Page 39 of How Not to Date a Demon

Rolling his eyes, he secretly rejoiced. If she still wanted to hear about something that embarrassed him for possible ammo, that meant she still expected to be around to use that ammo, yeah?

Galen just had to be truthful. This was his only chance.

“Even though Hell isn’t all fire and flame, demons still don’t have free rein. We only work. There’s no, uhm… dating. Or marriage. At all. There’s no reason to when you’re lower rank, because the population would be out of control otherwise. So… only demons in specific positions have earned, uhm… permission.”

“Permission to do what? Find a demon honey?”

“Ugh, no,” he grumbled, covering his flaming cheeks. “To date. To find a partner and get married and all that shit. To have a life. We only exist as working bodies, and that’s it. That’s why the promotion was such a big deal. I finally got to come topside and… and find you.”

Dropping his hands, he lifted his gaze to study her. On the other side of the coffee table, near the front door, she stared at him with a carefully blank expression. His chest squeezed. This was worse than her anger.

Then she finally spoke. “So that’s the real reason you were on Ring’r, huh? To wife someone up,” she teased with a laugh that didn’t sound like it was filled with humor. “I wouldn’t expect a… a demon to want to settle down.” Another dry laugh scraped past her lips.

He couldn’t laugh with her, because she was right. He’d used that app specifically once he’d learned about it. Apparently, everyone knew Ring’r was the serious dating app. You went there searching for long-term relationships and commitment instead of hookups and one-night stands.

Her eyes were wide as she stared at him from across the room. The disbelief on her face made his heart ache.

“I got the promotion,” he said softly.

The room was silent. No cheering or kisses on the cheek or swooping Maeve up in his arms to celebrate.

“I’m now Devil of the Seventh Region of Hell,” he said. If only she understood what a big deal it was.

Her eyes grew wide. “I have no idea what that means.” She lifted her hands and raked them through her hair. “I don’t think I want to know what that means. Aren’t you… I mean, you’re the Devil!”

His breath escaped him in a wheezing laugh. “No! No, no. Don’t—I cannot stress this enough—do not get me confused with The Devil, capital T. That’s not me. In fact, I’m much lower ranking than that. Can’t even touch him.” Well, now he just sounded like a loser.

“No, stop. Let me restart,” he asked, rubbing a hand over his brow. “I’m not The Devil. I’m not Lucifer, the ruler of Hell. Though he doesn’t really do much ruling anymore, since we do all the work…”

“Getting off track,” Maeve interjected.

Galen nodded, waving a hand through the air. “Anyway, just like at a huge company, there’s the CEO—Lucifer. Then there are all the managers and regional managers and HR, and then there are all the employees that do the day-to-day things. You know?” Proud of himself for the accurate analogy, he glanced up eagerly, ready to see the light of understanding in Maeve’s gaze.

Instead, he found a blank stare. “And?” she asked.

“And… I’m like a regional manager of the Seventh Region. So I just make sure all the demons who report to me are doing their job right.”

“What is their job? What is your job? Don’t you like… dip people in lava for eternity or something?” She barked out a laugh as she rounded the recliner. “This is fucking ridiculous. A demon. A devil even. Of course I would match with the only fucking demon on the whole goddamned app!”

She was shouting by the end of it, and she deflated quickly, dropping down in the chair and burying her head in her hands.

“This can’t be real.”

He wished he could… goddammit. He would rip his heart out for her if Maeve would only request it. “But it is,” he urged. “I’m real, and so are we. That’s why I wanted to tell you, to make sure there were no secrets between us. Maeve…” He trailed off and slid across the couch, dropped to his knees before her, hovering a hand over her leg before gently placing it down.

She didn’t flinch away. That was a good sign, right?

Galen’s heart pounded in his chest. “Please, let me explain more. How can I make this easier?”

He was seconds away from fucking begging.

If someone told him ten years ago that he’d be on his knees about to beg a human to give him another chance, he would have laughed in their face. And yet, here he was, lump in his throat and a boulder in his belly.

“Then why did you wait until I found out to explain everything?”

“I wanted to wait until I was certain the promotion was mine. I didn’t think you would figure it out. And I… it just so happens that I have the promotion now.”

Maeve was quiet for a long time. His thumb stroked a soft rhythm over the shape of her knee as he waited. And waited.