“Why on earth would I do that?”
“Because you like it. And because you are small, and it would not be a bad thing if it made you bigger.”
Her laughter died instantly, and she stared at him with an open mouth. Perhaps he shouldn’t have said that? Had he offended her? He wished Eva was here to help him discern what was and wasn’t appropriate to say.
“I will go,” he said in case she feared him now, though it was the last thing he wanted to do. “Thank you for allowing me to escort you. I enjoyed the experience.”
He gave her a small bow and instantly regretted it. Humans didn’t bow anymore, did they? He didn’t think so; at least, not in this culture. Not to mention, bowing was a habit he had acquired over millennia of servitude, and he resented the symbol of his enslavement.
“Wait.”
He turned around.
“Um… what’s your name?”
Did this mean he hadn’t offended her? “I am called Mist.”
“I— Oh. That’s an unusual name.”
“It’s a nickname.” He wasn’t going to offer his real name. If anything would give him away as not human, it was that. Unlike Asmodeus and his brothers, he would derive no pleasure from confusing her. “And you?”
“Lily.”
“Like the flower.”
She shrugged. “It’s a pretty common name.”
He inhaled another lungful of that heady aroma. “It suits you. Your scent is like flowers.”
Her eyes widened again, and he cursed inwardly. Perhaps that was also insulting? He ground his teeth. This was too difficult.
“Do you have a phone?” she blurted, and her cheeks turned scarlet.
He frowned. “No. Why? Do you need to call someone?”
“I— No.” Her cheeks were such a magnificent shade of red, it almost didn’t appear natural. “Never mind. Have a good night, Mist. Thanks for walking me home.”
She offered him another smile and headed up the staircase. He didn’t try to stop himself from watching the luscious mounds of roundness that comprised her ass. The flesh jiggled slightly with every step, the tight leggings she wore leaving nothing to the imagination. A blessing, because he was sure his imagination could not have conceived of something so tempting. His mouth actually watered.
At the top of the stairs, she unlocked the third door on the left and disappeared inside, so Mist headed for his own place of residence. As he walked, he fought back a strange sense of regret at the thought that he might never breathe that scent or look into those green eyes again.
When he reached his building, he let himself into Eva and Asmodeus’s apartment and found things exactly as he’d left them. Eva lounged on the sofa watching a movie, and the rest of the house was quiet.
She looked over when he entered. “You’re back! With ice cream!”
“I bought two flavors so you might choose which you prefer now and have more for later.”
He set the shopping bag on the couch and proceeded to remove his shirt so he could shift back into demon form. Stretching out his wings with a sigh of gratification, he flexed his claws and whipped his tail back and forth. How any demon could stand being in human form for prolonged periods was beyond him.
“You’re a genius!” Eva, used to his demon form by now, was too busy selecting her ice cream flavor to notice. She chose ‘Chocolate Therapy’ and then held out the bag for him. “Thanks, Mist. You’re the best.”
“I will bring you a utensil.” He took the bag and put the extra carton in the freezer, returning with a spoon and sinking into the sofa beside her.
She immediately dug in. “So what took you so long? Not that I’m complaining.”
“I encountered a female.”
“Really?” Her silvery eyes lit up. “What happened?”
