Seventeen
Gabriel
A shaky breath left my lips as Xin's lingered on my skin, the single word they'd said buzzing through my whole body. Me. They wanted me.
Our dessert arrived, and I asked Xin about their demon friends in an attempt to change the subject.
As we ate, they told me about Lazlo, the demon who'd pretended to be their lawyer but actually lived a state over with another demon named Kenji.
"They're in college?" I asked, puzzled by this information.
"They like learning, and they wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Another of my friends, Azazel, was summoned by a college student a while ago, so they heard about it from him and were curious."
I blinked, even more confused than before.
"What do you mean he was summoned?"
Xin explained how demons couldn't be visible or solid in the human realm without a summoning bond to a living person.
While their friend Azazel was bonded to a human, all the other demons—except Mammon, who'd found a loophole of some kind—were bonded to the three rulers of a realm called Otherworld.
Two of the rulers had once been human, so when they bonded with the King of Otherworld, they got some of his magic, and he got some of their humanity, making all three capable of summoning demons.
I had half a mind to pull up my note-taking app and start jotting things down, but this was the kind of information that shouldn't be written down. I would never remember it all, though, so I hoped Xin wouldn't mind if I asked about it again.
After we'd finished our meal and settled the bill, we walked out onto the busy street.
The night was in full swing, with music drifting through from a club down the street, food carts lining the edge of a park at the other end of the street, and people walking to and fro.
"Would you like to take a walk before heading home?" Xin asked, and I nodded. Hand in hand, we headed toward the park.
Would Xin want to come home with me? I hoped they did.
It had been a while since I'd been with someone, and I'd never been with someone I had such strong feelings for.
"Are you okay?" Xin asked as they glanced over at me, and I nodded quickly, making them smirk. "Then why is your heart racing?"
I pressed my free hand to my chest and realized they were right. My heart was thundering like I'd just run a mile. Had Xin heard it? How good was their hearing?
"I think you know why," I murmured, and Xin's hand tightened around mine.
Xin hummed, but didn't say anything, and I breathed slowly as I tried to get my heart to calm the fuck down.
A breeze blew around us, and Xin's smokey-sweet scent filled my lungs, making it impossible. How had I managed to resist them for so long?
My mission—and probably Xin's fake face—had blinded me, but now that I was free, well and truly free, all I could think about was Xin. Their soft gaze, their sweet scent, their a-little-too-warm skin, their glossy black hair.
"I think we should head home," I murmured, and they glanced down at me. I met their gaze, hoping they could see the heat and desire in mine.
Eyes widening just a little, they pulled me into the next alley we came across, their arms circling my waist as I grabbed onto them, bracing myself.
The teleport felt easier this time, and Gray's bark welcomed me home. Xin had teleported us right into my living room, though we were close to the door, so my question still remained unanswered.
Before I could ask Xin if they'd like something to drink—if they'd like to stay—they pressed into me until my back met the front door. They leaned closer, their lips hovering over mine as our gazes locked, the question clear in theirs.
"Yes," I breathed out, and their lips were on mine, soft, gentle, and so damned hot. Sparks skittered across my lips, heating them up before sinking deeper into my skin as I melted against the door, one hand sliding over the back of Xin's neck while the other held onto their waist.
Their hands moved down my sides as their tongue traced over my lips, burning a streak of fire across my skin.
I felt consumed by them, my every sense focused on Xin.
The soft sounds escaping our lips tickled my ears, their smokey-sweet scent filled my lungs, and their hot, smooth skin brushed against mine as I slid my palm under their shirt.
When my lungs started requiring more than their scent, I moved my hand to their chest and gently pushed them back, sucking in a breath as soon as our lips parted.
They leaned their forehead against the top of my head, their eyes dark as they gazed down at me. My fingers curled into their chest, the thin fabric of their shirt keeping our skin apart.
Xin licked their lips, and something very much like a whimper left my lips. I felt like a balloon, floating aimlessly through the sky, but when our gazes locked, it was like Xin had grabbed the string to my balloon, keeping me from drifting away into the nothingness.
"Okay?" they asked, a hint of concern wrinkling their brows, and I hummed.
Reaching up, I cupped their face between my palms, running my thumb over their slim nose, their pink lips, under their eyes. They let me explore as they watched me with a soft look on their face, their eyes flicking over my features in an exploration of their own.
"You're so hot," I murmured curiously, and Xin's brow quirked up, a smile curving their lips.
"Why, thank you."
I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help laughing. "I meant it literally, but you're not wrong."
"Ah. Demon," they said with a shrug, which matched my assumption.
"Would you like to stay?" I asked, my heart thudding in my chest, which I was sure they could hear.
Still, they asked, "Do you want me to?"
Biting my lower lip, I nodded, and they pulled back, taking my hand as they led me toward my couch.
"Then I'll stay."
Xin
I'd done this before. Making out, kissing, holding hands, these were all things I had ample experience in.
Yet I was starting to realize why all my friends went crazy over their mates.
Why Lux had almost exposed us by jumping between his mate and a coming car, why Pythor had argued with the King of Otherworld to get an exception for his mate, why Azazel still went to college even though he hated every second of it.
Kissing Gabriel was nothing I'd ever experienced before, even though the mechanics of it were the same.
The way Gabriel had melted against me, the soft sounds he'd made as I teased his lips, the way his hand had moved over my skin...
I was barely holding onto my self-control, and now he'd asked me to stay.
Once we were seated on the couch, I turned to him, needing to clarify some things so I could keep my urges in check. I didn't want to overwhelm Gabriel by coming on too strong.
"How far would you like to go tonight?" I asked, and he seemed surprised by the question. But then he gave it some thought, his teeth digging into the lower lip I really wanted to bite myself.
"As far as you're willing," he said, and I froze.
With some effort, I made my voice work though it still sounded somewhat strained. "Are you sure?"
Gabriel nodded, then huffed a laugh. "I've held myself in check for so long, I think it's driven me a little crazy. If I touch you, I don't think I'll be able to stop. Or want to."
"I feel the same."
We drew closer, and that was when Gray, who'd patiently waited thus far, stuck his head between us with a pitiful whine, breaking the moment and pulling chuckles from us both.
"Do you feel ignored, Gray?" I teased as I ruffled his ears, and he bit my hand playfully, his tail wagging instantly.
For a few minutes, we both showered Gray with love.
Then we took him downstairs for a quick walk, and once he had his fill, we returned to the apartment, where he retreated to his bed and curled up for a nap.
He'd been fed already, so I refreshed his water bowl, then followed Gabriel into his bedroom.
Before I'd been focused on his music, but now I took a moment to admire the room. It was warm and cozy, with the picture on his nightstand the only personal effect. I hadn't entered the room when I'd changed that picture, simply using magic to erase any evidence of his connection with Kevin.
His bed was covered in a thick, frayed-looking quilt made up of different-colored squares, and five thick pillows. Thick curtains framed the window across the room, and a large wardrobe—the one he'd been sitting in front of earlier this evening—stood sentinel across the large bed.
I closed the door after me so Gray couldn't sneak in, and Gabriel stopped at the edge of his bed, eyes meeting mine.
In three steps, I was in front of him, my body pressed against his, and he exhaled softly as his hands settled on my hips.
Cupping his face between my palms, I scratched my fingers through his stubble, enjoying the way it scraped against my skin. I wondered how it would feel against other parts of me. The thought made me shiver.
I pressed a soft kiss to his lips, then moved my hands to his hips and pushed backward, gently laying him on the bed before climbing over him.
Gabriel gazed up at me, his dark brown eyes warm and inviting, and I covered his body with mine, met his lips with mine,
He moaned against my lips, his hands sliding under my shirt and up my back as he opened for me, pulling me into him deeper and deeper until he was all that mattered.
We kissed like it was our first and last, like we'd always known each other and were meeting for the first time, like this was always where we were going to end up.
I could feel Gabriel's desire against my thigh, and I pressed into it, making him moan.
Sliding my tongue into his mouth, I tasted the sweetness of the dessert we'd had, and something that was just him.
I wanted to devour him until I could never forget his taste, until he was all I needed, but I knew there was only so long he could go without air.
I pulled back with much reluctance, watching Gabriel gasp as he filled his lungs, his eyes locked on mine as if even the thought of looking away was abhorrent to him.
"You look perfect like this," I murmured, and he gave a shaky laugh.
"I feel like a mess."
"A beautiful mess," I corrected, half-admiration, half-admonishment.
Gabriel shook his head, moving his hands lower. He squeezed my ass, a small grin on his face, and I raised a brow at him before dipping down to kiss his throat, which unfortunately made him lose his grip on my ass.
Gabriel moaned as I sucked on his skin, licking and kissing the side of his neck, the salty-sweet taste of his sweat coating my tongue. If he let me, I might just do this to his whole body. Would different parts of him taste different? I couldn't wait to find out.
Leaning up, I reached for the button-down he wore, a navy blue thing that would look much better on the floor, and raised a questioning brow at him.
He nodded quickly, and I smiled as I used my magic to remove it from his body and throw it to the floor.
Gabriel sucked in a surprised breath, then raised his eyes to my chest before meeting my gaze. "You too."
Smiling, I removed my shirt in the same way, and a zing of pleasure went through me at the way Gabriel's eyes widened as he took in my bare chest and the tattoos decorating it.