"Detective, are you asking me on a date?"

Chloe is already regretting asking him. This is such a terrible idea.

"This isn't a date, it's for work. Our suspect has been repeatedly avoiding our requests to interview him, and our first real chance will be at this charity ball tonight."

"Ah, I see. So you just need me to get you in the door, then? Charity balls aren't usually my thing - far too many wealthy hypocrites patting themselves on the back for my taste. But I'm sure I could swing us an invite." Lucifer can't resist the chance to show off his connections. Even though he's already riding along with her because he just happens to know their suspect's business partner, Benjamin Laird.

"The invitations are already taken care of. The Lieutenant has spin class or something with the event's organizer."

"So then it is a date. Our third, in fact." Lucifer's grin swiftly becomes a leer. Chloe shoots him a dirty look.

"No, this is work. You're my partner, more or less. And this is what partners do." She argues, but there's no real heat to it.

"So I suppose you've attended formal balls with all of your partners, is that how it is? And here I thought I was special, love." He feigns hurt, overdramatic as ever.

"Do you want to help me catch this guy or not?"

"A wealthy man with a penchant for killing young call girls? A little cliche, but I suppose I could help you out. On one condition."

Chloe is so going to regret this. "What condition might that be?"

"You let me select your gown, of course." The grin he turns on her is almost predatory. Just how many teeth does he actually have? But Chloe realizes it's not that terrible a condition.

"Fine, let's just do this." There's no way Lucifer can find anything too bad in her closet, and there's also no chance that one of his skanks just happened to leave an appropriate dress at his place. How bad could it be?

Apparently the sight of Lucifer in a tux isn't something you can develop immunity to. It hits her just as hard as it had first time, and it's all she can do not to stare at him in her doorway. The picture he presents there is rather dashing.

"You look…nice." It's as much as she'll admit to.

"As do you, Detective. Loving the fluffy pink robe, though you'd look even better without it."

Chloe tries not to blush. She had finished her hair and makeup earlier, but didn't bother putting on anything she would just have to change out of later. Might as well get this part over with.

"Come on, I already pulled out everything even remotely formal from my closet." She starts walking back towards her bedroom, confident that Lucifer will just follow her. She hears him close the door behind them.

"I believe you misunderstood the terms of this outing, Detective." And when she looks back he's suddenly holding up a garment bag that he definitely wasn't holding before. Was he some sort of cheesy magician before all of this? She definitely does not imagine Lucifer running around performing silly card tricks in a open leather vest, Criss Angel style.

"What on earth is that?" A stupid question, but she still feels justified in asking it.

"It's a dress of course." And then he's unzipping the bag. Chloe's imagination runs wild with thoughts of some sort of full length stripper outfit, complete with a dozen cutouts and entirely unsuitable to wear in public. Or one of those dominatrixy type dresses Maze favors.

But somehow the actual dress is surprisingly tasteful. Red of course, but also a lot more fabric than she was expecting. She still eyes the dress suspiciously.

"Where did you even get that?"

"Designer friend, owed me a favor. Managed to get this very dress onto some little Hollywood starlet at her movie premiere, and the press took care of the rest. Now it's yours to wear for the evening."

Chloe takes the dress from him, amazed at the soft feel of the fabric, and the obvious work that's gone into making this.

"Lucifer, this is too much, I can't just wear this to interrogate some guy."

"You can, and you will. Our man won't even know what hit him. Now go on, get dressed. Don't wish to be late."

Chloe clears her throat expectantly.

"What?" She can't tell if he's playing dumb or if he is actually this clueless.

"A little privacy, please?"

"You did agree to let me dress you." She most certainly did not.

"I agreed to let you pick out the dress, not put me in it!"

"It's nothing I haven't seen already, Detective." And then he's looking her up and down like he can somehow see right through her ridiculous robe. But when he reaches her face he's met with any icy look.

"Alright, have it your way." He turns to face the closed door.

"Or you could wait in the living room like a normal person?" She suggests.

"What if you need help with the zipper? They're quite tricky, I've found. What kind of escort would I be if I were to just abandon you in your time of need?"

Chloe just sighs and relents. There's apparently no getting him out of her bedroom now that he's here, so she might as well just change as quickly as possible.

"No peeking."

"Well I am the Devil, after all…" She can see his head already turning slightly as she unties her robe.

"Lucifer!" She grips the robe closed instantly.

His heads turns back and his hands go up in surrender. "Alright, I'll behave. For now."

The 'for now' should worry her, but she can't help the little thrill that runs through her at the sound of his voice saying it. It promises to be an interesting evening, at least.

The dress fits like a dream, of course. Apparently guessing a woman's measurements is another one of Lucifer's superpowers. The fabric drapes perfectly over her frame, emphasizing her curves without revealing too much, aside from the rather long slit that parts over her leg as she moves. But the overall effect of it is surprisingly elegant.

"May I turn around now?"

"Yeah, sure." Chloe is still marveling at the dress in her mirror when Lucifer walks up behind her to take in the whole picture.

"Well well, perhaps this evening won't be so dull after all." Chloe can't help but admire the way the two of them look standing together. They almost look like a real couple. Chloe shakes her head to clear out these thoughts. This is work, and she needs to be in detective mode now.

"Let me just find some shoes and we can head out." Chloe moves towards her closet but her path is blocked by the shoebox being held out by Lucifer. And now the image of Lucifer in that stupid leather vest is back in her brain.

"I figured shoes could also be considered part of our deal, since they go with the dress."

Inside the box Chloe finds a pair of nude stilettos that appear dangerously high. But as nothing else in her closet is really appropriate, she sits back on the bed to strap them on. She stands back up slowly, satisfied that she can at least balance herself properly in these things.

"Any more surprises or are we ready to go?"

"Just the one." This time she can clearly see Lucifer pulling the small box from his pocket, though she still has no idea where the other items came from. He holds it out to her.

"Oh God, is this some sort of Pretty Woman thing?" She half expects him to snap the box on her fingers at any moment.

"Wrong deity, and no. Just open it."

Chloe takes the box cautiously and does as he asks. Inside is a small diamond pendant and matching earrings, surprisingly understated given the extravangance of his other choices.

"Another favor, I'm assuming." Chloe wonders just what Lucifer did in exchange for this.

"No. This is just for you."

"Lucifer…" And this is just too much, she can't accept this.

"Don't, Chloe." He covers her hands where they still hold the small box. "You work too hard every day for people who can't even begin to appreciate all that you are. You deserve to have this, and I won't let you convince yourself otherwise. Just let yourself have it." It feels as though they're talking about a lot more than jewelry right now, with the way Lucifer's hands still grip her own, and the intensity of his gaze. Chloe finds herself nodding in response, unable to manage any more than that. She's not entirely sure what all she's agreeing to, but it feels right.

"Excellent," Lucifer's self-satisfied grin is right back in place. "Let's see how it looks, shall we?"

And then he's taking the necklace from its box, guiding Chloe to face the mirror once again. One hand reaches out to brush her hair over her shoulder, trailing over her back and sending a wave of pleasant little tingles down her spine. He stands behind her, their eyes meeting in the mirror in front of her. His eyes never once leave hers as he brings the delicate chain over her head and around her throat. Her breath catches as the cool metal meets her skin. Long fingers make quick work of the clasp, as she carefully sweeps her hair out of the way, afraid to break the moment.

A single finger trails down the end of the necklace where it traces the center of her back, and Chloe can't help the way she arches back into the touch, or the way her nipples tighten deliciously beneath the soft fabric of her dress. Her reaction is not missed by Lucifer. He continues to run his finger along her spine as he bends down to place a single kiss at the base of her neck, her eyes fluttering closed at the sensation. She has to remind herself that Trixie and the babysitter are still in the house, and that they're supposed to be at the ball right now, doing police work.

Chloe pulls away too quickly, jarring her hip against the dresser and effectively killing the mood.

"We should really get going, the party starts at 7." She hurriedly puts in the earrings herself as she makes her way out of the bedroom. Trixie chooses the same moment to rush over to her. Chloe takes her up into her arms before her daughter can knock her over in her enthusiasm. Her babysitter looks on, helpless to stop her.

"Mommy, you look like a princess!" Her excitement only grows when she sees Lucifer behind her. "Is Lucifer taking you to the ball?"

"It's not a ball, sweetie, it's a work thing…" Her daughter's face falls at this, and she caves. "Yes, Lucifer is taking me to the ball."

She can't decide whether her daughter or Lucifer wears the bigger grin right now.

"Did Lucifer give you a necklace, too?" Trixie's now playing with the pendant, reminding Chloe of its presence.

"He did."

"Did you say thank you?" Why did she ever teach her daughter manners? This was not what she intended. Chloe lets out a breath, before turning to face Lucifer more fully.

"Thank you, Lucifer. It's beautiful."

"My pleasure." And Lucifer's grin is definitely the biggest.

"I don't see Ronnie Mercer anywhere." She's made at least three circuits of the lavish ballroom with Lucifer in tow, and there's still no sign of their suspect. It certainly doesn't help that every man in the entire hotel is wearing a tux tonight, but there's no way she could have missed him.

"It's early yet. Men like that never show up at the beginning of a party." Lucifer informs her as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Perhaps you could try and look less like a cop before he arrives? Your gun may scare him off - though I have no earthly idea how you've managed to conceal it beneath that lovely gown." Lucifer makes no effort at hiding the way he ogles her form, under the flimsy guise of searching for her weapon. Chloe doesn't miss the way his eyes linger where her dress exposes the full length of her leg with each step.

"It's in my purse, Lucifer. And keep your eyes on the doors. He has to arrive before the speeches start." She hopes that is true. She wasn't exactly looking forward to them herself, but she needed this plan to work. Otherwise this whole evening felt a little too Cinderella for her tastes - with Lucifer as her Fairy Godmother, Prince Charming, and the wicked stepmother all rolled up into one.

If Trixie were here she could have reminded her that Lucifer was also the cat's name. But this night isn't a fairytale, and she isn't a princess. She's a cop, and she's here to track down a killer. One who had already murdered two young women, and any more victims would be on her conscience.

"Care to dance, Detective?" Lucifer is suddenly much closer than he was before, his lips right beside her ear.

"What? No. We're here to work." Not to get distracted by things like the way Lucifer's voice sounds or how nice he smells right now.

"As you've reminded me several times. But we need to blend in, and that means dancing. We'll be able to observe the entire ballroom without attracting attention." It's not a terrible plan, as plans go, but still she hesitates.

"I…"

"Or, if you prefer, we can continue aimlessly wandering around with you staring at every man in attendance as if you plan to arrest him on the spot. That certainly won't arouse our killer's suspicion."

Chloe frowns. She didn't think she was that obvious. Normally she was better at this, but tonight she was out of her element. And apparently in Lucifer's, despite his professed abhorrence of charity functions. As much as it went against her every instinct, she would need to follow his lead here. In more ways that one.

"Alright, we'll dance. For one song. But keeps your eyes on the other guests."

"I can't make any promises." He's pointedly staring at her as he says this, and she does her best to ignore the fluttering she feels beneath her breastbone. Lucifer reaches for her hand, guiding her over to the dance floor. Chloe pauses as they reach the other dancers.

"I don't really dance, not like this at least." And it pains her to admit her lack of skill here, though it's not like she's some debutante. The last time she remembers actually dancing was at her wedding, and that was really just swaying in circles more than anything. She tries to brush aside any thoughts of her ill-fated wedding day.

"That's because you haven't had the right partner." It's clear from his voice that he considers himself to be the right partner. His confidence is reassuring for once, and she allows him to guide her into the correct stance. He takes her right hand into his, and places her left at his shoulder. His free hand slides to her lower back, considerably below where it should properly fall. Chloe knows this much at least, but doesn't call him out on it. His hand feels right there, like he can keep her from falling and messing this whole thing up.

There's a live band playing, because of course there is. A mix of classic and current hits all perfectly arranged to inspire dancing without discouraging conversation. The lighting is soft and strangely romantic for what's essentially a business function, but it's possible to observe the other guests from the dance floor. Not that Lucifer is looking anywhere but at her. Chloe is still looking at her feet, trying not to trip over he own heels.

"Relax, Detective. Let me take the lead. I assure you I've very good at this." This last part is whispered directly into her ear, and there's no way that Lucifer could have missed the way her breath catches in response. But instead of teasing her, he merely tilts her chin up to meet his gaze before resuming their dance. And he is good - very good, in fact. Once she stops worrying what her feet were doing they fall right into place with Lucifer's steps, as he gracefully leads them around the floor. There is still no sign of their guy, so after a few minutes of this she finally lets herself fully relax and enjoy the dance. She even forgets how much these heels are killing her. Lucifer seems to take that as his cue to resume their conversation.

"And to think, you could have been stuck here with some boring detective as your partner. Present company excluded, of course." He grins down at her.

"Of course." She smiles back, despite herself. "But no chance of that happening, anyway. You're about the closest thing I'll have to a partner in the foreseeable future."

"Oh? I thought with the Palmetto case closed and Malcolm back in the land of the living, you all had rather kissed and made up. Metaphorically speaking."

"Well, not exactly…"

"Do tell, Detective. You've piqued my curiosity."

"This stays between us." Lucifer would probably think his charm was what won her over, but really she just needed someone else to talk to about this. "Dan and I found out there was someone else involved with the shooting - another cop. I only closed the case so I could have time to figure out who it was. And right now I can't trust anyone else in the department."

"But you trust me."

"Strangely enough, I do." She can't fully explain why she does, but she knows that she can trust him. Lucifer may be hiding a lot about his past, but he's never lied to her. Other than maybe about the whole being the literal devil thing, and she was no longer entirely sure that wasn't the truth. But devil or not she knew he would have her back on this.

"High praise, indeed."

The next song is slower, and Lucifer's arm at her back draws her in more closely. And it would be so easy to just pretend that they're just some normal couple here to enjoy themselves. She lets herself indulge in a very brief fantasy where this is her life - fancy balls, a stable relationship, no murders. But can't forget her duty, and it doesn't take long after their suspect enters the room for her to spot him.

"Back left corner, by the bar." Lucifer spins them to around to see for himself. The man is completely generic, but it's hard to miss the way he's leaning against the bar like he owns it.

"And look who he's with." He turns her back to face the bar and that's when she spots her - too young and wearing a dress that's only made to look expensive. "Perhaps his next target?"

"It would be pretty bold to parade her around like this if she was. But we can't risk it, I'll make sure we've got additional eyes on the girl." She's already reaching for her phone.

"Perhaps we'll catch him in the act."

"We're not using some innocent girl as bait!" Chloe whispers harshly as they head towards the man in question.

"Of course not, Detective. Besides, one more victim and your case gets bumped up to serial. We wouldn't want that."

"I don't care about the collar, I care about the girl." Sometimes she has no idea how Lucifer's mind works. He seems to care deeply about catching their bad guys, but he never seems to care half as much about their victims - unless he knows them personally. She pushes these thoughts aside as they arrive at the bar.

"Mr. Mercer? I need to ask you a few questions."

"Listen, sweetheart, I'm a busy man. If you need to ask me something you can make an appointment with my secretary." He doesn't even turn around to say this.

"I have made an appointment. Several, in fact. Now you can answer my questions here or I can take you down to the station." He finally turns to face her, and the way he's looking at her makes her skin crawl. He probably could have been mistaken for handsome if he weren't such a sleaze bag.

"How about you come around to my place later, and then we'll talk. You can even bring the handcuffs, but leave the guard dog behind."

Lucifer seethes at insinuation. Chloe is forced to step in between the two men, turning to prevent Lucifer from doing whatever it is he's about to do. Right now his eyes almost look red, and it must be some sort of weird trick of the light or her own overactive imagination. She's distracted only momentarily by the sudden appearance of Mercer's hand gripping her shoulder, but afterwards she's entirely unable to explain what happened.

Mercer is lying behind the bar where he was thrown, having shattered several glasses along the way. There's blood running down from a nasty gash in his head, and his 'date' is screaming. But Lucifer is standing in exactly the same place, arm raised though there's no way he could have gotten any sort of leverage with her standing between them. It doesn't make any sense. She rushes to check on Mercer, who's thankfully still alive but obviously paralyzed with shock.

The cops arrive on the scene quickly, and Lucifer somehow slips away in the chaos.

"What the hell, Lucifer? Where were you?" She finds him back at his apartment, still in his tux but with the collar unbuttoned and the tie hanging loosely around his neck, infuriatingly casual.

"We already caught Mercer, I assumed I was no longer needed." It's such bullshit and they both know it.

"After you disappeared the cops showed up and he finally talked. Turns out he had an alibi for both nights. Both the girls and the hotel manager were able to confirm his whereabouts."

"So then he's just another useless creep?"

"Well, he's definitely a creep, but not entirely useless. We found out from him that Mr. Laird wasn't really at a conference in New York. Cops just brought him in and he finally confessed."

"Benny was our killer? That bloody little imp! Lying right to my face, and throwing his partner under the bus."

"And speaking of throwing people - what the hell was that earlier?" Lucifer disappearing on her is not particularly new, but this she can't even begin to explain. She's hoping Lucifer might finally tell her what's going on.

"I've already told you the answer to that, yet even after all of this you're still unwilling to believe me."

"What? That you're the Devil? How can I believe that you're someone who doesn't even exist. It's just some fairytale people tell their kids to make them behave."

"There's more truth in fairytales than you realize." He's looking at her with such intensity that she almost believes it for a moment. She lets out a sigh, realizing they're not going to get anywhere with this.

"Look, I didn't come here to argue. I mean, I did, but not about fairytales. Though I am very much considering leaving these glass slippers here with you. They're killing my feet." The joke falls a little flat, but she's tired of fighting.

"Then allow me to assist you." He takes her by the hand once again, leading her to sit at one end of his couch. Lucifer seats himself at the opposite end before guiding her feet into his lap. Her anger dissipates in the face of her confusion at his actions.

"What…?"

Chloe maneuvers herself to continuing facing him, pressing back against the couch's arm tugging at her skirt to keep it from falling open in this new position. Both of her legs are still bared by the parted fabric, but she manages to avoid exposing any more. Though currently Lucifer's attention is focused entirely on the feet now resting in his lap, as he carefully unfastens the tiny buckles at her ankles. It feels like heaven as they are finally slipped from her feet. She lets out a small sigh as her toes wiggle freely in celebration.

Lucifer surprises her again by pressing his thumbs into the arch of the foot closest to him and Chloe jerks forward, gasping at the sensation. He doesn't let up, running his thumbs upward towards the balls of her feet, the pressure just this side of painful. But the release of tension that follows each upward stroke is incredible, and she can't help sighing at the feeling. She only manages to offer up a half-hearted protest. "You don't have to do this…"

"Let me, Chloe."

Any further arguments die on her lips. It's been a very long night, and the heels were entirely Lucifer's fault anyway.

She melts back into the cushions below her, eyes drifting shut as she lets Lucifer's strong hands work their magic. It's almost sinfully good, despite being almost entirely innocent - if you can ignore the sounds that escape her throat with each new press of his fingers. When he finishes with one foot he repeats his ministrations on the other, leaching any trace of tension from her body. Along with it goes her inhibitions, until she's practically moaning in relief.

Now that the edge of pain is gone, it's actually starting to feel nice. Really nice. Her thighs press unconsciously together at the sudden heat that's pooling between them. She hadn't really thought of her feet as being particularly sensitive, but weeks of teasing touches have finally gotten to her. And she can't help but imagine his clever fingers being put to better use elsewhere.

As Lucifer works his way up to massage at her calves, her thoughts grow even more vivid, and without quite realizing it her hand drifts down to press at the top of her thigh, only inches away from where she really wants it. At this point it wouldn't take much, she's wound so tightly. She tugs at her skirt, unsure whether she wants to shift it down or further up.

Lucifer notices, of course he does. He releases her calves, allowing his hands to drift slowly upwards over bare skin. When he reaches the edge of her skirt, one hand covers her own as they inch the fabric higher. She gasps as the cool air of the apartment meets over-sensitized skin. She's so close and he's barely even touched her above her knees. Lucifer is still trapped by her legs and the angle is awkward but it doesn't seem to matter. All it takes is a single brush of his fingers against her center and she's already shuddering her release.

"So responsive…" Lucifer sounds almost awed at her reaction, and Chloe can't even bring herself to be embarrassed by it. She feels blissfully relaxed from the combined effects of Lucifer's massage and her recent orgasm, and it doesn't even matter that they're both still fully dressed.

Chloe is just about to remedy the whole clothing situation when she hears her phone buzzing in her purse. She groans as she reluctantly extricates herself from the couch, not missing the way Lucifer readjusts himself as she moves.

"It's Trixie's sitter, I didn't realized how late it had gotten…" A glance back at Lucifer reveals that he knows exactly how this is going to end for him, his demeanor already resigned.

"Another night, perhaps."

"How about tomorrow?" Lucifer perks up at this, obviously not having expected her to take him up on his offer.

"Tomorrow?" He grins.

"Tomorrow." She doesn't even pretend it means anything other than what he's thinking right now. Trixie will be with her father all evening, and Chloe can no longer deny that she wants this just as much as Lucifer does. She picks up her shoes and walks out the door before she can decide that tomorrow night isn't soon enough.