“And how did you feel about that?” she asked, her little fingernails digging into my stomach.

I cleared my throat roughly, emotion welling up in it. “I’ve never … no one has ever asked me that before. I’ve barely even asked myself.” I shifted, wrapping my arms around her. “I suppose … well, it’s my birthright. The line passes down through the male offspring. I have no choice in the matter, so my feelings mean nothing.”

Her eyes appeared almost purple in the glow from my skin. “That’s sad … because you seem …” She broke off, and the tip of her nose tickled my sternum. I sucked in a breath as she continued, “Everyone deserves a choice in how they live their lives.”

“The world doesn’t always work out the way we deserve it to, though, does it Mouse?” I asked quietly, and, because I was a weak, sentimental devil, I brushed my lips against the crown of her head. She squeaked against my chest, and I clutched her closer to me as warm, wet tears spilled from her onto me.

My fault.

I could do nothing but hold her and think about how her life had certainly not worked out as she deserved. Her parents, her awful brother, the Ratty-Man and his betrayal … and now me.

She reached between her cheeks and my chest to swipe away the tears. “It’s nice, this truce.” She yawned widely. “Even if we go back to our war over my soul in the morning, at least now I know that deep down you’re really a giant softie, who’s forced to put on an evil persona to match that big, sexy devil body.”

I barely dared to breathe at those words as she shifted until her back was facing me. I splayed my palms over her abdomen, making sure I was heating up the largest surface area possible.

“Mmm,” she mumbled, snuggling closer to me. “I’d give anything to be this warm every night.”

I wanted to tell her that I’d give anything to be able to have this every night. That places deep within that I’d thought frozen were coming alive because of her.

But she was already still, her breaths deep and even, emitting soft snores, just like she’d promised she would.

My eyelids drooped, and I drifted into sleep with a smile on my face.

* * *

They were back.

The pair of spicy girls with their feisty attitudes … and their nipple mouths.

This time, though, the nipples were, if possible, even more perfect. Plumper, rosier. My dream mouth watered to suck them, to run my tongue along them until they glistened with saliva.

“Oi! You horny git!” the darker-skinned spicy girl snapped. “This isn’t a sex dream!”

“It’s not?” I couldn’t take my eyes off the jiggling nipple mouth. I licked my lips.