Page 26 of How Not to Charm Your Human Colleague (Falling for Demons #2)

CHARMING YOUR HUMAN COLLEAGUE

Aofe

I t was not that day.

Or the next.

And after so many failed attempts, Aofe was convinced she was never going to get them to work.

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, the sunlight slow to relieve the stiffness from bending over for so long. But at least it was warm, and the more time she spent inside the greenhouse, the less her failures seemed to weigh on her.

There were other things she could do. Other ways that fulfilled her besides a silly feat of magic she didn’t really need to perfect.

One eye popped open, immediately narrowing to the paper she was practicing on. The ink stains, seemingly flawless despite not sparking any reaction, stared back at her. Mocking.

“Gosh darn it,” Aofe muttered, then hunched over once more to try again.

But two more tries with no bloom from the potted flower in front of her, and she was officially too exhausted to continue.

Dejected, she took up her crutches and headed to the main building with Attie trotting close behind.

When Aofe stepped through the back door to the shop, she almost questioned the eerie silence until there was a low muttering from the front that drew her attention.

She moved through the aisles, careful of a few vines that needed pruning, before pausing just on the other side of a shelf so she could peer through the gap at the shop owner.

Kizros had both elbows pressed on the front counter where he leaned forward, fingers woven through his hair between his horns. His other hand held an unfolded parchment over the ledger, eyes scanning the text and oblivious to her spying.

He looked beautiful and raw in that moment, hair mussed and glasses slipping down his nose. A quiet moment where he was absorbed in his work, and Aofe recalled her own quiet memories from the past few days.

His smiles and reassurances when her rune didn’t work. The way he no longer froze after a long rant about soil composition to apologize for talking her ear off. The soft touches and longer looks that could no longer be called stares, but something more.

Home wasn’t the only thing she felt now with Kizros.

But that word she wanted to say—the three words, really—never seemed to slip off her tongue.

She wished she wasn’t a coward. Wished her past didn’t rear its ugly head every time she considered speaking the words.

Kizros was not her past, but the doubts and insecurities had buried themselves deep, wrapped around her heart like the vines with thorny needles kept in the deeper parts of the greenhouse.

How long until he’s tired of making accommodations for me?

When will he call my low points too much to handle?

What if there comes a point he finds my inability to get out of bed to be laziness?

All ridiculous questions. Kizros wasn’t capable of an ill thought toward anyone—except perhaps that yellow demon from the festival and the slavers who had taken her.

The past few days had proven it, and Aofe cared for him because he’d shown her the truth.

He may not be a fighter, but he’d fought for her in ways that didn’t require fists, and that meant enough to her that she could be brave enough for this.

When she wanted something, she wasn’t afraid to say it.

And when Aofe loved someone, she wasn’t going to let her past hold her back.

She steeled herself and had taken one step out of the aisles when the bell over the front door chimed.

Kizros’s head jerked up, first to the door, then to Aofe, and then he shoved the paper he was holding into the pages of the ledger and slammed it shut.

If his suddenly rigid spine hadn’t communicated his discomfort, the tensing of his jaw and claws extending from his flexing hand were dead giveaways.

And then the voice filling the space made dread coil in her belly.

“A bit quiet in here today.”

Kizros only gave Aofe a flash of a warning look before he was donning a tight smile for the demon. “Tholvich.”

The large blue demon’s fangs were on full display, as were the barbs along his forearms. “Kizros. Wanted to stop in after I glimpsed you at the festival the other night. Didn’t get a chance to catch up, and I’ve been so busy the last few days I had to close for a break just to come by.

” He turned, presumably to stroll the aisles like he’d done the last time he was here, then noticed Aofe.

His eyes narrowed briefly before dropping to Aofe’s legs.

“Well, you’ve made some questionable business choices in the past, but an atteapir inside ?

” Tholvich chuckled and shot a glance back to Kizros.

“Business so bad you’re considering torching your own place for the insurance? ”

Attie growled, and after several nudges, Aofe realized the creature was herding her toward Kizros and away from Tholvich.

“Is there something I can help you with?” Kizros asked, and though his tone appeared bored, Aofe saw the way his hand was lifting from behind the desk as he flexed his claws.

It wasn’t until she’d made it behind the counter, his soft palm finding her thigh where the other demon couldn’t see, that she realized he’d been herding her just as much as Attie.

Tholvich let out a long sigh, giving a cursory glance at Tim who wriggled in his pot, before stepping wide of the plant toward the counter. “I don’t know what has gotten into you lately, Kizros. Are we not friends?”

“No.”

Kizros said it so plainly, even Aofe had to blink as he continued to position her so he was between her and Tholvich.

The blue demon cocked his head, then held a hand over his heart. “That hurts, Kizros. But you know, I’m a decent demon. I came over with an opportunity for you, an amends of sorts, for the way things ended between us. Perhaps my offer will have you reconsidering.”

Tholvich produced the thick envelope from his pocket, then approached slowly with it held out.

Kizros watched warily before snatching it, then glared at Tholvich.

The blue demon took one step back, which clearly wasn’t enough because Kizros didn’t move.

Tholvich rolled his eyes, then took another two steps back.

Satisfied, Kizros slid a claw under the seal and pulled out the papers.

Aofe couldn’t see over Kizros’s shoulder to read, but as his tail went from loose to more and more agitated as he read, she imagined it was not pleasant.

“Is this a fucking joke?”

Even Attie whimpered at the cold fury in Kizros’ s question.

Tholvich, however, looked delighted as a cruel grin spread across his face. “You saw the seal. These are official documents. I can give you more time to read, if you’d like, but if you just want to cut to the deal, sign that last page. I’ve already filled in mine.”

Kiz crumpled the pages in his fist before slamming them down on the desk. “You’re sick. Get the fuck out of my shop.”

Anger flashed in Tholvich’s glare, there and gone in an instant, before he jerked his chin toward Aofe.

“Come on, Kiz. You’ve had this shop for how many years?

Gave it everything you were worth and more.

Don’t lose it over that pathetic thing. It’s a more than generous offer and you know it.

I take over her work sponsorship, and you get the business back on its feet. ”

Cold dread slithered down Aofe’s spine. Her eyes fell again to the parchment in Kizros’s fist. Despite how easily his claws had pierced the edges of the paper, the words within felt more restrictive than the rune cuff at her wrist.

You’re a burden.

A financial disaster.

She knew now, without a doubt, that Kizros would sooner burn his shop down than let Tholvich or any other demon take over her sponsorship.

But this was the demon realm, one she really should have been studying up on.

If a contract like that could be made and signed, who was to say there wasn’t a loophole somewhere that could be taken advantage of?

What if there were performance stipulations to her sponsorship that put her in violation of the terms?

She still didn’t know if she had a salary, let alone a means to exist somewhere without Kizros’s help.

“This is disgusting,” Kizros snarled, snapping her out of her worry. He wadded up the paper, making a show of throwing it in the wastebasket at his feet before pointing toward the door. “Get the fuck out and never come back.”

Tholvich stood there, nostrils flared and lip peeled back to show his fangs, but then he straightened, trading it for a sleazy smile.

“I tell you what,” he said, his backward steps to the door calm and measured. “Sleep on it. I’ll bring another copy when you’ve had time to realize this is the best chance you’ve got to keep your store alive.”

“If I see you again, I’m calling the guard. You’re not welcome here.”

Near Tholvich’s head, Tim rattled in his pot, which seemed to urge the blue demon to finally yank the door open and leave.

The door had barely closed when Kizros spun in place, devastation on his face. “Aofe, I would never, never consider it.”

“I know.”

“I’m going to report him. I know we hate violence, but there are other ways to make sure he never comes back. You are safe with me, Aofe, I promise.”

“ Kiz , I know.” She leaned against his chest, letting go of one crutch to press a palm to his burning cheek.

Underneath her touch, he was heaving angrily, but it slowed as his arms came around to help support her.

“Do you think I couldn’t see how you didn’t actually break the seal?

Or that, in your anger, you only crumpled the pages instead of destroying them?

Even your claws didn’t tamper with any of the document. ”

He blinked down at her, and then a smile tipped one side of his mouth. “Fuck, I thought he was going to notice. I was worried you might not.”

“You outsmarted him.” She nodded toward the wastebasket. “Can you use that?”

Kizros nodded, tail retrieving the papers before he spread them out on the desk. “This is what he’s exploiting.”

Aofe leaned over to read.

If a human should come to harm or be in an unsafe environment while under the care of their Sponsor, they shall be removed from said Sponsorship and placed in a new position of similar nature.

“He wants you to say your failing shop is the reason I’m unsafe?”

“Again, the shop is not failing,” Kizros corrected. “There’s a place for a councilor to sign, but no name. I have a feeling he knows someone willing to sign off on it since one of the first clauses in this shitty contract is to bypass a council decision for reassignment.”

“Is there someone you trust to handle this?” Aofe asked, reading a few of the terms before deciding it was better she didn’t know why Tholvich was so determined to sponsor her .

“Argeth and Rosalind took the initiative to set up the sponsorship, but I doubt he’d have the horns to fight something like this when it shows his failures.” His gaze went distant for a moment, and when he refocused, there was a new determination within. “Karroth.”

Aofe cocked her head. “Your father?”

Kizros nodded. “He wants the Kosteri name to have some meaning again? Well, this would help. We’ve never really seen eye to eye, but he’s trustworthy, and a respectable enough name to have sway.”

He pressed his forehead against hers, arms squeezing tighter. “I’m so sorry, Aofe. This is awful, but I promise, you’re not going anywhere.” He went stiff, then added, “I mean, you can, if you want. Just… I want you here, if you’re happy, and I think?—”

“I don’t want to be anywhere else, Kiz.”

Aofe wondered if that would be the moment she got her courage back, the excitement she’d had just prior to Tholvich arriving, but there was a small pit in her stomach.

A fear that he had tainted something special about today, and words like hers deserved their own moment.

It would be the first time she said them, after all.

Instead, she kissed him, holding on until it was just shy of being improper, hoping that was enough. But as he collected the documents and envelope, lingering at the doorway, she almost caved.

Perhaps he was considering something profound, too. He lingered, tapped the jamb with his palm, worry creasing his brow.

“I’m okay, Kiz,” she said from the counter, smiling as Attie paced at his feet.

Kizros opened his mouth, closed it, then finally said, “I really don’t want to leave you, but there’s something else I need to check on while I’m out. A… surprise.”

Her throat tightened. “Um, okay.”

“It might take a little longer, but it’ll be worth it. Will you be okay? You can come with me if that’ll make you more comfortable.”

Aofe shook her head, trying to remain casual as she gestured toward the six-eyed silver fox. “I don’t think I have the energy today, but I’ve got Attie. Think good things from afar, and I’m sure Tim will keep us company.”

Kizros seemed to relax at that, then tapped the center of his chest before pointing at her. “I think you’ve figured out that warms when I’m thinking of you.”

Her hand went up to the necklace, fingers curling over the charm as she frowned. “It’s always warm.”

“Exactly,” he said with a wink.

Her mouth parted, those three words bubbling from her chest to sit on her tongue, but by the time she was sucking in a breath to say them, he’d slipped out the door.