Page 19 of Hooked on a Demon (Leeside Witches #3)

Declan

S cents of peppermint and grapefruit fill his nose, making his brain go haywire as he realizes what he did. No, what he’s doing.

He’s kissing Eliana.

She said okay, which to him meant he was free to do what he’d been thinking about all morning.

She wasn’t wrong when she said he was looking at her like he wanted to do things to her.

With her. For her. It’s all he’s been able to think about since she walked into his shop with her broken-down car.

Everything he’s done since has been because of her.

Rejecting Becky. Trying to stay home more, despite Everest’s objections, so he didn’t risk doing something stupid.

Even turning down Charlie when they went for coffee.

All of it is for her.

Eliana had barely looked at him and he knew he didn’t want anyone else.

Which is such a strange thought. He’d never considered her in that way when they’d crossed paths before.

Maybe because he’s been too tied up in his freedom and the excitement of another conquest. Or maybe it was because she was a few years younger, so he only saw her as Everest’s little sister.

Whatever the reason, he realizes he was so wrong.

So very fucking wrong. His lips on hers tell him that with great certainty.

His free hand cups the side of her face briefly before sliding to the back of her neck, tilting her head back further, giving him better access.

Releasing her hand from behind her back, his other hand joins the one on the back of her neck.

She pushes her body against his as her hands work their way up his back.

Her mouth opens slowly, giving him opportunity to deepen the kiss, their tongues meeting tentatively at first, testing this new development.

She pushes her hips into him, and he groans into her mouth.

She swallows the sound hungrily while her hands find his hair, tangling her fingers into his braided mohawk, and pulls.

He groans again and nips her bottom lip. “Oaks,” he says, his voice low. Strained. More, his demon demands. And fuck if he doesn’t agree. He needs her. Needs more.

His tongue traces her lips, and she nips him back.

He tastes her again as she tugs on his hair, sending waves of heat through him.

His cock is already hard and throbbing in his jeans.

She grinds her hips into him, pushing against his cock, making him ache for more.

He pulls away, putting a little space between their bodies, and rests his forehead on hers. “Oaks. If you keep doing that…”

“What? What are you going to do?”

He sighs. “Nothing. Because as much as I want to, I will not have our first time being in the aisle of a theater where little kids are going to perform.”

She laughs before lifting her face to his again and kissing his lips gently.

Eliana brings her arms down and places her hands on his chest before reluctantly pushing herself out of his grasp, leaving him feeling adrift as he tries to find his sense of balance in a space without her in his arms, where she belongs.

Swiping a finger across her deliciously swollen lips, her gaze roams his body from head to toe, pausing briefly as she takes in the bulge in his pants.

“Like what you see?” he says, adjusting himself.

Her eyes flare with heat, and he knows she does, but she looks away, blushing. Fucking Hades, she’s gorgeous when she’s playing shy. She didn’t hesitate even once when he placed his mouth on hers. And that little challenge a second ago? Oh, she’s bolder than she likes to let on.

“We should get going,” she says, her eyes still on his crotch.

Leaving this moment is the last thing he wants to do, but he knows she’s right. He needs to get to the shop, and she needs to get back to the studio. “Lead the way.”

She turns, walking back down the aisle with her eyes on her phone, giving him the most glorious view of her ass in dance tights.

Mine, his demon growls.

Couldn’t agree more, buddy .

* * *

Back at the shop, all Declan can think of is how Eliana’s body felt pressed against his.

He’s had more than one of his mechanics snap their fingers in front of his face to get his attention back to what they were talking about.

Everything about that kiss was perfect. The taste of her lips.

How she smelled. The way her fingers wove into his hair as she took as much as she gave.

Every bit of it was better than he ever could have anticipated.

He certainly hadn’t planned to make out with her in the middle of the theater, but he’s definitely not complaining. Knowing that she is overseeing their work isn’t bad either. As he said, it helps to provide an excuse for why they will be seen together if anyone asks.

The biggest issue, of course, is going to be Everest. Fucking Everest. The best friend he’s ever had.

The one who has been with him for years now, by his side, cheering him on.

He even helped set up Hellbent Motors before it opened.

They spent days together painting, installing racks, and organizing tool kits.

Declan was the one who suggested keeping whatever it is he and Eliana are doing a secret from Everest, but it doesn’t mean he feels good about it.

He’s never had a secret from Everest, and with something this big, Declan knows there’s no way this won’t come back to bite him in the ass.

At the same time, if he can continue to feel even a fraction with Eliana that he felt with her today, whatever blowup Everest will have will have been worth it.

Or at least that’s what he hopes. Now, he has to figure out how to keep the fact that he’s dating his best friend’s little sister from his best friend, who also happens to be the guy he hangs out with most nights and who has a nasty habit of stopping by unannounced.

Declan runs his hand over his face, letting the frustration of the situation he got himself in wash over him for a minute before he stuffs the feeling away. It can be a problem for future-Declan to figure out.

“You ready, boss?” Sebastian asks, snapping Declan’s thoughts back to what he needs to focus on.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

As part of sponsoring the showcase, Declan offered to cover the cost of the materials they needed to build the stage sets.

June was more than happy with that offer, as lumber and fabric can escalate costs rapidly.

She gave him a list to help, and while Declan doesn’t intend to go wild with the materials, he is thankful that Hellbent Motors is doing well enough to cover the cost easily.

Thus, the task this afternoon is to go shopping with Sebastian and get their required pieces delivered to the theater.

“You got a list, boss?”

“Yes,” Declan replies, handing over the piece of paper to him. “And I’ve told you, you don’t need to call me boss all the time.”

“Okay, boss.”

Declan laughs, Sebastian not even noticing what he did.

Instead, Sebastian’s eyes are laser-focused on the paper, likely memorizing it or mentally placing it in the best shopping order.

He’s still a kid, really, at only twenty-one, but he’s probably one of Declan’s best guys.

Sebastian is great when it comes to attention to detail and has a memory like no one else.

He can be a bit awkward with customers, but he tries hard and is always eager to help or learn more.

They climb into Declan’s truck and make their way to the local hardware and lumber store.

It’s not a far drive (it never is in Leeside), but he and Sebastian chat a bit on the way.

Declan is forever amazed at how Sebastian’s brain works and how it picks out different problems or patterns.

Along the way, the kid shares about his own experience at the theater when he was young, and when he looks back at the list again, he shares that they’ll likely need more of the materials than what’s listed.

“No problem. Put in what you think we’ll need,” Declan says, pulling into a parking spot.

With the numbers corrected and Sebastian’s perfected shopping order, they zoom through the store, tossing whatever they need in the cart and then ordering their lumber.

It takes a little less than an hour, and they are on their way back to the shop.

As they get out, Sebastian stops and turns to Declan. “Everything alright?” Declan asks.

“Yeah, boss. Wanted to say thank you for taking me. I want to be a business owner like you someday, and I appreciate being able to do things like this. It shows me how I can be a good business owner.”

The sentiment takes Declan off guard. That’s not at all what he expected, and fuck if it doesn’t make him tear up a little. It’s hard to know if he’s making a difference, but for Sebastian to say that. It means so much.

“Thanks, Sebastian. That means a lot.” Declan rubs his eye, ridding it of the tear that has escaped. “Anytime you wanna talk business, say so.”

“Thanks, boss.” Sebastian then turns on his heel and darts back into the shop, ready for whatever task is next.