Page 54 of Demon Shock

I watched Ava set up the cats’ litterbox in the corner of the second bathroom and their food and water bowls in the kitchen. The way she moved and her quiet words to the animals created a sense of peace that I’d never known before. I could watch her endlessly and never tire of it.

“Now what?” she asked, not looking at me.

Images of hugging and kissing Ava for hours flashed through my head, but I knew it was too soon for that. I didn’t just want Ava’s body—although I did want that, too…very badly—I needed to win her heart and mind so she would stay forever.

“Are you hungry?” I asked instead. “We could make a meal together.”

“Sure. What are you hungry for? I have cans of tuna, chicken, and some jerky. Not sure what we can do with that other than eatit. Honestly, that’s what I normally do. I tend not to spend a lot of time making meals. Mostly because I didn’t have the time, not because I didn’t like it.”

As she talked, she moved around the kitchen, putting items into cabinets.

When she climbed onto the counter to reach the top shelf for some supplies, I quickly moved behind her, worried she’d fall. She turned to hop down and saw me standing there at the same time.

Her eyes widened, and her hands caught on my shoulders as she tipped forward.

I grabbed her waist as her mouth bumped against mine. Soft. Warm. Inviting.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

AVA

I frozewith my mouth pressed against Gyrik’s firm lips.

His hands twitched on my sides where he lightly gripped me, likely to catch my fall. Jerking back, I looked at Gyrik and opened my mouth to apologize.

Words died as his gaze dropped to my lips, and I watched his pupils expand so much that his irises almost disappeared.

My pulse skipped.

I glanced at his mouth.

When I looked up again, he was watching me with an intensity that should have made me nervous. Instead, it goaded me.

“Can I kiss you, Gyrik?”

His fingers twitched on my sides again.

“Yes.”

Leaning in, I brushed my lips against his a second time, testing the texture and feel of his mouth without going any further than a lip nibble. It’d been so long since I’d kissed someone. I’d forgotten how amazing it was. Or maybe it was just Gyrik.

When I pulled back, he blinked at me. Was he confused about how to kiss, or did he not like kissing me?

“Should I kiss you again?” I asked.

“Yes.”

The subtle growl behind that word made my knees weak, and I eagerly leaned in for another kiss. This time, I licked his bottom lip before sucking it into my mouth, and he gave a very definitive reaction.

He spun us around and lay me on the island counter. One hand gripping my side and the other cradling the back of my head to cushion it, he stared down at me for half a heartbeat before his mouth covered mine. I braced for aggression, but what I got was tender, featherlight brushes of his lips against mine, trailing to the side and along my jaw. When he reached my neck, I felt his tongue—the barest of touches—as he nibbled and tasted my skin.

I relaxed into the sensation of his mouth against my skin.

The hand on my side flexed, lightly kneading me before gliding down to my waist and dipping under my shirt to touch my bare skin. It wasn’t anything indecent, but it ignited a need I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I threaded my fingers in his hair and turned my head to kiss his temple.

A knock on our front door startled me from my daze, and I pushed against Gyrik’s chest. He immediately released me so I could scramble off the counter and hurry to answer the door.

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