by Cathryn Fox
She narrowed her eyes. “Is that what happened to you?” She stood, stepped closer and traced her finger over one of his scars. “Despite these, you don’t seem like a hardened criminal.”
When their eyes met and locked, his blood pressure soared and he felt a connection with her that nearly brought him to his knees, a connection that was powerful and all-consuming. As he gave himself over to her touch, his mind raced, sorting through matters and desperately searching for a way to return her to her body. Then suddenly a chancy idea hit him hard. Perhaps if Jadyn fell in love with him, Lucifer’s demonic charm would be lost on her. He spent a long moment thinking about it, formulating and strategizing a plan. It was risky, he knew, and since it had never been tried before, there were no guarantees it would work. But under the circumstances, he could see no other feasible option.
If Lucifer ever found out about his deception, the consequences would be severe, but every ounce of pain inflicted on Gage would be worth it.
Jadyn was worth it.
Chapter Two
Jadyn watched him go, his beautiful, scarred body touching something deep inside her and dragging her focus as he rounded the corner and disappeared from her line of sight. What was it about him that held her attention and aroused such peculiar emotions in her? It was strange, she knew, but the second she had looked into his eyes, really looked into his eyes, she felt the bond between them, this unexplainable pull that had her heart beating a little quicker, her blood rushing a little faster.
Once he was gone, she pulled the bedsheets down and crawled inside as she ran over the turn of events. Snuggling into her pillow, she thought of her sister, Tami, and how she must feel right now as she stood over Jadyn’s comatose body. Oh, God, why now? After years of struggling, everything was just beginning to fall into place for her—for both of them. Jadyn had a beautiful, successful sister, a thriving career and great friends. The only thing missing from the picture was a husband to share it all with. But since she’d spent her life concentrating on her career and her sister’s well-being, she didn’t have much time for a social life, nor would most men put up with her long days and even longer nights. She’d all but given up on thinking she’d find the one and only man meant for her.
Tami was just about to graduate from veterinary college, and dammit, Jadyn was determined to see it happen. After all, Jadyn had never thought they’d even get this far, since life hadn’t always been so kind to them.
Growing up fatherless and with an alcoholic mother who brought home a different man each week set the stage for a dark, tumultuous life pretty early on for both girls. By the time Jadyn had reached high school, she was using drugs and alcolhol. Like her mother had always preached to her, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
But all that changed one heavy, ominous night when Jadyn came home to find a man trying to have his way with Tami. It was then and there she knew this wasn’t a life she wanted to live, wasn’t a life she wanted for her sister, and if she wanted Tami to make something of herself, she needed to set a positive example. Gathering every ounce of strength she possessed, Jadyn pulled herself and her sister away from their mother and her bad influences. She cleaned up her act, worked two jobs to put herself through nursing school and then used that income to provide a nice home for her sister and help her follow her dreams of becoming a veterinarian. Neither had ever looked back, proving to her mother that not only could the apple fall far, it could roll away to greener pastures.
Her thoughts raced to Gage and his solemn warning that no one had ever left hell, that no one could resist the Master’s demonic charm. But she could resist, and she would resist, because failure was never an option for her. And never, ever would she submit to any man, for any reason, no matter how beguiling he was. The few men back home who’d tried to command her quickly learned the consequences of that action. A real man, a man worth having, would never want to dominate his woman. He’d put her needs and desires first, and treat her with dignity and respect.
Suddenly that familiar feeling she was being watched caused the fine hairs on the back of her neck to tingle. She peered over her covers to see Gage step into her room. He was carrying a wooden bowl filled with meat, from which wafted an aroma that made her stomach growl, reminding her just how hungry she was. But was she hungry for whatever it was he had in that bowl? Then again, something deep inside her told her that Gage would never feed her anything she’d normally object to eating, and that he somehow knew her every single objection—as though he’d been the one watching her all these years. She swallowed. Was it possible?
The mattress dipped when Gage lowered himself and shimmied in beside her. “It’s fresh and it’s good.” He jabbed a piece of meat with a skewer and handed it to her.
She sat up, pulling her blankets to her shoulders. Suddenly ravenous, she dug into it, and her eyes widened. “This is delicious.” She didn’t miss his smile of pleasure, but when she licked her fingers, she watched that same smile fall from his face and noted the way his expression changed, darkened. He glanced over his shoulder, then back at her, as though waging an internal war.
Feeling his tension, she reached out and touched him. “Are you okay?”
Hell, no, he wasn’t okay. He wanted her. Badly. Here she was—having just found herself in hell—and she was asking him if he was okay. He might have set a plan in motion to get her to fall for him, giving her some small chance that the power of love would afford her the ammunition to fight Lucifer’s charm, but it was more than that. Not only did her want her, he needed her, as though some force stronger than the two of them was pulling at him, guiding his actions.
“Jadyn…”
She gulped, then dropped her skewer back into the bowl. When she met his eyes, he fully suspected she felt the savage desire welling up inside him.
“Yeah?” she asked, her voice soft, seductive, seeping under his skin and warming his darkest corners.
He reached out and touched her cheek. She flinched, taking him by surprise. Stiffening at her reaction, he withdrew his hand and whispered, “I’d never hurt you, baby girl.”
“I know,” she responded.
Emotions pressed hard against his chest. He softened his voice and asked, “Then why did you flinch?”
“Every time you touch me, it’s like a jolt.” When he frowned in confusion, she rushed on. “But not in a bad way.” She glanced down and added in a whisper, “In a sexual way. My body…it’s like it’s on fire. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I’ve never felt anything quite like it.”
He put his hand back on her face, and watched the heat dance in her eyes. By small degrees her body relaxed into his touch. “I feel it, too, Jadyn. I can’t explain it, but it’s there, this strange connection between us.” He glanced back over his shoulder, knowing if they were caught together intimately, all hell would break loose. Literally. Even though the only one in the corridor was Brand, and Brand had Gage’s back at all times, he still knew it went against Lucifer’s rules to touch her, but when he turned back around and her blanket fell from her shoulders, exposing the creamy swell of her breasts, the need in him became too strong to deny.
As sexual tension hung heavy in the air, he cupped her cheeks in his hands. “Baby,” he whispered and dipped his head. Hunger consuming him, he pressed his lips to hers. Peaches, cinnamon, sugar and everything sweet exploded on his tongue. Oh, fuck, he’d never tasted anything so divine.
He nudged her backward until she was sprawled across the mattress. She moved willingly, eagerly. He eased in beside her and resumed the kiss. Color bloomed high on her cheeks as he invaded her mouth with his tongue. Her soft mewl curled around him and was all the encouragement he needed. After a long, thorough kiss, his hands left her face and trailed downward. The softness of her skin had his mind whirling and his body tightening with desire.
“Gage, please…I want…I need…” She couldn’t seem to vocalize her desires any more than he could his.
She arched her back
, offering him her body. His head dropped to see two pert nipples beckoning his mouth. Gage angled her shoulders, reached behind her and untied the cloth. He sucked in a sharp breath when her chamois fell away, exposing her gorgeous breasts.
He looked into her desirous eyes and knew without a doubt that she needed this as much as he did. He brushed the soft blade of his tongue over one nipple and they both moaned in pleasure. “So beautiful,” he whispered. “And so goddamn delicious.”
Warm fingers raked through his hair and guided his mouth back to her breasts. Pleasure resonated through him as her hands urged him on. “More,” she demanded in a soft voice.
Gage worked his tongue over her nipples, laving them until they hardened in bliss, then, one by one, he drew them deep into his mouth, sucking, nibbling and nipping until her cries of ecstasy filled the air. His blood pulsed hot and heavy through his veins, and despite his body’s demands he forced himself to slow down and make love to her the way she deserved.
The sweet tang of her arousal filled the air, and his cock pulsed in response. Sexual longing swamped him. He needed to be inside her, to feel her heat wrapped around him, to bring them to a deeper level of intimacy.
As her scent permeated the small room and reached out to him, he shimmied lower and insinuated himself between her legs. A low growl rumbled up from the depths of his throat when he glimpsed her sweet pussy through the chamois. He wet his lips in preparation. “Open wider for me,” he demanded.
Her heard her breath catch and glanced up at her. When he glimpsed the raw lust and sheer excitement on her face he was thrilled he’d put them there, and his heart thudded. Jesus, he could hardly believe she was here with him and wanted him as badly as he wanted her.
The need in her gaze whipped through his blood and stirred all his emotions. With her eyes full of want she said, “Gage, I need…”
The warmth of her voice pulled him under, and he acknowledged the flare of desire between his legs. “I know, baby, I know. Now spread your thighs wider. I want to taste you first,” he said, letting his warm breath wash over the insides of her legs.
He tore off her makeshift clothing to expose her gorgeous pink pussy. Moisture glistened on her twin lips and it was all he could do not to ravish her like a starving man at a buffet. He leaned forward and licked, indulging himself in her sweet cream. An erotic whimper bubbled in the depths of her throat and she liquefied under his touch.
He moaned and buried his face in her pussy. Her delectable aroma nearly shut down his brain. He pushed his tongue into her heat, and using the soft pad of his thumb, he drew small circles around her puckered clit. Her hips came off the bed, and she gyrated, riding his tongue with wild abandon. His heart skipped, loving the way she reacted to his touch. Soon her body began to shudder, and that first clench told him she was there.
“That’s a girl, come for me,” he growled as he lavished her body with his undivided attention.
She began panting and pressing harder and harder against his face as she chased an orgasm. He continued to work his thumb over her clit, building her pressure until she reached the point of no return and exploded all over him. Her sweet cream poured into his dry mouth, rehydrating him. “Oh, baby,” he rasped. “You’re so fucking delicious.” He worked his tongue over her pussy, as his cock ached to be inside her.
Her hands gripped his shoulders and pulled him toward her. Excited, needy eyes met his. “I need you inside me. Now,” she demanded, her voice shaky, frenzied.
He could feel her heart thudding double time as he fell over her and positioned his cock near her entrance. When she bucked forward, the tip of his erection breached her opening. Their gazes collided as he crushed his shaky hands through her hair, working to keep his breathing regulated.
“Gage, I really, really need you to fuck me.” The urgency in her voice prompted him into action.
“Oh, Jesus,” he bit out and in one long thrust pushed all the way inside her.
The second he entered her, he felt another orgasm roll through her. Her pussy muscles gripped him so hard he nearly exploded then and there. Marshaling his control, he let her ride out her climax before he began pumping. Once her tremors subsided he rocked his hips, pushing his cock in and out of her hot, wet sheath, giving her a piece of himself that he’d never given another.
“Jadyn,” he whispered, his voice wavering, conveying his feelings with that one simple word as his lips found hers. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the intense pleasure, and the fullness inside his chest. Their bodies moistened and sealed together as one as he continued to fuck her. Jadyn’s hands raced over his back, gently, carefully, lovingly. Even though she had long, sharp nails, she seemed to be taking care not to mar his already lacerated skin. The small gesture touched him deeply.
Needy, frantic, she brushed his skin with her lips. “Gage, you feel so good,” she gasped. “It’s never been this good for me before.”
His voice came out rough, edgy. “Me, neither,” he managed to get out between pants.
Her breath caught and her sex muscles gripped him again. It was all he could take. His body began burning from the inside out, screaming for release. Once he was sure Jadyn was sufficiently pleasured, he buried himself deep, let out a low growl and splashed his seed high inside her, claiming her and marking her his once and for all. Ripples of sensual pleasure made him shiver as his cock spasmed with genuine fulfilment.
Giving his passion-rattled brain time to catch up, he stayed buried inside her for a long time. Never in his life had he felt such ecstasy. God, he never wanted this to end. A short while later he rolled beside her and, needing the intimate connection at all times, he pulled her to him.
As she snuggled in beside him and he held her in his arms, he noted the time. His heart sank, and his earlier bliss dissolved quicker than a splash of water on Lucifer’s stone fire pit.
“Jadyn, baby, we have to go. It’s time for the feast.” Contrary to his words, he pulled her in tighter. He hated, absolutely fucking hated, that he felt so defenseless. He positioned his mouth close to her ear and whispered words of encouragement. “You have to fight his charm, Jadyn, it’s the only way.”
Chapter Three
Following his firm orders, Jadyn walked in front of Gage as he led her into a great hall where others were already seated around a long, oaken table. Women, all dressed in chamois similar to hers, eyed her, sizing up the “fresh meat” as she was ushered to the seat closest to their Master. Standing behind Lucifer were his four loyal warriors, ready to intervene should the need occur. Jadyn fought down a shiver and slowed her steps, letting Gage’s body collide with her from behind, desperately needing to feel his strength and support, but taking extra care not to give away that she had one ally in hell.
When his strength curled around her, she took a moment to reflect on the emotions he brought out in her. She suspected he took great risks when he made love to her in her chamber. And then, as he held her in his protective arms, he gave her words of advice, encouragement, telling her how to fight Lucifer’s demonic charm. But why? Why would he do that for her? She knew there was a strange magical connection between them, but did he feel the emotional pull as strongly as she did? And why was she feeling such a bond with the devil’s henchman? Were they lovers from another time, another place?
She chanced a glance at him over her shoulder. His eyes were dark, masked, his expression hard and cold. Her heart thudded when she looked at him, and it occurred to her that he was so scarred and hardened, yet he was so damn gentle and caring with her.
His hands gripped her shoulders, firm but with an underlying tenderness that told her he’d never allow anything to happen to her, which gave her the courage she needed. He twisted her back around and gestured with a nod to her seat.
She glanced at the table and inhaled the scents coming from the plates and bowls lining the length of the tabletop. Her stomach chose that moment to grumble, a reminder that she hadn’t eaten much of the meat that Gage had broug
ht to her and that she’d built up quite an appetite during their lovemaking.
After she took her seat, she met Lucifer’s gaze unflinchingly. Amber eyes latched onto hers and sparkled in delight as he perused her. He offered her his most charming smile, and she dug deep, summoning a defense against his allure. Except, surprisingly, she didn’t have to dig very deep at all. Hadn’t Gage said his demonic charm was impossible to fight?
“Such a pretty little one,” he murmured, and let his lewd gaze move over her face.
She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable as his eyes undressed her. As she stared at him, she instinctively knew no matter what happened, she’d never, ever submit to him. Not only did his demonic charm sicken her, she had a life on Earth she was determined to get back to. Then another thought struck. If she left here, she’d be leaving the one and only man she suspected was meant for her. Her stomach dropped and her heart sank. Suddenly the smells emanating from the table made her nauseous.
“You’re not eating, Jaddy,” Lucifer announced.
She cringed at the sickly sweet way he’d called her Jaddy, her childhood nickname. “I’m not hungry,” she shot back. The warriors standing behind him stiffened and took a predatory step forward. When their Master held his hand up, they halted midstride, acting like the obedient servants they were.
“But, Jadyn, darling, you should take joy in all I have to offer you,” he said, waving his hand over the table and the feast before her.
“I’ll never take joy in anything you have to offer me,” she responded flatly and resisted the urge to jump from her chair and bolt.
“So feisty,” he crooned, amused. “I’m going to take great joy breaking in this little one,” he murmured to his henchmen.