Lucifer's Cage (After Dark Book 6)

by Sarah Bailey

  He turned on his heel and walked out of the room, preparing himself for the fallout from the incident with Beleth.

  Chapter Eight

  When he reached the living room, she was pacing back and forth, clear agitation on her face. He shut the door behind him, taking a few steps towards her. Mall’s words rang in his ears.

  Be gentle with her.

  He may have crossed a line by touching her up in front of Beleth, but he was trying to make a point. She was his and his demons needed to be put in their place. He just didn’t know what to say to her now. He wasn’t sure anything he did say would appease her.

  She stopped in the middle of the room, turning to him. Her violet eyes blazed, but it wasn’t rage in her expression. She strode towards him and then her mouth was on his. She pushed him until his back hit the door, still kissing him furiously. A little confused by her sudden change of mood, he kissed her back, his fingers curling in her hair.

  Candace?

  He knew she’d heard him, but she didn’t respond. She grabbed one of his hands, pulling it down in between them and under her clothes. His fingers met her softness. She was so hot and wet, it coated them in an instant. She let go of his hand, curling it around his back.

  “Finish what you started.”

  It was the last thing he expected from her. Part of him wanted to deny her, but her heat drove him crazy. He wanted to feel her. Pressing his fingers inside her, his thumb on her core, he felt her shudder against him. She groaned into his mouth, pressing closer. She was like a furnace.

  “Please, I don’t want to beg you. You’re a fucking arsehole for subjecting me to that shit.”

  And yet you want me anyway.

  “Lucifer, I swear if you don’t make me come, I’m going to fucking explode.”

  He worked his fingers inside her. She released his mouth, breathing hard as she pressed her face into his shoulder.

  “Damn you,” she whispered. “I can’t do this anymore. It’s not fair. All I want is to give into you and I can’t.”

  He wrapped his other arm around her, pressing her closer. What could he say to that? If he insisted she tell him why, she’d quite possibly storm off in the middle of him pleasuring her. She turned her face up to look at him. Her violet eyes were full of desire tapered with turmoil.

  “Lucifer…”

  “You just demanded I make you come. Do you want to talk or should I continue?”

  She was silent for several moments. He stilled, wondering exactly what was going through her head. She seemed very conflicted.

  “I don’t want to talk.”

  He cocked an eyebrow.

  “Then what do you want?”

  She bit her lip.

  “You.”

  “Excuse me, did I just hear you correctly?”

  She looked down at his chest, her face going an interesting shade of red.

  “Just take me to bed.”

  He pulled his hand from her shorts before hoisting her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he strode towards the bedroom.

  “This doesn’t mean I’m going to let you fuck me,” she said, staring down at him.

  “We’ll see about that.”

  He tossed her on the bed, crawling over her in an instant. Her fingers curled into his suit jacket, pushing it off his shoulders. His mouth was on hers. He needed to feel her heat again, but this time he wanted to bury himself in her. Nothing was going to get in the way.

  I want to see the real you, Candace.

  “What?”

  You heard me.

  She turned her face from his, breaking the contact between them.

  “I already told you no.”

  “You’re mine whether you are on board with it or not.”

  She turned back to him, her expression thunderous.

  “Oh, so on top of being an arsehole, you’re a possessive jerk too. This was a stupid idea.”

  She pushed at his chest. He smiled. There was the fire he’d come to expect from her.

  “Oh, no, you don’t get to stop now.”

  He shoved aside her shorts and underwear, burying his fingers in her heat. She arched up against him, fingers digging into his shirt.

  “Fuck,” she groaned.

  “Mmm, that’s it. I want to hear you moan.”

  Brushing his thumb over her core, she stared up at him with wide eyes, shuddering. This was exactly what he wanted to see. Her at his mercy. He leant down, kissing her neck and up her jaw. One of her hands curled into his hair, the other gripping the sheets. A moan escaped her mouth when his fingers became more insistent.

  “This is what you asked for. Don’t forget that. You said it, Candace, you want me. You want me all over you. Touching every inch of your skin. Nothing between us whilst I fuck you until you can’t walk for days.”

  She moaned again, her eyes fluttering closed.

  “Tell me that’s not exactly what you want.”

  She shook her head, arching against him. Her fingers dug into his head.

  “Say it.”

  “Lucifer…”

  “Say. It.”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I want you to do all those things.”

  “Are you going to let me?”

  “No. You know that.”

  He growled, biting down on her neck. She cried out, shuddering. She was close. He could feel it pulsating in her veins. He was so hard, straining against his trousers. She was the most frustrating woman he’d ever met. If he didn’t have her soon, he’d lose it completely.

  She’ll be the death of me. I’m going to make her mine. My little witch.

  He didn’t know why he needed her submission. He could take what he wanted. Candace wouldn’t forgive him for it. That seemed to matter to him.

  He growled again, pressing his fingers deeper inside her. She was so slick and hot. It drove him insane. Her fingers dug harder into his hair. He felt it the moment she snapped. She clenched around his fingers, trembling as she cried out.

  “Lucifer!”

  His name on her lips made him ache further. Frustration tore at him. How long was she going to make him wait?

  When she opened her eyes again, he was leaning over her using both hands to prop himself up.

  “Better?” he asked.

  “It’ll never be better. Not when we’re near each other.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means unless we fuck, I’m never going to feel better.”

  That made him smirk.

  No, she’s right. It won’t feel better until then. Whenever then might be.

  “The offer still stands.”

  “I shouldn’t admit these things to you.”

  “No?”

  “You’ll use it against me, but right now, I don’t care. I’m tired of doing the right thing. I’m tired of having so many expectations weighing down on me.” She closed her eyes again. “What’s the point in caring when I’m stuck here? What if I can never go home?”

  A tear slipped down her right cheek. He wasn’t sure why the sight of it made him feel like holding her close and never letting go. He brushed it away with his thumb, cupping her cheek.

  “I’ll find a way to send you home.”

  Her eyes flew open.

  “What?”

  “You don’t belong here. You should be on Earth. Hell is no place for a living soul.”

  It didn’t matter how much he wanted her. He knew what it meant to be caged. Locked away and forced to do your duty.

  “That’s not something I expected to hear from you.”

  “You must know why I was cast down from Heaven. Freedom is a precious commodity.”

  She reached up, brushing the lock of hair which had fallen in his face away.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “What are you apologising for?”

  “Here I am complaining when I’ve barely been away for a month and yet you’ve not been able to go home for millennia.”

  “Don’t tell me you
feel sorry for me?”

  She frowned.

  “Having empathy is not the same as feeling sorry for someone. You know, I thought for one moment you might want to have a proper conversation with me.”

  For some reason, it bothered him that she felt something for him other than lust, anger or desire. She wasn’t meant to have feelings for the Devil. He didn’t deserve that.

  “I still meant what I said. I’ll help you go home.”

  “After you have your way with me.”

  “Candace, contrary to what you might think, I am not a mindless animal driven by lust for you.”

  She raised an eyebrow.

  Clearly, she has no idea how much I’ve had to hold back when it comes to her. I want to give her pleasure, pain and everything in between. I want her splayed out before me, unable to do anything but give into me.

  “Then why do all our conversations escalate into something sexual?”

  “It takes two to tango. Don’t put it all on me.”

  “You are so frustrating. If you really want to know why I keep saying no, perhaps try to get to know me.”

  She shoved at his chest. He took her hands, pinning them to the bed. She glared at him. Getting to know her would mean seeing her as something other than the woman he wanted to ruin. That would cross a line he wasn’t sure he could come back from.

  “We are not finished talking. Why were you near my throne room in the first place?”

  She sighed, looking away.

  “I found something in that book and I wanted to tell Mall about it.”

  “What did you find?”

  “A spell. It opens a gateway to Hell, but I think I can reverse it if I have the right things.”

  “And open a gateway to Earth?”

  She nodded, turning back to him. If she could do that, it would solve all of his problems with Hell and his dukes would leave him alone.

  “Are you skilled enough to do such a thing?”

  “I don’t know. My magic is an anomaly because of my fae blood. My father never tried to fully test my capabilities.”

  “Then I will go over it with Mall.”

  He needed to get to the bottom of it with his assistant. He let go of her wrists to move off her, but she grabbed his arm. He looked down at her with a frown.

  “Don’t go.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  Her violet eyes were cautious.

  She doesn’t want me to leave? What is this now?

  “I couldn’t sleep, that’s why I was reading that book. I don’t want to be alone.”

  “I am not here to make you feel at ease.”

  “I… that’s not what I meant. Why is this so difficult to say?” She blinked. “I’d like it if you stayed with me because I want you here, not because I’m lonely.”

  He was momentarily at a loss for words. Something about the girl below him disarmed him. He didn’t want to feel things. Especially not for a woman who drove him crazy with lust.

  Be gentle with her.

  Mall’s words rang in his ears again. He sighed, shifting off her and lying down on his side. He clicked his fingers and was instantly in less restrictive clothing. A plain t-shirt and loose bottoms.

  She eyed him for a moment as if she was waiting for him to change his mind. She shifted closer, burying her face in his chest, her arm around his waist. He stared down at her, utterly confused by the girl wrapped around him.

  He reached out, tugging the covers over the both of them before curling his free arm around her. He’d never lain in bed with a woman like this before. It had always been about sex and he usually left right after.

  She’s cuddling me. This feels… wrong and yet right at the same time.

  He fought against the urge to bury his face in her hair.

  “You’re warm,” she mumbled.

  “Am I allowed to ask why you’re… holding me?”

  “I like having you close. Why? Do you not make a habit of this?”

  “No. Never.”

  She turned her face up, staring at him with wide eyes.

  “Are you saying I’m the first person you’ve let cuddle you?”

  He didn’t want to answer her at all, but the way she was looking at him made his heart thump.

  “Yes.”

  A small smile appeared on her lips before she buried her face back in his chest.

  “So, the Devil has a soft spot for me,” she whispered.

  “I do not.”

  “Yes, you do, Lucifer. I’ve admitted so much to you. It’s only fair you be honest with me.”

  Disarming. Candace was utterly disarming. He couldn’t deny he felt more than just desire for the woman pressed against him.

  “If I admit to such a thing, you’re to keep it to yourself. Do you understand?”

  “Yes. You have a reputation to uphold.”

  He buried his face in her hair, breathing her in. She smelt of citrus and violets, like her beautiful eyes which enraptured him.

  “I will treat you with care when you ask for it,” he whispered. “And I will punish you when you disobey me. I won’t be gentle then. You’ll feel the full force of my brutality. Are we clear?”

  “Yes. Very.”

  Her hand brushed over his side, falling in between them. Her fingers ran over his stomach and lower until she’d wrapped her hand around him. He stiffened, pulling away from her slightly.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Let me touch you,” she replied, staring up at him with such tenderness it made his heart hammer in his chest.

  What is this? Why does she make me feel this way?

  He didn’t stop her when she released his cock from the confines of his clothes. Her small hand stroked up and down the length of him at a slow pace. Even that simple touch sent his body into overdrive. Nerve endings tingling with anticipation.

  “Candace,” he hissed.

  “Shh, let me take care of you.”

  She pressed her mouth to his, kissing him softly. His fingers curled into her t-shirt, gripping it as she moved faster. After making her come earlier, he was so close to exploding. All the pent-up lust he felt slammed into him with a force which made him shiver. This woman had no idea what she did to him.

  “I want to give into you, but there are things you don’t know about me. Things I can never change.”

  Then tell me.

  “I can’t. If I let you have me, I can’t walk away from you. You were right. You’ll ruin me.”

  You’re already mine. Don’t you see that?

  She was silent, pulling away from him. Her eyes were sad. She didn’t stop touching him and it wasn’t long before he shuddered against her, grunting. Even the release didn’t put a dampener on his need to have her, but it gave him a moment’s relief. She readjusted his clothing before curling her arm back around him and pressing her face to his chest.

  “I am yours,” she whispered. “And that’s what scares me the most.”

  Chapter Nine

  Candace stared at the pentagram within the circle she’d drawn, inspecting each line closely. She’d lost count of the amount of times she’d attempted to get this right. Mall had given her a large empty room to work in. Various herbs, plants and candles were scattered about the place. It wasn’t easy to reverse engineer a spell when you had no idea what you were doing. She wished she’d paid more attention in her father’s lessons.

  “This should be right,” she muttered to herself.

  Getting up, she picked up the necessary candles, placing one at each end of the pentagram. Next, she dumped the relevant items into the bowl near her feet. This was an experiment. She’d adjusted the amounts yet again. She understood the basics, but there was so much about spellcraft which eluded her.

  She’d ended up with several more books to try to work out the right way to go about this. It’d taken a full week of research before she felt ready to put the spell to the test.

  The door opened behind h
er.

  “Dare I ask how it’s going?” Mall said.

  “Probably wise not to,” Candace replied.

  Mall arrived next to her, staring down at the pentagram. She hadn’t asked too many questions about what Candace was doing, only providing her with the necessary ingredients. Candace didn’t much care where Mall had got this stuff from.

  “Looks complicated.”

  “It is, and it isn’t. The basic construction never varies, but there are changes depending on the function. This was the one thing I was always good at. It’s the rest I struggle with. The books help to an extent, but as you know, this isn’t as simple as following a recipe.”

  “How long have you been at this?”

  Candace looked down at her watch. It was the only way she was still able to keep track of how long she’d been here.

  “Um, five hours or so.”

  “My Lord would not be pleased you’re neglecting yourself.”

  Candace scowled. A reminder of Lucifer wasn’t what she needed right now. The memory of the night they’d shared together made her shiver. It was the first time they’d had a serious conversation with each other that hadn’t ended up in an argument.

  She’d fallen asleep tucked up in his arms and he’d still been there when she woke up. A slow languid kiss had followed whilst his fingers roamed under her t-shirt, down her back. She could still feel the phantom touch even though it had been two weeks. He’d left and given her breakfast in bed. He’d not even attempted to get her to give into him. And the way he’d smiled made her heart thump uncomfortably in her chest. She didn’t want feelings for Lucifer, but there they were anyway. Haunting her.

  “I’ll go hassle him for a meal after this.”

  Mall grinned at her. Candace had found a sort of kinship with the succubus. Mall wasn’t afraid to talk back to Lucifer nor did she take any shit from anyone. It seemed the Devil didn’t mind the succubus giving him a hard time because she was good at her job.

  “It is strange the way he behaves when you’re around.”

  Candace frowned. She wasn’t aware he behaved any differently towards her, except perhaps he was a little more unforgiving towards his subjects. She hadn’t seen any other demons since she’d accidentally wound up in the throne room. It was something she could only be glad of. Meeting Beleth hadn’t been a pleasant experience.