I watched Chase’s throat bob as he swallowed. “You mean, like, penetration?”
We blinked at each other in awkward, fidgety silence. I wrenched my attention back to the wok, relieved to escape from the unspoken question hanging in the air. My heartbeat was frantic, like I’d drank too much caffeine. The longer the quiet stretched on, the more I doubted myself. Was that a stupid thing to suggest? Would it even work?
“Is the demon speaking to you?” I asked.
Chase shook his head. “Not since I got to the apartment.” He opened his mouth, then hesitated. “You know, it was Faust’s idea to check if you were here. It’s weird. It’s almost like he likes it when we’re together.”
My brow furrowed in confusion. “But you said he’s asexual. Wouldn’t he want to avoid that?”
“Romance and sex are different things,” Chase mused. “Maybe he’s fine with one but not the other?”
My mind swarmed with questions. What was Faust planning? Every other demon I’d dealt with was simple and easy to understand, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of Faust’s actions. At the end of the day, what did he want from Chase? What would make him abandon his vessel?
This is the best lead we have so far,I thought.We’d be fools if we didn’t at least try it...
“Well? What do you think?” Chase asked.
I couldn’t believe this was where my career had led me. I clenched my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose.
Shit. My career.
If everyone at the temple knew I fucked my client, my career would be over. But what if that was theonlyway to rid Chase of the demon’s influence? In that case, didn’t the ends justify the means? It was always a noble act to help a possession victim. That was my genuine belief... yet that didn’t stop me from feeling guilty about all of this.
Dammit. Now this was turning into a logistical nightmare. Did I need to draw up a contract, or would verbal confirmation suffice? Why was sex so fucking complicated?
Chase touched my arm, pulling me from my thoughts.
“What do you want?” he asked gently.
The warmth in his eyes was almost painful. Every time I thought I couldn’t be more fond of him, he gave me a look that melted my heart.
I put my hand on top of his. “The same thing I’ve wanted since the start. I want to help you, no matter what it takes.”
He smiled, then looked sheepish. “Okay, but do you actuallywantto have sex with me, or are you just doing it to exorcise a demon?”
I blushed furiously. He was really going to make me say it.
“Yes, I want to have sex with you, okay?” I snapped.
He laughed. “You’re so cute.”
A flutter of warmth tickled my chest. It almost frightened me how excited I felt.
15
Chase
You there?Hello?
I kept thinking as loud as I could, fishing for an answer from Faust, but he was quiet again. I hadn’t heard from him since he suggested I return home. At the time, I wasn’t sure if he was bullshitting me or not, but thankfully, he was right.
And now I had Sagitta right where I wanted him—in my apartment, in my arms.
I stopped calling out for Faust. It was easy to forget about him when I was busy making out with Sagitta. Our mutual relief pulled us together like magnets, and once we were tangled in each other, neither of us wanted to part.
Every time his lips brushed me, heat surged down to my core. A tight knot of heat was building there. It felt flammable and explosive, like any stray touch might make it burst. But this felt so good. I wanted it to last.
Sagitta’s hands roamed across my chest. They toyed with the strings of my hoodie, curling around them and pulling them tight like a pair of miniature leashes. My racing heart leapt into my throat.
