Joshua bought heavy blackout curtains for his bedroom so the room was plunged into eternal twilight – so he could share it with his love. While her apartment built in his basement, this would be her sanctuary. Then he went and collected Mia and her meager belongings from Al’s Club. It appalled him that she owned nothing, save the suitcase she had arrived with. Al had said nothing when Joshua carried her out into the night air. The lover wondered if anyone would even notice the chanteuse was gone for all the attention they had paid her.

“Oh, my!” Mia exclaimed when the cool night breeze touched her for the first time in years.

Joshua smiled as he strapped the seatbelt around her. “Feel good?”

“Oh, yes!” Of the belt she said, “You needn’t do that. I am not liable to run away.”

He chuckled. “Baby, it’s the law. Everyone has to wear them.” To prove his point, he snapped his own once in the driver’s seat.

“Oh...”

Starting the engine, he declared, “Let’s go for a ride, angel!”

Poor Mia’s head needed to be on a swivel to take in everything interesting and new. Joshua was afraid she’d get whiplash before they reached his home. He said nothing, letting her enjoy her first freedom in years.

“There’s so much to see!”

“You don’t have to see it all tonight,” he told her. “You’re free, Mia.” He reached over and took her hand. “We can have a life together now.”

He believed it with all his heart, she knew, but it wasn’t true. The days would still separate them. He traveled and she as unable to follow. One other thing would always be between: she was ageless and he would grow old. He couldn’t explain that away.

At a stoplight, he bent to brush a kiss on her lips. “Smile, baby.”

She managed a tremulous smile. “I guess I’m not used to being in the open.”

He steered the car forward. “Get used to it.”

Mia "oohed" and "ahhed" at his spacious home. Everything was so open and airy and clean and bright...

Joshua came up behind her and hugged her to him. “You’re gonna get whiplash yet,” he teased. “It’ll all be here tomorrow.”

“I’ve been in the dark so long...” she whispered.

“I know. I’m so sorry...”

“You’ve nothing to apologize for, darling. You are the one who freed me.” She turned within his arms, hers going around his neck. Her brilliant smile made his heart flip-flop. “Show me your bedroom.”

“Our bedroom,” he corrected. “And I don’t need to rush you off to bed. We got all the time in the world.”

Urging his head down, she lured him into a sultry kiss. “Joshua, this is like our wedding night...” she told him.

“I can control myself.” Even though after a kiss like that he found it difficult.

“I don’t want you to control yourself, Joshua. Take me.”

He didn’t even pretend to fight it. Sweeping her up in his arms, he carried her to a spacious room with a huge bed. Stripping them both, he laid her on the cool smooth sheets and lay beside her. He took her mouth with his, their tongues mated and danced. Their hands caressed and fondled as if they were learning each other anew. When he’d had enough of her mouth for the moment, his lips skated down her neck over her shoulders until he set himself to courting her sweet little breasts. He laved the rosy peaks until they tightened into hard buds. He suckled until she as mewling helplessly, restless beneath him.

“Darling, please,” she begged, her hands urging him to come to her.

Slowly, he entered her, burying his hard length in her tight welcoming heat. He held himself still. “Look at me, Mia,” he commanded softly.

She opened slumberous golden eyes to meet his hot blue gaze.

“Know it’s me, baby.”

“I do.”

“This is our wedding night. We’re married as of tonight.”

“Joshua...”

“No argument. Just say ‘yes’.”

“Yes.”

“You’re mine.”

“I am yours.”

“And I am yours.”

“You are mine.”

With the vows spoken, they sealed them with a kiss. The kiss went on as they began moving together in the ultimate lover’s dance. He drove deeply into her, taking her. She reveled in his possession, this selfless, demanding lover of hers. Her head fell back in ecstasy as his lips found her breasts again.

“Joshua...”

“I love you, baby.” He panted against her neck. “Love me back.”

“I do, I promise, I do!”

He felt her tighten around him, glorious clenching of her walls. “That’s it, Mia. Come with me baby. Let me know you’re with me.”

Mia broke apart in his arms, crying out in exquisite pleasure. “Joshua!”

Holding her to him, he released within her as he followed her into the abyss of rapture. Collapsing on her, he fought for breath. That as the first time she had ever let herself go so completely – and in turn, she made the explosion even more violently perfect for him.

She held his quaking body close, soothing him with tender cooing noises and gentle caresses.

“I’m okay...I’m okay...”

“You’re shaking.”

Lifting his head, he grinned down at her. “Damn, baby! You’ve never been like that before. Must be being free.”

“Being free and belonging to you.” She pet his damp hair back “I think I shall like this.”

“I know I already do.”

Her dainty foot traveled up one hard hairy leg and she felt him stir again within her. She gave him a wicked smile.

“Mia?” he questioned. She had never been one for immediate repeat performances.

“Oh, yes, I definitely like this!” she exclaimed as she lifted her mouth to his.

“Oh, yeah!”

Mia carefully extricated herself from her sleeping lover’s arms. She had quite exhausted him, she thought with a smile. They had traveled to new heights of pleasure that night. She had proved she could match him in all ways. There was something to be said for possessing the timeless knowledge of seduction. She had surprised and pleasured him until he was boneless.

She rose to find something to cover herself. What she found in one walk-in closet made her gasp and step back. Half of the space was filled with lovely female clothing. Not being able to resist, she touched a silk here and a satin there. She had once owned such beautiful clothes. But who?....

“They’re yours, Mia.” Joshua had felt her slip from his arms and awakened. He stood behind her as she touched the garments.

“M—mine?”

“My beautiful baby deserves beautiful things.”

“But—but there is so much...”

“So? You deserve something after the way you’ve lived all these years.”

“But...”

He reached for a hanger. “Put this on.”

‘This’ was a lovely gown of ivory satin and lace.

“I’ll enjoy taking it off of you.”

Mia slipped the gown over her head and let it glide down her body. It felt delicious against her skin. “Mmm, Joshua, thank you...”

The pure pleasure on her face was enough thanks. She went to him, twining her arms around his neck. “I believed you being a mere mortal male, I had finished you for the night,” she teased.

“I may be just a ‘mere mortal’, but I got all you need.” He put his hands on her hips and drew her against him. Naked as he as, the sensuous feel of body-warmed satin had him growing hard against her belly.

“Yes, you do." She reached down to stroke him lovingly. Joshua groaned at her talented touch. He had never expected releasing her from her prison would bring her into the full blossom of her sexuality. This was a bonus he had never looked for – he loved her and that’s all he had wanted. “Baby...”

Something dark and ugly suddenly gripped Mia – the beast! Shockingly, all she truly desired of her consort was his blood. The monster shoved aside Mia’s love and happiness. She would seduce Joshua towards her own end. She backed him towards the bed, her hand insistent on his manhood.

“Whoa, baby!” He laughed, then he noticed her eyes. They weren’t her warm soft, amber eyes. He was facing the beast she tired so hard to tame. “Mia!” The back of his knees hit the mattress and he tumbled backwards. She was on him in an instant. Stronger and hungry, she pinned him to the bed. She licked at his neck as if savoring the taste of his skin and in spite of himself, he grew even harder in her hand.

“You want me to pleasure you before I feast?” she taunted him. The words came from Mia’s lips, but it was not her voice. “Did you not know in freeing the girl you freed me, too?” She pulled him more fully onto the mattress as if he weighed nothing.

“Mia, baby, come here,” he called to his precious lover. “Come back to me, baby.”

The beast gave him a wicked smile as she leaned forward to rape his mouth. He struggled to get away – she held him firm for her plunder. When her mouth left his, she teasingly nipped at his throat. “So, delicious...” she purred. “She chose well.” Sitting astride his thighs, she hiked up the gown in preparation for taking him. She toyed with his rampant manhood, rubbing the velvety tip in a way that made him crazy. “She likes this – so do I. You don’t really think that sheltered girl who is the one who fucks you so well, do you?”

Joshua watched helplessly as she mounted him. She contracted her walls around him as she rode, clenching and grasping him as she moved. “Oh, God!”

“You think your God is listening?” she laughed at him. “No, foolish boy. You are mine now. You made your deal with Satan himself the first time you fucked the girl.”

What had he done? Had this creature merely lured him with Mia to get free?

She leaned forward to bite at his lips. “Yes,” she answered.

Nearing climax, he somehow knew he wouldn’t survive the aftermath. He had to reach Mia...He cupped her face and kissed her softly. “I love you, baby,” he whispered, his voice quivering in terror. “Mia, help me. Please, help me.”

The beast screamed in rage.

“Come here, angel. I need you,” he called to Mia, his words holding less fear. He could defeat her and bring his lover back.

“Damn you!”

“Come to me, baby.”

The beast lunged at him, her fangs bared.

He wrapped his arms around her in tenderness as he felt his flesh tear. “I love you, Mia,” he murmured as he bled.

“No!” It was Mia who cried and pulled away. “What have I done?” She scrambled off of him and scooted as far away as possible while remaining on the bed.

Joshua sat up holding his hand to his wound. The blood still flowed. “Mia, make it stop,” he begged in panic.

“If I taste you...” She sobbed, fearful of what she might do.

“If you don’t, I’ll bleed to death.”

Reluctantly, she came to him. She wept as she put her mouth to the wound to close it. Helplessly, she licked the blood from his neck, shoulder and chest, like an addict offered her drug of choice. When he was cleansed, she rested her head weakly against his shoulder. The taste of him made her strong and that frightened her.

“We defeated her,” he told her as he held her. “Our love overcame her power.”

“I—I never realized she was there, waiting...”

“It’s okay.” Joshua brought her into his lap, needing to hold her to his heart. He had nearly lost her. Mia acquiesced, tucking her face against his throat, sobbing softly. “Shh...shh...we’re okay," he soothed.

“How can you ever trust me again?”

“Because you saved my life.”

“I nearly took your life!” She protested.

“No, you didn’t. That wasn’t you. When I called to you, you beat her. We won. Our love won.”

Tenderly, he laid her back on the pillows. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips. “I love you, Mia.”

Energy flowed out of her, leaving her weak and too tired to fight. “Joshua?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?

“For loving me.”

He smiled and kissed her softly. “I do.”