Page 76 of The Demon's Pet

“Was it about me?” he asked, leaning back in his chair and appraising me like a lion might a cornered gazelle.

“I… No,” I said.

He leaned forward then, placing his elbows on the table. It creaked. “Tell me the truth, pet.”

“Why should I?” I sputtered, desperately stalling for time to avoid the truth. It felt like this angel could simply tear me open and spill out any part of me. I deserved to have some secrets.

And I refused to see the smug look on that face if he did find out what I’d been dreaming about.

“You haven’t told me anything,” I muttered. “Who you are, where you’re from.” I picked up my spoon and jabbed it at him. “How you can cook.”

His smirk fell, and his handsome face was stone-cold again. “You learn a lot when you raise yourself. Now, answer my question.”

“You raised yourself?” I asked.

He nodded.

“So the gods of the ninth realm are bad parents?” I asked.

He was quiet, but a muscle ticked in his jaw. “I wasn’t raised there.”

More and more mysteries. I’d already gotten the feeling that Sam wasn’t a normal celestial, and his conversation with Os had confirmed it. But who was he exactly?

The longer I was with him, the more I wanted to know.

“I won’t tell you more, pet. Now tell me about the dream, because Iwillfigure it out.”

I blinked and dropped the spoon back in the bowl, realizing I probably was caught. I stared down at my hands as I flattened them against the table.

“Was it about me?” Sam asked quietly.

Damn. My face went even redder.

“Did you have a dirty dream about me, you naughty little virgin?” Sam made a low noise that might have been a chuckle, but I couldn’t be sure. I refused to look up at him and give him a view of my ruby-red cheeks.

I’d never had a dream like that before. Never. And it had felt so real I didn’t know how I would ever look him in the face again.

“No shame in it, pet,” he said gently, reaching out and coaxing me to look up at him. “So what did we do?”

I turned away from him again and heard his chair push out in response as he stood.

He moved around and stopped behind me, then lowered and placed his hands on the table just outside of mine. He leaned down slowly to whisper in my ear. “What was I like?”

Just the feel of his breath made hot sparks run through my body, the emptiness aching again. “I… You were…”

“What?” he asked, his voice intoxicating like wine again, as his finger came up and grazed the sensitive spot where my shoulder met my neck.

I jumped slightly from the shock of it. “Stop that. I can’t focus.”

He straightened, moving back over to his chair. “I hadn’t expected this. I knew my effect on you would be strong, as it is with everyone. I hadn’t known it would happen this fast.”

“That what would?” I asked. “What do you mean, so fast?”

He shook his head lightly, but there was a slight flush on his high cheekbones. “So tell me what you dreamed.”

I moved my hands off the table and into my lap, fidgeting nervously. I could still feel where his breath had brushed my ear, where his hand had grazed my neck.

And gods help me, I wanted more of him.

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