Scathe

by Chacelyn Pierce

  Andrea looked up at the tree; she started to believe it all. "So as a method of payback, you tricked her into eating the forbidden fruit."

  Luc seemed sad for a moment, but Andrea couldn't help the anger rising up inside. How could he do that to Eve? The woman he claimed to love. There should be no reason why she felt the need to be upset. She hadn't been the one deceived. The saying had been wrong; Hell created fury when the Devil became scorned. He shook the very foundations of mankind because the woman he loved didn't choose him.

  Luc swooped a hand out, encompassing the area they occupied. "I came here after my banishment from the Heavens. Eve was waiting for me. She asked about my missing wings and why I looked different. I lied to her. That was the first lie I ever told. I told Eve I had been awarded a higher standing and didn't need them. She trusted me and she believed my whispered lies about eating the fruit."

  Lucifer tucked her hair behind her ear, whispering naughty things no angel should say. They'd just lain together. He seemed very different, angry and silent. Somehow he reminded her of a snake lying in wait. He seemed upset but wouldn't share why. Eve supposed goodbyes were hard for everyone, even angels. He told her to take the forbidden fruit to Adam, it was okay to eat now. She hesitated, but she trusted him. He promised he'd love her forever, and she had to believe that.

  Andrea shook her head and winced to clear Luc's memories flowing into her mind, or where they her recollections? She could feel his touch on her face, or Eve's face. She had phantom sensations of what her body felt like after their lovemaking. She couldn't tell anymore. Things were mixing together like a bad tornado of emotions and memories.

  "I learned later that she was pregnant with my son, Cain. God never favored him because of me, he was cursed long before he killed his brother. Damned the minute he was born, just for being my son. Eve's soul is unique, and I would recognize it anywhere. We were so entwined that I think we shared a small amount of essence without knowledge. Though she didn't pick me, she didn't love Adam, of that much I know. It is why God commanded she only desire and obey him. He cursed me and punished her to hate me…me, her one true love." Luc took Andrea's face in his hands. "Tell me you remember."

  Andrea stepped back. "You're insane. Besides, you said loved the lady in Venice."

  One of Luc's strong hands rested against her neck, causing her body to flame up and her skin to prickle. "You're all one in the same: Eve, Ciana, and you. Andrea, you are all one!"

  What the fuck? Crap, was cursing in her mind blasphemy in Eden. Would she be struck by some bolt of heavenly lightning? She eyed the amber sky looking for…what? She didn't even want to go there. If the being before her was Lucifer, the fallen angel, and she was indeed in Eden, shit just got real. Was he even allowed? Weren't humans banished for eating fruit?

  The flicker of awareness sparked a memory of her covering her nude body, walking beside a man she'd been ordered to obey for the rest of her days. She'd felt worse than before. She'd damned Lucifer, cursed him for ruining her body and heart, for destroying not only her, but using her love and trust in a twisted way. Though the memory was old, Andrea had a hard time keeping the surge of hatred down. Every molecule in her body told her to hurt Luc, to cause him physical and mental anguish. They were so strong that Andrea stumbled back from his reach; she didn't trust herself not to slap him.

  Luc seemed both happy and sorrowful. "You're seeing the truth now, aren't you? Your soul is bound to hate me." Luc sat roughly in the tall grass, staring off into the tree line from which she'd come from.

  "But, ironically, I'm drawn to you."

  He looked up at her, the gray gaze she'd come to admire showed a bit of hope and longing that tied an invisible tether to her heart.

  "You have Eve's soul, but you are your own woman, and I would like to know the person you are today. I didn't know that in Venice when I faced Ciana. I saw something I wanted and I was blinded by greed to get it. What I want between us would've never worked back then. The things I want now are simpler and less intense. I don't want to scare you."

  "I'm not scared."

  Luc gave her a small smirk. "One day you might be."

  Andrea shrugged. "Maybe, but not right now."

  Getting on her knees beside him, Andrea turned her body toward Luc and touched his shoulder. His smooth skin was warm under her fingertips, his breath loud to her ears. She licked her lips as her body slowly leaned in to taste his mouth again. His gaze darkened when he realized her intention. Andrea got ensnared a little bit more by Luc's charm. Not willing to fight it off any longer. Succumbing to Luc might be the dumbest thing she'd ever done, but it also seemed natural.

  Andrea scooted closer, her knees pressed against Luc's bare thigh. Everywhere their skin touched was on fire. She wanted to straddle him, to take over the situation. "I'm starting to believe I have Eve's soul, because her feelings for you are causing me to make decisions I wouldn't normally make around a man."

  "I'm not a man," Luc whispered against her lips.

  "I know." Andrea let her mouth press against Luc's. He waited for her to make the first move. His strong arms pulled her atop his lap, the place she longed to be. Their kiss deepened now that she'd had a better angle on working her tongue between his lips. His hands roamed over her body, outlining her curves and resting underneath her bottom. His grip was possessive, demanding, and she loved every moment of it. Luc gave a squeeze that caused her to roll her hips. She rubbed herself against his growing erection, delighting on how instantly he wanted her. His fingers skimmed the skin on her thighs as he lifted up the toga's soft material and exposed her sex to the soft leather of his loin cloth.

  He muttered something in a foreign language, but she was too caught up to ask what he'd said. Andrea let her fingers caress his hot skin. His cock started to slip through the side of the loin cloth, the rosy pink head growing closer to her pussy as their kissing became frantic. Eager to have more than leather stimulating her clit, Andrea slid her pelvis higher up Luc's lap, pressing herself against his cock's swollen head. The heat of his velvety skin against her pussy caused her to moan and roll her hips faster. Her arousal instantly caused the head of his cock to become slick and build her on a steady climb toward climax. She could have an orgasm right on his lap, just from rubbing herself against him, but if she did, she'd probably be no good for when they actually had intercourse. It had been difficult for her to come twice so close together, and she wanted to come hard with him inside her.

  Luc growled in his throat, his hot breath flowing down her cleavage. Her nerve endings were sparking, and every little touch from him caused her body to tremble.

  "Easy, Andrea, I want this to last."

  So did she. Andrea was so starved for sexual attention that she had a hard time reeling back her desire. Luc tried to steady her hips and slow her movements. With a harsh breath of frustration, she stopped.

  "Slow, easy." Luc pulled back and brought one of his hands up to brush a lock of her hair away.

  Using the opening to roll her hips again, she caused him to groan. "I don't want slow and easy." Luc's eyes had an eerie glow that should've frightened her but didn't. Luc had her in the palm of his hands, those flames in his eyes were beacons and she was the silly moth fluttering closer to them. Never mind if her wings got singed, never mind that being with Luc might equate to being burned both personally and professionally. She had to do this, for some reason she was hooked and it ran deep in her soul. She might be a fool to believe Luc's devil hype, he could've brainwashed her with all the past life mumbo-jumbo, but she was in this moment, and it was rare and special. It wasn't something she wanted to mess up, no matter if she believed it or not. Right now, she wanted everything Luc had to offer. In the morning she'd deal with the mess surely to come.

  VII

  "The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it...."

  ― Oscar Wilde

  Something shifted between them. Luc felt as if a sharp crisp of energy crackled in the air. Andre
a's gaze sweltered, and in that heat he could see the soul shining bright, beckoning him. Tempting him to fucking lay claim. Oh, how he wanted to place his Devil's Mark on her skin, claim her body and soul. Years back he would have, he would've taken her with no regard for her wishes. Now, things were different. He wanted her to desire him and want to be with him. In the past, the soul burning deep in her chose another and he wanted to know if it truly did pick him. No bullshit in their way, he had to see if she was truly the one for him. The one that brought out the last bit of compassion he ever owned. When around Andrea, he felt changed, whole, and enriched. Almost like he was an angel again, rebirthed from the embers that struck him down.

  He didn't want to stop, he wanted to let whatever happened between them play out. With Andrea's body atop his, under the spot where he shared the same sacred magic many ages ago, he had to know if she would truly be his. He couldn't take leaving what was left of his cold, shriveling heart in his hands and having her turn her back on him. Not again. He needed assurance; he wanted her bound to him.

  "Luc, you are killing me with the games. Do you want to do this or not?" She rubbed her achingly hot core against his cock, teasing him for a definite answer.

  Her irritation caused him to smile. She was beautiful, albeit very different than the past females who'd harbored the soul. However, it had been so long that he'd mostly forgotten what their faces looked like.

  It didn't matter.

  Andrea was here and now, and his desire wasn't waned. This remarkable woman before him was gorgeous and she wanted him. Hell, she'd been searching him out. In a way he felt honored the soul wanted to reconnect to him. Since Andrea lived neck deep in the paranormal world, perhaps everlasting life as his bride might not be too much to ask for. Later on down the road, of course. She was still accustomed to her mortal ways but once she forgot and loved him, it might not be too much to ask.

  She doesn't know the real you.

  In due time, he'd show her, but he had a caramel-skinned woman straddling his lap. And he intended to give her everything she needed.

  "I want you more than you'll ever know." He meant that and his genuine words gave Andrea a warm smile.

  "Then what are you waiting for?" Andrea's hand buried between them and gripped his cock. Her firm tugs caused Luc to pump his hips off the ground. Her soft touch felt like nothing he'd ever experienced before with past human lovers. The power surge that came with her skin-on-skin contact amplified times ten since the little rendezvous in the coat closet. Eden stripped them down to their bare essences. Everything happening between them felt right, and Luc closed his eyes as a sense of peace washed over him.

  Andrea's hand skimmed across the head of his throbbing erection. His balls were heavy and they were erotically sensitive whenever her palm glided over them on her upward stroke. She licked her lips as if she could taste his seed, and maybe she wanted to. Luc's breathing picked up. The feelings she awoke within him had to be a miracle. He wanted to keep her around just to feel the happiness daily. With her gone, he was a cold, evil thing in the chasm of Sheol. With each caress of her hands and lips, he was alive and he wanted to be good to and for her.

  Feeling exhilarated, he gripped Andrea's full hips and pushed her up to stand. Her brow furrowed and annoyance hardened her features.

  "I want you against the tree."

  She glanced behind her and up into the gnarled branches of the tree. She chewed on her bottom lip and finally tore her eyes away to focus back on him. A hint of skepticism radiated from her, but Luc gave her no time to ponder his request. He rose to his knees, took a hand, and pressed her backward to let the tree support her weight. She leaned back against the dark tree and gazed down at him. The ebony tree bark against her toffee skin caused her to resemble one of the ancient paintings in his gallery.

  Just stunning.

  "Do you want to be taken against this tree, by me? Give into your attraction to sin, Andrea." Slowly lifting her left leg, he let it drape across his shoulder. Lowering his head slowly to the sweet spot between her thighs, he kept his eyes on her until her wet center captured his full attention. Leaning in, he inhaled her exhilarating scent. Mingling with the flowers of Eden, it suddenly seemed like a crime that he didn't taste her earlier in the closet.

  He let his tongue slide up her moist slit. She moaned and immediately tangled her fingers in his hair. Her sharp nails scraped his scalp. The burn tingled through his nerves enough to cause a shiver to roll through his body. It felt too fucking good to protest. The quick vibration trembling through him caused a spike in Andrea's arousal. Her hitched inhale spurred on his carnal desires. He pressed harder against her, delighting in the way she started gasping in bigger breaths. She tasted so fucking enchanting, like a glimpse inside Heaven he'd forgotten. Taking two fingers, he slipped them inside her pussy, groaning in tune with her own pleasurable moan. As he worked his fingers against her slick chamber, his pinky stimulated the tight opening of a place he hadn't explored on a woman for quite some time. He wondered if Andrea liked such things, and if so, he wanted to be the only male to give it to her.

  His exploratory strokes paid off when Andrea cried out in ecstasy and pulled his head closer to her drenched sex. He removed his hand to worship her with his mouth. She tasted like clover honey, and he was a damned bee addicted to her blooming bud. He flicked his tongue up, rolling it over the swollen clit emerging from her silky folds. As her hot liquid flooded his mouth, he drowned in her arousal. He was hard, painfully so, and he wanted to feel Andrea's body tremble around his cock.

  Standing up, he relished in the wild expression on her face. He took her to the point of madness. Good, because she'd brought him to recklessness hours ago. Her arousal piqued and her nipples were pebbled under the thin fabric covering her body. He slid a hand under the soft chiffon and let her dark nipple lightly trail across his palm. Andrea tilted her head back, exposing her neck, a sign of submission. He lowered his mouth to the soft junction between her earlobe and shoulder. He could smell the perfume of Eden on her skin. The heavenly floral fragrances made him hunger for more. Grabbing the same leg that earlier draped over his shoulder, he lifted it up against his hip and held it firmly in place. Andrea smirked at him, obviously happy about what came next. He used his free hand to pull the tie string on his loin cloth and set his erection free.

  Nestling his thick shaft at her slippery entrance, it took everything he had not to push in too fast. He wanted to savor each moment, and rushing it would make it hard to recall eons down the road. Slow and easy would allow him to treasure every sensation and sound. Plus he had to fight through the apprehension knotting in his gut. It had been so long since he'd been intimate with someone. He couldn't help but experience the doubts any male would feel. He wasn't human and he wasn't used to having those types of pesky emotions, but in Andrea's presence he wasn't his usual self. With Andrea, he cared about what she thought of him. He wanted to please her so she might continue to stay with him.

  Andrea wiggled against him, trying to push his cock in on her own, but he shifted his hips slightly, keeping himself just outside her opening. She grumbled but it encouraged his desire to make her nearly beg for him. It gave him a sense of elation that she yearned for him to the point of frustration.

  "Lucifer." The little minx had said his name in a sultry voice she knew would be too hard for him to ignore. "Please, I need…"

  "What? What do you want?" He wanted—no needed—to hear her say it.

  "Just fuck me, okay." She growled, the noise causing a spark of something primal to unleash inside him. She was feisty and demanded to be taken by him. He loved it. That had been even better than hearing her beg for it.

  In one soft, smooth move, he slid all the way inside her. She was tight at first but easily stretched to accommodate him after a few strokes. Andrea groaned again, deep in her throat, a predatory noise that sounded animalistic and appealed to his monstrous side. Andrea locked her hands behind his neck, securing herself against him as
he moved inside her. He wanted this moment to mean she'd stay with him on an extended basis. He didn't want her to go anywhere; she could be his rock, his cornerstone in a world where the ground fell out from underneath him constantly.

  Luc moved inside her, biting his lip as her silky walls clenched his swollen cock. A thousand thorns of ecstasy pierced his body as they connected. She felt so damn good, better than he could ever imagine. They shared a beautiful moment. Deep in the primordial garden where sin destroyed so much, they created something divine. So many sensations, each one of them raw and shredded his defenses, exposing him for the hurt and battered being he hid. Along with her annihilating the dangerous swirl of what made him the devil many feared, she healed him with each caress of her hand and every whisper of his name.

  Luc hissed at how good her pussy clinched him when he pushed deeper inside Andrea. The tight coil of pleasure inside her released with a gasp from her lips. She shook uncontrollably with her sudden climax. She clutched him like a lifeline, her pussy squeezing him as each surge rolled through her. Luc stopped moving so he could absorb the strength of her pleasure. On shaky legs, he let the cream of her release coat his cock. As her climax ebbed she crashed against him. Her orgasm erupted like a euphoric tidal wave pushing and pulling him deeper into ecstasy. He lost what little control he had and let the current take him away. He fell against Andrea as he released inside her. It had been a long time since he felt the effects the soul had over him. The sheer beauty of it left him in a daze, and he momentarily lost himself as her sweetness left him with a flourishing high.

  I wish I could feel like this forever.

  It was a foolish dream. Happiness had never been in the cards for him. Thinking he'd be able to achieve such an emotion meant he told the biggest lie to the one willing to believe it.