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“Why do you ask that with dread?”
“Because I’ve seen some of the brands that my girls wear. They’re rarely subtle, and they’re sometimes over the top.”
Maddox hummed, stroking her hips again. “I like them.”
“That doesn’t make me feel reassured.”
“Take a look.”
Forcing her eyes open, she raised her head and glanced down. A gasp flew out of her. A good kind of gasp. Because the ends of two exquisitely detailed wings curled around her hips and overlapped at her navel, as if someone had protectively enfolded her in their wings. “Wow,” she breathed. “Your demon has good taste.”
“I’d say so.”
“Shall we get a look at what brands my entity left on you?”
In answer, he sat up straight. Her lips parted. “It seems my demon didn’t want to be outdone by yours. It used both hands, so I thought it had left two brands. It didn’t. It left a big one that spans your upper back. And it’s … well, it’s a thunderstorm. An amazing thunderstorm. Dark clouds. Whips of lightning. Heavy rain. It looks wild and badass and magical at the same time.”
Maddox grabbed her cell phone from the end of the bed and handed it to her. “Snap a picture of the brand with your cell.”
She quickly did so and then showed him the photo. “I think my entity must have liked that comment you once made about my being like rain, lightning, and thunder.”
His mouth curved. “I think you might be right.”
“You like it, then?” she asked, a little nervous of his answer.
He cupped her jaw. “I’d like it no matter what, because it’s what the brand signifies that’s important. But, yeah, I like it.”
Her toes almost curled as he kissed her soft and slow, indulging in a thorough taste. The kiss might have been gentle, but it was no less possessive than the exceptionally intense fucking session they’d just had.
Finally, he pulled back. “Do you want to tell Jolene in person that you’ve switched lairs, or are you happy to tell her over the phone?”
Raini tensed. “Um … I think we should wait before I transfer.”
“Wait?”
“Yes. Not because I’m not fully committed to you—”
“It’s not just a simple commitment, Raini. We’re mates now. Those brands on your hips are never going to fade. This is serious. Permanent.”
“Agreed. I don’t want to fuck it up by rushing everything else. Plus, my parents are really worried for me right now. They’ll be happy for us, but—considering their other daughter is missing— they might find it too hard to see me leave the lair. So much so that they might even want to switch along with me. Do you want to be the one to tell them they can’t? Because I don’t.”
Maddox sighed. “I can agree that another upheaval for your parents might prove to be too much. But that’s not the main reason you’re hesitant to transfer to my lair, is it?”
“No, I’m leery of moving too fast. We’ve so far let things move at their own pace. It’s worked. We should just keep doing that. Why are you smiling at me like, I don’t know, like you feel sorry for me or something?”
“I had a feeling you’d say that. Do you know why? I’ll tell you. It’s because you don’t like to jump into anything. You don’t like to succumb to your impulses—unusual for a demon. But I suspect it has something to do with growing up around imps, who leap without looking and often seem surprised when that backfires. You don’t want things backfiring on you, so you take a more careful approach.”
She couldn’t help but bristle at how easily he’d read her. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“No, there isn’t.” He pulled her back down to the mattress and held her flush against him. “Like I said, we’re mates now. Mates don’t live apart or belong to separate lairs. But if it’ll make you feel better to spend time ruminating and reflecting and looking at the situation from every angle before we make those changes, you do that. One day, when you’re more sure of us, I’ll make my claim on you deeper by slipping a ring on your finger—that’s how serious about you, about us, that I am. But I’m not going to rush or pressure you. Just bear in mind that our demons will only give you so much time to play catch-up—they won’t like that we’re not living together or part of the same lair.”
“Why aren’t you annoyed that I’m struggling to move at your speed?”
“I can be patient when I know I’ll eventually get what I want.”
She narrowed her eyes. “In other words, you’re indulging me by giving me time.”
He pursed his lips. “In a nutshell, yes.”
She gave him a haughty sniff. “How benevolent of you.”
A smirk flirted around the edges of his mouth. “I was thinking exactly the same thing.”
