Page 56 of How Not to Date a Demon

“Why do you wanna know so badly?” she challenged.

Galen’s smile widened. “I want all the ammo I can get so I can hold this over you for the rest of our lives.”

“But I was right! So technically it’s on you that you weren’t better about hiding it,” she pointed out. Her heart was pounding though. The rest of our lives? Galen wanted that?

“Come on, Maeve, please tell me?” he asked, dragging out her name dramatically. “I have to know all the details. This is too good.”

“Oh, so this is just a big amusing story to you? Glad to know I was panicking and freaking out and you’re having a big laugh about it all.”

He pulled her to the edge of the chair and tilted her head back. Way back, until she was staring straight up at him. “Baby, you know that’s not what I meant.”

Maeve didn’t know what it was about Galen. Even now, knowing what he was… she wanted him. Not just because his touch left the heat of sparks behind and his new—to her—horns were erogenous zones. It was because he was so sincere and dorky and could make her laugh for hours. She relaxed in his hold, absorbed his warmth with a funny kind of relief.

“I know,” she admitted. “I’m just being difficult because I’m embarrassed.” She rolled her eyes, trying to distract from the way her cheeks were heating up.

“Don’t be embarrassed, love,” he murmured. “It was really brave. I mean, what were you gonna do if I ended up failing one of the trials, like silver? You would have thought I was a werewolf. And then what? It’s pretty badass.”

Maeve bit down on her smile, pretended to think it over with a hum. “I don’t know. I guess I would have resorted to the fifth option, a machete,” she deadpanned.

Galen froze, his entire body tensing for a long moment before he loosened his hold on her and dropped his hands to the chair on either side of her hips. Then he began shaking, and she startled at first before she realized he was… laughing.

She continued on. “I suppose the writers were thinking if I couldn’t figure out what you were, a beheading was appropriate no matter what,” she mused.

He finally let her go, his composure disintegrating as laughter burst out of him in a loud boom. It was a rare kind of laugh that she didn’t get to hear every day.

Unable to resist, her lips curled up into a wide grin, watching as Galen put a hand on his stomach. “It hurts,” he hissed between chuckles. “A machete? Really?”

“I swear,” she promised. “I could pull up the site if you wanna see—”

Galen cut her off with a wave of his hand. “No, no, please don’t. I can only take so much,” he said, finally catching his breath. “It’s gold. I love this,” he admitted, gaze landing on her. He wiped a tear away.

“I love you,” he said a moment later, words slower, laced with intention.

Her breath caught. She’d heard those same words from Galen before many, many times. Maeve didn’t know what it was about this time that was different.

Maybe because… there were finally no more secrets between them.

Maeve was the one who pulled him closer this time. “I love you too. Next time, don’t make me google how to discover your secrets. Just tell me, yeah?” she suggested.

“I know that now. I just didn’t think it would go this well. I’ve been freaking out for weeks, wondering what you were going to say.”

“This definitely wasn’t what I expected when I swiped right on you,” she teased. “I didn’t think I’d have to learn how to date a demon.”

Galen hummed as if in thought. “Did you forget the part where you tried to poison and maim me? I’d say you learned how not to date a demon, if anything.”

Maeve gasped dramatically. “Galen!”

“But that’s okay,” he continued. “I’ll give you a second chance.”

“Unbelievable,” Maeve murmured, a smile etching itself onto her lips. Maeve tugged Galen down to her.

Before their lips could meet, sharp little teeth nipped her big toe, and she squeaked, yanking herself back to see which little damn pup it was this time—

“Eli!” she grumbled. “No toes!”

Maeve lifted her glare to Galen, who melted it right off her face with a kiss born of overwhelming affection. When he pulled away a long moment later, Maeve smiled up at him dreamily.

“Ready for bed?” he offered.