Angel of the lake

Chapter Forty-Two

She watched him through narrow, slitted eyes as he lowered his head to kiss along her calf.

"Exactly where you belong, peasant."

He smirked against her skin. "Tell me about your day."

"I've been tending to my Kingly duties, ploughing through the battlefield, rubbing one out on my horns and skipping out on date nights."

Trailing up and down her leg, his lips froze.

Skipping. Out. On. Date. Night.

Oh fuck. The dress. The hair. The sheer beauty of her.

And he'd missed it.

He was supposed to be here two hours ago.

"Oh Megan."

Snatching her leg back, she crossed it over her other. "Punishment is in order, of course. Shall we start by listing your discrepancies? You left bed this morning without so much as a note. You've been a no show all day. Not a single letter to tell a certain someone you'd cancelled. Did you even remember the date night you personally insisted upon having?"

"Shit."

"Shit indeed. Well, I suppose it's too late to mourn your tardiness now. I gave up waiting on you an hour ago." He swallowed through the dryness. "Now onto your punishment."

He deserved her anger. Her irritation.

He'd left her waiting.

"Punish away love."

Her eye twitched, fingers continuing to rap.

Attitude, attitude, attitude.

"First, I want to know what you were so busy doing. I know you're not the forgetful type. I've been having withdrawals from your coddling today—so what's been taking up your time?"

"I've been researching."

"Researching what?"

"Answers."

"Answers to what?" She exhaled, not letting up. "The vaguer your answers, the worse your punishment."

"I'm looking for a way to get you up to the heavens."

"The ultimate coddle. This is what you've been running off to do for months now, yes?"

"Guilty."

"Interesting," She murmured. "Very interesting indeed. As King, I say you're to cease your research immediately."

Her tone left no room for argument. Her sitting in his throne like this really hammered the point in.

Megan was not impressed, to say the least.

"Is that so?"

"I have a solution already," She reminded him. Ah, of course. Ares. A bitter lump formed in his throat. It's not happening. "There is no need for you, peasant, to stress over an issue I have already resolved."

"As your lowly demon slave, I've no choice but to disagree with you. Under no circumstance, love—"

"Ah, ah, ah."

"King Claudio. Under no circumstance will I allow you to make an open-ended deal. I will take any punishment you have in store for me, but I'm putting my foot down."

He'd slaughter every God in sight to make certain of it.

Only Meg wasn't done playing with him yet. In that same displeased tone, she pressed, "Against your high and mighty King?"