Page 18 of Midnight with the Devil

Of course it was. He’d healed her father. He had heavenly—or maybe hellish—powers. A quick trip to Malibu was just par for the course, right? She swallowed down a hysterical laugh.

Diana stared at the invitation of his waiting hand, knowing she couldn’t walk away. Every doubt and fear was silenced inside her as she remembered her father in the park, the relief, the joy, the pain gone from him. There had been only life and sunlight.

I’ll do anything to keep that. She crossed the short distance between her and Lucien and placed her palm in his.

Without another word, he tugged and she followed him to the portal. She stumbled onto the sand and almost tripped. Lucien kept walking, his hand in hers, but she couldn’t move because her expensive heels sank into the sand. He sighed and scooped her up in his arms. His sudden possessive hold of her body wasn’t frightening, but rather a mixture between thrilling and comforting.

She didn’t want to think about why she felt that way, but she shivered and burrowed closer, her heart racing. She wrapped her arms around his neck to stay steady as he walked. The tips of her fingers brushed the silk of his hair at the base of his neck, and she suddenly longed to dig her hands into those dark shiny strands. His body was muscular and warm, with an earthy scent that teased her nose. He was pure temptation and sin, right down to that intoxicating scent.

“I’m sorry I tripped. Heels and sand don’t really work.”

He didn’t say anything for a long while. Then he chuckled, the sound surprisingly pleasant.

“I shall make a note of that for future outings, but I do like the way you look in those heels. They will be even better when I have your legs thrown over my shoulders and those heels are digging into my back.”

Diana stiffened.

“Whatever you’re thinking, I assure you that sharing my bed will be one of the best experiences of your life.”

I doubt that. She had a bucket list of a hundred things she wanted to do, and sex with the devil was not on that list. Hell, sex in general was not on the list. The few boys she’d dated in high school and college had been nice, but she felt like she’d missed that spark that everyone talked about. Maybe it wouldn’t be terrible to be with him. She could survive three months of mediocre sex.

Lucien carried her up a stone stairway that had been carved into the rocks. They headed toward the house which sat on the rocky hill. He set her down at the base of the stairs and brushed the sand off her feet before they climbed up to the house. It was illuminated with twinkling lights, and the ocean below crashed into the shore in a peaceful rhythm. Diana had always loved the ocean and the salty sea breeze. Something about the briny smell calmed her like nothing else.

The house Lucien led her to was a stone-and-glass structure that was modern and beautiful. It would probably be stunning in the daytime. They walked around the side of the house until they reached the front. Lucien opened the door, and she came in after him while he held it for her.

“Henry?” Lucien called as they walked straight into a kitchen that would’ve inspired any cook’s fantasies. There were stainless-steel countertops and open shelves painted blue and white with a coastal seashore charm. There was a massive island in the middle with a blue spun glass fruit bowl filled with gleaming red apples. She glanced toward Lucien for a moment, wondering if the red apples were there to make a point. But he wasn’t looking at her; he was focused on the chef, who was hard at work.

Henry was a middle-aged man, and he was standing in front of the main counter, drizzling a sauce over some sautéed vegetables. He smiled when he saw them.

“Mr. Star, the first course is ready. You arrived at just the right time.”

“Excellent. Henry, this is Ms. Kingston, my guest for the evening.”

“Hi.” Diana waved at the cook, trying to act normal. It was just dinner. Dinner with the devil, who’d carried her across a Malibu beach and promised to fuck her senseless after dinner. Yeah, no reason at all to be nervous.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His warmth was obvious and genuine. Diana couldn’t help but wonder how Henry had met the devil. Did he have a bargain too? If she had a chance to ask him, she would.

“Why don’t you both have a seat, and I’ll bring in the first course,” Henry suggested as he picked up a wooden pepper grinder and lightly dusted the two dishes.

“You heard him.” Lucien held out his arm to Diana, and the courtly gesture surprised her. They passed through the kitchen into a lovely dining room. Tall-backed black leather chairs and a rustic dark wooden table set for two. Lucien pulled her chair out for her, and after she sat, he pushed her in. Then he took a seat next to her.

Henry served the first course, an Asian blend of sautéed vegetables. Then he poured two glasses of what he called a full-bodied red and presented it to them before returning to the kitchen.

Diana lifted her glass and was about to drink when she saw Lucien swirl his glass and inhale slowly, all the while watching her. Then he took a drink.

“It’s not poisoned.” He chuckled when she still hesitated.

“It’s not poison I’m worried about,” she said as she realized he could put all sorts of drugs into her drink. The man could become invisible, for goodness’ sake.

Lucien let out a deep laugh. “Oh, my dear Ms. Kingston, I’m the devil—I don’t need to drug anyone. It’s rather like cheating. I chose you because of the challenge you present. To seduce a pure soul to the dark side? What a delicious temptation.”

“So you’re not going to…” She choked down the word that had been lurking in the back of her mind.

“Force you?” He seemed genuinely displeased at her assumption. “No. There’s no fun in that. But you will surrender to me, and the power you will give up to me will be my best victory yet.” His displeasure turned to confidence, but she knew she wouldn’t just surrender.

She relaxed a little and finally allowed herself to taste the wine. It was a rich cabernet. “Do you mind if I ask you something?” She picked up her fork and tried a bit of her appetizer. Spices exploded on her tongue.God, Henry knows how to cook.

“Ask away. I’m willing to lay bare for you.” Lucien’s innuendo wasn’t lost on her. He took a few bites as well and made a soft, contented sound that sent shivers through her. He made it sound…sexual.

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