Archangel of Mercy (6 page)

He glowered down at the voice and realized the two redheads from earlier were gazing up at him in reverential wonder. Although clearly the expression on his face wasn’t what they’d been expecting. Already their smiles of adoration were fading and trepidation replaced the desire in their eyes.

“Yes?” He sounded feral. He damn well felt feral. These two had better be up for a few hours of raw uninhibited fucking.

“We thought—I mean, we wondered . . . ” The first one stumbled to a halt and shot her fellow redhead a desperate glance.

“My Lord,” the second one said, her voice breathless and sexy. With great effort he forced the frown from his face. Instantly both females edged closer to him, as if unable to help themselves. “My sister and I are celebrating our coming of age.” She gave him a smoldering look from beneath the heavy veil of her silver-tipped eyelashes. “We’d be honored if you’d join us in our suite for a private . . . party.”

Chapter Nine

A
URORA
returned to the kitchen, slid open the door and reeled back in shock as the humidity hit her. It had never occurred to her the villa was air-conditioned.

As far as she could make out she was entirely surrounded by lush rainforest. The sky was azure, the air was filled with the call of exotic songbirds and she had the uncanny sensation that the forest had momentarily stilled at her appearance. That it was . . . watching her.

She wiped her sweaty palms on her shorts and took a couple of steps across the stone terrace. Massive urns decorated the terrace with vibrant blooms spilling over their edges and tumbling across the ground. By the look of things she was somewhere in the subtropics.

There was one way to find out for sure. She’d check the GPS app on her phone.

And wasn’t that just typical? There was no signal. She shoved the phone back in her pocket and eyed the baleful forest. As much as she wanted to explore further—for all she knew there could be a major town within easy walking distance—she had the strongest conviction she was entirely alone. And in any case she had no idea what wildlife might inhabit that forest.

Back in the kitchen she pulled one of the cushions from a chair and tossed it onto the floor before sitting crossed-legged on top of it. Despite how much she wanted to continue her attempt to enter her mother’s dimension, she knew it was too dangerous. But even though she’d spent the last eight years working toward the moment when she could cross dimensions, she’d also studied the viability of using those same psychic abilities to travel
without breaching dimensions.

Her first thought after knowing Gabe had left her had been to put her theory into practice and find her way home. But now that she’d calmed down, she knew that was just as irresponsible as continuing with her original plan. Suppose the Guardians were still there, waiting for her?

It galled knowing that she couldn’t shock Gabe by disappearing without a trace but she’d still enter the astral planes. It always soothed her and she often had the most amazing ideas while there.

Such as eight years ago, when it had first occurred to her to try and open that elusive gateway between dimensions.

With a bit of luck she’d have another brilliant idea that would help with her current situation. Although if she was honest the whole
crossing
dimensions
plan hadn’t exactly lived up to her expectations, had it?

She pushed that unsavory thought from her mind and prepared to slip into trance. Unease flickered through the outer edges of her consciousness.
What was going on?
She could almost see the astral planes, could almost feel the heavenly beauty but she couldn’t reach them. Couldn’t enter them.

It was as if she and the astral planes were two negative forces of magnetism, and no matter how hard she pushed her spiritual essence simply slid away, impotent.

Heart pounding, she glanced wildly around the kitchen. Ever since she had been a small child she’d been able to astral project. Her parents had taught her the ground rules of safety, as soon as they’d realized what she was doing. Never in her life had she been refused entry to those glittering peaceful realms.

Until now. The truth punched through her gut, a physical pain. Some kind of psychic barrier glimmered, like a sphere of water, allowing her to see but not touch the higher planes. Renewed panic gushed through her bloodstream.

What was going on?
Where had he taken her, where even something as fundamental as ascending into trance was now beyond her abilities?

She was somewhere she’d never imagined could exist because it didn’t matter where you were. Access to the astral planes was universal. It wasn’t theoretical, it just
was
.

But all the facts in the world didn’t mean shit. Because
this
was her reality.

And she couldn’t leave it
.

—

GABE LAY ON
the rumpled bed in the room the twins had reserved in one of the luxurious hotels in Times Square. They’d driven him mad within forty seconds with their constant giggles and breathless exclamations; from their admiration of his archangelic presence to the strangeness of the city to the sheer
naughtiness
that they were slumming it up on planet Earth.

They’d only quit when he palmed the top of the noisiest female’s head and pushed her to her knees. Then they got the message he was with them for one thing only and it wasn’t conversation.

Resting his head on his forearm he stared up at the ceiling. The fingers of his other hand idly tangled in the long hair of the redhead who was busy worshipping his nipples. Another mouth worked his cock and Gabe couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to watch either.

He tightened his grip in her hair, hauled her up and stared into her lust-glazed eyes. They weren’t blue.

“My lord?” Her hands flattened onto his chest for support. “Shall I do something else?”

Her sister released him to wriggle further up his thighs. Two identical, beautiful faces gazed at him in reverential awe, both willing and desperate to sate his every desire.

And all he wanted was for Aurora to be in their place. Sucking his cock; biting his nipples; sliding her body over his and looking at him as if he was all that mattered in her sorry existence.

A growl rasped his throat and he tossed the nearest girl onto the bed, face first, her luscious ass displayed to view. Aurora would do all those things and more, but first she would apologize. First she would learn her place.

He gripped her hips, heaved her upward. Oh yeah, Aurora would learn her place and she would revel in it, mindless with delirium, and he would fuck her so damn hard she wouldn’t even be able to leave the bed after he’d finished with her.

The other redhead wrapped herself around his thighs, her fingers reaching for his cock. Shock slammed through him and for a moment he froze as reality readjusted.

He didn’t fucking believe it. He’d been fantasizing about Aurora. Had all but thrust into this willing female—
believing she was Aurora
.

If that wasn’t bad enough his cock instantly lost all interest in proceeding. He loomed over the quivering redhead and cursed violently in his head but it made no difference. And if he didn’t do something about it within the next couple of seconds his reputation was in tatters.

Incendiary with frustrated rage he slid into the female’s unprotected and unknowing mind. He found her center of pleasure and with barely a psychic touch catapulted her into paroxysms of uninhibited orgasm. A moment later, after repeating the maneuver with her sister, both females lay on the bed, clutching each other, their bodies convulsing with mindless delight.

With a shudder Gabe shoved himself from the bed, grabbed his pants and pulled them on. It was undignified to resort to such base tactics and he’d never needed to before now. But better this than risk a rumor that he was impotent.

Another shudder rocked through him, and his mind filled once again with the tempting image of Aurora.

That damn human. She was corrupting his reason. He would obviously be plagued by her until he’d had her, and if that meant taking her before she’d begged his forgiveness then so be it. At least afterward he’d no longer be rabid with this crazy, debasing need.

—

HIS VILLA WAS
dark and silent as he teleported directly into the kitchen. He flicked on the light and it spilled out into the hallway, illuminating dark corners and enhancing shadows. Frowning he went into the living area beyond the kitchen and instantly the scent of fear enveloped his senses in a damp, fetid wave.

His heart jackknifed, although he couldn’t think why. Aurora was in no danger here. Nothing could touch her inside the villa. But still his heart thundered and only when he saw her huddled on one of the low, wide sofas did his breath release in a soundless sigh.

She was there. Of course she was. Where else could she be?

Slowly he crossed the floor and stood looking down at her. In the muted light she looked so vulnerable. As if the slightest harsh word from an archangel would send her tumbling into insanity.

He crouched down and gently brushed errant strands of hair from her face. Her skin was warm, damp. Had she been crying?

Forearms resting across his thighs he continued to frown down at her. The scorching anger that had driven him from here, that had sustained him through the following hours and then shamed him just moments ago, faded. She had no idea who he was. It was unreasonable to expect her to show him the respect his rank demanded when she remained ignorant of his heritage. He should have explained instead of allowing her to goad him with her words.

She was only human. He couldn’t quite fathom why he’d allowed her remarks to infuriate him to such a degree. And sure, she was here on his island and that was going to be a massive pain in the ass, but it wouldn’t be that long before the Guardians gave up and looked elsewhere for their depraved fun.

With a few ground rules he could put up with her for a few weeks. Months, even.

Her eyelids flew open and at the same instant the fear he could taste emanating from her escalated. She was terrified. What had happened while he’d been gone? Or was this simply a delayed reaction—the reaction he’d expected but not received from her after they’d arrived here?

“It’s okay.” He cradled her face, stroked the pad of his thumb across her heated cheek. She didn’t move, didn’t respond, just continued to stare at him as if he was something that had crawled out of her darkest nightmare.

His fingers slid into her hair, a touch of blatant possession. By natural order of the vast gulf that separated their species she should fear him. And yet, oddly, he didn’t want her to.

He leaned in closer. The hint of apples that had so tantalized him earlier had vanished, eradicated beneath sweat and fear. But still he found her irresistible.

“Aurora.” His voice was husky, persuasive. He would show her there was no need for her to cower before him. In his bed, in his arms, she could be as wild as any proud demi-goddess he’d laid. “I forgive you.”

She sank against the back of the sofa in silent invitation. His blood thundered in his arteries, cock strained against his pants, and even though she could do with a damn good shower he couldn’t wait.

They could shower afterward.

He eased onto the sofa, wrapped his hand around the back of her neck. She gasped, and before he could claim her breath as his own she curled her fingers around his wrist and dug her nails in.

An appreciative growl rasped his throat. That was better. He resisted her efforts to drag his hand from her neck and grinned down at her. Already her terror was fading and another far more satisfying pheromone spiked the heated air.

“Fight all you like. You’re not going anywhere.”

Her nails scored his forearm with so much force the scent of blood mingled with the heady lust. Air hissed between his teeth and with his free hand he gripped her wrist and pinned her arm above her head.

“Get off me.” She glared up at him, breasts heaving just inches from his chest, desire snaking through every word. “You bastard! Where the hell am I?”

Her disrespect, far from enraging him, tightened the need in his gut, heightened the throb in his temples. He threaded his fingers through hers, palm to palm, her hand so small and fragile it caused a strange ache in the center of his chest.

“You’re where you belong.” The words were little more than a growl and to reinforce her position he dragged his hand from the back of her neck, curled his fingers around the top of her tank and ripped the material in two.

Her entire body quivered beneath him and her free hand suddenly gripped his throat. It didn’t hurt. She was incapable of hurting him. But it was
surprising
.

“I don’t belong here.” Her fingers dug in deeper, and his cock thickened in instant response. He leaned toward her, a blatant invitation to continue and, of course, she immediately stopped.

“You belong”—damn, it was harder to speak than he thought—“wherever I say you do.”

Her hand slid from his throat in an agonizing caress to cup his jaw. Her nails speared his flesh. “You abducted me.”

“I saved you.” It shouldn’t matter what she said, but
abducted
?

She panted into his face, and her fingers trapped between his curled into his knuckles. “And dumped me somewhere that shouldn’t even
exist?
”

He pushed her ruined top off her shoulder, traced his finger along the lacy edge of her bra. He never took his eyes from hers.

“You can put it down to my benevolent nature.” And if she believed that she’d believe anything.

She gripped his hair and he stifled a groan as pinpricks of fire stabbed into his brain. They clearly weren’t compatible when it came to conversation but he had every conviction they’d be explosive in the sack.

“You still haven’t even told me your
name
.”

He tugged the lacy cup from her luscious breast. Her erect nipple taunted him, dark and inviting in the shadows that surrounded them. “Gabe,” he said, hardly aware he had even spoken.

“Are you going to let me go?” Her fingers convulsed, a brutal caress, and he obliged her by lowering his head.

“No.” He flicked his tongue over her nipple, then sucked her into his mouth. Hard. She reared into him, erratic gasps fanning his forehead, and dug her fingers farther into his scalp.

“So I’m your prisoner?” Her breathless accusation grazed his flesh and he dragged his teeth over her succulent nipple. Didn’t she
ever
shut up?

“Yes.” The word was feral. Since when had he treated her like a prisoner? He released her trapped hand, gripped her bra and ripped the offending material from her breasts. A delicate chain glinted around the base of her throat, somehow enhancing her innate fragility.

“You can’t”—her hand clamped over his shoulder but she didn’t try and push him away—“keep me here forever.”

He rolled on top of her, kneed her thighs apart and jammed the length of his erection against her damp core. Bracing his weight on his hands either side of her shoulders, he glared down at her, his unbuttoned shirt baring his chest.