Lucifer stared at Kathrine Ann, waiting for her to continue, "We were meeting for dinner, but I had to work late. We were celebrating. It was my last day of work at the hospital before my maternity leave." She had adjusted her head so that her chin was now on his leg, and he could feel the soft movements of her words as she spoke.

"You were pregnant again?" He concluded.

"Yes, I was scheduled to have a cesarian section that Monday." She took a deep breath before continuing, "I changed into a beautiful blue maxi dress, fixed my hair, and touched up my makeup before leaving work. We planned to meet at one of my favorite places downtown, The River Lantern; they had the best Asian cuisine." She smiled at the bittersweet memory, knowing the restaurant was probably long gone, along with all the people she knew there. "I knew a lot of the staff. It wasn't far from the hospital, and they had a killer lunch special on Thursdays. The owners lived in our neighborhood," Quickly realizing she was getting off-topic, "Anyway, I left the hospital and drove downtown. It was Friday night, so the streets were a bit busy. I had to park about a block away from the restaurant. No big deal. It wasn't too far, so I parked and walked. I was almost there when suddenly I was grabbed and dragged into an alley. I didn't have time to scream before a hand clapped over my mouth, and I felt sharp pains in my chest. I cried and screamed into his hands, but he just dug his weapon deeper. I begged him to spare me, told him he could have whatever he wanted, but he just kept apologizing and stabbing me over and over, saying things like, 'I'm sorry, I can't help it, really I can't.' until he finally ran off leaving me there soaked in my own blood. At that point, I couldn't move or cry out. I just laid there with fading hope that someone would happen to find us. I could feel my son frantically moving around as if he knew something was wrong, which hurt the most. He wasn't even born, and I failed to protect him. I remember wondering how long William would wait until he knew something had to be wrong, how he would feel when we were finally found cold and dead."

"You both died?" Lucifer asked, sipping his drink.

Kathrine Ann nodded, wiping a lone tear off her cheek, her chin still resting on Lucifer's thigh.

"That's why you couldn't settle?" Lucifer asked after a moment of silence.

Her bright green eyes, full of threatening tears, looked up at him, and she nodded.

"I tried and, and God tried to help me. He would make me forget for a while, but slowly the memories would return, they kept returning, and I finally stopped telling him. It's like it hurt more and more each time the memories returned, so I hid that I knew and swallowed the pain until that day when I saw William's name,"

Lucifer put his hand over Kathrine Ann's mouth, stopping her words which earned him a puzzled look.

"This evening is becoming quite depressing very quickly, and that was not part of my plan." He explained, removing his hand, and she chuckled.

"What do you propose then?" She asked, lifting her head off his leg and taking a drink from her glass.

"You're letting me decide?" He smirked, putting his drink on the side table and leaning forward.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"I didn't say I'd agree." Kathrine Ann rolled her eyes before leaning back against his legs and placing her glass next to her.

Lucifer leaned back against the couch and stretched his arms across the back of it, "I was just going to suggest you make right on our deal from earlier." He proposed.

"Ahh." She answered, laying her head back on Lucifer's thighs and looking up so she could see his face, which held an amused look and a genuine smile, "You truly think you held up your end, huh?" She asked with a smirk, adjusting her gaze from him to the star-speckled sky. She was a wee bit tipsy, which maybe had something to do with how she was feeling, but it was a beautiful night. With the warmth of the little balcony playing alongside the moment of sharing their deepest pains with one another, Kathrine Ann found herself not only feeling closer but also quite comfortable with her Devil.

"Undoubtedly." He replied to her question, and she raised a brow, "Admittedly, there was a hiccup or two, but nothing that ruined the evening." He defended, "Plus, I resolved them, did I not?"

"A hiccup?" Kathrine Ann scoffed, looking as far up as her eyes would allow so she could see him, "Someone tried to kill me, Luce."

Lucifer placed a hand on each cheek and leaned over her to stare directly into her eyes. Pools of blue looking down and sparkling emeralds looking up, "Tried." He said in almost a whisper. Kathrine Ann felt his warm breath on her forehead while his hair tickled her face, "Didn't I protect you? Kept you safe?"

"I suppose," She agreed, blushing as he shifted a bit more so that his lips were now just an inch or so above hers.

"Then may I please have what you promised me?" Lucifer asked again.

She swallowed and gave a slight nod. Before she could change her mind, his lips were on hers. It was strange being kissed like this, upside down, but it didn't seem to throw Lucifer off as his lips moved hungrily against Kathrine Ann's. She had initially planned to pull away after a quick peck, just as he had done to her on their camping trip, but she couldn't. Not just because he was holding her face but because he was irresistible in that moment. She was entranced by the softness of his lips, the hungry, demanding movements, and the firm pressure all had her head spinning, and before she knew it, she had her hands on the back of his neck, deepening their kiss. Lucifer nipped Kathrine Ann's lip, causing her to let out a small gasp, and he took that moment to slip his tongue into her mouth. Rubbing and twisting with her tongue, Kathrine Ann's whole body tingled with ecstasy and desire, causing her to let out a soft moan against his lips which brought the kiss to a sudden and unexpected end. As Lucifer pulled away, Kathrine Ann saw a flash of red before he shook his head, and his blue eyes returned.

"That bad?" She blushed and quickly removed her head from his lap.

"Quite the opposite, Baby Girl." He corrected, letting out a small whistle, "I don't think anyone has ever gotten me that hot and bothered with a kiss." He added in a low mumble more to himself than her.

"Then why did you stop?" She asked, blushing even brighter as she picked up her glass of wine.

"Did you not want me to?" He smirked, gently pulling all her hair back and to the side before placing it over her left shoulder.

"I don't think I need to answer that." She grumbled, bringing the glass to her lips.

"I stopped because just the taste of you was making it difficult enough for me to think with my proper head." Kathrine Ann spit out her wine, and Lucifer laughed before continuing, "That mixed with the intoxicating smells you were putting off, and then you had to go and let out that seductively delightful moan." She was glowing so bright that she thought for sure East City could see her cheeks as she wiped the wine from her lips with the back of her hand, "Any more, and I was afraid I'd lose control. Believe me; I would kill to lose control with you... oh, the things I would do, but you're not ready. You see, my deliciously sinful doll, I can't just have you once. I want to be able to do it again and again, and,"

"Okay! I get it!" She interjected as his fingers lightly caressed her neck, "So shameless." She muttered, swatting at Lucifer's hand as he chuckled while she buried her red face in her hands, wondering if she would ever get used to his brazen words.