“What happens to me after you get what you want?”
“You’ll need to be more specific.”
“If you knock me up?—”
“WhenI knock you up.”
“Whatever. What happens after?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as he took a long breath. “Well... I ascend to the throne as ruler of all and?—”
“No. Not what happens for you, asshole. What happens to me? What happens to the child we have?”
He floundered. I’d actually stumped him.
I snorted a laugh. It was so completely in character for him to be so self-absorbed that he’d never considered what would happen to us.
“I suppose you’ll rule at my side, or do whatever it is you want to do.”
“Because I’ll have served my purpose and you’ll have no need for either of us? Typical.”
“No. Why must you always insist on seeing the absolute worst side of things?”
“Is there an upside here?”
He huffed. “Did you ever consider that maybe I wasn’t going to force a role on you because you’d have earned the right to choose for yourself what part you wanted to play? Just because I’m orchestrating a brilliant takeover does not mean I want to control every aspect of our lives. I do still believe in free will, you know. That might be one of the only things Daddy dearest got right.”
I wasn’t expecting that. I figured he’d throw me away like yesterday’s takeout and be done with me once I gave him what he wanted. And he still might. His energy gave off sincerity, but Lucifer could be sincere in the moment and change his tune later. Both things could be true.
“And what happens if I never give you my body, or I do, but you can’t get me pregnant?”
His grin was absolutely sinful. “I never miss.”
“I hate to break it to you, but I’m not particularly fertile. I don’t think your skill matters much against genetics.”
He snickered. “Darling, your fertility is a non-issue. I’m more virile than any man you’ve ever been with. You’re probably ovulating right now, simply being in my proximity. All it will take is one time, and my little astronauts will walk on the moon, as they say.”
“No one says that.”
“They’ll discover Atlantis.”
“Still not a thing.”
“You will get pregnant with my child, Merri. There is no doubt in the matter. You could only have a .001 percent chance, and the second I fill you with my seed, it’ll be well over a hundred. You could be on every birth control known in this universe and every other, and it wouldstillhappen.”
Well, that settled it. He was never getting the chance to slip one past the goalie. Even if the determination in his voice made things tighten low in my belly.
“Does it matter what I want?”
“Of course it does. We’ve been over this.”
“What if I don’twantto have your child, Lucifer? What then?”
Confusion furrowed his brow. “Why wouldn’t you? Look at me.”
“Because you’re evil.”
A flash of hurt radiated from him, so quickly I would’ve missed it if I hadn’t still been locked in on his emotions. Then he huffed out a light laugh and brought my knuckles to his lips. “Don’t be silly, darling. Everyone loves a bad boy.”
