He beamed at her. “I’m so glad you think so, love. I wouldn’t want to be too pushy.”
“I’m the one who insisted we mate, remember?” She laughed gently before kissing him.
Their bodies floated in the hot water, their wet skin rubbing together. It made parts of his anatomy take notice of his almost-nude wife. His erection was damn obvious, and Alice cupped it with a laugh.
“How can you always be ready to go?” she asked. “I get that you’re a shifter with some kind of magical penis, but I need rest.”
“Why do you think I brought you to a hot spring?” He grinned and kissed her.
They rested for the rest of the afternoon and evening with sex breaks in between…just to make sure they were truly connected, but really, neither one of them had any doubts they were meant to be together.
THIRTEEN
COOPER
Cooper and Alice held hands all the way down to the ground floor of the resort. Ocho was there, as always, with his hands held out for his tip. Cooper dug through his brown paper bag to produce a few pieces of candy corn. He gave half to the imp, and he popped the other half into his mouth.
“Gimme, gimme,” Ocho pouted. “Gimme, gimme!”
“It’s okay, little dear,” Alice laughed. “I will give you more one day soon.”
“Not any of mine,” Cooper argued with a grin. “This stuff is amazing.”
“You’re both nuts,” Alice laughed. “There is so much better candy out there. There is chocolate out there in the world. Your poor taste buds.”
The imp kicked the closing doors of the elevator, sending them open again, scaring a little pixie who flew away and back to the lobby.
Alice and Cooper made their way down the hall and straight to Portia’s office. They knocked, and the succubus opened the door with a grin. Her dress was floor-length, and the blossom pattern made her look like a mad fairy. Or maybe more of a mad matchmaker.
“You came,” she sang.
“Of course,” Alice said. “Thanks so much for inviting us. I can’t imagine that you eat many meals with resort guests.”
She waved her off. “I don’t mind mingling with my guests. In fact, I prefer it. Besides, how can I not have a farewell brunch with my favorite newlyweds?”
Alice and Cooper exchanged a playful glance. Neither would mention that Portia had all but forced them to get married, but that was beside the point now.
Cooper was so fucking happy he had married…and mated…Alice.
He had no regrets, and now that his life was complete, he was going to do everything in his power to keep it that way.
“Lou is joining us, of course. He has almost as much to do with this match as me.” She winked at them. “But don’t tell anyone I said that. It would get both of us into serious trouble.”
The meaning of her words was lost to Cooper, but he couldn’t ask for clarification because Lou barged into the office. “Where is this brunch? I am famished!” Upon noticing that Portia wasn’t the only one in the office, he grinned. “Don’t you two look cute, all cuddled up like that.”
Lou and Portia were both lounging on the big sofa. Portia gave them her undivided attention, but Lou’s eyes were fixed on the screen.
“What’s going on out there?” Cooper asked, making conversation with the bartender.
Cooper didn’t know how much he actually had in common with the demon bartender, but he could only guess that he was the decent sort if he hung around with Portia. The succubus was choosy about the company she kept, and Cooper couldn’t even blame her for that. The whole of the paranormal world knew that Portia had Lucifer’s ear because he had given her the right and privilege to run his resort for him.
Why the devil wanted a resort for his demons and creatures, Cooper could only guess that it was like the dragon flights he took with his thunder. It was good to do some fun and leisurely things together. It bonded a crew, and it made fighting for each other that much easier and more automatic.
Not that anyone wouldeverbe stupid enough to attack Hellscape Holiday Resort.
Cooper’s fall might have been broken and slowed by all of the protective wards that surrounded the resort, but he suspected the magic only yielded and let him through because he meant no harm to the resort and its guests.
Cooper also had the strange notion that perhaps the resort let him in because he was in need of help, but that might be fanciful thinking.