Page 15 of How Not to Charm Your Human Colleague (Falling for Demons #2)

BLUE DECOR

Aofe

A ofe folded her hands in her lap, picking at her fingernail to keep from some other dramatic reaction to Kizros’s silence, like unraveling the stitching of her dress or flinging herself over him to protect him from the curious looks their carriage was getting.

She’d wondered at his request earlier that evening that the driver stay in the Kosteri courtyard but was starting to understand a lot more about the demon sitting across from her.

Kizros held a fist to his mouth, barely bothered by the movement of the cart as he stared out at nothing. It was such a horrible contrast to even his anxious actions, she feared for what might be running through his thoughts .

Well, she suspected she did know, and that was even worse than watching him shut her out in favor of busy tasks like sweeping the same corner of the shop for three days straight or overwatering Tim until he actively started moving his pot away from the watering can.

But even in his absentminded state, Kizros still offered the driver a polite nod of thanks when they made it back to the shop, waiting until he was certain Aofe was clear of the carriage before sending it away. And he was still respectful, opening the shop door and letting her enter first.

Despite the always fresh, earthy smell of the apothecary, the air felt heavy as Kizros closed the door and locked it behind him. Aofe watched patiently, body leaning against Tim’s shelf while the vine anxiously writhed against her shoulder, mirroring the emotion from his owner.

Kizros pressed his forehead to the door, tension lining his shoulders.

He inhaled audibly then blew a long enough breath out that it condensed on the glass.

He didn’t bother reaching up to light the shop, and with the starlight outside, it was dark but not impossible to see when his shadow finally turned away from the door.

“Aofe, I’m so?—”

She didn’t allow his apology any further. She’d already been moving when he started to turn, so it took her less than a stride to have her body against his before she leaned up to kiss him.

A real one this time.

His lips were pure warmth, soft and pliant like the petals of the flowers he bred in the greenhouse. Aofe’s body curved against his for purchase and she pressed up onto her toes to get closer while still clinging to her crutches.

There was a thud when Kizros knocked into the door, a momentary inhalation of surprise as he pulled back in shock, and then she didn’t need stabilization any longer. His arms wrapped underneath her ribs, holding her to him, and he tilted his head and molded his mouth to hers again.

This. This is what a kiss should be.

Lips. Curving against hers with just enough demanding pressure. Feeling and sensing and learning someone new. Smiling when he lifted her until her feet no longer touched the ground and she squeaked out a surprised but happy laugh.

Tongue. A soft dip at first, teasing her lower lip and asking for permission. And then more, as Aofe opened to let him sweep in. Kizros moaned, and the heat of him against her tongue had her matching the noise. And then there were…

Hands . They flexed against her sides before he was sliding one up her spine, to her neck, and then diving into her hair to hold her tighter. Just a light scraping of his nails as he tightened his grip and Aofe’s whole body was set aflame.

Her fingers uncurled from where they’d gripped his shoulders for balance, sliding up and around his neck as he bent to set her back on the ground.

“Fuck,” Kizros muttered against her mouth, his heaving breaths moving their bodies in sync. He blinked behind glasses that had shifted askew, a shocked smile tilting his lips. “Aofe, that… you…”

Still supported by his grip, Aofe unwound an arm from his neck and smoothed out the lines marring his forehead before adjusting his glasses. “Did I do it right?”

Kizros blinked, then snorted out a laugh before pressing his forehead against hers. “Yeah, Aofe. More than right. That was… after…”

He trailed off, head turning away fast enough Aofe had to scramble. “No more guilt, Kiz.” She placed her hands on his cheeks, tilting him back to look at her. “They don’t get any more of you tonight. Not your voice, not your thoughts, okay?”

Kizros opened his mouth.

“And,” she cut in, “you will not apologize for them or about them. Not after what they did to you.”

His face squished in disgust. “To me? What they orchestrated. What they said about you?—”

“Is not the worst thing anyone has ever done to me,” Aofe said before immediately snapping her mouth shut.

Kizros’s eyes narrowed. “Aofe…”

She ran her tongue along the inside of her cheek, shaking her head. “Look, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my routine walk home in broad daylight suddenly became unsafe. My aunt and uncle weren’t exactly the best people, okay?”

His teeth flashed in the starlight, but she urged his gaze back to hers .

“It’s over, Kiz. It’s done. They had their motivations, and as awful as it was, I’m here now.

That doesn’t make what they did okay, but it doesn’t serve me to give them any more of myself than they already took.

My best revenge isn’t going to be violence or yelling or letting their actions weigh me down.

My best revenge is to live, to find what makes me happy… to kiss the demon I want to kiss.”

Kizros swallowed, the shadows furrowing his brow softening. “So I’m just a revenge kiss?”

Aofe huffed a laugh, fingers teasing the base of his horns. “No, Kiz. You’re not just anything. But promise you won’t ever let anyone make you feel as if you shouldn’t be heard. And that you’ll kiss me like that again.”

Somehow, his eyes seemed to darken further, a tongue running over one of his fangs as he smirked. “I promise that kiss was just the beginning of what I want to do with you.”

A shudder rolled through her body at the growl in his voice, and Aofe pulled her lip between her teeth. “Then what exactly are we still doing downsta— Kizros !”

Aofe was already hoisted into his arms, not quite over his shoulder but close enough. He only needed a single arm to hold her weight, grip banded just under her rear to carry her toward the stairs. His tail bobbed behind, carrying her crutches with no effort.

“Sorry,” he called around her body as he took the first steps. “Was there more to that sentence?”

She let out a happy sigh, leaning herself on his shoulder. “No, this urgency is the gist of it.”

“Because I’ll happily take you to the greenhouse. Plenty of surfaces we can work with.”

Aofe straightened, twisting around his head to get a better look at his face. “Kizros, you’re a little freaky, aren’t you?”

His steps slowed, and from her angle, she could see his cheeks turning a dark green.

She let out a hum, then perched her elbows on his upper back. “Good. That’s what I was hoping for.”

He squeezed her thighs, then paused at the top of the steps. “Would you prefer your room?”

“And pass on the chance to see your room for the first time?” Aofe asked, enjoying her unobstructed view down his lean back. Darn him and that intriguing tail.

Kizros laughed, changing directions. “Aofe, it’s the exact same as yours, just on the other side of the building.”

“Well, now you’ve ruined the illusion.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” he replied, pushing through his door. “And, for the record, you’re welcome in here any time.”

Aofe gaped, unable to process the weight of that invitation when she was stunned by the interior.

True, it was the mirror to her own bedchamber layout, but where hers was clean and minimalistic like a guest suite, Kizros’s room was homey .

It was lived in and loved, and so utterly perfect for the demon still carrying her.

The walls had been painted a deep green, his magic signature glowing in little bobbing lights around the tall ceiling.

The curtains over the window were closed, but starlight from the backyard still illuminated the cream and tan fabric hanging down.

Shelves lined the walls on either side of the bed, plants and books neatly organized as she’d expected.

Below, the mattress sat on a wooden frame and headboard with a raw, natural shape, and the linens matched the curtains and fabric ottomans at the foot of the bed.

What drew her eye, though, was the solid wall across from the bed.

Vines blanketed the entire surface, so thick there was no visible paint behind it, but through the thick greenery, blue flowers bloomed in intricate patterns.

Their petals seemed to wave as they entered, swaying in a non-existent breeze.

“That blue doesn’t really go with the decor,” Aofe commented when Kizros set her on the bed and leaned her crutches against his bedside table.

Kizros frowned, glanced at the flowers, then back to her with that same frown. She must have missed something because he suddenly grinned, shaking his head. “No, I think it goes perfectly.”

She almost scoffed—for a demon who had so expertly decorated his room, he didn’t seem to realize that white or cream flowers would have been much more cohesive. But then he was leaning over her, kissing her again, pressing her back to the mattress, and she didn’t really care.

“Tell me what I can do, Aofe,” he panted between their lips. “Because as much as I want to impress you, it’s… been a while.”

She nipped at his lip, then wriggled back until she was more situated on the bed.

“If the basics are the same,” she said, eyeing the bulge in his slacks as he knelt on the bed.

“I think we start there. I don’t know if I have the stamina or the hip strength to do everything I want to do with you tonight. ”

“Fuck,” Kizros shuddered, kicking off his shoes and reaching for her boots. “May I?”

“Yeah, Kiz. Leggings too.”