Page 29 of Hooked on a Demon (Leeside Witches #3)

Goosebumps move down her neck while he runs his nose up the side of it before nipping her earlobe.

Giggling, she playfully pushes him away, trying to escape his hold.

“Seriously, do you know how hard it was to keep my hands off you last night? Everest practically begged me to go out. I didn’t expect you to show up, and then when he made us sit with you…

” His words trail off as he punctuates each of the rest of his thought with kisses on her neck, chin, nose, and tentatively ending with her lips, “It. Was. Pure. Torture.”

Her body melts into his, her hands roaming up his shoulders and wrapping around the back of his neck.

His tongue slides along the end of her lips, tasting and teasing.

When her lips part, he takes the invitation and nips them.

The quick pinch of pressure sends fireworks throughout her, making her toes tingle and her nipples harden.

Tilting her head, she opens her mouth further, allowing him in and meeting his tongue with hers.

The kiss shifts from a slow, steady connection filled with longing to a more heated endeavor, hinting at their unspoken desires.

She’s still barely in the door, and they’ve already worked through his alpha-esque concern to now realizing they are finally alone and what that could entail.

When he pulls away and begins kissing down her neck again, his hands roam her body before firmly gripping her ass and she moans into his ear.

His hands slide down the back of her thighs, and she has enough time to clasp her hands together before she’s lifted off her feet and her legs wrap around his broad, strong back.

Their lips crash together again, her hands gripping the braid on the back of his head, angling it so she can get deeper.

Declan somehow manages to walk them through the house to the living room, where he finds the couch and sits, unwrapping her legs from his midsection so she can straddle him more comfortably before he leans back completely. Once positioned, his large hands find her ass again, pulling her into him.

She’d have to be oblivious not to notice the rather sizeable bulge now poking at her core.

A part of her is curious about what exactly he’s packing in those pants of his, but also this—making out like they are teenagers—is hot as fuck.

It’s been so long since she’s had a good session of fooling around.

There’s no pressure here. No concern about what it all means.

It’s all exploration and learning each other.

Eliana wouldn’t consider herself a prude by any means, but after years in a relationship with a person who worked so hard to diminish her, she’s not in a rush to leap into that more intimate stage again, at least not until she feels she can trust whoever she’s with.

But this, his fingertips digging into her ass, the hunger to devour her bubbling at the surface as he kisses down her neck and onto her chest, the deep inhale he takes when he pauses with his face nestled between her breasts—it feels nice. Safe even.

Her hands wrap behind his head, as one of his hands comes up, pulling the top of her shirt aside to give him better access to the top of her breast. His other hand continues to massage her ass cheek as she grinds into him, feeling the pressure build between her legs.

She may not be ready to sleep with him yet, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t ready for a fully clothed orgasm or two.

Before it gets to that point, though, she knows she needs to make sure they are on the same page.

Placing her hands on his shoulder, she pushes back, putting a tiny bit of distance between them. Gazing up at her, his eyes flash demon gold before returning to their normal blue, but they remain heated. “I want to make sure that you’re okay with it not going further than this right now?”

A growl rumbles in his chest. “Are you serious?”

She pushes herself a little further away, afraid that she’s said something she shouldn’t have or that she misread him.

He was so protective and worried about her that she thought for sure he’d be okay with waiting.

But then again… he is friends with Everest, and she knows how her brother is.

Plus, add in the rumors about Declan and his escapades, and it’s not hard to believe he’d be upset if he’s not getting laid.

“I’m sorry. Maybe this isn’t a good idea.

We should stop.” She tries to push away again so that she can climb off his lap, but his hold on her is too strong.

He swallows, holding his eyes shut tight briefly as if trying to collect himself. “No. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come out as it did. My demon is… eager… shall we say, and I’m trying my best to keep him at bay.”

“Oh,” Eliana replies, keeping her hands on his chest and leaning back, prepared to get up.

Placing a hand lightly on her chin, he angles her face down so their eyes connect. “I need you to understand that I will never force you to do anything that you aren’t ready for. We can go as fast or as slow as you want. You are in control here, and you dictate the speed at which we move forward.”

He didn’t say anything tantalizing, and yet, she feels a heat rush up her neck. “Oh. Okay.” Her eyes dip to his lips before going back to those crystal blue pools of wonder. “I… I need to be sure. I can’t do the fling thing.”

“That’s okay. I don’t want to do the fling thing with you, either.

” His voice deepens, and the rumble in his chest that she feels under her hands lights up her insides.

“But know this, Eliana. When you’re ready, I plan to make you come as many times as I can so that you never forget how perfect you are.

” She swallows. “Until then, I’m happy to do this, or snuggle, or even sit on opposite ends of the couch like we are teenagers being supervised. ”

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me for being a decent person,” he says, lightly stroking her arm with the tips of his fingers.

“No. But I appreciate it nonetheless.”

His other hand slides up to the back of her neck, pulling her face to his. Their lips meet softly this time. Naturally. As if she’s coming home after a long day. It fills the little hole in her chest a little more, reassuring her that whatever this is between them could be something worthwhile.

“If that’s all, shall we make dinner?” he asks.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” she says as her stomach grumbles loudly in agreement, causing them both to laugh.

“Alright. Let’s go feed the beast!”

He kisses her again before she climbs off his lap. His fingers interlace with his as they walk into the kitchen to make dinner together, Buckley following close behind, as if it’s something they do every night.