Games of Desire by Patti O'Shea Page A

it.”
    “Not unexpected?”
    “You told me about your dad walking out on your mom when you were a baby. Do you think that left her or your stepdad with a love of demons?”
    “I’m a demon.”
    “You’re their daughter and you were taught to suppress your demon side. That makes a difference. Besides, it doesn’t matter.”
    “How can you say that?”
    “Because you’re here with me and not safely tucked away in your old bedroom.”
    She nearly made a joke about being here for the hot sex, but something stopped her. Instead, she shifted so she could snuggle into his side. Marax put his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer. There was one more topic they should probably talk about, but she wasn’t sure tonight was the right time. Of course, when was there a right time to discuss where they went from here? He’d told her more than once he didn’t want to be mated and she felt the same. Mostly. And they’d been together such a short time, it wasn’t as if she’d miss him if Marax wasn’t around. Really.
    “I’d miss you,” he said, breaking into her thoughts.
    Chloe stiffened. “You’re eavesdropping! I’ve been blocking you.”
    “No, you haven’t.” Marax pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “You’ve been broadcasting loud and clear for at least five minutes.”
    “Well, hell.” She relaxed back into him. “You’d miss me?”
    “Like crazy,” he confirmed. “I was planning to wait awhile to talk about this, give you a chance to get to know me better, but maybe we should address this and see where we stand.”
    Her stomach knotted and she made extra sure she wouldn’t be sending her thoughts to him. “You don’t want to be mated.”
    “I didn’t, but that had nothing to do with you. It was the timing. I’ve been earl just short of a year now and I’m still stumbling around. My brother was the one who spent time with my father learning the ropes—the title was never supposed to come to me. Half the time I feel like I’m making it up as I go along, but some of it is like running a business and that part I can do.”
    “And it’s getting easier?”
    Marax snorted. “Sometimes I wonder about that, but the thing you need to understand is I have no option about where I live anymore. I have to spend most of my time in the Other World.”
    “I see,” Chloe said.
    “No, you don’t.” He sat up, untangling himself from her, and turned to meet her gaze. “You have two choices, and the decision is
yours.
You can stay here and I’ll come to you whenever I can or you can live with me in the demon realm. In case you’re wondering, my vote is option two.”
    He’d blocked himself the same way she had, but intensity came off him in waves. Her answer meant something to him and that made her believe that she meant something to him, as well. There was one small problem, though. “Humans are stuck in the demon realm once they enter it, and I’m not sure I’m ready to leave everything behind forever.”
    “You’re not human. I keep telling you that.”
    “I’m more human than demon.”
    “That doesn’t matter. A quarter demon is more than powerful enough to come and go as she pleases.”
    Chloe stared at him, trying to let it sink in. Marax wanted her to live with him in the Other World and she wouldn’t be trapped there. She never thought he’d want her around constantly. What did she have holding her here? Her job for the Merlin would be done as soon as her leader found out she was mated to a demon. There was no chance of her staying on, not when demons were regarded warily. Power amplification or not, he couldn’t risk having her around the sensitive information that came through his office every day.
    Her parents were angry that she was mated to a demon and she might have burned a few bridges as she’d defended Marax. Things would settle down again, but it would take a little while for the waters to calm. As for Olivia, it wasn’t as if she heard much from her sister