Chapter Seventeen
How to Woo a Demon Lord
“Oh yeah, baby. That’s it.” I glided my teeth across my bottom lip. “Crisp up for Daddy just like that.”
“Who are you speaking to?”
With a squeak tearing through my throat, I spun around on my heels and came face-to-face with Lord Onyx. Well, face to clavicle if we were being literal, since he had several inches of height on me.
“And who are you calling Daddy?” He stood near the kitchen counter, looking too hot for his own good in a red robe that fell open at the chest.
“I was talking to the pie.”
“The pie,” he repeated slowly.
“More of a cobbler really.” I motioned to the stone oven. “The even heat distribution of this baby makes the best crispy crust while keeping the center gooey and delicious. It also adds a smoky flavor to whatever you make, which will be amazing with apple, I think.”
“Ah, yes. The oven.” Onyx chuckled. The sound, like the times before, settled over my heart. Lovingly plucked at the strings. “I remember your excitement when first seeing it.”
And I remembered his reaction to that excitement. How he’d stared at me with a tenderness that made my chest ache. Much like it did now as we stood staring at each other while the rest of the castle slept.
“Do you wanna join me for a slice? It should be done soon. The inside’s starting to bubble.”
“You do know the hour, yes?” Onyx regarded me with amusement. “Long past midnight. Much too late for sweets.”
“Says who? Haven’t you heard of a late-night snack?” I grabbed an oven mitt and neared the stone oven. “Besides, like I tell Rowan all the time, it’s never too late or too early for dessert. Same goes for coffee. Which you can also have if you stay with me and stuff your face with pie.”
“Cobbler,” he corrected in that playful way he’d only shown once or twice. I liked this side of him. A lot. “Not pie.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I flicked a hand at him. “Look who’s being a pest now. Be gone, demon.”
The air suddenly stirred beside me, followed by a woodsy scent that made me weak in the knees. My stomach dipped as our gazes met and held. Slowly, he leaned in closer to me, and my heart rate skyrocketed as I felt his breath on my lips.
He snatched the oven mitt from my hand.
Wait… what? I blinked a few times, confused.
“Allow me.” He turned toward the stove. “You’ll burn yourself.”
“I can take a cobbler from the oven, Onyx.”
“I’d rather not take the risk,” he said, still playful and kind of dangerous because of it. That danger being to my freaking heart. “Consider the gesture as me earning my slice. And that’s Lord Onyx, little bird.”
His lighthearted tone told me he wasn’t actually bothered.
I smiled. “Yes, milord. I won’t forget again.”
“Good.” He removed the cobbler and set it on the countertop. Steam wafted upward, filling the air with the smell of freshly baked pastry and warm spices like brown sugar and cinnamon. Even still, his scent was stronger. One I wanted to bury myself in.
“I’ll get the whipped cream.” I scurried over to the refrigerator, hoping he didn’t see the slight stumble in my retreat.
He definitely saw it judging by his expression as I returned to the counter with the bowl of whipped cream. Damn demon.
“Mind telling me why you’re down here making cobbler instead of being in bed with your lovers?” Onyx watched me so intently that it made my insides wobble. “Surely, your sweet tooth isn’t the only reason.”
“It’s a big part of it,” I said in my defense.
“Lake and Koga brought in the apples before the rain hit earlier, and I’ve been dying to make something with them.
This was a test cobbler to make sure my recipe worked.
My first time using the stone oven for anything other than bread too, so I needed to make sure I had the temperature right.
I plan to make another for everyone else tomorrow. Well, I guess it’s today now.”
“Another ramble.” He brushed the bangs from my face. His featherlight touch sent a flutter through my veins. “What of the other reason? You said your sweet tooth was partly to blame.”
“You,” I found myself saying on impulse. That one word hung in the air between us, a mere echo within the silence that followed. Although less confident than I’d like, I rested my hand on top of his on the counter. “I didn’t see you much today. Not even at dinner. Were you avoiding me?”
And there it is. The main reason for me rolling out of bed in the middle of the night and coming downstairs. When my thoughts spiraled, baking helped calm me down.
“Quite the arrogant assumption for you to make,” he said, pulling his hand away from mine. His mood dropped several degrees, turning frigid. “Believing my every thought revolves around you, and in turn, my actions. As the ruler of this realm, I had business to attend to. You played no part in it.”
“Fair enough.” Even if he was a big, fat liar. My gut told me I was definitely the cause of his absence. “So tell me, as the super busy ruler of this realm, why are you down here this late?”
“Haven’t you ever heard of a late-night snack?” He was back to his playful self.
I snorted. His mood swings gave me whiplash, but I was beginning to expect them, which helped my recovery time. Onyx was both hot and cold: not one or the other. Predictable in that he was unpredictable.
“Looks like you’re in luck then. This cobbler won’t eat itself.” I grabbed two plates from the cabinet, along with silverware. He watched as I cut into the dessert and added a generous blob of whipped cream to both our slices. “Do you want some coffee to go with it?”
“I suppose so.” Onyx took our plates to the table.
“Don’t sound so enthused,” I mumbled, pouring a cup for him and refilling mine. As I turned back around, I caught a trace of his smirk. He’d been dismissive on purpose.
We sat at the table and dug in. Just as I hoped, the crust tasted incredible: flaky and crispy. I would marry that oven if I could. It cooked the inside to perfection as well. The gooey apple filling with its explosion of warm spices balanced perfectly with the creamy whipped topping.
Did Lord Onyx like it too?
I peeked at him. He had a great poker face, showing no reaction whatsoever to the cobbler. Did he hate it? Think it was too tart?
“You’re staring,” he said before taking a drink.
“Just wondering if you like it. You’re kinda hard to read sometimes.”
“Both the cobbler and the coffee are quite satisfactory,” he answered with no inflection and his expression blank. “Happy?”
“No.” I sneered at him.
“How unfortunate that must be for you.” Eyes on me, he lifted the fork to his lips and slowly eased the bite into his mouth.
The only thing unfortunate was my lack of composure.
Everything about him turned me on—even the way he ate.
Like how his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed the bite.
What the heck was wrong with me? Unlike all the stubborn men in my life, I couldn’t hide my emotions even if my life depended on it.
“Staring again,” he said.
“Yeah, what of it?” I jabbed at a chunk of apple and shoved it into my mouth, then went in for some of the crispy crust. “You have no room to talk, anyway, because you stare at me all the time.”
“I do. More and more, I find it hard to look away.”
My hand stilled, the fork frozen at my lips. I lowered it without taking a bite. His tone had changed, as did the gleam in his eyes. Not playful, cold, or any of the other moods he’d shown so far that night.
“If I were wise, I’d keep my distance from you.
” Onyx shifted his gaze to the window beside his chair.
Rain lightly fell, creating soft taps against the glass.
“Gods know how I’ve tried. Yet, here I sit with you once more.
It’s as though you’ve burrowed into my skin and planted yourself so deep in my soul I have little hope of cutting you out. ”
Blood coursed hotter through my veins. “Is that such a bad thing?”
Red eyes returned to mine. “I can think of nothing worse.”
“Why?” I sat far too still in my chair, not even a leg bounce. My hands were shoved into my lap, fingers gnarled together. “What’s so bad about letting yourself get close to someone? To me?”
“Because you aren’t just anyone, Evan.” Onyx pushed away from the table and swept a hand through his long, black hair. It was one of the first times I’d seen his composure slip to that degree, his mask chipping and falling away. “You’re my…”
“Your what?” I pressed once he’d fallen silent.
“It matters not.” He shook his head and stepped toward the archway leading from the kitchen. “Gratitude for the sweet treat. I’m going to retire for the night. I suggest you do the same.”
“Onyx, wait.” I shuffled out of my chair. A loud ringing sounded in my ears. “I don’t understand.”
He stopped walking. “Then allow me to be forthright. Put any thoughts of me, romantic or otherwise, to rest. For both of our sakes.”
“No.”
His body turned slightly as he looked at me over his shoulder.
“No,” I repeated, firmer this time. “Not until you give me a good reason. And ‘because I said so’ doesn’t count.”
“I owe you no explanation.” Onyx tipped his chin up and stared down at me with unfeeling eyes. A stark contrast to the pain and regret from moments ago. “Abide by my request or pack your belongings and leave my castle. Those are your only choices.”
He was breaking my heart—though it wasn’t sadness for me but for him.
Because I saw how hard he was fighting. Resisting.
The chips in the mask he wore had been mended, hiding his emotion once again, but the lines were still there.
Weak points that would shatter one day whether he wanted them to or not.
“If you really want me to stay away from you, I will.” I took a step toward him. “But I don’t think you do.”
He watched me like a caged lion. On edge but ready to dive in for the kill if necessary. “Don’t presume to know my thoughts.”
“Then tell me what you’re thinking so I don’t have to guess, you insufferable demon.”