Sleep came easily for a change, but it wasn’t peaceful. I woke up curled in a ball and wrapped tightly around a pillow, as I often did. Tense, with my muscles sore and stiff, like I’d spent the day in the gym rather than at the spa. And the dreams… I never remembered specifics, just fear and darkness, pain and death. Only snippets, but always violent and tinged with terror and grief.
This nap was no exception. I was fairly sure my inability to sleep peacefully had gotten worse since I met Lucifer. It was probably being out of my element, in a strange place and a deeply unsettling situation, but I longed to just close my eyes and wake up hours later with no memories of anything at all.
Sometime during my fitful sleep the sun had set, and I sat up to look out my window at the night sky lit up by all the Vegas lights. The sound of piano music drifted through the crack under my door, luring me toward the living room like a siren’s call. Where Lucifer was no doubt waiting for me.
I checked my spa-teased hair and makeup in the bathroom, glad to note they had survived my nap pretty well. I fluffed my hair and dabbed on a bit of lip gloss before stepping inside my walk-in closet and marveling at all the gorgeous clothes inside. It was still hard to believe they were mine, at least temporarily. I wasn’t sure what Lucifer had planned for tonight, but I guessed my yoga pants and t-shirt weren’t going to cut it. Instead, I selected a long black dress, the fabric soft and airy and with a gentle shimmer. Then I grabbed the first pair of black heels I put my hands on, and there were many, as if they were breeding in there. As I buckled the straps, the music escalated into a crescendo. Was Lucifer the one playing?
Curiosity drove me out of the room. Not just about the music, but about a dozen other things. Demons. Brandy’s kidnapping. The attacks on my life. And most of all, how I’d swung that sword around like the world’s mightiest warrior instead of a florist from Nowheresville.
Okay, and a big part of me wanted to continue what we’d started last night too.
Peeking into the living room, I watched Lucifer from behind as his fingers flew over the ivory keys of the grand piano. He seemed to be one with his music, and the effect was pure magic. I was completely entranced by the way he played, not to mention the slant of his shoulders in his black suit and the way his dark head bent over the piano. I’d never seen a man more gorgeous in my life, and I’d never wanted anyone more.
I didn’t recognize the piece he played, but it was haunting, full of minor keys and slow melodies. The room was lit by dozens of red candles, and the ambient lighting turned low so the city’s neon backlit the flickering flames. The shadows created by the effect were beautiful rather than scary, and I was drawn to them.
And to him. Always. Impossibly so.
The question was…why?
Lucifer must have sensed I was there because he cocked his head. “Please, come in.”
“What’s all this?” I rounded the piano and gestured at the candlelight.
“I thought we could stay in tonight. Nice and quiet. Safe.” The music faded as Lucifer reached the conclusion of the song. He nodded toward the windows. “I’ve posted guards everywhere to ensure your protection.”
I turned my gaze to the tall windows and focused on the darkness around the Vegas neon. It was almost like looking with my peripheral vision, but eventually I saw them. Dark-winged Fallen, circling the building, with shadows clinging to their feathers. I had no doubt Azazel was out there, and probably Gadreel too.
“All to protect me,” I said slowly, still finding the situation unbelievable. “Why?”
“I won’t let anyone harm you.”
I nearly replied that he hadn’t really answered my question, but then he rose from the piano bench and took my breath away. The flickering candlelight played across his face and only made him more alluring. A mixture of dark and light. A reminder that the devil was once an angel.
Lucifer stepped toward me and offered his hand. “I hope you’re hungry.”
I hesitated, not because I didn’t want to take his hand, but because I so desperately did, and because I knew I’d feel that familiar rush of desire the second we touched. Eventually my resistance crumbled and I slid my hand into his. “Yes, I am.”
“Excellent. I made your favorite meal.” He led me around the bar to the kitchen and dining area, where a pristine white tablecloth had been laid out on the table, along with the finest silverware. All chairs had been removed except for two, and the red candles made the setting intimate. A single narcissus flower sat in the middle of the place settings.
Lucifer helped me into my seat like a gentleman, letting his hand linger on my back for a moment, before he stepped behind the kitchen island. There he began to serve something on two dishes, while steam rose into the air. The tantalizing scent of herbs and tomatoes drifted toward me, increasing my hunger.
“You cooked?” I asked, unable to hide the surprise in my voice.
“I’m a man of many talents. As you’ll soon learn.”
He set down a steaming bowl of spaghetti and meatballs in front of me, then laid out some garlic bread and a side salad. Finally, he poured some sparkling water into my wine glass, before sitting across from me at the table. I wondered how many other women had ever been served food by the devil. Or been cooked their favorite meal by him.
“How did you know this was my favorite?” I asked, as I breathed in the scent before picking up my fork.
He gave me one of his devilish grins. “I have a whole file on you, my dear Hannah. You’d be amazed at how much one can find online.”
I flushed, thinking of him scouring my Facebook profile. That couldn’t be all of it though. He knew too much, things that he couldn’t have found from stalking me on the internet. Tonight I intended to get answers from him—after I bolstered my courage with some food.
My lips closed over my fork, and I moaned in delight. The sauce was perfectly spiced. Most people thought spaghetti was a little kid meal, but I didn’t care. It was my favorite, and this was sheer perfection. “Wow, this is amazing. Did you make the sauce yourself?”
“I did.” He arched a dark eyebrow. “Why are you surprised?”
I tore off a piece of garlic bread next. “I never thought you’d be the type to cook, let alone be a master chef.”
His eyes danced with amusement. “Well, I have had thousands of years of practice…”
I nearly choked on my garlic bread at his words.
Thousands. Of. Years.
Sometimes I forgot he was so old, and then he just sprung it on me in casual conversation like that.
He took a sip of red wine. “I’ll have you know I’m an expert chef of many cuisines, some of which you’ve never even heard of, since they’ve long faded from history.”
Another reminder of how ancient and unfathomable he was. Why would he be interested in a normal human like me?
While I was contemplating his immortality and my mortal existence, he asked, “How was your day? Has your friend recovered from her ordeal?”
“She seems a bit shaken by what happened, but she’s tough. She’ll get past this.” I twirled my spaghetti on my fork. “Although I think she has a thing for Asmodeus.”
“Who wouldn’t?” Lucifer smirked. “I’m lucky you haven’t met the man yet. Let’s just say he makes me look ugly.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” I blurted out, then awkwardly changed the subject, answering his other question. “I think the spa day was exactly what she needed. Thank you again. For everything.”
He inclined his head. “It was nothing.”
“Did you learn anything about why she was kidnapped?”
“No. Not yet. It seems there may be a rogue group of demons conspiring against me, but I don’t know who is leading them yet.” He stirred his glass, swirling his wine around. “Have no fear. It will all be dealt with soon.”
“Okay, it’s just…” I chewed my lip, summoning the courage to voice my thoughts out loud. “It’s going to sound crazy, but I’m starting to wonder if Brandy was brought to Las Vegas and kidnapped on purpose to bring me here. To you.”
He pinned me with an intense stare. “Why would you think that?”
“It makes no sense otherwise. Why would someone set up a fake librarian conference to lure her here? And then there were those attacks on my life. I could have believed the roof attack was an accident, but there was nothing accidental about gargoyles coming after me. Or how I cut them down.” My hands trembled as I laid out all the thoughts that had been whirling around in my head over the last few days. “There’s something going on here, something you aren’t telling me. I think it’s connected to how I wielded your sword like some kind of ninja. And why I find you so familiar and…comfortable, even when I should find you terrifying. And why I always have horrible dreams full of death and violence, which have only gotten worse since I met you. I thought the dreams were related to the car accident when my parents died, but now? Now I don’t know.”
I fell silent, and my words seemed to echo between us as Lucifer gazed at me with an unreadable expression. The seconds ticked by, and neither of us moved, our food forgotten.