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Her eyes widened, and she reached for it greedily. She moaned as she took a long sip, causing my dick to stiffen and my stomach to growl.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Ah, well, don’t thank me yet. I might have bumped into your mother while I was out—”

“No!” she ground out. “Urgh, she’ll never let me live this down.”

I’d guessed as much from her mother figurativelyspilling the teaon Lex when we were at the tea shop. I now knew everything about my mate, from the time she was four years old and was too stubborn to admit that she needed to use the bathroom on a long car journey to Disney World, resulting in her pooping her pants and her parents having to find the nearest detailer, to her best friend being a wolf shifter. I should’ve felt bad knowing so much about my mate, but I just couldn’t quite bring myself to feel repentant. Especially not when I’d had the privilege of listening to how my fierce and independent mate came to be.

Also, her mom was quite intimidating. I didn’t think she would have let me leave even if I had wanted to.

“She told you the car ride to Disney World story?”

I nodded, and she groaned.

“You had better have an equally embarrassing pants-pooping story to offer in exchange for that one.”

I held my hand to my heart, an exaggeratedly somber look on my face. “Alas, I do not. I was born fully formed, albeitpainfullyimmature, but fully potty-trained nonetheless. Can Ioffer you a struck-by-lightning-and-falling-out-of-the-sky story instead?”

Her eyes widened, then narrowed. I might have played the worst day of my life off with a bit more humor than was warranted, but it was worth it to see the twitch of a smile as Lex said, “Not a fair exchange, but I’ll think about it.”

“There’s one more thing,” I added, getting an odd sense of enjoyment at Lex’s only half-serious annoyance. “We’re going to have dinner with your family tomorrow.”

Surprisingly, instead of seeming annoyed, she snorted a laugh. “Good luck.”

“Good luck? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, you’ll see,” she said with a finality that told me that, even under torture, she would not reveal what awaited me tomorrow.

“I might take the apology tea back,” I said, my eyebrow cocking at her.

She held it defensively to her chest. “It was a gift. No take-backsies on a gift.”

A huge relief settled over me. This was nice, the banter and jokes. It made me feel better about being the weird sex-demon couch surfer.

My stomach gave a rumble, and I winced at the stab of pain deep in my gut. I’d literally eaten three lunches at the three different restaurants the town had to offer, and it’d hardly made one iota of difference.

“I’ve been thinking about our situation,” Lex said. “You don’t have to have full-on sex to feed, do you?”

I shook my head. Shealready knew the answer from our exchange at breakfast, but I clarified, “Well, what constitutes as full-on sex is different for everyone. But, for me, it’s penetrative sex. And I haven’t done that in years.”

Lex snorted. “Be serious. So... you can feed in other ways?”

Now wasn’t the time to tell my mate about the sex ban—which had been fully and gladly lifted the moment she’d summoned me. “I can survive off being near someone with strong sexual desires.” Lex’s face flushed and, yeah, she totally knew I’d been feeding while she masturbated last night. “It’s enough to keep me alive.”

“Staying alive and being full are too different things,” she said, her voice quiet but inquisitive.

Okay... my mate was definitely leading up to something. I couldn’t help my voice becoming raspy and seductive as I took a step toward her, breathing in her spiced desire as I said, “I’m usually full if I’m the reason someone orgasms.”

Lex gulped, and I suddenly realized that this might be a bit too quick for her.

I stepped back. “But... I mean... desire from afar will be enough for now... if that’s... something that works for you.” Had I just asked my mate out loud to feel free to rub one out in another room so I could feed?Urgh, I’d never felt so awkward talking about sex before. This was supposed to come naturally to me.I’m a motherfucking sex demon! I’ve done this for the last decade of my life, and never had an issue. But the moment I meet my mate, I’m stumbling on my words and cumming in my pants.

Thankfully, Lex didn’t balk. “Anyway,” she drawled out, determined to ignore my last statement, “I have had some time to think and, while it wasn’t my intention to summon you, it’smy responsibility that you are here.”

“Lex, you don’t have to do anything you—”

Lex held up her hand. “I know I’m not obliged to do anything. And neither are you. That being said, I am part succubus, and while my...needs... are nowhere near as potent as yours, I would like to see them... satiated.” I didn’t know how or why, but Lex talking like a lawyer wasreallydoing it for me. “If you are interested, I am open to exploring this”—she gestured her hand between me and her—“further, in a slow and mutual way.”