Page 6 of When I Accidentally Summoned a Demon

Instantly, he tenses. Before I can blink, his spade-tipped tail snaps out like a bullwhip. He snaps upright as the tail fires, coiling thickly around my waist, winding tight, and yanking me forward.

I gasp, the breath knocked out of my lungs as I crash against his lower chest. “Whoa⁠—”

The word dies in my throat. Flush against him, there is absolutely no mistaking the rigid, massive column jutting against my stomach from beneath his leather loincloth. It is heavy, searing hot, and pulsing frantically against my skin.

Arousal spikes, shooting straight down to my core, pooling hot and heavy between my thighs. My nipples immediately peak, tightening into hard, sensitive points that rub painfully against the damp towel.

“I—forgive me,” Valefar stammers, his deep voice fracturing. He tries to reel himself in, but his tail remains stubbornly wrapped around me, the spade-tip twitching against the small of my back. “I apologize. It seems to have a mind of its own. Pure instinct.”

I stare up at him, my hands instinctively resting against his chest, above his frenzied heartbeat.

“This has never happened before,” he rushes on with alarm. “I have never experienced a human who was…living. In the domain below, they are dead. Cold. Hollow. You are so warm. You are so alive.”

He is completely unraveling. His powerful body trembles violently. He’s burning up, his skin radiating a furnace-like heat against mine, and then I see them: faint wisps of smoke curling from his pores. A desperate, raw vulnerability floods his gaze and makes my breath hitch.

I reach up, brushing the damp strands of hair back from his face to press my cool fingers against his forehead.

“Poor big guy,” I murmur, surprised by the gentleness in my own voice. “You’re burning up. Maybe we should get you into the shower.”

He cocks his horned head to the side, swallowing so hard his Adam’s apple bobs sharply. Maybe Devil’s apple. He pales slightly. “We only have acid showers in hell. We use them for torture.”

I tip my head back with a breathless laugh. “Then you’re in for a treat, Valefar.”

His pointed ears twitch, and his jagged teeth slip out to bite his bottom lip. He apologizes again for the tail, for his teeth, for everything. He practically begs for mercy.

“Why are your cheeks so red?” he asks, his brow dipping in genuine concern. “Is it a condition? A sickness? The humans in my realm are pale and white as ice…unless I am setting them on fire.”

I snort, genuine laughter bubbling up from my chest. The rigid grip of his tail around my waist loosens just a fraction. Seizing the opportunity, I wrap my fingers securely around the thick, velvety tail and use it exactly like a leash. I step backward, giving a gentle tug, spinning out of its grip.

“Come on, big guy. Let’s get you into the shower. Follow me.”

His golden eyes flash with a dark, terrifying devotion. “To hell and back.”

I arch a brow, turning my head to hide the silly smile pulling at my lips.

I lead him into the small attached bathroom. It’s cramped with him in it, his horns missing the ceiling fixture by inches. I step in and twist the faucet, adjusting the spray until it’s lukewarm, gesturing for him to get in.

He steps under the spray and hisses, his muscles locking up. “Too hot.”

I twist the knob further to the right. “Cold?”

“Colder,” he bites out, his hands gripping the tile wall.

I turn it again. “More?”

“Colder.”

I crank the handle all the way to the right. Pure, unadulterated cold water blasts from the showerhead.

Valefar drops to his knees on the tiled floor, his massive frame folding in on itself. He crosses his arms over his chest, rocking himself under the freezing downpour. “It’s still burning,” he groans, a low, guttural sound that vibrates through my limbs.

The water instantly soaks his leather loincloth, plastering it tightly to his skin, showing the outline of his arousal. My mind reels. It’s a thick, aggressive ridge tenting the heavy leather. My mouth goes dry, a hot pulse echoing between my legs.

“Wait just a second,” I tell him, my voice cracking.

I bolt out of the bathroom, sprinting to the kitchen. I rip open the freezer, grab the bag of ice, and snatch a mop bucket. I dump the ice in, turn on the tap, and fill it with freezing water, blowing a breath of utter disbelief through my nostrils.

This is officially the weirdest Ice Bucket Challenge of the century.