Page 43 of Bad Demon

Her soft belly was against my abs, and every now and then, her tits grazed my chest.

“This … touch me.” Her face turned pink. “Pull me on top of you.”

“Didn’t touch you, and you crawled up there all by yourself. I woke and found you on me.” I shrugged. “You looked comfortable, so I left you where you were.” I pressed my hand more firmly against her back, unable to stop myself.

Fuck, I wanted that mouth.

She stiffened, and I saw the moment she realized I wasn’t holding her there, that she was free to move however she wanted, and she hadn’t. She quickly scrambled off me and off the bed, and I wanted her back instantly. But in her hurry to get away, her sleeves had come up, and I could also see a strip of her belly. Silvery scars marred her smooth skin—some vicious-looking slices, burns, and fuck knew what else.

My grin slid away.

Immortals—demons—didn’t scar. Which meant someone had hurt her and made sure she was left with those on purpose, and going by the way she quickly yanked down her sleeves and straightened her shirt, she didn’t want me to see.

“I’m taking a shower,” she said, not meeting my eyes. “Could you put a pot of coffee on … please?”

I nodded, my throat too fucking tight to speak. Someone had hurt her. Someone had cut and burned her. Someone had tortured my female so badly that she was terrified all the time, to the point that she had nightmares and had tried to claim the soul of a hellhound for protection.

Gritting my teeth, I sucked in a sharp breath and forced myself to stay perfectly still while anger seared its way through me so hotly that a roar built in my chest, burning deep. If I opened my mouth right then, it would burst free. If I stood, if I moved, I would punch a hole in something—several somethings. I couldn’t do that. I would not give Fern another reason to be scared of me, so instead, I locked it down tight—so fucking tight that it caused physical pain.

After taking several more deep breaths, and getting a handle on my control, I swung out of bed, got dressed, and went to make my female her coffee.

When she finally walked out, she was dressed in a way that covered every bit of skin. I’d never thought about it, but she always did. Every time I saw her, she was covered completely. She wasn’t looking at me right then; she was checking something on her phone.

I slid her coffee across the counter, and she took it with a mumbled, “Thanks,” but still no eye contact.

No, I couldn’t read emotions very well, but what she was feeling wasn’t good—I knew that much.

“Talk to me, Fern,” I said before I could stop myself. “Tell me what you’re feeling?”

Her yellow-green eyes sliced to me. “What I’m feeling?”

I nodded, but I didn’t add anything else because she knew why I was asking.

“I don’t know. Irritated that the humongous hound in my tiny apartment keeps asking me stupid questions.” She grabbed her boots and sat on the couch to put them on.

I wanted to scoop her up and sit her on my lap. I wanted to do that so fucking badly. Then, I wanted to bury my nose in her hair while we cuddled, and I played with her pussy to make her feel better.

“Something’s bothering you.”

Her chin jerked up, and her eyes flashed red. “Do not forget that you belong to me, Relic, and I’m ordering you—as the owner of your soul and for your own protection because these boots could make mincemeat of your balls—to stop acting like you give a shit about me when we both know you’d end me in a heartbeat if you had the chance.”

She’d gotten one thing right; I fucking belonged to her. I was hers, and she was mine.

I shook my head. “You don’t know me very well yet, so I’ll forgive you this time for saying that shit, but I will repeat this because you don’t seem to be paying attention. I have no intention—and never had any intention—of hurting you, Fern, in any way. And you suggesting that I would—that I want to hurt you,end you—makes me seriously fucking grumpy.” I grabbed her coffee off the table beside her and held it out. “Now, finish your drink, and let’s go open the shop.”

* * *

“Why are you doing this to me?” Fern said as she climbed off the back of my bike, her gaze darting around the clubhouse parking lot as she tugged at her sleeves.

“Not doing anything to you, Tink.”

I took her hand, and she dug in her heels when I started toward the clubhouse.

“Nope. I changed my mind. I’m not going in there.”

“What’s the problem? You don’t think I can protect you? You think that my brothers would dare lay a fucking hand on you?” My voice came out rougher than I’d intended because the beast in me did not like that my female questioned my ability to protect her.

“They’re hellhounds. I’m a demon.”

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