Page 28 of Demon's Mate
“Right.” Onyx turned away and opened the fridge, clearly done with the conversation.
“It is right.” Dante stood straighter. “Just be wary of any witches you meet, even if they can’t see through our human illusions and know who we are at a glance. We don’t need the trouble of dealing with hunters. Witches have bested demons before, and we don’t know if these ones want to hand us over or kill us. Now, let’s reinforce the house and discuss what kind of prison we might create for Luc.”
Ash had to admit that designing a prison for their dear old friend didn’t sound like a bad way to spend the day.
10
HARPER
Harper emergedfrom his room around midday. He yawned, jaw cracking. Maybe he should go back to bed.
Poor sleep wasn’t unusual. Harper spent hours awake in the middle of the night more often than not. That didn’t mean Ash costing him sleep didn’t sting.
He’d tossed and turned until he’d heard Ollie come home, then listened to Ollie move around the apartment, hoping the sounds of someone else would settle him. It hadn’t worked. He’d eventually gotten up and brewed potions just for something to do.
He was paying for it now.
Ollie was curled up in his usual spot on the couch in the living room. “Hey.” He gave Harper a tired smile. “There’s coffee in the kitchen.”
“Thanks.” Harper still needed to go grocery shopping. It was lucky Ollie seemed happy to share everything with him.
With a mug of coffee in hand, Harper sat across from Ollie. He sniffed. Was that Ash’s spicy cologne? Oh, fuck no. His insides curled and he cringed into his coffee. Somethingworse than embarrassment tugged at his chest, almost like he longed for Ash’s embrace despite his humiliation.
It didn’t make sense to be drawn to Ash after the way he’d left, no matter how good kissing and coming with him had felt. How sad was it that even a guy who’d run off like an absolute dick was the best Harper had ever had?
“You good?” Ollie peered over his mug, attention sharp despite appearing hung over. Some of what Harper was feeling must have shown on his face.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Harper tried to act like a guy whowasperfectly fine. This was how people smiled and talked, right?
Ollie sat up a little straighter, looking less than convinced, worry creasing his brow. “You sure? Was everything good with that guy?”
Harper’s face flamed and he looked away as memories from last night flooded his mind. “Yeah,” he repeated.
Parts of it were good. Really good. Nothing truly bad had happened, and Harper knew what that was like.
“Last night kind of blew my mind,” he admitted, returning Ollie’s gaze and choosing to focus on the best parts of the evening, even if it strangled his heart. “I didn’t know it could be like that.”
“Oh?” Ollie cocked a brow, looking intrigued and maybe a little relieved to hear it had gone well.
Harper ignored his hot face. Was it normal to have amazing sex with someone only to realize they were a jerk? He almost asked. He wanted to talk to Ollie, share some of his experiences so they could get to know each other like real friends.
“Yeah, I, uh, wasn’t expecting it to be so…” Nope. He’d burn alive if he continued. “I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to meet guys before.”
Ollie sipped his coffee. “You said your familywas strict?”
Harper nodded. “We lived in an isolated area. Nothing like Shearwater Landing. People didn’t visit us often. Anyway…I keep thinking about last night compared to my past experiences. Even the ones that weren’t so bad were nothing like it, and now I’m thinking about all the shitty things that happened before.”
He didn’t add that he was stuck on people who’d hurt him because Ash had made him feel used or that he’d had a flashback in front of Ash. But even that was complicated. Ash had soothed Harper, not making a big deal out of it, which was exactly what he’d needed. If everything else had gone well, Harper didn’t think he’d have been so down today or been quite as hung up on the past.
He’d had more than amazing sex with Ash. That was what was so confusing.
Harper had whiplash. He didn’t want to remember how safe he’d felt in Ash’s arms. He wanted to forget the obviously misplaced feeling and move on. It meant nothing, even if Harper wished it meant something.
If only the encounter had been uncomplicatedly good, he could have one happy memory that wasn’t tainted. Shouldn’t he be able to have that now that he’d escaped everything crushing him?
It made sense when cruel people discarded him. Like the guy visiting his family’s compound from another coven a few years ago, who’d sweet-talked Harper just enough to convince Harper to give him a few blowjobs but had never returned the favor. He’d been Harper’s first, and Harper had been naïve, willing to get on his knees and ignore how the guy treated him when they weren’t alone. Hell, he’d ignored the fact that the guy didn’t touch him other than what was necessary to get his cock in Harper’s mouth. Harper had been desperate for anything remotely like affection and had fallen forempty promises.
It hadn’t been a great situation, and Harper could now see how that guy’s behavior predicted how he’d dismissed him in the end.
