and rain patters against the window. It’s a perfect sleeping-in day even if I didn’t have a naked, tattooed man in bed next to me.
My eyes close, and I swear, only three seconds later, my alarm goes off again. I pull my phone onto the bed and hit snooze again.
“You have to go to work,” Ethan grumbles, voice thick with sleep.
“Do I though?”
“If you’re leaving it up to me, no.” His arms go around me, and he slides me over, so my ass is pressed against his cock. It’s not hard, but the feel of it against my bare skin reminds me how good it felt pushing inside me.
“I have vacation time,” I say slowly, having a hard time forcing myself to open my eyes. “I need to use it by the end of the year.” Mystery’s board went up this year, and with things already tight on my budget, I couldn’t afford to take time off, let alone go anywhere for vacation. Money isn’t an issue anymore, though.
“How much time?”
“Two weeks. I can see if I can get next week off…just to be safe. Or I could quit.”
“That’d be nice, right?” His lips go to the back of my neck, making it harder to find the motivation to get out of bed.
“I don’t think I told you,” I start, arching my back so my ass presses against his cock. “I didn’t, because it’s not something I’m going to go around telling people. My aunt left me a lot of money too. I don’t need to work, and if I continue with her investments or whatever, I’ll keep making interest. Or something like that. It’s all confusing to me.”
“Then quit your job and stay in bed with me.” His hand goes to my thigh. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
Oh, he will. I blink my eyes open, praying for the willpower to get my ass out of bed. “If I did quit, I’d give notice. I like my job.”
“No one likes their job enough to do it when they don’t have to. Trust me.”
“I did always say my ideal job was getting paid to do nothing.”
Ethan pushes up on his elbow and brushes my hair back. “Given who you are, it might be hard to hold a job with regular hours. Demons don’t keep to schedules.”
“You’re right.” I trail my finger up his arm, following a line of one of his tattoos. “You said you had a job in Chicago, right?”
“I did, and was put on probation by the Order for it.”
“For having a job?”
“The Order doesn’t like hunters doing their own thing,” he says ruefully. “My entire family was almost excommunicated when I went to college.”
“What?” I say, though I heard him loud and clear. “Why wouldn’t they want you to go to college?”
“Because getting a degree in biology has nothing to do with protecting human life.” He rolls his eyes. “Since modern medicine has nothing to do with saving lives or anything.”
“You have a degree in biology?”
“I do, and that’s also why I had to get a job. The Order wouldn’t pay me while I defied their orders and wasted my talents.”
There’s a lot to unpack here, and I don’t have much time before work. “So, the Order is like an organization? I thought maybe you guys were, uh, more like a club that got together and shared demon stories and hunting tips.”
“They’re very organized, with ranks and offices and all that shit. The head of the Order supposedly lives in Rome and works close with the guy who’s a step down from the Pope, whatever his title is.”
“Oh, wow. And they pay you?”
“Yep. I used to think it was doing us a favor, letting us earn a living by hunting demons, but now I see it as more of a way to trap you in. Most Order members can’t really go out and get a regular job by putting former demon hunter on a resume.”
“That makes sense. And they sound like old-fashioned dicks.”
“That sums them up perfectly. And as much as I hate saying this, you need to get up and get ready for work.”
“Ugh. I know.”
“I can make you breakfast. What do you want?”
“As far as traditional breakfast food, I have stuff for eggs, toast, and coffee. I usually don’t have time to cook.”
He flashes a cocky grin. “Good thing I’m here. Now get up.”
“Fine,” I groan and stretch out, knowing it’s going to hurt to peel myself away from Ethan. But I have to pee,