Afewdayslater,I was singing to myself whilst whipping up a delicious looking stir-fry. I’d left my plate on the breakfast bar, so I turned around, frying pan in hand and nearly walked straight into Jinx.
I screamed and jumped simultaneously, stir-fry flying up into the air and raining back onto us. Jinx stared at me calmly while my heart fluttered crazily and I tried to remember how to breathe.
“Jinx!” I admonished. “You nearly killed me!”
I would not admit to anyone, not even myself that my heart wasn’t just racing from fright. I couldn’t be that happy to see him. That would be ridiculous.
The demon solemnly pulled a noodle out of his hair and ate it. His eyes lit up and before I knew what was happening, he was all over me, eating bits of stir-fry off of my clothes and from my hair.
“Hey, hey!” I tried to protest, stepping back, but he just followed me.
“You need food? Come on, let me put what’s left of this on a plate for you.”
Jinx did back off then, only by scant inches. I made my interrupted journey to the breakfast bar and tipped what was left in the frying pan onto the empty plate. Jinx immediately attacked, diving in head first like a dog. I watched him for a moment and sighed, before getting a tub of ice-cream out of the freezer. I grabbed a spoon and started eating, whilst keeping one eye on him.
“Your human body needs human food, you know.”
He licked the plate clean and then prowled up to me, amber eyes glowing. I sighed in defeat and surrendered the ice-cream along with the spoon.
“Use the spoon!” I said in my best stern voice.
He scowled at me but took it and started using it to shovel huge mounds of mint ice cream into his mouth. The sight quashed any remaining appetite that I had.
I observed him carefully. He looked thin and filthy and was still completely naked. He really wasn’t getting the hang of this realm. His energy was strong though, so he must have fed. The blaze of incandescent rage and jealousy that flared through me, shocked me.
Jinx paused in stuffing his face, to give me a quizzical look. He had clearly sensed my anger.
“Nothing,” I muttered.
He shrugged and turned his attention back to the ice-cream.
“Did your feeding go well?” I heard myself snap, and I winced. It was none of my business. I didn’t need to know.
Jinx turned to me and scrunched up his face, giving me a look that clearly conveyed annoyance, disgust and disapproval. I grinned in delight. Whoever he had found to feed on had clearly been less than satisfactory. The knowledge did wonders for my pride and somewhat soothed my irrational jealousy.
But it confused me why I had reacted so viscerally in the first place. What the hell was wrong with me? Did my subconscious want an exclusive relationship with anincubus?I had never heard of anything more ridiculous.
The spoon clattered to the floor as he started licking out the tub. Now he was covered in noodles and ice cream as well as all the general grime.
“Bath time!” I said decisively as I took him by the hand and led him to my bathroom.
Jinx investigated every bottle and jar whilst I ran the bath.
“You can’t eat any of it!” I warned, just as he shook a bottle of talcum powder.
The white powder went everywhere and he sneezed, sending more of it flying. I couldn’t stop my chuckle, his sneeze had been adorable.
I poured bubble mixture into the bath water. As soon as the bubbles began to form, Jinx was transfixed. He dropped to his knees by the tub and stared at them in amazement. Then he stuck his face into them and took a bite.
“Jinx!” I cried, but he was already spluttering and spitting them out.
His look of disgusted outrage had me dissolving into helpless laughter. He looked up at me, amber eyes glowing with a feral light that should have been worrying, but then he grinned and started chuckling too.
I leaned over and turned off the faucet.
“Go on, hop in,” I said with a gesture.
Jinx tilted his head, giving me a very quizzical look. I gestured again. Staring at me dubiously, he carefully put one foot in. His uncertain look transformed to one of sheer delight. Suddenly he jumped in, sending a tsunami of water cascading everywhere, including all over me.
