Page 12 of Demon On Deck

A sharp knock on the door jars me from my spiraling thoughts.

With one last glance in the mirror, I head towards the door, take a deep breath, and swing it open.

I pray that the drool rapidly pooling in my mouth is not pouring out of the corners.

The same man who just hours ago jumped into the ocean, despite his fear, to save me, stands before me looking like sin wrapped in a well-tailored suit.

Tonight, he has his wavy hair pulled half up in a sleek bun, leaving the rest to hang loosely around his shoulders. His horns seem to gleam in the light as if he took the time to polish them. His light gray button-down shirt highlights the color of his skin. He’s left a few of the top buttons undone, with a small sprinkling of chest hairs peeking through. He’s rolled the sleeves up, showcasing those muscular arms that saved me earlier, and his pants look tailor-made as they hug his thighs perfectly.

“You look delectable,” he rasps, snapping my attention back to his alluring orange eyes.

For reasons unknown, I do a little spin and ask, “You like?”

Thank God Mel packed for me. Tonight’s dress is a deep shimmery blue sheath dress. It has an empire waist with a deep V bust. I did simple makeup, loosely curled my hair, and paired it with wedge heels.

“I like it a lot,” he answers in a tone so deep it makes my skin vibrate. “Shall we?” he asks, offering his arm.

I grab my purse and slide my arms through his.

It only takes a few minutes to reach the restaurant. Evren gives his name at the host stand, and we are seated immediately on a lovely terrace with a light ocean breeze. The stars are out and shining, and the waters are calm, making it the perfect night to dine outdoors. Once we order our drinks, Evren takes my hand, gently sweeping his thumb over my knuckles.

“How are you feeling, Doll?”

“I'm fine, thanks to you,” I say, squeezing his hand.

He smiles, but still looks concerned. “I would never let anything happen to you, Kallie. But how are you feeling? If you aren’t up for this, we can do it another night.”

God, the concern pouring off him in waves makes butterflies erupt in my stomach.

“I’m ok,” I say on a shaky breath. “And I don’t want to cancel,” I rush, still holding his hand tight.

He studies me for a minute before nodding. The waitress returns with our drinks and goes over the menu. We place our order and take a few sips of our beverages.

“Tell me more about you, Doll.”

“What do you wanna know?”

He looks thoughtful before lifting a shoulder. “You mentioned this being a celebration gift from your sister. What's the occasion?”

I cringe slightly. Of all the questions…

Evren notices and quickly adds, “Or you can tell me anything you feel like sharing. I just want to get to know you better, Kallie, not make you uncomfortable.”

Again, thinking of me, paying attention to my physical cues, fuck, just paying attention to me. This demon could give lessons in modern chivalry. His concern and observations help me relax.

“My divorce.”

Evren’s eyebrows raise in surprise, and I laugh.

“My ex…well, let’s just say this was not an amicable split.”

The sound of Evren’s deep growl sends shivers down my spine. Not the kind you get from a chill or fright. No, these shivers were the kind that went straight to my clit, making it pulse hungrily and dampen my panties.

Evren takes a minute to sip his drink before asking, “Not a good guy? I mean, clearly not if you kicked his ass to the curb.”

I am in jeopardy of literal swooning around this demon.

“No, not a good guy, but very good at convincing me he was. And keeping that up for several years. It wasn’t until I caught him screwing his employee that I finally kicked him to the curb. Honestly, that act on its own was enough for Mel, my sister, to splurge for this cruise. She hated Matt from the first date I went on with him.”