Page 65 of Demon's Mate

Harper:

I’d love one.

Ash:

Perfect. I’m downstairs.

Harper buzzed Ash into the building, and he headed to the top floor and knocked on Harper’s door.

“You really didn’t have to,” Harper said as he opened the door, grinning wide.

Ash handed him the hazelnut almond latte. “When it makes you this happy, I couldn’t possibly do anything else.”

Harper let out a short laugh, eyes widening a fraction. “Thanks.”

Ash followed Harper to the living room and handed him the pastry before sitting on the couch. Harper sat beside him, and Ash dragged him onto his lap, humming at Harper’s nearness.

Harper leaned into Ash and sipped his coffee. “How was your evening?”

“Fine.” Ash didn’t want to broach the subject of meeting the other demons yet. “And yours?”

“Ollie and I cooked dinner and watched a movie. It was fun.” Harper opened the bag and pulled out the pastry. “He had lots of questions about you.”

“Did he?” Ash smiled and buried his nose in Harper’s hair.

“He wants to know if we’re dating, like a couple.”

Ash chuckled, pulling back. “Olliewants to know if we’re a couple?”

Harper’s cheeks flushed. “Okay, I want to know too. Is this casual dating, or what? I don’t know how demons date, and I like having this stuff clear so I don’t get the wrong idea.” He averted his eyes, inspecting the pastry.

“Being clear is a good place to start. There’s no reason to keep you guessing, sweet.” Ash wrapped an arm around his mate. Harper should know how much he cared. It was vital after the way others had treated him. “I’d like for us to be a couple, making this more than casual dating, and if it’s not too soon to be exclusive, I’d like that too.”

“It’s not too soon,” Harper murmured, his soft voice carrying a hint of surprise. “Exclusive sounds good. I don’t think casual is for me.”

“Me either,” Ash agreed.

Harper’s brows pinched in momentary confusion. “Cool, we’ve got that in common then.”

Ash purred softly as they drank their coffees, his hand slipping under Harper’s T-shirt to rest on his belly. Harper let out a soft little sigh and squirmed in Ash’s lap.

Connecting with his mate wasn’t all about physical touch, but it heightened their interactions. Was it too much to always be touching Harper? Probably.

“Is there anywhere you’d like to go today?” Ash asked as Harper set his empty cup on the coffee table.

“Anywhere I’d like to go? What do you mean?”

Ash wasn’t admitting to how much time he’d spent watching Harper—not until he revealed what being mates meant—but he couldn’t ignore Harper’s fear of leaving home.

“I’d understand if what happened at the port has been bothering you, Harper. You’re hiding from your coven, and such a close call would make anyone think twice about walking around the city. So, if there’s anywhere you need to go or things you need to do, I’m happy to accompany you.”

Harper turned to stare at him, chewing his lower lip, studying Ash like he was trying to read his mind. Eventually, he muttered, “I haven’t left the house since I was attacked.”

Ash tightened his arm around Harper, his other hand resting on Harper’s knee. “Would it help if I was with you? We could go out together.”

Harper looked away. “I shouldn’t be scared. I’m not helpless, so I don’t know why I’m acting like this.”

“Of course you’re not helpless.” Ash rubbed his hand up and down Harper’s thigh. “You’re brewing a powerful potion and dealing with something incredibly difficult. You can have whatever feelings you want, and none of them make you any less capable.”