Page 33 of Devour

Rhory’s whole body shivered against me, and he switched to the hyperventilating feed. The one where he couldn’t inhale fast enough or hard enough for his liking and instead it sounded like he forgot how to breathe. Not that I was clueless over here about what was happening. Rhory obviously got off somehow from this. Maybe not how a human would, but he wasn’t exactly human. And since I wasn’t getting anything but a heck of a bruise, still technically not sex. No penetration. No orgasm. No stimulation. Not sex. Technically.

Once Rhory released his fangs, instant relief filled me. Not only from not actively being bitten, but something that left me clearer. Calmer. Until now, I had functioned as if undergoing caffeine withdrawal, and this warm wave of relaxation was my cozy cup of coffee. Or maybe he was. Either way, I already felt better.

* * *

RHORY

Fucking fuck, did I feel fucking better. Fuck. Like I-could-skip-meals-for-a-week-and-still-be-okay kind of satisfied. Probably not a good idea to do so, but at least the context was relatable. I didn’t know how he did it. Nor could I say how he managed it when no one else ever had but fuck. No wonder nothing and no one else did the trick.

Even Eli seemed lighter after—dare I say, visibly relieved. No, not that kind. More relaxed. More stoic. More himself. That was nice to see. Especially since I royally pissed him off trying to sneak a feed right in front of him. I knew he was there, and my curiosity over how he’d react peaked. My hubby acted as if he were single-handedly defending the sanctity of marriage, but that wasn’t why he got pissed. Oh, no. Seeing me with someone else, or rather, seeing them with me, made his temper flare. Hubs could be a smidge possessive, it seemed. Him getting all bossy and annoyed made me all hot and bothered and… the inevitable happened. I folded like a damn chair for him. I tried to stay away, dammit. He didn’t let me. And now that he had me back in his sight, he wouldn’t let me slink off into the night.

“Come meet Em’s idiot fiancé,” he murmured in my ear.

“I don’t wanna.” I didn’t even want to move yet.

“Neither do I, but I’m already here with them. At least make it bearable for me.”

“How much of an idiot are we talking here?”

“Let’s see. Mistook me for Asher’s new boyfriend and got lucky that everyone there already knew he also dates men. Said I didn’t look like a deacon. Assumed as a deacon that I couldn’t be in a relationship, then backtracked and tried to convince me to settle down with a nice girl. Oh, and took the Lord’s name in vain.”

“Right in front of you?” I teased.

“Right in front of me,” Eli repeated with a sharp laugh. “And the whole time, all I could think about was how even a certain demon I know behaves better than that.”

Leave it to him to make what should be an insult a compliment. “He really isn’t on your good side, huh?”

Eli shook his head and sighed. He got me so annoyed I confirmed some long-held suspicions about me. So, that finally happened, technically.

Interesting mental afterthought. Very, very interesting. Kinda proud of my hubby for poking his head out of the closet. Extremely proud, even.

Since I could’ve been convinced into almost anything at that moment, I followed Eli back into the building, where he led us to a booth with Em and some guy sitting across from a very annoyed Ash. And for once, not because of me. Look at him, being a friend. Eli and I had been mere moments away from witnessing the verbal lashing Ash unleashed on the other guy, but of course, I heard most of it.

“Guess who I found,” Eli sang before sitting beside Ash.

What a pity this booth was so small because now I would have to scoot very close to my hubby. As close as I could get without sitting in his lap, but that would’ve been an excellent option, too.

“Yes, look what the cat dragged in,” I snickered.

Meow. Eli smiled knowingly at me, then addressed the table. “Rhory texted me on my way to the bathroom saying he’d be able to make it after all, so I met him outside.”

Sure, hubby, that made perfect sense. I needed a personal escort to dinner. Even Ash noticed and thought Eli’s mood appeared to have improved.

“So, a little birdie told me you’re engaged,” I said to Em. “Congrats.”

“How did you hear that?” Garrett said. He hadn’t introduced to me, yet everyone else at the table unanimously did a mental sigh while thinking his name.

“Also heard you were a himbo and there appears to be some truth to that,” I said. “Maybe let Em pay the bills and run the household while you just keep looking pretty, honey.”

“So, Rhory is another friend from college,” Em cut in, not giving Garrett a chance to think too deeply about what I said. “He’s pretty much best friends with Eli.”

Hubs raised a brow at that comment, but let me take this one.

“Pretty much?” I scoffed. “I am absolutely one of his best friends.”

“You two,” Garrett said, gesturing at Eli and I with the sweep of his pointer finger. “Best friends?”

“Us two. Best friends,” I agreed.

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