Page 40 of Midnight with the Devil

“I like children.” He shrugged.

“You do?”

“Yes. Children are pure. They aren’t complex. It’s refreshing.”

“Huh.” So he was into pure…like her. He’d said her soul was pure.

“I am still an angel, you know. Angels love children. We share a lot in common with them. We both believe our parents are the beginning and end of our existence, and things in the world the delight us.” He took charge of the cart again and leaned his elbows on the handle.

“What’s next?” he asked.

“Er…” She checked her list. “Buns.”

“Buns.” He chuckled. “Bunsit is.”

“Stop saying that!” she hissed, but part of her wanted to laugh.

“Buns are on aisle five,” he announced loudly, drawing the stares of everyone around them.

“Stop!” She giggled and jabbed one elbow into his ribs.

“Oh, you’re no fun. Perhaps your buns need to be warmed,” he teased and mimed a spank in the air. A woman giving away free samples of cheese nearly choked when she saw Lucien spanking the air.

Diana pushed him and the cart down the nearest aisle, which thankfully had no other shoppers in it.

“I can’t take you anywhere.” Diana shook her head, but despite the embarrassment she was laughing. She hadn’t realized how tightly wound she had been for so long, ever since her father had gotten sick. She’d bottled up all her tears, fears, worries, and darker emotions, and now she felt them escaping. They seemed to be leaking out and evaporating like morning mist.

“You should laugh more,” Lucien said softly. His dark eyes burned hers, and the heat of it made her feel a little dizzy.

“Why?” she replied.

“Because it is a beautiful sound, and…you need to. I could see that pain you bottled up. It isn’t good for your soul.”

She arched her brow. “You care about the good of my soul? I thought the devil liked to hurt people?”

“Actually, I do care. I want you pure and lighthearted. I have plenty of dark and angry souls to deal with at the office. I made a bargain with you because you’re not like that.”

Diana wasn’t quite sure what to say. She cleared her throat and focused on the grocery list.

“We need chips. Some tortilla ones.” She pointed to a rack, and Lucien grabbed two bags and then waited patiently for her next order.

“Um…a brownie mix for dessert.”

“Mix?” He frowned. “What is amix?” The way he said the wordmixmade it sound disgusting.

“It’s powdered brownie mix in a box.”

“Ugh. No, we aren’t doing that. This way.” He pushed a shopping cart to the bakery and picked up a freshly made cake and presented it to her with a cocky grin. She stared at the label and rolled her eyes.

“Devil’s food cake. Why am I not surprised?”

“These are quite excellent.” He set the cake in the cart, and if the devil could preen, he was certainly doing it now. “What else?” he asked.

“That’s it. After the buns, I mean.”

“You want me to saybunsagain, don’t you?” Lucien grinned wickedly.

“No!” She laughed and grabbed several bags of buns for both hot dogs and hamburgers.

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