“Lucifer. Lucifer. Where are you?”

Sweet Gaia’s voice called out from the other room, but Lucifer dared not answer. He couldn’t let her find him.

I think she should see what you’re doing. His inner voice, with his deviled horns, somehow took enough control to make him utter an, “Over here.”

He slapped his hand over his mouth. Too late. She’d heard.

Appearing quite lovely in a diaphanous green gown, Gaia stood in the doorway. Shock stretched her features. “What are you doing?”

At her query, Lucifer sank lower in the frothy bubbles of his bath. “I am having a private moment.”

“Tell me you’re whacking off in there,” she muttered.

“Most certainly not. Simply relaxing with soothing music and fragrant bath salts. I had a busy day with the caterers.”

“The Lord of Sin does not take baths.”

“Of course he does.”

Only if there’s a naked woman in it.

Before Lucifer knew what happened, he’d reached out and yanked Gaia into the tub with him.

She uttered a squeal and landed with a splash—atop him.

Utterly appalled at his own actions, he sputtered, “Sorry. So sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

Laughter bubbled from her, a giggle like he hadn’t heard since their engagement dinner. She looped her arms around his neck. “This is more like the Luc I know.” She rubbed her nose against his, and he returned the gesture. Nothing wrong with a little cuddling. They were, after all, engaged to be married in a few days.

That’s it, buddy boy. Justify a little wink-wink-nudge-nudge.

Uh-oh, if his inner voice approved, then that meant he should deny the pleasure. He meant to set her away from him, but the small confines of the tub made it impossible, and her latch on him wouldn’t relent.

The proximity did things to his body. Conjured carnal thoughts. For distraction, he tried counting duckies, smiling ones with little halos to remind him to be good.

She rested her forehead against his. “Do you remember the last time we were in a bath together?”

“No.” Lie. The image came to him in living color.

Wearing only a robe, loosely belted, he sneaked into the bathroom, the one he’d had made for her with the massive Roman tub. He stood for a moment staring at the vision of loveliness. Gaia lay in the almost pool-sized tub, head tilted back, eyes closed, a layer of bubbles hiding the naked flesh of her body.

The robe fluttered to the floor as he shouted “Cannonball” and flopped into the water. He didn’t care that waves sloshed over the side. And neither did she. Her lips clung to his, and her wet legs wrapped around his waist.

“You do remember,” she whispered.

He closed his eyes against her piercing gaze as the memories flowed over him, but he could do nothing to quell the erection that pushed between their bodies.

Please don’t let her notice it.

She squirmed. “Well, hello there, big boy.”

Feel free to say hello with your lips, wench. Remember that thing she does with her tongue?

He did. So did a certain part of him, and it didn’t care about respect or propriety.

Must resist. Lucifer pushed at Gaia, managing to roll her to the side enough that he could scramble out of the water, cheeks blushing as he flashed her his man bits. Even when he tucked the towel around his loins, he felt heat flushing his skin.

It didn’t help that Gaia lay in the tub, skin dewy, lips tilted in a smile. “Hey, good-looking, why don’t you drop that towel and come back in here?” She trailed a finger in the water. “It’s still warm.”

“I will resist temptation.” He chanted the words aloud as he fled the bathroom. Not an easy flight and he couldn’t even blame the voice in his head. It watched his flustered actions with a pleased smirk. It knew he’d almost given in to sin. It approved.

Come on. Indulge a little. I promise you’ll enjoy it.

Ignoring the insidious whisper, he hurried to pull on his underpants—plain white cotton briefs, the kind respectable men wore. He’d managed to get his arms and head through the holes of his shirt when she appeared in the doorway of the washroom.

Gaia leaned against the jamb, dripping water on his floor, still wearing that pleased little smile. “Oh dear. Someone got me wet.” Her gaze caught his. “Whatever shall I do?” She pulled at the first button of her dress, popping it through the soaked fabric, a fabric that clung to her every curve.

He swallowed.

“I really should get out of these wet things.” Another button. Then another, enough that the fabric parted, revealing the side and swell of her full breasts.

He couldn’t look away.

A roll of her shoulder and the sopping dress slid off, baring more skin. More buttons were set free, and the dress began to drag downward, pulled by the same gravity that graced the mortal realm.

Frozen in place, he could only stare.

The wet frock hit the floor with a plop, but instead of worrying about the mess, he found himself riveted by the shape at the vee of her thighs.

She noted his inappropriate observation and remarked. “Do you like it? I’ve been having my attendants prune it in the shape of a heart. For you. All for you.” She practically purred the words, and for some reason, his knees wobbled.

He sank to the floor in slow motion, still bereft of voice.

With hips that undulated with every step, she approached and stopped before him. His eyes were level with her midriff, but that didn’t prevent the scent of her from surrounding him.

Cinnamon and apples. It made his taste buds water.

Taste her.

How he wanted to, and for a moment, he forgot himself. Forgot his vows.

He moved in closer and breathed deeply then blew out hotly. A shudder went through her, and her fingers threaded through his hair.

Our thick and lush hair.

The vain reminder snapped him awake, and Lucifer recoiled as if burned.

He scrambled from her. “Sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” he apologized.

“I can tell you what didn’t come,” Gaia grumbled.

“Here. Let me get you a robe before you catch a chill.” He grabbed one from the hook within the closet and tossed it at her.

He didn’t check to see if she caught it, but hurried to layer himself in armor, er, he meant clothes, before facing her again.

When he did, he realized the robe sat at her feet and she still stood naked.

Glorious.

Tempting.

He flipped himself around to look the other way. “You really will have to forgive me. I don’t mean to be so disrespectful.”

A heavy sigh met his apology. She sounded so disappointed. He couldn’t blame her. He was disappointed in himself. She deserved better than a fiancé who behaved like a lecher and stared.

“We’re going on a trip,” she announced in the silence.

“When?” he asked, staring at a corner of fabric peeking from a drawer. Were those duckies on those boxers? He thought he’d gotten rid of all of them.

You can’t get rid of my duckies for they are legion.

He ignored the evil laughter in his head in favor of Gaia’s next words.

“We’re leaving tonight.”

“What? We can’t go anywhere tonight.” He whirled around, forgetting her nakedness. Lucky for him, she’d thoughtfully covered up.

All the better to peel off her later.

“We are leaving tonight. Within the next hour actually. So you might want to rethink the outfit you have on.”

He peered down at his pressed ivory slacks and teal button-down shirt. “What’s wrong with my outfit?”

“It will get ruined where we’re going. Which, on second thought, is probably a good thing so keep it. But put on some comfortable climbing shoes.”

Nothing she said made sense. “I’m sorry, cherry blossom, but while I appreciate your wanting some alone time with me, I’m afraid it will have to wait until after the wedding. So many things to plan. So many things still yet to do for our perfect-perfect day.”

For a moment, her lips pursed and her eyes flashed with green fire. Then her expression smoothed, and she batted her lashes as her lower lip jutted in a pout. “But you have to come, Luc. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I can’t keep a secret from you. Our friends have planned a marvelous Jack and Jill for us. You wouldn’t want to disappoint them, would you?” She smiled, and for some reason, something about that grin made the noisy voice in his head chuckle and say, Devious wench.

Of course Lucifer didn’t want to disappoint his friends. A Jack and Jill to celebrate his upcoming wedding. How thoughtful of them.

Bloody bastards cheated me out of a stripper bachelor party, whined the voice in his head.

Stuff it. A man about to get married had no need to see women removing their garments.

There is always a need to see jiggling titties.

In a few more days, the only breasts he would respectfully admire would belong to his wife.

Ack. Argh. Choke. The horror.

The whining lasted the entire trip and only cut short when Gaia removed the blindfold from his eyes. As his closest friends and family shouted surprise, Lucifer couldn’t help but stare.

This was their idea of a Jack and Jill? An amusement park?

Welcome to Dante’s Inferno flashed in red, blue, and orange neon while also shooting purple sparks that fizzled in the air. The ominous hole into the mountain brought a shiver, especially when the metal cars came rattling up the track and stopped, waiting for them to climb aboard.

“Why don’t you all go ahead, and I’ll wait for you at the exit?” he said.

Pussy.

How about not in the mood to maim himself so close to the wedding.

Yanking on his arm, Gaia dragged him to the cart shaped to look like a swan—a twisted black metal swan with a flashing red eye.

“I just love roller coaster rides, especially ones with a little extra adventure, don’t you?” Gaia asked. She shoved him through the small opening before she wedged herself onto the bench seat beside him.

The bar came down, much like the metal jaws of a trap. Clang.

With a jerk, the carts started to move forward to the exuberant yells of his friends.

They prefer the term minions. Evil minions to be precise.

The arched opening in the mountain loomed and then swallowed them.

Gulp.