"Lucifer, don't!"
He turns to look at me, confused fury in his eyes. The fury is for Bradfield, the confusion is for me.
"He's a stupid young man," I try to calm the situation. "He's an idiot with an oversized ego and a tongue that isn't attached to his brain. He's insulted us, yes. But let this be a lesson to him so he can gain a few brain cells."
Lucifer's rage has eased a bit, and Bradfield has steadied himself again, grateful for my intervention.
"Let him go. He doesn't have to be killed just because he's pissed me off. I've dealt with hundreds of jerks in my life and you haven't killed any of them." I grip his arm a little tighter. "Please. Give him one more chance to knock a few of the rocks out of his head so he can learn."
Lucifer sighs and looks away fro a moment. "Fine. He can go."
"Thank you." I let go of his arm and lean into kiss his cheek. I turn to glare at Bradfield. "And you! The next time you come down here, have an actual deal for us instead of wasting our time with your pathetic insults. Go!"
He nods and scrambles backwards, racing out the main doors of the room and never looking back.
Lucifer pulls me back to our seats. He collapses into his, staring up at the ceiling, annoyance still marring his flawless face. I take my own seat and collapse into it, still reeling from having to save that jerk's ass. Still, the games we played with him were hilarious. Seeing his face when I undid that last chain was perfect.
I start laughing, cupping my face in my hands so I can muffle the sound. Lucifer stars laughing, too, a musical sound that resonates off the marble walls and wraps around my skin.
"So my little queen has a just hand!" he calls out. "Oh, Amelia, you're something else."
I lean back in my chair, barely able to breathe. "That was fun!"
"Yes, the cocky ones are always a joy to fuck with." His voice is lighter now and I'm relieved that he's calmed down.
"Oh!" I drop my hand to my sides and stare up at the ceiling. "I want to do that again! That was such a fun game!"
"Every day, my dear. There's one of them every day."
"And his face!" My laughter starts all over again.
"That was a cruel little trick you pulled." He looks over at me. "I don't know if he'll ever get that image of our tits out of his mind."
I smile back innocently. "Poor baby. And you had to watch, too."
He sighs and leans back in his chair. "I got a fantastic view."
"You're welcome," I grin.
He looks back at me, his eyes bright. "You keep those two top chains undone."
"Why would I ever put them back?" I ask. "It's way too hot here to ever have my dress fully closed."
He laughs again. "Good."
"What now," I sigh.
"We wait."
"For?" I'm curious. Why wait for anything? We rule the place don't we?
"Your presentation. You're going to be officially inaugurated tonight. The staff is finishing up the last few details now, so all we have to do is wait for a few hours and we can start the show."
A flurry of nerves rushes through me. "What will I have to do?"
He shrugs. "Just recite a few coronation words and stand still so everyone can see you. I'll be presenting you, and no one is going to challenge me, so you don't have to do much."
A bubble of laughter escapes me. "Leyna might."
Lucifer shorts. "You have a point. Though there's not much she can do about it."
I lean forward in my seat, turning to stare at him. "You're sure?"
My voice is shakier than usual, but for good reason. Leyna's rubbed me the wrong way since the day we met. She always looked like she was out to get me, even before my marriage to Lucifer was announced. If she's going to attend my coronation, I want a guarantee that she can't come after me.
Lucifer sits up straight in his chair and turns to stare at me. "I know what you're thinking. That woman is a man-eater if there ever was one. She's been after me for centuries."
Yeah, kinda figured that with the way she was flirting with you back there.
"So why haven't you ever taken her? She's gorgeous, powerful... God, Lucifer, you could do anything to her and she'd never complain."
There's a mixture of jealousy, curiosity and protectiveness swirling inside me. I want to know why he's never taken her up on the offer; at the same time, I want to protect what is mine.
He shrugs. "She's just never appealed to me. None of those women have. Don't get me wrong, she is gorgeous, but she's not really my type."
Oh?
"And what is your type?" Me, please say me.
He smiles. "You. Someone innocent and sweet. Someone I can corrupt and make completely my own. You've got almost no experience here, Amelia. That's exactly what I want. I want to show you my world, to make you my queen, to have you whenever I feel like it."
Oh. Not the most flattering answer in the world, but at least it keeps Leyna off his radar.
"You're...welcome?" I chew my lip, unsure if there's even a reasonable answer to a statement like that.
He grins at me. "More than welcome."
I lean back in my chair, relieved. So he's not attracted to Lenya at all. That's good. Point number one to my team. "Anything you want to do for the next few hours?"
He's still for a moment, his brow creased in concentration. I stare at him silently, suddenly regretting my decision. He could say anything, maybe suggest we go for a swim in the boiling rivers below us or take a ride on one of those freaky-ass mine cart rides they have at carnivals. God, he could even ask me to sing!
Or...more sex, maybe?
I relax a little. Okay, so that wouldn't be too bad of an option.
Suddenly, he launches himself from his seat, spinning around and grabbing my wrists. He jerks me out of my seat and starts to drag me down the steps. There's a wicked smile on his lips and a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"I take it you have an idea." I say as we stumble down the steps.
He grins at me. "I want a bath."