This is dedicated to my dear friend and sister-from-another-mister SangNoire, whose birthday is today! She's been a great help and source of support for me, and she was the first person to ever read and critique this story. So, my dear, this is for you. Happy Birthday, and many happy returns!


She watched in terror as a faint aura began to appear around him, like a jet-black cloud streaked with blazes of a putrid blue-green. His eyes glowed dangerously, though his face remained an unexpressive mask. Lyra curled up tighter against the arm of the couch, wishing she could just disappear, wishing that she could leave this body behind and go be someone else. It was all too easy to be taken in by the mask of gentility and politeness he used to interact with humans undetected, but she was unfortunate enough to have seen a glimpse of the monster behind the glamour, and there was no going back. She found herself praying silently, fervently, repeating the same two words over and over again. Please, God. Please, God. Please, God. Please, God.

Her prayers were interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. She flinched and looked up to see Sebastian gently smiling at her, appearing all too human. "Please forgive me for frightening you, Lyra. My control slipped, but I assure you, it won't happen again." His thumb rubbed soothing circles on her collarbone, and she burst into tears. It felt childish to cry like this, but she was confused, scared, and angry to care.

"Why me? Why did you choose me?"
He smiled and leaned toward her. She cringed away, but was surprised to feel him gently pulling her onto his lap. She struggled against the embrace, but his hold was too strong, and she forced herself to relax. "It could easily have been someone else, my lady… I suppose you were just in the right place at the right time. Or rather," she felt the soft chuckle rumble in his chest, "the right place at the wrong time."

She closed her eyes, tears seeping out from under her eyelashes and staining a patch of his white shirt. She'd known hurt, and she'd known despair, but never like this; it was as if her heart had stopped beating but through some evil magic trick, she continued to live. What pained her the most was that if she imagined that last night never happened, that the mark on her hand didn't exist, and the person holding her wasn't a demon who had snatched her innocence away, it would almost feel…nice. Being in someone's arms like this. Lord knows she'd dreamed about it enough, but now that she was being held in a gentle embrace, she found that it was the last thing she wanted. That more than anything broke her heart.

She stayed on his lap, too drained to struggle out of his embrace but too afraid to doze off. After a while, she glanced up at the clock. Half past three; her shift began in an hour and a half. She wrestled her way out of his arms, standing shakily and blinking to clear her eyes. She needed to be strong now; crying and other forms of weakness couldn't be allowed. "I need to take a proper shower…by myself."

He laughed. "Where's the fun in that, my lady?"

"Sebastian, please…"

He didn't miss the soft plea in her voice. "Alright. You have my word that I will let you bathe alone." He smiled as she scurried back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. With an otherworldly grace, he rose to his feet and walked back into her bedroom, watching steam seep out from under the bathroom door. Just out of curiosity, he tested the handle and found it locked. He smiled to himself; as if a locked door would be able to keep him out of he wished to enter. But he was a man of his word, and he would allow his little prize her privacy, for the time being.

Instead, he busied himself with examining her home. She kept her living space very neat; the floors swept, the furniture dusted, and her belongings stored and organized. The only messy thing he could find was the bed with its rumpled sheets and flat pillows; he supposed the blame for that fell on him. He smiled and made her bed, inhaling the scent of her skin and hair on the fabric.

Something brushed against his ankle, and he looked down to see Ludus rubbing against his leg, purring. He smiled and sat on the edge of the bed, lifting the charming little creature up into his arms. The cat snuggled up against his chest, so very soft and warm. Sebastian contented himself with slowly stroking the shiny black fur. It amused him that a young woman that was so innocent and pure would have such an attachment to the color black.

After a while, the door opened and Lyra walked out, skin pink from the heat of the water and a towel wrapped around her body. She stared at the scene; a demon sitting on her newly made bed and cuddling with her cat. She narrowed her eyes at Ludus and muttered, "Traitor," ignoring Sebastian's quiet chuckle. She combed out her wet hair then stepped back into the bathroom, picking up some strange device that whirred and emitted a strong gust of hot wind. He smiled when he realized she was using it to dry her hair, watching the strands go from almost black to shiny chestnut threaded with auburn. It looked so irresistibly soft, but he left her alone as she scurried about her bedroom, watching her as she dressed. It still shocked him a little to see the outlandish and downright indecent clothes she wore.

"If I may be so bold, my lady, why do you dress like that?"

"Huh?" She looked down at her outfit; sneakers, a pair of dark jeans, a pink and black leopard-print halter top, and a black jacket. "This is what I normally wear to work."

"You're expected to wear men's trousers and flaunt half of your bosom? Just what exactly do you do for a living?" He arched an eyebrow, only half-teasing.

A crimson stain bloomed on her cheeks. "People are a lot more comfortable with their bodies nowadays, and they don't mind showing it off. And it isn't practical for me to wear a skirt to work. The last time I did, I got in trouble." She dug her fingers into a small box filled with cheap jewelry. "And for your information, I work as a cashier at a gas station."

"Gas station?"

She hid her face in her hand. "Oh God, that's right, you're British…y'know, petrol? A filling station for cars?"

Sebastian nodded. "I see." He continued to watch in silence as she adorned herself with jewelry; a necklace that had three charms dangling from it, heart-shaped earrings that swung merrily from her earlobes, three silver bracelets on her left wrist, and one tarnished silver bracelet on her right wrist. He noticed that it had lettering on it, and he grabbed her arm, fingering the little silver plate that had the words, "You are my sunshine," inscribed on it.

"'You are my sunshine.' How sweet. Who gave this to you?" His tone was pleasant enough, but his eyes flashed threateningly. If another man tried to stake a claim on his new bedmate, there would be hell to pay.

She pulled her hand away. "I bought it for myself. It's from a song that has a special meaning to me." Her eyes fell to the bracelet, voice growing softer as she allowed herself to remember. "My mom would always sing it to me when I was sad or afraid. Sometimes she still does."

"How charming." He smirked and leaned back on his hands, letting Ludus slink out of his lap. "May I hear it?"

Lyra blushed to the roots of her hair; she didn't like singing in front of other people, but she didn't think he was really giving her a choice. "U-Uh…I guess." She cleared her throat and closed her eyes, not wanting to have Sebastian associated with this song. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away. The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms. When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken. So I hung my head and cried. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."

He smiled as she finished. "You have a lovely voice, my lady. I'll have to remember to have you sing for me more often." His grin widened as she ducked her head (no doubt to hide another blush), and retreated back into the bathroom, picking up what looked like a pencil and outlining her eyes in black before brushing some black substance onto her eyelashes. The treatment made her eyes look bigger and more vivid, and he frowned. He'd never liked it when women wore makeup; he thought it detracted from their natural beauty. As she finished, he curved his hands around her hips, pulling her back against his body. "Is it really necessary for you to paint yourself? You certainly don't need to." He lightly nuzzled her neck, running the tip of his nose up and down the pulsing vein.

"I-It's just part of my job…the nicer I look, the nicer I'm treated."

He smirked against her skin, his lips pressed to her throat, and slid one hand inside her shirt, slowing inching his way up her stomach. She bit her lip to stifle a moan, weakly swatting at him. "S-Stop it…don't…."

He hushed her, glancing up at their reflection in the mirror; he rather liked the way his bared teeth looked next to her throat. His eyes narrowed in sinful pleasure as he darted his tongue out to taste the skin behind her ear, tracking the progress of his hand as it slid up to curve over her breast. He groaned in her ear as his fingers grasped the cup of her bra and pulled it down, his hand making contact with bare flesh. He nibbled gently at her earlobe while he softly rubbed circles around her nipple, smirking whenever he brushed the taut bud and caused her to whine quietly.

"Sebastian…please…I c-can't…"

He sighed against her skin; he supposed he had to commend her for her focus when he was trying his best to seduce her. His little bedwarmer was adamant about showing up at her job, and he couldn't really fault her for that. With a soft kiss to the back of her neck, he removed his hands and stepped back, allowing her to exit the bathroom. He noticed with a surge of smug pride that she was flushed and panting, obviously aroused by his attentions. She adjusted her bra and looked up at the clock. A whispered oath passed her lips, and she looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Will you promise not to destroy this place while I'm gone?"

He chuckled. "That will be quite impossible; I'm coming with you, of course."

"What?"

"My lady, the mark I've placed on you doesn't allow to go any farther than a few meters from my side, remember? If I didn't accompany you, you wouldn't be able to leave."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration. "And just how am I supposed to explain who you are and why you're following me around?"

Playfully, he tapped the end of her nose with his finger. "Now, don't you worry your pretty little head about it. I have a few tricks up my sleeve. After all, what kind of lover would I be if I didn't?" He smirked as if he had just told an inside joke, then stroked the tips of his fingers across her cheek, his touch as light as spider's silk. She shuddered and turned away, grabbing her phone off the top of her dresser. Something red flashed at the edge of her vision, and she stopped cold; her mark. How on earth was she going to hide it? Sebastian had placed the seal in a place that was very visible but not easy to conceal; after all, she had to use her hands a lot at work. It was obvious that the design wasn't a tattoo by the way the color shifted and almost seemed to glow, so keeping it in plain sight wasn't an option. She bit her lip, thinking it over, then reached into the top drawer of her dresser and removed a pair of black Spandex gloves with the fingers cut off. It would look rather strange to wear them indoors, but she would rather look a little strange than have someone see the seal.

Without a second glance back, she walked out of her apartment and into the dying sunlight. The door locked automatically behind her; one of the benefits from living in an apartment complex in the bad part of town was that the security was better. She knew Sebastian was following her, could feel his dark presence, and she rolled her eyes a bit as she got into her car, feeling him settle into the passenger seat beside her. She backed out and pulled out of the parking lot, and once they were on the road, he said casually, "Tell me about yourself."

She raised an eyebrow dubiously. "Why?"

He smiled. "Because I'd like to know the woman I'm sleeping with."

Resisting the urge to grit her teeth and slam her head into the steering wheel, she sighed and started with the basics in a flat monotone. "My full name is Lyra St. John. I'm twenty years old. I have four brothers, three older and one younger. My mother lives here in town and works at the college. My dad passed away from a disease two years ago."

"I'm sorry-"

"Shut up."

He smiled and let her continue. "I like dark colors, but my favorite is purple. I used to be in college as a creative writing major, but I flunked out and I don't have enough money to go back. When I do get my degree, I want to go to seminary in Baltimore, get ordained, and become a campus minister." She shot him a glance, but continued. "I have two best friends, but both of them live out of town. I like to write, but I've never published anything. I'm an animal lover, and I have another cat and a dog that live with my mom. Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

He crossed his arms. "I think that will do for now. The rest will come with time." A smirk crept across his face. "Sing for me."

"Is that an order or a request?"

"Mm. Both."

She muttered something that sounded like, "Bossy," before wrinkling up her nose, no doubt choosing a song to perform for him. Within a few moments, she began to sing in a clear, harmonious voice.

"You say 'Look outside, rain is pouring down. Let's stay and hide.'" He smiled as she reached the chorus. "Maybe we will be everything we say. Maybe all that we dream will fade to gray. Either way, I will stay with you."

He applauded lightly as she finished. "Quite lovely, though a little too romantic for my taste."

"You like sad songs, then?"

"Yes, actually. They have a certain creaminess to them that more joyful songs do not."

"Hm." She pulled into the parking lot of the gas station where she was employed, turned off her car, and looked at him expectantly. "Well? I'm waiting for that magic trick."

He smirked. "Alright. Keep still." Suddenly, Sebastian seemed to be dissolving into a black mist that swirled lazily in the space above the passenger seat. Suddenly, the mist swooped over her, into her; it sank through her pores and streamed in through her mouth and nose. In an instant, it was over, and she found herself to be apparently alone. Tentatively, hardly daring to hope, she whispered his name.

"Sebastian…?"

I'm right here, my lady.

She gasped; his voice sounded as if he were standing inside her skull. "Where's here?"

I think you know.

"You're…in my head?"

That's one way of putting it, I suppose.

She felt a strange, tingling heat bloom behind her eyes, in her throat, and in her chest. She gasped and clutched at her heart. "W-What…?"

Because I've made you mine, I can infiltrate your mind. The tingle behind her eyes intensified. Your heart. The burn in her chest grew. And your soul. It almost felt as if he'd strummed her vocal cords like guitar strings. I believe you humans refer to this as a "demon possession."

She panted a little as the warmth faded. "You can't…control my actions, can you?"

She felt him smirk in response, then suddenly her hand moved of its own accord; or at least, she wasn't the one giving the command. It rose into the air, turning over and flexing its fingers. The disobedient limb felt strangely numb, like it had fallen asleep but without the pins-and-needles sensation.

I could control your entire body if I wanted to.

The idea both frightened and angered her; he could do a lot of harm if he could take control of her body from the inside out. "If you make me touch myself or something while I'm working-"

Now there's an interesting thought.

"Sebastian, I'm serious!"

He laughed. Calm down, my lady. I'll wait until you're safely back in your own home before I ravish you again.

Lyra shivered at the thought, then gathered herself and got out of her car, walking into the store and getting immediately to work. It surprised her just how much more enjoyable her menial tasks seemed to be; they were normal, safe. The calmness of a familiar routine was a comfort to her. Even taking out the outside trash, a chore she despised, seemed almost fun. After changing the bags, she tied the tops of the full ones and lifted them with a strained sound; how could empty cups and bottles be so heavy? She wrinkled her nose as she walked, not particularly savoring the odor of cold coffee, rotting food, and car grease. Her arms began to burn with the strain of carrying the bags, and she gritted her teeth, repeating a mantra over and over under her breath, almost like a prayer. "You can do this. You can do this. You can do this."

My lady, please allow me to carry those for you.

"What? Why?" She stopped, setting the bags on the ground.

Because, if you'll forgive me, I'm quite a bit stronger than you. Besides, this task is much too unsavory for a young lady.

She set her jaw and picked up the bags again, walking determinedly toward the green metal bin. "Don't underestimate me, Sebastian; I'm stronger than you think."

He decided to let her carry them, watching with impressed amusement as she lifted the heavy bags that were leaking some muddy, sticky fluid into the giant bin. He had to suppress a laugh as he saw the victorious expression on her felt and felt her surge of triumph.

The rest of the night went by fairly smoothly; the customers were steady, but she managed to stay ahead of schedule with her work. For the most part, Sebastian was content to watch her, smiling as she greeted the customers; she looked genuinely happy to see them. Perhaps she was a better actress than he had originally thought, or maybe she just relished the human contact.

Only once did the demon interfere. He noticed that most of the male customer's eyes dropped to Lyra's chest when she wasn't looking, and he found it extremely annoying that these men would dare to cast their eyes on what wasn't theirs. One man in particular, an older gentleman with long silvery-gray hair and a scruffy beard barely raised his eyes at all. When she handed him his change and his cigarettes, the man winked at her and said, "Thank you so much, baby."

Sebastian snarled.

Lyra raised a hand to her suddenly pounding head with a pained yelp. The man reached for her, asking if she was alright, but Sebastian took control of her arm and swatted the man's hand away. No one was allowed to touch what belonged to him-no one.

She gasped, "I'm sorry, just a headache. I'll be fine." As soon as the man was gone, the stabbing pain faded. Her eyes darted around the store to make sure it was empty before she muttered, "Sebastian, what the hell was that?"

I don't like the way he looked at you.

"Who, Nate? He always does that, he's harmless!" She closed her eyes, rubbing the residual ache from her temples. "That's still no reason to hurt me like that. It's not like it was my fault."

Forgive me, my lady, but it seems my anger momentarily got the better of me. Humans can't handle demons in their true form, and I'm afraid my aura is even more potent since I've entered your mind.

She cradled her head in her hand. "Please, Sebastian, I can't freak out like that in front of customers. Try to control yourself."

My lady, I was controlling myself. If I hadn't been, that man would be dead.

She shivered, but composed herself as another customer walked in, pasting a bright smile on her face. "Hello!"

As the night wound down and fewer and fewer customers came in, she sat at a small table toward the back of the store, pretending to read but muttering to Sebastian under her breath.

"So what about you? What's your story?"

He sounded amused. My, what has you so curious all of a sudden?

"I'm bored," she snapped. "And maybe I want to know the man in my head a little better. After all, it doesn't look like you're going away anytime soon."

That's true. He paused, as if gathering his thoughts. My full name is Sebastian Michaelis, a title given to me by my master, Ciel, Earl of Phantomhive.

"Your master?" She arched an eyebrow. "You don't seem like the type to answer to anyone else."

Normally, I'm not. His tone was amused. But over a hundred and fifty years ago, when Lord Phantomhive was ten, he entered into a contract with me.

"You made a child sell his soul to you?"

I did not make him do anything. He summoned me to his side and offered his soul to me in exchange for the deaths of those who killed his parents.

"That's awful…"

He smiled as he felt her heart twinge with sadness for a boy she had never met. The Phantomhives were in charge of policing England's seedy underground, earning them the nickname, "The Queen's guard dogs." While dealing with an urgent matter, my lord discovered the person responsible for the murder of his parents. Oddly enough, it was an angel who believed his mother and father to be "impure."

"An angel killed his parents?" Her tone was dubious.

Is it hard to believe that even the holiest of beings can fall from grace?

"It just seems like secular propaganda to me."

So suspicious…

When she didn't answer, he continued with his story. After I killed the angel-he smirked at her barely concealed gasp-I was free to devour my master's soul. However, his soul was stolen by another demon in a moment of vulnerability. I strove to get it back, but before I could succeed, Ciel Phantomhive was turned into a demon. Since he commanded me to remain his butler until I swallowed his soul, and since I could no longer do so, I will remain his butler for eternity.

She was silent for a moment, absorbing what he said. "Turned into…? But how-?"

It's a long story, my lady, and I believe you have another customer.

It seemed that closing time came all too soon, and dread ate away at her insides as she locked up and walked back to her car. She could almost feel Sebastian's lewd thoughts crawling over her skin as she was closing, knowing that he had promised to "ravish" her when she got home. As sore as she was, and as much as she was coming to hate sex, she was really not looking forward to what he had in store for her.

The minute she was inside her car, the same black mist that had seeped into her before flew out the same way, flying into the passenger seat and materializing as a very solid Sebastian. She shivered.

"God, that's creepy."

He smirked, but said nothing as she pulled out. About a block away from the store, she felt something slide onto her thigh, moving upwards and inwards. She squeaked and slapped at him. "No way! Hands off while I'm driving!"

His voice was low and seductive as he leaned over to murmur in her ear. "You really should learn to search for some excitement in your life, pet." He nibbled gently on her earlobe, his fingers massaging her thigh.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" She swatted at his hand again. "Stop! If you keep distracting me while I'm driving, I'll end up wrapping this thing around a tree!"

He chuckled softly, his breath stirring a few wispy strands of hair. "Well, we wouldn't want that." He sat back in the seat, but she could still feel his stare crawling all over her; she'd never understood what it meant to be "undressed with your eyes," until now.

She wasn't sure if she was more relieved or frightened when she finally pulled in to her apartment complex. She tried not to look at him or acknowledge his presence as she unlocked her door and stepped inside, heading straight into her tiny kitchen. It had been over twenty-four hours since she'd eaten anything, and though she had almost no appetite at all, she needed to eat something or she would pass out; besides, it would give her something to do other than interact with him. She heated some water in a pan, standing over the stove and waiting for it to boil, then opened a packet of instant mashed potato flakes, dumping the contents unceremoniously into a plastic bowl and adding the water, stirring until the mixture thickened. Not the most elegant meal, but it was satisfyingly bland and would fill her up well enough.

The entire time she was at the stove, she felt Sebastian's patient eyes constantly on her. Lyra determinedly avoided his gaze, refusing to look back or even recognize that he was in the room, but as she picked up her bowl and went to sit on her loveseat to eat, he suddenly took up residence on the second cushion, smiling innocently. She sighed, not wanting to sit next to him, but refusing to retreat. Besides, the only other place she could go to sit and eat was her bedroom, and she knew that he would follow her in there as well; it would be the same as giving him an invitation. She turned her back to him and picked up a book from the coffee table, turning to the marked page and reading as she ate.

Suddenly, she felt something brushing against the back of her neck; his lips, she realized. She stubbornly continued to eat, her eyes glued to her book but unable to comprehend the printed words. His nimble fingers unhooked her necklace and gently lifted it away from her skin, setting it on the table. A frustrated sigh passed her lips as he curved a hand around her throat, pulling her back slightly so that he could let his lips track down over her pulse. "You are making this kind of difficult."

He laughed softly in response, but said nothing. She shivered as his tongue came out to trace a line up her neck and behind her ear, his teeth catching her earring and tugging on it gently.

"Can't you at least wait until I'm finished?"
"I'm afraid I can't."

She set her book down, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "Sebastian, please. I can't. I hurts so much…" She hated herself for how pathetic she sounded, but she really couldn't handle another round of rough sex.

"There are other ways, my lady."

She scowled. "I'm not giving you a blowjob, if that's what you're suggesting."

"A what?"

She blushed. "Y'know…"

"Obviously not."

"It's a slang term for…" She swallowed and forced the word out. "F-Fellatio."

"I see."

She hid her face in her hands. "I'm not letting you put anything in my mouth."

"That wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

"Then what-eep!"

She squeaked as he lifted her in his arms and carried her into the bedroom, lying her down on the bed. His eyes smoldered as he crawled over her. "Just relax, little one," he purred.

"What are you doing?" She pushed against his shoulders, eyeing him warily.

"Will you trust me to give you pleasure and not to hurt you?"

"Why should I? All you've done so far is hurt me."

His crimson eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you hate me, Lyra?"

His question took her by surprise. "Why do you care how I feel about you?"

"Answer my question."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes. I hate you. I hate you for what you are, and for what you've done to me. I'll always hate you, Sebastian."

Even though he would have known if she was lying, she half-expected him to snarl at her for her honesty, to pin her down and rape her again, but instead she felt the gentle brush of lips at her ear. "That's my girl," he whispered. She felt the warmth of his hand pressed over her stomach, knowing at any second he would shove it under her shirt…yet it stayed right where it was, his thumb rubbing soothing circles through her shirt. What was going on? Was he actually being nice to her?

As if to answer her question, he softly pressed his lips to hers, the kiss simple and sweet. This was incredibly unlike him, to be so gentle and unintrusive, and she had to admit, it was much nicer than the forceful side of him she'd become so accustomed to. For a brief instant, she kissed him back. It was the first time she had let her guard slip like that, and he smiled at the split-second of trust she displayed. He slowly let his kisses trail down her neck, his hand still pressed over her stomach. When his lips reached the V of her cleavage, he raised his head, staring down at her. There was apprehension in her eyes, but no fear. He had shown her that he was being gentle with her, and she was no longer afraid of his touch; disgusted, yes, but not afraid. His lips quirked as he slowly pushed her shirt up and over her head, pulling it off and throwing it aside. He kissed the swells of her breasts, smirking when he heard a soft "Oh" pass her lips. His movements were slow and deliberate as he pulled down the cups of her bra to gently lick her nipples, humming softly as she moaned.

She closed her eyes, cooing softly as he rubbed his tongue against her hardened peaks. As good as it had felt when he'd done this before, it felt twice as good now. He was being so gentle with her, his movements soft and slow. It was almost tender, the way he touched her, kissed her. Was this how making love was supposed to feel? She was so confused, but the pleasure she felt made her mind too cloudy to give it much thought.

He slowly kissed his way down her stomach, pausing to dip and swirl his tongue inside her navel. With a soft purr, he sat up and stroked his hands down her sides and across her abdomen, smiling as she shivered and moaned. "Such soft skin…"

She tossed her head to the side, sighing and lifting her hips ever so slightly. The area between her legs throbbed, aching to be touched.

He smirked and raised an eyebrow at her body's subtle begging. Slowly, he let his hands trail down her stomach, stopping at the waistband of her jeans before slipping down between her legs.

"Oh!" She cried out as he touched her, felt his fingers rubbing her through her jeans. She couldn't believe she was actually enjoying this, not that she would ever admit to such a thing. Nothing had changed between them; she still hated him and wanted nothing more than to escape from his clutches. So why was she arching her hips into his hand and moaning for more?

He hummed appreciatively as he stroked her, feeling the heat of her like an ember in his palm. It thrilled him to see her lying pliant and writhing before him, hearing her cry out when he found a particularly sensitive place. He smirked to himself; oh, he was a cunning devil! His nimble fingers unfastened her pants and pulled them down, sliding them off her body. There was no affection or caring behind his gentleness; he wasn't refraining from taking her simply because he was concerned about her well-being. He was manipulating her. If she saw that he could pleasure her without pain, she would begin to want that pleasure more and more, and eventually, she would trust him to give it to her. And to a pure-hearted young woman like Lyra, trust was essential. He could care less if she hated him, but if she wanted him, he wouldn't have to force her obedience and soon, he could persuade her to make a contract with him. Also her womanly parts were still quite sore from his rather enthusiastic pursuits, and needed time to heal so that he could make love to her properly.

Slowly, he lowered himself between her legs, hooking his fingers into the waistband of her panties and pulling them down, then pushing against her thighs, keeping her long legs spread wide. Sebastian looked up at her and licked his lips, smirking as she moaned, then gave that little bundle of nerves a soft poke with the tip of his tongue.

"Ah!"

She arched her hips up into his mouth, instinctively pushing herself onto his tongue to increase her pleasure. He tsked reproachfully and pressed his hands over her hips, pinning them to the bed. "Not so wild, pet…just be still." He licked her again, the strokes of his tongue slow but firm. She tasted magnificent, and he would have been content to stay between her legs for hours, making her writhe and moan.

She clutched at the sheets, her body starting to tremble. This was so much better, this intense pleasure without the pain of penetration. The poor girl almost enjoyed what he was doing to her. If this was how good sex could be, she understood why everyone seemed obsessed with it. Those blood-red eyes stared up at her, and the gaze she had found frightening before, she now found alluring. She cried out as he gave the little hill a gentle suck, then flicked it playfully. Damn it, he was good. Too good. She threw her head back and forth as the hot coil in her stomach drew tighter and tighter. "Sebastian…oh, God…please…"

He smirked and swirled his tongue around her pearl, feeling her muscles tensing. She was still so sensitive, still learning to appreciate carnal desire and all the delicious sins of the flesh. And who could be a better teacher than he? He drove her closer and closer to the brink, and right as she teetered on the edge, sadist that he was, he lifted his head.

She whimpered and stared down at him. "Nnn…don't stop…"

"But I thought you didn't want this, pretty?"

"Dammit, Sebastian!"

He touched his finger to the little knot and slowly rubbed circles around it. "I might be persuaded to give you completion…if you admit how much you like it when I pleasure you like this." He smirked. "I want to hear you say it, little one."

"Never!"

"And why not? There's no sense in denying it."

"I won't say it!"

He laughed. "Still so defiant. Why do you resist me, Lyra? You know it's pointless."

She moaned, biting her lip. "You're…I can't…it's not…" The poor human couldn't keep her thoughts in order when he was driving her half-crazy with pleasure. "Ohh…"

"I see. You can't willingly submit to me because I'm a demon, correct?" When she nodded, he sighed. "Well, a God-fearing fool is the most stubborn fool of all. Besides, as much as I love tormenting you, I simply adore the way you scream my name when you climax. I'm rather not deny myself that pleasure." With that, he had mercy on his bed-slave and began licking her again, the strokes of his tongue hard and fast, driving her quickly over the edge.

"Oh! Oh God! A-Ah! Ah! Sebastian!"

He smirked as she convulsed with ecstasy, kissing his way up her body as she lay sprawled out on the sheets, panting. "Did you enjoy that?"

"Shut up."

"That's a yes, then."

She groaned and turned her head away, shutting her eyes. "God, you're annoying sometimes."

The dark-haired demon smirked and removed his shirt, lying next to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. "I prefer the term 'endearing' myself."

She was silent, wanting him to leave her alone so she could sleep. The powerful orgasm she'd just experienced had left her quite sleepy, and as she drifted off, she felt his lips against her ear.

"Sweet dreams, my lady."


So there ya go! Sorry that it took so long, but I've been having some issues...nah, you don't want to hear about that. Anyway, please review, and again, Happy Birthday to my darling SangNoire!