Chapter 1

If You Insist

Chloe took a deep, shaking breath as the elevator made its way to the penthouse above Lux. The events of the past few weeks played on a loop every time she closed her eyes, forming a lump in her throat as she rubbed the bruise on her chest. The bullet came mere millimeters away from missing the vest entirely, a vivid memory that since caught her off guard and gripped her whole body with a cold numbness, leaving her gasping for breath when she thought of the little girl and everything else she would have left behind. The decision to call off her wedding to Marcus Pierce felt like just a small blip compared to Charlotte's death and all the destruction at the hands of the same man.

But in the shadow of her own close calls and the friend she lost forever, there was one loose end that stuck in her mind so painfully clear. A face. A red, glowing, smoldering face with the warm voice of her partner. The voice that played in her head, making her second guess every step of her relationship with that monster.

"Monster..." As the elevator car rose, Chloe laughed humorlessly at herself. She now knew that everything Lucifer had told her for the past few years had been true, but the definition of the purest and most evil form of a 'monster' could no longer take root in the image she'd conjured when her dad was still dragging her to Sunday school.

The gleaming gold doors slid open to the accompanying ding and she was greeted with the sounds of a soft melody from the piano and the warm October breeze from the open windows. The musician didn't turn around, but the dark brown hair was back. She let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding as she quietly made her way to place a soft hand on his shoulder before taking a seat beside him on the bench.

"I didn't scare you off, Detective?" he said in a tone even more vulnerable than Chloe had ever heard. His playing faded away as he shyly looked at the woman next to him with that handsome face she'd grown to care for so much more than she could ever understand.

She shook her head slowly, her own eyes shining in the dim firelight. "No Lucifer," she concentrated on the smooth ivory of the low C, the tension in her shoulders slowly relaxing with his warmth so close to her side. "I wanted to say thank you. For saving my life. Again. I...I know you put a lot at risk doing what you did."

"And I'd do it all over again if I had to. You know that...Chloe."

"I do. I do know that. I just," her voice broke as she looked deep into those sincere, brown, smiling eyes, a force she couldn't resist drawing her hand to his cheek. "I'm sorry I never believed you. I...I thought I saw...that when we first started working together, but convinced myself it was a figment of my imagination or...or a trick of the light in the power plant, but...it was true, wasn't it? It was always true."

Lucifer rested a large, warm hand over hers, "And you're...back? You're fine with all this?"

"I will be once I can wrap my head around it," she shrugged. "But what did I tell you before we got the call about Charlotte?"

"That I wasn't the Devil. But I am. I am the Devil. You've seen it now, I..."

"I said you weren't the Devil to me. And I've seen you for the past couple years, Lucifer. Okay, you're the Devil, but you're also the man that plays Monopoly with my kid, and makes me laugh, and makes me a better detective. Now that you're a little more down to Earth, you've bent over backwards to help bring justice to how many of our victims? I don't think you do it just to punish the bad guys anymore. I think you like giving closure to their families."

"I like spending time with you, Detective."

"That's a good excuse, I guess. But as much as you don't want to admit it, I think you're an awfully good guy." Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried not to let her eyes wander down to his beautiful lips as hers formed a small, almost bashful smile, "Nothing like that big hairy creature from the paintings."

"I do manscape," he grinned, his eyes following her lead and gazed longingly at her full pink lips before brushing them with a light, gentle kiss. Her arms wrapped firmly around his torso, under his jacket, sending shivers down his spine. "Detective," he whispered, leaning his forehead to hers.

"Don't stop."

He pulled her as close as possible on the piano bench, deepening the kiss, his tongue pushing through her lips and exploring every inch of her mouth as he fought for breath. She let out a soft moan, pulling at his shirt to untuck it before losing patience and going for his belt buckle, her skin leaving his own hot and feverish, sensitive to her touch. Lucifer's heart squeezed with regret as he grabbed her wandering hands, "C-Chloe."

"Lucifer," She looked at him with her big, doughy, blue eyes, pleading with him. Before he could think, she pulled him back down to her.

He let her hands wander again as he started undressing her as slowly as he could control himself, his heart trying to jump out of his throat. He wrapped one strong arm around her waist and scooted them both off the bench, setting her down long enough to shimmy off the jeans he'd undone and lift off her shirt. Her pale skin glowing and flickering with the dancing flames.

Realizing her current state, she folded her arms, shying away. "Don't," Lucifer looked at her, his eyes blurry with the overwhelming feeling of her having chosen him after everything. He took her all in, hungrily, desperately, disbelievingly. "You are absolutely stunning." He reached behind her and gently pulled the ponytail out of her hair, guiding her locks to drape around her shoulders. Playing with the clasp of her silky black bra, he kissed her neck until it and the matching lace panties fell to the floor.

"You're overdressed," she swallowed hard, forcing a new confidence and finished unbuttoning his shirt, letting it join the pile with a feather light thud, his slacks following close behind. The excitement was obvious in the tight black Armani boxer briefs. "Hmm…" Chloe slipped a soft, cold hand under the waistband, grabbing his erection and slowly ran her tongue around her coy smile.

"Detective, you're making me blush," he shivered at her touch, practically growling. Gathering the woman up in his arms, she let go and put hers around his neck, kissing him as he carried her to the bedroom.

He laid her down oh so gently, climbing on top of her and working feather light kisses into her collar bones as she whimpered. Begged. "Lucifer…"

"Shh," he placed a soft finger on her lips as he made his way down her torso and legs with his tongue, biding his time as his heart raced in his ears. Of all the sex he'd ever had, this was different. This time there was pressure on him. He'd only been bragging to this woman for years how wonderful he was. He couldn't catch his breath as his kisses went farther up her thighs. He was…nervous? 'Do not let your bloody feelings get in the way of this, dammit.'

This wasn't just different. This was completely uncharted territory. He'd never been with anyone whose exact wishes for their greatest ecstasy he couldn't just draw out with his powers. He had no idea exactly what it was she truly desired and had to literally play it by ear, adjusting the pressure of his touch and the motion of his tongue, solely based on the sounds she was making. The beautifully ravenous, animalistic sounds that escaped the Detective's sweet mouth.

With an almost shaky hand, he reached up and started rubbing her warmth with his thumb. She gasped and wiggled her hips into his quickening touch, so obviously ready and willing. "To think of all the time you spent resisting this, Detective…" he teased, his voice not nearly as steady and certain as usual.

He watched with a playful smile as she squealed with delight, shaking her head into the pillow, biting her lip. Once he replaced his thumb with his tongue, it sent her reeling. Her back arched as she moaned. Lacing his fingers together to pin down her hips, she reached down to twist her fingers in his hair, holding him there until her hands gripped for the bed sheets, the molten waves of pleasure pulsating through her torso in excruciating tides of warmth and electricity. He chuckled and the vibrations it sent into her made her jump as she panted, "Lucif...Luc…"

"What is it you desire, Chloe?"

"My...p-purse..."

"What?" he grunted, only slightly taken aback as he moved himself up to kiss her neck, slipping two long fingers inside as her head dug deeper into the silk pillow.

"I...brought...just in case…"

"Shh, angels are sterile," he whispered, slipping his other hand into her blonde waves and massaging her scalp. He breathed in the intoxicating smell of her vanilla lavender shampoo, the dark stubble on his chin grazing her temple enough to make her shudder, "nothing to worry about."

"Then why are we still talking about this?" she ran her fingernails up and down his back as he positioned himself on top of her slender frame, the sensation sending shock waves all the way down to his toes.

He couldn't resist any longer and slid himself inside her as slowly as he could, an unrecognizable sound of pent up pleasure escaping his lips. She moaned loudly, gasping at his size, digging her nails into his back.

Lucifer stopped, still inside, "Did I hurt you?"

"Shh...no, no..." She reached down to squeeze the beautifully toned muscles of his sculpted ass and hooked her legs around his thighs.

He kissed her neck, moving slowly again, cautiously, "Tell me if you need me to stop, Darling."

She grabbed his face, caressing his scruffy cheeks with her thumbs, "Don't you dare."

"Well Detective," his eyes twinkled as a grin spread across his face, their breathing heavy as they found their rhythm, "if you insist."