Chapter 194 Chapter 194
“Thank you,” she replied and mirrored his warm expression.
“Just between you and me,” he whispered, leaning closer. “I think Maxwell is a little jealous. He is glaring at us even though we’re only talking.”
“Typical,” she giggled.
“I hope he doesn’t kill me,” Brian joked.
“I’ll make sure he doesn’t,” she winked and walked back to the light demon who had been shooting them sour looks. He leaned against the wall and watched her approach him, his expression brightening a tad.
“You look angry, Maxwell,” she stated, earning a sigh.
“Stay with me from now on,” he demanded, lowering his tone to a husky whisper. She swallowed. His deep voice alone was enough to make her forget everything she wanted to say, and her mind became blank. He snatched her wrist and pulled her closer, his arms wrapping around her back while he lay his chin on her shoulder.
“I want you,” he suddenly growled in her ear, and she straightened up, sensing his ever-growing lust. His hand wandered to the edge of her dress, ghosted over her thigh in a teasing motion. The pads of his fingers brushed over her bare skin, leaving a trail of fire.
“Not now,” she whispered back, trying her hardest not to lose her composure.
His low chuckle did nothing to ease her arousal, and neither did his lips on her earlobe, nipping at it. “You want it too, I know it,” he murmured. “How long can you resist me, sugar?”
“Behave,” she reminded him. “We’re in public, you horny demon.”
“We could go home and then I could undr—”
“Maxwell. Get yourself together,” she hissed upon noticing the sly smirks that Shawn and Wade threw their way. The two demons came to stand in front of the couple and eyed them curiously.
“What are you two whispering about?” Wade asked, cocking his eyebrow.
“Nothing,” she smiled nervously and tried to move away from Maxwell, but he didn’t let her, so she turned in his arms and gazed at the demons with a sheepish look on her face.
“Sure,” Shawn cackled. “Doesn’t look like anything to me.”
“Someone’s horny,” Wade added amusedly, his smirk widening when Maxwell stared him down with dark eyes.
“You’re just envious,” Maxwell countered smugly, tone dripping with arrogance as he held her possessively.
Wade shrugged. “Of course you would say that. Rudest demon I’ve ever met.”
“Not true,” Valerie chimed in. “He’s nice.”
“That’s new,” Shawn said sarcastically and nearly doubled over when he noticed Maxwell’s glower.
“He’s the best boyfriend ever. I love him,” she insisted, and had she seen Maxwell behind her, she would have spotted the redness of his ears. “Maxwell is very attentive.”
Her words were followed with stunned silence, and both Wade and Shawn stared at her as if she had grown a pair of horns. Their eyes were wide, disbelieving, and Maxwell heaved a loud sigh, cursing under his breath.
“What did you just call him?” Wade snorted, barely holding himself together.
“Maxwell?” Shawn howled, laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes. “Fuck, I need to tell Liam about this.” And before Maxwell could stop him, the fire demon ran off to where Liam and the other demons were, and by the looks of it, he had the time of his life spilling the beans to them.
“Valerie,” Maxwell grumbled. “That wasn’t fucking necessary. I told you a hundred times that this name destroys my dem—”
“Your demonic pride is just fine,” she giggled. “You’ll survive, don’t be so dramatic. They are only joking around.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Cheer up,” she grinned. “This isn’t the end of the world.”
“Oh yes, it is,” he groaned. “You just signed my death sentence.”
Soon enough, the other demons gathered around the couple, having heard about the silly nickname, and of course, they made fun of Maxwell. He clenched his jaw, and his hold on her waist tightened somewhat.
“Can you shut the fuck up?” he snapped.
“What did you say, Maxwell?” Vaughn snickered, and Esther hid her smirk behind her hand before he could see it.
“Aren’t you the cutest, Maxwell?”Wade continued, speaking in an unnecessarily annoying tone just to mock him.
“Shut. Up.”
“Hey. I came up with that name, so only I can use it,” Valerie insisted, since she felt Maxwell’s anger rising. He was like a ticking time bomb, and if the flickering lights above them were any indication, then he would go off soon.
“Too late,” Brian said. Benjamin cracked a smile.
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It was late by the time the demons left, but Valerie was more awake than ever. She hadn’t laughed so much in a long time and couldn’t be happier with how the evening had gone. Maxwell and she had left the bar, walking down to the nearby River. They found a quiet spot where they could be alone and undisturbed. The water was calm tonight, mirroring the brightly illuminated cityscape surrounding them. Countless lights shimmered on the dark surface. She marveled at the sight, letting her eyes wander as she took everything in. Since it was a cold November night, Maxwell had lent her his jacket, and she pulled it tighter around her shoulders when she turned to him, smiling.
“It was a perfect day,” she beamed. “I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun at my birthday. Last year was boring compared to this.”
“Demons are good at partying.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” she grinned. “Especially when there are a dozen of them in one place.”
His blue eyes lingered on her, tracing her outline in the darkness of the night. The soft city lights made her glow, her eyes shining with pure joy. Her cheeks were red from both the excitement and the cold.
“Are you warm enough? Should we head back?” he asked, tilting his head.
“No. No, I want to stay a little longer. It’s very beautiful out here,” she said. “I don’t get to see the city from this perspective often.”