“You’re smiling.” She reached for me, her fingers outstretched like she needed to trace my lips.
“Do you want me to look unhappy?” I frowned.
My dick twitched when she grabbed my arms and grinned at me while shaking her head. “No, not at all. I love seeing you smile.” She stood on her tiptoes and leaned in, brushing her lips against my chin in a soft kiss.
I tipped my head, catching her mouth with mine, and sent my tongue to caress hers. She sucked in a breath and clung to me tighter, returning the gesture with the same urgency. I cupped the back of her head, tangling my fingers in her hair so I could yank her into a more submissive position—an angle that allowed me to control every kiss, nip, and suck.
Emma sighed as I covered her heavy breast with my hand. I squeezed it and smiled at her needy sounds as she pushed more of herself into my palm. I stepped closer to her, until my erection pressed against her stomach. She gasped into my mouth, and I greedily swallowed the sound. A shiver ran up my spine when her tiny hands brushed down my chest and abdomen, then wrapped around my cock.
“You’re naked?” Emma mumbled against my lips. She leaned away and looked down, getting an eyeful of my dick in her hand. Releasing me, she whipped her gaze back to my face. “Dimitri! Why are you naked?”
I held back a laugh, amused she hadn’t realized until now. Sometimes she was oblivious to the most obvious things; other times, she was sharp and immediately noticed stuff. I raised an eyebrow. “Do you not like what you see?”
Her face turned a brighter red. I wanted to nip her bottom lip, which parted with her shaky breathing. “I do! It’s just...” She swallowed hard and glanced at my erection again before she looked away. “I’m a little sore.”
Tucking a stray piece of her hair behind her ear, I said, “I’m not asking for sex, sunshine. I came down here to make sure you’re okay.”
She studied me with her kind green eyes for a few silent seconds. A small smile crept to her face. “You were worried about me?”
I slowly blinked and surprised myself—and most likely her as well—when I averted my gaze. “Something like that.”
“Well, thank you, sir.” I closed my eyes, swallowing a groan. She giggled and pecked my lips. “I’m fine. Just wanted to make you something to eat. I don’t know if you get hungry after changing back to yourself, so I thought making something for you would be a good idea.”
I remained motionless as Emma turned back to the frying pan with bacon that looked a little overdone, but I wouldn’t complain. Hot grease popped, and she eased the strips to a plate with a paper towel laid over it. My stomach took that moment to growl, and I still stood there, unable to move. Emma’s thoughtful and kind nature never failed to surprise me.
My demon watched through my eyes, just as stunned as I was. After another long minute, I finally backed away and went upstairs to my bedroom. I took a quick shower, dried off, and brushed my hair before I dressed in a three-piece suit, Armani shoes, and the watch Emma had gifted me. When I returned to the kitchen, she had finished cooking and made me an au lait. Whenever she crafted the coffee, she honed her abilities, and it tasted like it came from the café I loved. I might’ve loved hers more than the café’s.
Emma placed the plates at the table and sat beside me. She’d cooked omelets again, and just like last time, she gave me the perfect one while she kept the less-than-stellar one. Frowning, I switched the plates, ignoring her protests.
“Why do you do that?” she grumbled as she cut off a piece of the egg and stabbed her fork into it before bringing it to her mouth.
I swallowed my bite and peeked at her from the corner of my eye before casting my gaze at my plate. “You’re kind and thoughtful to everyone around you. If you could, you’d give the shirt off your back if someone asked. But has anyone ever returned the same gesture to you?” I looked at Emma, who stared at me with pinched eyebrows. “When it’s just us, you still go out of your way to cater to me. Even down to you giving me the omelet you didn’t fumble on. You deserve the same kindness. You deserve the perfect omelet becauseyouare perfect.”
Her throat bobbed, and tears glittered in her eyes, making them look like emerald stones. I returned to my breakfast and ate as silently as possible so I didn’t trigger her misophonia. Silence stretched between us, and I listened to her as she ate.
Minutes passed, and with each second, my chest swelled with emotions I couldn’t hold back for long. I’d missed hearing her tell me she loved me and then apologizing for telling me so often. My chest tightened, and I could no longer suppress the words on my tongue.
“I love you,” I whispered while keeping my gaze on my half-eaten plate of food.
Emma’s hand stopped midway to her mouth, and she looked at me. From the corner of my eye, I caught the look of surprise and even a sliver of fear.
“Did you...?” She trailed off, scared to repeat what I’d confessed.
I turned to her, looking her directly in the eye. “I love you, Emma Hayes.”
The pulse in her neck beat faster, and her breathing picked up. She stared at me, wide-eyed, and didn’t say anything. I’d expected her to say the same back to me, but she looked at me like I was some stranger who was speaking in tongues.
I broke the stare, looked at my plate, and cut into my omelet. “I don’t expect you to say it back. But I wanted you to know that you hold my heart in your pretty little hands. If you don’t love me today, that’s fine. There will be a day that you will, and that will be the day I can breathe again.”
Emma stayed silent as I continued to eat. The once delicious food tasted like ash, which irritated me because this was Emma’s cooking. I wanted to believe she would fall in love with me again one day. Or that she would remember who I was and everything we’d done together.
When I finished eating, I stood up, washed off my plate, and placed it in the dishwasher. Emma continued staring at her plate while she pushed her food around with her fork. She didn’t call for me as I had hoped she would when I walked out of the room and hid in my office. I couldn’t believe she got me to where I—a demon who hated everything and everyone—had to retreat with my tail between my legs.
The velvet box that held a diamond ring weighed heavily in my pocket. One day, she’d fall in love with me, and I’d ask her to marry me. Mark my words.
It’d been ten minutes since Dimitri left, and I still sat at the dining table, his words echoing in my head.
I love you, Emma Hayes.
