Page 44 of Midnight with the Devil

Lucien sized up the rest of the guests. “Insider trading, has too many cats, secretly in love with the nanny, stealing office supplies…” He ticked off each remaining guest.

“And me?” Diana asked more quietly, her eyes serious.

“You…” He closed his eyes, letting himself embrace the endless flutter of whispers. Secrets flowed like a dark current beneath a river’s glassy surface.

“Take me, dominate me, let me taste the dark…”

He opened his eyes, and a slow smile stretched his lips. He leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “Your deep dark secret isme.” He kissed the shell of her ear. “You want me in every bad way you always dreamed about.”

Her little gasps were sweet breathless music to his ears.

“Diana, honey, who’s this?” Hal Kingston’s voice interrupted what would’ve been building up to a delicious moment. Lucien had to wipe the glare off his face as he turned to look at Diana’s father. He did not like to be interrupted mid-seduction.

“Dad, this is Lucien. He’s a friend from one of my summer classes,” Diana explained.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kingston.” Lucien held out a hand. Hal removed his grilling mitten and clasped his palm in Lucien’s. For a second, recognition flared in Hal’s eyes. But a moment later it was gone, buried too deep.

“Have we met? You seem familiar.” Hal’s puzzled gaze searched Lucien’s face for answers.

“I’ve got one of those faces,” Lucien said with a chuckle. Diana shot him a worried and confused glance.

“So you’ve got classes with Diana?”

“Yes.” Lucien grinned because Diana stood slightly behind her father and was dragging her fingers over her throat to signal him to be quiet.

“And what do you do, Mr. Kingston?”

“I run an architecture firm. Or I did, until colon cancer got me. But I’m in remission now and looking forward to going back at work.”

“Remission? That’s wonderful news,” Lucien replied, still ignoring Diana’s more frantic attempts to silence him.

“Yeah, I got a second lease on life. So incredibly lucky, you know? I don’t ever want to take anything for granted ever again.”

Lucien usually didn’t like mortals. But there was honesty in Hal’s eyes and voice and an innocence that drew him in the same way it had with Diana.

“I’m glad to hear that, Mr. Kingston,” Lucien said, and surprisingly he meant it.

“Why don’t you kids go and sit by the pool. Hot dogs and burgers will be ready soon.” Hal walked back to the grill.

“Kids? He dared to callme, the king of hell, a kid?” Lucien growled softly.

“Yes.” Diana chuckled. “To him you look like a kid, or at least someone in your late twenties.”

“It would explode his little mortal brain to know just how old I am.”

“Explode his—no. No exploding, okay? My dad is off-limits, remember?” She shot him a delightfully stern expression that made him want to laugh and then drag her into his arms and kiss her.

And that scared him in a way nothing had except…the fall.

Diana was too dangerous, even to the king of hell.

Diana stoodin the kitchen cutting the pineapple Lucien had insisted on serving to the party guests. When she finished, she placed the pineapple rings on a plate and carried them over to the picnic table with the rest of the food. She jumped when someone spoke behind her.

“Diana, you simply have to tell me where you met Mr. Star. He’s charming.” Diana turned to face Mrs. Rafferty. She eyed Lucien the way a butcher would a fine cow—like she planned to devour him.

“Um…school,” she replied slowly.

“School? How young is he? Your age? You’re so young.” Mrs. Rafferty emphasized the wordyoungwith open distaste.

---