34 Baby Girl "Playing His Game."

Kathrine Ann sighed, sipping her drink. She knew he was scheming something. Her shameless Devil was always scheming,

"Go on then." She insisted, catching a quick snip of disappointment on his face at her acceptance.

"How many men have you been with?" He asked with the same tone one would use to ask the time. It took everything for her not to spit out the sip of whiskey she just took. She had to calm down and gather herself. She knew he would ask personal questions; this was why he wanted to play. With a deep breath to collect herself and a smirk to match his, it was game time.

She tapped her chin as if pondering the question, "You need to be more specific." She replied, receiving a surprised look, "Like in my lifetime, and when you say 'been with,' do you mean fooling around or just sex, just with men?" She asked, causing him to look at her wide-eyed, and silence fell between them for a moment.

"Yes, in your lifetime, just people you've had sex with and any gender, and please feel free to go into as much detail as you want." He winked, causing her to roll her eyes but also laugh.

"Zero." She said confidently, answering the question.

"Liar!" He accused, "You were married. You can't convince me that you and your precious William were chaste."

"No, we weren't, but you said in my lifetime, but you didn't specify which one. I choose this lifetime, and in this lifetime, I haven't slept with anyone." She smirked, causing his lip to twitch as he shook his head.

"That's cheating." He accused.

"No, that's clever." She sneered.

"That's not fair, Baby Girl. I answered your questions fairly and honestly." He said, tsking, "But if you don't want to play fair, that's fine by me,"

"Okay, Luce, no need to threaten. I promise I'll play fair." Kathrine Ann giggled, knowing she wouldn't get away with it, "Six, I've slept with six people, all of which were men." She answered honestly.

"Hum, Lucky them," He winked, causing her cheeks to grow warm immediately, "I imagine all are dead by now." He noted, "Lucky me, I don't want any jealous exes betting down the palace doors. Well, I guess unless you were into really naughty boys."

"My turn!" She called, "And since we've decided on personal questions, do you or did you ever love Angelique?"

The fact he literally spit out his whisky was reassurance enough, though he quickly collected himself and took another very long pull, "No, I don't love anyone, least of all her, nor have I ever. I know it's hard for you to follow, but she is the safest option for my…needs. Do you want the truth, Baby Girl?"

"Oh? Do you mean an explanation instead of vague and ominous statements? That would be lovely." She replied cheekily, sipping her glass, she may not like it, but she did want the truth.

"I can't stand her, her mere presence annoys me, but she's a great fuck. I know you will huff and roll your eyes, but I need that relief. I am half-demon, and that part of me is very different, soulless, and angry. I have to appease that part, and If I don't, controlling myself becomes difficult." He sighed, "I've known Angelique for a very long time, and besides Azazel, she's the safest option. Her father has been loyal to my father since basically the beginning. Vampires have a crazy long life and combine demon blood with that, and we have Duke Cazimir, the eternal Vampire and his everlasting daughter." He scoffed, and Kathrine Ann had to catch her laugh as she lifted the glass to her lips, "Because of his Loyalty, the good Duke has my father's favor over the rest, favor that he doesn't wish to lose and a position that will pass down to Angelique who craves power more than anything. I'm trying to make the point that I know Angelique and that she wants power over everything else. Power which she is destined to receive, but that position of Duchess lies in my hands, meaning I can control her.

"She's terrible, Lucifer." She grumbled, "Azazel warned me about her, but the way she talked to me,"

"Mmm, very catty, annoying, pretentious, and entitled. Look, I've tried going to others for my needs,"

"Many, from what I've been told." She grumbled.

"Yes, many," He replied, rolling his eyes, "but quickly discovered many women get attached. They begin to want things," He explained, and she tried desperately to choke down her laughter.

"Luce, I don't think that's just a woman thing." She interrupted.

"What do you mean? Most women eventually want more,"

Kathrine Ann stared at him somewhere between shocked and amused, "You genuinely don't know shit about relationships, do you?" She accused with a single laugh, "It's not a 'woman thing,' Lucifer. Most people want more from a relationship after spending time together, especially if there's intimacy." She explained, her cheeks reddening, having to tell him this.

"So what you're saying is it's not them. It's me?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

"Seems the Young Prince has some commitment issues." She chuckled.

"I beg your pardon. I'm a married man." He huffed, waving his left hand in the air.

Kathrine Ann rolled her eyes, "Back on the subject, you can't tell me that Angelique doesn't want more."

"Of course she does. It's caused me to break off our little arrangement in the past, but what she wants is not my love. She wants a crown and the power that comes along with it,"

"My crown." She quickly snapped, "My power."

"Any power and as much of it as she can get, no matter how trivial it is, that includes the power she thinks she has over you through sleeping with me." He informed as she scowled at him, "A power which only you can allow her to have,"

"Oh really? I didn't realize I was the one sleeping with her." Her voice came out harsh as she took the last sip out of her glass, "You stop sleeping with her, and she loses that power,"

Lucifer interrupted her with a deep laugh and a roll of his eyes as he got up and walked to stand directly in front of her, "Are you ready to fill her role, Kathrine Ann?"

"Is that your next question?" She countered as her jaw clenched.

He chuckled, bending down so that his lips were right next to her ear, and as he spoke, she could feel his warm breath, "No, because I know your answer already, and I told you I would wait. I stop sleeping with her, and I won't be able to hold to that promise." She swallowed hard as her heart raced inside her chest. His fingers lightly touched hers as he pulled her empty glass free.

"Now, back to the game." He smiled, straightening himself and turning for the tent, "Let's lighten it up, shall we? This is supposed to be fun, after all."

Kathrine Ann took a deep breath to calm herself, she had asked the question after all, and she did get her answers, some she was even happy about, like the fact she knew Lucifer was only physically attracted to Angelique. However, the power game she didn't like one bit. Lucifer said that all she wanted was power. How far she would go is what worried Kathrine Ann. Suddenly a glass was brought before her face and caused her not only to jump but emit a little squeal.

"Lost in that cute little head, are we?" He smirked as she took the glass and brought her focus back to the man before her. The light from the fire behind him caused subtle shadows on his face, which captured her attention. She also noticed how the soft yellow and orange glow reflected on the edges of his shiny black hair that lay messily, still a bit damp from their swim, and that smirk almost always gracing his lips. Her eyes must have stayed there too long because the smirk twisted, "Thinking about how my lips felt on yours?"

"What!" She gasped quickly, looking up to meet his gaze, "No, uh, I was just lost in thought for a second."

"No need to make excuses. I am very aware of the effect I have on women." He proudly stated as he returned to his seat, "And some men."

"Vanity of vanities, says the preacher." She replied and shook her head.

"Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." He finished as he sat and crossed his legs, "No need to quote the Bible to me, Baby Girl, I'm well-read on it. Now! Back to questions, the night is still young."

"Well, go on then. It's your turn." She replied, flicking her hand at him while sipping her glass.

"It is, oh what to ask next, so many possibilities." He hummed, putting his drink down next to him as he pulled a small box out of his pocket and flipped the top open to pull out a cigarette, "Would you like one?" He asked, holding the box out to her. With a 'why not' shrug, she pulled one of the hand-rolled cigarettes from the box. After another second, he handed her a lighter, "What do you find attractive about me?" He asked, slipping the lighter back into his pocket.

"I thought the point of this game was to get to know each other, not grow your already oversized ego?" She accused.

"This is getting to know you." He reassured after letting out a gray cloud that quickly dissipated, "You answering this question will tell me what you like in a person."

She glared at him and took a puff of the cigarette in her hand, "Fine, what if I say nothing."

"You'd be lying, or would you like me to remind you?"

"Yea, yea, okay. What do I like about the shameless, vain, manipulative Devil that now sits next to me? Besides his drop-dead gorgeous wife, of course." She hummed, tapping the butt of the cigarette against her lips, and he let out a small chuckle, "You are very handsome." She admitted with an overly emphasized dramatic sigh as a broad smile crossed Lucifer's face,

"Go on. I need more than that." He encouraged.

"You have the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen, and I like that I can usually see what you're feeling through them. I like your hair, it's a nice length, and I've always liked black hair. You don't usually take yourself too seriously, especially for being the crowned prince of Hell. You have enough confidence to laugh at yourself but take your job seriously, and I can tell you put in all the time needed to ensure it's done properly. You do have a bad habit of acting or speaking without thinking of how it will affect others,"

"I said attractive things about me, Baby Girl," He quickly fussed.

"I'm getting there," She fussed back, "like I was saying, you don't always think before you act, but you do your best to rectify the situation instead of trying to justify your actions or just ignoring it." She explained, taking another pull from her cigarette, "You're not too prideful to say you messed up, and I like that, despite the fact you mess up a lot."

"That's all?" He asked once he realized she was done talking.

"Did I mention your wife's beauty?" She retorted with a big toothy grin. "My turn."

They spent the rest of the night asking each other simple and easy-to-answer questions though he continued to pick on her, and she retaliated to the best of her abilities. Finally, after about four glasses of whiskey and becoming nothing but giggles, she called it a night and stumbled into the tent, only now remembering the small cot. Whatever, she slept next to him every night, so what if they were closer? She was also too tipsy and too tired to fight it. Kathrine Ann crawled onto the cot, forcing herself to hug the edge as sleep quickly took her.