Page 20 of Devilish

“No, I didn’t.” Lucien grinned like a fiend. “I learned right here in New York City. I told you, Wo Hop is the best Chinese food around. But I did learn a whole lot of other interesting things on my trip to China.”

“Like the fact they use butt plugs to keep in someone’s energy?”

“Ah, so youwerepaying attention that first night.”

“It’s not exactly something a person forgets.” I glanced over at the artifact under discussion. “Especially when it’s on such prominent display.”

Lucien chuckled as he dished out some barbecue ribs and then offered them to me. I took the container and put a couple of pieces on my plate.

“Did you ever walk the Great Wall?” I asked.

“Some of it.”

“Not the whole thing?”

“I’d still be walking it instead of sitting here with you. It’s over thirteen thousand miles long.”

“I knew it was big, but that seems excessive.” When Lucien raised a brow, I added, “Which is why you went, am I right?”

“See? We’re starting to know each other already.” When he held up the carton of noodles, I nodded, and he added some to my plate. “How do you feel about spice?”

“I love it.” I didn’t know why, but as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I felt heat creep up the back of my neck. He was talking about the food, I knew that, but my mind instantly went to the swing upstairs and the first time I’d seen Lucien sitting on a throne at his club. I hadn’t wanted to admit it, not to him or even myself, but it had been hard to look away. The power he commanded as he watched over the room, the sex he exuded even more than the couples going at it… Lucien Vale was mesmerizing.

Keeping my eyes on the noodles that kept falling out of my chopsticks, I said, “What’s your favorite place you’ve ever been?”

He tilted his head like he was thinking it over. I didn’t watch the way his throat worked as he swallowed, not at all. Or notice the dark hair that grazed his jaw and upper lip. Or think about whether it would tickle or scratch softly against my skin?—

“I think it’s somewhere I haven’t been yet,” Lucien said as he reached for his water. “And by saying that, I don’t want to diminish all the extraordinary places I’ve been to, I just mean…” He met my eyes, so many layers in their dark depths to get lost in. “I’ll know when I’ve found it.”

I didn’t realize I was holding my chopsticks midair, noodles dangling as I hung on Lucien’s words, until he nodded at them.

“Are the noodles okay? I think there’s rice too?—”

“No, this is great.” I swallowed them down, and I hadn’t been lying. They were the best I’d ever tasted, but that wasn’t surprising—from what I’d seen, Lucien’s taste was immaculate, from his beautiful place to dinner to the clothes he’d gotten for me, and even the tea this morning. I had high hopes for the chicken then, and I carefully picked up a piece that wobbled between my chopsticks.

My eyes slammed shut as I chewed, the flavor so delicious I just wanted to savor it. I might’ve even moaned around it, judging by the way I saw Lucien watching me intensely when I opened my eyes.

I chuckled softly, masking my embarrassment behind my napkin.

“No, you don’t have to hide,” Lucien said, gently lowering my arm from my face. “If you’re enjoying it, you should show it. Never be ashamed of pleasure, in whatever form it takes.”

I lowered my gaze, unable to hold his when he was talking about pleasure and looking at me as though I would taste as good as the food we were eating. And the scary thing? Lucien was so charming, so easy to be myself around, that I almost offered him a bite.

Deciding to focus on my food instead of the man sitting next to me, I devoured half my plate before I heard him say, “You never told meyourfavorite place that you’ve visited.”

The question was harmless enough—I’d just asked him the same exact thing. But not having half as many exciting journeys up my sleeve as he did—really, none at all—I swallowed and lowered my chopsticks to my plate.

Who was I fooling? Thinking I could sit here in this ostentatious apartment, conversing with a man of the world who had more knowledge in his little finger than I did in my whole body.

He’d said he was “ridiculous” earlier, but it was me who was kidding himself.

“Kai?”

I picked up my napkin and dabbed at the corner of my lips, my stomach full yet again from a meal Lucien had so generously offered me.

“Thank you so much for the meal,” I said, and started to get to my feet, but Lucien reached for my hand, stopping me.

“Wait a second. Did I say something to upset you?”

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