Page 43 of Hellfire & Tinsel
“You look good,” Kassel said, looking down at his own clothes. He tried to appear as stoic as usual, but Beau caught sight of a claw poking through the human skin he was wearing. “I don’t think we match.”
“Yeah, about that.” Beau walked over and traced his finger over the collar of the beige shirt Kassel had on. “How do you feel about going to the concert as Kassel?”
“In my demon form?”
Beau nodded, letting his fingers slip under the collar and brush against the unfamiliar skin. “In your true form, yes.”
“Won’t you mind being by yourself again?” Kassel asked, looking between his eyes.
Beau shook his head. “No, I meant demon and visible.”
Kassel was visibly confused. “You want me to be visible as a demon in a human setting?”
Beau nodded.
“I don’t believe that is wise,” Kassel said, but Beau smiled gently and placed his open palm on Kassel’s chest.
Goodness, but he was so warm, so inviting and comforting. Beau wanted to stay glued to him forever. But the real Kassel, not the human impersonation he felt compelled to adopt. Hedidn’t like that at all. He wanted the purple skin and all of the jewel-colored eyes. He wanted the tail and the horns and the leather and the sheer monstrous size of Kassel next to him.
He had a sneaking suspicion about what it all meant. This burning need for Kassel, the fact that he felt more drawn to a demon than he ever had a human being.
He shied away from the answer, not ready to acknowledge it.
“It’ll be okay,” Beau said, looking up through his lashes and hoping it came across as he’d seen it described in countless romance novels as a teenager. Tempting and seductive. He didn’t think he had any of that in him, but maybe Kassel didn’t know any better about humans so it could work. “Trust me?”
Kassel raised his hand and placed it on top of Beau’s on his chest, a glimmer washing over him as his pale human skin turned purple. The hand covering Beau’s grew until it engulfed it completely, and despite the added height from his boots, Beau still had to crane his neck to keep looking at Kassel when his body expanded into his demon form.
Colorful eyes blinked at Beau, and he found himself holding in a breath. Kassel was stunning. Everything about him was beyond beautiful, and even though Beau knew that probably wasn’t the word you used to describe a demon from Hell, he couldn’t fight his own mind. Kassel was beautiful to him. He said what he said. Thought what he thought. Whatever.
“This better?” Kassel asked when he’d finished changing the clothes from preppy to something like what he’d been wearing when Beau first summoned him. A leather jacket with nothing underneath, matching leather pants, and boots that looked like they could stomp the life out of someone. Which they probably could, Beau had no idea.
“You look amazing,” he whispered, stepping closer to Kassel and lifting both hands until they were wrapped around thedemon’s neck. He coiled himself as close as he could, tilting his head and pressing his cheek against Kassel’s bare chest.
The silence beneath Kassel’s skin should have been unnerving. No heartbeat, no hum of blood traveling through his veins. Just complete, dead silence. Beau found himself drowning in it and loving every second. If he closed his eyes it felt like he was floating through nothingness, and it soothed him like a lullaby.
He breathed Kassel’s scent in and cuddled closer, relief washing over him when he felt one of Kassel’s hands settling on the small of his back and the other gripping his hip. It sent a jolt of heat through him that landed in his groin.
“Maybe we should just stay in,” he whispered, letting his lips brush over Kassel’s chest.
“We have concert tickets.” Kassel’s voice was a rumble under Beau’s cheek.
“They can go to waste,” Beau said, already getting caught up in this push and pull.
Kassel’s hands left his hips and back to settle on his shoulders. He felt himself being pushed away and whined at the loss of contact.
“I was looking forward to it,” Kassel said.
Beau squinted at him in suspicion. “You were?”
“I found the activities we have done so far amusing,” he said. “I have no reason to think the concert will be any different.”
“Yeah, I think you might enjoy it,” Beau said, realizing he really should take Kassel to the concert and show him a good time. “Fine, we can go. But cuddles and kisses when we get back?”
“As you wish,” Kassel said, and for a second Beau wanted to protest and make sure Kassel knew he could say no to him whenever he wanted. He wasn’t obligated to indulge Beau’s need to constantly be glued to him. He opened his mouth to say just that, but Kassel swished his tail and wrapped it around Beau’swrist, pulling him toward the door. “I’m not opposed to cuddling or kissing you, Beau.”
“You aren’t?” Beau felt something bloom in his chest.
“No,” Kassel said, and the simple word made Beau skip his way toward the venue where the concert was to take place.
