Page 72 of Summoning my Grumpy Demon Boss

He sets me down and puts a hand over my mouth. “Shhh. I’m only teasing. You know I’ll wait until you’re ready. Just need you to know that it’s happening one day.”

I grin. “You’ll never give up, will you?”

“Nope.”

I pull him down for another kiss, then I sigh. “You know you’re perfect, right? You always know exactly what to say. I think you know me better than I know myself sometimes.”

“You’re not hard to figure out. Just gotta pay attention.”

I smile. I don’t think anyone has ever paid attention to me the way he does. I don’t think anyone ever could. But it’s just like him to play down the effort he puts into building his lifearound my wants and needs. The way he’s built something here that’s bigger and better than I could have ever dreamed.

There’s no doubt in my mind we will perform the ritual one day. Just as soon as I get over the trauma of having to pick wedding stationery!

TWENTY NINE

Mia

“Luke, we have to leave. Are you ready?”

“Don’t come up!” A moment later, Luke bounds down the stairs he built to the master suite he’s adding on to our house. He looks amazing. All dressed up in a navy suit with a light blue shirt and a dark tie. He even has on fancy dress shoes.

“You look great! What were you doing up there dressed like that?” He still hasn’t finished the construction. In fact, he’s warned me off going up there because he says there could be loose cables or something.

He grins. “Just checking on something.” His gaze roves over my new dress. It’s actually an old one of Tegan’s, but I’venever worn it before. It has a high neckline, but it hugs my figure and the open back drops almost to my buttocks. That’s fine, since the weather is warmer now, and I’m pretty sure Luke will lend me his jacket at the first sign of a shiver.

Luke walks around me to take a look at the back and whistles. “Babe, you should have warned me. I would have come down earlier, so I could appreciate you properly. Now I have to go out in public with you looking like that, and I haven’t made you cum in hours.”

I laugh, because it’s literally only been hours. He woke me up this morning with his head between my legs and made me cum four times before breakfast as his way of wishing me good luck with my first ever art exhibition.

We hurry into Luke’s truck and he drives me to the gallery about fifteen minutes out of town. It’s been converted from an old farm outbuilding and still has that rustic wool shed feel, complete with a corrugated iron roof. Inside, it's been fully renovated. There are clean white walls where all my paintings hang just the way I left them. Exposed beams and a wooden floor give the place a semi-industrial feel, though, which I love. It goes with the sort of half-finished look I’ve gone for with this collection. I kept the edges of the paintings white, fading out the picture so it looks almost like an impression, rather than a finished image. Full of muted greys and blacks, the collection is supposed to represent dreams or desires you realise don’t quite turn out the way you thought.

The carpark is so full I think for a moment we’re not going to find a spot. I can’t believe it. There has to be more people here than just locals.

Sandra, the gallery owner, rushes over as soon as she spots Luke’s truck. Of course, my first instinct is to think something’s gone horribly wrong.

“Mia! Oh, my gosh.” Her long earrings are jangling around in her excitement.

“Sandra, what is it?” I close the door behind me and prepare myself for the worst.

“It’s sold out.”

I blink at her. “It’s what?”

“Completely sold out. I just had a phone call from a Sydney buyer. They want everything. They asked for your contact details to commission more.”

My jaw drops open and I just stare at her for a long moment.

Luke nudges me. “Babe, that’s amazing. I knew you could do it.”

I shake my head, unable to believe this is real. “Do we know who the buyer is? Are you sure they want everything?”

Sandra nods. “Yup. Already sent through a holding deposit.”

I float into the gallery and stare at all the people dressed up and holding cocktails, walking around looking at my art. My sold out art! This can’t be real. I stop when I spot two familiar figures. My heart jumps into my throat.

I reach out blindly and grab Luke’s hand, holding tight as I tow him across the short distance to where my parents are standing. “Mum, Dad. How did you find out about this?”

Beside me, Luke coughs. “I, uh... I might have had a hand in that. I hope you’re not mad.”

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