She reached out and took his hand. The moment she grasped it, he pulled her to her feet, and the two of them apparated away from the playground. They popped up in the middle of a house nearby, quiet and still, not a fleck of light anywhere. Lucifer let go of her and snapped his fingers, a fireplace along the wall igniting briskly. The warm, orange glow from it illuminated the room. Serah glanced around, surveying the massive bed, covered in a light blue comforter.

"A bedroom?" she mused quietly, running her hand along the blanket, feeling the softness beneath her fingertips. "You’re not even going to buy me dinner first?"

"Nah, there’s no point," he said, his voice light, almost teasing. "You know, considering you already put out before the first date."

Her head snapped in his direction, her eyes narrowed as she shot daggers at him, but her annoyance couldn’t last. The moment she saw his expression—the dimpled smirk, the laugh lines around his eyes, startlingly bright blue at the moment—she melted with ease. "You’re awfully cocky."

He opened his mouth to respond instantly, laughter erupting instead. "No comment."

Rolling her eyes, Serah turned away from him, focusing back on the bed. The warmth from the fireplace lapped at her as she walked past, warming her, the goose bumps fading from her skin. "Why me?" she murmured. "Out of everyone in the world. . . "

"You’re fiery," Lucifer said. "You’re stubborn, and pushy, and exasperating."

"Those don’t sound like compliments."

"They are coming from me."

"Well, thank you," she said, pausing near him.

"You’re also brave," he said, stepping toward her. He ran his fingers through her hair, tucking some of it behind her ear. His fingertips trailed her jawline, running down her neck and along her collarbones. "You have the guts to stand here in front of me."

"You don’t scare me," she said. "You’re a bit of a jerk, and you’re completely selfish, and not to mention overconfident—"

"Thanks."

"Those aren’t compliments," she said. "But despite all of that, I know you won’t hurt me."

He smirked, leaning down, his lips near her ear as he whispered, "Now who’s being overconfident, angel?"

Serah shivered as he softly kissed the sensitive skin beneath her ear, his lips trailing down her neck. He reached the junction between her neck and her shoulder and bit down, his teeth nipping at her soft flesh. A surprised yelp escaped her throat at the sudden sting, the pain heightening her senses. She ran her hands up his back, beneath his shirt, feeling his sculpted muscles and the slight bumps in his shoulder blades from his wings. His body shuddered as her fingernails gently scraped the skin.

Their lips met as Lucifer grabbed her thighs, pulling her legs up around his waist. Serah clung tightly to him, wrapped around him, as she fingered the soft hair around the nape of his neck. Soft groans rattled his chest as he set her on the bed, his mouth never leaving hers as he climbed on top of her.

They undressed slowly, painstakingly, in no rush to get anywhere, in no hurry for it to end. She lay back on the bed as Lucifer kissed and caressed every inch of her body, ravishing her, tasting her flesh. Her legs shook, her body quivering when his mouth found the apex between her thighs. She cried out his name, tightly grabbing handfuls of his hair as she arched her back. Tingling shot through her as pressure built inside of her, starting at her chest and trickling down to her toes. She squeezed her eyes shut, getting lost in the sensation, as it mounted and mounted, stealing her breath away. Her body warmed, growing hotter and hotter, until she felt like she would burst into a million tiny pieces. His tongue, soft and wet, gentle while frantic, was driving her closer and closer to absolute insanity.

She fisted the bed sheets, unable to take the pressure, her eyes opening as she neared explosion. Her breath caught, a scream lodged in her throat when she looked down at her naked body. Her skin burned bright orange, as radiant and glowing as the sun. The sight of it caught her off guard, shock ramming those sensations back down inside of her. She shoved away from Lucifer and sat up, curling into herself as she stared at him, wide-eyed. "What was that?"

He raised his eyebrows, his expression twitching with amusement. "I believe your mortals call that oral sex."

"I know that," she spat. "I know what cunnilingus is. I meant the glowing."

Lucifer chuckled, grabbing ahold of her legs and pulling her toward him again. Her skin was back to a normal hue, a slight pink flush tinting it. "That was you letting go," he said, hovering over her. He leaned down, chastely kissing her lips. "Felt good, didn’t it?"

She smiled sheepishly. It did.

He kissed her neck, nipping at her skin as he nudged her legs apart. With no hesitation, no trepidation, he slid inside of her, the two of them coming together sinuously like they’d always belonged that way. It was different this time, more sensual, more seductive, less hurried and rash. Each stroke was deliberate, each breath measured, each moan and grunt and pant steady. They’d lost themselves in abandon last time, drowning in the shallow waters of lust, while they floated in something much, much deeper now.

Forbidden love.

Hours faded away in a steamy haze, words mumbled by kisses, cries muffled by flesh, as orgasm after orgasm rocked the lovers. Lucifer came to a stop eventually, stilling inside of her, as she breathed heavily against his chest. The flames still raged in the fireplace, but the room had grown significantly darker as time passed. The world outside was being battered by storms, torrential rain slamming against the roof as the sky grew redder, spreading like blood spilling out and seeping into a wooden floor.