Page 60 of Sent To A Fantasy World and Now All the Men Want Me 7

I sighed.

“I made him read,” he added before I could grumble about him evading the question.

“You did what?” I blinked in my shock. “What did he read?”

“A book.” Humor returned to his gaze at my droll look. “Well, a chapter in a book. An introductory of sorts to what I’ll be teaching him.”

“I’m sure he loved that.” I grinned at the thought of Rowan forced to sit and read anything. He hated books almost as much as he hated sweets. “Maybe I can come to your next meeting.”

“If you’re good,” he said, eyes gleaming with a smile that didn’t quite show on his lips. Throwing my words back at me like the butthead demon lord he was.

Ghost nuzzled my hair before huffing through his nostrils and trotting over to the watering area to take a drink. Ash followed him, and the two of them playfully nudged each other. Pumpkin leapt from the fence post and sprinted over to the water trough, jumping into it and splashing the horses.

“I really do love it here.” I smiled as I watched them play. “Bremloc was the first place that ever felt like home, but your realm has started growing on me. More than I expected it to.”

“That pleases me to hear.” Onyx watched the horses before returning his attention to me. “Yet, I’m no fool. With you being the Hallowed Saint, your stay in my realm is only temporary. I wish for you to be happy here in the meantime though. As much as you can be.”

A pressure gripped my sternum. “And you call yourself a selfish demon lord.”

“How forgetful of me. Allow me to rephrase.” Onyx circled his thumb over my Adam’s apple, his expression so damn soft it stuttered my heart. “You’re my prisoner, little bird. Any attempt to leave my side will result in you being thrown in the dungeon. Or would you prefer to be chained to my bed?”

“Um.” The intensity of his woodsmoke scent infiltrated my senses. It made me weak in the knees. This freaking demon lord had the ability to turn my brain to mush—and my body to goo. “Between a scary dungeon or a nice, comfy bed, I’ll definitely choose the bed.”

He smirked down at me. “You would surrender to me so easily? Allowing yourself to be mine forever?”

“Well, not only yours.” I stepped closer, albeit hesitantly, and hooked my arms around his waist. The hesitancy came from the chaotic butterflies jostling in my belly. Part of me was terrified that this wasn’t real, that I was getting my hopes up only to have them crushed. “Five other men hold pieces of my heart.”

“A fortunate turn of events, I suppose.” Onyx slid his hand to my nape and brought me closer, resting his chin on the top of my head. “Given your rambling mouth, clumsy legs, and your affinity for placing yourself in precarious situations, one male isn’t enough to keep you safe.”

Tears stung my eyes. Happy ones, for once. After so much confusion and back and forth between us, we were finally on the same page. I buried my face against his collarbone.

“You’re crying.” Surprise bled into his tone. “Have I said something wrong?”

“No.” I tipped my face to peer up at him, my smile wobbly.

“Do you still believe me to be a carrot?” he asked.

I snorted a laugh. “You were the one dangling the carrot, not the carrot itself.”

“Then what did the carrot represent?” He frowned.

“This,” I answered, tightening my arms around him. “Us being together.”

As he stared down at me, expression warming and smoothing into one of clarity, the sun kissed his porcelain skin and reflected in his eyes. Threads of gold wound through his crimson irises, like embers sparking in a fire.

Fitting since that’s how he made me feel, like I was burning. The flames soothed rather than hurt though.

Cheep!

Something latched onto my calf and scurried up my leg.

I squeaked in surprise and jolted backward, seeing a blur of orange rushing toward my face.

“Careful, little one,” Onyx said, reaching for Pumpkin. Holding him to his chest, he used two fingers to pet the top of the arbordu’s head, being mindful of the twig and blue bud sporting upward from it. “You could have caused Evan’s death. Muffins are clumsy, you know. No wings to fly or sense of balance to stay upright.”

The last was spoken with a slanted smile aimed my way.

“Seriously? Playing the clumsy card?” I huffed. “Remember what we were saying earlier about you being mischievous? Teasing me is a prime example of that, my lord.”