The Devils Book 1: Dance with the Devil - Book cover

The Devils Book 1: Dance with the Devil

Shala Mungroo

Chapter 4

LUCIAN

The midday sun was beginning to pour through the window, bathing Lucian in warm sunlight.

Normally, his blinds would be closed as he immersed himself in the case he was working on. Today, however, he couldn’t seem to focus.

Images of green eyes and a curvy body encased in a shimmering green dress kept invading his thoughts. He couldn’t remember ever wanting anyone as much as he wanted Aria Cassidy.

He had the overwhelming urge to go to her—to see if the attraction was mutual. If it wasn’t, he would leave her alone.

As it was, she seemed to go up in flames in his arms. Their chemistry was that potent.

Everything in him had demanded that he have her. The fact that she was denying him and, in turn, denying herself, did little to dissuade him. Instead, he looked forward to the challenge.

He dropped his pen on the desk and rocked back in his chair as a knock sounded. “Come.”

The door opened a crack, and blue eyes peeked at him.

“Oh, good, I’m not interrupting.” Catarina opened the door wider and waltzed in, closing it in the faces of her two beefy bodyguards, who positioned themselves just outside the door.

She was dressed in slim-fitting, dove-gray slacks with a matching jacket and a white silk shirt. Her dark brown hair was pulled into a bun on top of her head, and her make-up was flawless.

She dropped her Givenchy Lucrezia bag onto the chair next to her and plopped down in front of Lucian’s desk. “You busy? Wanna grab lunch?”

Lucian eyed her speculatively. “As much as I love spending time with you, Cat, I can’t help but think there’s an ulterior motive here. Don’t you have a company to run?”

She pouted. “I’m only running it because you refused it, if you remember.” She crossed her long legs. “I need a break from Ernie and Bert out there.” She nodded at the door.

Lucian leaned forward, and his eyes softened. “You know, they’re there for your protection, honey. I can’t get rid of them, especially after what happened with Dad.”

Catarina’s face fell.

Their mom, Mariella, had died from cancer when she and Lucian were barely teenagers.

Rather than being there for them, their father had submerged himself in his work, building the De Angelis business into what it was today. It was one of the many reasons Lucian resented him.

Catarina and Lucian had relied, instead, on each other.

Now, De Angelis Inc. was a multi-billion-dollar empire that specialized in computer intelligence for the military, as well as a bunch of private international organizations.

As such, De Angelis Inc. regularly attracted terrorists who tried to get their hands on their products.

Thus, Sebastian De Angelis had never gone anywhere without extensive security detail and he’d insisted the same be provided for his children while they were growing up.

It was something they had grown accustomed to over the years, so had allowed it to continue, although it remained a nuisance.

Some years ago, after Lucian had just finished law school, he decided to take a job as a first-year intern, knowing he didn’t want to inherit De Angelis Inc., against the wishes of his father.

Catarina had just started business school at that time and was intrigued with the idea of running the company instead.

Shortly after, threats directed at their father started coming in hard and fast. By the end of the year, Sebastian De Angelis had suffered a massive heart attack and died, or so the autopsy said.

They never knew for sure.

The company was left in Lucian’s name at first, with Catarina named as a minority shareholder; another attempt by their father to get Lucian to take charge of the company.

But Lucian, knowing how much Cat wanted the company, handed the reins over to her.

Instead, Lucian became a silent partner, giving Cat advice whenever she asked for it, even though he retained his majority hold on the company.

Lucian took one look at his sister’s face and pressed a button on his phone. “Stace, can I have two Caesar salads, a tuna sub, and a steak-and-cheese sub sent up?”

“Right away, Mr. De Angelis.”

Catarina’s eyes lit up, and she leaned back in her chair. “You’re the best.”

“Should I invite Aidan to have lunch with us?” Lucian teased, shuffling papers on his desk.

“Not unless you wish to see me punch him in his face,” Cat sneered.

“Classy.”

Cat burst out laughing. “God, I miss you, Luc. We need to spend more time together, like we did last night.”

“With your extensive social life? How ever would you find the time?”

Catarina loved the social dinners, parties, and everything else that came with her position and lifestyle. She was born to be a social butterfly.

Lucian was the polar opposite. He barely attended functions. Last night was the first one he’d attended in months and only because Cat had begged him.

“Speaking of last night,”—Catarina pretended to be interested in her nails—“you never did tell me what happened with the mystery lady you left me for.”

“You were flirting with the Danish ambassador’s son. You didn’t even realize I was gone until I came back.”

She glared at him. “Stop avoiding the question.”

Lucian sighed. “Her name is Aria Cassidy and nothing happened.” He loosened his tie and leaned back in his chair again.

Cat pursed her lips. “Nothing, huh? I find that very hard to believe. You don’t think I notice the way women throw themselves at you. It’s disgusting.”

She turned up her nose at him. “They all ask me about you. Single women, married women, all of them.”

“Not this one.”

He hadn’t realized he’d spoken out loud until he heard Cat respond.

“Gave you a hard time, did she?” Her smile was wide. “I like her already.”

“I asked her out. She said no.”

Cat frowned. Despite the teasing, he knew she wanted to see her brother happy.

“Is she dating Chad?”

“No.”

“She’s attracted to you; I saw the way she looked at you.”

Then, as if understanding dawned on her, she said, “Please, don’t tell me you got all alpha male on her. Did you really ask her out or did you tell her she had to go out with you?”

Lucian actually flushed.

“God, Luc, I tell you and Aidan all the time, women don’t like being told what to do!”

“You’d be surprised,” Luc murmured.

Cat covered her ears. “Ah! Don’t! I don’t want to know about your sex life, please.”

Lucian laughed.

Cat put her hands back in her lap. “I know how you can be. You must have scared the girl. You should apologize and ask her out like the gentleman I know exists deep down inside of you.”

“I can’t stop thinking about her.”

“I…” Cat closed her mouth. “I’m guessing by your expression that this has never happened to you before.”

Lucian shook his head.

“Well, if she’s not dating anyone, and you clearly want her, why are you here, moping about? Go talk to her.”

Lucian ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. He had been planning to do just that before she’d walked in. “I have to find her first.”

Cat waved a hand and pulled out her iPad from her bag. “That’s easy. Before we resort to any extreme measures, let’s start simple. Google.”

She powered on the tablet and began typing with perfectly manicured fingers. “Ha!” she said after a couple of seconds. She put the tablet down in front of Lucian.

Lucian stared at the screen in amazement at how remarkably easy that was. He started scrolling through the articles that were highlighted.

“She’s the owner of Cinnamon Bakery and Café. That’s a couple of blocks from here, isn’t it?”

Cat beamed at him. “Yep! I’m thinking, in an hour, you’ll need some dessert.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

A knock sounded at the door.

Cat jumped up. “Must be our lunch. I’m famished.”

She opened the door and was about to slam it closed when Aidan put a hand on the door, stopping her.

“You little wild cat,” he muttered when she stopped struggling and let him in.

She slammed the door closed. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Cat glared at Aidan as he sat on the sofa on the other side of the room, near the minibar.

“How did you get past my guys? They have strict orders to keep you away from me.”

Lucian didn’t even look up at the two. He was accustomed to the bickering that went on whenever they were in each other’s presence.

“This is my company. I work here,” Aidan said simply, surveying her flustered appearance. “Shouldn’t you be out shopping or on a lunch date or whatever it is you do?”

“Screw you.” She stomped back to the chair and sat down, folding her arms across her chest.

“Oh, I’ve already been screwed, darlin’,” he threw back carelessly.

He couldn’t have missed the hurt look that crossed her face for the briefest of moments.

“No doubt by the leggy blonde from last night.”

“Keeping tabs on me, sugar? If I recall, you were quite busy last night yourself,” he returned with a glare.

“Aidan.” Lucian’s censure cut across the room. He shook his head at his best friend, telling him without words to stop.

Aidan pushed himself off the sofa and walked over to see what had Lucian so captivated. He peered over Lucian’s shoulder. “Is that the gorgeous brunette you were dancing with last night?”

“I’m surprised you saw anyone besides blondie.”

Lucian glared at her. “Catarina!”

It was her turn to look contrite. She couldn’t help it. Aidan just rubbed her the wrong way.

“Why are you looking her up?” Aidan asked, his hands in the pockets of his slacks.

“She turned him down,” Cat offered with a grin.

Lucian scowled at her.

“A woman actually turned down pretty boy over here?” Aidan jerked a thumb at him.

“Ha-ha, you guys are hilarious. I’m glad I amuse you,” Lucian muttered.

“She owns a bakery on Carlson Street. Luc’s going over to try again,” Cat added.

Lucian looked pointedly at Aidan. “Did you come over here for a reason?”

Stacey Reynolds, Lucian’s secretary, knocked and entered with a bunch of food.

“Looks like I’m in time for lunch,” Aidan said, perking up and taking a seat next to Catarina.

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