Page 76 of Demon's Desire

Nico could handle Michael, especially if he was inclined to run at the smallest provocation. Rowan had his hands full. The possibility of the Orlovs returning was a much more serious problem. Not to mention the bounty on the demons. Rowan had said he’d try to figure out who’d set it.

It wasn’t like Michael could get to Nico at home. If he’d been trying to grab a blood sample to break past Nico’s protections, he was barking up the wrong tree. It might have helped if Nico had hired a security witch, but that wouldn’t do a thing against the demons’ spells.

At The Herb Emporium, Nico unlocked the grate and opened the shop. As he turned on the coffee machine, he texted Rowan back.

Nico:

Na. All good.

I promised Michael’s ex I’d tell her if I spotted him, so she might want someone around her place.

Rowan:

No problem. Let me know what she needs.

Nico poured his coffee and called Evelyn. As they talked, Harper appeared and made himself a coffee before retreating to the main shop area. Luckily, Evelyn hadn’t seen Michael around her place. She lived on the other side of the city but asked for one of the Valeros to come by that evening around the time she’d be returning from work. Just in case.

Once all that was coordinated, Nico topped off his coffee and joined Harper out front.

“How was the concert the other night?”Nico asked.

Harper lit up. “Amazing. I wasn’t familiar with the band, but it was so fun.”

“I’m glad.”

“How about you, good weekend?”

Nico sipped his coffee. He’d never imagined he’d come to the younger man for advice, but here he was, hoping Harper had answers.

“My weekend was good. I hung out with Onyx yesterday.”

Harper set his mug aside, shifting closer. “Ash mentioned that when he went over to protect your place. So you and Onyx are…” He gave Nico the politest, yet most curious look imaginable.

Nico resisted the urge to fidget. Going by Harper’s knowing look, he suspected Nico and Onyx had done more than hang out.

“We’re getting to know each other. I like him,” Nico admitted.

Harper bit his lip, thankfully too polite to press.

Nico soldiered on. “Can I ask you something, between us?”

Harper’s eager expression turned serious. “Sure.”

Nico’s cheeks heated. Now that he was about to say it out loud, being Onyx’s mate seemed a hell of a lot more ridiculous. He cleared his throat. “What was it like being Ash’s mate before you knew about the bond? Could you tell something was happening?”

If Harper was surprised, he hid it well. More likely, he’d seen this coming. “Yeah, I could tell. I was overly attached to Ash, no matter how much I told myself I shouldn’t be.” Harper’s cheeks stained red, and he adjusted his glasses. “We had a one-night stand, and I couldn’t get over him. Then, when we reconnected, I had this urge to trust him even though I didn’t know him.”

Harper was one of the least trusting people Nico knew. It had to have been an effect of the mating bond.

Nico trusted Onyx, but that made sense after getting to know him, so it was harder to be sure if it was a sign. “Before, you said Ash was drawn to you. Do you think it went both ways?”

Harper’s face split into a wide grin. “Yeah. Ollie said that when he first met Dante, it was like something was pulling them together. I felt that too. Especially being physically close to Ash.” His cheeks darkened.

“Was being intimate with Ash different than other people?” Sex with Onyx was like nothing Nico had experienced, and it wasn’t about his demon features or magic slick, even if those things blew Nico’s mind. It wasn’t even about Onyx’s attractiveness or their perfectly aligned kinks. Their connection went beyond physical.

That second time in his bed, Nico swore something came alive between them.

Harper averted his gaze. “I can’t really say. Um. I wasn’t super experienced before Ash.”