The Devil (BOOK I + II)

20 | "Freedom"

   His eyes darkened, but he didn't let me stay in the cold for long. Before I could calculate his movements, he rolled on top of my body and threw the covers over both of us. There was only a sliver of space between us now, since he was supporting himself on his elbow again.

   "Are you sure you want to be in an enclosed space with me, Shadow?" I raised my brows teasingly. "I haven't brushed my teeth."

   "I've smelt worse."

   In disbelief of his response, I threw my head against the pillow and laughed. "You're such a smooth talker," I noted after some of my chuckles faded. Still, I couldn't put away my smile.

   He faintly shrugged, but I didn't miss how relaxed his body was against mine, or how his eyes constantly roamed around my face, as if he didn't want to miss a single detail.

   I took this moment of silence to remember that he'd wrapped us both under the blanket, and my heart soared, realizing that he'd remembered what I told him all those months ago. How I used to slip underneath my covers and pretend to be somewhere else.

   "Where are you imagining we are?" He asked when he dipped his head, enough so his nose was brushing against my neck. I closed my eyes unintentionally and pushed my head back to give him space.

   He smiled against my skin before murmuring, "Paris? Rome?"

   I sucked a harsh breath when he reached the one spot of my neck that always made me arch. "I don't know," I managed to say without stuttering. But suddenly, he stopped, and I felt him pulling his head back.

   I knew he was staring at me, so I snapped my eyes open and met his narrowed gaze, head on.

  "You tell me where you were, and I'll tell you where I'd want to go," I offered with a playful smile. "Deal?"

   His eyes lowered into slits now before he gripped my waist. But once he realized I wasn't relenting, he growled softly under his breath, "You aggravate me."

   "Good," I grinned wider.

   His jaw stopped popping when his focus lowered to my mouth. I held back a shiver, seconds before he met my gaze again. "I woke up a few hours ago. Me and your father are finishing up our business."

   Business was a term used lightly. They worked together yes, but both refused to work below the other. Still, they had a mutual agreement after everything happened: destroy anyone who sought our family harm.

   But I knew Daemon's motives, and he wanted to erase anyone who was a threat to me.

   "So your morning was okay?" I guessed, seeing how calm he was.

   He smirked faintly before tsking. "Your turn, Rose."

   I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop myself from replying. "Italy. Or France. That's where crepes came from."

   His smirk twisted to a barely-there smile. "Then we'll go there."

   "You're awfully confident my dad will ever let me out of the estate, let alone the country, Daemon."

   He said nothing for a few moments, so I took the silence to slowly bend my leg, until my knee was pressing against the side of his body. His features sobered before he lowered himself, until his body was perfectly fitted against mine.

   A shocked laugh came from me when he grasped my knee with one hand, before he quickly spun us around. The blanket was still over us, but now, we were both on ours sides, facing each other.

   "How was yesterday?" He mumbled, but his eyes lowered to my waist, where his hand was now holding.

   My heart squeezed in my chest, but I managed to smile weakly. "It... was good." I paused when I felt his fingers slid underneath my shirt and started to make random shapes on my skin. "Lev didn't talk much. He was just staring at her. We all were."