26 Buy Me Dinner First

Lily

“You cheated,” Bel said flatly, bracing his free hand on the countertop beside her thigh and glowering at her.

Lily adjusted her position on the counter and sipped her tea. “The rules of engagement were hazy at best. You licked my nose. I pinched you. It was that or seduce you, and I didn’t want to horrify Sharkie.”

He huffed, eyes darkening in a way that had her shifting her position again. Now that she knew what his lips felt like when he was being sweet, she couldn’t help but wonder how they’d feel when he let loose a little. Or a lot.

“I’ll accept that logic. Though, speaking of which—” He stepped closer and set his mug down beside her. “What, if anything, do you want to tell Sharkie?”

His expression was neutral, still a bit sleep rumpled, with faint shadows lingering under his eyes. There, a hint of vulnerability in those eyes.

She traced the heavy line of his eyebrow before cradling his cheek. He leaned into the touch.

“The truth, if that’s fine with you. I have nothing to hide, and you’re little big for me to carry over my head like a trophy, so I’ll have to settle for claiming you however I can.”

He pressed a kiss to her palm, before leaning in to brush a soft kiss to her lips, warmth and lightness suffusing her body.

Am I… happy?

“I—” He kissed her again, moving so that he caged her against the cabinets with his body, her knees cradling his hips. “Am more than fine with that. How do you feel about PDA?”

“Big fan in theory, as long as it’s within reason. I like it when you touch me, but I’ve also seen people get way too comfortable in public. You?” She fiddled with a strand of hair that had escaped the haphazard bun he’d thrown his hair into.

“I’m pretty sure I like it when you touch me too,” he said, his innocent tone completely at odds with the impish gleam in his eyes.

She raised a hand to his collarbone, tracing it through his shirt, then lightly scraping her nails down his chest. “Only pretty sure?”

He grunted, impishness swapping to something hungrier. “Upon review, I’m very sure. And we’re on the same page about PDA too.”

She smirked. “I thought so.”

He checked over his shoulder and lowered his voice. “While we’re on the subject, what are your thoughts on intimacy?”

Her stomach swooped and twisted. She played with his hair again, watching herself twirl his hair around her finger while she considered the question. She wanted him, badly. Obviously. But her old habits of using sex as a patch for emotional intimacy had her veering annoyingly toward caution. What if she stopped growing their emotional connection without even realizing it? What they had was precious, and she didn’t quite trust herself yet.

“I’m not opposed to some sexy exploration, but I want to make sure we get us a little more figured out before I start fully having my wicked way with you.”

He guided her chin up so she was looking at him, and relief washed over her at the mischief written all over his handsome face. “If I had pearls I’d be clutching them, princess. Explore all you want, but beyond that, you’ll have to buy me dinner first.”

“What, the cinnamon rolls aren’t good enough?” She feigned indignation but couldn’t stop her smile.

I love joking with him. I love that I can joke with him and it’s still safe.

Bel tsked sadly. “Unfortunately, I require enthusiastic consent and at least two food groups.”

“They have icing.”

“I’ll take it into consideration. But seriously, I’m more than fine with that. Let’s just keep an open dialogue with each other about it, yeah? We’re important, and we can take all the time we need.”

His fingers traced up the bare skin of her arm, following her tattoos and leaving goose bumps in their wake, moving over her shirt to lightly circle her throat. Her breath hitched, lips parting on a gasp.

“Is this okay?” he murmured. At her nod, he smirked and brushed his nose against hers, deep voice rumbling in his chest. “Good. Once we have us figured out and you’ve had your wicked way with me, brace yourself, princess, because I’m planning on having my wicked, wicked way with you.”

No one had ever called her bluff and challenged her like that. It was an entirely new sensation. And she craved it.

“Let’s plan on missing work for a few days, then.”

His thumb stroked up the side of her neck, finding the sensitive spot just below her ear. She fisted his shirt, panting.

“So responsive, princess.” He breathed against her mouth, holding himself just out of reach for a span of his heartbeats, then kissed her, reached for his tea, and stepped back.

Fucking tease. She was on fire.

“Have you been staring at each other this whole time? Are the cinnamon rolls cold?”

Ah, he’d heard Sharkie before she had.

Lily wrinkled her nose at Sharkie, who had changed into pajama pants and a T-shirt with a grinning shark and bold letters stating Caution: will bite . Her blond hair was wet from her shower and tangled in a way that told Lily she’d forgotten to brush it again.

“Of course not. I won. The cinnamon rolls are toasty warm; they’re in the foil on the table. Do you want cocoa?”

“Yes please!”

“She cheated,” Bel added. “Cocoa mix is in that cupboard, yeah?”

“Yep, second shelf,” Lily confirmed, sliding off the counter.

“Thought I saw it in there. How was the field trip?”

Sharkie launched into an enthusiastic retelling of her adventure, while Lily and Bel joined her at the table, sipping their tea and asking questions when appropriate. Lily let her knee rest against his. He curled his tail around her calf, the sensation odd but not unpleasant, much like the warm lightness in her body that had yet to fade.

Max leapt onto the table, both Sharkie and Lily letting out indignant squawks the moment he landed. Bel picked him up, settling him onto his lap, where Max immediately began kneading his thigh. The cat blinked slowly at Lily in a way that could only be described as smug, rubbing his cheek against Bel’s stomach and purring with all his might.

“He’s very loud for being so small,” Bel said over his mug.

“Are there cats in Hell?” Sharkie asked, a smear of frosting on her chin.

“There are, but hellcats are a little different than mortal cats; bigger, for one. There’s a mortal cat that showed up a century ago and decided to attach itself to the Fourteenth Legion. Her name is Pumpkin, follows them everywhere. Well, almost.” A shadow darted over his expression, but he took a quick forkful of steaming cinnamon roll and seemed to carefully ignore the fact that Lily was staring at him.

Something, probably the reason for his over-a-week-long, super-secret mission, had him worried. That, combined with the apparent tenderness of his body, made a wave of protectiveness surge through her.

“Excuse me, um, Bel?” Sharkie’s voice had a note of vulnerability that had both of them snapping their attention to her. She rubbed at the frosting on her chin with the back of her hand. “When you’re done eating, can you help me test something?”

“Sure.” He shoveled the last piece of the cinnamon roll into his mouth, drained his mug and stood. “What do you need me to do?”

Sharkie wiggled off her chair, gesturing for him to follow her down the hallway. Lily cleared the table, flipping off the ceiling as the last plate vanished before she could touch it.

“Let me do something ,” she hissed, holding the plates a little tighter. “At least let me put them in the sink, or so help me, I will host a mud-wrestling competition in the living room. On the rug.”

The house gave a little shudder.

Sharkie yelled down the hallway, “Stop arguing with Carl! It doesn’t like it!”

“Carl?” Bel rumbled.

Lily set the dishes in the sink, rolling her eyes. Not him too.

A muffled thump and a grunt sounded in the hallway.

“One more?” Bel asked. Sharkie said something unintelligible. Another thump . A small sigh of relief.

Lily melted. Testing the door. They had to be. Until she’d decided to go on the field trip, Sharkie had consistently and quietly gone straight to her room as soon as darkness fell and stayed within the protective confines of it until morning, when she would emerge bright-eyed and ready to take on the Afterlife. Lily hadn’t commented on it, wanting her to have personal time and space, while hopefully providing the attention and patience she needed in the daylight hours.

She headed into the living room, folding their abandoned blankets and smoothing her hand over the dip Bel’s head had left in the pillow. The odd indentation of his horn made her smile.

The door to the library closed, and Sharkie and Bel appeared in the living room a moment later, a stack of books in Bel’s arm.

Lily pointed at them, baffled.

“Sharkie showed me your library.” His eyes gleamed, the big nerd. “Is it okay if I borrow a few?”

“Um,” Lily said brilliantly, fairly certain she’d hidden the vibrator she’d brought into the library for when a book was particularly well written. “Sure? Which ones did you go for?”

They were both regulars at the Universal Library, and there wasn’t a single book she had that it didn’t, but hers was curated to her personal tastes.

Bel’s grin shot right past impish and went directly to wicked. “I looked for the ones with the most broken-in spines; I figured you must have particularly liked those. Plus, Sharkie pointed out a few she’s seen you reading too.”

“Smart,” she said neutrally.

A demon prince and experienced general of eighty-five whole-ass legions of Hell had an armful of filthy smut. A trilogy of BDSM romance, one of her favorite fantasy romances, and several monster romances, all with well-worn spines. Particularly in certain places.

Is that the one with the tail scene? Shit. Curse my love of paperbacks. Hardcovers would have hidden the evidence better.

Screw it. They’d built a friendship on trust and honesty, even if they both had wounds they weren’t ready to bare yet. Why not build a romantic relationship on the same?

“Are you okay? You’re really red,” Sharkie asked, glancing between her and Bel. “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, I think she’s just protective of her books. Isn’t that right?” He couldn’t have looked smugger if he tried.

“You got it. Take good care of them, please.” Think of me while you read certain scenes.

“I plan on taking notes. Our favorite books say a lot about us, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely. I’d love to read a few of your favorites too.” Not a lie. She wanted a peek into what made that mind of his tick, what made him happy, made him curious. Her eyes dropped to the fuzzy bat slippers on his feet. “Are you heading out?”

His smile dimmed, wings shifting with a soft rustle. “Yeah, I have some…reports to start on.”

She raised an eyebrow and tucked that information away to analyze later, along with all the other shreds and pieces she’d gathered along the way.

“Do you want a bag for the books?”

He shook his head.

“I’ll walk out with you. Sharkie, want to come?”

“Yeah! Five minutes!” She scurried to her room.

Lily joined him in the entryway, searching his eyes for clues. His smile turned rueful.

“I don’t need to know,” she began. “I want to know, but I respect that there’s things you don’t want to—or can’t—share about what you do. I’ve been hearing some weird things around the Afterlife, so I know there’s something going on and it’s not as small as I thought. But what the fuck is out there that can rough you up, big guy? You were gone ten days, and you came back stiff and sore, and still worried about something. And I’m worried about you .”

For a moment, despite the ridiculous outfit and the messy hair, he was every inch the general, responsibility and capability draping over him like a cloak. He seemed to briefly wrestle with something, then nodded.

“Keep secrets, princess,” he said, the corners of his mouth going tight. “Just not from me, yeah?”

So it wasn’t common knowledge yet.

“Okay?”

He checked for Sharkie, leaning in until his mouth brushed her ear, the potential eroticism of the gesture utterly lost to the seriousness of the moment as he spoke quietly.

“I’ve told you that we mainly defend against other Universes. Well, at the moment, at least one isn’t friendly with ours. They broke through in one of the fringe realms. A small incursion, apparently an exploratory mission.”

Her mind whirled, pieces falling into place to form a picture she didn’t like. “What do they want?”

“As far as we know, they have depleted the inherent power of their Universe and are after the power generated by the souls in ours. Remember what I said about how our souls become part of the Universe? That’s what they’re after. And it’s not just denizens. When mortal souls find their final peace, they become part of it too.”

The implications of what was at risk hit her like a train. “They can take that power?”

“No, not without—” His jaw flexed. “Not easily. And we reiterated that, because we mounted a defense and won, but it was hard won. I’m worried because we don’t know yet if it was enough to discourage further attempts. We hope so, but there is still a rift there, so we’re still patrolling and guarding the area just in case.”

Lily took a breath and touched his thick wrist. “Thank you for telling me.”

Bel nodded. “Avoid the fringe realms altogether for a while. If anything happens and you see something wrong —trust me you’ll know when something doesn’t belong to this Universe—get yourself and Sharkie to Paradise if you can. It was the first stronghold of the Afterlife, and it’s the most powerful. If not, get yourselves to Hell and go deep. I’m not trying to scare you, but I feel better knowing you’re prepared.”

Lily committed every word, every inflection of his warning to memory. She didn’t realize she’d gripped his shirt until he’d finished talking.

“Souls regenerate,” she murmured, glancing over her shoulder.

“True.” He winced, rubbing at his shoulder with the opposite hand, the same shoulder she’d seen him favoring since he’d arrived. “But it’ll be agony. It doesn’t just hurt , it’s soul-changing pain. I don’t want that for you. For anyone, but especially not for you or Sharkie.”

Her grip on his shirt tightened. “Bel, you don’t regenerate.”

“No.” His voice was guarded.

She met his eyes, searching, processing everything she’d just learned. Her soul ached at the idea of an Afterlife, of a Universe, without Bel in it. It was on the tip of her tongue to demand that he keep himself safe, to do whatever it took to get home, including running for his life. But that wasn’t realistic. Those kinds of speeches belonged in the sappy romance novels he held, and Bel was proud of what he did; he loved being a general and all that came with it. He’d never run from that responsibility before, and he never would.

“I won’t ask you to be less than who and what you are. Ever.” She breathed. A little furrow formed between his brows. “I’m selfish, but I’m not that selfish. Be safe. Go be a kick-ass general, do what you have to do to keep us all safe. But please be as safe as you can too. I want to be able to smack your ass in front of Lev and listen to him gasp like a scandalized grandmother. I’ll feel heinously guilty if I’m smacking the ass of a corpse.”

A bit of the intensity evaporated, the crinkles returning around his eyes. “You’ll still do it, though, right?”

“Of course, I’ll cop one last feel, knowing it’s what you would have wanted. It won’t be as satisfying if you’re not there to savor the moment with me though. So. Be. Fucking. Safe.” She kissed him lightly. “Please.”

Joking about being irreverent at his funeral was one thing, but she’d never do it. The grief of her life, her family, her friends was enough. Grieving her best friend, the person she might find real happiness with on top of it all? Too much.

“I’ll be safe,” he said. “And feel free to cop a feel any time, just don’t grab my ass in front of Lucifer.”

“Why?”

“He’s a little too excited about me breaking my single streak, and I don’t want to give him the satisfaction,” he said darkly.

She snorted.

* * *

Sharkie gleefully interrogated Bel about the shark documentary they’d watched the night before as they walked toward the stone arch. Lily ignored the twist of nerves, reaching for his hand as soon as they’d walked outside. He laced their fingers together and gave her hand a squeeze that made all the nerves melt away.

She’d known about the other Universes, and known that Universal defense was the primary point of Hell’s armies, but she hadn’t realized how real it was.

“Lily, can we go to Hell today?” Sharkie asked.

“Yeah, you still want to go to school, right?”

Sharkie nodded so hard her hood flopped back.

“Sweet. I’ll get some work done while you’re busy.” She’d already received several respectful but slightly pathetic messages from at least a dozen of the gate demons, Crocell chief among them when it came to verging on whining. Apparently, it had been a spectacularly dramatic few days for souls, and they all missed her.

Sweeties. She’d bring them the rest of the cinnamon rolls.

Bel squeezed her hand when they reached the archway, callused fingers slipping away. He raised an eyebrow at her, playful smile dancing over his lips.

“Sharkie,” Lily said. Sharkie pulled her attention away from the activity outside the arch, curiosity written all over her face. “Just so you know, Bel and I are together now.”

“Like a couple,” Bel clarified, shifting the stack of books under his arm.

Sharkie looked at them like they were idiots. “Well, yeah . Haven’t you always been?”

Lily’s mouth dropped open, but then she laughed.

“I’m going to kiss Lily now,” Bel told Sharkie, who made a face similar to the one she’d made when a woman in the Summerland had convinced her to eat steamed broccoli.

Lily shook her head, already reaching to grab the collar of Bel’s shirt. “Not if I kiss you first,” she told him a moment before her lips landed on his. It was brief and wonderful, gloriously novel in its unfamiliarity, but warmly comforting.

Bel knelt to give a one-armed hug to Sharkie, fixing her hood for her before striding through the halls, unbothered about his outfit. Lily watched him go, chuckling as more than a few people turned to watch him pass, confusion written all over their faces. Work it, big guy.

“I don’t know why you guys thought it was some big secret,” Sharkie said, coming to lean against her side. Lily wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “It’s not like you guys were subtle .”