Page 97 of Devil Bound
Lucifer sighed.“Just do as I tell you for once.That would be very mature indeed.”
“I’m a professional necromancer and I don’t need to act maturely.Tell me why you showed up in that basement.Came to feast on Mitch’s evil vibes?”
Lucifer kicked the door closed behind us.“I came to get you back, because difficult as you are, you chose to leave my bed in the middle of the night for reasons that are beyond me.I wouldn’t have it.”
“I left because Iwantedto leave,like I have been trying to ever since you started pretending I was your boyfriend.I wanted to leave before you got tired of me and kicked me to the curb in the morning.”
Had I said that last bit out loud?Oh.Oh no.That wasn’t good.Showing an immortal your weaknesses really wasn’t a smart move.
Lucifer kept on walking, but he said nothing.He walked through the fireplace room and the ballroom and up the stairs.Everything was still dark, and it was odd how familiar the interplay of shadow and light here was to me already.
Lucifer made it all the way to his room, where he finally put me down right in front of the bed.He made one of his strange Devil noises before he spoke.
“You owed me for taking in Soul.You said so when you gave her to me.It created a debt bond or whatever you care to call it.I could’ve called in the favor and forced you to repay it with the force of that bond.”
I swallowed and looked off to the side, out the glass wall.Fuck.So that was what this was about.He wanted…he wanted… I had no idea what the fuck he wanted from me.
“So, what, I’m your slave now?”
“Have you ever considered not saying the first thing that comes into your head out loud?Count to five, reevaluate, then talk.I’m just saying, it might improve your social life.”
Like the Devil was in any position to advise me on my social life.Which was nonexistent.He didn’t need to know that, though.
“Oh, fuck off.”
“Five seconds, Nelly.Just give it five seconds the next time around.In any case, I didn’t want to use what you owed me to bed you—something I have wanted to do ever since I found you by the river, getting soaked in zombie brains.”
Okay?Okay…I’d never have guessed that.
“Well, you did get to bed me, if that’s what you want to call it, so what I owe you is done and over with.And I’m happy to walk away before you feel the need to toss me aside, so just let me.Walk away.”
His eyes brightened.
“You’re right, there is nearly nothing left of the debt you owed.You’re also wrong.This is not over and done with.I only want you more for having had you once, and I won’t let you walk away from this, from me.Which is why I came for you.”He narrowed his eyes and I felt his magic ripple, though I saw nothing other than his eyes in the darkness.“Would you like to make a deal, Lionel Hawkes?The only person who gets to kick you to the curb is me, and until that happens, you let me call you my boyfriend.”
I licked my lips.I wanted this.Fuck.The aching in my belly, in my balls, told me very clearly that I wanted this.Maybe not Lucifer’s attitude or even his damn snark, but…this.
“Okay.”I completely forgot to count to five before I said it.
He raised one brow.“What?Just like that?”
I shrugged.“Yeah.”Maybe it wasn’t smart, but I’d had a night.
Lucifer’s arms came around my waist, and the fire-and-spice scent of him welcomed me like a blanket warmed by a lover’s breath.“We’ll seal the deal with a kiss, Nelly.”
I froze.“Umm…”
“What?”
“I should brush my teeth.”
“Why?I don’t mind.”
“Mitch tried to kiss me.He kissed me.”
He was silent.I tried counting to see if he was actually doing what he’d suggested I do.I got to thirteen.
“Let’s seal it, then I’ll wash you and we can go to sleep.”
