Chapter 14
fourteen
MERRILY
I made a new plan while Grayson was gone. Some aspects of it were going to depend on him, obviously, but at least I knew what I wanted.
I felt a sharp influx of anger, followed by intense frustration, shortly before he came back inside the apartment.
He went straight to the kitchen. I heard him slicing something. Fruit or vegetables, maybe?
A stand-mixer turned on and spun for a minute before shutting off again.
Then, I heard the scrape of a chair before he sat down.
After a little hesitation, I slipped off the couch and made my way to the kitchen. Grayson was sitting on one of the barstools, his shoulders stiff.
I sat down beside him. "I can feel your frustration through the bond. Is it because of me?"
"No." Grayson slid me a bowl of what looked like some kind of dip for the cut fruit in another bowl.
I eyed the dip. "What's in that?"
"Marshmallow fluff and cream cheese."
I wrinkled my nose.
"It's good. Just try it." He grabbed a chunk of a strawberry from the fruit bowl with his fingers, dunked it in the sticky-looking dip, and lifted it toward me.
I leaned my head away. "New textures and flavors are difficult for me."
He moved a little on his seat, until the side of his bare knee pressed against the side of mine.
When he raised the strawberry higher and quirked a brow, I reluctantly opened my mouth.
His fingers brushed my lips as he withdrew his hand, and my eyes widened as I bit down on the tangy fruit. The sweet, creamy flavor of the dip melded with it.
He was right.
Somehow, the mixture of marshmallow fluff and cream cheese was incredible.
I chewed, then swallowed. "You said we could talk about your work drama after we were mated."
"I think I only said I wouldn't talk about it because we weren't mated."
I rolled my eyes in his direction.
He grunted. "I had a shitty conversation with Leon. That's all."
"Shitty how?"
"He was just trying to get a rise out of me."
"By..."
Grayson didn't respond.
I reached across him to grab a green grape, dipped it, and lifted it to his mouth. He wrapped his lips around it obligingly, and surprisingly enough, didn't take the opportunity to lick my fingers or do anything else suggestive.
"It was about us," I stated.
"Of course it was about us. People are going to be talking about us for years, Mer. Mixed-species matings are a huge deal for demons."
"What did he say?"
"He was just trying to piss me off."
"That's not an answer, Gray."
He grabbed a piece of pineapple from the bowl and dipped it. I tried to take it from him with my hand, but he dodged my arm and popped the slice of fruit into my mouth.
I picked up an apple slice and slowly buried it in the fruit dip. "If you don't want to tell me, it must've been bad. Something sexual about me, or about someone you were with in the past. Since you haven't been with anyone else while you've been feeding on me—"
Grayson plucked my apple from my hand and lifted it away from me, like he was holding it captive. "Stop trying to figure it out."
"Then tell me."
Grayson growled. "Some things don't need to be repeated."
"I would usually agree, but not this time."
He bit into my apple slice himself.
When I reached for the fruit bowl again, he slid it away from me and dipped the other half of his slice into the bowl, before lifting it to my lips.
"You can't double-dip," I argued.
"Our souls are connected. I can feel you in my mind. I've had my mouth on your cunt. Double-dipping is the least intimate part of our life."
My face flushed.
When I opened my mouth to disagree, he popped the apple inside it.
I chewed automatically, flashing him a look of annoyance.
He ignored my annoyance and picked up another strawberry.
"Fine," I said. "Be an asshole."
He bit into his strawberry. "I've never pretended to be anything else, Love."
I stole his bowl of fruit, and his dip.
He reached over my arm to grab another grape, and popped it into his mouth without dipping it.
"I had an interesting conversation about knotting while you were gone," I said, returning to the plan I'd made before despite the unexpected change in his mood.
"Who the fuck are you talking to about knotting?" The rage in his voice was quiet and gravelly, but unmistakable.
"Maybe if you talk freely with me, I can do the same with you."
He growled. After a few tense moments, he gritted out, "Leon asked me what sounds a fae queen made when I knotted her. The fucking coward ran before I could tear out his fangs for it."
I blinked.
I hadn't put together that people would be discussing that particular aspect of us being mates, but yeah, it made sense.
"Knotting someone who isn't a demon is seen as pretty kinky," I said.
"It is."
"So by mating with me..."
"It changes my reputation. I don't know in what way. Won't know until everything settles. Assuming it ever fucking settles. Whether or not we do it won't affect it, reputation-wise."
"People are going to assume we do."
"They are."
I nodded. "Does it bother you?"
"Them assuming doesn't bother me. Asking me about it does. Who are you talking to about it?" His growl was back.
"Darius."
"Scorch? What the fuck does he have to do with it?"
"I'll let you read the texts," I said.
Grayson grabbed my phone off the countertop, where it rested next to me. "What's your code?"
"You'll have to win a fight against me if you want it. A real one. No shadows involved."
"If you think you can beat me in an actual fight, I need to up my game."
"I know I can't. But I think wrestling you for real would be kind of fun."
He tucked my phone in the pocket of his shorts. "Alright, Death. Let's fight."
I followed him back to the living room, and stood to the side while he dragged the coffee table out of the way. He shoved the massive couch backward until it took up the hallway and exposed the thick, soft rug that rested beneath it, too.
When he gestured for me to walk toward him, I moved until I was positioned across from him on the rug. My toes dug into the thick, soft material.
I attempted to stand in the fighting stance he'd used at the fight earlier. "Okay, let's do this."
His lips twitched. "You're not supposed to be cheering me up right now."
"You said you wanted to be real mates. Real mates cheer each other up sometimes."
"I guess. Ready?"
"Ready."
Grayson took me to the ground in one simple, smooth motion. A laugh escaped me when I hit the rug, his magic cushioning my fall so much that I didn't even feel the collision.
I fought against his grip, trying to flip us over, and he rolled both of us.
His grin was wide as I fought to pin his arms above his head. The bastard managed to keep me from trapping them without really trying at all.
When I was sweaty and exhausted, he finally rolled me over and pinned me beneath him.
"Do you submit?" His voice was playful.
"I do." I told him my phone's code.
Grayson stayed where he was, with his body pressed against mine as he pulled my phone out of his pocket and typed the code in. I wrapped my arms and legs around him, holding him close and just breathing him in.
I tried to remember exactly what Darius and I had said, but we'd just been talking.
"Can I read them with you?" I asked against Grayson's shoulder. It muffled my words.
He rolled us again and sat up, turning me on his lap. My back was to his chest while he leaned against the couch and held my phone in front of me. He was partway through the conversation already.
He stopped at three messages I'd sent, and god, my cheeks blushed so hot I almost could've believed they were on fire.
Me
I want the sex between us to be the best sex of his life, and I think knotting would be a part of that, so I want to try
Does that sound insecure?
I just don't want there to be a possibility of him wishing he'd mated with Jasmine
I opened my mouth to defend myself.
Nothing came out, though.
I didn't know what to say.
So, I closed my mouth.
Grayson finished reading the conversation and maneuvered to the one with Callum.
I tried to take my phone back, but he trapped my arms at my sides easily as he snooped.
"This is an invasion of privacy," I grumbled.
"So is a mate bond."
He had a point.
I bit back a groan when he stopped at a message I'd sent, and I would've covered myself with a blanket if I could.
Me
I'd rather have a fluffy wolf snuggling me to ease my discomfort than an incubus demon making me horny all the time
Tell her we can trade mates
I want Kat, you can have Grayson
Grayson finally whistled. "You'd trade me for a werewolf? Ouch."
"I was joking. And in my defense, it was supposed to be a private conversation."
He chuckled. "I'm not hurt. I know you'd miss me if you really traded me for a werewolf."
"Maybe."
He dragged his fingers lightly over my arm. "As much as it pains me to admit it, I can understand your perspective on knotting. I don't agree, but I get it. If I thought you had enjoyed sex more with someone else, I'd lose my fucking mind."
"It doesn't feel great," I admitted. "But I understand your point too. If having sex in a certain way had a good chance of hurting you, I wouldn't want to do it either."
Grayson released me long enough to turn me around on his lap so our eyes met.
"I'd rather not even take the risk of shifting forms while we're together.
My mind doesn't work exactly the same when I shift.
There's no guarantee I won't lose control of myself completely, and I can be even less reasonable in that form. "
"You can be even less reasonable?" I teased.
"I know, it's hard to believe."
"I don't think it's fair for you to decide you're never going to shift around me, and I don't think it's really doable for you either. You were fighting off a shift when you were fucking me on Dare's couch."
"I know. Unfortunately, I don't think it's fair to you either." He slipped his hand around the back of my neck. "What do you suggest?"
"You told me I could watch you get yourself off. You could do that in your demon form."
He nodded reluctantly. "Alright. Fine. You'll have to enforce whatever rules we agree on, though."
"I will."
Grayson lowered his forehead to mine, holding my gaze. "The next time you give anyone intimate details about our sex life, I will spend all night eating you out without letting you get off."
I shuddered, immediately slick with his words. "You never follow through with that. You can't resist."
"For this, I would."
I wasn't willing to take the bet.
Grayson was going to get his way. I wouldn't talk about knotting with anyone else.
He carried me back to the kitchen island, and I sat on his lap while we finished off the fruit and the dip he'd made.