The room suddenly became warm again as the candles reignited and the drawing on the floor disappeared.

Amelia took in her familiar surroundings and the man—no, demon—who looked to be so very out of place, surrounded by old books and the glow of candlelight.

"What now? I don't feel any different."

Lucian draped himself onto the chaise like a model, readying himself for the painter to capture his allure. "Of course, you don't feel any different."

Annoyed by his nonchalance but curious to test the limits, Amelia picked up the pen and stared at her blank page with a determined glare.

"Are you trying to burn a hole in your parchment, angel?" Lucian mocked in a sarcastic voice.

Amelia grumbled. "I am waiting for all this knowledge about intercourse to come to me."

Lucian chuckled, running a hand through his long raven hair. "The deal was that I teach you my knowledge and expertise, not that you will become an expert yourself."

Amelia crossed her arms, "you are very sure of yourself, are you not? Proclaiming yourself an expert when I only have your word to go on."

Lucian's eyebrows raised, his eyes sparkling with a mixture of surprise and amusement. He leaned back in the chaise, studying Amelia with an appreciative gaze. "Oh, angel, your sharp tongue really matches the fire in your eyes. If you want a taste of my talents so desperately, you only need to ask."

"No, I need you to teach me how to write about it. How to describe it, sell it, not show it."

Lucian threw his hands up in surrender. "Very well. Show me what you've got so far."

Amelia handed the lounging demon her work, feeling her stomach drop as he read it intently. His sculpted features remained unchanged as those blazing eyes took in every word with the utmost attention. She didn't know what she expected would happen, but seeing him so emotionless made her far more nervous than if he were laughing at her, like Wallace did.

"What is supposed to be enticing about this whole scene? The curtains in the room get a more vivid description than the couple laying underneath them." Lucian asked.

He sounded so genuine that Amelia struggled to answer, so he continued. "And I know some men are into sadomasochism, but even to them, reading about a vice-like grip on their balls will surely give rise to feelings of pain rather than arousal. You must seduce your reader, make them want more."

"So, it is balls? Plural. I knew it." Amelia pulled the papers out of Lucian's hands and corrected her paragraph. Her pen worked like a swift sword and within seconds her fingers were once again covered in ink.

Observing her from his comfortable position, Lucian smiled. "Did you hear a word of what I am saying?"

"Yes, yes. I am an awful seductress. I don't need you to clarify what I already know." Turning around in her chair, Amelia faced Lucian once again. "But I am curious to know more about male anatomy. Do men feel their appendix between their legs at all times?"

Her doe-like eyes and flowing ginger curls exuded such an air of innocence that juxtaposed so much with her endless curiosity that Lucian couldn't help but be intrigued by it. "Shall I undress so you can study me?"

The blush that overtook Amelia's features, rendering her speechless, told him all he needed to know.

Lucian leaned forward, his voice dripping with charm. "Amelia, my expertise lies not only in my knowledge, but in my experience. I have wandered the earth for centuries. I have gone through the labyrinth of desire. While you, from what I can gather, have never even seen a man naked."

Amelia shrugged her shoulders, her eyes sparkling with playful scepticism. "That is true. I will not lie about my inexperience. But tell me, Lucian, how many hearts have you left smouldering in your wake? Are you merely a master of seduction and an expert in lovemaking, or do you possess the ability to connect on a deeper level?"

Lucian's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Us demons rarely connect in the same way that you humans do. I, at the very least, have never connected with a mortal in what you call 'true love'. But seduction is not merely about the sex or leaving hearts in ruins. It is about understanding and connecting with another soul on a profound level. It is about fostering trust, exploring boundaries, and discovering the ecstasy of mutual pleasure."

Amelia tilted her head. "And what do you mean by that?"

Lucian's expression softened, his gaze meeting Amelia's unwaveringly. "Ah, my witty angel, let me show you."

He stood up and motioned for her to do the same, taking her hand to close the distance.

Their eyes locked in a silent challenge, but Amelia couldn't hold it for long, slightly embarrassed by her naivety. Words were where she was comfortable, they were clear in meaning and decipherable in intent. But Lucian stared at her like she was a blank canvas he could paint on. Studying all her features before clearing his throat.

"We needed to start from the very basics." Lucian concluded.

Basics, she didn't even know what those were.

"Amelia," Lucian's voice was a low timbre, calling her eyes to focus on him once again. "Seduction is an art, a dance of desires. But before we delve any deeper, you must understand the cornerstone of any intimate encounter—consent."

Amelia's brow furrowed, her lips pursed in frustration. "Consent? Why would a demon care about consent? Don't you just take whatever you desire?"

Lucian took a step back, his piercing gaze never leaving hers. "Ah, my angel, why do you think we make deals? Because we like tedious paperwork? Human religion, in its infinite forms, might have told you that demons are greed personified, but if we were to simply take all that we desired, this earth would have dissolved into glorious chaos centuries ago."

Seeing Amelia pull her hand away from him made Lucian pause. "I'm sorry I didn't intend to frighten you."

He bowed his head in humility. "What I meant to say was that intimacy in any shape or form is not merely about taking something."

"But once a woman is married, she belongs to her husband. That is what I've been taught." Amelia replied.

She twisted her fingers more tightly in the pale blue nightdress as she thought of that awful prospect. Lucian sat down at her desk, granting Amelia more space from the black cladded demon in front of her.

"Undoubtedly a truth that the society you live in has created—for marriage." He agreed and something about the way he said the word 'marriage' surprised her.

As if he was as disgusted by the concept as she was. He looked back, after a moment and smiled. "But we are not talking about marriage here. The desire to be intimate with another person can happen to anyone, married or not. And within that, consent is about creating a space where desires can be explored freely and respectfully. It is the key that unlocks the door to mutual pleasure."

Amelia's curiosity was piqued. She wanted to learn to understand this intricate dance that Lucian spoke of, but she couldn't find the words to express herself. It felt as if his enigmatic aura and smouldering eyes rendered her speechless.

With a gentle smile, Lucian continued, "to truly understand the language of desire, one must start by learning to use their senses and read the subtle cues of someone's body language."

Amelia's eyes widened, eager to absorb this newfound knowledge. "But how do you begin?"

Lucian pointed at her. "You start with yourself. Have you ever touched yourself?"

Amelia's jaw dropped.

She turned bright red at his rather intimate question and didn't know how to answer. Lying crossed her mind, but she didn't think that Lucian would buy it if she claimed to be an expert in self-gratification. Besides, there was no malice in his voice. He hadn't chastised her for her inexperience so perhaps he wanted to help.

She desperately needed help.

"I tried it—once," Amelia confessed. "It felt nice, I guess, nothing spectacular to write a scene, let alone an entire book about."

Lucian leaned back in the chair, his horns shining like obsidian in the candlelight. He steepled his fingers in thought. "Why do you want to write about something you don't believe in?"

Amelia's gaze dropped, her fingers twisting knots into her nightgown. "If I don't write obscenities that sell, my aunt will kick me out within 30 days," she finally confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Smouldering eyes widened in surprise. "Your aunt makes you do this?" Lucian asked, his tone a mix of disbelief and concern.

"No—no, she doesn't even know that I write obscenities," Amelia replied quickly, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Or at least that is what I am trying to do. I want to make it as a writer. To earn my own money and have people read my novels. To prove to the world that a woman can make it as a writer. But I only know how to write about courtly love, and people don't want to read that—they want to read obscene novels. I mean, I read them too. But I don't know how to write them."

Lucian studied Amelia, his gaze piercing through her. "So, instead of finding a lucky lad to bed you, you chose to summon me to teach you," he remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Amelia flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and determination. "Yes," she said, her voice wavering.

"What an ingenious idea. Such a visionary approach. Yes, I can work with this." Lucian regarded her with a mixture of curiosity and intrigue. The fire within Amelia, her unwavering determination, sparked something within him. "I want to try something, but if you are uncomfortable at any point, I want you to tell me. Can you do that?"

Amelia nodded.

"Wonderful. I will turn my back to you and I want you to lie down on your bed." Lucian turned the chair around to face the wall and Amelia hesitated.

It was so tempting, her curiosity wanted to say yes, but she also didn't know exactly what she would be saying yes to. "What do you want me to do in my bed?"

"Touch yourself again."

"What—in front of you! What if my aunt hears me?" She asked, shocked at the impropriety of the question.

With a wave of his hand, Lucian covered the walls in a thick black mist, almost like shadows covering the entire room. "No one will hear you, I promise. And you have nothing to fear from me. I won't lay a hand on you nor watch you. I'll simply tell you what to do. Just follow my instructions. Are you comfortable with that?"

Amelia's scepticism began to wane, replaced by a genuine curiosity.

It felt a bit scary to do something so improper in front of someone, but this could also be educational. There was no harm in that, and no one ever had to know.

"Yes." she said resolutely, before slipping out of her nightgown and lying down in her bed.

From where she was lying under her covers, she had a clear view of the back of Lucian's head.

"Are you lying down?" Lucian asked in a soothing tone.

"Yes."

His every word was dripping with seduction. "Now, close your eyes, Amelia."

Amelia complied, her eyelids fluttering closed as she let her senses come alive.

Lucian's deep voice was a whisper, a velvet caress against her consciousness. "I want you to place your hands on your chest. Cup your breasts, massage them, explore them."

The sound of a gentle gasp erupted from her lips. Her breasts became more sensitive as she touched them, especially when she reached her—

"Touch your nipples, roll them around with your thumbs." Lucian said, as if he could tell from her gasps what she had just discovered.

"Oh—oh my," she gasped as she rolled her nipple like Lucian told her, enjoying the sound of Lucian's voice guiding her further.

Listening to him allowed her to stop thinking, and she found herself relaxing even more. Gasps turned into moans as he guided one hand from her breast, over her belly, down to the hair just above her slit.

"Amelia, with one finger, slide up and down between your folds. Tell me, do you feel wet?" Lucian purred.

"Yes-" Amelia gasped, continuing the featherlight touches between her folds.

"Good." she heard Lucian say, and she could almost hear him smirking. But he continued his instructions. "Bring your other hand down between your folds. But keep it higher, there should be a small bud there, that is—" Before Lucian could even finish, Amelia had found the place and it sent a jolt of pleasure through her entire body that made her moan loudly.

"Yes. That–my angel–is your clit. Rub it. Circle your finger over it. But don't forget your other hand. Slide one finger between your folds and press it inside of you."

"Oh my Lord," Amelia cried out as her finger slid inside her.

She had never felt this kind of pleasure rolling through her. Her instinct had taken over her hands and she was moaning and crying out in pleasure. But the demon on the other side of the room kept his back towards her and remained silent.

"Please–Lucian–please, don't stop talking. I want–I need–to hear your voice," she pleaded.

She saw Lucian's hands grasping the armrests tighter before he complied. "As you wish, my angel. You're already doing so good. Add another finger inside for me, Amelia." He growled.

Her muscles were tight, her mouth dropped open from bliss, and she felt strung up like a bow.

"That's it. You're at the edge. Go deeper, pump faster, pinch your clit. Cry out for me, my beautiful amtum." Lucian heaved.

Her back arched up from the bed, her walls clenched around her fingers just as he said those words, and she cried out Lucian's name as the intense wave of pleasure came crashing down.

Amelia breathed, her voice a soft revelation.

"Are you alright?" Lucian asked her, his voice sounding rather strained and his nails were digging into the armrests at this point.

"Yes. Sorry, I just need a moment before I can move."

"Take all the time you need, angel. You did very good."

When she opened her eyes again, it was like she could see another layer to the world. It felt brighter, somehow. And the devilishly handsome demon sitting on the other side of the room still had his back towards her.

He kept his word.