Page 85 of Demon Demands

“What… Uhm, which part were you listening to?”

Prowling in a circle around me, he shrugged his shoulders. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he gave a panty melting smile as he stepped behind me.

He dragged his index finger down my spine to the small of my back, then made his way up to my neck, moving my hair over my left shoulder. His lips brushed the shell of my ear as he whispered, “All of it.”

Snatching my shirt down, I whirled on him, one eyebrow quirked as I bit my lips for a second.

“All of it?” I parroted back. My mind was an endless loop of that one scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail… run away!

Novak nodded his head slowly, his lips twitching and his eyes shining with amusement. “All of it,” he repeated.

Fuck. He was blocking the only exit, so I tried to sidetrack him. “Do you know what’s going on with Vaughn?”

He shook his head. “Go back a few more thoughts.”

I tilted my head to the left, pursing my lips. “I still think Stone is an incubus, or at least part incubus. It makes sense.”

“A little more, Trouble.” He took a step toward me, and I backed up, shrugging.

“I really enjoy being around you.”

My vampire raised a single pierced brow at me. “And?”

“And laughing with you.”

“Uh-huh,” he agreed, lowering his voice to a husky rasp. “And what else? Say it, Sloane.”

“You keep taking that tone with me and I won’t get shit done today.” I slashed my hands in front of my chest.

Novak smirked, taking another step. “Say. It.”

I rolled my eyes at him, pressing my thighs together.

“I have feelings for you,” I gritted out through clenched teeth, contemplating how much shit I’d have to do later if we spent the next few hours on the closet floor.

He narrowed his eyes at me. “Mmm, and what did you call those feelings?”

“Fuck,” I stammered, “You’re being really intense right now, and I can’t tell if I’m more turned on or worried.”

He crowded me against the shelf, his knee between my legs and face inches from mine. “Say it, Sloane. Tell me how you feel. Out loud. Stop trying to dodge me, and just. Say. It.”

I shivered into his touch. Then I got really fucking mad at myself for thinking about that shit when I knew he was a nosy fucking vampire who was constantly eavesdropping on my thoughts.

“Godsdamnit. I think I fucking love you,” I growled, practically spitting the words at him as my chest clenched with anxiety.

He smiled, nodding his head again. “I know you do. Pretty fucking sure I love you too.”

Then he just… turned around and started rummaging through the drawers in my closet while I stared at him, gaping. When he found a drawer full of lingerie, he started pulling pieces out, holding them up like he was inspecting them.

All he was missing was a roll of tiny stickers with numbers on them.

I scrubbed my hands over my face much more aggressively than necessary. What the fuck was happening? Was the conversation over? No sex?

Novak glanced over his shoulder, smirking at me as he rearranged the contents of the drawer he had open.

“How did your night with Briggs go?”

Oh. I grinned sardonically at him, flashing image after image of my night into his mind, leaking in some of the lust I’d felt in the moment.