Page 2 of How Not to Date a Demon

Maeve sighed, lowering her head into her hands and groaning in frustration.

“I hate your boss,” she grumbled.

A soft touch brushed against her back, and when she didn’t shrug it off, Galen rubbed his hand up her spine.

“What are we going to do with them? We don’t have kennels, and they're gonna need so much care and attention. I just… can’t dedicate the time to them that they need. We both work too much.” Maeve’s heart raced. They were still trying to sort their shit from moving in together, and now puppies?

But when she straightened her spine and turned to face him, he was staring at the cabinets, lip tucked between his teeth in thought. “I realize now I didn’t think this through properly.” He winced. “I understand. It was a spur of the moment thing. And besides, I know just where to take them.”

A sigh of relief left her, but something was still… off. “You do? Will they be safe?”

Breaking the stare, he arched a brow at her. “If I said no, what would you do?”

Maeve rolled her eyes at him and narrowed her gaze. “I wouldn’t just let you take them and dump them somewhere. They’re so dumb and defenseless,” she whined, waving a hand at them.

As if they knew she was talking about them, they turned their heads to her, their little yips trailing off into silence.

“Aw, don’t say that, they’re just babies!” Galen argued and dropped down to his knees.

The puppies just about tripped over themselves to get to him, pawing at him for attention.

“I know, I know,” he cooed to them in a high-pitched voice. “It’ll be okay, I promise. I’ll take you guys to Jean’s house, how about that?”

Maeve was going to melt into a puddle if he kept being that adorable with the puppies, and it took real effort to redirect her thoughts. “Who’s Jean?” she asked, suspicion rising.

“He’s a coworker who doesn’t live too far from here.”

A coworker? Warning bells went off in her head.

Maeve glared at him, his too-casual tone rubbing her wrong. “Is Jean the one who’s been competing with you for this promotion?”

A long pause stretched between them before he finally nodded, rubbing one of the puppy’s bellies.

How was she even going to tell the three of them apart?

“Is Jean watching the puppies going to give him more favor with the boss?”

Galen stood, and she lifted her head to stare up at him, not wanting to miss any minuscule hints in his expression.

He seemed reluctant to answer. “I don’t want us to be stressed about them if we don’t have to be. Don’t agree to this just for me.”

She sighed. “Will Jean get the promotion if he watches the puppies?”

“It’s… possible. Though he explained to me that I hold the most favor because I helped him so much with the last project.”

Maeve crossed her arms. She wanted him to get that promotion, she wanted stability and no more late nights and early mornings and long days.

Maeve wanted her boyfriend back. Devil be damned. And if the puppies were the key to that…

“Fine. They’ll stay until your boss needs them back.”

His eyes widened. “Really?”

Before Maeve could change her mind, she blurted, “Yes. I want this promotion for you. Fuck that guy. Jean.”

“Are you sure?” he asked again, stepping closer and tilting her head up to him.

Maeve drew in a deep breath, Galen’s hands warm against her cheeks. “Boss sucks, I know,” he agreed. “But with him being gone the next two weeks, I can work from home and help out, keep an eye on them.”