Page 44 of Demon
It took Ronnie a long time to fall asleep that night.
Theenticingaromaofcoffee woke her the next morning.Ronnie lay there a moment, wishing she was still asleep and dreaming of two hands and a tongue slowly teasing her body.She’d been on the verge of coming when she’d woken and now wished she could just go back to sleep and pick up where the oh so tempting sensations had been interrupted.
But that would never happen, she knew.She took a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling for a moment.This was a work out day, and as much as she dreaded it, she knew it had to be done, and it wouldn’t get any easier for her pushing it off until later.After stretching, enjoying the pull and throb of muscles that had stiffened up overnight, she threw the blanket back and got up.
She needed caffeine and to get moving.In that order.
23
“What’stheplanfortoday?”Demon asked Gavin as the other man waited for his coffee to brew.
“I’m not sure.Probably more of yesterday,” Gavin said without bothering to turn around.
“I figured that much.We did talk about it last night before you went to bed.I meant breakfast.”
Gavin took the finished cup off the pedestal of the coffee maker, blew across the top before taking a sip, then turned around.
“I’m going to hold off on that for a bit.Today is workout day for Ronnie.She won’t be ready to eat for at least an hour after she gets up.”
Demon lifted one brow.She hadn’t said anything last night, but it was possible she hadn’t thought it worth mentioning.He’d seen the equipment in the room where he’d stashed his bag, but he hadn’t thought about it.Now that he did, he realized that unlike most home gym equipment, hers hadn’t been covered in a thick layer of dust.It was possible she was a really good housekeeper but given the layer of dust on the TV screen, he didn’t think that was the answer.
“Well, that will give the groceries I ordered last night a chance to get delivered.”
“You don’t waste any time, do you?”Gavin asked as he lifted his cup again.
“Why would I?We needed shit, I took care of it.”
“Did you get the soda I screwed up and drank?”
“I did.”He remembered Ronnie trying to tell him he wouldn’t be paying for her groceries.He didn’t know how she would react when he refused to tell her how much they’d come to, but he was sure it would be amusing.He found there was a great deal about Ronnie he found amusing.
“Let me know how much and I’ll pay you back.”
Demon waved a hand in a dismissive gesture.If he wasn’t going to let Ronnie pay for the rest of the groceries, he wasn’t going to let her brother pay for a lone case of soda.
“You know if her workouts take her out of the house?”Demon sat on the bar stool where he sat for dinner the night before, a cup of coffee in front of him as he leaned against the countertop.His phone lay on the counter in front of him where he had been scanning headlines and surfing stupid shit when Gavin had come into the room.
“They used to, but I’m not sure anymore.She used to spend time on the weights, then run, but it’s been a while since I’ve been around for one.I’m not sure what her routine is anymore.”Gavin watched him as he took a longer pull from his mug.“Why?”
“If she’s going out, one of us needs to go with her.You’re still waking up.I can go if she’s going to work out or run.”
“I’ll be awake and ready to face the day long before she’s ready to leave the house.In case you didn’t notice, she doesn’t wake easy.”
Demon remembered the way she’d all but snarled at both of them until she’d had what she deemed enough coffee to be civil.
“I’m not sure I like that look on your face while you think about my sister.”
“I didn’t ask how you felt about it.I don’t give a flying fuck how you feel.It’s her feelings that matter.”
“She doesn’t need someone like you.”Gavin took a step forward.He bellied up to the other side of the bar where Demon sat.“She’s dealt with enough shit from our father, she doesn’t need more from your life too.”
Demon’s only movement was to tilt his head up enough to meet Gavin’s gaze now that he was closer.“Like I said, the only one who’s feelings matter here is hers, not yours.But let’s get into that a bit.Has anything you’ve seen or heard from or about me, ever led you to believe I would treat her badly?”
Gavin shook his head.“That’s not what I meant.You live a life on the edge.The edge of society, the edge of legality, the edge of security.You could go out on club business tomorrow and she could never see you again.I don’t want to see her devastated like that.And don’t think for a minute that if you’re involved and something happens to you, she won’t be devastated.”
“I’m not saying she wouldn’t be.But I’m not planning on anything happening to me.”
“No one ever thinks something will happen.”His hand clenched around the handle of his mug until his knuckles turned white and Demon wondered if he was going to break the porcelain.
