Scathe

by Chacelyn Pierce

  Luc blinked at her. "Your mind astounds me. Your creativity is far more outrageous than you're giving me credit for." Andrea turned away, her fingers brushed the wall faintly. Luc wondered if she even noticed she'd done it. He sensed her arousal had spiked from the sounds. He assessed Andrea and an image of his head buried between her thighs flashed through his mind. He imagined his tongue slipping past her folds, her fingers diving in his hair, scratching his scalp…

  A simple longing of pleasure rippled through him. It had been a long, long time since he indulged in sexual gratifications. A woman like Andrea could be fun, but she could also be dangerous. He didn't know why the thought of caution whirled through him, but he usually never listened to his gut.

  "Are you all out of questions?" he asked, starting to walk forward with her.

  "No." The new questions would probably be off the top of her head since she forgot her notebook back on the dining table. "Why this mansion? Let's start there. It doesn't look like Hell."

  Luc guided her around another corner with a hand almost touching her lower back. "It’s a gate, sort of an entry way to Sheol. The deeper we go…"

  Her steps faltered, but he saw the determined glint in her glare as she stepped to keep pace beside him. "I have you know, my assistant has your address, and if I don't turn up in the morning for work she'll call the police."

  Luc couldn't help but smile at the fierce woman beside him. "You are so sure I mean you harm."

  "It was supposed to be an interview in the front room. Now I'm seeing your entire mansion and you keep saying creepy things."

  "No, the bedroom has not been shared with you yet." Her retort faltered and Luc liked the flush of her caramel skin. She would turn the most attractive shade of crimson in the throes of passion. He could imagine her nipples were a dusty brown, like rich chocolate. He wanted to taste her body, particularly between her thighs. He knew it would be as sweet as the forbidden fruit that graced Eve's lips. Her pupils had dilated at the mention of his bedroom, and she had to be as interested as he was. The feeling of soft flesh seemed like a myth to him. He wanted to refresh his memory, and Miss Matthews had been the curvy woman who stirred up his sexual cravings. In fact, he rather preferred the new shapely body hosting the old soul he wanted.

  "I can show you the bedroom next."

  "Not necessary."

  Luc laughed. "I'll admit, it's been a long time since a woman stepped foot in my bedroom, let alone in my home for that matter. I don't leave the gateway open for a lot of foot traffic." He made eye contact and smiled at her confused gaze. "That goes for humans and demons alike."

  "Why?"

  Luc shrugged and paused in front of a closed door. "There are other ways for hellions to enter Earth-realm without tracking brimstone and soot on my carpet."

  Andrea giggled and her laugh would be addicting to him. He already wanted to hear it again.

  "Are you ready, Miss Matthews? Seeing a demon to the bare eye can be difficult for some to take."

  He saw the challenge in her smirk. "I think I can handle it."

  Luc opened the door and motioned for Andrea to step forward into the noisy back room. At her entrance she paused after clearing the threshold. The racket from within ceased. Luc came to stand beside her and glanced over his hobgoblins. All were working hard at keeping his home orderly. The six doing his laundry paused in the soap dunking and glanced between him and her in mild interest. They kept their clawed hands busy even if their attention focused on the human female parading freely around his house. The minions feared if they stopped working either he or Ortus would punish them for slacking.

  Though they looked malicious with their snaggletooth mouths and pointy ears, they didn't mean her any harm. Not unless Luc ordered them, but he had no such desire to mar Andrea's skin or have any more of her hair misplaced. Enough of it slipped from her up-do as it was. Focusing on her dark chocolate locks, he wanted to pull the pins out and let it blanket across her shoulder like the Italian woman's, but Luc finally decided it was time to let the past go. Though the soul lived on, the woman was gone. She and Andrea were vastly different from each other. Where she ran from him, Andrea challenged him. Andrea had been searching him out. It had to be the soul's way of returning to him; he knew it in his heart to be true. He placed a hand on his chest where his heart should be. The only time he became aware of its absence had been in her presence. He'd experienced that once before and knew it couldn't be.

  "Well, um…hello," Andrea stammered after none of the creatures spoke first.

  One of the higher goblin maids looked toward Luc, at his nod she came forth and curtsied at Andrea's feet. The imp splayed out her tattered, brown rags and smiled her rotten teeth up at Andrea.

  "Ma'am," the goblin muttered.

  "They're so polite." Andrea turned back to Luc with a smile on her face. "Children dressed up in an elaborate costume. Clever and cute."

  "Children?" Luc crossed his arms, clearly not trying to hide his irritation. "I do not command human children."

  "The child labor laws would have a field day with this."

  Luc sneered at the human woman who didn't believe anything he showed her. Was she blind; what did it take? The hobgoblins noticed his irritation rising higher as Andrea tugged at the maid's clothes to search for faults.

  "There has got to be a zipper or seam in this suit." Andrea's thin hands moved over the goblin's shoulders and dress. The maid looked agitated that a human's hands were all over her, but she wouldn't test Luc by outwardly objecting. Luc needed to figure out a way to convince Andrea he was Lucifer without showing his true form. Obviously she'd try to find any flaws in all his house employees and workings. Taking her to a state of mind she'd never experienced might be the only way to make her see the truth. He didn't even know why he cared if she believed him or not. He was a far cry from obtaining her soul, but he couldn’t understand the new urge to prove himself to her. Maybe, just maybe, he wanted her to know the full truth of him first for a change. Luc didn't want a smoke screen of skepticism between them. Andrea needed to know who he was, and then her terror would cause her to not think rationally and he could find a way to own her soul before dawn.

  Luc simply grabbed her hand without a word and led her toward the front of the mansion. She shouted a friendly goodbye to the hobgoblins and followed his quick pace. He expected her to pull her hand away from his, but instead her grip tightened and a warmed him in a place that had been cold for decades. His free hand pressed against his chest again and he rubbed against the slight burn starting where his infernal heart would've been.

  "Where are you taking me?" she asked as he headed for the back veranda.

  "The gardens."

  "Ohh, nice."

  Was that enjoyment in her voice? Of course the tour would seem like a funhouse at an amusement park for her. The elaborate castle, the creatures she assumed were in costume, the truth she assumed were illusions. He had this rollercoaster of a night coming. After all, he invited her over. Getting Miss Matthews to believe in him became a top priority. The contract for her soul slipped further away from his mind, but not completely. The final ride would be the scariest of them all. If Andrea didn't believe his next demonstration, he'd simply have to allow her to discredit everything about him in the next article. If he couldn't persuade her to see him for what he was, accept it, and sign her soul away, he didn't need to call himself the king of deceit. He deserved any disparaging claims she wrote against him.

  IV

  "Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love."

  ― Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

  Andrea followed Luc to his impressive garden perfumed by lilacs and honeysuckle. The vibrant colors were far from what she assumed a devil's garden would look like. The trees were lush instead of bare and gnarled as she feared they might be. The centerpiece in the ring of lilac was a plain stone three tier fountain. The garden fountain provided a soothing aura in comparison to the monstrosity in the front
lawn. His backyard was obviously a place of peacefulness, and she suddenly had the urge to remove her shoes and feel the plush grass beneath her heels. The crisp air carried the sounds of crickets braving the chilly night. Moments like this reminded her she loved living in the south. She took deep breaths while she tracked Luc moving about the garden. She sat on a cement bench to the left and crossed her legs waiting for whatever show he'd put on next.

  He paced before her, offering glances to her direction every few steps. She wondered what he was thinking that had him so worked up. Perhaps he was stumped on how to prove he was Lucifer. She liked watching him move though. The power rolling off him may not have been evil, but it did command attention and it certainly had hers. His shoulders where broad and she could easily envision he was muscled from neck to ankle under the swarthy suit.

  "You're making me dizzy."

  He snorted. "And you're making me crazy."

  Andrea didn't sense anger, but frustration in his words. "Well, I'm sorry I'm not won over with a few magic tricks and dressed up kids."

  "I do not command children."

  Careful, Andrea, don't get too loosey-goosey with him. Making him mad can result to your head above his fireplace. Demon or not, a pissed off powerful man like Luc Ifer could end badly for her. His reputation could reach well past the police and her case file could quickly become a cold case with no one bold enough to face Luc to find out what really happened to her.

  "I think I should leave now." She knew she should wrap the interview up anyway, but a part of her wanted to be in Luc's company for a little awhile longer. The insane part. For once in her career, she didn't want an interview to end, no matter how weird it became at times. She started to get in-depth answers from him too, even if she didn't believe a word of it. It would make for an excellent article.

  He cracked his neck and stared at her in silence before he spoke. "You want to see something that will make you believe."

  "Yes." It's what she'd been saying all night.

  Luc looked to the fountain for a few silent moments as if in deep thought about something. In a quick movement he pulled a tan parchment out of his pocket. The same paper he read earlier when she first saw him in the library. She wondered what was so special about the paper; was it a disclosure she had to sign? Maybe old words about Lucifer, perhaps even a dated drawing she could use to try and authenticate him? She became very intrigued and she slipped to the edge of the bench waiting to reach for the paper he glanced over.

  "You have to sign your soul to me in order to see anything else." He held the piece of paper out to her. She pulled her hand back from accepting it when his words registered. Sign her soul away? Andrea couldn't help but stare up at Luc in shock. He couldn't be serious.

  "Excuse me?" Things always seemed to go creepy just when she wanted to relax around him.

  "A drop of blood or a signature will seal the deal, and then I'll show you."

  "Let's not. I don't joke around with this kind of stuff."

  "Neither do I." And with the cold glare he gave her, she believed him. "Earlier you seemed like you'd do anything to see the truth and believe it. I'm offering it to you and you refuse to take it."

  He had to go and ruin everything with his craziness. Andrea crossed her arms over her chest, keeping them as far away from the page as she could. "This is ridiculous. I'm leaving now."

  She'd gotten five steps toward the backdoor before his voice rang out. "Your fear will keep you from learning the truth of so many things. Will you let it win?"

  Andrea turned to offer her own rebuttal and froze at how different he looked. Luc looked sinister, his eyes looked darker, filled with flames and they watched her with a predatory acuteness. For the first time tonight she truly felt afraid, not just for her life but her soul. He looked evil, and their meeting had been strange from the beginning. Luc wasn't her Average Joe pretending to be a supernatural being. In that moment he actually looked like a demon. Yet, instead of it scaring her away, she had a moment of déjà vu, and it caused her curiosity to spark. What man could have flames in his eyes? No man she ever met, yet it seemed familiar, locked so deep in her mind she couldn't seem to bring it to the surface. The sensible part of her wanted to excuse the flame as lights gleaming from the house. However, the other part, the part her skepticism beat back with a stick said that wasn't true. Running right now seemed like a good idea.

  "What if I wanted to leave, Luc?"

  He blinked rapidly for a moment and the blazing glint disappeared from his eyes. Her question had obviously taken him off guard. He looked at her and she didn't bother to hide her unease.

  "Then, I'll walk you out." He tucked the sheet in his jacket pocket, stepped close to her, and held a palm out for her to go first. She hesitated and reminded herself of the knife in her bra. She didn't want to threaten him with it, but the longer she stayed with Luc the more she started to believe he might be the first fallen angel of Heaven. He was sly and cunning, and she couldn't help think he tried to trick her in any way he could. Even if that meant flipping her seduction game back on her. That was dangerous territory because being seduced by Luc appealed to her more than she cared to admit. Apparently, not only was her soul in danger, but she knew her curiosity would win. A nugget of information like Luc would be a goldmine for her articles. He could point her in the next direction toward another "authentic" supernatural creature. That's if she truly believed he was Lucifer, which of course she didn't.

  "Together then?" He dropped his hand and held his arm out for her to take. Andrea pushed thoughts of caution toward the back of her mind. Feeling jumpy would be a dramatic slip in their rocky acquaintance. She wouldn't cower like a scared little girl. She'd grab the bull—or the demon—by the horns. She slipped her arm through his and the buildup of arousal came roaring back the minute their arms locked. Her nose caught his cologne and the spicy scent lured her to lean in and gather a deeper whiff. Her fingers curled into his forearm as her mind envisioned Luc looking down his chiseled torso as she took his cock in her mouth. His bright eyes would stand out like beacons in the dark room. A quiver of exhilaration would roll through her as he touched her cheek. The image gave her a shiver, and if Luc noticed he didn't comment, though his arm did clamp hers a little tighter.

  God, why did he have to be crazy?

  Nothing should seem as authentic as it did, and her thick walls were crumbling against all the obvious flaws. The butler had to be in on the hoax. The house was a creepy rendition of some satanic ritual. Even if she did find the art beautiful, he had children working in his kitchen. She couldn't sit back and pretend it wasn't a well-paid prank used to sway her into making a shining article about him and his claim. She should report him for the children thing, but if they were actors for the night and their parents consented it wouldn't matter.

  They walked in silence for so long before Luc spoke again. "There is so much more to see, Andrea. I do hope you would reconsider the contract," he said as they stepped into the main hallway that led toward the foyer.

  "Not on your life. It's impractical for me to even acknowledge the absurdity of what you ask." Luc turned his head to glare at her, his dark hair shifted. She tried not to follow the movement or think it attractive, but Luc was so sexual. Not staring or wanting him started to seem impossible.

  "You've turned back into the crispy journalist. For a brief moment you were having fun with me."

  "No, I was having a conversation with you. This isn't fun, it's work."

  His face hardened. "Understood, allow me to see you off then."

  They were almost to the front door when he stopped suddenly. "Just a simple kiss goodbye," he muttered before pulling her close. A kiss? A dangerous kiss, more like. Yet she allowed him to move in. She was too stunned to refuse. Luc's soft lips moved against hers in a tantalizing caress that caused her toes to curl and a spark of passion to zing through her body and ignite between her legs. His hands held onto the sides of her face, and he kept her mouth pressed to his.
He worked her tense mouth into complete relaxation. His kiss was demanding and a little possessive, and damn if she didn't like it. She let his hands slide down the sides of her body, rubbing so close to places that ached to be touched.

  His tongue probed her bottom lip and she spread her lips wider for him and wondered if she'd lost her mind. A moment ago, he completely freaked her out, but it went without saying that he enthralled her too. She slid her fingers down his stitched vest and the ripple of his abdomen muscles brushed against her palms. Christ, he was ripped. Pure sex on a stick and she wanted him. Devil or no, she wanted him now.

  Wait, what was she thinking?

  "No." She took a generous step back. The more distance, the better. Luc muddled her mind. "You're doing that on purpose." His lips were pink from the pressure of their kiss and a bit glossy from her lip balm, she could bet hers were swollen. Andrea burned with desire, and she shifted her feet. The pooled liquid between her thighs suggested she should do something about it. Particularly with the male in front of her.

  "I'm not doing anything but kissing you." He stepped forward.

  Andrea stepped back and had her arms out in a puny attempt to keep him at bay. He gained an inch every few seconds. "You're making me desire you."

  He smiled and reached out with a hand toward her. "So, you believe I have some powers of arousal, but not that I could be Lucifer?"

  She let him touch her arm but kept his body with a good gap away from her own. "No, I don't." Though she accepted something seemed a bit off about Luc Ifer period.

  He frowned. "I feel when you lie. It's like a kiss on my spine, a shiver against my skin. It's nice, but I want to experience the true you. The only thing stopping that is your damn morals. You want me, but you refuse to act. Your body tells me the truth with your arousing scent and flush, no matter what lie you pronounce."

  "Luc…" She raised her hands up and latched onto the sides of his coat when he closed in again. Damn she did want him. She couldn't fight him off. Instead she pulled him closer for another taste.