Page 5

Chapter five

Hayley

“You’re joking. That’s like something out of an over the top romcom—the evil ex cheating on the best friend.” The demon beside me clutches their chest dramatically.

I shake my head and let out a wry laugh at Tryzx’s reaction. It still stings to think about, but getting my heart broken is at least amusing conversation fodder. “I know, I know. I swear it felt like I was being pranked, because the sight of them fucking in the dressing room when I was in the shop working felt so ridiculous.”

“What a pair of absolute assholes. I can put in a bad word with my great-uncle if you’d like.” Tryzx gives me a feral grin.

Over dinner—our first official date since they joked that our casual coffee hang out didn’t give them enough of a chance to impress me—they told me that their great-uncle is head of soul procurement in the demon realm. I honestly couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not, but didn’t want to be an uncultured human and ask.

I snort and wave them off. “Nah, they’re not worth it. Besides…” I give the attractive demon a shy smile, look up at them through my lashes. “It’s led me to a much better place.”

“Mmm, true,” they purr, stepping in closer. Close enough that I can feel the supernatural heat of their body soaking into mine, and smell their spicy cologne. A matching heat pools in my low belly as I wonder what it would feel like for them to wrap all that heat around me.

“Would you like to come back to my place for dessert?” Tryzx asks, a flicker of desire in their dark gaze. “I’m still pretty hungry,” they add, the intensity vanishing as quickly as it came on.

I like them. They’re fun to talk to and it’s clear they find me attractive, which is a huge win considering my abysmal dating track record in Hallow’s Cove up to this point. If things keep going well, there could definitely be something between us. If I can stop feeling intimidated by their surges of intense energy that seem to come out of nowhere when we’re talking. I’m sure once we know each other better, the comfort will come.

We walk the handful of blocks back to their place, a cute duplex with a yard sign that says “Beware of Hell Hound”.

“Do you have a dog?” I ask as they unlock their front door, trying not to let my nerves show. Unless I’m even more clueless than I think I am, they’ve brought me back to their place to have sex. Or at least make out a bit .

Shit, I hope my breath smells okay. I knew I shouldn’t have had that garlic bread!

“You doing okay, beautiful?” they ask in a soft rasp, reaching out to take my hand and guide me inside.

“Oh, uh, yeah, totally! I was just thinking that I’m glad you’re not a vampire.” They cock their head in confusion. “Because of the garlic,” I add. Dammit, I really need to chill out and stop talking so much.

Tryzx chuckles and tugs me against their chest. Their head descends toward my throat and they inhale softly. “Mmm, I’m not a vampire, but I’m definitely ready to feast on you.”

My breath hitches, both at their nearness and sudden nerves. Do demons eat human flesh? Why didn’t I look into things more or ask them more questions?

“I probably don’t taste very good,” I say with a strained laugh, that turns into a gasp when their tongue drags up my neck.

“Oh, I disagree,” they rasp in my ear, one hand dropping to cup my ass and the other threading through my hair. “I can’t wait to taste your sweet pussy, beautiful. Are you wet for me?”

A weird half-laugh, half relieved exhale shudders out of me. They want to eat my pussy, not my flesh. Whew, okay.

Tryzx nips at my ear. “I want to hear you tell me you want this, Hayley.”

“I…”

I want to go for it and let this sexy demon eat me out, but little alarm bells are going off in my head at how fast things are moving. There’s no shame in a hookup like this, but despite my bravado the other night at the bar, I’m not actually looking for meaningless sex.

Tryzx steps back when I don’t give them an enthusiastic yes. “Shit, did I misread this?” they ask, giving me an apologetic smile that seems more genuine than their flirtier ones. “Sometimes when I haven’t fed in a while I can’t tell what is my arousal and what’s someone else’s.”

Their comment about feeding is weird, but I don’t want to ruin my shot with them, so I brush past it. “N-no, I, uh, I think you’re really attractive and am enjoying spending time with you, but I don’t know if I’m ready yet.”

Their brow furrows. “Because of your ex?”

I shake my head. “No, not them. It’s just, I think if I’m going to have sex, I want there to be more, uh, emotion behind it.” I give them a hesitant smile. “A connection.”

Tryzx’s black eyes widen. “Oh! Damn, I’m sorry, Hayley. I thought you understood when I mentioned being hungry that I wanted to have sex so I could feed off your arousal.”

My stomach sinks. “R-right. Of course. That makes sense.” The laugh I let out sounds brittle.

Their face falls, the mask of their smooth, sexy persona slipping further. “You’re such a lovely woman, and if I were looking for a relationship, you’d be an excellent choice. Truly. But I’m a young lust demon, and I won’t be able to settle down for at least another century or so. ”

A lust demon. That explains it. Dammit, I’m such an idiot. Their sincere tone is only making this situation worse, and to my horror, tears well in my eyes.

“Totally understand. Thanks again for dinner. I hope you find someone to, uh, feed from. Have a good night!” My words come out in a rush as I open the door and step out into the night air.

They seem to know better than to argue, giving me a gentle wave. “Goodnight, Hayley.”

My mind replays my dinner date and subsequent embarrassment at misreading their interest the entire walk back to the bodega. Now that I know what Tryzx was looking for, a lot of their comments and behavior that I chalked up to a cultural difference make more sense. By the time I’m climbing the stairs to my aunts’ apartment, I’ve accepted my reality.

I’m not going to find anyone in Hallow’s Cove. I’m not going to get any monster action, either.

I want it too much.

Aunt Betsy found love when she wasn’t looking for it, and I’m beginning to think that’s the key. She wasn’t trying to be someone other than herself. She wasn’t stuffed in her tightest dress and putting on a flirty persona meant to attract a partner. She was just living her life, existing as her authentic self, and that’s when love found her.

God dammit. I hate it. I don’t want to wait around for love until I’m almost sixty. Aunt Betsy is a badass and seemed happy on her own, but that’s not the life I want. I want a family to share every up and down that life brings my way.

After giving a TED talk to myself in the shower about how I need to stop pushing so hard and focus on having fun while I’m here for the next four months, I get ready for bed even though it’s only a little past nine.

Sleep doesn’t come, though, despite feeling drained by emotions. There’s a dull curl of arousal in my belly that hasn’t fully gone away since my almost hookup with Tryzx. Must be an after effect of being touched by a lust demon.

I almost chastise myself for not embracing the moment and having wild sex with the demon, but I stop before I go too far down that mental path. I shouldn’t be so down on myself five minutes after resigning to be authentic. I am who I am, and that person is someone who doesn’t want casual sex.

Though, that doesn’t mean that person isn’t horny.

I shove off the covers and head to the closet, where I keep my mostly unpacked suitcase, digging around in the inner pocket for my vibrator. I couldn’t bring myself to put it in my aunts’ nightstand alongside where they keep the collection of toys they didn’t bring with them on their trip. Once again, I wish they had a guest room I could stay in, because masturbating in the bed they sleep in is a little unappealing.

I almost change my mind, but it’s been a few weeks since I touched myself and I need to get over that hangup since I’m not hooking up with anyone any time soon .

I slip back into bed, and tug my sleep shorts down off my hips and let my legs fall open. I close my eyes, pretending that I’m somewhere else as I switch on the wand to the lowest setting and it rumbles to life. I’ve used this toy so many times that I think I’ve conditioned myself to get more aroused from that sound alone, and I sigh as I bring it between my thighs.

I let my mind drift, trying to land on a mental scene that will get me off. I could watch porn, but often the scenarios I come up with in my head do a better job of turning me on than seeing some big dicked beefcake plow into a woman while she pretends to moan.

At first, I imagine that I’m putting on a show for some dommy woman as she tells me I’m not allowed to come. It makes my pussy clench, but after a minute, I can tell it’s not going to work. I need something different.

As if it was just waiting for an invitation, Jake’s face flashes across my mind. My clit throbs and pleasure intensifies as I remember him looking up at me from the floor and that moment where he smiled at me. Then, when he said he’d do anything I needed. It’s weird, because the guy clearly doesn’t like me. If our interaction at his shop, and the bizarre moment where he threw his muffins on the floor while staring at me weren’t bad enough, I’ve caught him multiple times in the past week hiding from me when he notices me nearby.

God, he’s so strange. But I guess so am I, because thinking about Jake is making me hot. Between imagining all of his bulk pressing me into the bed, and the gold flash of his eyes when he looked at me intensely, I’m on the verge of coming.

I wonder if he’d get so into things that he wouldn’t be able to control himself. I wonder if he’d shift into his hybrid form—whatever that might be—and sink his teeth into me as his cock grew larger inside me until it became almost too much of a stretch to handle.

I turn my vibrator up to the higher setting, letting out a soft moan as I imagine it’s his tongue between my thighs. Fuck, I’m really close. I’m going to come.

My body tenses for an amazing orgasm and…

The vibrator dies.

“No!” I groan, flicking the switch a few times in a feeble attempt to get it to turn back on.

Dammit!

I dig out the charger, but when I plug it in, the little flashing charging light doesn’t come on. I move around the apartment, still pantsless, trying to find an outlet that will magically make it work. But after three attempts and a lot of cord wiggling, it’s clear it’s busted.

All my calm resignation from earlier vanishes, and I let out an angry shout, tossing the vibrator and charger on the couch. I tug on my shorts, then pick up the offending objects and storm downstairs and back into the alley to throw away something that was supposed to make me feel good for the second time in a week.

“Fucking piece of shit,” I grumble as the wand and charger collide against the side of the dumpster as I hurl it inside. The loud clang makes me wince, and I hurry back inside before anyone comes out to ask what the hell I’m doing.

Feeling defeated, I go back upstairs and stare at the ceiling, replaying my shitty day in my head until I finally pass out.