Page 52 of Halluci-Dating A Demon
“What jokes?” he teases, giving my butt a tight squeeze and I jump.
“Woah, woah, woah. Can we keep it behind closed doors? This is a business.” Ian pretends to shield his eyes and I let out a laugh.
“Yeah, one that needs its baristas inside, making drinks for customers.”
“I’m going, I’m going, Mr. Run a Tight Ship, but when Layla comes in for her shift, I’m going to come back out here and watch y’all being all happy and shit so I can pretend it’s my life.”
Elias clicks his tongue. “I don’t see you working.”
Ian lifts his hands. “Yeah, yeah. I heard ya. This is what your future looks like, Arien. I hope you’re ready.”
“Ian,” Elias says between clenched teeth, and I join Ian in laughter as he takes off back inside the shop.
I tilt my head, lowering my brow when feathers stick out from the bottom of his shirt. That’s weird. Shaking away my thoughts, I go back to what I was doing. “If he really does come back, we should put him to work,” I say, grabbing a smaller box and heading to the back stairs with it.
He grunts. “Yeah, I don’t think that will help us much.”
I laugh, pushing open the door and setting the DVDs down on the floor. “Where do you think we should put these?” I stare around with my hands on my hips, mapping out the place.
His face twitches as he frees his own hands, lowering the heavy load to the floor. “I can always build a wall shelf for them next to the TV.”
“You sure about me moving in here? I don’t want to crowd you with all my junk.”
“First of all.” His fingers grip my chin. “I’m one hundred percent sure, and second, I have way more stuff than you.”
“Yes, but this is your place.”
“No, baby.” Leaning down, he pecks my nose. “This is our place, and I’ll move around whatever I have to in order to keep you here. And that’s what I care about doing the most.”
“What is?” I play ignorant, wanting to hear him say it again with those big brown eyes searing mine.
“Getting to keep you here.”
“Then I’ll try to be here in every way I can.”
Epilogue
Arien
Elias lifts his phone, snapping a picture of us standing on the pier in front of the glittering ocean. I smile even bigger when he takes another. I love seeing all the photos we’ve created together in frames around the apartment . . . Our apartment. It’s smaller than where I used to live, but that only means less space between us when we’re alone, and I never mind when I get to be so close to my big sexy human.
I’d imagined our first weeks living together being filled with him sleeping, me sitting in his lap while he naps on the recliner, soaking in bubble baths and invading each other’s shower, and lots of reading in bed. And I was right. There have also been nights where I listen to music and clean my rocks while he paintshis lures. We also have movie Fridays, which we’ve only had a chance to do once so far.
A low whistle snaps me out of my thoughts and Elias smiles down at me. “You ready to go have dinner in fish poo saturated air?”
I snicker, slapping his chest. “Yes, I’m ready to have dinner, and I’m not acknowledging the rest of what you said.”
“Fine but that’s usually what it smells like inside aquariums.” Taking my arm as we run across the street, Elias slides his hand under the back of my shirt, ushering me through the crowded entrance. We’re directed to a large room where tables are scattered everywhere, far enough apart for everyone to have plenty of privacy.
Elias finds our names first and pulls out my chair for me to sit. I lower myself, reaching for the box of chocolate, and he shakes his head.
“You’ll spoil your dinner.”
“What if I only have one?” I bat my lashes, lower my face to my hands, elbows resting on the table.
“No.”
“Can I at least smell them?”
