Page 13 of Cooking Up a Demon (Ghostlight Falls #5)

“ Honey, I’m home.” I call, letting myself into the cottage. I walk into the kitchen to find Kallax standing at the stove wearing nothing but his leather pants and a frilly white apron I’d bought him as a joke months ago.

He insists on wearing it when cooking and cleaning. I can’t decide if it’s because I gave it to him or because he knows it amuses me and is trying to make me laugh.

“How was work?” Kallax asks, blowing over a spoonful of red sauce. He offers the spoon to me, and I taste it. I let out a small moan as flavor explodes over my tongue.

Kallax doesn’t eat. Not people food. He told me once he sips off of other’s sins when he encounters them, but he doesn’t drain anyone. Since people aren’t dropping dead all over Ghostlight Falls, I believe him.

One of the things he’s found great joy in since moving topside is cooking. I thought he was just doing it to please me at first, because he’s that kind of demon, but he really seems to like doing it.

“Perfect.” I say, releasing the spoon from my mouth. “Work was good. Biggest group for book club yet.”

For the last few months, I’ve managed to grow my first book club to fifteen members.

Plus, there has been enough interest to start two more for contemporary romance and mystery novels.

My schedule is filled with local and visiting authors looking for places to hold book release parties or small signings.

I even have a wedding booked for next month.

The satisfaction of seeing the bookstore grow is so huge I don’t know how to handle it sometimes. It’s nothing compared to what I feel coming home to Kallax every day.

He’s everything I’ve ever wanted and gave up believing I could have. He doesn’t mind I hate mornings and like going to bed early. He enjoys caring for me. And I enjoy caring for him.

“I ran into Kyle today.” I say casually, setting my bag on the island before jumping up to sit on the laminate top.

Kallax doesn’t say anything, but turns back to the sauce, adding a pinch more salt before setting it to simmer. He reaches for a stockpot and fills it with water for the pasta.

“He says he might need an extra set of hands in the kitchen. You know, if you’re interested.” For weeks now, I’ve been trying to convince Kallax to get out of the house. As much as I love having him to myself, it’s not fair of me or good for him to be stuck in my house all the time.

For the moment, I’m keeping store hours down to what I can manage on my own and don’t have a need for a second seller. I have plans to expand in the winter, but I don’t think Kallax will find satisfaction in selling romance novels. The demon belongs in the kitchen.

“Why are you trying to get rid of me?” Kallax asks, setting the pot on the stove to boil.

“You know I’m not.” I grab his arm and tug on it until he turns around and I can drag him into my arms. “But I think you should get out more. You could do the early shifts while I’m working and we could still spend all night together.”

“I’ll think about it.” Kallax drops a kiss to my lips, and I wrap my arms and legs around him, holding him to me.

We stay like that, kissing until the beeper goes off to remind Kallax to add the pasta to the pot.

I slide off the island and go upstairs to take a quick shower while he finishes dinner.

When I come back downstairs, he’s set up the small table on the deck with dinner, wine, and even lit a couple of candles.

My first thought is to ask what the occasion is, but there isn’t one. Kallax just does stuff like this. He likes taking care of me, spoiling me, loving me. And I’ll never get enough of it.

“I still owe you a favor,” I tell him. He makes it hard to do favors for him. He prefers doing things for me. It’s maddening.

“How about today, you just love me?”

“I do that every day.”

“Then it should be easy.”

“You’re infuriating.”

“And you love it.”

I do.

I came to Oregon nine months ago with a broken heart looking for a fresh start. And I got everything I could have dreamed of and more. Ghostlight Falls is the weirdest town on Earth but it is the place that gave me a home, friends, and the love of my life. I never want to be anywhere else.