Page 131 of Huntress

“I got you a bigger room in the officer’s quarters! It has its own bathroom–no more communal showers for you.”

“Oh my gosh.” Elsie smiled. “This is amazing!”

“It’s one hall over from your current room. And no, I couldn’t get your pet a room next to it, but he’s keeping the old one, so he won’t be too far away in case he starts any trouble.” Roz beamed.

Saint barely managed to keep the reaction off his face, but the panic hit their bond like a rocket. Elsie laughed nervously, clapping her hands and smiling even bigger to hide how hard his anxiety was dragging her down.

“This is amazing! But you can give my old room to someone else, I’m keeping this guy with me.” She wriggled in her seat happily.

“Oh?” Roz’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I thought this was what you wanted?”

“It is! The bigger room will help a lot. But he still needs a babysitter.”

“I thought you trusted him?”

Elsie swallowed hard. She hadn’t been doing as great a job of keeping her thoughts on the demon hidden as she’d thought.

“I trust him as long as I can see him. Unless you’re recommending that we give him hours alone each night to come up with gods know what? He’s a demon, Roz, come on.”

“You always have to be difficult. Fine, have it your way, take him with you. I’m not having a second bed put in there, though. He can stay on his cot,” she said. The panic ebbed, but the anxiety remained.

“That’s fine. He’s perfectly comfortable with the one he has,” Elsie lied. Saint hadn’t slept on his own cot once since they’d left Foundry.

“Take this.” Roz slapped down a folder.

“I knew it.”

“You’re not leaving right away. You have two days to move into your new room and get settled in. Visit Marko if you need anything. You’ve got a small allowance to make it your own space.”

“You’re a much better gift giver than Mordane and Cornick.” Elsie grinned.

“You’re welcome.”

Elsie led her demon straight to their new room without a word. As soon as the door was closed, she wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest. Saint melted in her embrace, hugging her back.

“You’re okay.” She held him tightly. “You aren’t my pet, I do trust you, and I won’t leave you behind. No matter where they send me.”

He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. The warm comfort emanating from their bond said enough. Elsie let him hold on for a few minutes, then pulled back to cup his cheek with her bare hand. Rising onto her toes, she pressed her lips to his.

Her nether regions flared to attention, but she ignored it, reveling in the softness of his response. He let her lead, kissing her back but demanding nothing more than she was willing to offer. She kissed him one more time before dropping back to her heels, and Saint crushed her body to his, not ready to let go.

‘Someday,’ she promised herself. ‘Someday I’ll make this man mine.’

“We have two days,” she reminded him. “Let’s make this place our new home.”

He released her, but when he took her hand, she let him.

The room was even bigger than she’d imagined, not quite a suite, but almost. There was a loveseat and a comfortable chair, along with a proper writing desk and a table that Roz must have set up for her sewing machine. There was a full-sized bookshelf, and the closet was twice the size of her old one.

Elsie stood at the end of the full-sized bed. They’d have breathing room if her clingy demon would allow it. She pulled him along to the bathroom.

“A tub!” She let him go and went over to run her fingers across the ceramic. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted one of these?! I love this place. I’m going to have to get Roz a thank-you gift, it’s too much.”

“You’re too easy to please,” Saint said. “When we get out of here, I’m going to build you a paradise.”

“You’re starting to sound like me,” she teased.

“Your optimism is starting to rub off.”