Page 15 of Midnight with the Devil

If it really was because of the bargain she had made, Diana would pay any price for this, to see her father happy and healed. Even if that meant facing the reality of what her dark and frightening erotic dreams with Lucien promised.

They remained on the park bench for another half an hour before they decided to walk home. Her mother was waiting and had the pot roast ready. Diana felt like she was a teenager again, being home with her parents and just sharing dinner, but when her mother offered her old room upstairs for the night, she waved a hand.

“I think I ought to head home. Seth has been acting weird lately, and I don’t want to leave him alone for too long.”

“Weird?” Her mother paused in the act of putting some of the dishes from the sink into the dishwasher.

“Yeah.” Diana leaned against the kitchen counter. “He’s been hissing at the air and running away from nothing. It’s just weird.” She was pretty sure she knew what was upsetting her cat, but she wasn’t about to tell her parents that the devil was visiting her in dreams at night and fucking her into oblivion.

“Huh?” Her mother shrugged. “Cats,” she said, as if that one word was enough.

“You leaving, honey?” Her father came into the kitchen and joined her mom by the sink.

“Yeah. I’m heading out. I’ll see you guys in a few days, okay?” Diana hugged them before she left the house and got into her car. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t remember driving the entire way back to her apartment.

This time when she pulled into the driveway of her apartment complex, she knew immediately that something wasoff. Like that weird sense she was being watched. She climbed the stairs to her apartment, wanting to escape the strange feeling, but as she turned into the hallway toward her door, she froze. There, on her welcome mat, was a black velvet box tied with a crimson ribbon.

“What the”

She picked up the box, studying it. It had a solid weight, and she gave it a cautious shake. She heard some indistinct rustling. Diana took the package and tucked it under her arm before she unlocked the door and slipped inside. Seth rushed up to meet her, but she removed the box from under her arm, and he hissed and flattened his ears.

“Oh!” In a flash, a thought struck her. The cat had reacted to the letter from Lucien’s attorney and now this box. Was he reacting to…the devil? If that was the case, had he been here last night when she was reading?

“Oh God…” What else had he seen?Holy crap, can he see me naked?

A metallic taste filled her mouth, and she panicked.

Calm down. This might be a good thing.Seth could be my canary in a coal mine. If he’s freaking out at nothing, it might mean I have an invisible visitor. That would be good to know…I think.

Diana set the box on her kitchen table and slowly pulled at the red satin ribbon. Lifting the lid on the box, she gasped. A red-and-cream lace dress was delicately folded in the charcoal-gray tissue paper. There was also a pair of black heels, incredibly sexy ones, with a black leather strap that went around her ankles and a strap across her toes.

A velvet pouch resting on the dress contained diamond earrings in the shape of teardrops and a diamond choker. By the clarity of the stones and the weight of it in her palms, it felt way too real to be costume jewelry.

“Holy shit.” Diana dropped the jewelry back into the pouch and picked up the note card that was tucked between the shoes.

Diana,

You will wear this outfit on Friday night. Do not disobey. Remember, pleasing me means your father remains alive.

Sincerely,

Lucien Star

Seth crawled out from under the couch and stared at the bag with an all too feline look of contempt. Diana put everything in the box and put the lid back on it. Then she carried it over to her coat closet, set it on the top shelf, and closed the door. She hoped, perhaps foolishly, that if it was out of sight, she could somehow forget it until Friday.

For the next few hours, Diana busied herself with her summer classes on macroeconomics. But her gaze kept drifting back to the closet and the box.

Do not look at it. No doubt that’s what he wants. Have you all upset over it and lose focus on what matters. And right now, homework matters.

Another half hour passed, and with a frustrated little growl she retrieved the box and stepped into her bedroom. Seth followed, his glowing amber eyes disapproving as he leapt on the bed and sat like a sphinx.

“I’m just going to try it on. There’s no way he could know my size, and it will be fun to send this back telling him that.”

She stripped out of her jeans and sweater before she pulled on the red-and-cream lacy dress. It fit snugly, but it wasn’t tight. The fabric seemed to move with her body. The sleeves were cold-shoulder in design, which was nice. She put on the heels and the jewelry next, just to get the full effect, and then she walked over to the full-length mirror and gazed at herself in awe. The dress hugged her body like a second skin except for the skirt, which flared in a movie star sort of way. A dress like this made a girl feel gorgeous and sexy.

Diana fingered the diamond choker against her throat, feeling for a moment like a collared dog, a pet that belonged to the king of hell. Most of her cringed in revulsion at the thought, but there was a tiny, soft voice in the back of her mind whispering thoughts she always did her best to ignore.

What will he be like in bed? What pleasures will he show you?

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