Thank you to all who have been following and 'faving' "There's No Music in Hell". I'm not lying when I tell you that your comments and feedback always manage to put a smile on my face. I also have to extend a very special thanks to BelenP, who has been my beta on recent chapters. And especially for this one, because it was truly a collaborative effort. Her input improved the original draft considerably, so I owe her a great deal of appreciation.

Anyway, without further ado, here's… let's call it Chapter 20b.

Have a wonderful weekend, everybody! ;-)

**M-Rating WARNING** If sexual content makes you uncomfortable, do not read beyond this point.

EDIT: Placed it in the right section. Sorry about that. ;-)

Chapter 21: A Slice of Heaven

A trail of trousers, shirts and underwear had been carelessly discarded along the marble floors of the penthouse. It had all happened in a whirlwind of hungry kisses and wandering hands that frantically roamed every inch of exposed skin as Lucifer and Chloe stumbled towards the bedroom in a feverish frenzy. By the time they made it to the king sized bed, they were both naked and undeniably aroused. Short, incoherent pants filled the air in those brief instances when their lips lost contact with each other.

A small gasp rose above the rest when Lucifer scooped Chloe up in his arms. He gently lowered her onto the mattress and laid beside her, arm bent at the elbow, head propped on his hand while he looked down at her with open adoration. The tips of his fingers brushed the sensitive skin from the base of her left breast down to her hip, back and forth, with such tortuous slowness, her flesh rose in tiny goosebumps all over her body.

"This is the point where I'd ask you what you desire," Lucifer said. His quiet voice harbored a trace of anxiety.

Chloe reached out to cup his face. "You don't need me to tell you," she smiled. A tentative thumb brushed over his stubbled cheek. "I think you already know."

He turned his head into the palm of her hand, planting a soft kiss there before leaning down to claim her mouth once again. "I just want to make this special," Lucifer punctuated the statement with a tender peck. "I'll do anything you tell me. All you have to do is ask."

If she didn't know any better, Chloe would've thought he sounded a little reticent. Nervous, even. But that was impossible. She'd lost count of the number of lovers that had traipsed through his life since she'd met him, none of which seemed disappointed in the least, if his stellar reputation was any indication of his performance. Which dragged her mind to another pressing matter…

"Protection," she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Lucifer had been nuzzling the hollow spot below her ear. When he lifted his head to meet her eyes, he appeared partly surprised, partly amused.

"I'm immune to human diseases, Detective," he said in a way that made the insinuation sound utterly absurd. "You've got nothing to worry about. I assure you."

Charmed by his mild indignation, Chloe bit back a smile. "Detective? Really?" she chided running the back of her finger down the soft hairs of his chest. "And 'human diseases' are not my only concern."

"Alright, Chloe." Lucifer offered her a crooked smile. "After thousands of years I have yet to impregnate a human with my spawn."

Anticipating the string of questions that were likely to follow, he covered her mouth with his for a long, lazy kiss. The lingering concern that his strange mojo didn't necessarily work on her was drowned by foolish disregard. Besides, she wasn't ovulating anyway, so why spoil the special moment with needless technicalities? Not that the way he was kissing her made it possible to hold on to any coherent thought. Maybe his charms did work on her after all.

"Now," he breathed when her body had gone completely limp in his arms, "Can we please get down to business?"

Feeling his breath near her collarbone, she nodded emphatically, her body already responding to his gentle touch as his fingers embarked on a leisurely journey up her ribs. Chloe felt the feathered brush of his thumb over one of her nipples and gasped, arching her back to chase after the delicious sensation when he pulled his hand away. She whimpered in protest, only to pant out his name the moment she felt the warmth of his mouth on that same spot a second later.

Her arousal kept growing with every gentle nip of his teeth, with every lap of his tongue, every caress of his breath… Whispered terms of endearment had her writhing helplessly beneath him, clutching at his hair and whimpering like a child. Lucifer was careful to tend to both of her breast equally, never favoring one over the other. So, while one craved his attention, the other enjoyed his ministrations.

"Lucifer, please…"

Her desperate plea pulled a rumble of deep laughter from Lucifer's chest. The naughty timber in his voice made her a little nervous. He was up to something…

About to lose her mind, Chloe wasn't even sure what she was begging for. All her nerve endings were on fire. Every humid touch of his mouth, the whispered words that would occasionally caress her overly sensitive skin, the creasing of his brows as he pleased her… And, just when she thought she could not take his merciless teasing any longer, Lucifer's mouth abandoned her breasts and began its agonizing travel southward, down her stomach, past her navel, stopping just at the verge of sin. Sorely inexperienced in the sexual arena, she had been both enjoying and dreading the direction his salacious game was taking. So, the moment she felt his hands curling around her inner thighs, she tensed up.

Chloe had never let anybody explore her body in such a manner, not even Dan. Much as he had suggested trying 'new things' on repeated occasions, she had never really been the adventurous type in bed. Not beyond some mild fondling and other arguably less-than-exciting positions, anyway. Truth be told, after having been the target of unfounded accusations during her ill-starred Hollywood career, she had become a bit of a prude. Perhaps it was her way of rebelling against her notoriously promiscuous mother. Perhaps it was her only way to prove her righteousness. Or, perhaps, it was gratifying enough just to focus on her job as a cop and be a good mom to Trixie. Whatever it was, she had not allowed her only claim to fame define her. Not that cheap labels were easily dispelled. And that was the cross she had been forced to bear as an impressionable teenager. It had always been a point of contention with Dan. Understandably so. And, though her struggle with matters of sexual intimacy hadn't been the ultimate reason for their separation, it had put additional strain on their already shambled marriage.

"Relax." Lucifer's voice was smooth, almost hypnotizing.

He began to pry her thighs apart, but Chloe's mental blockage caused her to tense even further. She was now fisting the silky bedspread, teeth clenched as she laid rigidly on the mattress.

"Come, now," he purred, tone dripping sensuality. "We've barely even started. Don't you trust me?"

Chloe gasped out the only answer that made sense. "Y—yes… "

"Then what are you so afraid of?"

"I d—don't know."

But that wasn't entirely true. She didn't want to live up to the false reputation that had haunted her since she was a teen. She could still hear the cacophony of voices who had condemned her nudity just after the film had been released. Memories of her harassers sneaked into her mind like unwelcomed guests, made her feel like the slut she never was. Still today, she was reluctant to prove them right. It had been hard enough shooting that nude scene, especially at such a young age. Living with the aftermath had been even harder. Now, here she was. About to have sex with the Devil himself. Mr. 'I can turn a misshapen ashtray into a sex toy' Morningstar! What would he demand of her? Would she be able to rise to the occasion? Was he even aware of how scared she was at that moment?

As if he'd been reading her mind, Lucifer eased his grip on her thighs. The bedroom seemed to be the one place where he was overly intuitive. He planted a soft kiss on her hipbone, then spoke into the silky skin. "You want me to stop?"

Torn between shame and desire, Chloe let out a needy whimper.

No. Of course she didn't want him to stop. It was just…

But the Devil was an old dog with a few tricks up his sleeve. Instead of pressing further, he moved down to nuzzle the inside of her knee, where he found a spot that sent a delightful quiver up her leg. She let out an involuntary moan, and found herself biting down hard on her lip to prevent any treacherous sound from betraying her further. Not that Lucifer could ever be fooled at this particular game. Chloe felt him smile against that magic spot, an impish nip and a twirl of his tongue followed, and she realized at that point that resisting him would be futile.

Damn him!

Unable to muffle yet another moan, she simply threw her head back and gave into the experience.

Relishing in his victory, Lucifer began covering her inner thigh with butterfly kisses, trailing closer to his destination, and literally melting her from the inside. It didn't take long for her to open up to him, granting the access she had hesitantly failed to offer him earlier.

The moment his mouth reached the intended spot, heaven itself opened up to her.

"Oh my God!" she cried out, eyes watering.

Lucifer stopped mid lap and clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Really?" he sighed, propping himself up on his elbows and sending her a look of utter frustration. "Have you already forgotten which team you should be rooting for?"

"I'm s—sorry," she panted, wanting nothing more than for him to go back to what he was doing. "Please, don't stop!"

Chloe felt the warmth of his huffed chuckle over that very tender spot and, once again, her skin responded, tiny bumps rising all over her body. Her reaction didn't go amiss by Lucifer, who returned to the task, using first his lips and then his tongue, submitting her to a sweet torture that kept detonating powerful sparks of pleasure.

Soon, everything around her blurred into a second plane. Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, mind reeling as she panted out her approval in a string of nonsensical gibberish uttered in between shallow breaths while her hips rocked to the delicious rhythm of the torment he was subjecting her to.

Dear Lord! He was playing her just as masterfully as any instrument, and she was more than eager to sing his praises.

The tide began to build in her lower belly. She was so close, she could already feel the throbbing warning announcing the arrival of the much anticipated tsunami. Chloe clutched the bedspread even tighter, pulled at it in her ascent, soaring higher and higher until she reached the highest peak.

Her freefall was steep. A hoarse cry tore from her throat, a sound so feral, so utterly desperate, she barely recognized it as her own.

A prayer of gratitude to the Devil.

Her back arched off the bed, shoulders digging into the mattress and hips lifting upwards. Chloe surfed wave after wave of ecstasy while Lucifer's firm grip practically held her in midair, breathing into her core while she shook and convulsed helplessly. The world around her lost all meaning. Time seemed to melt away in a river of abandon and fulfillment and delight.

Having lost all track of time, Chloe blinked back to reality in a bit of a daze, cheeks flushed and trembling slightly. She found Lucifer hovering above her, his arms supporting his weight as he studied her face with brazen fascination. His arousal was not only evident by the intensity of his stare, or the heat emanating from every inch of his skin, but by the noticeable twitch she felt between her legs as she cradled his hips with her thighs.

Smiling her appreciation, Chloe slithered her hands to the back of his neck, where her fingers began to play with the short hairs at the nape. Forgoing unnecessary words, Lucifer returned the smile and pressed his mouth to hers in a slow, languid kiss.

It wasn't long before their lazy passion grew into mild urgency. Led purely by instinct, Chloe dug her heels into Lucifer's lower back, forcing his groin to nestle against hers, sensitive flesh pulsing at the contact. It drew a low growl from his throat, igniting a new spark of arousal in her. Searching her eyes, he positioned himself at her entrance, and grinned at the almost involuntary undulation of her hips. He, of course, took the subtle sign as an invitation.

The first thrust took her breath away. It had been firm, and smooth, and wonderfully agonizing.

Sweet pain…

The second thrust had her gasping as her inner muscles stretched and contoured all around him. A little overwhelmed, Chloe tried her best to hide her sudden apprehension. Lucifer was undoubtedly well endowed and, though lubrication didn't seem to be lacking, it had been a while—a long while—since her last sexual encounter. But perhaps it was sheer nervousness what was making her so tense. She knew she ought to relax, to let things happen naturally, but her mind and her body didn't appear to be on speaking terms. Then again, this was Lucifer! The thought alone was daunting on so many levels…

Teeth clenched, she clawed at his shoulders, torn between exquisite pain and searing pleasure.

Noticing her ragged breathing, Lucifer ceased all movement and surfaced from nuzzling her neck to meet her eyes.

"You alright, Det—Darling?" he breathed.

She offered him a vigorous nod, not really trusting her words or her voice at the moment. Nor wanting him to stop. She pumped her hips upward in encouragement, hitting that wonderful spot by chance and cuing Lucifer as to its location. Her shuddery moan surprised her almost as much as the way her body was responding to the way his moved inside her. Their rhythm was becoming increasingly maddening with each prod and push.

Pain slowly began melting into pleasure, and Chloe pulled him even closer, her thighs clasped so tightly around his waist she wondered if he might be having trouble breathing.

A third thrust had him buried in her to the hilt. It drew another whimper of joy out of Chloe and left Lucifer shaking.

"Keep going!" she gritted, a bit frustrated by his stillness.

She rocked her hips in a circular motion, prompting him to move, sensing the stirrings of that delicious buildup. But Lucifer remained unmoving.

"Wait, wait…!" he pleaded in a tight hiss. Chloe felt his warm breath against the side of her neck, which only exacerbated the intensity of her growing arousal.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Cupping his cheek, she urged him to face her, and was shocked to see raw panic in his eyes.

"Lucif—"

"I can't believe…!" he scowled, then clenched his jaw in what Chloe could only interpret as frustration.

"What is it?" she asked, genuinely worried now.

Lucifer kept his eyes closed, contrition clouding his features. "I'm… I'm not going to last much longer," he finally growled. "Bloody hell, I—!"

But his next words were drowned by Chloe's mouth, in a deep kiss that managed to effectively disarm him or, at least, ease his tautness, albeit momentarily.

"Chloe, I—"

"Shut up!" she said huskily.

Using her legs as leverage, she turned the tables, rolling out from under his body and pushing him onto the mattress. Lucifer barely had time to react before she lowered herself onto him with one smooth, slick motion, straddling him into submission. Mortified, all he could do was hold her hips in place to try and keep the rhythm manageable. But Chloe would have none of that. It didn't take her long to find the perfect angle. The angle that made it impossible for him not to wince with pleasure.

Encouraged by her ability to neutralize his restraint, she began to ride him harder.

"And I th—thought I had met true e—evil!" he panted.

Unable to resist any longer, he dug his fingers into the soft flesh at the curve of her buttocks, guiding her movements rather than slowing them down. Chloe was already feeling that familiar tingling sensation spreading out from her lower belly, warm and oh, so delightful! But she trampled it down, would not allow her own climax to get in the way of her witnessing his.

He was so close… So close…

They both fought a brave war, held onto those last vestiges of control with unyielding energy and staunch determination. It was the Devil in the end who, with a feral growl, lost the final battle.

"Shit!" he howled.

Chloe watched, enthralled, as he cried out her name in a stupor, both praising and cursing her for his untimely downfall. Tense as a bow, hips jerking, Lucifer kept his iron grip on her buttocks while his chest heaved with every ragged breath. His facial expression was that of extreme pleasure or extreme pain, and Chloe could've placed her bet on either and won.

After the last shudder racked his body, he lay quietly beneath her, either speechless or totally spent. A thin layer of sweat covered their skin, it dampened the hair at their temples, misty proof of their erotic dance.

When he finally reacted, it was with a self-deprecating scoff. "I'm sorry," he mumbled looking up at her through thick lashes.

A slow smile spread across her face. "Why?"

Lucifer ran his teeth along his bottom lip, looking adorably embarrassed, and Chloe wasn't sure the rosy tint on his cheeks was a post-coital glow, or if he was actually blushing. "That was incredibly rude of me," he said, sounding overly British.

Trying to hold back laughter, she replied, "I actually enjoyed the show."

"Very funny!" Lucifer grumbled. His gaze roamed over her face in wonderment. "Congratulations, Detective," he added, looking rather humiliated. "You've officially turned me into a 'two pump-chump'."

"Aw!" she cooed as she leaned closer to place a quick peck on his lips. "But such a cute one at that!"

Her comment made him grimace. "Cute?!" he scowled. "No, no, no! This was a bloody first! I demand a rematch!"

She offered him a noncommittal shrug. "I'm up for it as soon as you are."

Before she knew it, she was on her back, pinned under his weight as she felt him come alive inside of her once again. Her eyes went wide, rapt by his supernatural stamina, and turned on further by his devilish grin. He kissed her hungrily, and Chloe held onto him like a lifeline as they began to rock together. Their movements felt a bit clumsy at first, but that initial awkwardness was easily countered by his remarkable experience, and soon they found their stride. Her hands began their sluggish trek at the base of his butt, taut and firm as his muscles tensed and released with every thrust of his hips. She couldn't resist giving it a gentle squeeze before moving along his narrow waist, sliding slowly up his back to his shoulder blades, where soft fingers danced over the prominent scars. Lucifer shivered. He broke the kiss to look into her eyes, a silent plea lingering in his stare.

"You don't want me to touch them," Chloe guessed, heart clenching.

"I…" he swallowed hard, hips halting for a moment. "Your touch is different from everyone else's."

She nodded, not really understanding what he meant by that, but afraid to ask for clarification. It was all so bizarre, so utterly surreal! Her world had been turned upside down, and she wasn't sure what was real anymore. The one thing she knew for sure was that she loved him. That ought to be comforting enough, and yet… Doomed as their relationship was for obvious reasons, she couldn't dictate against what her heart had already decided.

"It's nice," he said, cutting into her musings.

He pulled out almost all the way, then drove back into her with deliberate slowness.

Chloe tried to keep her mind on the conversation, but was finding it increasingly difficult.

"What is?" she panted.

His smile widened. "It feels nice when you touch them." Another thrust, another restrained gasp as she tried to figure out what the hell he was talking about. Lucifer's eyebrow arched mischievously when he picked up on her puzzled frown, adding, "I'm referring to the scars on my back. But, by all means, if your mind was on any other part of my—"

"I knew what you meant," she struggled to say, blushing profusely.

Lucifer gave her an 'I'm sure you did' look and punctuated the sentiment with another thrust of his hips that sent about a thousand little sparks of pleasure to all the nerve endings below her navel. She responded by lifting her hips into him, urging him to pick up the damn pace.

He thankfully complied. How could he not? For centuries he'd been drawing out people's desires, and now he was more than happy to oblige to hers.

Eyes locked, they could practically read each other's minds, anticipate each other's wants, look into each other's soul. It felt like nothing she had ever experienced before. Scary as it was, Chloe realized that their connection went way beyond the physical or even the emotional. She couldn't imagine belonging to anybody else, or anybody else belonging to him. They were truly two parts of a whole, and that was both wonderful and terrifying.

The tips of her fingers traveled over the ridges of his scars once again, and she felt it. That unbelievable sensation that had washed over her in her dream—the surreal warmth, the sense of peace … She was touching a slice of heaven, and it brought tears to her eyes. Lucifer must have felt something too. He was looking at her strangely, adulation mixed with something else she couldn't quite decipher. For a moment, Chloe thought he was going ask her to stop touching him that way. But his scowl was that of bewilderment, rather than discomfort or annoyance.

Was he feeling it too?

The ethereal moment came and went, and the physical overpowered the spiritual.

They were simultaneously swept into the familiar surf, a white squall, forceful and crushing. First, Chloe surged to a sweltering climax, holding onto his shoulders and panting her delight in breathy accolades. It was all it took for Lucifer to follow suit, his own release withheld until the very last second as he embraced her tightly. Burying his face into her hair, he let out a roaring cry, the closest thing to worship he had probably ever uttered.

Satiated and exhausted, they remained embraced in a tangle of sheets and limbs for quite a while. Lucifer held Chloe closely against his side, one arm draped around her shoulders while his fingers lazily caressed her upper arm.

"I've a confession to make," he said after a long while.

Chloe's eyelids were heavy as she fought to stay awake. "Hmm…?"

"I've had lots of sex over the years," he told her, sounding way more awake than she had expected. "I don't think I'd ever made love before."

There had been a trace of incredulity in his voice, as if he still needed to come to terms with what had just happened. And, though his words flattered her to an astounding degree, they also brought about a strange sense of panic at what lay ahead. For their paths, though intertwined, where impossible to reconcile. Heartbreaking as it was, they both knew that much.

[To Be Continued in "TNMiH"…]