The Lure of the Devil (The Demons' Muse #4) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,165

And while we shopped, we talked.

"So," she asked as she flipped through a rack of boring-looking business suits, "is that the sort of thing that happens often with y'all?"

"Last night?" I asked as I reached for a dress that was much more appealing. "How about this?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "Sam, that is not appropriate for church."

I looked at it, trying to find the problem. "Too short?"

"And too low-cut, too tight-fitting, and much too silky. Think more librarian and less stripper," she said. "And answer the question while you're at it."

"It's not, but it should be," I admitted. Putting the dress back on the rack, I moved to another selection of options. "If you want to know the truth, I think we needed that." I glanced over to catch her eyes. "For as long as I can remember, there’s always been lines between us. When we were intimate, it was always in pairs. Considering that Nick and Bel are both tops, well, that was one big line. Luke was an angel, and showed up with the arrogance to prove it. That meant they all kind of, well, loved me."

"And you loved Nick," she said, making it clear she understood.

But that was only the simplest explanation. "I did, and I still do," I hurried to assure her, "And the truth is that I love them all. Bel has always been the kind of friend that I know will always be at my side. Luke has always been the one that I can definitely get into shit with. Nick, though, was different. I dunno, he feels things a little more. He doesn't always admit it, but when he cares, it's completely."

"I can see that," she agreed, lifting up something for me to look at.

I shook my head. Olive drab was not her color. "So, for him, Bel was almost like a big brother. I'm pretty sure there's absolutely no attraction there, but they still trust each other without reservation. And as we've all seen, Nick and Luke have been circling each other for a little too long."

"So, how do you think Nick and Ron are going to fit together?" she asked.

I pulled out an adorable little navy dress with white trim and held it up for her to look at. "I think it'll happen eventually," I admitted. "I also think that Nick intimidates Ron a bit and that Luke is good for him. But after last night, I just get this feeling that it doesn't matter anymore. Those lines that we kept dancing around got shattered. When Luke did that…"

She groaned, cutting me off. "That makes it sound like it was some stunt." Then she pointed at the dress. "I like that one. Think they have a size twelve?"

"Yes, and a ten. I'm pretty sure you're not a twelve anymore. Apparently, flying has that effect on the body." I flipped through the options and found both sizes, then held them up to her. "We’re talking about Luke here, sweetie. With him, everything's a stunt. Not in a bad way, but I think he was trying to prove to you that he's all in. All, Sia. You and him, him and Ron, you and Ron, and all the other combinations you can think of."

She snagged the two dresses from my hands. "I think it's just because I can't die," she said as she marched towards the dressing rooms.

"Sure, that's probably what he said," I called after her, "But we both know he's full of shit."

Her laughter drifted back, but that was all. So, while she tried on the dresses, I went hunting for more. I found at least a dozen cute little T-shirts and tanks that would look perfect on her. Nick had talked to me about her wanting to move out of his room and his suggestion to move her into all of them. If we combined these shirts with a few pairs of comfortable pants, she would always have spare clothes to grab the next morning.

But she needed more than that. Sia deserved to have her own space and set her own boundaries. Ever since she'd moved into the house, we'd all just assumed this was going to happen. We all wanted a little bit of her attention and as much of her time as we could steal, yet we always forgot the most important thing. She needed her own space too.

Physical space, mental space, and even emotional space. Once the deed transfer went through, that house would be hers.