Page 64 of How Not to Date an Angel

He followed the angel’s ritual and made himself coffee, sipping it with a scowl before opening the fridge to search for the containers the angel had used to sweeten it the day before.

He felt a bit like a witch as he added, stirred, and tasted until it was to his liking. A morning potion.

Snickering at the thought, he took a seat at the counter and soaked in the silence.

But his thoughts soon turned serious once again. Julian sighed.

He wasn’t here to havefunand play around with the angel in human establishments. To experience creature comforts or simple pleasures. He was here to complete an assignment. Frolicking with Rami beneath the shiny fish and eating fancy, rich chocolate was not it.

Julian would just have to… what, exactly? Continue to tempt the angel?

It hadn’t exactly worked so far, or Julian would already be back in Hell.

The angel cursed, though infrequently, more than Julian assumed was polite forangels.

Rami enjoyed their little treats and pleasures. They indulged, even. Now, thanks to Julian, the angel even gambled, but it wasn’t enough.

Julian rolled his eyes. Short of, what, robbing a bank just for the hell of it—and the demon knew better than to expect such a thing—he wasn’t too certain how much else to tempt the angel.

Unbidden, he felt a ghost of the angel’s touch on the back of his hand, felt their fingers squeeze around his own. The warmth of their body pressed up against Julian’s. Their lips soft against his.

There was always…

He shook his head. No. That felt cheap, predictable. Cruel, for some reason.

His head tilted to the side with the weight of a new idea.

Something told Julian that the angel hadn’t exactly experienced thesimple pleasuresthat happened between the sheets. However, if he was just to simply educate the angel on matters of sex, and then let the pieces fall where they may…

After all, it wasn’t sex itself that would complete the temptation. It would be the selfish desire, the need to sate their own pleasure that would do it.

And yet somehow, this revelation didn’t make Julian feel better.

“Oh! Good morning,” Rami offered in their chipper little voice as they appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Julian hadn’t even heard them up and about, and snapped his head up.

That’s what he got for letting his guard down around this angel. And he’d get a lot worse, too, if Julian didn’t see this damned assignment through.

“There you are, Feathers,” Julian called out. It came out softer than he’d intended, and he dropped his head, scowling down at his still steaming coffee.

“Looking for me, were you?” Rami asked. Julian recognized the tease in their voice, and he was helpless but to meet their gaze with a quirking smile despite his frustration.

Julian felt… spiky. Unsure and uncertain and mixed up, and he wasn’t sure how to handle all of it at once.

“Wouldn’t go that far,” Julian returned, mimicking the angel’s words from the night before.

They smiled softly—so fucking softly—and trailed to the counter to make their own coffee.

Today they were dressed as usual: pants and a collared shirt and a fluffy cardigan. They were still wearing their slippers.

“Thank you for listening to me ramble last night,” they said, busying themself with the beans and the grinder. “It was very kind of you to listen even after I’d said something so callous.”

Kind,Julian thought with an ache in his chest. Sure.

“No worries, Feathers.” Julian swallowed. “In fact, I know just how you can make it up to me.”

Rami sputtered. “Make it up to you? Was the apology not enough?”

“This will be fun. Come on,” Julian coaxed. “I went to the aquarium. We had a snack platter. I think it’s time for me to show you something.”

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