Page 4

I arrived at Rosie's apartment complex just as the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon.

The early morning light cast long shadows across the parking lot, but my eyes had no trouble spotting the offensive orange paper stuck to my mate's door.

An eviction notice. My jaw clenched as I read the details, anger building in my chest.

"This won't do at all," I pulled out my phone. Tim answered on the fourth ring, his voice rough with sleep.

"Someone better be dead," he growled.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine." I smirked, knowing how much he hated early morning calls. "I need you to handle something immediately."

A grunt was his only response.

"Pay off the remainder of Rosie Thompson's lease at Cedar Grove Apartments. Unit 3B." I glanced at the notice again. "And make sure all late fees are covered."

"The human you're pretending to date?" Tim's voice dripped with disdain. "Why don't you just move her into the compound if she's your mate?"

"Tim." My voice dropped an octave, letting a hint of my demon nature seep through. "Just handle it."

He sighed dramatically. "Fine. But don't forget you have that meeting next Saturday evening. The vamp situation needs to be addressed, and you can't skip this one."

"I'll be there." I'd forgotten about the meeting, but it was a week after the party so it wouldn't be a big deal. "Just take care of this."

"Already on it, boss." Keys clicked in the background. "But you owe me coffee. The good stuff from that place in Milan."

"Done." I hung up, satisfied that at least one problem was handled.

I straightened my suit jacket, a habit I'd developed over centuries of dealing with humans, and knocked on Rosie's door. The sound of stumbling and a muffled curse made my lips twitch.

"Just a second!" Her voice called out, followed by more shuffling.

When the door opened, all the carefully crafted words I'd prepared vanished.

Rosie stood before me in a blue sundress that hugged her curves perfectly.

The morning light caught her red hair, making it look like living flame.

Her green eyes widened as she took me in, a blush creeping across her cheeks.

My demon stirred, wanting to reach out and trace that blush with our fingers, to see how far down it went. I forced my hands to stay at my sides.

"Good morning," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear shyly. "You're early."

"I am." Words. I needed words. I was a demon lord who had negotiated countless contracts, and this tiny human had rendered me nearly speechless. "You look," Beautiful. Stunning. Mine. "...appropriate for travel. "

Smooth, Aldaine. Very smooth.

She glanced down at her dress, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles. "Charlie helped me pick it out yesterday. Is it okay? I wasn't sure what to wear for the drive."

"It's perfect." The words came out rougher than I intended, betraying the sudden surge of possessiveness that flared within me at the thought of another claiming her attention.

I cleared my throat, forcing myself to maintain an air of casual indifference.

"Are your bags ready?" My gaze drifted over her form appreciatively.

The morning light caressed her skin, making the fabric of her sundress cling to the gentle curves that I yearned to explore with my own hands.

Who the fuck was this Charlie character, and why did the mere thought of them helping Rosie provoke such a visceral reaction from me?

I pushed the irrational jealousy aside, reminding myself that Rosie was mine.

My mate, my responsibility. She would want for nothing as long as I was here.

"Yes!" She turned, giving me a view that made my demon purr in appreciation. The dress swished around her thighs as she moved to grab her luggage. "I wasn't sure how much to pack, so I might have gone a little overboard."

Two large suitcases and a garment bag sat by her couch. I moved past her to grab them, letting my arm brush against hers. The contact sent a jolt through my body and the mating bond hummed with satisfaction.

"This is fine." I needed to get us moving before I did something foolish, like push her against the wall and show her exactly what that sundress was doing to me. "The car is waiting."

"Right." She grabbed her purse and then paused. "Oh! Let me just grab the, um, eviction notice off the door. Don't want to leave that up there."

"No need." I opened the door for her. "It's been handled. "

Her steps faltered. "Handled? What do you mean handled?"

I gave her my best mysterious demon lord smile. "Part of our arrangement is taking care of your housing situation, remember? Your lease has been paid in full."

The shock on Rosie's face was delightful to watch. I preened internally at providing for my mate, even as she stammered protests.

"But...that's...you can't just..." Her hands fluttered in front of her. "That must have cost thousands!"

"Shall we?" I gestured toward the stairs, ignoring her protests as I gathered her bags. The weight was nothing to me, though I made a show of adjusting them for human appearances. "The car is waiting."

"Aldaine!" She hurried after me, her sundress swishing with each step. The sound made me want to purr. "We need to talk about this. You can't just throw money around like that!"

I paused at the bottom of the stairs, turning to face her. She nearly collided with my chest, catching herself at the last moment. The scent of her, vanilla, berry, and something uniquely Rosie, filled my nose. My free hand reached out to steady her before I could stop myself.

"I can, and I will." The feel of her warm skin under my palm was intoxicating. I forced myself to let go. "It's part of our arrangement."

The town car waited exactly where I'd left it, Marcus already moving to open the trunk. Good man. I handed him the bags while Rosie continued to sputter behind me.

"But—"

"Into the car, little minx." I opened the back door, gesturing for her to enter. She crossed her arms instead, a defiant look crossing her face. I found her adorable.

"I feel like I'm taking advantage of you," her voice small. "First the credit card, now this? "

A laugh burst from my chest before I could contain it. The sound seemed to startle her, her eyes going wide. "My dear," I leaned down, letting my voice drop to a whisper, "I'm a demon. We're the ones who take advantage, remember?"

Her cheeks flushed that delightful shade of pink again. "Still!"

"Get in the car, Rosie." I softened my voice, though I kept my expression stern. "Let yourself be spoiled for once. Something tells me you're not used to it."

She bit her lower lip, drawing my attention to the plump flesh. I held back a growl, wanting to do that for her. "I'm really not," she admitted.

"Then consider this practice." I placed my hand on the small of her back, guiding her into the car. "After all, you'll need to be convincing as my partner this week. What kind of demon would I be if I didn't lavish attention on what's mine?"

The words slipped out before I could catch them. Rosie's head snapped up, her green eyes meeting mine. But instead of fear or anger, I saw something else flash across her face. Interest? Desire?

"Yours?" She whispered.

I cleared my throat, covering my slip. "For the week, of course. The contract."

"Right." Was that disappointment in her voice? Oh, I hoped it was. "The contract."

I closed her door perhaps a bit harder than necessary, cursing myself. This was going to be a long week if I couldn't keep my possessive nature in check. I moved around to the other side of the car, noting that Marcus had finished with the luggage and was already in the driver's seat.

As I slid in next to Rosie, she was staring out the window, chewing on her bottom lip again. My fingers itched to touch her, to turn her face toward mine.

"To the estate?" Marcus's voice interrupted my dangerous thoughts.

"Yes." I forced myself to look forward. "And Marcus? Take the scenic route."

Rosie had sent me all the information earlier.

The longer I had Rosie to myself before facing her family, the better.

After all, we had details to discuss. That's what I told myself, anyway.

It had nothing to do with how the morning light made her hair glow like fire, or how the soft leather seats had her pressed closer to me than strictly necessary.

Nothing at all.