Chapter 16
Kendyll
I’D NEVER SKIPPED WORK OR ignored my responsibilities tied to Bethelma.
There were days or nights when I’d look beyond the window of wherever we were and pretend I was out there, chasing adventure and living a life of my own.
But my name scrawled in black ink on a dotted line that I didn’t understand at the time kept me rooted in place to simply stare and dream.
Xander was determined to change that.
“I can’t just leave,” I argued for the third time that morning.
“Of course you can,” Xander fired back, once again shoving the clothes he’d procured for me that morning into my arms. “The filming crew isn’t going to be here for another two days, and there are no actual ghosts here for you to talk to.
That means we have two days to make up for lost time and your stolen youth.
So change before I take off your clothes myself. ”
I narrowed my eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Not only would I dare, but I’d take great pleasure in it, too.”
I ignored the way that warmed my insides in favor of glaring between the clothes he pressed into my crossed arms and his handsome face.
With a sigh, he flashed me a conspiratorial grin. “There will be food. Lots of delicious and new food.”
My stomach growled in response to the temptation he’d dangled in front of me.
Even after five years apart, he still knew the promise of food would get me each and every time.
After being denied delicious food for so many years while at Mountview, I couldn’t deny the opportunity to sample it all today.
So with his promise to meet my tongue’s wishes, I begrudgingly took the outfit he’d picked out. With a triumphant grin, he whisked into the bathroom to change, too. No sooner had he stepped inside and shut the door than an awareness formed at my back.
I turned and got hit with a sense of déjà vu when a broad chest nearly hit my face. Tilting my head back, my gaze locked with a pair that only served to increase the feeling that I’d been in this exact situation before.
The golden-haired demon inhaled before smirking. “Well. Looks like we meet again. Pet fish, right?”
The same demon from my time at Xander’s apartment—what was his name? Peter? Pecker? I couldn’t remember—stood before me once more. Much like before, I bristled at his close proximity.
“Narcissist, right?” I shot back with a tilt of my chin.
Smirking his fanged grin, he corrected politely, “Sex demon.”
I shrugged. “Same thing.”
“Perseus?” Xander called and opened the bathroom door.
Oh, right. Perseus. How sad. Pecker suits him better.
Xander leaned on the bathroom door frame in only dark jeans, which were still unbuttoned and opened over his briefs.
My mouth instantly watered at the sight, and I silently berated myself to ignore how good-looking he was.
While I’d forgotten this newcomer’s name, I hadn’t forgotten the ability he had—reading desires.
Judging by the way he shot me a sideways, knowing grin, my internal chant about foot fungus, baby vomit, and pills in little paper cups hadn’t distracted me from Xander’s appeal fast enough.
“What are you doing here?” Xander asked.
“You haven’t checked in since the marketing party. I wanted to see what had your attention so occupied.” Perseus fixed his black-and-red gaze on me once more.
Meanwhile, mine had completely diverted from his face.
Catsper perched on top of his head, his see-through feet pawing lightly at Perseus’s golden curls while his tail swished back and forth over the demon’s pierced ear.
I pressed my lips tightly together to fight against the laugh that wanted to rush out of me.
“Um,” Perseus began, patting the top of his head and shooting Xander a fleeting glance. His fingers swept through Catsper, who merely batted at the extremity. “Why is she staring at my head like that?”
Xander shrugged and declared, “You’ve got pussy on your face, man.”
“What?” Perseus asked. His brows slammed down in confusion, and he wiped at his mouth.
That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I doubled over in laughter, clutching my stomach.
Perseus stiffened in annoyance, and his bland stare bounced between Xander and I. “You two truly are a perfect match.”
With that, the demon vanished in a plume of shadows.
Catsper hovered in the air before trotting happily back to the bed, the open air his roadway.
I managed to reign in my laughter, wiping at my eyes under my glasses before adjusting them back into place.
When I glanced at Xander, who still stood in the bathroom doorway, I found his dark eyes fixed right on me, a calm seriousness where a mischievous lightness typically resided in the lines of his face.
Catching my breath but still unable to wipe away my smile, I asked, “What?”
“You’re really pretty when you laugh.”
The words made me need to catch my breath all over again.
We stared at each other, me lost in the way my heart suddenly galloped and he in whatever thought had him so transfixed on my face.
I became aware of the small distance between us.
I was aware of his bare chest and how easy it would be to reach out, to feel the firm and warm flesh beneath my palm.
I was aware of the tight yet comfortable ache that always took up a piece of the organ currently tripping over itself at the sight of him.
Which was why I promptly put my back to him and laid out the clothes he’d given me on the bed. My hands shook from old and new longing as I straightened the black overalls and purple turtleneck. “If we’re leaving, we better get ready. We shouldn’t waste any more time.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” he murmured quietly.
My lashes fluttered shut, and every cell in my body sparked with desire. I looked over my shoulder but found myself alone, the room and doorway empty. I brought my hand up to my neck, gently rubbing where it felt like his voice had just been.
MY SCREAM TORE AT MY throat, burning as the sound mingled with the shrill laughter that fought for dominance. My hands clenched so tightly around the handles that I lost all feeling within them, while my body vibrated with excitement.
“Woo!” Xander hollered from the seat beside me.
The coaster finished its final loop and shot us toward the hills, which evened out as the trolley slowed. The cart docked back within the boarding area of the ride. Meanwhile, I still felt like I was flying through those fast loops.
My legs were jelly as I stepped off the ride, but all I could do was continue to laugh from the thrill buzzing in my veins. Xander’s blurry grin seemed just as permanent on his face as he held me around the waist to steady my walk. He placed my glasses back on my face with his free hand.
“That was amazing!” I gushed, straightening my glasses so I could beam up at him. I grabbed the side of his shirt and tugged happily while bouncing on my feet as we made it back to the front entrance of the roller coaster where Catsper waited on us. “Let’s do it again!”
He laughed. “We could, or we could walk around and try all the other rides, too. There’s so much here.”
I looked back at my first amusement park ride, hyped up on its energy while itching to see what others waited within the huge park we’d arrived at an hour ago.
“I’ll come back for you,” I told the coaster before letting Xander lead me to the next destination.
The fast paced and packed amusement park was exactly what I’d imagined it would be based on the movies I’d seen.
Families, couples, and workers rushed up and down the many pathways, which were framed by rides and shops.
Screams, laughter, mechanical operations aided by music, and autumn wind in golden leaves filled the air with life.
Despite my aversion to crowds and people, I soaked it in with a smile.
I inhaled the sugary sweet scent coming out of a candy store and the delicious aroma of cooking meat, peppers, and onions from a restaurant.
Parents laughed with their cutely dressed toddler as the child posed for a photo with the park’s mascot.
Another family tried to corral their hyper kids who kept trying to pull them in different directions in search of a toy, a certain ride, or a show.
A young couple shared shy smiles over a table where they sipped on coffee and took pictures together.
All around me were memories being made, happiness shared among loved ones, innocence in its purest form.
My heart squeezed.
A plate with a mess of fried dough, powdered sugar, whipped cream, and fall colored sprinkles appeared in front of my face. “Funnel cake for your thoughts?”
I accepted the plate and looked up at Xander. “Where did you get this?”
We literally hadn’t stopped walking to the next ride, so I was confused where the sweet treat came from. The smell of pumpkin spice wafted up to my nose.
He leaned down to press his mouth close to my ear and whispered, “A demon can’t reveal his secrets.”
He’d totally stolen it. Probably conjured it right out of a stall’s inventory and into his hand. Even so, I smiled, especially when his lips lightly grazed the shell of my ear before he pulled back. A new buzz filled my body, but I tried to ignore it.
I grabbed the fork and cut a piece off before sampling the food. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I groaned and quickly gathered more onto my fork.
He laughed low, the sound rough and with his own sort of groan mingled in. “Good?”
“So good,” I agreed around another mouthful.
“Fuck,” he cursed and ran his fingers over his strained smile. He shifted his walk as we fell into a new ride’s line. “If you keep making those sounds, I’m going to have a pretty awkward conversation with whoever straps us into this ride about my hard cock being in the way.”
I nearly choked on the food while the mother standing in front of us with a small boy glared at Xander. She grabbed her son and shifted as far away as the line would allow. Unperturbed, Xander nodded his chin in greeting at her.