She ran a hand through her wet, red hair. “I don’t even know if I want kids, or marriage. It would be nice though, to have an opportunity to at least think about it. Like I said, I’m not sure if the whole white picket fence thing is what I’m looking for, but I want more than sex. My point is, I haven’t met anyone in a long time who was looking for more than a one night stand. I’ve been lonely. To be blunt, there are only so many needs a vibrator can satisfy. I wanted the touch of a man.”
“But not the possibility of sleeping with a lunatic or contracting a disease.”
Selina was pleased with how well Asmodeus had understood her meaning. “That about covers it, yeah. I realize how this is going to sound, especially after what just happened. I don’t believe in casual sex. There’s nothing casual about sharing my body with another person. Having someone inside me is too personal to share with a stranger.” She laughed. “I sound like an idiot.”
“No, you don’t. You aren’t comfortable with using someone or being used. So, you summoned a demon to satisfy your needs.”
“When you put it like that, I sound like such an asshole.”
“You didn’t want to be hurt. Sharing yourself with someone who sees you as only an object is painful, and often times it doesn’t even get the job done, if you know what I mean.” He gestured toward himself. “A demon appreciates the sacredness of the body. I will touch you with reverence, and I will get the job done. Your motives make perfect sense to me. Trust me when I say you haven’t hurt my feelings. What I would like to know is how you obtained the spell.”
“Oh, okay.” Selina was relieved to hear he didn’t feel used. Or, if he did he appeared to like the feeling. “As you already know, I’m a witch. So is my friend Anya. We’ve known each other for years. She’s the one who found the spell. I was complaining to her about all the same stuff I just told you. That’s when she told me about this spell. She found it in an old grimoire that belonged to her great grandmother.” Selina gave him the details of the rite as briefly as she could. “When I first read the ritual, the whole thing scared the shit out of me.”
“Was it the part about having to pour a goblet of pig’s blood into the fire?”
“No, it was the part about summoning a demon.”
He raised a brow. “How did you get the blood? You don’t strike me as the type for ritual sacrifices.”
“I’m not. Anya is friends with the butcher. He’s a warlock. All I had to do was ask for the blood.”
“Oh. Please, go on.”
“Anya used the spell first. She said a demon appeared to her in her dreams that night and gave her the ride of her life.”
His smile widened.
“Those were her exact words. That’s why I was so surprised when you appeared. At first, I thought you were an illusion, a vision of what would appear in my dreams later. Can you explain to me why that didn’t happen?”
“Your friend either performed a different spell, or you did something wrong.”
Selina tried not to make her irritation obvious as she got up to make a cup of tea. After all, she was being just as blunt with him.
“Anya copied the spell down for me. I don’t believe she would deliberately leave anything out. I performed it to the letter.”
She was pleased with how calm she sounded. Even though he had a valid point, she didn’t like to think that her friend had lied to her or that she’d bungled a spell.
“There is another option. Your friend might be powerful enough to summon an incubus by name. That is the type of demon you just described, by the way.”
“I know that.” Her words weren’t sharp. She just sounded tired.
Asmodeus rose and moved to stand in front of her. Every step, every gesture showed off his body and unbelievable good looks. His hands were warm against her shoulders, and when he kissed her forehead, Selina could feel tears burning her eyes.
“I’m sorry to ruin your plans,” he said softly. “I am familiar with the ritual you spoke of. You are right, I should have disappeared.”
Selina put her hands against his chest, but she didn’t push him away. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I thought this would be easy, that no one would get hurt.”
“I’m not hurt,” he said, pulling her close.
“It hurts me to treat you this way, to speculate about why you didn’t disappear. I guess I’m not capable of using anyone.” She laughed softly. “Wow. That is really unexpected.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and it felt natural.
“Getting here tonight wasn’t easy,” he said. “I fought for the privilege to answer your call.”
“What? The spell only took a few minutes. Even if you knew what was happening as I built the fire and gathered my supplies, that only took an hour, max. I don’t understand how you had time to fight anyone.”
He pulled away enough to look down at her. “How about we take a shower and I’ll explain? There’s nothing quite like crawling out of Hell to make you want a shower.”
Asmodeus was relieved to hear she had a tub large enough for two. Even though it was his suggestion, the demon wasn’t sure if he could stand up long enough to shower. The water he drank helped a lot, but he was exhausted.
“I love your bathroom,” he said as he sat in a plush chair beside the door.
He reclined in the chair as if it were his throne. After all, that’s what he was used to.
“Thank you,” she said. “I finished remodeling it last year.”
She was beautiful. While he watched Selina move around the room, he admired her. Shoulder-length red hair reflected the light like living flame. Her skin was pale and perfect. It reminded him of untouched snow. “Snow White,” he thought. He laughed and Selina gave him a strange look. This was definitely no fairy tale.
“Did I miss something?” she asked.
“No, just my random thoughts.”
She sat on the edge of the tub and her robe fell open, giving him a glimpse of one well-sculpted thigh. He could still remember how firm they felt beneath his hands. How capable those thighs were of rising to meet his every thrust. He imagined she could ride him at a gallop till his knees buckled and his eyes rolled back.
Asmodeus shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “I guess you’re waiting for the explanation I promised.”
“Kind of.”
He smiled and watched the look in her eyes when he licked his lips. This witch was not simply hungry for affection. She was starving for him. Asmodeus had what she needed, of that he was certain.
“Since it appears that I may be here for a while, I’ll start with what happened on my side of the fire. I’d be glad to answer any other questions that arise later.”
“Okay.”
“When a witch performs a summoning ritual, only the demons she is capable of summoning hear the call.”
Selina’s brow wrinkled in thought and he found the expression adorable.
“Can you elaborate on that?” she asked.
“Sure. Every witch has a different level of power, just like everyone has different levels of physical strength. Your friend Anya, for example, is very powerful to have called forth an incubus. As I’m sure you are aware, demons can be summoned for all sorts of purposes. Most practitioners, regardless of their power, focus specifically on lower level demons. But let’s be honest, no one wants to have sex with a lower level demon.”
He took a moment to enjoy the soft sound of her laughter before continuing.
“Just as there are different levels and ranks of demons, there are also different dimensions of Hell. It’s not just one big flaming pit.”
She watched him intently the whole time he spoke and though he had no desire to look away, Asmodeus was afraid of the effect her green eyes were having on him. After centuries of complete control in the presence of all sorts of men, women, and beasts, he was afraid he might get tongue-tied.
“So, where are you from then?” she asked.
“This time of year, mos
t summons reach the dimensions outlined in Dante’s Inferno.”
Selina looked very surprised. People often were when they learned there was little difference in classic fiction and actual facts.
“Are you serious?”
“Perhaps you will have a better understanding of your own power after I explain things a bit more. When your friend summoned the incubus, I never heard her call, because incubi are beneath me. I am not simply from the level Dante referred to as Lust; I am the ruler of it. I am one of the Seven Princes of Hell, and you summoned me.”
Selina’s already fair skin paled even more at these words. She rose from the edge of the tub and paused as if unsure of her next move. Her hands shook as she removed her robe and stepped into the tub. He gave her time to absorb what he’d said in silence.
After a moment, she motioned for him to join her. His powers were not fully awakened yet, but he could sense that her reaction was beyond words. She truly had no idea what she was capable of.
He let the towel fall to the floor as he moved toward her. The hot water was a slight and welcome discomfort. It burned just enough to feel good.
For several minutes they sat in silence. Asmodeus watched her for a reaction and Selina appeared to be watching the steam rising from the water. He wanted to touch her, to comfort her in some way, but after much debate, the demon kept his hands to himself. She needed time to think.
“Were you ever summoned before?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Once, but that was over four hundred years ago, give or take a few hundred years, I lose count sometimes. The witch who summoned me then really did just want sex.”
“And I don’t?”
“Clearly not.”
He reached for her and Selina hugged him tight, resting her face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, suddenly overcome with the need for closeness.
“Time flows differently in my world. A spell that took minutes here lasted nearly a day for me.”
He paused, wondering if he should tell her exactly what the experience was like for him. “Yes,” he thought. “She deserves to know.”
“When I heard your call, it was like a storm. A cool wind blew through my chambers, carrying your voice and the scent of rain. Three of the other princes also heard your call, but they were not fast enough. They could never get there in time. They sent their best warriors to delay me, and I fought them to reach the portal your spell had opened. When I first emerged from the fire, I could barely stand.”
“I don’t mean to sound crude, but that was not the performance of someone who could barely stand.”
He laughed softly. “I absorbed strength from the fire and from the final words of your spell. But I must say, you took it right back out of me.”
“I feel so stupid,” Selina said, pulling back from him.
“Why?”
He expected she might be proud to know the extent of her power. He never thought this knowledge would make her feel stupid.
“Because I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t realize the full ramifications of this spell. I thought I was doing this simple, but admittedly creepy, thing that would be finished by the time I woke up in the morning. And now I’ve pulled you out of your world and you appear to be stuck here because of my mistake. I’ve summoned one of the Princes of Hell.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. In case you missed that part, I fought to answer your call.”
She looked at him again and his heart fluttered. He couldn’t remember ever seeing such beautiful green eyes.
“I heard you before, but I guess I didn’t let it sink in. You wanted to be out of Hell? Just for the night or what?”
“Suffice it to say, living in Hell was not my first choice. But I was there and I made the most of it. I’ve been dissatisfied for quite some time.”
As she watched him, listened to the inflection in his words, something occurred to Selina.
“You don’t mean to go back.”
“I may not have a choice. However, if the opportunity arises, I would gladly stay.”
“Why would a prince want to leave?”
He ran a hand through his hair and she couldn’t help admiring the way his arm flexed.
“There is too much to explain,” he said softly. “At least for now. However, there is one thing I want you to know. I can relate to what you said before, to your motivations for casting the spell. It has been such a long time since anyone has touched me the way I need to be touched.”
He caressed her face as he spoke and despite her best effort to remain composed, Selina began to cry. There was magic in his hands, and as his fingertips glided over her she felt his meaning. It had been millennia since Asmodeus had been loved.
“Don’t cry,” he said softly. “Everything is going to be all right.”
“How can you know?”
“I’ve come too far to doubt now.”
Selina ran a hand down his chest. To her surprise, she felt her body responding to him again.
“Do you have much strength left?” she asked provocatively.
His amber eyes flashed bright. “I fought fifty Hell beasts to get here,” he said with a grin.
Selina had no idea what a Hell beast was, but it sounded fierce.
“I must say, that sounds very impressive.”
“You should have seen them.”
She moved to straddle his waist. “You have no visible injuries,” she said, running her hands slowly over his upper body.
“I said I fought. I didn’t say I got my ass kicked.”
She felt his chest rumble beneath her hands as he laughed. Selina leaned forward and kissed him, long, slow, and easy. “You are tired,” she said. “I can feel it when I touch you. How is that possible? I’m not psychic in any way.”
“My powers are not fully awakened in this world. However, being able to convey strong sensations or emotions through touch is one of them. If it bothers you, I can block it.”
“No,” she said. “I like knowing what a man is really feeling, for once.”
His smile was contagious. Despite the fact that she’d summoned a potentially non-returnable demon prince, Selina couldn’t help but smile back. He was so damn sexy she wanted to grin every time she looked at him.
“How would you like to join me in my bed and actually sleep?” she teased.
Asmodeus sighed. “That sounds wonderful.”
Selina continued to smile as she watched him dry off, admiring his tight ass, and big, thick cock.
“Have you always had a body like that, or is it some kind of magic?”
He dropped the towel in a basket beside the door and turned to her, arms wide. “Does it look like magic?”
She laughed. “You are a little too sexy to be real.”
“Hell has changed me over the years, just as war changes all its instruments. However, I did start with black hair, and I was six-foot-five when I arrived in Hell.”
“I can’t possibly imagine what you’ve been through.”
“Hell is only a concept to most people. Don’t feel bad. Be glad you don’t have firsthand knowledge.”
Selina shivered as she slid back into a robe. “I was so hot by the fire, and I think touching you raised my temperature at first, but that’s wearing off.”
“It happens.”
“Anyway, I forgot it’s December. Do you want a robe?”
It occurred to her then that if Asmodeus remained in this world, he had no clothes.
He smiled as if reading her mind. The demon walked toward her bed. She watched the muscles of his long legs flex with every move and licked her lips. Asmodeus stretched out across the crimson sheets, looking like something out of a wet dream, that knowing grin still on his face.
“Even though I am able to leave the circle, you are still in control. Technically.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying that I will wear whatever you want me to. Focus on me, and whatever you picture
in your mind will become a reality.”
Selina’s heart nearly skipped a beat. “You can’t be serious.”
“I never joke about magic.”
“Anything I want? You tell me this when we are about to go to sleep?” She laughed. “The possibilities alone will keep me awake.”
“We could start with something simple, like sleepwear.” He leaned back as he spoke and gestured at his washboard abs. “Unless you prefer me like this.”
“Are you cold?”
He shrugged. “The weather does not affect me like humans. I’m comfortable.”
“In that case, let’s leave clothing choices for the morning.”
She turned to the fireplace at the foot of her bed, but couldn’t find the lighter.
“Allow me,” the demon said.
With a snap of his fingers and a flash of his amber eyes the fire was lit.
“If you want to drop the robe, I could keep you warm,” he said.
“How can I refuse an offer like that?”
Asmodeus held her tight against his chest and she sighed. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so safe or content. Despite her efforts to remain awake and enjoy the moment, she drifted off to sleep in a few minutes.
Asmodeus remained awake for more than an hour. He took comfort in her body against his, in the feel of her soft skin, and the smell of her hair. He savored the moment. Sooner or later, they would come for him.
Chapter 3
Selina woke at ten o’clock that morning. Still resting against his chest, she listened for a while to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. “He is real,” she thought. “Last night really happened.” She was unaccustomed to the gentle comfort of waking up next to someone. Part of her expected it to be a dream. When she finally lifted her head to look at him, she found the demon’s amber eyes watching her. She saw a tenderness in his expression she hadn’t expected. And more emotion in his touch than she would’ve thought a demon capable of.
“We should go see Anya, ask her more about the spell,” she said.
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