Part 15 (1/2)
He smiles. ”Good morning.”
I lift the sheet we're under and look down between us.
”Good morning to you too.”
When I look back up at Mason, his eyes are wide open in shock.
”What?” I say innocently. ”He worked hard last night. He deserves a good morning too.”
Mason buries his face in his pillow and shakes his head, but I feel him begin to chuckle. When he returns his gaze to me, he looks adorably amused. He pulls me firmly against him.
”Well in that case, he would like to say good morning to you personally.”
”I have no problem with that,” I say unequivocally. ”But would you mind if I brush my teeth first?”
Mason throws the cover off of both of us and takes my hand as he leads me to the bathroom. Of course Mason prepared for all my needs and already has a brush and toothpaste for me. There is a double sink so we can brush our teeth at the same time. After we brush our teeth, I sit up on top of the marble counter in between the sinks and look over at Mason.
I pop my bare b.u.t.tock up and down on the counter. ”Seems st.u.r.dy enough,” I tell him. ”Is it the right height?”
Mason smiles and walks over to stand in between my legs. I soon learn it is exactly the right height.
Afterwards, Mason dresses simply in a pair of faded jeans and a black T-s.h.i.+rt. I realize it's the first time I've seen him dressed so casually. Since I only have the red dress I wore, albeit briefly, to Mason's beach home, he phases me back to my house to put on some of my own clothes.
Fortunately, he phases us directly into my bedroom.
I pull him to me. ”We really should make love in my bed too. I mean it's only fair to christen her as well. I wouldn't want her to feel left out.”
Mason shakes his head at me. ”If I'm incorrigible, you are insatiable.”
”Weren't you the one who bragged about having great stamina?” I ask. ”Put your money where your mouth is buster.”
”Hmm,” Mason begins to nuzzle the side of my neck, ”I have a few places I would like to put my mouth on you.”
”Oh really, Mr. Collier? Would you like perform a little demonstration?”
”Yes, I would, Agent Riley.” He lightly pushes me down on the bed and kneels on the floor between my legs. ”I most certainly would.”
After we christen my bed, Mason goes into the kitchen to make us breakfast and I get dressed. I know we have things we need to do today but all I honestly want to do is play with Mason. I giggle at the thought. It makes me sound like Mason's my favorite new toy. Not a bad a.n.a.logy actually.
My happy mood is soon tarnished by the sound of a rocking chair moving on my front porch. I grab my coat and slip on some tennis shoes to talk to my visitor.
”Going to go talk to Lucifer on the porch,” I yell to Mason on my way towards the front door.
I hear a pan drop and Mason phases to stand in front of the door blocking my way.
”You say that like it's the most natural thing in the world to be doing,” Mason says, a confused look on his face.
I shrug. ”I guess it is for me.” I lean up and kiss him. ”Don't worry. He won't hurt me.”
Reluctantly, Mason steps away from the door.
I walk out onto the porch and s.h.i.+ver slightly from the cold. I turn up the hood on my coat to cover my head.
Lucifer sits in his favorite rocking chair dressed in only a blue jersey tee with a Gucci crest on the front and a pair of jeans and tennis shoes. I notice a circular scar of sorts on his right arm just below where the sleeve cuts off. It looks like a raised brand with writing similar to that on the archangel crowns.
”Casual day?” I ask.
Lucifer shrugs.
”Aren't you cold?” I ask him. I know it can only be about thirty degrees outside.
”You do know where I live right?” Lucifer asks.
”Oh,” I say, indeed remembering, ”I didn't know if it was actually hot there. I thought it might just be a metaphor.”
”The torturing of souls produces a lot of heat,” Lucifer explains. ”Exothermic reactions and all. Speaking of which,” Lucifer eyes me curiously, ”the last time I was there, I noticed one soul in particular was missing.”
”I had G.o.d put Uncle Dan in the Void for me,” I tell Lucifer. ”I didn't want to owe you any favors.”
”Strange that he should do such a thing for you so easily. He's never interfered with any of the souls once they reached my domain before.”
Stunned doesn't exactly encompa.s.s the way I feel hearing Lucifer's words.
”In the whole history of time,” I say slowly, making sure Lucifer understands my question, ”he's never once moved a soul out of h.e.l.l?”
”No.”
I pause to gather my thoughts before asking, ”Why did he do it for me?”
”You seem to have that affect on people,” Lucifer grumbles. ”Doing things for you that goes against our grain seems natural around you.”
”Then stop what you're trying to do,” I tell him, knowing it's pointless but needing to beg for it anyway. ”Whatever it is can't be good for your soul.”
”Do you think I have a soul left to care about?” He scoffs.
”Everyone does. You were one of your father's favorite sons. Don't you yearn to go back to Heaven one day?”
Lucifer averts his gaze from me and looks out into the neighborhood I live in, but I know he isn't really seeing anything. He's lost in his own thoughts.
”He would never allow me back there,” Lucifer whispers. ”I've done too many horrible things here. He could never forgive me.”
”I think you're wrong,” I tell him. ”I think he wants to forgive you more than anything but you have to ask for it and truly mean it. If he can forgive humans for any sin when they are truly repentant, why wouldn't He do the same thing for you?”
”You see things too simply.”
”And you make things too complicated.”