Page 57 of Demon
When she’d first woken, she’d wondered where he was, then she’d hoped he wasn’t dressed yet so she could pull him back into bed.When she’d realized Gavin was back, she was glad Demon had put both his t-shirt and jeans back on.Though the way he seemed comfortable in his bare feet gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling.It was an odd thought, even for her.
Still, standing here, his arms around her, just holding her as she took in his warmth, his presence, his leather, soap, and musk scent that sent tendrils of warmth low in her belly, that was something she wasn’t sure she’d ever had.
“Come on.Let’s go sit down.Glaring at him won’t make the wait go any faster.”Demon picked up her coffee and guided her to the sofa, where he set her coffee on the end table, then sat and pulled her onto his lap.
Her eyes went wide, and she twisted around to see how Gavin was taking this as they hadn’t been this touchy feely before he’d left a few hours ago.He met her gaze, his expression telling her as clearly as if he’d shouted it that he wasn’t thrilled.She hoped that his silence meant he wasn’t going to try to tell her she was making a mistake, but she knew it was just as likely that his silence was only temporary as he didn’t want her any more upset than whatever he had been up to this morning was going to make her.
“Did you sleep well?”Demon’s voice brought her attention back to him, and where she was sitting.Her ass was firmly on his legs, her back to the arm of the sofa and her bare feet on the cushion.
“I did.I can’t tell you the last time I slept so well.”
“Good.”
“I don’t want to hear about it,” Gavin said from the bar.
She twisted around and looked at him again.
“Don’t act like you’re some kind of fainting flower.I know you lost your virginity to Becky Jo Buckham your sophomore year.”She spotted her coffee and picked it up as she watched surprise, then confusion cross her brother’s face.She didn’t plan on telling him that another girl had confronted Becky Jo in the locker room after gym class a few weeks later when Becky Jo had a stomach bug.The other girl had asked if she was pregnant and if it was Gavin’s.Rather than answer, Becky Jo had puked on the girl and told the bitchy girl that it was stomach bug, and she’d be better off if she minded her own business.It wasn’t something he needed to know anyway.But she couldn’t help the flash of satisfaction as he turned pink and turned his attention back to his food.
Ronnie twisted back around, coffee cup in hand.She glanced at Demon and found him watching her, one brow lifted.She just smiled and took a sip of her coffee.She might tell him.Later.Maybe.
“Why am I sitting here?”she asked Demon, then sipped from her coffee.
“I like you here.Don’t you like it?”
She pulled a face as she made a show of thinking about it.
“I guess, though I can think of a couple of ways to make me like it more.”
The white of his teeth flashed at her through his moustache and beard.“You’re going to tell me about those, right?”
“Sure.”She leaned close and kissed the tip of his nose.He scowled at her, and she couldn’t help but laugh.“When would you like me to start?”
“Never would suit me.But can you at least wait until I’m not around to overhear it?”Gavin carried his coffee with him as he came in and sat on the edge of the recliner.
She turned and gave him her most innocent look.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.I’m just talking about basic comforts.”She smiled sweetly at her brother.
“Blow smoke up someone else’s ass, Rica.I know you too well to believe that load of shit.”He looked down into his mug for a moment, then back up to meet her gaze.“Guess it’s time to face the music, huh?”His gaze flicked from her to Demon’s behind her.
That’s when she knew.Her spine stiffened and she slowly turned to Demon.She lifted one brow.“You were in on this?”
“I was, but hear him out.You’ll understand more once you know it all.”
“But I’m not going to hear it all, am I?He’s going to filter what he tells me based on what he thinks I need to know.”
“Give him a chance.”Demon met her gaze with an intense look that she could only interpret as a plea to trust him.
For some reason, even though she’d only known him a few days, she did.
She didn’t say anything but nodded once, then turned back to her brother.She resisted the urge to fold her arms across her chest and tell him to get talking.Instead, she just stayed quiet and watched him.Eventually he would start talking.
31
Ronniedidn’tgetoutof his lap, though he’d thought for a minute, as she’d pinned him with that glare that she was going to get up and go somewhere else.She hadn’t, but she had a stiffness to her back that hadn’t been there before.He didn’t like it, but at least she wasn’t mad enough to not want him touching her.
“We raided the house where his cousin has been staying this morning.”Gavin sat hunched forward, his elbows resting on his knees, coffee mug cupped in both hands between them.“We brought in one Jim Bob Jennings, and have been questioning him.”
