Page 17 of Cooking Up a Demon
“I broke the rules.” My stomach clenches, and I set the drink I just accepted back down on the counter.
“Are you okay?” I can’t imagine the punishment for breaking rules in Hell is pleasant.
“I’m fine, love.” He picks up my drink and downs it in one gulp. “It took me some time and effort to make my way back.”
“What did you do?” Equally, breaking rules in Hell has to be something terrible, right?
“Demons aren’t allowed positive emotions. They beat them out of us in the early days. Feeling them is forbidden, forming attachments because of them is a punishable offense.” He begins to mix another drink, and I think about his words.
“Positive emotions?”
“Demons feed off of people’s negative emotions and sinful thoughts and deeds. We survive off deals we make with good people.” He doesn’t meet my eye as he pours the drink into the glass and pushes it back to me.
This time, I drink it down. Kallax survived because of his deal with Nonna. The one he transferred to me. Our deal can’t be enough to sustain him.
“So, you show up because I’m your meal ticket.” It hurt to think that’s all it was. Would fucking someone you were feeding off of earn him some kind of bonus? It hurts too much to think about to ask.
“No, I tried to not come. I didn’t want to hurt May. I enjoyed her. But summons must be answered and if not me, then it would have been someone else. I tried to help as much as it hurt.”
“And me?” I grab the bottle of tequila and take a shot straight from the bottle.
“A summons must be answered.” He takes the bottle and downs half of it in one go. I snag it back before he cleans me out.
“Got it.” I think about the Fix Shit Soup and Bit of Sunshine tea. How many ways had Nonna been summoning the demon? How much time had he taken?
“You don’t, though.” He takes the bottle from me and sets it on the counter before cupping my face in one large hand. “Someone was going to answer your call, and I wanted it to be me.”
“I never called you though.” He winces, and I smack him in the chest. “I never summoned you! I knew it!”
He shifts until his palm presses against my neck. He isn’t gripping, but I still swallow against his hand.
“You summoned me.” He tightens his grip a little, pulling me up onto his toes. He leans down until his lips press against mine. “The first time.”
“And the rest?” I ask against his lips.
He takes my mouth in a bruising kiss that leaves me breathless. His hands move to cup my ass and raise me up against his body until our faces are level. I love the easy way he handles my weight. I’ve never been a small woman and have never had anyone able to lift me without risk of straining something. The way Kallax makes me feel small and dainty does something fuzzy to my chest.
“I couldn’t keep away.” Kallax says, breaking our kiss. He nuzzles into my neck and breathes me in. I grip his shoulders and push him back.
“Is that why you’re in trouble?” Black eyes meet mine, and I can tell he doesn’t want to tell me.
“Demons aren’t allowed to feel good.” He presses a kiss to my forehead. “You make me feel good.”
My heart sinks. I imagine all kinds of scenarios of Kallax being hurt because of me. I think of all the ways I treated him and talked down to him when he was risking everything to be here. Realization dawns, every visit puts him at risk.
“You shouldn’t be here then.” I push back, trying to get him to put me down. “You should go. Don’t put yourself at risk. Not for me.”
“You’re the first person I’ve wanted to risk everything for in five centuries.” He holds me closer to him and shifts his grip until he’s drawing my legs around his waist.
“I’ve seen civilizations rise and fall, kings and self-proclaimed gods die. I’ve seen the best and worst of society and have never wanted anything like I want to be with you.”
My heart seizes. He hardly knows me, and I’ve mostly been terrible to him. It makes no sense he would risk everything for me.
“It’s not worth your safety.” My grip on his shoulders tightens. “Please, don’t risk yourself.”
“I’m not.” When I start to shake my head, he shifts his grip again until he’s boosting me with one hand and using his other hand to grip my chin. He uses his grip to force me to meet his eyes.
I blink back tears and try to resist his gaze, but his grip is firm and demanding. There’s no escaping it.
