My Personal Demon

17:10

He sets the plate down before me, tossing a towel behind his back. "Voila! Give it a taste."

I inspected the edible display on the porcelain, thinking that the whole thing was too beautiful to eat. He made small portions of everything he thought I liked, meant to be consumed in one or two bites. It was a plate with tasting portions, but with enough food to fill my stomach.

The whole thing was brilliant and I knew it couldn't have been easy to make. I pick up my fork, giving one of the portions a hesitant bite. I make it through the entire plate, tasting every bit.

"Thank you," I tell him this as I wipe my mouth. "You didn't need to do any of this for me."

"No," he said. "But I wanted to."

"Why?"

"Because I like you."

"You like my company?" My eyes narrowed as I tried to figure out his words.

"I like most things about you. You can even say that I like you romantically."

No, it couldn't be. I had been at my worst for the last few months while dealing with his death. What was there to like?

"I don't understand. Do you want something from me?"

My words don't phase him. If anything, they seem to encourage him, drawing a wicked smile to his face.

"I want you," he said plainly. "In every sense of the word."

We were both lonely, starved for intimacy. He wanted me because he was desperate. If he were in a room full of beautiful women, he would not have said such things to me. And I wouldn't have felt that pull to him if my husband was alive.

"Prove it," I told him. "Prove that you want me."

Those were dangerous words to say to a man, much less a demon.

He reaches for me with warm hands, cupping my face with his palms. Jesper presses his forehead to mine and we stare at each other, far too close than any two people should be. Then he leans forward, surprising me with the heat of his kiss.

I'm ashamed to say that I turned to liquid sugar at his touch. I melted in his arms, giving myself to his hungry mouth. I was warm, soft, and wet which made me ripe for taking.

At last, he pulls away, keeping his eyes on me. "Was that proof enough?"

I swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. I stared at his mouth, a clear indication that I wanted to kiss him again.

"That was ... sufficient proof." I took a deep breath, ignoring how warm my face was getting.

He was hardly the first man that I kissed, but he may have been the first one to thrill me. My heart was racing for more of his touch. I only got a taste of what he could do, but I'm afraid it ignited an insatiable hunger within me.

I've been lonely for way too long. I need to get a grip. It was only one kiss.

"Are you sure? I can do more than just kiss you," he offered.

My eyes widened at the thought of more. I think he was only teasing because he was surprised by my reaction.

"You want more."

The three words hang in the air between us. The mood in the room has changed and my skin crackles with electricity. I feel that if I touch him, I'll implode.

"I do."

His eyes darkened at my response. "You can say no whenever you want to. You know this, right?"

"I want to kiss you again. Then we can do more."

He runs his hand through his hair, jaws clenching. He looked like the very portrait of restraint, teeming with desires he refused to act upon.

"You drive me crazy."

Likewise, I thought as his mouth came crashing down on mine.

There's more passion in this kiss as he parts my lips with his tongue. It's as if knowing that I wanted him just as much as he wanted me freed him. His hands slide down to my waist, pushing me closer to him. Slowly, he eases me onto his lap so that I'm straddling him.

His mouth falls to my neck, trailing kisses along my shoulder. I return the favor, pressing my lips to his skin and sucking hard. I finally knew what he tasted like and I couldn't help but stick my tongue out to lick him. He shivers under my touch, trembling as he tries to kiss me more. I feel his desire grow beneath me, pressing against my thighs.

He smells like fresh spices roasting in a pot, a mix of cloves, cumin, and cinnamon. Even sleeping next to him didn't give me this access to his warm, sweet scent which flooded my nostrils.

I found his mouth again, discovering that I enjoyed the taste of him more than I expected. I can't really describe it beyond liquid want. All I could think about was how I should've done this sooner.

He pushes my hair to the side, grazing the sensitive spot behind my ears with his fingertips. I let out a light gasp of pleasure and I soon found his lips there. I'm unraveling at his touch, shaking more than I'd like.

He scoops me up into his arms, effortlessly carrying me as if I were no lighter than air.

"I'm going to take you to our bed," he whispered. "And when I'm done, I'll finally know the taste of you."