Bought A Lover, Got A Butler: The Demon CEO’s Secret Chapter 05

Bought A Lover, Got A Butler: The Demon CEO’s Secret Chapter 05

Still, given that Liam had gotten territorial over a shirt, I wasn’t exactly confident he’d take kindly

to a new arrival. I messaged customer service before bed.

[If there are two succubi in the house at the same time, are they going to fight?]

[Not usually, hun! Different types usually get along just fine.]

I wasn’t convinced, so I pressed further. [What kind of situation would make that a problem?]

[Only if one of them is a high-level succubus! Those ones get really possessive – territorial,

jealous, the whole nine yards. They can even fall in love with their owner~]

That made me feel a little better. The way Liam had looked just now – all relief and no longing –

didn’t exactly scream in love.

[Also, pro tip: give the new guy a little extra attention at first so he can settle in! We’re sure that under your care, both succubi will get along great!]

I took that advice to heart and went to sleep buzzing with anticipation over Ethan’s arrival. The next day was Saturday, so I stayed home and had Liam plan the lunch menu ahead of time.

After breakfast, Liam drove me to the grocery store on the motorcycle, just like always.

This time, though, I sat as far back on the seat as I could, keeping a careful distance between us. My hands stayed nowhere near his stomach, and I figured that alone would make things easier on him.

“Hold on tight.” Liam’s voice drifted back, cool and clipped. “The road gets rough up ahead.”

I didn’t think anything of it – I’d ridden this route a hundred times and it had always been smooth. Then the bike dropped into a pothole I’d never seen before.

My chest slammed into his back so hard my helmet smacked right into him, and the wind was

knocked out of me, sharp enough to bring tears to my eyes.

I straightened up immediately, but I still didn’t dare press against him again, just grabbed the back of his jacket, keeping that sliver of space between us, careful not to overstep again.

Liam didn’t say another word after that. But a palpable tension radiated from him in waves, and he

rode the rest of the way to the store so fast it had to be deliberate, like he was burning off frustration through the throttle.

It had been one accidental bump. Was that really enough to set him off this badly?

We finished the grocery run by around ten. The store was packed – there was a weekend sale on and Liam carried every bag in one hand while his other hand hovered at the small of my back,

guiding me around kids darting between the aisles.

It was thoughtful in a way that made shopping with him quietly unbearable. Every single time we came here, the cashier would gush about what a gorgeous couple we made, how sweet we looked together.

I used to lap that up, grinning like an idiot the whole way home because Liam never corrected her. But now that I knew the truth – that he’d never wanted any of it – the compliment just made my skin prickle.

When I really thought about it, everything I’d done from his perspective was one step away from harassment. So when the cashier beamed at us again this time, something in me snapped.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” The words came out louder than I’d intended.

The cashier froze. Liam did too, for that matter, neither of them had expected that from me.

After a long beat, Liam said through clenched teeth, “Right. He’s not.”

I nodded fast, wanting to move on as fast as possible. He’d clearly been wanting to set the record

straight for a while, and I’d been too wrapped up in my own made-up fantasy to notice.

He didn’t care about me that way. He never had. I was the only one who’d been fooling herself.

I kicked myself for being so blind, and the walk across the parking lot was quiet enough to hear my own thoughts, none of them nice. Liam’s long strides left me behind in seconds.

I knew better than to complain and ask him to slow down or whine for him to wait up like I used to.

So I let the distance grow.

We made it back to the apartment in silence. The front door was cracked open.

Liam’s brow furrowed. He’d locked it himself before we left, he was sure of it.

Without a word, he stepped in front of me and shoved the door wide. He stopped short in the

doorway.

A man stood in our living room who definitely hadn’t been there before. He was wearing the plaid shirt I’d just bought, and when he smiled at me, two small, sharp fangs flashed in his grin.

“Hey, Master – thanks for the clothes! I love them,”