wonderfully colorful and cozy. “While I wash you, I want to hear about your earliest memories, and what you didn’t admit in the personality tests.”
“Sounds more like an interrogation than a shower.”
He held her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Trust me, I’ll go easy on you.”
She glanced at his cock, so rigid it defied gravity, pointing at her cunt. “Uh-huh.”
With warm water misting around them and his soapy hands on her boobs, he backed her into the wall. “Relax.”
“I don’t think I can with you thumbing my nipples.”
“I can always stop.”
“And risk getting one of my knees to your balls?”
He fondled her gently, liking the flush spreading across her cheeks. “How far back do you remember? How old were you then?”
She lifted her face to the ceiling, her lids sliding down. “Just created. One minute I had no conscious thought, the next there I was, all grown up, looking exactly as you see me now, totally nude, and eye to eye with TGR.”
“Who’s that?”
“The Grim Reaper. Death. Call him whatever you will, it’s the same concept. I asked him who he was. Wait. I asked him who I was. I recall him laughing. ‘Not who, what’, he said. ‘Reapers like you aren’t people. You were never mortal. You’re not anything.’”
Damn. What an SOB. “I’m so sorry.”
She swallowed hard but waved dismissively. “I didn’t know any better at the time, so it was no big deal. I told myself he was just a mean old turd or seriously deluded and believed it until I reaped my first soul. That was probably an hour after he created me, so I had sixty minutes to build myself up into something I wasn’t.”
She smiled sadly. “The kids and teens have always been the worst. For the longest time, I kept asking him why I couldn’t swap someone else’s soul for theirs. The world’s never had a shortage of psychopaths. Who’d miss one? Same with crooked politicians, maniacs who start wars, control freaks who beat up women so they’ll feel like men, or jerks who make everyone’s life miserable. He always said the same thing—wasn’t their time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Who wrote that stupid rule?”
Rafael eased her hair over her shoulder.
She lowered her face, eyes glistening. “Eventually, I just went through the motions, then the nineteen-fifties rolled around.” She shook her head. “I’m too embarrassed to tell you any more.”
“I won’t laugh or judge.”
“You’ll think I’m nuts.”
He cradled her cheek. “Never. Please go on.”
She glanced away. “When I saw how the kids in this country were having fun, I wanted to go to high school too, be a teenybopper. I dreamt of frilly prom dresses, dating the football captain, attending college, having a life with the picket fence, two kids and dog. Stupid stuff.”
“Not stupid. Sweet.”
“You feel sorry for me.”
He loved her. Completely. Mindlessly. Her file picture had captivated him first. She’d glared at the camera as gangsters did in their mug shots. Reading about her had intrigued him. Meeting her had stolen his breath. He’d fought his feelings, striving for indifference. Hadn’t worked.
No way could he tell her how he felt. She wasn’t ready. He hoped someday she would be.
“No, never sorry.” He stroked her cheek. “I admire you for surviving an impossible existence that you didn’t choose. When I died, Frank at least gave me a choice.”
“Frank?”
“My CO, commanding officer, boss, you know. He said I could serve Heaven for eternity or close my eyes and that’d be it. No more pain.”
“Why didn’t you close your eyes?”
“There wouldn’t have been any pleasure either.” He wouldn’t have met her. Took him long enough, but the miracle had happened. “I don’t know if I could have managed to do what you have. I’m not that good a man. I’m not that brave.”
“Hush.” She rested her forehead against his. “You’re a god.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“Not
“Sounds more like an interrogation than a shower.”
He held her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Trust me, I’ll go easy on you.”
She glanced at his cock, so rigid it defied gravity, pointing at her cunt. “Uh-huh.”
With warm water misting around them and his soapy hands on her boobs, he backed her into the wall. “Relax.”
“I don’t think I can with you thumbing my nipples.”
“I can always stop.”
“And risk getting one of my knees to your balls?”
He fondled her gently, liking the flush spreading across her cheeks. “How far back do you remember? How old were you then?”
She lifted her face to the ceiling, her lids sliding down. “Just created. One minute I had no conscious thought, the next there I was, all grown up, looking exactly as you see me now, totally nude, and eye to eye with TGR.”
“Who’s that?”
“The Grim Reaper. Death. Call him whatever you will, it’s the same concept. I asked him who he was. Wait. I asked him who I was. I recall him laughing. ‘Not who, what’, he said. ‘Reapers like you aren’t people. You were never mortal. You’re not anything.’”
Damn. What an SOB. “I’m so sorry.”
She swallowed hard but waved dismissively. “I didn’t know any better at the time, so it was no big deal. I told myself he was just a mean old turd or seriously deluded and believed it until I reaped my first soul. That was probably an hour after he created me, so I had sixty minutes to build myself up into something I wasn’t.”
She smiled sadly. “The kids and teens have always been the worst. For the longest time, I kept asking him why I couldn’t swap someone else’s soul for theirs. The world’s never had a shortage of psychopaths. Who’d miss one? Same with crooked politicians, maniacs who start wars, control freaks who beat up women so they’ll feel like men, or jerks who make everyone’s life miserable. He always said the same thing—wasn’t their time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Who wrote that stupid rule?”
Rafael eased her hair over her shoulder.
She lowered her face, eyes glistening. “Eventually, I just went through the motions, then the nineteen-fifties rolled around.” She shook her head. “I’m too embarrassed to tell you any more.”
“I won’t laugh or judge.”
“You’ll think I’m nuts.”
He cradled her cheek. “Never. Please go on.”
She glanced away. “When I saw how the kids in this country were having fun, I wanted to go to high school too, be a teenybopper. I dreamt of frilly prom dresses, dating the football captain, attending college, having a life with the picket fence, two kids and dog. Stupid stuff.”
“Not stupid. Sweet.”
“You feel sorry for me.”
He loved her. Completely. Mindlessly. Her file picture had captivated him first. She’d glared at the camera as gangsters did in their mug shots. Reading about her had intrigued him. Meeting her had stolen his breath. He’d fought his feelings, striving for indifference. Hadn’t worked.
No way could he tell her how he felt. She wasn’t ready. He hoped someday she would be.
“No, never sorry.” He stroked her cheek. “I admire you for surviving an impossible existence that you didn’t choose. When I died, Frank at least gave me a choice.”
“Frank?”
“My CO, commanding officer, boss, you know. He said I could serve Heaven for eternity or close my eyes and that’d be it. No more pain.”
“Why didn’t you close your eyes?”
“There wouldn’t have been any pleasure either.” He wouldn’t have met her. Took him long enough, but the miracle had happened. “I don’t know if I could have managed to do what you have. I’m not that good a man. I’m not that brave.”
“Hush.” She rested her forehead against his. “You’re a god.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“Not
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