling Eliana from her meltdown. Shit! He must have followed someone into the building. Swallowing, she opens the door to spot the hottest fucking demon she’s ever seen. Not that she’s seen many. And she may be a little biased because this one is hers.
“Hi,” he says, stepping through the doorway before tilting his head down to kiss her lips. As if he’s returning from work, and it’s an everyday occurrence. Even so, it still makes her tingle all the way down to her toes. “You look great.” He slides his foot around the door and swings it shut behind them, dropping his bag by the door.
Blushing, she waves her hand at him, brushing off his compliment as she walks them back into the kitchen. “I haven’t even had a chance to change yet. I only got home like ten minutes ago.”
“Oaks,” he rumbles. “You look great all the time. Sweats. Dressed up. Naked on my counter. All of it. Fucking. Great.”
Holy shit.
Well, if she was blushing before, she must be scarlet now. Heat floods her entire body like a furnace come to life after a long, cold winter.
“Do—do you want something to drink?” she asks, in an effort to change the subject and allow the desire that’s building inside her to subside.
“Sure.”
“Okay,” she pauses, going to the fridge. “I have water, soda, a couple of beers Ev left here, and some juice.”
“Water’s fine,” he replies. Getting out two glasses, she senses his body behind her before she feels his touch. It’s a gentle caress of his hand down the back of her arm, but when his chest presses against her back, she melts inside. His lips graze her neck, and it’s as if the key she’s been missing has been found. Something unlocks inside her, and she tilts her head to the side, granting him better access while she moans a sigh of contentment.
She’s longed for this. Wished to be cared for in ways that make her feel whole, appreciated, and loved. It’s such a simple gesture, but the ease with which he did it, and that he does it because he wants to, that he wants to be close to her, and that he couldn’t wait for her even to get him a glass of water before he needed to touch her. It makes her well up with tears.
When she sniffles, trying to hold back the rush of emotions, he stops. His arms wrap around her, crossing over her stomach as he leans down to rest his chin on her shoulder. “You okay, love?”
Love.
She doesn’t miss the term of endearment. But doesn’t question it either.
“Yes. I… You make me feel so much.”
“Do tell,” he says. She can hear the playful smile in his tone and feel the way his cheek pulls up as he nestles his head into the crook of her neck.
Eliana places the glasses on the counter, grasps his hands, and pulls them away from her stomach. He lets out a tiny whine of disappointment, but when she turns to face him, he almost purrs back at her.
Do demons purr? Not important.
His arms come around to either side as he places his hands on the counter behind her, caging her in. If he were Sam, this position would have her fearing the worst. Usually, it was so he could keep her in place while he told her how shitty of a person she was. But with Declan, it’s different. It doesn’tfeellike a cage. Instead, it’s a home. A space meant for her.
He leans down, kissing her forehead. “Wanna tell me what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”
Bringing her hands up to rest on the back of his neck, she wraps the end of his braid around her index finger and begins to twirl it around absent-mindedly. “You make me nervous. Like minutes before you arrived, I was panicking about you being here, in my home. Worried about what you’d think about my space. I literally ran around hiding things so it looked a little cleaner.” She notes how he turns his head, eyes scanning the room. “No, you can’t go looking.” He laughs so fully that the rumbles roll through her own chest. “You make me feel things I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel.” His eyebrow quirks up. “Not the nerves. That comes naturally.” She laughs. “But you make me feel whole. Like, I didn’t know who I was before you.”
His lips easily find hers, and she gets lost in the heat of his hands as they slide up her back, pulling her body against his. She loves the way his softness feels against her, how he molds to her curves. She’s never been one for the super ripped guys. No, she loves the soft belly. The cushion. How he feels under her hands. It’s perfect.He’s perfect.
