Demonic Desire (Becoming Lust Book 2) Read online

  “Don’t do that to me,” he said, inching closer. “Don’t shut me out. Remember, we have to be open with each other if we want this kingdom to thrive. No secrets.”

  No secrets… but what if I kept one to keep him safe? What if I kept one to keep him from hurting? To keep him from thinking he wasn’t enough for me because his parents had told him so much that he wasn’t enough that he actually started to believe it?

  I sighed through my nose. “It’s just the stress of the ceremony. There’s so many rumors going around. And, honestly, I don’t know if I’ll ever be enough for this kingdom. I don’t know how I could ever live up to my father's reputation.” I gazed around to make sure nobody was listening, then lowered my voice. “Will Lust trust me after all the lies that your family has spewed about my father? And what about when they find out that my mother was an angel?”

  Eros placed his Fervor Crisp on the blanket, scooted closer to me, and took my hands in his. “Dani, I don’t know what they’ll think of you… but I have always believed that you’d be the best to rule this kingdom. I will protect you from anyone who threatens you or your rule.”

  “I’m nervous,” I said.

  “Then we’ll start your preparations today.”

  “Preparations?” I asked, brows furrowing. “What kind of preparations? Do I have to memorize every sex position like I had to memorize the periodic table?” Because… Jesus… would that be a disaster.

  He chuckled and brushed a strand of hair from my face. “No, preparations for the Courting Pit and for your Courting Ceremony.”

  My eyes widened slightly. “Courting Pit?”

  After pausing for the slightest moment, a look of uneasiness crossed Eros’s face. “I didn’t want to tell you yet, because it’s just going to be added stress, but”—He took a deep breath—“The Courting Pit is where demons can challenge you for your spot as commander.”

  I nearly choked on my crisp. “Challenge me?” I whispered.

  “Yes, and you’ll have to prove yourself worthy of the title: Commander of Lust.”

  “Oh, no, I cannot do that…” I shook my head and put the sweet down on the picnic blanket. Was he crazy?! Did he forget how difficult it was for me to flirt with him when we started dating? “What am I going to have to do? Have sex with people? Flirt with the entire kingdom? Suck them of—”

  “We’ll start your preparations by flirting.” Eros grasped my chin and made me look into his eyes. “Start off slow. Just flirting.”

  “With who?”

  He smirked and then looked at his phone. “We’re meeting Lucifer today. In thirty minutes. At the lounge.”

  Oh, Lord. I had to flirt with Luci? That was bound to go great.

  “Don’t worry. You’re not flirting with him, Dani. Don’t rile yourself up yet.” He chuckled. “Lucifer just wants to talk.”

  I raised my brow. Just talk? The Devil never wanted to just talk.

  Chapter 3

  Even in the early hours of the afternoon, The Lounge was bustling with women dressed in tiny leather dresses and men in suits. As soon as I stepped into the room, their sweet scents hit my nostrils. I inhaled deeply, eyes closing in delight.

  Eros rested his hand on my lower back and guided me through the room to the beige booth that Lucifer reserved. He leaned back in his seat, his icy eyes lively and vibrant as we walked toward him, and raised his glass. “Finally decided to show up.”

  “Was Lucifer upset we didn’t make it here sooner?” I teased, scooting into the seat.

  “And if I was?”

  I placed a hand on Eros’s knee and shrugged my shoulders, giving him a sly smile. “Oh, well.”

  His wide, excited eyes flickered over to Eros who was arching a brow at me. “Where’d she get this attitude from?”

  I kicked my legs back and forth under the table, drawing my fingers against Eros’s black jeans. “Eros told me I had to flirt today.”

  Lucifer tilted his head toward Eros. “You told your woman to flirt with me?”

  “Actually, I told her not to flirt with you.”

  The pretty brunette waitress—who always flirted with me here—leaned over our table to place two Passion Delights in front of us. “Can I get anything else for you, Commander Lucifer, Eros...” She turned to me, her soft, full lips parted ever so slightly.

  “Dani,” I said to her, my heart rate quickening. She smelt like dark hot chocolate on a chilly day, sweet and needed. “My name is Dani.”

  “Well, Dani…” She brushed her fingers against my forearm, the touch soft and gentle, unlike anything I had felt before. “Can I get you anything else?”

  I reluctantly pulled my arm away and shook my head. God, was I bad at this whole flirting thing. I couldn’t even look her right in the eye while she was flirting with me. It made me feel so… utterly… good. Too good.

  Lucifer watched her walk away while I focused on the lovely wooden table to try to catch my breath. Eros inhaled deeply, his arm around me relaxing. “Dani,” he hummed. “I can sense you.”

  I pressed my lips together, my cheek flushing a deep red. Lucifer sipped his drink. “Looks like her training is going exceptionally well. If you need to practice some more, Dani…” He held up the keys to a Lust Room, dangling them in front of me. “I have this.”

  Eros tensed slightly, eyes flickering from the keys to Lucifer’s smirk. A strong whiff of cinnamon rolled off of Eros, and I relaxed further into the booth. I hadn’t even sipped my drink yet, and I already felt drunk off passion.

  “Maybe later,” Eros said. “What’d you want to talk to us about?”

  Lucifer paused for a long moment, gazing around the room at some Wraths making a fuss with the asshole waiter from a few weeks ago. “Dani has gotten herself in some trouble.”

  My brows furrowed. “What kind of trouble?”

  “The kind that lands you in the pits of Tartarus, right next to your little boy-toy Javier.”

  Eros growled and tensed beside me, fingers curling into my shoulder. Javier… I swallowed hard. Don’t think about him, Dani. Don’t even…

  “What kind of trouble?” I asked again.

  “Sathanus wants to put a bounty on your head,” he said. “Told his son he wanted your horns to hang above the pits so nobody”—He pointed at me—“and I quote ‘So nobody takes my fuckin’ heirs again.’”

  My heart sunk. The Lusts from Chastion this morning were right. Sathanus was out to get me for killing his son. I sipped my drink, trying to stay calm. “What does that mean? What will he do?”

  “He tortures people, mostly physically, sometimes mentally.” Eros leaned back in the seat, brushing a hand over his face. “Fuck… I should’ve killed Javier myself. You’ve put yourself in danger by taking his soul.”

  “She can handle herself,” Lucifer said. “His weakness is the hilt of his tail. If he comes close to you, grab it hard and give it a good whack.” He winked. “And tell him that Luci taught you, just for good measure.”

  I playfully rolled my eyes to show that Sathanus’s threat didn’t bother me, but it did. Hell, it terrified me because Dad had outlined in his journal all the ways Wraths torture and kill people… and I didn’t think I’d enjoy any single one of them.

  “What do we do if he threatens her?” Eros asked.

  “He won’t touch her,” Lucifer said.

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “Because he has a kingdom to lead, and Dani just killed his oldest and strongest heir… He’ll get someone else to do his dirty work… He always does.”

  “Sathanus has other children?” I asked. The thought had completely passed through my mind these past two weeks. Everything with this ceremony had been keeping me too busy to sit back and think for the shortest moment. I should’ve known he had other heirs who’d be out to get me.

  Luci nodded his head. “Biast Sathanus, the next in line.”

  I took a long gulp of my Passion Delight until I had drunk the very last of it. Well, fuck. First, I h
ave Javier haunting me… and now I have his brother hunting me. At least, I expected his brother Biast to come at me with revenge.

  Eros and Lucifer began talking amongst themselves about the rumors, and my phone started buzzing on the table. Maria’s name flashed on the screen along with two texts, asking me where I was.

  “I have to go see Maria,” I said, scooting out of the booth. “We’re helping Trevon move today.”

  “Trevon? The guy who cheated on you, then got possessed?” Lucifer asked with a smirk. “Don’t get yourself into trouble.”

  I raised a brow at him. “Don’t be getting my Eros into trouble, either, Luci.” I threw him a wink. “Or I’ll come for you next.”

  Chapter 4

  “You know you don’t have to do this,” I said to Maria. I picked up one of Trevon’s moving boxes and walked down the hallway with Maria to her grey Audi.

  She sighed and pushed the door open, letting her dirty blonde hair fly into her face. “What else am I supposed to do? Live alone?” She gazed back toward his apartment on the third floor, watching Trevon stack box after box in front of the windows. “I hate being alone. These past two weeks have been hell without you.”

  My lips curled into a soft smile. Though Maria constantly got on my nerves, I missed her and wished that I could’ve stayed for a bit longer. I shoved the box into the backseat of her car and shut the door. “You could always live in the castle with me and Eros.”

  Maria broke out into a fit of laughter, her sweet scent filling my nostrils. God, I should’ve never had that Passion Delight at the Lounge this morning. My gaze flickered to her lips. All my demon could think about was the pure rush I got from taking someone’s soul, the feeling of Javier’s tense lips becoming soft and lifeless, the adrenaline that pumped through me when I did it.

  I smiled—watching Maria’s lips move so effortlessly but not hearing a single word she was saying—and pressed my legs together. No, Dani, you will control yourself. You will not even think about anyone the way you think about Eros.

  After placing one forearm on the hood of the car and leaning against it, she said, “You know how much I hate demons.” She playfully pushed my shoulder. “No offense.”

  “Offense taken,” I said, shaking off any sinful thoughts.

  “You know what I mean. And”—She pointed a finger at me—“don’t even think about asking me to live with Zane.” She gazed down at her phone, frowning. “He’s a good time… but… he still wants an open relationship and Dr. U told me I should make sure I’m comfortable with my decision to open up to him before we move forward.” And, just for good measure, she added, “And he’s a demon too,” in case I had forgotten.

  I raised a sharp brow. “Well, Trevon was a demon.”

  “Was. He’s not anymore.” She laughed as we walked back toward the building. “He won’t get possessed again. Nobody wants his ass. And, even if he does, you can pop those chains back on him and let him scream for days.”

  “He’s been talking to you about The Chains, too?”

  She snorted and pulled the door open. “That’s all I hear.”

  “Well… at least, when he’s with you, Zane could watch him,” I said. That was the only good thing about this whole arrangement. If Trevon wasn’t susceptible to being possessed again, I would not let my ex-boyfriend live with my roommate.

  “Yeah, that—” Maria stopped completely and stared down the hall with big, bulging eyes. “Is that Samantha?”

  My eyes widened as I stared at the petite woman in front of Trevon’s door. “What the hell is Samantha doing here?” I asked, my nostrils flaring. A knock-off Gucci purse was hanging off her arm and a stupid smirk was plastered on her face.

  Maria’s hand tightened into fists, and she said something. But again, I couldn’t hear her. All I could focus on was Samantha, her pungent scent, and the hundreds of reasons she could be at Trevon’s door.

  Trevon leaned one arm against the doorframe and smiled down at her. She ran her fingers across his bicep as if she had done it so many times before. I growled under my breath, trying to hold myself together. I couldn’t let my demon take control because she would do something murderous.

  What the actual fuck was going on? Trevon fired her because she spiked my drink. Did he not remember? Was he that stupid to let her back into his life? Maybe they were fucking. Maybe he just didn’t give a single shit.

  She curled her arm around his, pressing her breasts against his chest and batting her fake lashes at him. What was wrong with him, going for someone like her? He could do so much better.

  I wasn’t jealous of her. I was furious at him.

  Five entire years with him, dealing with his ass when he cheated on me, worrying about him nonstop when he was possessed, and he goes back to someone who had tried to poison me?

  I cleared my throat, and Trevon gazed over at me, his brown eyes soft and hazy. God, why was he so gullible? Samantha giggled at me. “Dani,” she said in her high-pitched, annoying ass voice.

  “Samantha,” I said, plastering a fake smile on my face and trying my hardest not to gag from her stench. “What are you doing here?”

  The greens in her eyes glowed faintly. She ran her manicured fingers against Trevon’s chest, and Trevon stiffened. “I just wanted to help Trevon move.”

  “I’m sure you did.” I walked right up to them, grabbed Trevon’s hand, and tugged him back into his bare apartment. “Trevon, I need a word with you.” I slammed the door in her face and turned on my heel toward him, clenching my jaw.

  Trevon pulled his arm away from me. “What are you doing?”

  “What am I doing? What are you doing?” I raised my brows at him. “She spiked my drink more than once. You had to fire her, if you don’t remember.” The apartment was completely quiet, and I remembered all the late nights we used to spend here, all the early mornings when he’d make me breakfast, all the smiles and laughs and I still hurt a bit from his betrayal… but I wasn’t acting this way because of that. I just wanted to protect him like he protected me when we were younger. “You shouldn’t be seeing her.”

  “It’s in the past. I know she fucked up big time, but she’s different now.” He gazed at the closed door and… smiled? “Why’re you freaking out about this? We’re not dating anymore, unless… unless you want to.”

  “We’re not dating anymore,” I said. “And we won’t ever date again… but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you. I don’t want someone who will scheme and hurt others to get what she wants to influence you.” I grabbed his hands, holding them close to me, and my heart tightened. “You’re healthy now and you need to stay strong.”

  Because I wouldn’t be able to deal with him turning into a demon again, especially not emotionally. When I saw Trevon for the first time after they released him from The Chains, my heart shattered into a million pieces. Nearly skin and bones, he had lost most of his muscle. He still had the two scars shooting out from either side of his lips from where the demon ripped right through him.

  Lucifer’s healers helped him a lot, but they couldn’t help me from unseeing how my strong ex-boyfriend had turned into a monster, then into nothingness.

  I didn’t want to lose him like I had lost Kasey, Aarav, and Mycah as friends. I couldn’t bear to lose another friend, especially to someone who didn’t deserve him. But I wanted him to be happy or, at least, try to lead a normal life again.

  My fingers relaxed on his wrists. “Just be careful with her and don’t take her over to Maria’s house.” I smiled. “Maria would put a mascara stick right through her throat for what she did to me, if she showed up at the apartment.”

  He chuckled. “I wouldn’t do that to Maria.” Suddenly, he got all quiet and stared at me with a lightness in his eyes. He brushed his knuckles against my cheek. “You don’t have to worry about me, Dani,” he said quietly. “Javier is gone. You took care of him, didn’t you?”

  I sucked in a deep breath and nodded my head. “I did.”

 
; He clutched the cross on his neck, thumb brushing against the shiny golden metal. “Thank you. Thank you so much for everything.” His eyes softened even more, and I relaxed further. Something about him seemed off—not in a bad way but in a way that reminded me of Mom, of softness, and of care.

  His gaze flickered to my lips. And that’s when I saw that same desire in his eyes that Eros had given me so many times before. I tensed and backed away from him, knowing what was coming next. “I should be going. We can’t fit anymore boxes into Maria’s car.” I grasped the door handle, but Trevon caught my wrist and tugged me back.

  “Do you want to go out sometime?” he asked me. My eyes widened. Out? As in on a date? Didn’t he know that I was with Eros still? His lips curled into a smile. “Not as boyfriend and girlfriend, just as friends. We didn’t make it to the nursing home this year together. I thought that maybe you’d like to go.”

  “Um…” I took a deep breath. Maybe this would be good. Maybe grounding myself back on Earth would help me relax a bit during all the drama in Hell and help me find myself again. I nodded my head. “Sure.”

  Chapter 5

  “How was your trip to Earth, Commander?” Esha asked in Lust’s portal room. She stood from one of the velvet couches and bowed her head, handing me a glass of Passion Delight.

  I handed it back to her, raising my brow. “Did Eros ask you to give me this?”

  She blushed softly and nodded her head. “I shall tell him you arrived.”

  “He already knows,” I said, walking out of the building and staring into the dark maroon sky. “You’re free for the rest of the night, Esha. Go enjoy yourself.”

  After she parted ways with me to head to Chastion, I made a bee-line toward the castle. Lusts were still whispering about my crowning, and I didn’t have the energy to confront them for it. All I wanted was to lie in Eros’s arms and relax tonight.

  Sathanus, Javier, and Samantha had been on my mind since I left Earth, haunting me like a fucking nightmare. I stepped into the house and walked up the hundreds of stairs to our bedroom. If I could—