Demon's Delight (13 page)

“Oh, please. I've been a prostitute for over sixty-five years.”

He smacked her bare butt. “Don't give me that crap.”

“Ouch!” Rubbing her abused posterior, she glared at him. “I thought angels weren't supposed to mistreat their charges.”

“Oh, well, then, let me kiss it and make it better.” Laughing, he did just that, and then drew her into his arms with an angelic smile. “Now be good.”

“That's your job.” She sighed and snuggled against him. But soon, her acute awareness of his heartbeat and the blood rushing through his veins stirred a voracious hunger. She hadn't fed tonight; needed to take care of that before she lost control.

She rolled over and sat up. “I've got to go.”

“Why?” He stroked her bare back.

“I have to feed. I haven't had any blood since last night.”

“You can take my blood.”

She glanced back and saw he was completely serious. “That's not a good idea.” She got up and started gathering her clothes.

“Why not?”

“I don't feed from people I know.”

“But why not?”

She gestured helplessly, struggling to put it into words. “I want to keep that part of my life separate.”

Gabe stood and took her arm, halting her attempt to put on her jeans. “What are you keeping it separate from?”

She thought of the dark depravity of having to drink blood—which was forbidden in the Torah. Somehow, the only way she could do it was if she took it from strangers, and gave them something in return. “It's bad enough I'm a monster,” she said. “Why would I want to expose anyone I know to it?”

“Because maybe it's part of who you are?”

There he went, getting philosophical again. She pulled away. “I have to go.”

“No, you don't. I said you could take my blood.”

“And I said I don't want to do that.”

“There's nothing wrong with you drinking my blood, Rachel.”

Her hunger was beating at her, fraying her nerves. She whirled on him. “Damn it, Gabe! I don't want your blood. I don't want you tainted by what I am.”

His eyes narrowed. “First off, you're not tainted, and you're not a monster. Secondly, it would be nice if you would trust me for once.”

“I do trust you,” she said, frustrated.

“No, you don't. You've resisted me at every turn. Every victory with you has only been after a major battle.”

“
Damn it!
What do you want from me?”

His eyes glowed, and the light around him brightened. “I want you to believe in me. And in so doing, accept that She loves you and wants you to live.”

Back to
Her
again. It was becoming harder and harder to think clearly, with the hunger growling. Rachel sank on the edge of the bed. “Why does everything have to be so hard with you?” she asked wearily.

Gabe sat next to her, beautifully naked. “It's not me, it's the nature of free will. Each of us has to make our own choices. The most important decisions are rarely easy.”

“Tell me about it.” She thought about his request, and it made her stomach clench. “I don't want to do this.”

“Do you love me?”

“What?”

“You heard me. Do you love me?”

“No! I can't love you.” Utter panic exploded inside her. The beloved faces of family members flashed through her mind—Mother, Father, Aaron, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins—all murdered at the hands of the Nazis. “I can't.”

“You either do or you don't, Rachel. Just because you're afraid of something doesn't make it go away.”

She dropped her face in her hands, frustrated, confused, and trying to sort out the emotions swirling through her.

“I know you care,” he said. “It's all right to feel love for someone. Love is divine, and it's the pattern in which we're supposed to live our lives.”

“Love hurts.” Sudden tears filled her eyes, tracked down her cheeks. “I can't love you, Gabe. That will only cause more pain when you go away. I don't want to take your blood. I don't want you to remember me as a monster.”

“Blood is life, Rachel. Needing it does not make you a monster.” He leaned closer, his voice seductive. “Use my blood for your hunger. Give yourself to me. Give me your heart, your soul, your trust. Choose life, Rachel.”

He wasn't using any compulsion, but the bloodlust careened out of control, smashing her resistance. Her fangs elongated, and the darkness stripped away the tatters of her humanity. She lunged at Gabe, knocking him onto the bed. A strangled protest escaped her throat, even as she found his jugular.

“It's okay, Rachel. It's okay,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “Take life.”

She sank her fangs deep and greedily gulped his blood. It was fuller, richer, far better than anything she'd ever tasted. She felt the energy rush through her body, but this was very different from the other times.

Light and heat burst through her, and then she was flying through space, passing stars at a dizzying speed. But she wasn't flashing back to Earth. Instead, she hurtled faster and faster toward a dazzling starburst up ahead—a welcoming haven of brilliant light. And, oh, she wanted to go there, more than anything she'd ever wanted. She'd never felt such warmth, such acceptance, such love. She was home. At last.

 

The light teased her eyelids, disturbing the tranquil darkness in which she drifted. She tried to ignore it, but it kept intruding, until she finally roused herself and cracked open her eyes. The light hurt. She blinked, squinting against the brightness. It was warm, as if she were lying in the sun, which wasn't possible.

“Open your eyes, Rachel.”

She knew
that
voice. But she couldn't quite remember…

“Rachel Emma Stryker, stop ignoring me and open your eyes,” the voice said, but it was tinged with humor.

“Hurts too much,” she muttered.

“That's normal. It's been over sixty-five years since you've been in sunlight.”

Sunlight?
That brought her fully awake, and her eyes flew open. Oh, no! She was lying in the center of a large sunbeam. Why wasn't she being incinerated? She tried to scramble up, found herself pressed back against a warm masculine body.

“No worry, Rachel. You're fine.”

“Gabe? Is that you?” She was alarmed and disoriented.

“Yes, it's me. Be calm.” His breath warmed her hair, and she realized his arms were wrapped around her.

“I've got to get out of the sun.” She struggled, but he held her still.

“No, you don't.”

She must be dreaming. “What's going on? Where am I?”

“You're in my apartment. On my bed.”

“Your bed?” She squinted at the uncovered window, the sunlight streaming in. “I don't understand.”

“What's the last thing you remember?”

“Flying through space.” She closed her eyes. “Going to the light. Talking to…
Her
.” She shot up. “I'm dead, aren't I?” She twisted in Gabe's arms, faced him. “Am I an angel like you?”

His eyes glowed with warmth. “Look at yourself. Do you look like an angel?”

“I'm—” She looked down. “Naked. And…so are you.”

A smiled teased his lips. “Well, we were both sans clothing when you drank my blood.”

Her memory started returning, but nothing made any sense. “I took your blood,” she said slowly, stricken with guilt. “I didn't want to do that. Did I hurt you?”

He leaned forward, kissed her gently. “No, silly. You made the right choice. Nothing could have pleased me more.”

“I still don't understand. Did drinking your blood make it possible for me to be in the sun?”

“Yes.”

“What the hell is going on?”

He threw back his head and laughed, then hugged her against him. “Haven't figured it out yet, have you?”

She balled her hand into a fist and pounded him on the back. “Stop playing games with me!”

“Ouch! No hitting. You're still pretty strong, even for a regular human.”

She growled in frustration, tired of his games. “For a
regular human
? What are you—” She froze, as the implication sank in. “What do you mean?”

He leaned away, grinning like the idiot he was. “You're now a pure, normal, garden-variety human. On second thought, after last night, maybe not so pure.”

She stared at him. “You're crazy. Or maybe I've gone crazy. Or maybe I'm dead.”

“Rachel, you're
not
dead. When you drank my blood, you chose life. My blood transformed you.”

She still couldn't accept it. “I don't believe you.”

He shrugged. “Fine. You'll find out soon enough. Let's start with the fact that you're sitting in broad daylight at high noon.”

She looked at the brilliant light streaming in the window and onto her bare, unburned skin. Couldn't argue with that. Hope began to bloom, and she got up and went into the bathroom. Stared in the mirror and opened her mouth wide. Her fangs were gone! She stumbled backward, almost falling, but Gabe caught her. She whirled to face him. “I'm really human?”

He nodded. “You're really human. I'll fix bacon and eggs in a little while, and you'll be able to eat as much as you want.”

“I don't eat pork,” she said automatically, then it sank in, and she screamed with joy. “I'm human! I'm really, really, human!” She grabbed Gabe and kissed him, then dashed to the bedroom. “I want to go outside. Right now.”

She threw on her jeans and sweater and ran for the front door. Gabe followed, dressed only in his jeans. The day was cool and crisp and clear, and the sun shone brilliantly. Reverently, Rachel lifted her face to the light, not caring that the glare hurt her eyes.

“Oh. My.” She couldn't think of anything else to say. She turned to Gabe. “But,
how
?
Why?
”

He took her hand, tugged her down on the steps. He settled next to her, and she took a moment to admire the sleek male body and how the sun reflected off his beautiful skin.

“Angels are pretty powerful beings,” he said. “We have a lot of leeway in directing events, as long as a free-will choice is made. When we come into a physical incarnation, our bodies are very strong, and our blood very potent.” He smiled at her, and his aura glowed. “When you chose to drink my blood, I was able to give you the gift of being human again.”

“Wow.” She shook her head, still stunned. “Thank you.” Her voice shook, and she felt tears threatening. “Damn,” she said with a shaky laugh. “I didn't cry for sixty-five years, and then you came along, and I've been crying ever since.”

“I'll take that as a compliment…I think.”

She wiped her eyes. “So, what happens now?”

He linked his hand with hers. “You'll live a normal, hopefully healthy and lengthy, human life.”

“I still can't believe it.” But despite the overwhelming joy, she felt a pang that he would probably be moving on to other angelic duties. “What will you do?”

“I'm allowed to live out this physical incarnation, if I so choose. By angel standards, a human lifetime is just a blip in the universe.” Watching her, he raised her hand to his lips, pressed a kiss against it. “I've discovered that I have strong feelings for a very beautiful and headstrong young woman—and a nice Jewish girl at that.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in, then she jerked back in surprise. “You have strong feelings for
me
?”

He considered. “Perhaps I didn't put that right. I think saying I'm in love with you would be more accurate.”

Love?
She almost fell off the steps. “You can't mean that.”

“There are those who claim angels can't get it up, either. I don't generally listen to them.” His eyes gleaming mischievously, he tugged her into his arms. “How about it, Rach? Want to hang out with me and do good deeds here on Earth?”

She couldn't think—everything was happening way too fast. “Well, I don't—”

“Good answer.” He kissed her, his tongue doing a sensual sweep of her mouth. Her blood warmed, and she leaned into him. Of its own accord, her hand slid down, discovering he was as turned on as she was. He broke off the kiss. “If you're going to be
that
way about it, then there's only one thing to do.”

He swept her up in his arms and carried her inside and to the bedroom. “This calls for a celebration.” He tumbled her onto the rumpled, sun-streaked sheets.