Chapter Sixteen

“Hey… Tsukiyo?” I peered around the corner and into the kitchen. The Aloryi shifted to look my way, his expression unreadable. “Emily and Richard want us to watch a movie with them, apparently.”

“Do you want to?” Tsukiyo adjusted his robe, hiding his muscular torso from view. He smirked at me and crossed his arms. “You were staring.”

“Sorry!” I flushed and hid more of myself around the corner of the wall. The demon just laughed, walked over, and pulled me into the kitchen by one wrist. “Wha—”

“This is your house. What do you want to do?” Tsukiyo reiterated, keeping his voice low. “If they’re bothering you, it’s well within your rights to tell them to leave.”

“Ah… Well, Emily is relentless, but the movie does sound interesting,” I grumbled, glancing away from him. “Oh. Though, the soup should be done soon. Probably should wait for that… What about what you’ve been making? It’s been hours!”

“Well, if you want to see the movie, I see no harm in joining you,” Tsukiyo remarked, rubbing his chin as he examined me. “That is, if you would like me to.”

I blinked at him, thrown a little off-guard. I wasn’t sure I’d heard him correctly. “If…I would like you too?”

“Of course,” Tsukiyo stated with a knowing smile. “You said your friends asked for me to join you, but you didn’t say what you want.”

“Oh.” I clasped my hands behind my back and wriggled my toes in my shoes. It hadn’t occurred to me that I’d get a say in the matter. “Well, if you don’t have elsewhere to be and don’t mind our company… Yes, I’d like you to join us, too.”

Tsukiyo chuckled, his eyes bright with amusement. “Why don’t you change into something more comfortable, then? I can take the food into the living room for everyone.”

“Oh, are you sure? I don’t mind helping. In fact, I probably should since I—”

Tsukiyo turned me by the shoulders and steered me out of the kitchen. “I’ll handle everything. Go change…unless you’d prefer I take you out of that dress?”

That was definitely preferable. I felt my face growing hot as Tsukiyo chuckled by my ear. He gave me a gentle nudge toward the stairs before returning to the kitchen. My pulse roared in my ears.

How was I supposed to combat that?

I shook my head hard and scurried upstairs in search of fluffy pajamas. After changing into a set of navy-blue ones with little stars and moons all over them, I made my way back into the living room. Emily looked over when she heard me and raised an eyebrow.

“Now I wish I’d brought pajamas!” Emily pouted, watching as I swiftly pulled my hair up with a hair stick. “Why’d you change?”

“I think I can guess why,” Richard remarked slyly, rubbing his chin. When Emily frowned at him, he leaned over and whispered something in her ear, and she immediately devolved into perverted giggling.

“And that’s my cue to find drinks for us.” I rolled my eyes.

Striding past the couch, I made my way back to the kitchen to find Tsukiyo pouring soup into bowls. He shot me a questioning look but said nothing.

“Drinks, and a temporary escape,” I answered dryly. His mouth quirked into a lopsided smile. “White wine alright with you?”

“For starters.” He nodded, his smile broadening. “Depending on their behavior, I think we may both need something stronger—and soon.”

Tsukiyo began carrying our food into the living room plate-by-plate, while I searched for a good wine to pair with the soup. While I was at it, I decided to move a few bottles of liquor to the front of the cabinet as well.

“I’ve got the glasses,” Tsukiyo informed me when I turned around with two bottles in hand. “Ready?”

“As I can be.” I shook my head slightly. “Let’s hope this movie is as interesting as Emily made it sound.”