Page 15 of Dead & Dating
I laugh, shaking my head even as my body responds to him, my cock twitching in my pants. "Death is going to get angry."
"Deathisangry," a deep voice says behind us, and I spin around to find Duske standing a few inches away, his arms crossed over his chest. His face is contorted with mild irritation, his dark eyes flashing with annoyance. "Because starting shit like that brings more attention."
I wince, shrinking back slightly. Duske doesn't get angry often. He's usually the calm, collected one but when he does, it's not pretty. I'm about to apologize when I hear soft laughter beside us, and I drop my gaze to see Esme standing there, her hand pressed to her mouth as she tries to stifle her giggles.
She's looking at the dancing cookies, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement, and the sight of her so happy makes my chest ache in the best way. Duske's anger falters immediately, his expression softening as he looks at her, and I can see the way his gaze lingers on her face, drinking in every detail.
He waves his hand, and the cookies fall to the ground, lifeless once more. The little girl pouts, her bottom lip jutting out, but her mother looks relieved, quickly ushering her away from the display.
"It's time to go," Duske says, his tone gentler now. "We have everything we need."
Esme mutters something under her breath, and I lean in to catch it. "Party pooper."
The look Duske gives her is full of so much heat that I realize maybe we've all been waiting for the right moment to have Esme. It's not just about her being back or her scent finally coming in. It's about this, about the way she challenges him, the way she makes him feel things he's not used to feeling. And judging by the way his gaze darkens and the way his jaw tightens, he's done waiting.
I glance at Vesper, and he's watching them too, amusement written all over his face. He leans in, his lips brushing against my ear again. "Told you. Tonight."
We head toward the checkout, Duske leading the way with Esme at his side. She's still holding his arm, her fingers curled around his bicep, and I can see the way she leans into him, seeking his warmth and his protection. Vesper and I follow behind, our hands brushing as we walk, the tension between the four of us almost electric. I don’t even focus on anything else other than Esme’s little sighs and smiles as she takes in the surroundings.
By the time we step back out onto the pavement, I feel like my heart is going to explode out of my chest at how happy she is. Esme tilts her head back, closing her eyes as the warmth washes over her. "I missed this," she says softly, her voice filled with wonder. "I missed feeling the sun on my face."
Duske's hand comes up to rest on the small of her back. "We'll make sure you get to feel it every day."
She looks up at him, her blue eyes searching his face, and I can see the way her expression softens, the trust and affection written all over her features. "You promise?"
"I promise," Duske offers.
I know that Duske believes that, too. That whatever ideas he has up his sleeve might very well allow us to have Esme back with us all over again.
Chapter 9
Esme
Curled up in Vesper's lap, my back pressed against his chest, Milo feeds me bites of a turkey club sandwich. Strangely, it was the one thing I wanted the moment we got home. It's such a normal thing, too, sitting here eating a sandwich like I'm not technically dead, like my entire world hasn't been turned upside down in the span of a week. But I wanted something normal, something that didn't involve existential crises or conversations about transition states or my sister killing me.
I hum as Milo brings another bite to my lips, the flavors exploding on my tongue. Turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and some kind of roasted tomato dressing, all of it perfectly balanced and delicious. I chew slowly, savoring every last bit as Milo grins at me like I've just given him the greatest compliment in the world.
"Good?" he asks, his green eyes sparkling.
"So good," I say, swallowing. "You make the best sandwiches." My mind wanders, wondering what kind of demon he is, what he would like, and how much fun it would be to play with his tail.The moment my scent sweetens, though. I clear my throat and throw him a timid smile, the Beta’s nostrils flaring for a second before he just moves on like I wasn’t thinking about him fucking me.
Milo preens, his chest puffing out just a little. "I know."
Vesper's arms tighten around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder as Milo continues to feed me. They didn’t really do this before, although Vesper loved holding me and I found his lap one of the best places in the world. Maybe it’s my newly awoken Omega instincts but I like being taken care of, held,touched.Even the brief touches Duske was giving me all afternoon have me on cloud 9.
I twist around to find Duske who’s sitting across the table, his sandwich untouched. His dark eyes are locked on my face, his expression unreadable, my cheeks heating under the weight of his stare. My scent blooms in response, his jaw tightening as he shifts backward a little.
The room gets a little darker, the shadows in the corners thickening and stretching toward us like they're alive. The temperature drops, just slightly, but enough that a shiver runs down my spine. Duske curses under his breath, his hands clenching into fists on the table, and then he abruptly stands up, the chair scraping against the floor.
"I need a minute," he mutters and then he heads upstairs.
I frown, watching him go, completely confused on what just happened. "What's wrong with him?" The room returns to normal, the afternoon sunlight spilling through the windows again, like Duske took the darkness with him. Milo just looks lost, his gaze darting between me and the stairs. Vesper doesn't say anything, his arms still wrapped around me, and I twist in his lap to look at him. "What's going on?"
Vesper's eyes meet mine, something cautious in his expression. "Give him a minute, princess."
I shake my head, pulling away from him. "No. Something's wrong, and I want to know what it is."
I start to stand, ready to march upstairs and confront Duske, but Vesper catches my hand, pulling me back to his side. "Hey, give him a minute."
