Page 52 of Craving Demons
I’d had that rose symbol in my head for some time and had thought it would be a great symbol of my metaphorical rebirth. There was no way I was getting my virginity back, but this was a symbolicrefreshingof my sexuality. The hope had been that — where it was placed, and with me being off men until I knew myself and could find therightman — the first man who saw it would be my true love. I still hadn’tfoundmyself yet, so Grey seeing it was… very premature for my plans.
I didn’t know what to say, so I simply said, “Yeah. It’s a Celtic Rose.”
“It’s beautiful and perfect for you,” he said, cleaning himself off and putting his pants back on. He couldn’t stop staring at me. He spoke in a breathy way, as if in awe. “I’ve been with various daemons before who had the aspect of sex, love, fertility, or beauty, but none of them compare to you.”
Holy fuck, really? That had to be pillow talk. Every man said that to every woman after sex, didn’t they?
Still, I felt just a little thrilled by his words. “Yeah, I’m one of a kind,” I said with mock arrogance.
“You’re exceptional, unparalleled, perfect.”
Oh, wow.
And it wasn’t just the words. At some point or another, I was sure I’d been called all those things before. No, it was how he said them, so earnest and sincere.
He came to me and clasped my hands in his. “I know this was supposed to be a game, a show,” he murmured, “but I don’t see it that way. I’ve already told you how I feel. Though maybe it’s hard for you to understand. Hades! I’m not sureIfully understand.”
“Oh?” I asked, curious, prompting him to go on. Mostly, I wanted to hear him say more about how wonderful I was.
“My aspect is The Hunt: acquisition and conquest. And mostly what that’s meant for me recently is that no matter what I acquire orwhomI might conquer, it’s never enough. I’m left with this hollowness inside me that eats at me, asking for more and more. I’ve felt less and less—” He gave a harsh laugh. “Less human, less myself, less whole, less of everything as that void swelled inside me. But now with you…” He lifted his gaze and I was falling into his dark depths again. “Ana, you fill that void. Not just part of it, but all of it. You are literally everything I need. I don’t know if I can be without you. If I was, I might go mad.”
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
No man had ever said anything likethatto me before.
And I had no clue how to react or what to say.
He grimaced. “Yeah, I know, that’s probably more than you wanted to know. I don’t know how you’d even respond to that. I understand. You don’t need to say anything, I just wanted you to know how much I need you, not just sexually — though that wasamazing— but all of you, Ana. I’d happily give up all my billions just to be close to you.”
And again.Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
I blinked, dumbfounded. “Oh.”
He smiled. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to say anything. Just know that I’m not going anywhere.”
I smiled at that. It was truly heartwarming to hear. And for the first time in my entire life, I felt truly seen and appreciated, respected, and actuallylovedby a man. My heart didn’t know what to do with it, swelling and pounding and making my eyes well with moisture. A tear broke free and rolled down my cheek, but I quickly wiped it away and pursed my lips to keep from joy-sobbing on him.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice choked with appreciation.
He smiled. “Anything for you, Ana. Always remember that. I’ll do anything for you.”
I didn’t have words, so I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him close, hugging him tight, showing him how he made me feel. And when his arms enfolded me, I felt only warmth and devotion from him.
ANAIS
I finishedout my shift feeling like I was glowing and floating on a cloud.
Even after I got home, I was still a little buzzed from that amazing moment with Grey. Grinning like an idiot, I went up to my room and had a long, luxurious shower where I fantasized about Grey’s powerful cock slamming into me. The image warmed me more than the shower and made a giddy feeling rise up inside me.
When I finally let the fantasy slip away and opened my eyes, my gaze dipped to the rose tattoo on my abdomen. It was supposed to represent a new me and no one, not even Grey, should have seen it.
Yet.
With a sigh, I got out of the shower and pulled on my PJs. The bottoms were a pair of silk shorts from a set of sexy sleepwear some guy had given me. I loved the way they felt, and I’d have loved to wear the matching top, but it was too loose and didn’t contain my girls, so instead, I wore a soft, cotton sports bra to keep them in their place.
When I came out of the bathroom, my gaze instantly jumped to the pile of sex toys I’d used earlier that day. They sat on my bed, a reminder of what I was supposed to have been doing and what I’d done, their presence mocking me.So much for being off men, Ana? Are we not good enough for you?
“Sorry, but no,” I told them. “As good as you are, you just can’t compare with the warmth and attention of a real man who knows what he’s doing.” A shiver rushed down my spine as I remembered Grey’s hard, claiming kisses and his deft fingers.