Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39596 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39596 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
“Will be fine.” Most beds were too small for him. He’d gotten his own custom made from another demon who built big beds for preternaturals. He didn’t relish the idea of sleeping in a twin bed, but he didn’t need much sleep. Most demons didn’t.
“Let’s go, then.” Lonnie walked to his desk and gathered papers, placing them in his briefcase along with a laptop. “I have a lot of grading tonight, so I won’t be able to keep you entertained, but I do have streaming channels and a huge television. Anime looks so much better on a big screen.”
Ani-what? Callan wanted to ask, but he didn’t. There was a lot he didn’t understand, and after four hundred years of life, he’d learned to accept his own shortcomings. But he hated looking stupid, so he often just ignored his own questions and stayed silent. It was easier that way.
Chapter Four
Lonnie
Lonnie had never been more excited in his life. When his sister had hired a bodyguard, he’d expected some buffed up, normal guy, and instead he was driving home with an actual demon following him.
A demon!
It was like a dream come true. He’d spent his entire life dying to talk to one of the supernatural creatures he’d always been able to see. And he hadn’t been kidding when he’d told Callan that others had thought him crazy when he’d tried to ask if they saw them too. The first time, he’d been five years old, and the embarrassment of that awkward conversation was still with him today. He’d asked his teacher why one of the other teachers had wings, and she’d promptly called in his parents to tell them he needed professional help. Which he’d gotten. Several therapists later, he’d clued in that lying was in his best interest, and all that had finally stopped. So he’d kept what he saw to himself, never getting up the nerve to actually talk to one of these people with…extra.
But he’d always wanted to.
Lonnie parked his car in his driveway and turned as Callan pulled a massive Ford truck in behind him. The demon probably needed all that space just to fit inside the vehicle. He got out and approached, and Lonnie had to crane his neck to look Callan in the face. And what an interesting face it was. Craggy lines along his cheekbones, attractive dark brown eyes with long eyelashes, and a jutting lower lip that was full and, well, kissable. He wasn’t a handsome man, but altogether, he had rugged good looks Lonnie found very appealing.
And the horns were gorgeous—like onyx blades, sleek and deadly.
Lonnie couldn’t help looking at Callan’s hands, too. He’d always had a thing for hands and forearms, and Callan’s hands were amazing, big with muscled forearms revealed by his rolled-up sleeves. He wasn’t wearing a coat.
“Do you not get cold?” He’d offered to sleep outside, despite the snow.
Callan shrugged, but there was a long pause before he responded. “Yes, but it doesn’t bother me much.”
“Well, I still want you to stay in the house with me. I know some bodyguards sit in their vehicles, but that would make me uncomfortable. I have a lot of books and manga—do you like to read?”
Callan frowned, his chin dipping slightly as if his answer embarrassed him. “No.”
“Okay, well that’s sad.” He chuckled, so not used to being around anyone who didn’t read. Or write, come to think of it. He couldn’t imagine living without books. “What would you like to do to pass the time while I’m grading? I always have a ton of grading.”
“I’ll watch over you. My job.” He said this in a pure matter-of-fact way, like it should have just been understood.
Lonnie didn’t know what to say to that, which was a first since his mouth usually moved a mile a minute. It would make him nervous to constantly be stared at, though. He’d have to put on one of his favorite shows and hope it caught Callan’s interest.
He turned to walk to his front door and quickly unlocked it.
Inside, he looked around and sighed to see he’d been more messy than usual. Oh, well. “Hope small piles don’t bother you. It’s how I like to keep things. Out of sight is out of mind for me.”
Callan had followed him and stood towering in his entryway. His eyes were wide as he took in the eight shelving units filled with figurines along with the piles of other collectibles. Framed posters of Lonnie’s favorite shows covered the walls, giving the room a lot of color. He liked color. His overstuffed sofa was a deep red and had pillows in purple, blue and orange. His favorite recliner had several multi-colored throws on it, and since he loved plants, too, they dotted the room with tons of green. He also had a lot of standing lamps, so altogether, his home was kind of an eclectic mess.