Before Raphael had nodded off, the two of them had been providing a running commentary through the movie and the one before. Also featuring...wait for it…witches.
She wrinkled her nose. “Oh.”
“What’s your favorite part?” Lucifer missed her smile and wanted it back. He hadn’t been watching the movie, more watching Bianca watch the movie.
She shrugged and flushed. “It’s silly.”
“Tell me.” Without her prickly edges, she was enchanting.
Her lovely face lit up. “Really?”
“Really.” Her unfettered joy tugged at some part of him and made him want to share it with her.
She took a deep breath and her eyes sparkled. “Well, they make these margaritas and dance.” She giggled. “It’s happy. Rafe would like it.”
“He would.” He smiled at her.
Her eyes were the most compelling shade of indigo. He could drown in them. “This is your favorite movie?”
“One of them.” She wriggled. “But I know you don’t like it.”
“No?”
She leaned closer, almost overbalancing, and whispered, “It’s about witches.”
“Witches?” He pretended to shudder. “Terrible things.”
“Hey!” She bumped his shoulder with hers. “Not all of them.”
“No.” He tapped his chin. “Emma is very sweet.”
“There ya go.” She raised her glass in a toast. “To Emma.”
He raised his and clinked. “To Emma.”
“And.” She waggled her forefinger at him and canted close enough that her nose nearly bumped his. “To you not really hating witches.”
He was about to tell her that would never happen, but then he stopped. He didn’t hate all witches. Time hung suspended between the laughter in her eyes and the tilt of her full mouth. One particular witch came to mind who he didn’t hate at all.
He might have forgotten to breathe.
The thing that had been jabbing at him since she’d summoned him floated to the surface. She was human and a witch, but she drew him to her. Her siren song lay in her indomitable spirit, her fearlessness, her sharp tongue, and her keen wit. Here was a woman worthy of a partner to match her strength.
She stilled, and her eyes widened. Her breath caught, and a delicate flush rose on her petal-white skin.
He had to taste her, draw her essence and light into the cold, dead parts of him.
“Lucifer?” she whispered.
Seeking the connection, he dipped his head to hers. “Hmm?”
“You look like you want to kiss me.”
“Because I do.”
Her lips parted. “Oh.”
“Is that an oh yes or an oh no?” His entire being hinged on her answer.
Bianca raised her mouth to his. “Yes.”
“Wah!” Raphael shot up from the bed beside theirs.
The moment shattered, and she pulled back with a gasp.
“Did I miss midnight margaritas?” Raphael demanded.
“I can rewind.” Bianca hid her blush behind fiddling with the movie controls.
And Lucifer ground his teeth. He’d missed so much more than midnight margaritas.
Chapter Twenty-Four
If hell as a place of eternal torment had existed, Eddie would be in it right now. Lying next to Shade, feeling his heat, drawing his honey and musk scent in with every inhalation, had to be hell. The minuscule space between them hummed with all the possibilities she was too chicken to act on.
And why was she being such a wuss?
Fear.
Not fear of rejection like most normal people. Nope, this dumb bitch was scared of getting what she wanted. That had to be way up there on the how-dumb-am-I-o-meter.
He said he loved her. Had told her she was the one. Proven he cared about her. Shade had even defied heaven and hell—quite literally—to rescue her. The only thing preventing them from taking their relationship to physical intimacy was her chickenness…chickendom. Chickenimity?
She flopped to her back. Whatever it was called, she had a big old helping of it.
“Eddie?” Shade’s voice was deep and low in the intimate darkness of the bedroom. “You’re fidgeting.”
“I know.” And this bed buddies setup had been her idea.
When Sophia had also announced her intention to sleep at the theater because of Emma and Ethan, the who sleeps where conversation had started again. The children had Dee’s room. Dee and Sophia shared the spare. Daniel had the greenroom, and Eddie had opened her big mouth and said Shade could sleep with her.
Shade had offered sleep on the greenroom floor.
“Don’t be silly,” Eddie the idiot had said. “Nobody needs to sleep on the floor. “We’re all adults here.”
He’d promised to keep it platonic, and so far, had been as good as his word. Shade shifted and tucked his hands behind his head. “Want to talk about it?”
