"Theo, no—is that a TV I hear in the background?" Sin rumbles, the harsh grate of his words contradicting the way he leans back against the beach towel. "Are you even working?"

I snort, resisting the urge to smooth my palm along the hard panes of his abs. The rich tone of his skin has only deepened after laying out in the sunshine for days and the afternoon rays cast a soft shadow over the solid slab of muscle.

"Oh, I'm sure he's fine," I murmur, laying back and pressing close to his side. "He knows when to handle business appropriately."

"I'm not paying you to sit around, Theodore," he growls despite my words. He pauses, listening to the voice on the other line, then says, "I did trust you, but now I'm starting to—hold on, wait a minute. Did you just say you're in my bed?"

I smack the back of my hand over my mouth so he can't see the way I bite my bottom lip to control the laughter that threatens to spill from my throat.

Despite the stiffness of his tone, his body relaxes under the delicious warmth of the sun and he uses his free arm to snag my shoulders and pull my body against his.

I tune out his banter, contentedly pressing my head against his chest and listening to the rhythmic pound of his heart against my ear.

His hand smoothes along my back, absentmindedly drawing little shapes against my skin. I'm so warm and cozy that my eyes shut and I fight the urge to doze off.

Since Sin woke up, things have pretty much returned to normal. With some effort, we had to force Sin to take a break before returning to his business. If it were up to him, he would've gone back the very next day, but between me, Theo, and Sam we managed to squeeze a week out of him to relax and gather his bearings.

After that, he met with some business partners and did a few more jobs. Made sure his club is still stable, which thanks to Theo had been running as smoothly as it was under Sin's careful control.

We had a funeral for Oliver. Or the closest thing to it, I guess. His body had been seized by the local government after being left out to the general public. After pulling some careful strings, Sin somehow managed to gain hold of it again.

I bite my lip to keep tears from welling at the thought, forcing myself not to replay his last moments in my head. Without the distraction of worrying over Sin, I can't stop the memory of the way his eyes glassed over as the life drained from his bleeding body from flashing through my head.

I take a steadying breath, instead thinking about the little ceremony we had for him. Sin found a beautiful plot of land to bury him in. I don't know where he found it, or how he had the knowledge of something so perfect already in his head.

The clearing was away from the chaos of the city. Trees grew tall and wide, old enough to tell us that humans hadn't disturbed this part of the forest in years, if ever. The grass had been long, wildflowers growing in patches within the vibrantly green blades.

It felt right. Working with Sin under such a bloody line of business was chaotic. He deserved the stark quiet peace the meadow granted.

Sin had his men dig a hole, then lower his cloth-wrapped body within it. He had only called a few people to attend the ceremony: me, Theo, himself, a few other men under Sin's command he was close with, and a meek girl who stood stoically behind all of us and only reminded me of her presence with the occasional sniffle.

Upon asking Sin later, he told me it was his little sister. I guess he was using his earnings to take care of her. After Sin left me later that evening, I couldn't help the tears from pouring down my face, even though Sinclair had assured me earlier that he'd given her a sum of money that would last a lifetime.

I think Sinclair realized I needed to get away from everything. From all the bloody memories and betrayals and death. So a week ago, he packed my things, threw me over his shoulder, then carried me into his private jet.

Now we're in the vacation home I never knew he owned, nestled in a little town next to the sea. I've spent the past five days cuddled up with him on the sand behind his beach house.

Maybe taking me here was a mistake. I'm so comfortable that I'm starting to question if I ever want to go back home.

I'm too involved in my thoughts to realize that Sin has hung up the phone. I yelp as he leans over and grabs me under the armpits, dragging me over his body so I lay directly on top of him.

I blink down at him. Just the sight of his handsome face chases away the morbid thoughts circling through my head. "Oh, hi."

His lip quirks. "Hi."

"You're done with Theo?" I brush the hair away from his forehead, biting back a smile at the way it cutely spills from the messy man bun on top of his head.

He grunts. "As done as I can be, I guess."

"Good." I trace my finger down to line the sharpness of his cheekbones. "You deserve to relax. Unwind." I wiggle suggestively against him then pause. "But maybe inside so we don't scar any onlookers looking for a peaceful day at the beach."

He grunts, pressing himself against me. My cheeks flush when I feel him already thick and ready against my stomach.

"I own the next five miles of land," he says. "But don't worry. Even if someone does manage to sneak up on us and get an eyeful of this pretty little pert ass," I squeak as he squeezes it for emphasis, "I have an entire ocean in front of me to dispose of them in."

I stare at him with wide eyes until his lip starts to curl and his eye twinkles with barely concealed amusement.

I slap his chest lightly, rolling my eyes. "Ha, ha. You're funny."

"Yes," he says, and leans forward to brush his lips against mine. "I am."

He captures me in a kiss so deep I feel it down to my toes. But because I feel like he's only half joking about killing someone and throwing them in the ocean for seeing my naked body, I pull back and lay my face in the crook of his neck.

I sigh. "It's going to be tough leaving here. I don't know if I'll ever feel ready to go."

"Well," he says, smoothing his hand through my hair, "what if I told you that we can come back whenever you want?"

That makes me swing my head back up to look at him. "Wait, really? We can just come back to Italy even if it's on a whim?"

He cups my cheek with his large palm. "The beach house is yours."

I blink. "I'm sorry, what? The beach house—" I pause, staring at the elegance worth millions of dollars behind us, "The beach house is mine? You're just giving it to me?"

His thumb smoothes over my skin gently. "I would say gifting is a more appropriate term," he pauses, then looks into my eyes with an expression so suddenly serious that I nearly tense. "More specifically, a wedding gift."

At that, I stiffen. A flurry of emotions passes through my chest so quickly I have a hard time distinguishing them all.

I open my mouth, then shut it. After a moment of trying to gather my thoughts, I still can't seem to find any words aside from a breathy, "What?"

"Angel," he murmurs, his arm tightening around my waist. "Will you marry me?"

I stare down at him for so long that he probably thinks I'm considering running away. To be honest, I've never considered marriage. I always knew it wasn't in the cards for me.

As an angel blood, I knew my existence was only centered around killing. I never imagined I would find love. Never considered that I would ever have the luxury of laying on a beach with the only man I trust with my body and soul, pondering the possibility that I might spend the rest of my life with him and live happily ever after.

A wobbly disbelieving laugh tumbles from my lips. "Can demons get married?" I say through a watery smile. "Are you even allowed in a church?"

"Probably not," he shrugs, pressing a quick kiss to my lips and wiping away the stray tears that trickle down my cheeks. He shoots me a devilish grin. "I won't tell the priest if you don't."

I sniffle. "What would you had done if I said no?"

"Said okay and taken you out to dinner. I'd forget the entire thing happened if that's what you wanted," he says, lips twitching. "Don't misunderstand, angel. This isn't required. I'd gladly live taking whatever scraps of your attention you choose to give me if I had to."

"Lucky for you I have lots of scraps to spare," I murmur, pressing my lips to his brow. Sometimes he's so sweet that it catches me off guard and I fall for him all over again.

I gasp as he quickly sits upright, folding his arms under my knees and behind the small of my back so I stay pressed to his chest.

He rises from the sand, heading back in the direction of the house.

I blink. "Where are we going?"

"To get married," Sin says. "There's a little chapel in town and I've already made a few calls." He glances down at me. "I'll admit that I selfishly want this moment to myself. No distractions, no bullshit. We'll have another ceremony back home if you want to—"

I cut him off by pressing my mouth to his. I'm surprised but not displeased. Maybe that's why we work so well together: both of us are greedy with our love.

"Just you, me, and some poor priest, huh?" I glance down at my black sundress that's brushed in a layer of sand and the rosy tint of sunburn that peeks out from my spaghetti straps. It's certainly not a wedding dress but it feels right nonetheless.

"That's the plan," he says, then glances down at his bare torso. "Although I should probably put on some clothes."

"A pity." I glance down at his hard body, trying to keep the smile from my face. "It was always a dream of mine to marry a handsome, begrudging demon with his shirt off," I pause, shooting him a teasing grin. "You know, like, specifically."

He sighs but I don't miss the way his lips twitch in the corners. "Who am I to deprive my bride?"

My heart skips a beat at the word. I never imagined I would love the sound of it so much, but god I do.

He supports my body weight against one of his arms as he reaches into his pocket, digging out a delicate silver ring with a jaggedly cut gem on top. It's raw yet utterly devastating all the same.

I exhale, taking the small piece of jewelry in my palm before he has the chance to slide it on my finger. I turn it over in my hand, straining to read the small print inside the band.

"Tuus sum et tu meus es," I murmur, turning my eyes back to him.

"I am yours and you are mine," he says and I melt all over again.

I smile, pushing the ring down my finger and wrapping my arms around his neck. His musky scent fills my senses as I lean forward and press my lips to the warm skin of his neck.

His grip tightens around me. "I should warn you, Calli. I'm not afraid to put all this behind us if we need to but I don't take those words lightly." He tenses under my hands at the thought. "If you do this, this is it. This is your forever."

"Tuus sum et tu meus es," I murmur softly in his ear, and I know this time the words come out as a promise. One that I have no intention of breaking. "I wouldn't consider forever with anyone else, Sinclair."