Page 37 of The Devil Takes

“I’m calling you now.”

And so he was.

“Are you?” I teased, surprised that I was capable of flirting back.

Percy pursed his lips, and then the most wonderful thing happened. They twisted up, his face scrunching as he fought back a smile that eventually pushed through. It was a nice smile. Like summers long forgotten. Boyish. Sweet. Awkward, like the expression was as foreign to him as it was to me.

When I could do nothing but stare he rolled his eyes, expression playful as his questing fingers paused their movement, and he lay his palm flat along my cheek.

It was so very warm.

He smelled like blossoms and citrus. Sweet.

“Alpha…” Oh Gods. My lashes fluttered and I fought back a groan as his plaintive croon echoed like a promise between us. His low, scratchy voice should not affect me so, I knew this. The word was stilted, awkward. Like he didn’t know how to use it, like he’d never done it before. The fact I was his first—even if I knew I wasn’t what he thought I was—made my fangs itch and my dick flex.

I cocked my eyebrow, not that he could see it behind my mask. I was glad for that last barrier between us.

“I need…” Percy continued, just as unsure, just as stilted as before. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Endearing as all hell.

“You need…?” I waited.

Percy’s freckles scrunched up again. I wanted to bite the tip of his nose. Fingers fidgeted along my skin as he debated with himself. He was trying to seduce me. I didn’t have the heart to tell him he couldn’t do that. I didn’t function like men did. Emotions were far from reach, especially those regarding affection or sex. Not that it was proving to be true anymore, however.

Clearly, Percy had magic of his own.

Having already made up his mind his eyes narrowed and his jaw ticked with determination. Then, with stilted, shy movements, his fingers quested down to my chest. He lay his hand there, right over where my heart should beat. Maybe he was searching for it, or maybe, like I suspected, he just didn’t know what to do next.

His innocent, awkward seduction had me tied in knots around his little finger.

Against all odds, his fumbling inexperience made the beast inside me threaten to break free.

“Help me forget?” How we’d gone from I want to forget, to help me forget made my head spin. Percy’s fingers slipped lower. He traced over the fabric of my shirt, tucking into my belt loops with a gentle tug. He was so close to my dick I couldn’t help the way my hips pushed toward his questing fingers. Percy looked conflicted, his brow twisted up, his mouth made of soft pink lines. Like he knew what he wanted but he had no idea how to get it.

Like I was standing in the way between him and my cock.

Fuck.

“You’re forgetting your manners, omega.” I reminded him, because one does not openly reach for another’s cock. But he just shrugged sheepishly, his pink tongue flickering out to wet his lower lip.

“Please?” He tried again, brow still furrowed, eyes blazing. So awkward. So earnest.

I groaned, unable to help myself. Like a dog with a bone he’d latched onto my weakness. Fire flickered in his eyes and his lips twisted up into a pleased grin that made me realize I was dealing with a bigger brat than I’d anticipated.

“Please, alpha?” Good Gods. The fumbled phrase made my belly flip.

“I shouldn’t.” I stared at his naughty little mouth, unable to help myself as desire thrummed beneath my skin. I wanted to close the distance between us and bite those already bitten lips, then soothe the sting with my tongue. It seemed unfair how far away he was at that moment, even though it was merely inches.

At war with myself, I stared at him.

Maybe my feelings were a fluke.

Maybe I wasn’t supposed to feel them at all, but in that moment I couldn’t stop the long-dead instincts that threatened to take hold of me again.

“The first time was already too much for the both of us, clearly,” I added, though I already knew I was seconds from giving in.

My gaze caught on his neck. Peeking between the meat of his shoulder and its gentle slope was my bite mark. I traced over the shape of it with my thumb, surprised by how quickly it had healed, given how deeply I’d bitten. I hadn’t meant to be so rough, but then—like now—he brought something out of me that I had never known existed.

“I’ll be good,” Percy swore, like that had ever been an issue to begin with.