by Sarah Bailey
And now she was talking to herself.
Just fucking great.
She got up, striding into the bathroom just off his bedroom. There was no lock on the door, but he’d not tried anything. Yet.
Not caring at that moment, she stripped off her clothes and jumped in the shower, setting it to cold. She shivered underneath the stream of water, wincing at the temperature, but it was needed. Anything to cool the flame burning inside her.
When she was done, she hot footed it into the walk-in wardrobe on the other side of his bedroom. He’d cleared a space and given her clothes. She could only be glad they weren’t revealing. It seemed he’d made a judgement from what she’d been wearing when she’d fallen through the portal. She preferred practicality.
Selecting a pair of black jeans along with a red and black chequered shirt, she pulled on a pair of socks and calf high black boots. When she looked in the mirror, she realised her hair looked very much out of place with her current ensemble. Whilst she’d never go back to her natural colour, there were a myriad of different shades she could choose from.
She was pleased with her selection as she braided her hair down one side of her head. Her stomach growled.
Food. I most definitely need food.
She strode out of the wardrobe, through his bedroom and into his large living area.
Lucifer was sprawled out on the sofa, his arm thrown across his face. She ignored him, going straight towards the kitchen. He might not need to eat, but she did. She’d been living off a diet of instant noodles and cereal whilst she’d been down here. She couldn’t cook. She burnt toast every time she tried to make it.
Back on Earth, her flat was filled with ready meals and takeaway boxes. She knew it was bad for her, but she was too busy with witch business and the fae to worry too much about her eating habits.
“Have I not given you enough choice, Candace? Why is it that I always seem to find empty packets of noodles lying around?” came a voice from the sofa.
She jumped, turning and glaring at him. He hadn’t moved from his spot. Why did he care?
“I can’t cook anything else, okay?”
It was a little embarrassing to admit. He sat up, his mesmerising eyes landing squarely on hers.
“You can’t cook?”
“No… My father tried to teach me, but I’m useless.”
The smirk which appeared on his lips irritated her. He rose, walking over and stopping on the other side of the breakfast bar.
“Oh well, you should’ve said.”
He waved a hand and a plate appeared in front of him. A full English breakfast. A mug of tea sat steaming beside it. Her mouth fell open.
“How did you…?”
“I may be known as the Devil, but I am still an Archangel. There are many things I can do. You will inform me when you require feeding from now on.”
His tone brokered no objection. He pulled out the stool and indicated she should sit down. She made her way around the counter, hesitating as she reached the stool. His hand was resting on the back of it. He was much too close to her. Her pulse spiked.
Damn it. I want him. I want him so much it fucking burns.
“Sit down before it gets cold.”
She slid onto the stool, picking up the knife and fork. He leant over her, his mouth closed to her ear. His fingers brushed over the back of her neck, before he gripped her braid. Her breath caught in her throat. What was he doing?
“I like your hair this way.”
She hadn’t really thought about what his reaction to her changing her hair colour might be. She’d chosen a mixture of red, orange and yellow in subtle tones blending into one another.
“It’s like a fire, the flames threatening to consume you. It’s very fitting, don’t you think?”
She could barely think of a suitable response to that.
“Keep it like this, Candace. Keep it this way whilst you’re burning, aching for me to take you.”
He released her braid, running his fingers down her neck again.
“I’ll know when you’ve given in.”
He walked away. She sat there, staring down at her plate of food, fighting the urge to chase after him. She wanted his hands on her again. She wanted to feel Lucifer everywhere.
And she was well and truly screwed now.
He’d stoked the flames and she was burning.
Burning for him like her flaming hair.
Fuck you, Lucifer. Fuck you.
Chapter Four
Candace strolled into the living room a few days later, looking for Lucifer. She stopped dead in her tracks. Standing in the middle of the room was a blonde woman with her hair in a tight ponytail. She was in come fuck me heels, a tight black skirt and a white shirt. She had a tablet in her hands.
They stared at each other.
Who the fuck is this? Why is she in Lucifer’s private rooms and why the fuck does she look like sex on legs? Is he fucking this woman? Is that why she’s wearing such provocative clothing?
Anger flooded her senses. No. She realised it wasn’t anger. It was jealousy. How could she be jealous? Lucifer didn’t mean anything to her.
“Hello,” the woman said. “You must be my Lord’s guest.”
Candace almost choked on her own breath. Her Lord? What? Was she talking about Lucifer?
“Who are you?”
“Mallmomoz, but you may call me Mall.”
Candace folded her arms across her chest, levelling the woman with a questioning stare.
“What exactly did he say about me?”
“My Lord informed me he had a guest. I have strict instructions not to allow anyone else access to his rooms.”
She supposed as the King of Hell, he would require his subjects to refer to him as such.
“And what is it that you do for Lucifer?”
Mall smiled at her, shaking her head a little.
“I assist him in running his domain. I suppose you could refer to me as his personal assistant. Oh, he left you a note on the counter over there.”
Mall pointed to the breakfast bar. Candace didn’t move. This was his assistant. Did that mean she wasn’t some kind of sexual plaything for him? Why would she even think that Lucifer had one of those in the first place? Mall didn’t look much like a demon.
“Would it be rude of me to ask what exactly you are?” Candace said.
“A succubus, but do not worry, my duty is to my Lord. You are his guest, and as such, you are not to be harmed under any circumstances.”
She let out the breath she was holding. If Mall was a succubus, it explained why she looked the way she did. She took slow steps towards the breakfast bar, interested in why Lucifer had left her a note.
I have left you something in the fridge. 2 minutes in the microwave, no longer.
She opened the fridge and sure enough, there was a plate inside covered by a plastic lid. She didn’t even look under it as she shoved it in the microwave. She was hungry. It’s why she’d been looking for him in the first place. She hadn’t eaten so well in years.
“Um, so… where is he?” she asked Mall whilst she waited.
“In the throne room. He didn’t wish to wake you. He asked me to retrieve something for him and to check if you had eaten.”
Lucifer being considerate was something new on her.
The microwave dinged. She pulled out the plate and took off the lid. It was a simple pasta dish, but she appreciated it nonetheless. Grabbing a glass of water, she sat down at the breakfast bar and tucked in.
“You can tell him I have,” she said between mouthfuls.
“You are not what I expected.”
Candace turned, looking at Mall with confusion.
“When my Lord informed me of your presence, he did not say much about you. Only that you had accidentally arrived in Hell and whilst we are unable to return to Earth, you would be under his protection.”
“Does he not have guests then?”
“Not often, no.”
&nb
sp; She turned back to her plate. She felt like she’d just learnt a great deal about the King of Hell in the last five minutes.
“How long have you been his assistant?”
“We do not measure time here, but I suppose around four hundred human years.”
Candace almost spat out her food. Four hundred years? Then she remembered. Lucifer was the original fallen angel.
He’s immortal, you big idiot.
“Will you tell me more about him?”
She wasn’t quite sure why she’d asked that.
“I’m not sure I should be talking about him and I really must get back.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have… Forget I said anything.”
She stared down at her almost empty plate. She hadn’t realised she’d eaten it so fast. The stool next to her was pulled back. Mall sat down and turned to her, placing her tablet down on the counter.
“My Lord has been irritable for months since he returned to Earth. I worry we will not find a way to reverse what He has done to Hell.”
“You mean the whole being stuck down here thing.”
“Yes, but since you arrived, he’s been worse. He paces the throne room with a restlessness I have never seen before. He usually spends most of his time in here, but it seems that with you around, he is less inclined to return to his rooms.”
Candace knew very well why that was. Whilst he’d been making sure she ate well, he barely spent any more time than he had to around her. She could see the longing, desire in his eyes whenever they were together in the same room. It made it difficult to focus on anything but him.
I can’t. I just can’t. It wouldn’t be right. He’s the Devil.
There were a million reasons why she couldn’t let him take her, but all of them seemed to disappear out of her head whenever he was near.
“Um, well… we don’t exactly see eye to eye.”
“And yet he protects you all the same.”
Candace shrugged. She wasn’t about to tell Mall that Lucifer was only doing this because he wanted to fuck her. The thought of it brought heat to her cheeks.
“Tell me, what do you do back on Earth?” Mall said.
“Oh well, I’m emissary to the fae. You see, I’m only a half blood. My father is a witch. I attend to his affairs in London.”
“Interesting.”
By the time Lucifer arrived back, Mall and Candace had been chatting for what seemed like forever. She felt it the moment he entered the room. Everything centred on that damn angel when he was near her.
“Mall,” Lucifer said, his voice cold. “I have been waiting for you.”
Mall stood, bowing to him.
“I apologise my Lord. Your lady friend wanted some company.”
His eyes narrowed, falling on Candace. The hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention.
“Well, I suppose I have been neglecting my guest of late.”
Mall bowed again, giving Candace a little wave before she slipped from the room. Lucifer waved a hand and the plate in front of her disappeared. She’d long finished her meal anyway.
She stood up, facing him.
“Don’t be mad at Mall,” she blurted out. “I was asking her questions about Hell. I’m sorry I kept her away.”
His mesmerising eyes raked across her, taking in every inch of her body before falling on her hair. She hadn’t changed the colour. There was no way she could after what he’d said. She always matched her hair to her outfits, but now, she had no choice but to deal with it.
“If I had known you lacked for company, I would’ve asked her to stop in with you sooner.”
“Is she the only one who knows I’m here?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He took several steps forward but came to a halt a few feet away from her. Even from this distance, he was too close. Her body thrummed.
“Do you realise how it would look to my demons? Protecting a girl from Earth for no good reason.”
“I never asked you to protect me.”
“And yet, you’ve never thanked me for it either.”
He had a point. It would look bad if they knew she was staying here with him.
“Thank you.”
“Was that really so hard?”
She wanted to throw something at his head. Why did he have to be so obnoxious and sarcastic? She was trying to be civil and polite. It wouldn’t do to engage in a battle of words with him again.
“No, but I still don’t understand…”
He arched an eyebrow. How could she finish that sentence? She’d been about to tell him she didn’t understand why they couldn’t stay away from each other. Why every time she looked at him, her whole world flipped on its axis and all she wanted was to drown in him.
“Understand what?”
She took a step towards him.
“This,” she whispered.
“This?”
“You. Me. This.”
Why the hell did I just say that? I’m such an idiot.
He smiled a little, but it was a sad smile.
“Why are you doing this? Why me? What do you have to gain from protecting me?”
“Who said I had anything to gain from it?”
It was his turn to take a step towards her.
“You don’t seem like the type to do anything for anyone else unless it’s of benefit to you.”
“You have a low opinion of me.”
“You’ve done nothing but live up to your reputation.”
“Have I not taken care of you? Is that the type of thing the Devil would do?”
That brought her up short. She stepped back, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. His very presence suffocated her. Heat pooled everywhere. His eyes darkened further as if they weren’t already almost black as it was.
“As to why I am doing this… I thought you’d have understood by now. Did I not make myself clear?”
He advanced on her. She backed away until she felt the counter behind her. She had nowhere left to go. He rested his hands either side of her, I caging her in.
“Tell me, Candace, would you like to be treated as one of my subjects?”
“No,” she whispered.
“No? So, you do want me to treat you like you’re my guest.”
“Yes.”
“I think you want more than that from me.”
Fuck him. I hate him so much, but I want him all the same.
Her chest felt tight. She clenched her legs together, trying to stem the raging tide of her desire. He was much too close. All her senses went into overdrive. She needed this man. Needed him to tear off her clothes and fuck her with ruthless abandon. It’s what she wanted.
There was no point in denying it to herself.
But admitting such a thing to him?
Impossible.
“You don’t know anything about me.”
“Oh, I know plenty about you. Candace Cadmi Highmore, daughter of Gallian Highmore, head of the Grand Coven.”
She went deadly still. He knew who her father was. How did he know? She hadn’t told him. He reached up, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“Did you think I wouldn’t discover your true identity? I am the King of Hell, girl. You should know better. Quite the scandal your father caused, bringing home a half fae daughter and yet no one knows who gave birth to you.”
“He didn’t tell me.”
His hand cupped the back of her neck, forcing her to look at him.
“You’re lying to me. Who is your mother?”
“What makes you think I’d tell you anything?”
He gripped her neck tighter. She tried not to wince.
“You’re far too stubborn.”
“You might know who my father is, but you still don’t know a thing about me.”
She reached up, grabbing his hand and pulling it away from her neck. She held it between them.
“Is this why you’re denying me? Because your father wouldn’t approve?”
“You can look up all the information about me you want, that doesn’t change anything between us. Of course, he wouldn’t approve if he found out, but that’s the thing, he doesn’t approve of anything I do. I am his biggest disappointment. No matter how hard I try to live up to his standards.”
His eyes widened a fraction. She didn’t let go of his hand despite the electricity sparking up her arm.
“If you’d bothered to ask me about him, to ask me anything about myself, then perhaps I would’ve told you. You just want me for one thing and one thing alone. And that’s exactly why this will never happen.”
They stared at each other for the longest time. It was now or never.
“You want to know the real reason I won’t let you fuck me like you want to,” she whispered. “Because you don’t care about me. You’ll break me, Lucifer, and I’ll never come back from it. You’ll get to walk away from me, but I’ll never be able to walk away from you. That’s why I can’t do this with you. Not now. Not ever.”
Chapter Five
Lucifer took a step back as if she’d slapped him, breaking the contact between them. She took the opportunity to slip away from him, retreating towards the door to his bedroom. She turned back. He was still staring at the counter where she’d been moments before.
“If you had any consideration at all, you’d stop pursuing me,” she said.
His head snapped up. His eyes were blazing with emotions she didn’t understand. He strode towards her, gripping her arm in an iron hold when he reached her.
“Do you think you get to just leave after saying something like that?” he said, his voice brimming with barely contained rage.
“Oh, like you don’t fucking walk away every damn time we talk to each other!”
“Do you think I want to? I am not an animal who cannot control himself and yet you, you drive me fucking crazy. You’d never forgive me if I took what I wanted without your consent so don’t you fucking put that shit on me.”
The wild look in his eyes had her heart hammering out of control.
I drive him crazy? He drives me fucking crazy too.
Before she really knew what she was doing, she’d closed the distance between them. Her mouth was so close to his. She could feel his harsh breath on her face.