Angelic Avenger (25 page)

“I like them.” His voice was husky as he shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it across the room before reaching down to tug my turtleneck up, hesitating just shy of where it would have bared my bra. He looked at me, the question there.

I could stop this and he was too much of a gentleman to get ugly about it. If he picked up one flicker of doubt, he’d stop it, instead. Reaching down, my hands covered his and gently took the hem of my shirt from him. Something flickered across his face and I refused to smile. His hands fell away and he sat back on his heels. Before he could move further away, I yanked the shirt over my head and tossed it in the general direction he had tossed his before settling back against the comforter.

The look on his face was absolutely precious. He’d been so sure we weren’t going to finish what we’d started in the living room because of his honesty that my bold move had set him back on his heels, literally. I knew in that moment no matter how this turned out in the long run, I would cherish that memory with the same love I did the one of my first pony as a little girl.

“Now we’re even,” I whispered huskily and reached out to run my hand up his thigh. “I believe we were talking about bare…”

I couldn’t finish my sentence because his mouth was on mine. It was as if he were trying to suck the life from me as the gentle kiss shifted into teeth and tongues. I wasn’t complaining in the least as my hands finally tugged the tightly tucked undershirt free of the waistband and I finally found the heat of his skin under my palms. Pulling it up to where he was pressed against me, I pulled back long enough to demand.

“Off.”

This time, there wasn’t any laughter as he ripped the undershirt over his head and tossed it away. He fell back into the kiss and kissed his way down the column of my neck. Everywhere he touched made my body clench with a hunger that was far beyond my experience. It was as if I truly was a virgin all over again. Whimpering, I arched into him as the smooth weight of his body covered mine. The hard line of his erection brushed against that spot I wanted him to touch so desperately and he stilled above me. Dropping his face into the curve of my neck, he trembled, or was it me? I couldn’t tell.

His hands slid around me and flicked open the hooks to my bra and he pulled himself back on his knees to stare down at me. With agonizing slowness that only made the lace tease my skin, Gray pulled the bra away. My initial shyness faded under the reverence of his gaze. No one had ever looked at me like that…like I was precious and fragile. Something caught in my throat and I let my hands drift to the waistband of my slacks. His gaze followed them and he watched as I undid the snap. The zipper was loud in the sudden stillness and his hand dropped to cover mine.

“Wait.”

Our gazes locked with the knowledge that this was really going to happen between us. Reaching out his hand, he made a show of plucking the magical lights from the air and snuffing them out until there were a few left for ambiance. Those last lights, he spun his hand around to send them spinning crazily in the air. I laughed lightly in delight. I know he didn’t need to do the theatrics, but he wanted me to know what he was doing, so he did the magician’s trick. We shared a smile as his hand dropped to join the other at my waist.

He closed his eyes and I felt a magical push. When he opened them, I let my face ask my question for me.

“A privacy barrier. It’s not enough to keep anyone out. It’s more like a cosmic ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign. Gav gave me a crash course when I asked…”

He blushed and I realized he’d already thought about the fact my bedroom was an angel zone long before he’d ever met me if he had the time to learn how to use that spell effectively. I should have felt taken for granted. Instead, I was grateful he’d thought of it because I certainly hadn’t. Tension radiated off him and I realized he was waiting for me to get mad over his assumption that he’d need to know how to tell the cosmic highway not to make an exit here.

“We’re still overdressed.”

He blinked at me and I smiled softly as I lifted my hips in encouragement. It was all he needed to strip my pants away. He looked at me and I felt my blush rising from my breasts. He laughed softly and leaned back over me, kissing me as he settled, finding the spot that craved him with a sharp thrust of his hips. The denim of his jeans was rough, but it was oh so perfect. His mouth swallowed my cry of pleasure as I tried to grind up into him.

Sensations long forgotten raced through me, making me want to explode from the sheer intensity of it all. Had I ever had a lover who made me feel like this? Every touch was new and forbidden and I couldn’t stop panting as my body swelled in response.

“Gray.” I pulled back to whimper. “Please…please…it’s been too long…”

He cut off my plea with his mouth and found a rhythm to rub against me. He broke the kiss to nip around my chin to my neck, hot, stinging little kisses, soothed by the gentle swipe of his tongue. Every nerve in my body coiled and I couldn’t stop the restless thrashing of my body against his insistent thrusting.

“Let it go, baby,” he whispered against the base of my neck. If he hadn’t been so tall I would have urged him lower. He was simply too tall for that fantasy of having his mouth wrapped around my breast as his body brought mine to completion. “Let it go so that I can give you what you want…what we both
need
…”

His voice was rough as he panted. My hands hadn’t been still on him, but had been restlessly pulling and clawing at his back. I hadn’t even been aware of it until I realized the smooth feel of his waistband as I held on to meet his thrusts. Once, twice, he hit the carefully shielded spot of nerves that threatened to bow my spine. With a final scream, I let go of my control and fell apart. His weight was solid against me as his hands went to the waistband of his jeans and I felt the brush of them as he managed to get them unbuttoned. I don’t know whose hands were more insistent as we pushed at them so they slid past his hips. Reaching my legs around him, I hooked a belt loop with my toes and finally used my feet to get them down far enough for him to kick them off.

I wanted to look at him, to memorize the size and shape of him, but that would have to wait for another time. The solid, hard weight of him rubbed against the spot that had made me scream, luxuriating in the pool of desire he’d made. He pulled back and there was something soft and tender on his face as he sealed our bodies with a hard thrust of his hips.

I screamed again at the sheer joy of it and we gave ourselves over to the passion riding hard in our bodies.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“She’s not breathing.”

That was the first indication that the bed I’d gone to sleep in wasn’t the one I was waking up in. Lizzy’s whisper pulled me up from the warm abyss of dreams brought on by the utter contentment of my body. The heavy weight of Gray’s arm across my middle reminded me that we’d gone to sleep very much naked.

“Sure she is, Lizzy-belle.” Ben’s voice was equally soft and full of charm and reassurance. “She’s all covered up so you can’t see. I told you they got in awful late and you were too asleep to notice when she tucked you in.”

Bless him for lying for me. I made a mental note next time we’d find a sound barrier spell, and remember that certain little angels needed the reassurance of consistency. Considering the only way for us to have gotten from my bed to his without waking me was the cosmic highway, there was absolutely no doubt we’d have enough sources to help with
that
without having to be overly elaborate on why we needed it. I decided not to ask who had hooked us up with a ride. I really didn’t want to know considering I had to look them in the eye later.

I cracked an eye open and saw her frightened face over the foot of the bed. Thanking whatever magical force that had put me in my favorite pajamas, I sat up and smiled.

“Hi, pumpkin. Is it time for breakfast?”

“No.” Gray’s sleepy voice growled as he rolled onto his back and pulled a pillow over his face. “It’s not nearly late enough for food.”

I smothered a laugh as I looked over at the clock to see he was right. Four in the morning was way too early for food, but it was perfect for snuggles. Lifting up the edge of the covers, I winked at her. Lizzy scrambled up and crashed against me. Guilt swamped me as she shivered against me in a way that had nothing to do with the cold of the body, but everything to do with the cold of the soul.

“No, not food.” I kissed the top of her head and nodded to Ben who smiled as he left, closing the bedroom door behind him, blocking out the light from the hallway. Gray rolled over and wrapped an arm back around my middle, reaching over me to take Lizzy’s hand.

“Sorry, sunshine—” he yawned against my neck, “—we should have woken you when we came in. Next time, we will, so you know we’re tucked in where we belong.”

“Promise?” Her tiny voice trembled in the darkness.

“Promise,” I assured her as I kissed the back of her hair, again. Gray’s arm tightened around us both and we drifted into sleep with the comforting presence of him guarding us. It was a new feeling for me, but I liked it.

I woke up to hear Gray whispering to Lizzy as they “snuck” out of the room. Grinning, I stretched in the silence and rolled over to snuggle with his pillow, breathing in the musky smell of him. In the afterglow of last night, we’d played twenty questions and I’d learned more about my lover than I’d ever thought to know about anyone. I relished the details and I pulled them close to my heart. I knew that he hated Brussels sprouts, but loved sweet peas. His favorite color wasn’t blue like you’d think, but red, which made no sense. He was the least red type person I knew. He adored his mother and would die to protect his baby sister, but figured his brothers could hold their own. He hated the idea of his sister’s wedding, but he liked the guy well enough. He had a hidden passion for mystery novels, red wine and theatre…the real kind.

I only wish my own details were as interesting. Compared to him, I was plain boring. My closet passion for romance novels was a paltry contribution to the conversation. Tucking the memories away, I debated lounging in but decided against it. If I stayed in bed, I’d get stiff from all the unfamiliar exercise.

After a long, leisurely shower, I walked into the kitchen in search of coffee and blinked at the white anthuriums on the counter. There was no card…how had he known? Wait. Gavreel and his damned insider trading. Revenge was going to be sweet indeed. I didn't throw them out, though. They were my favorites. Yes, I know…funeral flowers. Get over it. I like them. I've always liked them. I put them at my vault on the anniversary of my death every year.

I turned to the sound of giggles and saw Lizzy peeking at me from around the corner. Gray’s gaze danced in merriment from over her head. Smiling at them both, I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I pretended not to notice the flowers as I reached over them for a coffee cup and around them for the coffee pot. I made a show of going to the refrigerator and peeked at the bouquet. Lizzy’s face showed such disappointment that I caved.

“Nice flowers. Did someone send them while we were out yesterday?” I watched her face light up out of the corner of my eye while I rationed out the cream and sugar. “There’s not a card.”

“They’re for you, silly.” She bounced around the corner and fairly danced at my feet. “Mr. Gray ran out for them while Mr. Ben made us breakfast. We’re having chocolate chip pancakes.”

“Again?” I very nearly groaned. They were her favorite and I was realizing early on that once you caved on having them two days in a row, you were stuck giving in to that sweet face. She certainly had the men in our lives wrapped around her finger. Okay, who was I kidding? She had us all wrapped tightly around her pinkie.

“You don’t like them?”

She stopped dancing and looked up at me with an earnest expression. There was something lurking in the depths of her eyes that had me scrambling. She wanted so much to please me. I popped out the first thing that came to my mind as I bent to hug her close.

“Of course I do, sweetie. They’re my favorites, too. I’m teasing you, of course.”

Who was running this household, anyway? Obviously, it wasn’t me. A pair of toes peeked around the doorway and I glanced up to see Gray smiling at me. He knew exactly what I was thinking from the look on his face, so I made a face at him.

“I knew they were,” Lizzy chattered excitedly, “that’s why I asked for them again when Mr. Ben asked what I wanted.”

Well, shoot. What did I say to that?

“Thank you for thinking of me, Lizzy.” I kissed her forehead as I straightened up. It was very sweet. I tuned out her chatter. I was getting better at that. Practice made perfect, after all. I fought back a yawn and very nearly scolded myself as Gray came around and slid his hand under my pajama top. My gaze jerked to his and we shared a private smile. The scene was so normal and mundane that it was almost scary.

Normal didn’t fit my life. The front door slammed, but we ignored it. We had too many people living in for it to be that big of a deal, after all. I jumped at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, though.

“Gray, you bastard, get up and come tell me what the fuck is going on that you’d put Mom into hysterics? Honora called and Mom’s rampaging and it’s your fault.”

The man who stepped around the corner felt so very ordinary I might have laughed if he’d not been cursing like a sailor in front of little ears. My protective instincts sprang to the forefront with a very nearly savage jerk.

“At least he put the fuckin’ coffee on…”

He stopped abruptly at the sight of us and his blue eyes widened in surprise. I cut off his next comment with a very sharp retort of my own.

“Language.”

Lizzy was plastered against my leg and staring at him in wide-eyed fascination. I stared, too, but for a totally different reason. After dealing with shifters and angelic magic for so long, the
lack
of magical aura around him was what smacked me in the face first. Physically, he was a sight. He topped Gray’s height by about three inches, which made him very tall to me and Lizzy. They shared the same build and from his words, I knew who he was.