To Hell and Back Read online

  He sighed heavily. "So do I, but Sun-Hee is not the girl I fell in love with. She's changed, grown cold. And I have no idea what I've done."

  Mel was surprised by his confession for he barely knew her, but perhaps his desperation had made him forget that. The man definitely did look desperate. "What do you mean, cold?"

  Mr Han hesitated before exclaiming, "You're a woman, Murielle-san. You understand love. Perhaps you can explain to me why a woman who spent months kissing and flirting with me, building anticipation that on our wedding night she would be mine – it is no exaggeration, for she said those words, many times – would completely avoid my bed once we were married?"

  Advising a man on marital relations with his wife? Mel blushed deeply. She wished Luce were with her. He'd know what to say. Possibly even offer a few tips from his extensive experience. Where was Luce? She glanced around, but didn't see him. She didn't see Mrs Han, either, so she figured he must be off taking care of her.

  She coughed discreetly. "Director, do you think perhaps it was because she was surprised by her first relations with you on your wedding night?" She didn't dare say that his performance might have been lacking, though she knew it was the most likely source of his wife's dissatisfaction.

  He laughed harshly. "What relations? She gave me a kiss full of promise and said she would change clothes. I retired to my room, specially prepared for us with all sorts of strange things – rose petals and candles and all manner of romantic ideas – but she never came. I thought of going to her room to ask what kept her so long, but a lady likes to take her time and my Sun-Hee is no exception, so I waited. When morning came, I had those infernal petals stuck to my body instead of my lovely wife. She never came." His voice wavered as if he might cry.

  Mel tried to hide her shock. "What did you say when you saw her the next morning?"

  He reddened. "I was furious. I wanted to demand to know why she would tease me and yet do nothing, but I was summoned to work before she awoke. When I saw her that evening, she avoided even looking at me and I knew I couldn't be angry at her, as I must have done something wrong."

  "Have you tried just asking her?"

  He guffawed. "Me, a crusty old businessman, ask my young flower of a wife for sex? Never. I am too proud to beg, even of the woman I love. And I will not force myself on her by demanding her submission – that sort of thing is for barbarians. She once joked that she was marrying the most powerful man in Korea, but she holds my heart in her fist and I am powerless against her. Do you think I am just a silly old man, Murielle-san?"

  He was only ten years older than his bride – and hardly an old man, though not a young one, either. Mel shook her head emphatically and said, "No, Director. Love makes fools of us all. Have you not asked her?"

  "I tried to ask her once whether she regretted marrying me. She grew angry and told me she would not regret it if I proved that I was the powerful man she thought I was. So I looked for a way to show this power that would demonstrate to my disappointed wife that I am worthy of her. What could no other man do? Why, I could level the islands where her illustrious ancestress and namesake lost her love, as a fitting memorial to the man who should have been her ancestor." His eyes blazed as if reflecting the flash from the atomic blast in his imagination.

  Mel shivered. She'd seen what those blasts did to people – no, more than seen it. She'd felt the agony of flesh searing through her bones as her shadow burned into stone in Hiroshima, then again in Nagasaki. Then rebuilt her body a third time to seek Japan's surrender on behalf of those who'd died screaming with her. She'd seen suffering the likes of which no one else had, for the souls of those who died had continued to broadcast their pain even after death. And she'd stayed to coordinate the army of escort angels who had come to claim their souls.

  "Director, have you ever visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial? I find the pictures there quite haunting – the effects of an atomic blast are horrifying. It shows what too much power can do when it's used as a weapon."

  He grunted. "I don't have time to play tourist when I'm in Japan. Not when I'm here on business."

  "I'd call it professional interest, if nothing else. If you intend to level the islands of Dokdo, I recommend that you find out more about the power you wield."

  His eyes narrowed. "So, it's true. You are here for the negotiations. May I ask whose side you're on when it comes to Dokdo? Whoever has engaged your valuable services usually emerges victorious, I've found." His tone made it sound like a joke, but his eyes were deadly serious. Han Dong-Suk was a shrewd businessman who knew which way the wind was blowing – and if he didn't, he certainly wanted to.

  Mel ducked her head. "I'm just an adviser, Director. My clients pay for my advice, but it doesn't mean they have to follow it. The mediator on this matter is my friend, Koyane, who brought me in to assist. My client is Keiko Taniwha – the proponent whose proposal invoked this furore. Like Koyane and Keiko, I seek only a swift resolution."

  "So do I, Murielle-san. And I find actions speak louder than words. Please excuse me, I must see to my other guests." He bowed and hurried away.

  Mel sighed. When it came to a man's ego, his bedroom skills and his heart, he was as unreasonable as the next guy. She only hoped Luce was making better progress with the man's wife.

  A tiny dog yapped in someone's garden, sounding almost identical to Sunny's joyful yelps when Luce had capitulated to her begging and plied the flogger. Luce cringed inwardly, wishing he could bleach the memory from his brain. He wasn't a demon any more and corrupting souls like that woman's wasn't something he did, let alone enjoyed. God, had he ever felt so cheap? He was an angel now – Mel had said so, and she was never wrong. He didn't need to be some lonely trophy wife's gigolo. What would Mel say if and when he told her? If she didn't know already from reading his mind. What must she think of him? He glanced at Mel, who gave him a tired smile. Her evening hadn't gone well, either, he deduced, though she hadn't said why or how.

  As soon as they reached Koyane's house, Luce said, "Hell, I need a shower. Anyone mind if I take the first one?"

  The silence lasted for a long moment before Koyane said, "Usually guests have first use of the bath in the evening, but as one of the guests is Murielle-sama…"

  "I'll be really quick, Luce, and you can even join me if you want," Mel said.

  Tempting as this was, Luce needed to scrub himself several times with plenty of soap before he dared touch her. That crazy Korean girl left him feeling soiled inside and out, even if he had kept his clothes on. He'd already washed his hands more than a dozen times, but they didn't feel clean enough. "Maybe. I just…really want a shower."

  He followed Mel to the rice-paper-screened room they shared and dug out some clean clothes. He waited for her to lead the way to the bathroom.

  "You put your clothes here," Mel said, placing hers neatly in a pile on the shelf. Luce bundled his up into a ball and laid them beside hers. "Then you strip off and take your toiletries through to the bathroom."

  The sight of Mel's dress slipping down over her hips and sliding to the floor left him mesmerised. He couldn't take his eyes off her when her underwear followed.

  "Come through when you're ready," Mel said over her shoulder as she padded through the door, which closed behind her.

  Luce stripped, leaving his clothes in a pile on the floor. He didn't want to wear that suit ever again. That woman had touched it. He shuddered. He needed a hot shower and plenty of soap and disinfectant. Then, if he was really lucky, Mel's warm hands to drive the thoughts of any other woman out of his head.

  He opened the door, unleashing a cloud of steam, and stepped inside. He was just in time to see Mel step into the boxy wooden bathtub. She turned her blissful smile on him. "First, you have a shower and wash yourself all over with soap, then rinse it off before taking a hot bath. Koyane swears by having a cedar tub and every time I sink into the hot water, I think I agree with him. You should see the ones at his house in Kyoto."

  The s
hower didn't have a cubicle to separate it from the rest of the tiled room, so Luce just turned the hot tap on full and let the steaming water gush over him for a few minutes, wishing it could burn away the sensation of his skin crawling. He squeezed out half a bottle of shower gel, rubbing it briskly all over his body until he was covered in thick foam. Another deluge of hot water sluiced it off him before he repeated the whole process. And a third time, opening a fresh bottle of soap. He was reaching down to scrub the stuff down his legs when soft, wet skin bumped him from behind.

  "My love, may I join you? I'll wash your back, if you like." Cool liquid oozed onto his back, followed by the light touch of Mel's warm hands.

  Heaven. A shower with his angel would be Heaven. "Please," he breathed. Luce closed his eyes and stood still as Mel's fingers worked her healing magic on him. A sublime angel who shouldn't soil herself by touching a damaged devil. An angel who deserved to know what he'd done. Luce forced himself to say, "Mel, please forgive me. I –"

  "There's nothing to forgive."

  He swore he could hear her smiling. Luce glanced over his soapy shoulder. Her eyes were alight with so much love he couldn't bear to look away. Or admit how he'd betrayed her.

  "I love you," he said instead. "I love you more than anyone or anything else, ever. When this world ends, no, when this entire universe ends, I'll still love you, Melody."

  "I love you, too, Luce. Time to wash off this soap, though. Turn around and I'll do your front."

  Luce obediently rotated and was rewarded with a passionate kiss as Mel pressed her body against his. How could he want anyone else when he had Mel? Her touch burned away all the distasteful memories. He wanted…no, more than just want; his need for her was so powerful he'd explode if she pushed him away or even stopped kissing him. He could feel the love radiating from her, coursing through their kiss like a relentless river that dragged him deeper and deeper into where he longed to go.

  What would she do when she found out what he'd done with that horrible Han woman? When she knew he'd reverted back to his old, demonic ways? Was his soul tainted now, too? He couldn't stand to lose Mel.

  "Oh God, Melody. I love you so much." He wrapped his arms around her, holding her so tightly that all he could feel was her skin against his. "And I need you. Please, can we –"

  "Yes. Ohh, yes. But not here. Keiko and Koyane are waiting to use the bath after us. We can and we will, in the privacy of our room. Don't take too long in the bath, or I might fall asleep waiting for you, and neither of us wants that." Her eyes were filled with love as she surveyed his body.

  "To Hell with a bath. All I want is you." Luce wrenched the taps off and walked her to the door. The chilly air in the dressing room was a shock compared to the heady steam in the bathroom, but Luce gritted his teeth and quickly towelled himself dry so he could pull on enough clothes to pass as decent for the short walk back to their room.

  He glanced at Mel to find her already wrapped in a cotton kimono patterned with pink flowers. She leaned over to gather up their dirty clothes and tossed them into the laundry hamper. "I'll deal with those tomorrow. But now…come with me?"

  Luce grabbed her outstretched hand and together they burst through the dressing room door into the passage beyond, startling Keiko in her red kimono right outside, but they didn't stop. Mel called something over her shoulder in breathless Japanese that Luce didn't understand, but he didn't need a translation. He needed Mel.

  He slid the screen door shut behind him and struggled to rid himself of his shorts, which clung to his still-damp legs as if they were trying to restrain him from reaching Mel. And Mel… "My God," he whispered reverently. Mel hadn't donned anything beneath her kimono and the pink-flowered cotton now hung from a wall hook.

  The shorts finally yielded and Luce dropped to his knees on the futon laid out on the tatami floor.

  Mel gave him a gentle smile. "Come to bed with me, my love."

  She didn't need to ask twice.

  Luce was woken by light filtering through the paper screens, but he didn't want to move. He held Mel securely in his arms. As long as she was still asleep, he wasn't letting go any time soon. Melody. Heaven. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of her hair. Myrrh and lemon, neroli and coconut…

  "Good morning, my love." Mel tilted her head back to claim a kiss that Luce couldn't deny her. She shifted and the bliss of her skin sliding against his reminded him why they were still naked.

  Though he wanted to give her his full attention, Luce's eyes kept darting to the door.

  "What is it?"

  "I expect Patrick to come bursting in," Luce admitted.

  Mel laughed gently. "Patrick is still in London, unless he's headed back to Ireland or somewhere he's needed. We're here with Koyane and Keiko. Koyane would never invade a guest's privacy like that. But he will have breakfast and tea waiting for us in the kitchen."

  "Coffee?" Luce asked hopefully.

  "Probably. I suspect he'd have it for Keiko and maybe some of the others. Ohh, I hope he had time to get some Nagano apples. You wait. I bet you've never seen anything like them."

  Nagano apples? Wasn't that the skiing place? How did you ski around apple trees? Luce figured he'd look stupid if he asked, so he dug through his luggage instead. "Are we in negotiations today or are we tourists?" he asked over his shoulder.

  "Mm, not sure," Mel replied, her voice slightly muffled as she pulled something over her head. "Koyane will tell us, but I suspect we'll be in negotiations. That means sober suits so we blend in."

  Luce laughed. "You? Blend in? With your glowing golden hair and your suit only slightly darker? You're a sunbeam at midnight, Melody – no one will be able to pay attention to anyone else." He drank her in and realised her appearance was changing. The glow was fading and even her hair looked darker. "Hey, what did you just do?"

  She blushed. "With you, I'm myself. No fetters, no restraints. But today I'm Murielle D'Angelo, a political adviser with a well-earned reputation – one which Koyane intends to use to effect in international negotiations. But a political adviser requires the perception of darkness and not light, hence my light must be hidden."

  Luce studied Mel as she buttoned her blazer. She was right, he decided – she could blend in like this. As if she'd heard the thought, Mel lifted her chin so her gaze met his. Ah, there it was – not all of her glow was gone. It smouldered behind her grey eyes, imbuing her with an otherworldly presence that was at once powerful, threatening and enticing. "Do I have to call you Murielle? I might forget and call you Mel."

  Mel waved away his worries. "No, Mel's fine. It's not a nickname many others know here, so if you're talking about me, you might want to use Murielle, that's all." She waited for him to finish buckling his belt. "You'll probably need a tie with that today, and the jacket."

  Luce nodded and slipped an arm around her waist. "Let's go find breakfast first. And I'll pray for a coffee."

  Mel led the way to the kitchen.

  "Ohayo gozaimasu, Mere-san," Koyane greeted her, bowing.

  "Ohayo, Koyane," Mel replied, nodding her thanks as he poured her a cup of tea.

  Lucifer gritted his teeth. He hoped he didn't have to respond to whatever the Japanese man had said.

  "Good morning, Lucifer. I hope everything in your room meets your expectations. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask." Koyane's head-bob was nowhere near as respectful as the bow he'd offered Mel, but that was fair enough.

  "Everything's fine. Mel's been explaining things to me – the shower, the bath, the beds on the floor, everything. What I need now is coffee," Luce replied, feeling an unfamiliar rush of gratitude toward the man.

  "Mere-san is often very busy, so if she is not available, you may ask me anything," Koyane said gravely. He broke into a smile. "I have heard of your taste for coffee. I hope my machine will answer to your needs." He waved at a brand-new coffee machine on the bench.

  Luce whistled and glanced at Mel, who shook her head. Where had the Japane
se man heard stories from? Luce groaned. "Tell me you haven't heard crazy stories from Persephone."

  "Patrick called me while you were flying. He said that I should make sure I could provide good coffee, or my guest might cause a stir as he runs down the street naked to purchase one." Koyane laughed and leaned forward. "Tell me: did you really do it?"

  Luce shifted uncomfortably. "No. Patrick warned me that I'd need to put pants on or I'd get arrested."

  To cover Luce's embarrassment, Mel changed the subject. "Where's Keiko? Is she still asleep?"

  Koyane coughed. "Ah, no. She prefers her breakfast fresh, so she eats at the Tsukiji markets. She should be home soon."

  Mel hid a smile behind her teacup and Luce wondered what the joke was.

  Speak of the devil.

  Keiko breezed in, carrying a faint whiff of fish and a bag full of paper-wrapped packages. "I brought breakfast!" she announced, setting her bag on the counter.

  Luce kept his distance, particularly when the smell of fish intensified.

  "Fresh this morning!" The thin-sliced raw fish certainly looked fresh, but the thought of eating it for breakfast made Luce's stomach churn. "And pastries for you, Murielle-sama." Another box revealed an impressive selection of French confections.

  Luce hid his grin when Mel picked out an almond croissant, then offered the box to him. "There's another one in here, my love. Japanese patisseries are nothing short of amazing."

  As they ate, Koyane explained that the negotiations were scheduled for over the next three days, so it was a good thing they hadn't arrived any later. He'd arranged their registration and they'd be officially there in a consultative capacity for his benefit. Mel nodded as if this was no surprise to her.

  Koyane then launched into a brief resume of every member of the Korean, Japanese and other delegations who'd be present. By the third name, Luce had tuned out. He bit into a pastry filled with a red paste that tasted a little like the cakes from the night before. Not bad, he thought, as he finished his breakfast and prepared for a day of watching Mel at work. This would be an eye-opener for sure.