He nodded a greeting to Beth, then looked down the hall. "I need to sober up."
"Butch," Marissa said sharply, "are you saying good-bye here?"
He flashed her a haunting smile. "You're always going to be with me, baby."
He walked away slowly, like the floor was slippery under his feet.
Oh... Jesus...
Beth cleared her throat. "So, yeah, Wrath suggested you might like some clothes? I brought a few things if you'd like to try them on."
Marissa was desperate to go after Butch, but she'd already made a spectacle of herself tonight and he looked like he was in serious need of a break from the drama. Boy... she knew exactly how he felt, except for her there was no escape. Everywhere she went, there she was.
She looked at Beth, feeling like this was quite possibly the single worst twenty-four hours of her life. "Did Wrath mention that I burned my entire wardrobe?"
"Um... that did come up."
"I also left a crater in the lawn. It looks like a UFO landed. I can't believe he isn't upset with me."
The queen's smile was gentle. "The only thing he's not thrilled about is your giving Fritz that bracelet to sell."
"I can't have you two renting me somewhere to live."
"As a matter of fact, we wish you would just stay here."
"Oh... no, you've already been too kind. Actually, tonight, I'd planned... Well, before I got sidetracked by that gasoline and matches thing, I was going to go to my new place and look around. See what kind of furniture I'll need to buy."
Which would be everything.
Beth frowned. "About that rental house. Wrath wants Vishous to check out the security system before you move in. And chances are good that V will want to upgrade whatever is there."
"I don't think that's necessary-"
"Nonnegotiable. Don't even try it. Wrath wants you to stay here at least until that's done, okay? Marissa?"
She thought about Bella getting abducted. As much as independence was a good thing, there was no reason to be stupid. "Yes... I... all right. Thank you."
"So would you like to try on some clothes?" Beth nodded at what was in her arms. "I don't have many dresses, but Fritz can get you some."
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"You know what?" Marissa eyed the blue jeans the queen had on. "I've never worn a pair of pants before."
"I've got two pairs here if you want to try them out."
Well, wasn't this a night for firsts. Sex. Arson. Pants. "I think I would like to..."
Except Marissa burst into tears. Just totally lost it. And the meltdown was so bad, all she could do was sit on the bed and weep.
When Beth shut the door and knelt in front of her, Marissa wiped up quickly. What a nightmare. "You are queen. You shouldn't be before me like this."
"I'm the queen, so I can do anything I want." Beth put the clothes aside. "What's wrong?"
Yeah, now there was a list.
"Marissa?"
"I think... I think I might need someone to talk to."
"Well, you have someone right here. You want to give me a shot?"
God, there was so much, but one thing mattered more than all the rest. "Fair warning, my queen, this is about an improper subject. Sex, actually. It's about... sex."
Beth eased back and arranged her long legs yoga style. "Hit me."
Marissa opened her mouth. Shut it. Opened it. "I was taught not to speak of this kind of thing."
Beth smiled. "Just you and me in this room. No one has to know."
Okay... deep breath time. "Ah... I was a virgin. Up until tonight."
"Oh." After a long pause, the queen said, "And?"
"I didn't..."
"Like it?" When she couldn't respond, Beth said, "I wasn't into it my first time, either."
Marissa looked up. "Really?"
"It was painful."
"You hurt, too?" When the female nodded, Marissa was stunned. Then a little relieved. "It wasn't all painful. I mean, what led up to it was ... is amazing. Butch makes me... he's just so... the way he touches me, I get... Oh, God, I can't believe I'm talking like this. And I can't explain what it's like with him."
Beth chuckled. "That's all right. I know what you mean."
"Really?"
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"Oh, yeah." The queen's dark blue eyes glowed. "I know exactly what you mean."
Marissa smiled, then went back to the talking. "When it was time to... you know, when it happened, Butch was really gentle and all. And I wanted to like it,