Page 19 of Demon

“I’m glad you like it.” He glanced at the book, then chewed on his lower lip a moment. “You know, you don’t have to give me presents.”

Callan set his fork down and studied Lonnie’s serious expression. “I like you.”

“I like you, too. You mentioned demon tradition, so should I be giving you gifts, too?”

Callan shook his head. “Your happiness with them is my gift.”

Lonnie sputtered, wiggling in his chair. “Fuck, some of the things you say just hit me in the chest. In a good way. But, um…porn? I’m not sure I understand why.”

He could tell Lonnie he was courting him, but that would kill the mystery. Had Lonnie been a demon, he’d know exactly what was happening, but he was human. Callan cast about in his mind for an explanation, but as usual, he couldn’t find the words he needed. Frustration heated his chest and belly, and he tightened his fingers around his fork. This was too important, and he needed to be able to speak with Lonnie in a better way. The man was smart. A teacher. He was probably attracted to like-minded humans, and though he had an entire room devoted to Callan’s kind, that was pure fantasy. Not the actual reality. Callan would have to impress him, show that he was worthy of Lonnie’s love, because love was exactly what he was after. Eventually. He needed to prove he was worthy of someone as smart as Lonnie.

“Callan?” Lonnie reached out and touched his forearm. “Never mind. I love this gift as much as I do the first one. You’re very thoughtful, and I feel spoiled. Nobody has ever spoiled me before, other than my parents. I may not completely understand what’s going on, but” —he paused, stroking his fingers over the hairs on Callan’s arm—“I like it. I like you. A lot. I’m getting the feeling you feel the same.”

Callan nodded, his brain still too tangled up over all the things worrying him. But Lonnie said he liked him. It was a start. He just had to find some way to make him love him.

Chapter Thirteen

Lonnie

Something woke Lonnie, making his eyes fly wide open instantly. It took a few moments for his mind to catch up with his eyes, probably because he’d sat up half the night looking through that book. He’d gotten so horny, sleep hadn’t come for a long, long time.

He slowly let his gaze roam the room, keeping his head perfectly still. The sudden and instant fear streaking through him froze every muscle in his body. His brain was still too sleep-addled to make sense of the source of the fear. He only knew it was there and that it overpowered everything. Waking with a fight or flight instinct made him disoriented as he continued to look around. His bedroom was a cavern of shadows, mostly familiar ones.

All except for the one in the corner.

He couldn’t breathe as he tried to focus on it.

It wasn’t moving, the tall, bulky shadow, but as he stared harder, he made out two eyes.

Staring right back at him.

Lonnie whimpered, still frozen in terror as he inwardly fought with everything he had to move.

He couldn’t.

Then those eyes blinked.

Control returned to his muscles in one fell swoop, and he scrambled to sit up as he screamed, “Callan!”

Loud and fast footsteps pounded in the hall right before his door slammed open hard, hitting the wall. Callan flipped on the light.

There was nothing there.

But he hadn’t imagined it. “Someone was here. I swear. Where did he go?” He pointed to the corner “Right there, Callan. I woke and someone was standing right there.”

“I believe you. Can smell him.”

Lonnie clenched his fists in the comforter. Then he started to shake, watching as Callan checked the window.

“Is it still locked?”

Callan nodded.

“I didn’t hear it open anyway, and there wasn’t time since you came so fast. Where did he go? And how?”

Callan’s frown was fiercer than usual as he stood where that figure had been and looked around. “Has to be magic.”

“You’re saying that whoever has been sending the notes is one of you?”

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