4. Rissa

4

RISSA

Sitting in the comfy chair, my legs tucked under me, I flicked my wrist, sending the playing card spinning through the air. The bathroom had been stocked with clothes, so we'd both changed. Whoever had stocked it had a sense of humor, since everything in my size was incredibly girly. I was wearing the longest skirt available, and it still only came to midthigh.

The card sailed in a perfect arc before landing with a soft thwap in the metal bowl.

"Damn it, Halo. That's what, ten in a row now?" Luce grumbled as he lined up his own shot. His frown of concentration made me want to snicker.

"Eleven, actually," I replied, a satisfied smile trying to fight its way out. "Guess I'm just better at handling small objects than you are."

Luce snorted. "Is that what kids are calling it these days?" His card went wide, plopping against the curved glass wall of our prison. He muttered a curse under his breath.

I laughed, grabbing another card from the stack between us. "Going to admit I win before we run out of cards?"

"Maybe..." Luce leaned back on his palms, fixing me with a questioning look. "Trying to think of other ways to force this place open is taking up most of my energy."

I shrugged, lining up my next toss. "Not a bad excuse. And whoever did it is going to have hell to pay." The card wobbled but still made it into the bowl. "I'm supposed to be at a commitment ceremony in a few days. Heads will roll if I'm not there."

"Wait, you? At a commitment ceremony?" Luce raised an eyebrow. "Didn't take you for the wedding type, Halo."

"Har-har."

Luce's card bounced off the rim of the bowl and skittered across the floor. He swore again. "So, who's the lucky couple?"

I hesitated. Talking about my personal life with Luce felt foolish, like handing him ammunition. But boredom was getting to me, and I figured a little conversation couldn't hurt. "Reynard and his love. I'm their witness."

Luce barked out a laugh, the sound echoing off the curved walls of our prison. "So the trickster's finally been tricked into the marriage trap?"

A bark of laughter burst from my throat at his phrasing. "Love isn't a trick, lord daemon. Rey found someone who understands him and still wants him around. I'm happy for him." I flicked another card, watching with satisfaction as it sailed neatly into the bowl.

"I admit, I'm a little envious. She must be very tolerant." Luce took a few cards, shuffling them in his hands. "It's hard to find someone when you get as quirky as we are."

"Ain't that the damn truth." I snorted, shaking my head. The thought of trying to maintain any kind of relationship was laughable. I had too little patience.

We lapsed into silence for a while, the only sound was the soft thwap of cards hitting the floor or the clink of them landing in the bowl. My thoughts drifted to Rey and Cathy, the quiet joy that radiated from them when they were together. It was almost enough to make me believe love fixed everything.

Almost.

I glanced at Luce from the corner of my eye, taking in the way the dim light played across his chiseled features. His appearance really was unfairly gorgeous, even for an illusion. Not that I'd ever tell him that. Luce didn't suffer from a lack of self-confidence.

No, love wasn't for beings like us. We were meant for quick flings and one-night stands, not happily ever afters. It was better that way. Safer for everyone.

But as Luce's fingers brushed against mine when we both reached for a card, sending sparks of attraction dancing through my nerves, I couldn't help but wish someday I was proved wrong.

From the way Luce's fingers lingered, he was feeling it too. "What about you, Halo, enforcer for the trickster king? Any being brave enough to be your significant other?"

I flicked him a sidelong glance. "I'm more the love 'em and leave 'em type. When the moment's done I like my space, you know?"

A flicker of something—understanding, maybe even empathy—flashed through Luce's expression before it vanished behind his usual arrogant mask. "Tends to be my M.O. as well," he drawled, flicking a card toward the bowl.

As much as I hated to admit it, Luce and I were far too much alike. Both of us were lone wolves, jaded and cynical from long lives of watching people behave badly.

And yet... sometimes there was a small, wistful part of me that yearned for more. Especially since watching Rey find someone of his own. That connection and sense of belonging. The flicker of longing died before it could take root. I didn't need anyone.

Especially not a cocky daemon who thought he could match me in wit and power.

The next card sliced through the air, tumbling end over end before clattering against the rim of the bowl and skittering away. I bit back a curse, my concentration shattered by the weight of my own thoughts.

Luce quirked an eyebrow, his lips curling into a knowing smirk. "Distracted, Halo?"

I scoffed, flicking another card with a bit more force than necessary. It sailed cleanly into the bowl, and I shot him a triumphant grin. "You wish."

But even as we fell back into our uneasy truce, I couldn't shake the old sadness that had settled like a lead weight in my gut. As the only goddess left in this realm, I was destined to be alone. Forever. There was no one here who could match my power, no one who could resist the mantle of divinity long enough to see the woman beneath.

Eventually, I'd reunite with my magic. And then any relationship I had would be tainted by worship, by the imbalance of power that came with my very existence. How could I ever know if someone truly still cared for me, and not just the goddess?

I glanced at Luce from the corner of my eye, taking in the sculpted lines of his jaw, the coiled strength in his broad shoulders. He was a temptation, a challenge. And there was no reason not to indulge, since he understood the ground rules.

"Hey, Luce?" I said, my voice deceptively casual. "Since we're stuck here anyway, and we're both more the 'wham, bam, thank you slam' types... What do you say we make this little vacation a bit more interesting?"

His gaze snapped to mine, dark and intense. "What did you have in mind?"

I shrugged, a wicked grin tugging at my lips. "Oh, you know. A bit of exercise. Some friendly competition. See who can make the other scream louder."

Luce's answering smile was all sharp edges and heated promise. "Challenge accepted, Halo."

Just like that, the feel of the air between us shifted, charged with an electric undercurrent of anticipation. I rose to my feet, my body humming with anticipatory energy.

Since I couldn't have love, I'd settle for lust. And if anyone could keep up with me, it was Luce. Daemons grew in power as they aged, so he'd have stamina.

Game on.

Luce's eyes tracked my every movement as I pulled my top up and over my head, revealing a black lace bra that barely covered the swell of my breasts. I let the shirt fall to the floor and sauntered toward him, hips swaying just enough to make it clear what I had in mind, fingers finding the hem of my skirt.

Luce watched, that heat flashing in his eyes, as I slipped out of the skirt and stood before him in only a gossamer thong and bra.

His eyes flickered down to my legs before snapping back up to meet mine, his gaze dark with desire.

"If you like what you see, I deserve a show too," I said, putting my hands on my hips, the room suddenly much too hot.

Luce didn't need to know that my pulse pounded triple time in anticipation.

His eyes on mine, Luce stood up and peeled off his shirt, slowly revealing defined abs and a tantalizing glimpse of a tattoo on his muscular chest. His fingers curled around the hem of his black trousers next, pulling them down with deliberate slowness while never once breaking eye contact. He stepped out of them with a fluid grace that made me catch my breath; boxers the only thing covering the bulge I was very interested in.

My mouth went dry as he put his thumbs under the waistband and tugged his boxers down. I sank to my knees before him.

I liked to examine what I was getting up close, and men never objected.

I couldn't help but purr appreciatively at the sight of his cock, thick and long, easily over ten inches. It stood proudly, the tip already glistening with precum. I leaned in closer and tentatively lifted my hand to touch him, wrapping my fingers around his girth. He was so big that I couldn't even encircle him completely.

My tongue darted out, tasting the droplet of precum on his tip. It was salty and slightly bitter, but there was something about it that made me want more. I leaned forward, taking him into my mouth inch by inch. He was so large that I could barely fit half of him, but I relished the feeling of fullness, the way he stretched my lips.

I started to suck, my head bobbing up and down as I enjoyed his cock. My hands came up to cup his balls, feeling their weight in my palms.

"Oh god, Halo," he moaned, his fingers tangling in my hair.

Heh. Got them every time. With the added bonus that it worked me up too.

I broke away from his cock momentarily to play with his testicles. I took one into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it before moving on to the next. The feeling of dominance, of his submission, was intoxicating. I might be on my knees, but he was at my mercy.

Luce tugged on my arm, bringing me up and to my feet. He pushed me back onto the bed and followed me, his body pressing down on mine, pinning me between the soft mattress and his hard muscles.

I squirmed under him, enjoying the press of his body. Heat radiated off him. His lips found my neck, nipping lightly as he nudged my legs apart, his hand finding my wetness and stroking.

I gasped and arched into him, wanting more of the stinging bite, the gentle caress. His hand moved, still stoking but fingers entering me as well.

"Are you ready for this, Halo?" he growled.

I nodded, not trusting my voice

He positioned himself at my entrance, kissing me hard and deep. This would be fast and furious, just like us. Luce plunged inside, driving himself deep into me with one powerful thrust that caught my breath in my throat. The headboard slammed into the wall with our combined force.

My nails dug into his back as he started to move, a hungry rhythm born from desire. Every inch of him stretched me wide, filling me completely. We moved together now, liquid movements that felt violent yet somehow tender.

Luce's teeth sank into his lower lip as he pinned my hands above my head, holding them there. I wrapped my legs around him, bracing myself. His hips slammed against mine, grinding our bodies together in a dance that threatened to consume us both. The room echoed with our moans as sweat dripped off us in the heat of the moment.

He thrust harder, his pace increasing until he was hammering into me with unrestrained passion. Every time he hit my G-spot shockwaves of pleasure coursed through my body. The bed shuddered as we moved in sync, lost in the heat of the moment.

I twisted my hands, trying to free them, and his grip tightened. He groaned against my neck, biting down harder. It only served to heighten the sensation for me, making every nerve ending light up in the mix of pleasure and pain.

Luce shifted, nudged my chin up and claimed my lips in a bruising kiss that left no doubt about who was in charge—and how much he wanted this just as badly as I did. The fire built inside me, growing with each stroke of his hips and each flick of his tongue. He pulled away with a guttural noise, nipping my jaw and trailing kisses down my neck again.

"Kitten," he swore between clenched teeth, "you taste so good." The low rumble vibrated through him, shaking us both as he continued to move inside me.

I gasped when he bent down to flick his tongue over my nipples, sending jolts of electricity straight to my core. My body arched off the bed, unable to contain itself any longer.

He felt unyielding yet surprisingly gentle at the same time, an intoxicating combination that made me want more. I clung to him tightly, every nerve ending alive with sensation as he continued to pound into me, our skin slapping together in rhythm with his rapid breaths.

Luce pulled out slowly, only to thrust back in forcefully, hitting my sweet spot once more before withdrawing again teasingly. I bit down on my lip to stifle a scream that threatened to escape as pleasure coursed through me in waves, each one stronger than the last.

Luce curled his fingers around my wrists, his grip firm but not painful, holding me in place as he leaned down and claimed my lips in a possessive kiss.

As I began to shatter beneath him, I clung to him tighter than ever before. The taste of him on my tongue only served to heighten the sensation; bitter and sweet all at once. My moans turned into gasps for air when he finally gave in too. His fingers dug into my wrists, leaving bruises that spoke of our passion.

In response, I bit down on his bottom lip, tasting blood and desire mixed together as he groaned into my mouth.

Luce's chest heaved against mine as he rolled off me with a contented sigh.

Damn. That had been amazing.

"I guess you can call me Rissa," I said as he panted.

He looked over at me and snorted. "Okay."