Kelly Lucille - Keeping Her

“Demon?” Clytie rubbed her hand down his cheek, feeling the stubble he had yet to shave this morning.

"Yeah baby?" His voice a rough growl of words they danced heat along her nerves. She leaned up on tiptoe and licked him from his collarbone to bottom lip with a tiny pink tongue. Demons whole body locked down.

"I have a name. Don't call me baby." She turned and went back to her omelet. Hopping back up onto her barstool with a shiny smile, she dug into her food while Demon stood frozen by his coffee, an uncomfortable tent in his jeans and a hot look in his eyes.

She groaned as the first bite hit her tongue. Demon picked back up his coffee while she smiled at Ben.

“You have a gift.” She stated with verve.

Ben smiled back, sweeping an exaggerated bow before him and making her laugh. Demon plunked the cup back down on the counter with enough force the cup shattered. Coffee splashed out hitting the counter, the floor, and Demons hand. Clytie jumped up with a gasp, pushing Ben out of the way to get Demons arm and pull him over to the sink.

“Shoot.” She said, turning on the tap, testing the water temperature and holding his hand under the gushing water. “Hold on, the cold water will stop the burn.” She glanced up, the worry clear in her eyes. “Better?”

He held still under her ministrations. His scar garish in the morning light, his tattoo stood out against the neckline of his black t-shirt. Her eyes trailed down his muscled seven-foot frame. She looked back to where she held his large hands under the cold water for a coffee splash. Her cheeks heated with embarrassment. She let go stepping back and looking around at the three large men staring at her as if they had discovered a new species and didn’t know if it was dangerous.

She cleared her throat, “Sorry. I guess I overreacted.” She tried to make a joke of her worry. “Imagine what I’d do for a paper cut.” She walked back around to her stool and tried to concentrate on eating her cooling omelet.

“Can I get my purse back now?”

“You’re not leaving.” Demons voice loud in the silence of the kitchen and Clytie gave him a warning glare. Ben got busy with his own breakfast, doing his best to be invisible. The absurdity had Clytie rolling her eyes. Mac smiled at her, as inscrutable as ever. “I’ll get it.” He said leaving the kitchen.

Demon leaned over the kitchen island beside Ben and put both hands on either side of her place setting. “You.” He said, poking a big finger toward her nose. “Are not leaving.”

She tried to bite his poking finger but he jerked back. “Of course not.” She said, exasperated with him in particular and men in general. “I’m going to eat my breakfast, check my messages, and find out what plans you have today.” She got back to her breakfast. “I thought if you don’t have anything planned maybe I can take you to lunch.” Her cheeks had barely faded from the last blush and were rosy red again. “I’ll understand if you can’t. I thought...” She trailed off and he placed a warm palm under her chin and raised her eyes to his which were a heated chocolate brown. She would have never expected such tenderness from a man so strong.

“What did you think?” His voice had become smooth velvet and the tone made Clytie shudder with longing and close her eyes.

“I thought we could spend some time together.” Good grief, how did people do this? She felt stripped bare before his eyes. Waiting for his answer a nauseous fist of anxiety hit her stomach.

He kissed her softly across the island and she opened her eyes. “I’d like that ba... Clytie.” Her smile was blinding, so pretty he had to kiss her again.

"Jesus that's sweet. Don't you think that's sweet Mac?" Ben's voice rolled over them and Clytie pulled back blushing yet again.

"Like Cotton Candy and balloons." Mac answered placing Clyties purse beside her on the counter.

"And puppies." Ben finished, grinning down at them.

Demon flipped them off without lifting his head and Clytie laughed. She kept the smile on her face all through breakfast and clean up where she wasn't allowed to do anything but watch. It was no hardship watching such beautiful men razzing each other around the kitchen. Unfortunately, her messages were enough to kill the after glow.

“I need to go by my sister’s shop. She is having some issues with the payroll program I installed.” She looked up at Demon. “Maybe we could meet for lunch?”

“I’ll take you.” He said instead.

Clytie hesitated and then shrugged. “I can show you the shop.” She made a study of the white kitchen with the stainless steel appliances and complete lack of color. “You could maybe use the inspiration.”

When they reached the cookie cutter street of shops where the Amber Dragonfly was located Clytie began to get a little nervous. When she saw how many cars were parked in the employee section of the parking lot she groaned. Oh no. "What day is it?" Please say it’s not Wednesday. Please say it's not Wednesday.

“Wednesday, why?"

"I am in so much trouble." She sank down in her seat and wondered what had happened to her brain in the last 24 hours. Oh yeah, mind blowing sex. "Uhm Demon, it might be best if you waited in the truck, or maybe went to get a cup of coffee at the cafe, and I'll walk over when I'm finished."

Demon pulled the truck into the parking lot, parked, turned off the engine, set the brake with a little more force than necessary and turned to study her. He was aware of a pressure in his chest he had never suffered before. He didn't like it. "I thought you wanted to show me your shop?"

"I do, but its meeting day! And from the cars in the lot, everyone showed up for once."

"Afraid the employees won't approve of your new boyfriend?" His voice, so cold the chill snapped Clyties head around, buried the hurt he tried to conceal.

"What? No. You don't understand." She unbuckled and pulled her legs up until she sat facing him on her knees. "They aren't employees, well they are but they are also family, as in my sister, brother in law, my niece, my nephew, and with my luck they will have my crazy Aunts on the speaker phone.” O.K. probably an exaggeration but the remote possibility struck fear in her heart.

If possible, he got colder. "So it’s your family I'm not good enough to meet. Fine for a fuck but you wouldn't want to be seen with me." He grabbed her by the arms and hauled her into his lap. His grip hard but careful enough not to bruise. It was the pain in his eyes that really hurt. "Fuck that Clytie! You hear me?" He shook her so hard she had to hold his thighs for balance. "You're mine and everyone’s going to know about it, so you better get used to it."

She almost blasted him for his poor opinion of her, if he thought she was capable of... On the other hand they had only known each other a day and in his position she might have made the same assumption, asinine though it was. She'd hurt his feelings. It hadn’t occurred to her that she could and that made her want to kick her own ass. She tried to think of something to say that would make it better. She shook off his hands and he let her, seeming to brace himself. She placed one hand on his scar and one hand on his neck over his tattoo.

"I am not ashamed of you. I've never been in this situation before and I'm not sure how everyone is going to react. Plus, I was supposed to call after my date last night to let my sister know I got home safe and now,” she said her voice becoming more adamant with each point she ticked off. "Now I missed the Wednesday morning meeting and everyone is here, no doubt to begin organized searches for my mutilated remains!" By the time she finished she held his face in a vise grip. "You think I want the first guy who ever made me feel like you do to walk into that the first day? Absofreakinlutely not!" She placed a hard kiss on his mouth and rubbed her hand along his scarred cheek in apology. "Now go get some coffee."