Heaven to Hell (A Naughty Box Production Book 1)

by Rue Volley

  He whispered soft words against her ear as he pulled Selina back against him, her body supported on his thighs. He moved at a slow, maddening pace as he continued to stroke her clit. Rain splashed between their bodies, making it difficult to keep from sliding too much.

  She reached back, placing her hands on either side of his waist, using his hips for leverage. At first she moved slowly. But his lusty moan sent her over the edge. Asmodeus took her cue and rubbed her clit faster. She rode him until her thighs shook with the effort.

  He lifted her again, laying her down in the grass. She opened for him, taking the demon in her arms as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He cradled her face in his hands as he kissed her. How could sex with a stranger be this intimate? He didn’t just kiss her lips. He kissed her face, her eyelids, her throat. As he pressed his lips to her forehead the raw emotion was overwhelming.

  “Did it hurt enough or do you want more?”

  Something in his voice when he asked made her feel guilty for the request. He sounded concerned. Even though he was a demon, clearly Asmodeus didn’t like the idea of hurting a woman.

  “It’s perfect.” She took his face in her hands, pulling him back down.

  “Is this what you wanted?” he asked “Are you satisfied?”

  “Yes.”

  Asmodeus kissed her again and with one final thrust he came.

  Chapter Two

  Selina rested for several minutes while her pulse returned to normal, her sweat mingled with the rain.

  “Anya was right. That’s the best sex I’ve ever had.”

  “Thank you.”

  She jumped at the sound of his voice. “You’re still here?”

  Not only was he there, he was resting beside her, looking better than anyone who had spent an hour in the rain should. Not to mention he crawled out of a fire before that.

  The demon laughed as he sat up. “Where else would I be? You summoned me to fulfill your desires, and here I am.”

  She thought that over for a minute before answering. “Well, I feel pretty fulfilled at the moment.”

  He laughed again. “I finally find a woman who is not only beautiful, but has the power to summon me, and she can’t wait for me to be gone.”

  He rose with some difficulty, he was obviously tired. Selina got the impression it would take more than fantastic sex to wear him out. Maybe the journey here was difficult? She didn’t know what it was like for a demon when they answered a summons.

  “I don’t mean to sound rude, this just isn’t what I expected.”

  “You thought I would disappear?”

  “Well, yes.”

  He reached to help her up and they both swayed unsteadily. “Could I have a glass of water?” he asked. She gave him a questioning look and he added, “Then, I’ll explain what happened.”

  “Sure, my house isn’t far.”

  Selina reached for him and he put his arm around her for support.

  “Can you leave the circle?” she asked.

  His grin was somewhat weakened, but the effect it had on her was not. “That won’t be a problem.”

  * * *

  A short while later Selina was wearing her favorite bathrobe and Asmodeus had a dark blue towel wrapped around his waist. She regarded him thoughtfully as he downed his seventh glass of water. His body was like something out of a novel, too incredible to be real. The towel covered the more important parts, but the way he was sitting revealed a large expanse of thigh. His skin no longer glowed; however, his eyes remained the same. The way he was chugging water suddenly made more sense to her.

  “The rain didn’t put out all of the fire. You absorbed most of it, didn’t you?”

  Asmodeus took a deep breath and nodded.

  “How are you still here?” she asked.

  “You seem surprised that I am real. Would touching me again be of any help?”

  It took her a moment to realize he was teasing. She was too caught up in the idea of getting her hands on him again to notice.

  “I’m just confused. This isn’t the way things worked for my friend who recently performed the same spell.”

  “Why don’t you tell me what happened and maybe we can sort things out? Start at the beginning,” he said. “If I can, I’ll fill in the gaps as we go.”

  Selina put the kettle on the stove and got out a box of her favorite tea. The demon watched as she filled an entire pitcher with iced water and brought it to him. He smiled gratefully.

  Finally, she answered, “I’m not sure where to start. You want to hear about when I began the spell?"

  “How about you tell me what brought you to this point?”

  “I was afraid you might say that.” She sighed “Okay. I haven’t had sex in two years. That’s the short version.”

  His eyes widened. “Can I hear the long version?”

  Selina was afraid of what he might think of her upon hearing “the long version.” Her cousins thought she was too picky. Her aunt thought she was a bitch. She knew this because they’d all felt inclined to share their feelings on the issue of why she was single and not dating. The last she heard from her mother, she was afraid Selina was a lesbian. Who the crap knew what the rest of the town thought? She took a deep breath and started talking.

  “It’s so hard to find anyone decent to spend time with. I’m thirty years old. I’m still single and I don’t have any children. I’ve never really liked clubs or the type of guys I meet there. Basically, I don’t like drunken crowds or loud music. Shit, I’m rambling and I sound like a loser.”

  “No,” he said softly. “I get your meaning.”

  Selina took another deep breath and attempted to elaborate. “This is a small town. There aren’t many chances or places to meet new people. I have no desire to move, and driving an hour or more to get to a halfway nice club feels so desperate.”

  She ran a hand through her wet, red hair. “I don’t even know if I want kids, or marriage. It would be nice though, to have an opportunity to at least think about it. Like I said, I’m not sure if the whole white picket fence thing is what I’m looking for, but I want more than sex. My point is, I haven’t met anyone in a long time who was looking for more than a one night stand. I’ve been lonely. To be blunt, there are only so many needs a vibrator can satisfy. I wanted the touch of a man.”

  “But not the possibility of sleeping with a lunatic or contracting a disease.”

  Selina was pleased with how well Asmodeus had understood her meaning. “That about covers it, yeah. I realize how this is going to sound, especially after what just happened. I don’t believe in casual sex. There’s nothing casual about sharing my body with another person. Having someone inside me is too personal to share with a stranger.” She laughed. “I sound like an idiot.”

  “No, you don’t. You aren’t comfortable with using someone or being used. So, you summoned a demon to satisfy your needs.”

  “When you put it like that, I sound like such an asshole.”

  “You didn’t want to be hurt. Sharing yourself with someone who sees you as only an object is painful, and often times it doesn’t even get the job done, if you know what I mean.” He gestured toward himself. “A demon appreciates the sacredness of the body. I will touch you with reverence, and I will get the job done. Your motives make perfect sense to me. Trust me when I say you haven’t hurt my feelings. What I would like to know is how you obtained the spell.”

  “Oh, okay.” Selina was relieved to hear he didn’t feel used. Or, if he did he appeared to like the feeling. “As you already know, I’m a witch. So is my friend Anya. We’ve known each other for years. She’s the one who found the spell. I was complaining to her about all the same stuff I just told you. That’s when she told me about this spell. She found it in an old grimoire that belonged to her great grandmother.” Selina gave him the details of the rite as briefly as she could. “When I first read the ritual, the whole thing scared the shit out of me.”

  “Was it the part about having to
pour a goblet of pig’s blood into the fire?”

  “No, it was the part about summoning a demon.”

  He raised a brow. “How did you get the blood? You don’t strike me as the type for ritual sacrifices.”

  “I’m not. Anya is friends with the butcher. He’s a warlock. All I had to do was ask for the blood.”

  “Oh. Please, go on.”

  “Anya used the spell first. She said a demon appeared to her in her dreams that night and gave her the ride of her life.”

  His smile widened.

  “Those were her exact words. That’s why I was so surprised when you appeared. At first, I thought you were an illusion, a vision of what would appear in my dreams later. Can you explain to me why that didn’t happen?”

  “Your friend either performed a different spell, or you did something wrong.”

  Selina tried not to make her irritation obvious as she got up to make a cup of tea. After all, she was being just as blunt with him.

  “Anya copied the spell down for me. I don’t believe she would deliberately leave anything out. I performed it to the letter.”

  She was pleased with how calm she sounded. Even though he had a valid point, she didn’t like to think that her friend had lied to her or that she’d bungled a spell.

  “There is another option. Your friend might be powerful enough to summon an incubus by name. That is the type of demon you just described, by the way.”

  “I know that.” Her words weren’t sharp. She just sounded tired.

  Asmodeus rose and moved to stand in front of her. Every step, every gesture showed off his body and unbelievable good looks. His hands were warm against her shoulders, and when he kissed her forehead, Selina could feel tears burning her eyes.

  “I’m sorry to ruin your plans,” he said softly. “I am familiar with the ritual you spoke of. You are right, I should have disappeared.”

  Selina put her hands against his chest, but she didn’t push him away. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I thought this would be easy, that no one would get hurt.”

  “I’m not hurt,” he said, pulling her close.

  “It hurts me to treat you this way, to speculate about why you didn’t disappear. I guess I’m not capable of using anyone.” She laughed softly. “Wow. That is really unexpected.”

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and it felt natural.

  “Getting here tonight wasn’t easy,” he said. “I fought for the privilege to answer your call.”

  “What? The spell only took a few minutes. Even if you knew what was happening as I built the fire and gathered my supplies, that only took an hour, max. I don’t understand how you had time to fight anyone.”

  He pulled away enough to look down at her. “How about we take a shower and I’ll explain? There’s nothing quite like crawling out of Hell to make you want a shower.”

  * * *

  Asmodeus was relieved to hear she had a tub large enough for two. Even though it was his suggestion, the demon wasn’t sure if he could stand up long enough to shower. The water he drank helped a lot, but he was exhausted.

  “I love your bathroom,” he said as he sat in a plush chair beside the door.

  He reclined in the chair as if it were his throne. After all, that’s what he was used to.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I finished remodeling it last year.”

  She was beautiful. While he watched Selina move around the room, he admired her. Shoulder-length red hair reflected the light like living flame. Her skin was pale and perfect. It reminded him of untouched snow. “Snow White,” he thought. He laughed and Selina gave him a strange look. This was definitely no fairy tale.

  “Did I miss something?” she asked.

  “No, just my random thoughts.”

  She sat on the edge of the tub and her robe fell open, giving him a glimpse of one well-sculpted thigh. He could still remember how firm they felt beneath his hands. How capable those thighs were of rising to meet his every thrust. He imagined she could ride him at a gallop till his knees buckled and his eyes rolled back.

  Asmodeus shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “I guess you’re waiting for the explanation I promised.”

  “Kind of.”

  He smiled and watched the look in her eyes when he licked his lips. This witch was not simply hungry for affection. She was starving for him. Asmodeus had what she needed, of that he was certain.

  “Since it appears that I may be here for a while, I’ll start with what happened on my side of the fire. I’d be glad to answer any other questions that arise later.”

  “Okay.”

  “When a witch performs a summoning ritual, only the demons she is capable of summoning hear the call.”

  Selina’s brow wrinkled in thought and he found the expression adorable.

  “Can you elaborate on that?” she asked.

  “Sure. Every witch has a different level of power, just like everyone has different levels of physical strength. Your friend Anya, for example, is very powerful to have called forth an incubus. As I’m sure you are aware, demons can be summoned for all sorts of purposes. Most practitioners, regardless of their power, focus specifically on lower level demons. But let’s be honest, no one wants to have sex with a lower level demon.”

  He took a moment to enjoy the soft sound of her laughter before continuing.

  “Just as there are different levels and ranks of demons, there are also different dimensions of Hell. It’s not just one big flaming pit.”

  She watched him intently the whole time he spoke and though he had no desire to look away, Asmodeus was afraid of the effect her green eyes were having on him. After centuries of complete control in the presence of all sorts of men, women, and beasts, he was afraid he might get tongue-tied.

  “So, where are you from then?” she asked.

  “This time of year, most summons reach the dimensions outlined in Dante’s Inferno.”

  Selina looked very surprised. People often were when they learned there was little difference in classic fiction and actual facts.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Perhaps you will have a better understanding of your own power after I explain things a bit more. When your friend summoned the incubus, I never heard her call, because incubi are beneath me. I am not simply from the level Dante referred to as Lust; I am the ruler of it. I am one of the Seven Princes of Hell, and you summoned me.”

  Selina’s already fair skin paled even more at these words. She rose from the edge of the tub and paused as if unsure of her next move. Her hands shook as she removed her robe and stepped into the tub. He gave her time to absorb what he’d said in silence.

  After a moment, she motioned for him to join her. His powers were not fully awakened yet, but he could sense that her reaction was beyond words. She truly had no idea what she was capable of.

  He let the towel fall to the floor as he moved toward her. The hot water was a slight and welcome discomfort. It burned just enough to feel good.

  For several minutes they sat in silence. Asmodeus watched her for a reaction and Selina appeared to be watching the steam rising from the water. He wanted to touch her, to comfort her in some way, but after much debate, the demon kept his hands to himself. She needed time to think.

  “Were you ever summoned before?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

  “Once, but that was over four hundred years ago. The witch who summoned me then really did just want sex.”

  “And I don’t?”

  “Clearly not.”

  He reached for her and Selina hugged him tight, resting her face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, suddenly overcome with the need for closeness.

  “Time flows differently in my world. A spell that took minutes here lasted nearly a day for me.”

  He paused, wondering if he should tell her exactly what the experience was like for him. “Yes,” he thought. “She deserves to know.”

  “When I heard your call, it was like
a storm. A cool wind blew through my chambers, carrying your voice and the scent of rain. Three of the other princes also heard your call, but they were not fast enough. They could never get there in time. They sent their best warriors to delay me, and I fought them to reach the portal your spell had opened. When I first emerged from the fire, I could barely stand.”

  “I don’t mean to sound crude, but that was not the performance of someone who could barely stand.”

  He laughed softly. “I absorbed strength from the fire and from the final words of your spell. But I must say, you took it right back out of me.”

  “I feel so stupid,” Selina said, pulling back from him.

  “Why?”

  He expected she might be proud to know the extent of her power. He never thought this knowledge would make her feel stupid.

  “Because I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t realize the full ramifications of this spell. I thought I was doing this simple, but admittedly creepy, thing that would be finished by the time I woke up in the morning. And now I’ve pulled you out of your world and you appear to be stuck here because of my mistake. I’ve summoned one of the Princes of Hell.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. In case you missed that part, I fought to answer your call.”

  She looked at him again and his heart fluttered. He couldn’t remember ever seeing such beautiful green eyes.

  “I heard you before, but I guess I didn’t let it sink in. You wanted to be out of Hell? Just for the night or what?”

  “Suffice it to say, living in Hell was not my first choice. But I was there and I made the most of it. I’ve been dissatisfied for quite some time.”

  * * *

  As she watched him, listened to the inflection in his words, something occurred to Selina.

  “You don’t mean to go back.”

  “I may not have a choice. However, if the opportunity arises, I would gladly stay.”

  “Why would a prince want to leave?”

  He ran a hand through his hair and she couldn’t help admiring the way his arm flexed.

  “There is too much to explain,” he said softly. “At least for now. However, there is one thing I want you to know. I can relate to what you said before, to your motivations for casting the spell. It has been such a long time since anyone has touched me the way I need to be touched.”