Page 7 of Exorcise Me (Hotter than Hell)

I woke to the unfamiliar sensation of another body pressed against mine.

For a moment, disorientation clouded my mind—then memories of the previous night flooded back in vivid detail.

Lucien’s mouth on mine. His hands mapping my body like territory he’d been dying to explore.

The way he’d taken me apart and put me back together with his touch.

And later, in my bed, how he’d shown me pleasures I hadn’t known existed, teaching me ways to please him in return until we both collapsed, sweaty and sated, tangled in sheets that would never be the same.

I slept with a demon, I thought, the reality of it settling over me like a weight. I brought a demon to my bed.

I should have felt horror. Shame. Regret. Instead, I felt Lucien’s arm draped possessively across my waist, his body warm against my back, his breath tickling my neck, and all I could think was: I want to do it again.

“Your thinking is very loud,” Lucien murmured against my skin, pressing a sleepy kiss to my shoulder. “It’s disturbing my rest.”

I turned in his arms to face him. Morning light filtered through my blinds, casting golden stripes across his face.

He looked different in this light—softer somehow, more vulnerable.

His hair was a magnificent disaster, his eyes heavy-lidded with lingering sleep.

Without the usual sharpness of his expressions, he looked almost… human.

Almost, but not quite. There was still something otherworldly about him, a subtle glow to his skin, a depth to his amber eyes that hinted at centuries of existence.

“Having second thoughts in the harsh light of day?” he asked, his tone light but his eyes watchful.

I considered the question honestly. “No,” I said finally. “Just… processing.”

His fingers traced idle patterns on my bare chest. “Process aloud, then. I find human moral crises fascinating.”

I caught his wandering hand, holding it still against my heart. “Is that what this is to you? Fascinating entertainment?”

Something flickered in his eyes—hurt, perhaps, though he covered it quickly. “No, Noah. That’s not what this is.”

“Then what is it?” I challenged. “Because I’ve broken every vow I’ve ever made. I’ve betrayed my calling, my faith—”

“Have you?” Lucien pushed himself up on one elbow, looking down at me with unexpected seriousness. “Or have you simply discovered that your calling and your faith are more complex than you were taught?”

I blinked, caught off guard by the question. “What do you mean?”

“Your vows were to serve truth, were they not? To protect the innocent? To combat evil?” His fingers resumed their gentle patterns on my skin. “Tell me, in our time together, have you seen me harm anyone? Have you witnessed me corrupting innocence or spreading suffering?”

“No,” I admitted. “But—”

“But nothing.” His voice was gentle but firm. “You were taught that demons are evil by nature. What if that’s not true? What if, like humans, we exist on a spectrum? Some cruel, some kind, most somewhere in between?”

The question struck at the core of everything I’d been raised to believe. If demons weren’t inherently evil… if they could choose, as humans could…

“You’re asking me to reevaluate my entire worldview,” I said quietly.

Lucien’s smile was sad. “I know. It’s a lot to ask.” He traced my cheekbone with gentle fingers. “But is it any different from what you’ve been asking of yourself since I arrived? You’ve been questioning, Noah. I’ve just given you permission to follow those questions to their logical conclusion.”

He was right. The doubts had been there long before him—quiet whispers of uncertainty during seminary lessons, questions I’d pushed down because I didn’t want to disappoint my family, my mentors. Lucien had simply brought them to the surface, made them impossible to ignore.

“I need time,” I said finally. “This is… a lot.”

“Time I have in abundance,” he replied with a small smile. “Though I should warn you—” he leaned closer, his lips brushing my ear “—I plan to spend much of that time doing very unholy things to your body.”

A shiver ran through me at his words, heat pooling low in my stomach. “Is that a promise or a threat?”

“Both.” His teeth nipped gently at my earlobe. “Definitely both.”

His mouth traveled down my neck, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. My body responded instantly, arching into his touch as his hands resumed their exploration from the night before.

“Wait,” I gasped as his fingers found particularly sensitive skin. “Don’t you need to… I don’t know… recharge or something?”

Lucien’s laugh was warm against my collarbone. “Demon, remember? Stamina is one of our better qualities.” He raised his head, eyes dancing with mischief. “Though if you’re too tired…”

I pulled him down for a kiss, silencing his teasing. “Shut up and show me what else demons are good at.”

His smile against my lips was wicked. “Gladly.”