Page 49 of My Demon Neighbor
I got him one of those, and myself a vanilla one that he scoffed at, and I told him about the kids at the community center as we ate. He seemed to like hearing about them, so I'd been giving him updates about them every few days. They were delightful kids—much better than some of the adults I interacted with—and I adored how invested Codie was in their progress. Our own lessons had slowed down a little, but I wanted to make sure Codie could protect himself. Not that I ever planned to give him the chance to use those skills, but life could be unpredictable, and I'd rather he be over-prepared than not enough.
Once we'd finished our desserts, I sent those bowls away as well, then offered Codie my hand. "Would you like to dance? Though I will say I am utterly unskilled."
Codie grinned as he shot to his feet, shrugged off his coat and hung it over the back of his chair, and took my hand. Heseemed so relaxed tonight, so at ease. Was this what he'd been like before that night?
"Just follow my lead," he said as he led me away from the table, then pulled my hand to rest on his hip before placing his on my shoulder. I cupped his hip with my other hand as well, and he slid his around my neck, stepping close until our bodies almost brushed. There was still some space between us, full of the mingling heat coming off our bodies, but neither of us tried to close it. We didn't need to.
Codie swayed with the music, and I followed his lead, my eyes roaming over his face as I took in the look of contentment on it. He looked so happy, so utterly at ease, and I wanted him to feel like this for the rest of his life. I wanted to erase everything—and everyone—that caused him fear, and make it so he'd never have to be afraid again.
"You look so serious," Codie murmured, and I smiled down at him.
"I am very serious about you."
He snorted, then smiled. "Who would've thought when you sent me that note that this was where we'd end up?"
"Not me," I said with a chuckle, making him laugh.
"Yeah? What did you think of me before we met?" I winced, which just made him laugh harder. "That bad, huh?"
"The lights and music annoyed me. I couldn't sleep, and sleep-deprived me is kind of a dick," I admitted.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said with a smile, and I sighed. How could I have ever been annoyed by this sweet man?
Codie
My eyes slid to Pythor's lips, and I instinctively licked mine, wondering what they would feel like. Did they taste like vanilla? Were they as soft and plush as they looked?
When I moved my gaze up, I found him watching me, and I wondered if he'd caught on to my preoccupation with his lips. If he had, he didn't mention it. Was he waiting for me to make the first move?
"Pythor..." I murmured, having no idea what I was going to say.
"Yes?" he asked, his eyes on mine, his expression open and warm. He was such a wonderful man, and had been since the moment we met. Even when he'd been annoyed by my music, he'd been kind in the note he'd written me. He could've been a dick if he wanted to, but he hadn't.
If there was anyone in this world I could trust with my heart, with my soul, and maybe even with my body someday, it was this man.
Instead of saying anything, I went up on my toes and pressed my lips to his in a soft, chaste kiss, taking just a moment to absorb how soft his lips were before pulling back.
Pythor's eyes were wide as he watched me, but before I could even think about worrying, a brilliant smile lit his face, his dark brown eyes wonderfully bright as they roamed over my face.
Neither of us said anything, but I closed the space between us, leaning my head against his shoulder. In reply, his arms slid over my back, holding me securely as we continued swaying.
For a while, we did just that, and I reveled in the wonderful mix of comfort and joy that being around Pythor filled me with. This whole date had made me feel like my old self, likethe man I was before that night. It'd reminded me how to enjoy life, and it was all because of the demon I was snuggled up to.
"Would you like to take a flight with me?" Pythor broke the silence after a while, and I pulled back to look at him.
"Do you mean like fly around with you in your demon form?"
"Yes. I won't let you fall—I promise."
"I know that! Let's do it," I agreed quickly, excited at the prospect. I was glad I wasn't afraid of heights, because I knew this wasn't an experience I wanted to miss.
Pythor looked pleased at my excitement, and he stepped back, quickly shifting into his true form while I grabbed my coat and pulled it on. "Would you like to face me or away?"
"Away," I decided, wanting to look around, and he nodded as he stepped closer. I turned my back to him, and he slid his arms under my arms, wrapping them over my chest. I felt some invisible magic pin my hips against his abdomen so I wouldn't hang awkwardly, and a second later, I felt the invisible floor under me fall away as our dinner table and the floating lights disappeared.
Pythor's grip on me was firm as he flew higher before going horizontal, the sound of his beating wings comforting in the otherwise silent night.
"Wow," I murmured as I looked down at the houses. We weren't too far up, but they still looked pretty small. "Can we go higher?"
