Page 21 of Minions and Magic
I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was because I really adored Moroccan food, but I truly thought they were equal, or that his was slightly better. But I couldn’t imagine a demon would ever lie when there was no reason for him to do so. I couldn’t imagine a demon lying tolosea contest. He must be telling the truth. And I’d come to realize over the last two days that Xavier knew what he was talking about when it came to food.
Maybe I wanted him to win so I’d need to give him what he wanted. It would give me an excuse to do what I’d wanted to do from the moment I saw him without all the angst and hand-wringing over how it wasn’t like me to jump into the sack with a man, let alone a demon, that I’d just met.
“Yours is really good,” I told him. “The hummus is amazing. It’s a great combination of veggies, too. The crunch, the smooth spicy flavor of the hummus, the thick hearty bread, the creamy avocado—it’s incredibly delicious.”
He finished off the panini and slid off his stool. “Yours is better. Besides, you made the bread I used, so my sandwich wasn’t entirely my creation. I’m not nearly as skilled at baking as you are. If it had been up to me, that sandwich would have been on Wonder Bread.”
I burst out laughing. “I doubt that. I’m sure you would have found a decent bakery, or have made a nice country-style whole grain white. Anyone can make that. No one goes to the trouble of making their own hummus only to put it on Wonder Bread.”
Xavier walked around the end of the long table and came to stand beside me. “You won our wager, witch. What should your prize be? What do you desire?”
My heart locked in my chest. It was him I desired. All I had to do was say the word. That kiss last night had been so far from chaste. I’d wanted him then, and here was my chance. If he’d won our little contest, I would have been in his arms without one word of protest.
But now it was me who had to make the move. I was the one who had to tell him that I wanted him. He watched me, desire in his eyes as he waited for me to just say it.
“I…I want…a Mugnaini wood-fired pizza oven.”
I kinda did. They were ridiculously expensive, and I’d never been able to justify it. Okay, actually I chickened out. I just couldn’t admit that I wanted to have sex with Xavier. Maybe if I had a couple of glasses of wine I could, but not sober with him so close, watching me so intently.
“A pizza oven.” His lips twitched and he reached down to pinch my chin. “Is that what you call it? A pizza oven?”
I sucked in a breath. “Not just any pizza oven. Wood-fired. Mugnaini.”
“Mmm.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine. “I’ll certainly do my best. Mugnaini wood-fired pizza oven, coming right up.”
We kissed, my hands snaking up under his shirt as he unbuttoned mine. His hands were warm against my skin, his mouth teasing down my neck and shoulders. I felt my bra unsnap, and he gripped the lacy cup with his teeth, easing it down to release my breasts.
Everything became a blur of sensation as he kissed, licked, nibbled, and felt his way over my body. My pants slid down my legs, and I quickly unsnapped his, pushing them down to join mine on the floor. He was ready. I was ready. I was soooo ready. Grabbing his arm, I tried to maneuver him toward the bedroom, but he resisted.
In a blink I was up on top of the stainless steel table, dishes, bowls, and utensils sliding off to crash and clatter on the floor. Before I could protest, his head dove between my legs and all coherent thought fled my mind. He licked and sucked, bringing me to the very edge but not letting me climax.
“Damn it, Xavier,” I choked out. My hands scrabbled for something to grab on the smooth table as my body tensed once more. Finally I reached forward to grip his shoulders, digging my short nails into his skin.
This time he let me fly, and the orgasm shuddered through me. My back arched off the table, but he held me in place with his hands on my rear. As I floated back to earth I started to giggle. My dishes were smashed on the floor. I was naked and sprawled across one of my tables. I didn’t care. I didn’t care that I’d need to clean up the floor and sanitize the table. I felt like every nerve in my body had risen to the surface of my skin. Everything tingled.
And I wanted to do it again.
Xavier eased back, brushing his hands down my sides and planting a kiss on my stomach. Pulling my hands from his back, he slid off the table and helped me to sit up. I should have been embarrassed. I was buck naked on a stainless steel table, looking at an equally naked demon. And the table was…messy. Looking down at the broken plates, the splattered food, the smudged and somewhat sticky table, I started to laugh. This wasn’t something I ever imagined myself doing. It felt amazing. And I was about to do something else I never thought I’d do—ask this demon, someone I barely knew, to spend the night.
“Did that pizza oven meet your exacting standards?” Xavier grinned.
“Mugnaini wood-fired pizza oven level of awesomeness.” I took a deep breath and went on, before my courage deserted me. “I know you’re busy and you’ve got things you probably need to do, and I’m busy too with the gnome party tomorrow and…would you stay here? With me? It’s okay if you can’t. I mean, I understand. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.”
He silenced my babbling with a quick kiss. “Yes.”
“Yes?” I squeaked. “Yes, you’ll see me around sometime?”
His smile was far too sweet and tender for a demon. “Yes, I’ll spend the night. I hope you actually have a bedroom, because as fun as this table was, I don’t think it would be all that comfortable to sleep on.”
“I have a bedroom,” I assured him. Then I took his hand and led him to bed, with all that mess behind us. It could wait until morning. Everything could wait until morning.
Chapter 12
Glenda
Iwoke up next to a naked demon.
He’d stayed through the night. And judging from the soft cadence of his breathing, I got the impression he wasn’t going to be waking up for quite a while yet. Not everyone was up at the crack of dawn like I was. It didn’t bother me one bit. In fact, I really didn’t want to wake him, so instead I just stared at him as the faint peach glow of the sunrise began to make its way across my bedroom floor.
