Page 59 of Infernal Hearts

That hesitancy I had earlier starts to mingle with my afterglow. I don’t want him to pull away or be weird. “You okay with all of this? I don’t want you to be freaked out.”

“Not freaked out at all. I feel…so light right now.”

Maybe demons are good for something, after all. Maybe not everything needs to be a contract.

“I’m glad to have been of service.” My fingers stroke his cheek. “It seems like you really needed that.”

“You have no idea.” He sits up, putting his hand on mine.

I notice him getting hard again. “We could do it again, you know.”

He suddenly looks away, avoiding eye contact, and it’s like the temperature in the room does a one-eighty. He tellsme everything I need to know without saying anything.

He rubs the back of his neck. “Levi… Let’s talk about it tomorrow. This is a lot, and I need to get some sleep.”

Damn it, this is exactly what I was afraid of. “Sure. Whatever you want.” I turn away, pulling my underwear back over my feet. Then my pants.

I knew he was going to get weird. It’s the type of guy he is. But there’s no use dwelling on it—at least I got one night, and I should be happy about that.

Before I know it, we’re fully clothed, and he opens the door to the exam room. “Want me to walk you back to the guest house?”

“I’m good.” But just because I say it doesn’t mean I’m not trying to mask the fact that my heart shrinks two sizes.

He nods once, and I follow him out. He holds open the door for me, but as I go in for one more kiss, he just turns his cheek.

So that’s how this is gonna be.

I sigh. “Night, Jay.”

He gives me a weak smile. “Night, Levi.”

Once I’m outside the clinic, he locks up behind me. His shadow lingers behind the glass before turning off the light.

Back at the guest house, I curl up on the couch, with nothing but the sounds of the crickets to keep me company. The place feels emptier than usual. There’s a thickness in my throat and a foreign sense of longing. The room just feels so empty—no sense of liveliness and far less warmth than there was before.

I don’t regret this. I can’t regret this. Because this is the first time I’ve felt a connection that strong in…ever. But maybe that’s the problem—for once I actually let myselffeel. That could become an even bigger problem once this deal is done and I’m out of town for good.

Chapter Ten

Jason

I try focusing on work, but I can’t stop thinking about last night. How Levi saved me. How he tasted. How his skin felt on mine.

He was so soft and gentle when we had sex. It’s almost easy to forget he’s a creature when I look at the way his hair falls on his face, his flirty smile, and his slick clothes.

But a ten-foot-tall demon? Rough purple skin, golden horns, black eyes, and sharp claws? Foaming at the mouth and throwing around a grizzly bear like a rag doll?

His power was stunning. I was in complete awe, seeing him lose control like that—magic running through his veins and morphing him into something so strong. And he took every ounce of that strength and directed it to protecting me. But what if he ever lost control at the wrong time? What if something ever made him hurt me, or Valerie, or Andrew? I know I’ve had a change of heart about using magic again, but danger is still present, and I can’t help getting at least a little triggered by what happened to my mom. I don’t know what I would do if that happened to someone else I loved. It’s a thought I can’t get out of my head and sends a shiver up my spine.

I steel myself against the counter so I don’t tip off my staff. I don’t do an outstanding job at it. Valerie’s eyebrow lifts as Andrew’s eyes flit right to me, perceptive as ever.

The phone rings, but he ignores it. His eyebrows draw together as his voice lowers. “What’s with you?”

“Nothing. Just a bad dream last night.” I think he can sense my lack of energy.

“Want to talk about it?” Andrew’s voice comes out polite and expectant. “I took some psych classes in college. Maybe I could help you figure some stuff out.”

I pat him twice on the back with a genuine smile. “No, but thanks. It’ll be all right. Just some stuff I need to work through.”

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