Matthew leaned back in a wing chair and watched Octavia strip off her nightgown. Firelight made the delicate silk translucent. She whisked it over her head. She turned as she did so, so the firelight turned her hard nipples into peaks of gold.
Her idea made sense. Pleasure had gotten them into this disaster. It sounded logical that pleasure could get them out of it.
Octavia gazed up at him with innocent, trusting eyes. “I want you to do the most scandalous and erotic things to me. Any naughty thing you can think of.
Please
.”
What a request. It made his legs shake as arousal shot through him. It was hard to think, given his cock was so hard, so heavy, and blood pulsed through it with each beat of his heart.
“I want you to be able to watch me making love to you.”
He led Octavia to her vanity table. “Hold the edge of it and bend over,” he instructed hoarsely.
She did, and it made her lovely bottom stick out. It was such an arousing position, he almost came on the spot.
Gently, he bent and ran his tongue over her generous curves. With his fingers, he stroked her pussy. She was already wet with anticipation.
He dipped his finger in, then thrust it in and out. After wetting his finger with her juices, he pushed his fingertip into her anus. She moaned loudly.
“I want you inside me.”
He positioned himself behind her, with his legs slightly spread. He had to push hard on his erect cock to point it down to her cunny.
One arch of his hips and he was in heaven. Her creamy, hot walls gripped him. His brain was instantly flooded with pleasure. He almost came; he had to fight to hang on while he thrust in her.
In the mirror, he could see her breasts sway, her nipples bounce. He could see the sheer sensual agony on her face. He could see her eyes shut with pleasure when she moaned and squealed.
Just as he’d thought, watching her face while he pleasured her was the most erotic and delightful thing he could imagine.
If this was going to be his last time, he was finding out how heavenly sex could be.
Matthew thrust so deep he made her entire vanity table shake. The mirror wobbled precariously, but Octavia didn’t care. How could she, when his cock surged in so far and touched magical places? Each stroke make her knees tremble.
She moved her legs wider apart, bracing herself for his assault. “I love this,” she whispered. “I love to feel as though I’m being taken by you, and you are so wild and rough with lust.”
“And love,” he growled. “I’m wild because I love you so much. Now rub your sweet clit and come for me.”
She just brushed her fingers against the sensitive nub, and suddenly fireworks were bursting and pleasure shot through her.
“Oh! Oh! Oh, oh, oh!” she cried.
She heard him laugh, then groan, then his hips collided so hard into her bottom, they both sprawled over the vanity. Heat filled her, and she was certain she could feel his semen jetting out of his cock.
Oh yes
.
He stroked her clit for her, moving her fingers with his. His touch was gentle, but it made brilliant stars shoot before her eyes. He had never made her come after he’d climaxed. But he did this time, and he moaned so loudly she began to fear he was losing his soul. “Are you all right?” she whispered.
“Perfect.”
He rubbed her harder, and she burst once more. He embraced her from behind as she sobbed with pleasure. Then he pulled back, and she felt his cock slide out of her.
He gasped.
Frightened, she turned in his arms. He had gone deathly pale, and had put his hand to his heart.
“I won’t take his soul,” she cried out. “I won’t take it, and I will give mine instead.”
She stood by the vanity, trembling, watching Matthew. Matthew groaned and pressed his hand harder to his heart, making her fear that she’d failed. Then he lifted his head, met her gaze. “The pain has stopped.”
He clenched his fist and released it. “My strength is coming back.” He stared at her. “Octavia, damn, I won’t let you give your soul to Lucifer.”
She shook her head. She had only taken this terrible risk because she believed Lucifer wouldn’t take her soul. . . .
Or had she guessed wrong? Would she notice when her soul left her? Would she feel pain and weakness like Matthew? Would she die? Surely she would if she lost her soul. . . .
But Matthew would be alive. Lottie would have her father—
The most intense, hot, strange scent filled the room. It smelled like a fire, but one filled with spices. Matthew, though naked, moved to her. He threw a robe around her, then he pulled her back against him. She felt his heart pound and his powerful chest move with deep breaths.
“I think Lucifer is coming for his due,” he growled. “I’m not going to let him take you.”
“Well, I will not let him have you,” she answered fiercely.
A whirl of smoke rushed down the chimney. The fire went out with the whoosh of sooty air. Matthew grasped the fireplace poker and held it like a weapon. But she knew, just as with vampires, such a weapon would do them no good with the devil.
She was going to meet the devil. Was she truly a creature made by him? Was she in his service for eternity?
The smoke whirled into the room, just in front of the fireplace. It rose into a column seven feet in the air and began to take on human form.
Soon a naked man stood before them. He possessed muscular legs, lean hips, and a broad and powerful chest. The smoke had formed wide shoulders and, finally, a handsome face. But he had horns, and the most enormous penis—an impossibly large one.
Lucifer folded his arms across his chest. “You truly want to trade your soul for his?”
“No,” Matthew roared.
“Yes,” she shouted.
Floating above the ground, the devil circled them. “When I create demonesses, I do a very good job.”
“But how did you create me? You didn’t—I was born of my mother and father. They created me. I may take souls, but I never wanted to hurt anyone. I am
not
a demon.”
Matthew pulled her back, stepping in front of her to shield her. “She is an angel.”
“I made the succubus from whom she descended. She is not an angel. She is a wanton demon at heart, but with an angelically lovely exterior.”
“She has an angel’s heart,” Matthew said.
The devil lifted a brow. “This is what you fell in love with? Flowery words?”
“My husband is a good and perfect man.”
Satan gave a seductive smile. “If you were no longer a succubus, Octavia, you would lose all your special powers.”
“I don’t mind losing my magic.”
“Your magic is a precious gift. You can move objects with your mind. You can start fires. You can make mortals do what you wish—”
“I don’t want that. But I do want to know: If I weren’t a succubus would Matthew love me?”
“Of course I would.”
The devil gave a wicked smile. “His lust and love for you has nothing to do with your being a succubus. I will release you, Octavia.”
“You refused me,” Matthew said.
“She is a beautiful woman. I can’t refuse her. But I have a price. Sutcliffe, you must share her with me. One night of decadent sexual pleasure between the three of us. Then she will be yours for the rest of your lives. I will give her freedom.”
“I—hell, I can’t share her. I love her too much.”
“So you will let her die?”
“No, you can have my soul, instead of hers, just as you wanted in the first place.”
“You would die rather than share her? A pity. I am damned good in bed.” A wide grin flashed the devil’s gleaming white fangs again. “Most would think I would happily torture you. It would be much more entertaining than a happy ending. But I cannot. I admire love. It’s something I have sought for eternity.”
“You could find it,” Octavia said impetuously. “It is merely your reputation that stands in your way.”
The devil’s coal black brows shot up. He tipped his head back and roared with laughter.
Finally, he stopped and wiped his eyes. “For that, lovely Octavia, I give you your freedom.”
He lifted his hands. Thunder boomed. Lightning forked outside the window, instantly illuminating the room with its flash. Octavia felt warm everywhere, a wonderful tingling sensation. Then it was gone.
“It is done,” the devil said. “You are free. When I am back in Hades, I will wonder what I was thinking. Lucifer is not supposed to grant happy endings—it will ruin my reputation.”
“Is our daughter to be a succubus? Would you free her, too?”
The devil quirked a brow, and her heart sank. Then he shrugged. “All right, it is done. She is freed as well. So enjoy each other.”
An explosion of thunder came, so loud it shook the house. Lucifer’s powerful body dissolved into smoke. And the smoke vanished up the chimney.
Matthew had to know Octavia was all right. He grasped her shoulders. She looked fine. A little dazed. She stared at him, obviously confused. “I’m free? Our daughter is free?”
“Yes. That’s what Lucifer says.”
“Lottie is crying,” she said suddenly. She paled. “I can hear her from the nursery.”
“I imagine the lightning and thunder frightened her.” He slid his palms down along Tavie’s arms to her trembling hands. He squeezed them. “The nurses will attend to her, but I’d like to go to her as well. Let’s go to her together.”
He had to fight tears. Gentlemen did not cry. But it was not every day a gentleman got his perfect, happy ending.
So Octavia wouldn’t see those tears, he gathered her close and kissed the top of her head. With his arm around her waist, he led her out of the room, toward their beautiful baby daughter.
“Is it really over?” Octavia whispered. She knew it was a foolish question, and Lucifer had told them they were free, but since he was the devil, could he really be believed?
Matthew cocked his brow at her. They were walking through his greenhouse. A few feet away, Lottie’s nurse was plucking flowers, which their daughter kept trying to eat. The young nurse would rescue each flower before chubby fingers could stuff the petals between Cupid’s bow lips.
“There is a way to find out for sure.” He gave her a rakish smile. “Tonight.”
She frowned. “Guidon told us it meant I was free. I am sure I believe him.”
“Love, I just suggested a passionate encounter tonight. I can’t believe you’d rather believe Guidon than test it out with me.”
“I would like to go to our passionate encounter without fear.”
“I know you can, Tavie.”
She crossed her fingers. “I hope so.”
Octavia was too nervous to wait until nighttime. Once they returned to the house, and Lottie was upstairs in the nursery for her nap, she went to Matthew. She found him in his study. Carefully she locked the door behind her.
“I’m ready now,” she whispered, “to determine if we really are going to have a happy ending.”
He smiled. “That has to be the most unique way you’ve invited me to have sex.”
After three hours of lovemaking in which she ensured Matthew had three orgasms—and she had more than she could count—Octavia gave a happy sigh. She was lying on the carpet, and he lay at her side.
“I am convinced now,” she said.
“Good. Another orgasm might have finished me off . . . for entirely different reasons.” Matthew levered up on his arm and smiled down at her. “This was very much the perfect happy ending for me.”
“It’s not quite the end you know.”
“More sex?” he asked hopefully.
Octavia smiled. “I meant, we have our whole lives before us to spend together. But yes, more sex would be good, too.”
He rolled over on top of her. “Anything you want, my beautiful Octavia.”