Page 36 of Widow

I helped her out of her jacket and hung it by the door. If she had a problem with mermaids, then maybe it was time for me to give them up.

"No. Why would it be? Do you think they exist? I think they might exist. I mean, I have a spider possessing me and sending hundreds of spiders out to kill men. Plus, Lucifer was sitting right across from me with a demon wolf shifter. That same wolf was in my bed with me. He licked my face, and then I bought him a leash and took him on a walk to the dog park. And don't get me started on the pet monkey that can write in English."

She was rambling, and I stifled a laugh. I really wanted to laugh at her, but I wanted to keep whatever pull I had with her over the other two. I smiled and bit the inside of my cheek.

"Are you laughing at me?" She put her hands on her hips and stared at me with an incredulous look on her face.

"I'm not laughing at you. You're completely wasted. Why don't you go to the bathroom and splash some water on your face and I'll make you something to eat. Maybe that will help soak up some of the champagne."

She let out a breath of air and walked in the direction I was pointing. I knew she would have something to say about the bathroom. It was even worse than the living room. I had redone the shower to look like mermaid scales.

I definitely was secure in my masculinity.

I walked into my kitchen, opened up the refrigerator, and stared inside. I was a fairly decent cook, but with my own restaurants, I didn't often find time to cook at home. About all I had to offer her was a sandwich.

I pulled out the mayonnaise and turkey and begin assembling a sandwich for her. She came out of the bathroom as I was setting the plate on the coffee table in the living room.

"I don't know whether to be intrigued that you like mermaids so much or a little freaked out. I would expect this much mermaid business from a twelve-year-old girl, not a however old you are, angel man." She flopped down heavily on the couch and tugged at the hem of her dress. A dress that was even shorter now. "How old are you?"

"Well, that's a pretty complicated question. That's like asking Lucifer how old he is. He's as old as time itself. I was almost thirty when I died, and I've been dead since nineteen fifty-four. So, I'm not sure how you should take that." I sat down next to her on the couch, and she picked at her sandwich and stared at it. "Do you not like turkey?"

"I prefer ham, but turkey will do." She took a bite and made a sound of approval. She kicked off her heels and put her feet up on the coffee table. "It's an excellent turkey sandwich. I half expected you to make me a tuna sandwich. Get it? You own a seafood restaurant. But I'm glad you did make me turkey because I don't care for tuna very much. Actually, I don't like seafood." She laughed. "I am so drunk right now. I don't think I've ever been this drunk."

I laughed and leaned back on the couch, watching her. I could listen to her ramble for hours. Her voice was soothing with a crisp, clear quality to it. Even while she was drunk.

"I literally never get this drunk." She finished her sandwich and handed me the plate. I put it on the coffee table.

"You do know that people who get drunk all the time are the ones who usually say that, don't you?"

She moved her legs off the table and then pulled them up onto the couch. I grabbed them to move them into my lap. She scooted on the couch and laid down with a sigh.

I swallowed and looked at her long legs pointed in my direction. My eyes traveled up to the hem of her dress. I wondered if she was wearing any panties. I shook my head and grabbed one of her feet, rubbing the arch of her foot.

"Oh God," she moaned. "You're not only a good kisser and hot, but you make me a sandwich, and you give amazing foot rubs." She shut her eyes and wiggled her toes. "Marry me."

I laughed. If I could get married, I would marry her in a heartbeat. I continued to rub her feet as her breathing grew heavier. My pants were growing tighter by the second.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" She spoke softly but kept her eyes shut. "Lucifer and Ric?"

I grunted and moved a hand to her ankle. "They'll be fine. Lucifer can't really die. I believe that Ric, although he hasn't said so, has some crazy immortality going on."

"And what about you? How immortal are you?" She opened her eyes halfway. I wondered if her eyes were half-shut with desire or half shut because she was two sheets to the wind.

"Well, since I'm a fallen angel, I don't have immortality anymore. I age very, very slowly, but I can die like any other human being."

"Interesting. A little weird that your punishment is to just chill here on Earth. Do you think I'm immortal?"

It was weird how fallen angels were dealt with. Maybe they just kept us around as backup in case Hell really did come to Earth. It wasn’t like I could ask. I considered her question as I rubbed my thumb over her inner ankle. She made a small whimpering noise.

"I'm not sure. I don't think it's something that we should test out."

She went silent. After a few minutes, I thought she was asleep, but then her eyes popped open again.

"Will you lie with me?" she asked softly.

My eyes traveled back up her legs, and I shifted on the couch. "What do you mean, lie with you?" I'd never had a woman ask me to lie with her before. She either meant to literally lie next to her or she wanted me inside her.

"I just… I want you to lie with me." She turned on her side, flashing part of her inner thigh. I lifted her feet off my lap and stood.

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