Morrigan by Jonathan King (cat reading book txt) 📕

gotten to the woman first and leaned over her table. Abel stopped dead and sighed. That’ll teach me to overthink flirting.

“Pretty song from a pretty lady.” The man slurred his words. “Let me buy you a drink.”

Abel’s mouth fell open. At least I couldn’t have said anything worse than that.

“Not interested,” said the woman, “in the drink or in you.”

“Oh, come on, baby, you know you like the attention.” The drunk leaned in closer. “Maybe later we could have a private concert, make some beautiful music together. I know how to make you sing.”

Abel squeezed his eyes shut. This had crossed the line from embarrassing to disturbing, and he couldn’t stand by anymore. Forget flirting, he had to push this guy away…

The plan came to him fully formed. He stepped forward, clapped his hand on the man’s shoulder, and threw as much Southern drawl into his voice as possible. “Son, do you know what the Bible says about lusting after a woman?”

The drunk glared at him, blinking several times to bring Abel into focus, and as the words sank in, his face went from snarling anger to puckered confusion. “Huh?”

“It’s better to pluck out your own eyes than to defile her with those eyes and be thrown into hell. Those guilty of sexual immorality shall be cast into the outer darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The man tried to interrupt, but Abel charged on. “Oh, friend, there is a day coming when the sky shall open up and the Son of Man shall descend with a flaming sword and separate the unrighteous from his people, and we know that the sexually immoral shall not inherit His kingdom. Get on your knees and pray to God that his fiery wrath shall not consume you on the Day of Judgment!”

The drunk backed away wide-eyed. “Kid, you’ve got problems,” he muttered, and he ran from the bar.

Abel dusted off his hands. “Problem solved.”

“That was brilliant!” The woman returned his smile and made his knees go weak.

“Just something I picked up from my father,” said Abel. “He has a talent for driving people away.” He winced. Sure, bring your daddy issues into the conversation. Smooth.

The woman’s smile faded, but she nodded. “Mine too.”

Abel blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected that connection. Did everyone have issues with their father?

The woman waited a moment before breaking the silence. “Would you like to sit down?”

“Yes,” Abel said, a little too quickly, as he remembered why he was here. “Yes, I would like to sit down.” He slid into the seat across from her, covering his burning cheeks with his hands.

“So do you really believe all that stuff about people who lust going to hell?” asked the woman.

“Yeah. Well, sort of. I believe God’s a lot more merciful than that whole fire-and-brimstone spiel painted him,” said Abel.

“Good, because the way you were looking at me while I sang, you’re going to need some mercy.”

Abel’s mouth dropped open. “No, I wouldn’t … that wasn’t…”

“You don’t have to apologize,” the woman said with a laugh. “I don’t mind. At least you’re being a gentleman, unlike some people.” She threw a sour glance at the door.

“Yeah, he was a jerk. You deserve better.” Oh my gosh, how many times has she heard that line? From her amused smile, Abel guessed it was a lot. He changed the subject. “What was that song about, anyway? It was really pretty, but I couldn’t understand a word of it.”

The woman chuckled. “It’s a love song. It’s about a man who stretches out on the grave of his young lover, longing to be reunited with her in death.”

Abel swallowed. “It sounded a lot prettier than that.”

“It’s tragic, yes, but no less beautiful for it.”

“Like you.” Abel winced and kicked himself under the table. There you go again. Morrigan’s right. You suck at this.

The woman laughed. “You’re new at this, aren’t you?”

“Flirting? Yeah, a bit. That bad, huh?”

“Everyone is at first, but you still have to try. It’s the only way to get experience.” She leaned forward. “Besides, I like my men on the innocent side. More fun for me that way.”

“You like to be the one in charge in a relationship?”

“I do get a thrill out of dominating. But I don’t do relationships.” The woman’s eyes darkened. “I did once. It ended … tragically.”

“Like the song?” Abel asked. “Did he … did he die?”

The woman looked away. “Another story for another time.”

“Then we’ll have to find a way to keep in touch,” said Abel.

“Ah, now we come to the real reason you came over.” The woman leaned back in her seat. “My phone number.”

Abel glanced at his friends, who were pretending not to watch in the most conspicuous way possible, Morrigan especially. “I wouldn’t say that’s the whole reason.”

“I told you, I don’t mind. But I also don’t do long term.” The hungry look came back into her eyes, and she licked her blood-red lips. “Lucky for you, I can give you something better and a lot more memorable.”

Abel swallowed. “Like what?”

She stood and beckoned to him, heading for the pub’s back door in a flutter of tight red silk. “Follow me, Baby.”

Abel’s limbs locked up. He didn’t know what she was planning, but he had a feeling it was going farther than he wanted. Why else would she go out the back door and not the front?

But his ears picked up a quiet melody. The woman hummed the same song she’d been singing earlier, looking at him with the same desire from earlier, and it only made her all the more beautiful. Maybe the alcohol was kicking in, maybe the music was messing with his head, maybe it was the chance to prove Morrigan wrong about him, or maybe it was his own stupid, selfish lust. Whatever the reason, he’d follow this woman anywhere, whether he should or not.

He slid out of his seat and went toward her, his world cloudy, his heart pounding like a war drum in