All I wanted was to run right out of the kingdom, throw away being Queen of Lust for a normal life as a human, continue my internship under Dr. U, and become a psychologist just like her, but I couldn’t. Not only were there guards in every corner of this castle, but I loved Eros.
I loved him, and that would be my downfall.
If I left and he died, I wouldn’t forgive myself. We would deal with this whole complicated situation later. I had to do the one thing I never thought I’d do.
Flirt with Javier to keep Eros safe.
I was going to hate myself for it, but I wasn’t going to let Eros die. It wasn’t who I was.
Okay, Dani. You can do this. Just distract him. It’d be easy.
Javier leaned over the bar, chatting up the bartender. One hand was stuffed into his pocket, the other was holding his Passion Delight. The cuffs of his shirt were rolled halfway up his forearms.
I stepped in his direction, but Lucifer grabbed my arm and pulled me close. “Do what you have to do—anything you have to do—to distract him. Do you understand?” he asked. I went to reach for Mom’s necklace and swallowed hard when I remembered it wasn’t there.
I had to do this all on my own.
Lucifer nudged me and sat at a table where he could easily watch. I kept my gaze low as I approached the bar—trying to gather all the confidence I had left in myself—and slid onto a stool a few feet away from Javier. I pursed my lips, pretending to look at the drink menu.
Once I felt his gaze burning into me, I glanced at him, eyes lingering longer than they should’ve to let him know that I was interested. His eyes were black pits tinted with the darkest color red. An odd combination that looked so wrathful, yet so alluring.
Javier strolled to me, his finger gliding against my bare back from shoulder to shoulder, making me shiver. “Lonely?” he asked. He rested his forearm against the bar and leaned closer to me.
I gazed at him through my lashes. “What makes you think that?”
He brushed his fingers against my elbow. “Eros has been gone for a while now, probably still fucking those whores.”
Stay calm, Dani. He’s just trying to get under your skin.
“Well, I’m just his pet. Nothing more,” I said. The words came out harsher than I wanted them too. I turned back to the menu. Passion Delight. Vodka with Passion. Red Sangria with a dash of Passion.
Javier smirked and sat next to me. “Really?” He placed his hand on my knee, fingers digging into it lightly. “Because to me it seems like Eros treats you like a queen. Always defending your honor.” He inched closer, and I could smell his intoxicating peppery scent. “I bet he worships your every move, doesn’t he?”
Flirt, Dani. Step up your damn game.
I turned in my seat to face him and watched his gaze flicker to my breasts. “He does, but…” I lightly brushed my foot against his, heart racing.
“But?” he asked, fingers rubbing circles on the insides of my thighs. His eyes were so captivating that if I wasn’t careful, I would fall under his spell too.
I blushed and glanced down, pulling myself away from him. “No.” I shook my head. “No—forget it.”
Javier paused, his finger stopping and digging into my mid-thigh. “But you want to be treated like a pet, don’t you?”
I sucked in a shaky breath and pressed my knees together. I didn’t want to be a pet, but since the other night with Lucifer—since my first night with Eros even—I was slowly discovering my love for lust.
Everyday something new excited me. First it was Eros, standing in my bedroom with black eyes and curved horns—too tempting to pass up. Next, in public while we took a leisurely ride in the bus. Then our threesome with Lucifer. And, now, as I flirted with Javier I realized that there was a world of desire down here and I knew nothing about it—but I wanted to.
This was what Javier wanted, and it had to be what I wanted from him right now too in order to keep him distracted.
Javier walked behind me, placed one hand on my hip as the other trailed up my body and roughly grabbed my chin. “You are a whore, just like I thought.” His breath was on my ear. “My brother never really knew how to treat a woman the way she wanted to be treated in bed.”
God, I really wish Lucifer never let me do this alone.
His fingers lightly traveled down my neck to my breasts. He ran them across the tender skin, so gently that I closed my eyes and pictured it was Eros teasing me, not him. Then he shoved me against the bar, so close that I could just feel my breasts about to fall out of my top.
“I should let every incubus have a turn with this perfect little body,” he said. “I bet you love being filled, don’t you?”
I gulped.
He snatched my chin again. “Don’t you?” His voice was harsh.
“Yes,” I whispered. “I love it.”
He chuckled and stuck his fingers into my mouth. And I, shamefully, wrapped my lips around them.
Forgive me, Eros.
Javier chuckled against my ear. “What a good fucking whore you are. I think I’ll keep you to myself for tonight. But tomorrow you’ll get passed around until every incubus and succubus gets their share of you.” He pulled me off of the stool. “Come with me.”
I dug my heels into the ground. Oh, no. This was not part of the plan. I was to stay here and distract him. Not go with him to God-only knows where inside this castle and have him do things to me that I didn’t want to think about.
When I didn’t move, he clenched his jaw. “Come with me,” he said, his eyes turning a deeper red, and his peppery aroma almost becoming overwhelming. So wrathful. So damn terrifying.
Lucifer was leaning back in his chair and staring at me with an empty glass in his hand. This was not what Eros would have wanted.
Javier followed my gaze and frowned. Despite my best efforts to stay at the bar, he dragged me in Lucifer’s direction. “Lucifer, I’m taking your whore for the night. Hope you don’t mind. I’m sure Eros doesn’t.”
As if I were nothing to him, Lucifer stood and swung his suit jacket over his shoulder. “Have fun with her.”
My eyes widened. This wasn’t right. Javier was about to take me to a Lust Room, and Lucifer—Eros’s greatest friend in Hell—was just going to let him. He said that I had to do anything to distract Javier. But sex with Eros’s brother? Eros would never agree to something like that.
I surveyed the room. Guards of Lust and of Wrath were posted at each door. Eros’s parents were watching my every move from the dinner table. I couldn’t run, and, even if I could have, I wouldn’t be able to fight off Javier. He was too strong for me.
He pulled me along, heading directly for the Lust Rooms. At this point, I just wanted to make it out of here alive. I didn’t want to die in the hands of a demon, especially Javier.
So, I followed him in absolute terror. When we passed Lucifer, Lucifer’s fingers brushed against mine, and he pushed something into my hand. I furrowed my brows, balled my hand into a fist, and continued walking.
Whatever it was, I could feel its immense power pumping through me. Energy transferring from it to me. It was small and cool and felt exactly like Eros’s ring.