Page 43 of Hooked on a Demon
Tai and Joley take the stage, and Everest is right—they aren’t as good as he and Declan were. But while everyone is watching the stage, Eliana can’t keep her gaze away from Declan. He catches her watching and smiles, crinkling the skin at the corner of his eyes—utter perfection. When he winks at her, her stomach flutters, and it’s like she’s the only one in the world.
He glances at Everest, checking to ensure his attention is still on their friends, and then his hand finds hers on her lap. It’s quick, as they can’t risk Everest seeing, but as his thumb brushes the back of her hand, she wishes nothing more than for them to be alone. Before she can think of linking her fingers with his, he pulls back and mouthstomorrowat her. She nods in return, feeling the butterflies in her stomach once again.
Tomorrow.
* * *
Anticipation has been building inside her all day. Shortly after she got home last night, Declan messaged, asking about her work schedule. After some back and forth, they worked out that she would meet him at his place around seven. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been counting the hours since.
It’s times like these when she wished she had magical powers so that maybe it would help relieve some of the tension raging through her body. At least, she assumes that’s a benefit of magic, that releasing it helps regulate the body. Now that she thinks about it, she’s never asked any of the magical beings she’s known and been friends with. To be honest, she really doesn’t know much at all about how it all works. Just that it does.
As she does another series of pirouettes while she plays between classes, she makes a mental note to ask Declan about it in—she looks at the clock—three hours and twelve minutes. She has three classes left for the day and then will need to run home quickly to shower and change. Declan suggested dinner at his place, and it sounded perfect. She gets bored cooking for herself all the time, so the thought of someone else potentially cooking for her or the two of them creating something together is heavenly.
Her first class, a group of five and six-year-olds, passes quickly as they begin to focus on their number for the showcase. Their excitement to learn their roles is palpable. Her second class, a teen ballet group, is a little more frustrating. The mix of attitudes and questioning of her expertise is a challenge on a good day, but some days, their snarky little comments get under her skin.
Eliana may be back at Strike a Pose because of her injury, but she knows she is a talented dancer. Or was. Well, sheis, but sometimes it’s hard to think of herself as a professional still. It’s something Dr. Colson has been helping her work on, among all of the other things. Seeing herself as valid even though her path now looks different. But it’s still a work in progress. And some days, those comments from the teens challenge that progress.
She says goodbye to Bellamy and June as she leaves and drives home as quickly as her car will allow. After a brief shower, shave, and primp, she’s ready to go again. Not knowing if she’ll be drinking tonight, Eliana calls a cab, and after only a few minutes wait, climbs inside and is on her way over to Declan’s. Despite being only ten minutes late, Declan, along with a large black dog, is pacing at the door when she arrives.
“Are you okay?” she asks, stepping through the door he holds open. She slides her coat off and holds it in her arms.
“I’ve been better.” Declan snaps his fingers, and the dog walks over to a bed in the corner and lies down.
“Did something happen? Is it no longer a good night?” She turns, making to put her coat back on and leave through the still-open door, hoping she can flag the cab down again.
“Where are you going?” he asks.
Pausing inside the doorway, she glances at his confused expression and back at the door. “It doesn’t seem like it’s a good time for you. I thought you wanted me to leave.”
He steps toward her, putting a hand out to grasp her arm, but stops short of touching her. “No. No. I was worried.” She steps into his outstretched hand, making contact. Even through her coat, his touch heats her skin. His eyes dip down to his hand on her arm, then back to her eyes. “I didn’t know if you had broken down or if maybe your shithead ex showed up and…” He pauses. “My brain and demon instantly jumped to the worst thing.”
Her hand finds his and holds it as she steps aside, allowing him to finally close the door. Her free hand moves up, cupping the side of his face. “Declan, I’m okay.”
“I know. I see that.” The large dog comes out from the corner and headbutts her leg and then his hand. “This is Buckley by the way.”
“Hi, Buckley,” Eliana says before leaning over to pet his head. She smiles up at Declan. “It’s adorable that you were so concerned, but this is Leeside. The worst thing to happen here was when a flock of geese held up traffic for half an hour.”
He leans his cheek against her hand before turning his head and kissing her palm. “You’re right.”
“I know.” She winks. “I know all of this—” she motions to the general space around them, “is new, but you’ll have to trust that if something is wrong, I’ll let you know. And also, don’t be prepared to burn the world down at a moment’s notice.”
“Okay,” he replies, helping her take her coat off again and hanging it in the front closet. “But, I can’t promise not to be concerned about you. You’ve already been through so much. I can’t stand the thought of anything else happening to you.”
“I appreciate it, but you can’t protect me from everything.”
“I know. How about I’ll do my best not to turn into an overprotective demon?”
“I’ll accept that.”
“Good.” He pauses. “Can I hold you?” She nods, and before she can open her arms, he wraps his around her, pulling Eliana into him. Her body presses into his; their curves perfectly shaped for each other. Her hands splay on his chest, and he practically growls into the crook of her neck as he breathes her in. “I’ve missed being around you. Well, only you.”
Goosebumps move down her neck while he runs his nose up the side of it before nipping her earlobe. Giggling, she playfully pushes him away, trying to escape his hold. “Seriously, do you know how hard it was to keep my hands off you last night? Everest practically begged me to go out. I didn’t expect you to show up, and then when he made us sit with you…” His words trail off as he punctuates each of the rest of his thought with kisses on her neck, chin, nose, and tentatively ending with her lips, “It. Was. Pure. Torture.”
Her body melts into his, her hands roaming up his shoulders and wrapping around the back of his neck. His tongue slides along the end of her lips, tasting and teasing. When her lips part, he takes the invitation and nips them. The quick pinch of pressure sends fireworks throughout her, making her toes tingle and her nipples harden. Tilting her head, she opens her mouth further, allowing him in and meeting his tongue with hers. The kiss shifts from a slow, steady connection filled with longing to a more heated endeavor, hinting at their unspoken desires.
She’s still barely in the door, and they’ve already worked through his alpha-esque concern to now realizing they are finally alone and what that could entail. When he pulls away and begins kissing down her neck again, his hands roam her body before firmly gripping her ass and she moans into his ear. His hands slide down the back of her thighs, and she has enough time to clasp her hands together before she’s lifted off her feet and her legs wrap around his broad, strong back. Their lips crash together again, her hands gripping the braid on the back of his head, angling it so she can get deeper.
Declan somehow manages to walk them through the house to the living room, where he finds the couch and sits, unwrapping her legs from his midsection so she can straddle him more comfortably before he leans back completely. Once positioned, his large hands find her ass again, pulling her into him.
