Chapter 12 #3
“Because you’d want me to put you down eventually, and at this point in my existence, I’m not sure that would be possible.
I’m good at seeing long-term results. Picking you up right now is the last thing I should do.
The more I want to steal you away, the less I should.
Unless you’d like me to take you away for good.
You would forget about the rest of the world, your father, your dreams, and everything would be melting pleasure and bliss.
” His eyes were as tempting as his voice.
I swayed toward him then forced myself upright as I took my first step down. “All pleasure and no responsibility makes life incredibly boring. But thanks for the offer. Although it felt more like a threat.”
“It did, didn’t it? Many have wanted to trade a life of respectability and boredom for one of endless pleasure. But you’re right. Without purpose, everything dims.”
It was suddenly irritating that he agreed with me, particularly after he’d threatened me. “Turn around.”
He looked at me, almost as startled as I was, then gracefully, slowly spun.
While he was facing away from me, I leapt onto his back, spreading my wings to get aloft, so I hit him then clung like a monkey.
Was this actually less effort than walking down the stairs?
No, but it was kind of funny to get a piggyback from the slick devil, and I needed to touch him and shake him out of his threatening agreements.
“What are you doing?” he asked in a low voice that vibrated from his back through my chest.
“Piggybacking. Isn’t it fun?”
He was quiet for a moment. “Why are you piggybacking?”
“Because it’s fun. Grab my legs before I slide off.”
He hesitated then put his gloved hands firmly around my calves while I hung on, trying not to strangle him with my arm hooked around his throat. My other arm was still holding the rabbit. So soft.
He slowly descended the stairs toward the car. “Are you sure this is fun? I feel like you’re going to fall off then I’ll be dragging you by your legs, hitting every single step with your head on the way down.”
“See? So much fun!”
He jogged me higher so I fit better around his hips. “It has potential.”
“Like you. You have a lot of potential.”
“Yes, I could be a much better piggybacker. I’ll have to work on it.”
“You can practice on it with the guys from work. Like Mrs. Rawley. I can see her glee as you have piggyback races down the Wonderland halls.”
“I’m never going to piggyback anyone else. If I am to improve, it will have to be at your expense.”
We reached the car, and he lowered me into it before going around to the other side and sliding in until his warmth was close enough to soak into me. I wanted to soak in every single drop. That was actually an idea.
I turned to face him, but he was guarded, like he wasn’t sure what I was going to do. That made two of us. “When you kissed me to keep me alive, did you feed me your energy and life the way I’ve been feeding Divinity?”
He stared at me, glanced at my lips, flinched and then frowned. “Something like that. I wove spells through you using that connection point, my half-soul to yours.”
“Let’s do that. You kiss me and make me stronger so I’m not healing forever. Then you won’t have to hire anyone. It’s my bakery. If anyone hires someone, it should be me.”
His frown grew deeper and deeper as he stared at me. “I tell you that I’m tempted to keep you in a pocket world as my eternal prisoner, and you propose I kiss you? You aren’t taking the danger seriously.”
“We have a deal. Do you break deals?”
He hesitated. “One. I’ve broken one deal.”
“So odds are very good that you won’t break ours. And I liked kissing you. You taste like caramels.”
He leaned over, put his fingertips on my face, pulled me closer then pressed his lips to mine. I couldn’t melt into him with his fingers there, holding me away, making sure I couldn’t get lost in feelings and pleasure.
He still tasted like caramels and ganache. I started to smile against his mouth then it was hard against mine, contact that wasn’t nearly as shocking as the sensation of being electrocuted as his energy zapped through me.
I jerked back, gasping, heart beating three times as fast, like he’d just jumped it. I gulped a breath while all of me shivered and almost convulsed. I held the rabbit tight while I stared at the devil.
“That was a bad idea,” I finally got out. My tongue was numb. I may have had less pain, but it was hard to tell because everything was buzzing.
He gave me a slow smile then ran the tip of his pink tongue over his lip. “Very bad.” He looked so smug about it, sure that I’d never demand he kiss me again.
I struggled to breathe. “Next time, give me your energy more gradually. I don’t need a heart attack.”
His smile vanished, and instead, he scowled at me. “Apparently, you do.”
“Only if you think it would make me recover more quickly.” I batted my lashes back.
He sniffed and faced forward, refusing to look at me, but I saw the way he pressed his lips together, like he could still feel the connection.
I snuggled my rabbit and tasted caramel cream while my heart slowed and all of me soared.