Lucifer drew a bath, and as I sank down into the water, he climbed in behind me. I leaned back against his firm chest and soaked up all the heat there was to offer. After being sufficiently satisfied, for now, the relaxation and calm with him was a welcome change from the recent normal. My body was still so sweetly sore from him. I knew I needed a break and time to heal but every time it came down to it, the urge to let him take me was too strong.
He rubbed circles into my back with a rag as he washed my body. Scooped water into my hair as he rinsed it and dropped kisses along my shoulders. It was intimate, and I knew that my feelings for him were growing stronger with each touch, every word spilled, every taste of him that he gave me. I had been in relationships before, but no one had ever affected me this way. A chemistry flowed between us that was undeniable—unable to be replicated. Something special just between us, and I found my longing for freedom and escape dwindling. I missed my gran and Amiah. Styx, too, but this was different. I knew if I ran, I would never find anything like it again, and I didn't know if I could hurt him like that either.
After, Lucifer brought more clothes for me. A new gown and a pair of slippers that matched. It was beautiful. Emerald green that contrasted perfectly with my hair. I had a form fitting bodice shaped my chest nicely in a deep 'v' cut. It flowed down at the waist like waves of water layered between the sheer fabric. I had never been a big fan of dresses, but this one made me feel beautiful. As I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, Lucifer came up behind me, dressed finely in all black, and wrapped a string of emeralds around my neck.
My fingers brushed over them, as I watched him clasp it and his lips formed a smile that made me melt inside. "What is all this?" I asked as I turned around and draped my arms over his shoulders. Between the necklace and the dress, it seemed awfully formal. He kissed me as he brought his arms around my waist and held me close.
His teeth nipped at my ear as he said, "Tonight is a special occasion." My brow furrowed as I pulled back and looked at him. His responding grin was mischievous.
"And what occasion would that be?"
Another kiss to my lips. "Tonight, I am going to claim you—in front of everyone. They will all know you are mine and mine alone, and after, you will be free to roam. No one would dare touch you."
"I will?"
"You will." His hands trailed down my arms as he took my hand and led me from the bathroom.
"But what does that mean, claiming me?" I asked as we cut across the room to the door.
He opened it and stepped into the hall as he looked back at me with a grin. "Formalities and such, nothing to worry about." I was confused. If I was already his, why the need to make such a spectacle of it? I understood that he wanted to keep me safe, but it seemed like he wasn't fully explaining things.
"Have you ever done this with anyone else?" He stopped in the middle of the hall and turned back to me; his face serious as he shook his head.
"Never." Chills raced through me at the implication that this was a far more serious thing that simple formalities.
Hand in hand, we entered a ballroom filled with people and demons alike. Black gossamer curtains cascaded from the walls, while candlelight bathed the room in a warm orange hue. A crimson carpet sliced through the crowd, leading to a throne crafted from bones and enveloped in obsidian.
I squeezed his hand as my nervousness gave way, and he reassured me with a smile over his shoulder as he led me through the room. It felt like all eyes were on me, because they were. Eyes that glowed yellow, some pitch black and hollow, but none were like his.
YOU ARE READING
The Devil and I
Romance"I like looking at you," he breathed. "Looking at you is like taking a breath of fresh air. Not the polluted gas above," he waved his hand dismissively. "But fresh air, like from the garden." He stood from the chair and walked to the end of the bed...
