Page 27 of Death and Divination
“I don’t know.”
And we were back to that again. I yawned, realizing it was way past my bedtime and it had been a stressful day. Getting up, I went over to the hall closet and pulled out some sheets and a blanket.
“Here. Eat some food. Sleep. Or watch television if you like. Do you know how to use the remote?”
He picked it up. “I’ll figure it out.”
I watched him turn on the television and hesitated for a few seconds before heading into my bedroom.
It had been a long time since I’d cuddled up against a man—just as long since I’d done more than cuddle up against a man. The last boyfriend I’d had was a merman which had worked out about as well as expected. Merfolk were always uncomfortable out of water for longer than a few hours at a time, and I got pruney with an extended soak. Plus, I didn’t have his tolerance for cold water the way he did, and we were faced with an increasingly limited time together as the weather grew cold. The brief relationship didn’t last past mid-September. Last time I saw him, he was happily embroiled in a ménage with a pair of nymphs while I’d gone on to have a lovely liaison with a few pints of ice cream and a week of Netflix streaming while on my couch.
Then there had been that one-night stand with one of the vampires, but both of us knewthatwasn’t going anywhere. Any guy more interested in my blood than my garden of love was no guy for me.
The human boyfriends hadn’t worked out that well either.
Hopefully Nash would. And hopefully this Nash-on-the-couch thing would only be for one night.
I brushed my teeth, brushed my hair, washed all the essential parts to make sure my nether regions were squeaky clean and smelled of mountain spring breeze or something like that, just in case Nash got lonely and found his way into my bed. There wasn’t much to choose from in terms of nightwear. My threadbare Hard Rock Café shirt was my go-to when heading off to bed, but it was far from sexy, especially with the mystery stain that was centered on my right boob when I put it on. I did have a sexy negligée, but the last time I’d worn it had been when I was dating Bron, the merman, and it seemed wrong to recycle it for use with another man. I finally settled on a fairly new pair of underwear and a snug tank top with a little lace around the neckline. Then I touched up my makeup because I’d rather smear foundation and mascara all over my pillow than be bare-faced—well, at least for the first week or so. After that, it would be messy hair, my Hard Rock Café shirt, and my washed-out, pale-as-the-dead complexion. As a final touch, I rubbed a bit of cologne that had come in a magazine about four years ago on my cleavage and headed into the bedroom.
I could hear the television right outside my door. As a sort of last-ditch effort to lure the reaper into my bed, I sashayed out into the living room. Back straight. Boobs out. I walked around to the front of the couch with my best come-hither expression on.
Nash was sprawled shirtless on the sofa with the sheet across his lower half. And he was also sound asleep.
I stood for a moment and admired him. His dark hair was like ebony on the yellow of the cushions. He was all lean muscle and perfectly proportioned—not that exaggerated V shape of someone who spent every waking hour doing chest presses at the gym. Slim. Lean. And as my gaze roamed, I realized he was pretty damned perfect. I felt like Goldilocks discovering the perfect man—not too big and not too small, not too hard and not too fluffy. Just right.
Nash made a soft snoring noise then stirred. I smiled, blowing him a kiss. Then I flicked off the light and headed back to my bed.
Soon. We’d just met—well, we’d met before but not more than just seeing each other in passing as each of us did our jobs. We’d been a cross purposes for two years, him there to take a soul while I worked desperately to keep the someone alive. Two years of dancing around each other, trying to figure out what this thing between us was. But tonight was the first night we’d truly had to know each other. There would be plenty of time for sex. There would be our whole lives for sex, however long that was. Tonight? Tonight was for us to settle in together, to feel our way around this new reality, for him to better understand the changes that had happened when he’d sacrificed all he’d ever been to save my sister.
I wanted him, but I wanted this to go at his pace. I didn’t want him to ever regret the choice he’d made. And I didn’t want to screw this up.
This man…this reaper…. I got the feeling this was forever. I felt at peace with him. I felt like I truly was coming home, warm and safe and protected like I hadn’t felt since Grandma had died, and Mom had left. I feared change, but this was a wild crazy change that I knew was going to bring me to a place of joy. This reaper was my future.
And I didn’t need a crystal ball or a scrying mirror to know that.
