Page 16

BEAU

I wake up from the best night of sleep in a long time. Poe’s still asleep and so is Creamsicle. Poe is handsome even with his eyes closed. His lashes are so long and thick. His horns are so shiny.

I can’t believe I made this sexy demon come with just my hands on his horns. I never had the horny teenager phase, but I imagine it awakening in me now, if that’s possible. Poe shifts in his sleep and he pulls me in closer, not that I mind. I love being so close. I rub my head along his chest. His heart beat is such a lovely sound to me, I want to just listen to it all day. At least until all the sounds around me get to be too much.

Sometimes, even when I’m cozy, I get irritated when too much noise hits my ears. That’s the one downside to living at the Boots’s house. There are six children, Sparkle, and their mom. It’s very loud until the kids go to bed, which can be a problem since I’m very nocturnal.

Poe’s hand drags down my back. “I can hear you think, sweetheart. What’s wrong?”

I press my nose to his chest and breathe. “Nothing. It’s all just noise in my head.”

He hugs me close before releasing. His morning wood tents the blanket and I swallow down nerves before saying, “Want some help with that?” I nod toward his dick.

Poe’s eyes squeeze closed. He sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

What’s wrong? What have I done? I scramble back, making sure the blanket keeps me covered. Creamsicle harrumphs at me as she slinks off the bed.

“Beau,” Poe starts. There’s a pained look on his face that causes my stomach to drop. I don’t like that look. What did I do?

“I’m sorry. Whatever I did. I’m so sorry .” Tears fill my eyes and I want to run away, but I’m stuck here until Poe takes me home. “I don’t know what I did. Please tell me so?—”

“What? No. You didn’t do anything. I’m the one that should be sorry.” Poe gazes at the ceiling. “But I’m not.”

“I—I don’t understand. You have to spell this out for me Poe, because I thought we had a lot of fun last night. Now I’m worrying that I did something to upset you.”

“No. No. It’s really not you.”

My heart shatters. The ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ that Sparkle warned me about. I gave Poe my first kiss. We came together. I would have given him even more.

“Beau, breathe for me.” He holds my face in his hands. “I shouldn’t have let things go as far as they did last night. I’m in a position of power and?—”

“I don’t care. I like you. A lot . You’re helping me with the storm problem and?—”

“But still?—”

“Are you ashamed of me?” I don’t know that I want to hear the answer.

“No.” He presses his forehead to mine. “I’m ashamed of how much I want you and shouldn’t.”

“Why shouldn’t you? Is it a demon thing?” I shake my head, knowing demons don’t care if their partners are demons.

“It’s complicated.” He won’t look at me.

Sparkle told me about the ‘it’s complicated’ problem, too.

Neither of us say anything more. I slide down and off the bed. “I’m going to go get dressed.” I grab Berry and race from Poe’s bedroom.

Maybe he doesn’t like morning activities. Maybe he wants to be the one in control. No, he let me lead last night. My steps falter. But he didn’t let me touch him. He stalled, not letting me experience giving my first blowjob.

What have I done? I squeeze Berry to my chest and quickly scamper the last few feet to my borrowed room. I close the door and slide down it. I messed up. I was too forward. Poe isn’t ready for anything more intimate than mutually coming. Am I ready for more? I bury my face into Berry and shake my head. What am I doing?