Page 31 of Demon Heart: The Complete Series

H eavy rain woke me up.

Xavier. I’d asked the demon to sleep with me—for actual sleeping. His arm lay across me, his hand on my chest, his breath tickling the back of my neck.

No regrets. No squirming. I wanted him to be there, to hold me. It’d been such a long time since anyone held me and it felt so good. Demon or not, being held in bed took a lot to surpass.

Especially when you’re lonely.

I stayed put, reveling in the forbidden. Too comfy to move, even though my mouth smelled like a sewer, my skin was in need of a hot shower, and morning wood strained against my jeans. Plus, I hurt all over.

Last night’s shenanigans came back to me in all their painful glory. Especially the ball sack to the face.

Gross. So vile. I hadn’t paid a visit to the bathroom to scrub my skin or check my throbbing cheek, meaning there may well be traces of demon scrotum sweat on my face.

“Oh. Shit.”

“What’s the matter?” Xavier’s sensual tones were practically kisses on my neck.

A sharp intake of breath, my dick responding with a pleasant twitch.

“I have to get up.”

“Okay,” he whispered, lifting his arm.

I slid off the bed, hurrying through the dark.

“Roman?”

Xavier’s voice stopped me in my tracks. “Yeah?”

“Good morning.”

I glanced behind me, his silhouette sitting up on the bed. Man, how nice to crawl back over there and maybe?—

Ball sweat!

“Morning.” I hit the bathroom, stripping quickly, the hot water a huge relief when I dragged my body under it.

I used a whole bottle of shower gel, too much shampoo, and half a tube of face scrub to remove last night from my skin, not satisfied until the water ran cold.

Eventually, I stepped out of the shower smelling of almonds, the room full of steam.

Much better.

Now for the pain.

Wrapping a towel around my waist, draping another across my shoulders, I padded back to my bedroom, clicking on the light.

Xavier still sat where I’d left him, a pillow propped up behind him.

“You smell nice,” he said, eyes gleaming.

“Thanks.” I gathered up underwear, black trackies, a gray sweater, and my slippers. “I’ll be back in moment.”

“Where are you going?”

“To change.”

“You can change here. I won’t look. I promise.”

“I’d rather…” I paused as he turned the other way, examining a crossword book he’d picked up from my bedside table.

I changed at a normal speed, no bashfulness. What would be the point of that? And he didn’t look up anyway, keeping to his word.

“Photosynthesis,” he said.

“What?”

“One across, fourteen letters. Your crossword.”

“You can look up now.”

He did. “Photosynthesis.” His eyes roamed my body.

“Fill it in.” I combed back my hair, wincing. “I’m on painkiller duty.”

“You look relaxed, despite the bruise.”

I checked the mirror. A purple smear on my right cheek, right under the eye. “Great.”

“Does it hurt?” he asked.

“Not too bad.” Hopefully the queen wouldn’t pay me another visit today. I couldn’t deal with concocting an explanation.

After dealing with King Basile, I could blame it on my mission.

“Breakfast?” I asked.

“I love breakfast,” he replied. “May I use your shower first?”

“Course. Crumpets and tea? Regular tea, no chamomile.”

“Yes, please.”

“I take my crumpets with baked beans and two fried eggs. Fancy that? I’ve got jam and stuff if not.”

He smiled. “I’ll try your specialty.”

“I’d hardly call it a specialty, but cool. Let me get you some towels.”

“Thank you.”

He is intriguing, confusing, beautiful, deadly. I want to know him, to explore everything that makes him Roman.

Should I talk to him about his amazing truth? Leave it alone? I mean, where could it really go? It’s not like we had the freedom to go on a date. Stroll through Soho to find a café and talk the morning away as we dug deeper into each other’s lives.

But we could do it here.

Remember the rules!

Too late for that.

I handed him the towels. “I’ll get on it.”

“Thank you.”

I left him in my bedroom, questions on my lips, checking on Darcy. He slept soundly in his cage, buried under his favorite straw bedding. My little friend wouldn’t be getting up yet, acknowledging this time of day unthinkable to him.

Leaving the living room door ajar, I heard Xavier move across the hall, the bathroom door shutting behind him. His sexy scent wafted around me, potent enough to make me fantasize about him and me under the hot spray, his hands all over my body.

I shook it off, getting to work on breakfast, opening the kitchen window to listen to the rain. Sometimes, the sounds of a downpour were soothing for a weary soul. And I dabbled in weariness for sure. When this King Basile thing was over, I’d be putting in a request for time off.

Eggs, baked beans, and crumpets at the ready, I fired up the kettle and the grill, popping Synth pills, geared up for a hearty breakfast and a whole day of much-needed rest.

Suddenly there was a heavy pounding on the door.

Shit. Had Tanith found us?

I retrieved my dagger from my bedroom, the pounding harder.

Xavier opened the bathroom door, naked, hair dripping wet. Ready to kill.

I checked the peephole, my blood running cold. I faced him, feeling the color drain from my face.

“Who is it?” he mouthed.

“The queen.”