Lucifer was still with me when I woke yet again, this time in the pre-dawn light. I had slept lightly, comfortably, but half convinced in a groggy way it had been a dream. I smiled to find it was not.

I turned to look at him and found him watching me with sleepy eyes.

"What?" I asked, somewhat self-conscious.

"You are beautiful," he said and gave a sleepy grin. I'd never seen him as relaxed and unguarded. His tousled hair, even as short as it was, demanded a comb, and he needed to shave. I didn't much care; I was sure I looked a mess too.

I blushed slightly with the compliment before squirming away. "Come on, I need a shower."

I turned on the water and set it to run to heat. By the time we were ready, it was steamy, and I adjusted it to suit both of us.

He put me under the spray before him. When I grabbed the shampoo, he plucked it from me, and I had to endure both the pleasure and discomfort of his care. Allowing someone to tend me felt uncomfortable, but it was genuinely nice to feel his hands on me as he did.

When he'd washed my hair, I insisted on him getting wet. It took him a fraction of the time for his shampoo. While he did, I soaped up a washcloth.

His eyes smoldered when I started to rub his chest, and he reached for me. I giggled and had to make him behave if I wanted to get him clean. He put up with me but got his revenge when it was his turn to wash me.

I ended up clean, but it wasn't until the water was running cool and we had spent ourselves again that we were finally ready to get out.

"What do you want for breakfast?" he asked as we dried off.

The day's tasks came crashing in, and his brow furrow as my face fell, knowing I would have to send him away to deal with Dirty Cop. I was still waiting for him to text me if I remembered correctly.

"You cannot have breakfast before I have to go?" he asked, wrapping me up in his towel gently.

I looked up at him, my hand on his cheek and my thumb tracing his lip. He turned his head to kiss my palm, waiting for my answer.

I compromised. "Yes, I have time, but it will have to be quick."

"Coffee and toast?"

"With strawberry preserves," I teased.

He smiled in return and snapped up breakfast. As we dressed, the smell of the rich chicory coffee permeated the apartment. We sat at the counter, the sun shining in the early morning. It would be one of those crystal-clear mid-autumn days.

"So," I began awkwardly, "what do we talk about in the mornings? I feel like I should ask about your day, what you have planned, but you don't have a regular job. I'm not even sure if you plan your day."

He laughed. "I sometimes plan things. After all, I need to show up at certain gatherings. But my time is my own outside of those."

"Okay. Well, what are you doing today?" I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to know, but I was too curious not to ask.

"There is a dinner at the Vatican I will be attending. It will take up some of my day."

"How does the whole time thing work with you? I mean, do you live in any particular time zone?" I felt a bit ridiculous asking but wanted to know.

He chuckled. "I mostly exist outside of time."

I cocked my head to encourage him to say more.

"Remember when I stopped the world the first day we met?"

I swallowed and nodded. It had been one of the most disturbing things to ever happen to me. Well, other than selling my soul to him.

"I live there. Time moves much more slowly there than it does here."

I was quiet.

He reached for me and stroked my hair. "You are thinking about Deirdre," he concluded.

I nodded. "I've been wondering how you would bring her back. I mean, I've thought it would be something like witness protection, but now... how would it work for everyone around us if you manipulated time?"

"I will have to play with time. It is one reason the stakes are so high; I must have permission to do it. Essentially, she would return as if she survived her last ordeal. No one would have any memory of the time which had passed except you and her."

"Would you remember?" I asked. I didn't like him forgetting me.

"Yes, Olivia, I would remember," he said, pulling me from my stool to stand between his legs as he sat on his. He cupped my cheek, "No matter what happens in the world, I am one of those who cannot forget. I will remember you for all time."

I wrapped my arms around his neck as he drew me in for a languid kiss. I teetered on the edge of an abyss, one where the darkness was warm and welcoming instead of cold and uncaring. But I pulled back before we could get too distracted.

He leaned his forehead on mine. "Will I be able to see you tonight?" he murmured.

"Yes," I answered quietly. I kissed his forehead. "How do I let you know when I'm free, Lucifer? I—I want you with me every night."

He smiled. "Just text me."

I blinked, then snickered. "Seriously? Texting?"

"We live in a modern world. Might as well use it." He leaned in to kiss me again. "I will come to you as soon as you do."

"I'd like that."

"Good! Now, I think you have things to do today, and so do I."

I stepped back, and he stood, kissing my hand as he snapped a portal to his office. "Until tonight, Olivia."

"Okay." He walked through the opening, leaving me alone.

The apartment felt empty once he had gone, but I pushed the feeling aside. I had scrying to do, then a clandestine meeting to attend.

I still hadn't heard from John, Shawna's Dirty Cop. Calling him up in the mirror was easy.

I got an eye-full when he came into focus. He was busy between Shawna's thighs. Heat rushed to my face; seeing my best friend having sex wasn't the way I wanted to start my day.

I couldn't find it in myself to keep watching, so I tried to see Charity. I fared no better with him. He was at an expansive and expensive desk, enjoying the attention of a cute boy under it.

I had my choice of oral sex scenes to watch, it would seem, neither of which I particularly wanted to watch.

I called up Dirty Cop again and witnessed fucking. Oh, for the love of... I switched back and forth between the two until they finished, then focused on John. He was the one I was after today. I still hadn't heard from him, so I texted.

~

Me: Still meeting today?

~

Shawna headed for the shower on somewhat wobbly legs. John, however, rolled over and picked up his phone. He must have texted someone else first because his response didn't come in right away, but then he smirked as he typed.

~

John: Eager. I like that.

~

Bastard, I thought before swallowing my pride and answering. I found it particularly interesting he had an elaborate tattoo of a lion on his left pec. Courage, the Cowardly Lion.

~

Me: I want to fuck you. Can you blame me?"

~

He smiled, and I imagined him chuckling. He gave me the name of one of the better hotels in the area and a time to arrive.

~

Me: I'll be there.

~

I shivered, frowning at having to follow through. Just initiating the meeting made me feel like I was cheating. I had no intention of following through, but it still seemed like a betrayal of not only my budding relationship with Lucifer but my friendship with Shawna.

I watched him stroke himself, become erect again, then swagger into the bathroom. He caught Shawna at the sink, forced her head down, and buried himself in her all before she had the chance to say no.

I couldn't tell if she consented or not. She didn't struggle, but she kept her face turned away. When she turned around again, there were tears on her cheeks, but she smiled at him when he looked at her. Was it a sex game between the two of them, and her smile was genuine? Or did she object but was putting on an act? I wondered how she would react when he disappeared. Given our conversation, I hoped she'd feel relieved.

She finished getting ready for work as he got into the shower. She kissed him goodbye when he was drying off and left, presumably to get coffee as she always did before heading into the office. It wasn't long before he was doing the same.

I followed him to Charity's restaurant, where he entered the building from the alley, a clear sign of familiarity. I guessed he'd been on Charity's payroll for some time.

The cute little boy was still in Charity's office, hanging on him as the man worked on what looked like a stack of invoices and bills. I supposed even he still had a business to run, but I didn't believe it was devoid of wrongdoing for a minute. After all, it was a very high-dollar restaurant; one could hide any number of transactions in it without auditors batting an eye.

Charity sent the boy away when Dirty Cop entered, who laughed as he brushed by him seductively. They had words, and I could only imagine what the two of them said.

He poured himself a cup of coffee from the side table and sat, or rather he lounged, in the chair in front of Charity's desk. They talked, and it seemed as if nothing significant would happen until one of the men from the previous day entered the office.

It surprised Dirty Cop to see him. Charity spent a few moments speaking to him, then handed him a picture. John took the picture, looked at it, and cursed. I maneuvered around to get a look, and it shocked me to see a candid shot of Shawna exiting her car, most likely at work.

Instinct told me Shawna was in trouble; you didn't hand a man like a handler a picture and expect him just to nod and say she was pretty. I knew different, and it meant I had a time limit. I studied the handler's face so I could track him later.

John put a hand to his forehead before talking to Charity again. Charity nodded, and again, John cursed. Then, he waved the handler away, dismissing him. I could see whatever would happen to Shawna upset John, but I couldn't tell why.

I realized I could judge from a well-timed text. If he cared about her, I was betting he'd call off our meeting.

~

Me: Thinking about you.

~

He waved his phone at Charity, and they laughed. My face flushed again, and I scowled. He typed.

~

John: Gonna fuck you good.

~

Well, that answered that. He didn't care about Shawna or what happened to her. He'd earned a trip to Hell.