I curtly nod my head in understanding. “Okay. It won’t be today but sometime soon.”
“I can’t wait to be yours,” she murmurs, leaning towards me for touch and comfort.
We spend the rest of the time cuddling on the couch, watching TheLord of the Rings.We make it halfway through the second movie by the time I realize she’s fallen asleep against my chest. I hold her close as I walk us to the bedroom, placing her on the bed under the covers. I move to the other side and get behind her, holding her close to me, as I fall into a deep sleep myself.
16
Chapter 16 - Asmodeus
The past few days, we have been spending all our extra time together, learning about each other and our lives. She somehow doesn’t believe the fact that I’m 249 years old in the demon realm and was confused about how time works there. They never really explain it to us since it’s not a big deal and time isn’t the same in that realm as it is on Earth.
She loves watching me work in the garage. She said her father loved old cars but didn’t have the money to have one and restore it. I can understand where he was coming from; it does take a lot of time and money to restore old cars. That’s where I get most of my income from. I learned most of my mechanical skills from messing around with cars and looking everything up in books or online. Demons were quick learners, which allowed us to do pretty much anything; it was a blessing in disguise.
As the days went on, I was formulating a plan to claim her. I didn’t really bring up what changes would exactly happen to her body, and any time I tried to say anything, she just wavedme off and said it didn’t matter; what was most important to her was being with me and being mates.
I was very fortunate to have a mate like her. She was accepting of me, my appearance, and my baser instincts. But from what I gathered and what she has told me, she left her previous boyfriend when he proposed because she felt in her soul that it wasn’t the right decision, that he wasn’t the one, and that her fate was somewhere else. I have never been more grateful than I am to hear that she listened to her intuition; I might have never met her otherwise if it weren’t for that fact. The thought chokes me up, thinking about never finding her and being alone the rest of my life.
Thinking about being alone with no mate spurs me on to find her and shower her in love and affection. I was in the garage finishing up my work when I stopped for the day and went into the house. When I looked at the clock, it was six hours before midnight. When I discovered her in the kitchen making some food, I knew she was making us dinner.
She was at the stove stirring something in a pot when I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, pressing a gentle kiss against her neck. She melts into my embrace, letting me dote on her.
“It smells delicious. What are you making for us?” I murmured in her ear, running my lips against the column of her neck, setting off goosebumps along her skin.
“Nothing fancy, just some spaghetti and meatballs with a side of garlic bread.”
“It may be simple, but somehow it always tastes delicious. Do you normally like to cook? Should I leave most of the dinner meals to you?” We hadn’t talked about who was going to cook. I had been more focused on having her safe, havingher in my space, and claiming her. I was able to cook and enjoyed doing it, but I wouldn’t mind her cooking if she wanted to.
She shrugs her shoulders. “I dabble, I suppose. I’m a bit of a messy cook and always forget food in the fridge, and by the time I want to use it, it’s moldy or bad. I prefer baking more. There’s nothing better than some homemade cookies, cakes, pies, or bread.”
I groan. “I can’t wait to try your baked goods then. I have a bit of a sweet tooth, as you can tell since I’m always at Honey Buns. I bet Thea would also share her recipes with you if there were any you wanted to try. She is quite fond of you and me. She’s always looked out for me since I moved into town and entered her bakery about three years ago.”
“Her caring really means a lot to me,” she murmurs, a lot of emotion in those words, but unsure what.
“That’s good, I’m glad,” I kissed her cheek again. “But back to the topic of food… I quite enjoy cooking. I would like to consider myself decent, but I’ve never done cooked for anyone, just myself. You will have to be the judge of my food. And don’t worry about the food in the fridge, I will take care of that. Can’t wait for all these firsts with you,” I admit to her.
It’s a bit embarrassing to tell her these things, considering I’m 249 years old, but it makes everything all the more special. I could admit that the reason I learned to cook and try my best allowed me the chance to provide for my mate and be the best for her once I had found her. I hope I can live up to my own standards, but from the way her cheeks are blushing, she likes the sound of it just as much as I do.
“What a lucky girl I am, getting many of your firsts,” her words husky. She had no idea how many firsts there wouldbe for me. I was the lucky one. I give her one more kiss on the cheek before I step back to give her some space to cook.
I stayed in the kitchen with her, falling into a comfortable conversation while she finished up the food. It’s been some time since I was able to be around someone like this. Probably since the demon world, I tried to make sure not to get close to anyone here on earth. I was too worried they would figure out I wasn’t human to let anyone in like this.
By the time the food was ready, I was starving. It smelled delicious, so I was looking forward to eating it. We sat down at the breakfast nook that was situated next to the kitchen. It was small and intimate, perfect for us. I took a bite and groaned at how good it was. I devoured my food, even getting a second plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Once we were done eating, we went ahead and cuddled on the couch together, letting her pick a movie for us to watch. This time it was a movie calledA Bug’s Life.
* * *
We had fallen asleep on the couch watching a movie. When I woke up, she smelled ripe and delicious. She had finally started feeling safe, relaxed, and at home, which was affecting her scent and how it smelled. Knowing how comfortable she was with me did something to my hindbrain; my instincts went into overdrive.She’s ready. Claim her. That’s exactly what I was going to do.
I picked her up bridal style and carried her up the stairs to the master bedroom. Although she was still asleep in my arms, I was going to start taking care of her and start the claiming process. For us demons, it was one of the most significantrituals in our life. It was equivalent to what the humans consider marriage, but this was something that couldn’t be broken or severed; this was permanent. Well if she accepted me, that is, there was always a possibility of being rejected. Something inside told me she would accept our bond, accept me.
I laid her gently on the bed while I went into the bathroom to start the bath. I was going to bathe her first, to ensure she was relaxed and clean. I added some Epsom salts and a bath bomb that smelled like summer. I made it hot enough that it would release the tension in her body, but not hot enough that it would hurt her skin. She had fallen asleep in some sexy lounge attire consisting of yoga pants that molded around her thighs and ass with a soft yellow t-shirt.
While she was still asleep on the bed, I gently removed her clothing. She obviously needed sleep, giving me an opportunity to continue taking care of her until she woke up. This ensured that she had the energy her body would need to begin the change when I claimed her.
I picked her up off the bed and carried her over to the bath, where I gently placed her in the water to soak. Her eyes began to flutter open after a couple of minutes. She gave me a small smile and then her brows pinched in confusion. I wasn’t going to tell her that I was claiming her tonight; she already gave me her consent that it was okay to claim her and that she wanted me to. She didn’t need to know that this was part of the ritual. I was taking care of her, taking care of my mate, and that’s what was really important.
“Did you have a good nap?” I ask. Mesmerized by how cute she looks as she stretches. Her breasts lifted from the water, her nipples hardened from the air hitting them. I licked mybottom lip, turned on from the sight. She nods her head at my question, her cheeks flushing from my staring.
“Why am I in the bath?”
