Limp from pleasure, Astaroth wrapped his arms around Calladia and held her against his chest while his breathing gradually slowed. Her skin was soft and damp from exertion, and he felt the tap of her heartbeat against his chest.
Astaroth’s thoughts drifted, hazy and unformed. He wanted to stay in this blissful cocoon forever.
Eventually, Calladia shifted and groaned. “Gonna pee,” she said.
Astaroth nodded and released her, though not before an affectionate pat to her bottom. “Sounds good,” he slurred. “Prevent those UTIs.” He closed his eyes, listening to the rustle as she crawled to the entrance. When she unzipped the door, cold air swept into the tent, but he was too relaxed to care. His restless mind had stilled, the thoughts and feelings coalescing into one undeniable truth.
For the first time in his long existence, Astaroth was in love.
TWENTY-SIX
Calladia staggered back toward the tent after doing her business. Her knees were wobbly, and her mouth was stuck in a goofy smile. Three orgasms would do that to a person.
When she ducked under the tent flap, her smile widened at the sight of Astaroth lying where she’d left him. His arm was flung over his eyes, and his breathing was slow and even. Asleep?
“Don’t suppose you can demanifest a condom,” he said, his normally crisp accent turned slow and lazy.
Not asleep. Calladia knelt next to him, eyeing the condom still attached to his softening cock. “You might want to remove it first,” she said. “Just in case.”
He lifted his arm and squinted at her. “Is my penis in danger?”
Maybe of being excessively fondled. Calladia shook her head. “Not at present.”
He grunted, then tugged off the condom and knotted it. Calladia yanked out another hair from her scalp and tied the knots to reverse the summoning. She sent the condom to a dumpster they’d passed near the trailhead.
Astaroth started to sit up, then groaned and collapsed onto the sleeping bag. “Witch, you’ve killed me.”
She lay down next to him, pulling a blanket over them. Later, she’d put on pajamas, but right now skin to skin was nice. She hooked an arm over him and nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck. “So,” she said. “How did the sex rank?”
“What?”
“You’re a legendary fuckboy, right?” she teased. “I’m curious how I stack up against Lucrezia Borgia.” She was joking, but part of her did wonder. He’d been with so many people; this probably hadn’t meant anything to him besides an opportunity to get off.
The idea made her feel ill.
Astaroth sank his fingers into her hair and pulled her head back to look her in the eye. His expression was uncharacteristically solemn. “Calladia, there’s no comparison.”
“Oh. Right.” Lucrezia had been notorious for her hedonism, while Calladia had only had a handful of partners. Of course there was no comparison. Embarrassment heated her cheeks. “Never mind.”
“Wait.” Astaroth shifted onto his side, pillowing his head on his bicep as he faced her. “I don’t think you took that the right way.”
She shrugged, even though she was feeling smaller with every moment. Sam had thought her performance was mediocre, too. You just need to practice, he’d told her, guiding her head to his crotch. You’ll get better eventually. “I’m a big girl,” she said. “My ego’s not that fragile.”
Her ego was that fragile, but she’d be damned before she admitted it.
Astaroth pursed his lips and blew a raspberry, startling her. “Calladia, that was the best sex I’ve ever had.”
She blinked. “What? There’s no way.”
He looked earnest though. “It’s true.”
“But we only did one position.”
“And what a position it was.” His sigh sounded blissful. “Having you ride me was practically a religious experience.”
She flicked his shoulder. “Shut up.”
“I mean it.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “That wasn’t just a bit of casual fun. Not for me anyway.”
There had been a minuscule pause before the last sentence, and although he was smiling, there was something wary about his expression.
Was he also worried she’d seen this as nothing but a quick, meaningless fuck?
It should have been a quick, meaningless fuck. There was no world in which the two of them started a relationship. He had his immortality and position on the demon council to worry about. After he recovered his memories, there would be no reason for him to stay, and Calladia had her own future to focus on.