by L-J Baker
Lust
Seven Deadly Sins, book 5
LJ Baker
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Thank You for Reading!
Books by LJ Baker
Acknowledgments
About the Author
© 2018 LJ Baker
All right reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
http://www.lj-baker.com/
Cover by Pink Ink Designs
"Real life's nasty.
It's cruel.
It doesn't care about heroes
and happy endings
and the way things should be.
In real life, bad things happen.
People die. Fights are lost.
Evil often wins."
— Darren Shan
1
Luc noticed her as soon as he walked in the room. Her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail as usual and she was sitting on the table, kicking her legs back and forth. She was laughing at something Harley said like it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. He stopped in his tracks, watching her, and something swirled in his stomach.
Even before Amanda noticed him and waved him over, he had an overwhelming need to be close to her. It was like no time had passed, and he was right back in his month with her.
There was a part of him that wanted to turn around, walk in the other direction, and avoid getting closer. Their time was over. She wasn't the one, but he still wanted her. His polite side won out and he made his way over to the table.
"Amanda, great to see you. Are you making a delivery?" Luc remained standing, hoping it would be a short visit.
He wasn't sure how long he could be around her and not want to swipe her hair off her neck and kiss her soft skin. He knew what it felt like to touch her, to feel her heat envelop him, to be lost in pleasure with her.
And he missed it.
Damn did he miss it.
"Nah, just came to drop something off to Toby."
Luc glanced around, not finding Toby anywhere in sight.
She noticed, and added, "He went to make a call. Harley's been keeping me company. So how have you been? I heard your sister came to visit."
Luc nodded, shooting Harley a quick look, in hopes that she would save him somehow. "Yeah, she's hanging around for a while. How's school?"
"Well I'll let you two kids catch up," Harley winked behind Amanda's back and walked off.
Great friend she was.
"Sit, relax," Amanda said, patting the table next to her. "You look tense."
Because he was.
Luc sat on the chair furthest away from her and she scooted closer, increasing the discomfort factor by ten.
At least.
"School is going great. Although, studying with Toby and his new boyfriend around sucks. Have you met Zach?" She leaned back on one arm and stretched her back. The scent of her shampoo swirled in the air around them and Luc shifted in his seat.
"I have. He seems like a good guy."
"Yeah, he is. Toby deserves someone great like that. Though to be honest, I never thought he would settle down. I didn't think he had it in him."
She went on about Toby, his boyfriend, and her classes, chatting like they were old friends catching up. Luc tried to stay focused on the conversation, but he found it difficult to overlook the fact that not that long ago, he'd had his head between her thighs, making her scream his name.
"So what about you? Are you seeing anyone?"
Luc's attention jumped back and he shook off his wayward thoughts. "Me? Um, no, not really."
"That's a bit sketchy." She laughed. "Which is it, no, or not really?"
Since she lived with Toby, she could easily find out what he's been up to, so dancing around the truth seemed pointless. But Luc didn't want to talk about other women with her.
"You know, a date here or there. Nothing serious. How about you?"
"Nah. I've been focused on school. If I can keep up this pace, I'll be done in six months. Don't get me wrong, I like coming here every week, but this job can suck it." She picked up her glass, drank the rest down, and hopped off the table. "I better get going. Let Toby know I'll see him at home?"
"Of course." Luc stood and gave her a quick hug before she left. He wanted to tell her not to go, to have dinner with him, to spend the next week in his bed, but he just returned the hug and watched her leave. She wasn't his soul mate, so why did he feel such a connection to her?
"She's cute, right?" Harley appeared at his side, nearly making him jump.
"Was that ever in question." Luc grumbled and went toward the bar. He needed a drink, or maybe seven.
"Come on. I saw that look on your face. You were happy to see her."
"I was trying to avoid it actually. You really need to work on your social cues." Luc grabbed himself a glass and the bottle of bourbon from behind the bar. Before he could pour it, Harley was on the other side, taking over.
"Only because you don't want to feel things. You do realize that just because your month is over, doesn't mean you can't go back to one of the girls at some point, right?"
"I realize that."
If only she knew he'd gone back to see Ronnie before he met Talia. But the thought of going back, really being with one of the previous girls, hadn't really sunk in for him. Rationally, he knew that he had to finish all seven sins before he could pick one anyway, so it made sense that he might eventually spend more time with one of them. He just never thought of it that way. When their month was over, it felt finished each time.
"So then why avoid her?"
"Amanda has her own life now. She doesn't need me interfering and screwing with it."
"And if she's really your soul mate?" Harley poured herself a tequila, something she rarely did while working, and tipped it back in one gulp. "If you shut her out, you might never know."
Luc swirled the bourbon in his glass and watched it spin. "She's not."
"How do you know?"
"I know."
He had no clue.
Before he started all this, Luc assumed that he would know right away when he met his soul mate. He'd since learned that probably wasn't the case. He honestly had no idea what he was doing, or if he would know who his true love was if she slapped him in the face.
After being with more women than he could ever count, Luc never felt anything more for any of them, other than affection, or physical attraction. That was until he started this game. Each of the girls made him feel things he'd never experienced. He wasn't even sure what true love felt like. So how could he know when he found it?
It was part of the reason he wanted to pick lust as this month's sin. Lust was easy. There would surely be plenty of sex, and sex, was something Luc understood. The rules were simple. He was good at it. Love connection or not, the month wouldn't be spent having no idea what he was doing.
Harley was slicing limes, unaware of the turmoil inside him. There was a part of him that wanted to open up, to tell her what a mess this game was making him, but she would laugh. Harley was a great friend, but this wasn't the kind of thing he could talk to her about. Az was a bit better, but Luc wasn't sure he could have that conversati
on with his brother. Instead, he would keep quiet and hope for the best.
"You come up with this month's pick yet?" Luc caught a lime that got away from Harley and tossed it back to her.
"I've been wondering when you were going to ask about that."
The month had only been officially over for a few days, in his defense, and they'd been dealing with the whole Michael mess. He wasn't sure when that asshole would show up, so rushing into the next sin was irresponsible. And still, he wanted to do it.
"Now I've asked. Are you planning on answering me?" Luc drank down half his drink and waited for her to finish what she was doing. After the last fruit was cut, she wiped the knife on her towel, and stood in front of him.
"I think I might have some options."
"And by options, you mean you picked the girl, and found a decoy to show us with her?"
"I don't throw in decoys. You and Az need to get the fuck over that shit. I put a lot of work into finding the right girl for you each month, ya know? How about a little appreciation?" She raised one eyebrow and waited.
"I appreciate you, Harley. Even if you lie about decoys."
She slapped Luc with her bar towel, spilling his drink down the mahogany bar. "Now see what you've done?"
Luc laughed as she wiped up the mess.
"So, about this months pick?" Luc asked, hoping he wasn't about to be whipped with a bourbon-soaked towel. "When do I get to see her?"
She pressed her lips together and stared at him for a long moment, then gave in. "Fine, collect your brother and I'll meet you upstairs."
Luc finished the last drops left in his glass, texted Az, and headed for his apartment. He would pretend for a while that the whole world wasn't in jeopardy, that his own brother wasn't out to destroy him and everything he cared about. For just a short time, he would imagine that everything was normal, that he was playing a game, spending time with amazing women, and maybe finding his true love.
Sooner or later, it would all come crashing down. Likely sooner, rather than later, since he'd had a mage do some magic, which would hopefully lure Michael there. On paper, it sounded like a terrible idea to invite the monster in that's trying to end you. But it actually made sense.
Bringing Michael to him afforded them home court advantage. Oz, the mage, had things in place that would help them. Luc had access to the Hell Box that he would hopefully cage Michael into. Their people were there, weapons handy, ready for the battle. They may not know the exact moment it would happen, but they were as prepared as they could be.
In the meantime, Luc would continue living his life, because, well, fuck Michael. He had no right to stand in the way of Luc's happiness. He'd already taken enough from him when he had Luc cast from Heaven. He wouldn't get one more damned thing. This time, Michael would lose.
Az was already in his apartment with Harley when Luc got there. They were arguing over something Luc had no interest in, standing at the mirror. He couldn't decide if they acted more like brother and sister, or an old married couple. He figured he should keep that to himself.
"Okay, children, stop bickering." Luc walked between them and leaned against the back of the couch. He wrapped one arm around each of their shoulders and they shrugged him off at the same time.
Luc was ready for the month to begin. Harley and Az fighting wasn't going to get in the way of his excitement. The only thing that could bring him down right then, would be for Michael to show up. And knowing his asshole brother, that's just what would happen. But until it did, he would act as if this was any other month.
Az folded his arms over his chest and stared at Harley. He respected Luc enough to quit arguing, but he was childish enough to sulk passive-aggressively.
Harley rolled her eyes and waved her hand over the mirror. The usual fog appeared, as it waited for further instructions. You had to love a magic mirror that could show you just about anything, anytime, and any place.
Being the devil was a good gig sometimes.
"So," Harley said, rubbing her hands together like an evil genius. "Time for lust."
Luc's stomach twisted as the fog dissipated. He'd been looking forward to this sin from the start, but now that it was here, he couldn't help feeling just a bit nervous. The reason he'd put it off until now, was that he was afraid he'd get so wrapped up in the sex, that he would fall back into his old way of thinking, and not consider the girl as a possible soul mate.
He figured that by the time he was past the halfway point, he'd be over that, and into the groove of seeing past sex. Now that he'd spend the good part of the past few months getting hardly any, he was afraid his hormones would take over and cloud his judgment.
He was a man after all.
Basically.
"You ready for this, bro?" Az elbowed him in the ribs and waggled his eyebrows like an idiot.
He wanted to say of course, that it was the same as the other months, but it would be a lie. Everything about this month was different. The sin, his mindset, the chaos around him, even who he was now, compared to who he was just six short months ago, had changed. Luc was different and he felt it deep in his soul.
"Well, ready or not, here she comes," Harley said, as the mirror split into two halves, each showing a girl. "On the right," she said, doing her best Vanna White pose. "We have Annalee James. Annalee was raised in a small Midwestern town, by strict, religious parents. She is an only child, aspiring writer, and lucky for you, just moved here for an internship at City Life magazine. Her likes are puppies, drunken karaoke, and dancing in the rain."
Harley stepped aside and let Luc get a good look at her. She was pretty, but not overly so. She definitely looked the part of farm girl, with long, dirty blond hair, wide, brown eyes, and freckles dotting her cheeks and nose. She had a rebellious look to her that Luc liked, but she also had an innocence that he wasn't sure would mesh well with the devil.
"She's cute."
"She looks young," Az said. "And naive."
Luc didn't agree, but Az was entitled to his opinion.
"She's twenty-two, so compared to you two dinosaurs, she is young. Did you want me to look for senior citizens? I could scope out the local memory care unit next time. That way you could tell her your true identity and she wouldn't even remember it." Harley rolled her eyes.
"Okay, smart ass, who's behind door number two?" Az huffed, still holding a grudge from their earlier squabble.
"On the left, we have Destiny Smalls. Destiny grew up in Minnesota and recently moved out here to pursue an acting career on Broadway. Despite her career choice, she tends to be shy, probably because she was raised by overprotective parents, who home schooled her and her six siblings, giving her little opportunity for social interaction outside the home. Get a few tequila shots in her though, and she opens right up. Her likes include crossword puzzles, alpacas, and early morning jogging."
Harley stepped aside again and let Luc take a closer look at Destiny. She had a natural beauty that was hard to deny. It wasn't the glamorous, sophisticated beauty that Valerie had, but more a down-to-Earth, easygoing kind of look that was undeniable.
Her long, brown hair, fell in waves around her round face. Her full lips smiled, revealing perfect teeth, and she laughed with an ease that few could pull off. Luc could imagine her on top of him, her breasts bouncing as she rode him. He had no trouble envisioning the fun they would have together, but was that enough?
He took a step back and rested against the back of the couch, still watching both girls on the mirror. If he could choose, which he couldn't since he already knew Harley had made up her mind. But if he could, he wasn't sure he could make the decision. Both girls had something that tugged at him. It was the first time that he'd seen two choices and actually felt like either could be the right one.
"Clearly, it's Destiny," Az said, leaning in for a closer look at the girls. "She's more grown up."
Luc could see why Az would easily pick Destiny. She did look more adult than Annalee. He narrowed his eyes and focu
sed in on the first girl. He wanted to reach out, touch her, see if there was a spark. It made him wonder about the other girls that were second choice, that he'd never gotten to meet. Could they have been the better choice?
"And what do you think?" Harley asked, with one hand resting on her hip. She didn't have the usual smug look on her face. She genuinely wanted to know his opinion.
Which of course, was when he wasn't sure he had one.
"To be honest, I'm not sure." Luc walked closer, waved his hand over the mirror, and switched to just Annalee.
She was in the park, perched on a huge boulder, scribbling something in a notebook. Her hair half-covered the side of her face, and she had sunglasses pulled over her eyes. He wanted her to take them off, to see what her eyes reflected back at him. There was a mystery about her, but he wasn't sure.
He wanted to flick back, see more of her life, but Harley wouldn't have allowed it. She never wanted him to have too much information. That was her job, to research the girls ahead of time, to know the things Luc didn't need to know upfront.
Once again he waved his hand, and brought up Destiny, who was sitting in a cafe, drinking a milkshake. She was alone, at the counter, and the guy flipping burgers behind the grill, was staring at her in a creepy sort of way. She seemed not to notice, fully absorbed in the vanilla goodness in front of her. She licked her lips and smiled.
Luc imagined those lips wrapped around his cock, as he held her hair back, out of her way. Most women had trouble taking much of him, but he bet that Destiny would work it like a champ.
Both girls were to represent the sin lust, so clearly the sex wouldn't be an issue. But there needed to be more. Destiny was an actress, shy, according to Harley, but bold when she needed to be. The sparkle in her eyes betrayed hints of adventure that had yet to be realized.