How to Seduce an Angel in 10 Days (25 page)

“I must admit, keeping the pink was a good choice,” she giggled. “I’ve become even more fond of cotton candy. You might even say I love it.”

“That’s good because you’re stuck with it.”

“So, since Tristan’s wings are black, does he taste like licorice?”

“That’s not a question you need an answer to, little witch,” Falcon growled.

“I don’t know, call me curious. I might have to ask him,” she taunted.

“You’d break the poor guy’s heart.”

“Right,” Tally snorted. “Tristan doesn’t love me. He only thinks he does because I’m suddenly unattainable. He’ll find the right woman. I know he will. Especially now since he’s got the whole super-broody Death thing going on. There’ll be some poor sop who won’t be able to resist thinking he’s a DIY project.”

“Was I a DIY? A fixer-upper?” Falcon asked, teasing her.

“No, you were always Prince Charming.”

“Even when I was trying to get into your panties on graduation night?”

“I wasn’t wearing panties,” Tally confessed.

“If I’d known that then, perhaps this would have turned out differently.” He smirked.

“I kept leaning over, trying to show you, but I didn’t think you were interested. I thought you were doing the Big Brother shtick.”

“Oh, I think we can say with a definitive certainty that my feelings for you are nowhere near brotherly.”

“Hmm,” Tally sighed. “I think you need to explain those feelings to me. In vivid, physical detail.” Tally pressed a kiss to his chest and then licked his flat nipple.

Falcon clasped her tightly against him and laughed. “That tickles.”

“So it’s another round of the tickle game? I seem to remember owing you—” Tally found herself flat on her back again and Falcon pressing her down into the mattress.

“You owe me, do you?” He captured her wrists and held them over her head with one hand, running the other down the length of her.

“How do you feel about a payment plan?” she asked breathlessly.

“Depends on what terms you’re offering.” Falcon dipped his head to kiss her collarbone.

“A decent rate, but the duration of the deal is what those in the business would call extended.”

“Yeah, we don’t usually go in for such a long payment plan, but in your case, we’ll make an exception.”

“What kind of exception?” Tally laughed. “Seventy-two months instead of sixty?”

“How about forever?” Falcon raised his head to look into her eyes. “I meant what I said when I asked you to marry me.”

Tally smiled. “I know.”

“But you didn’t mean your acceptance. I know I pressured you into it in front of my family. Say yes again, now. Be with me forever. Say yes and fight with my mother about what your dress is going to look like, how many tiers on the cake, and if our first dance should be to ‘Last Worthless Evening’ by Don Henley or ‘You’re So Cool’ from the
True Romance
soundtrack.”

“I don’t care about the cake, but I want a champagne fountain and a carriage ride in one of the Cinderella Pumpkin carriages and then I want to go to Venice,” Tally blurted out.

“You don’t want to fight with my mother?” Falcon smiled.

“No, Stardust can have whatever she wants because she made you.” Tally bit her lip and sniffed.

“Are you crying? I thought this was a Good Thing?”

“It is. But I can’t believe I just said something that hokey.”

“Me, either, but it’s adorable on you.” Falcon grinned before kissing her.

“You still didn’t actually say the words again.”

“Are you going to make me?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” Tally tugged on a lock of hair as if she was deep in thought.

“I thought that was pretty damn cool as far as proposals go. Slick, too. And you didn’t only get asked once, but twice.”

“How long did you practice with Dred?” she laughed.

“No longer than you practiced saying yes through the mirror with Middy.”

“Do you always listen at the door when I’m in the bathroom? What if I’d been doing something unladylike?”

“Like demanding that time of the month not begin until tomorrow?”

“I shouldn’t even be surprised.” She rolled her eyes heavenward.

“I love you, Tally.”

“Don’t think that’s always going to get you out of trouble,” she warned.

“Why not? It’s what always gets me in trouble. I think it should work both ways.”

“I don’t know, try it again and we’ll see.”

Falcon cupped her cheek and brushed his fingertips down the side of her face. “I love you.”

“It definitely works.” She gave a dreamy sigh. “I love you, too. So much it hurts. I’m scared though. Are we those people? Do we get the Happily Ever After?”

“Happily Ever After happens one day at a time, sweetheart,” he said before kissing her again. If there’d been a sunset, he would have carried her off into it like any conquering hero. Instead, they had to settle for making love until dawn.

After the Curtain

T
he Powers That Be are still
really
pissed, but like Tally said, they have no power over her because she chooses to believe they don’t. Much like the goblin king Jareth at the end of
Labyrinth,
only not as sexy. Fate has its own design for the Powers, much to their chagrin.

Merlin retired with Nimue, having had enough of the Bigger Boss gig. The invitations to his retirement party did, in fact, get lost in the mail. Because he never mailed them. Merlin wanted to retire quietly and sneak away for that honeymoon he and Nimue never had a chance to have. He knew everything would work out in the end; he kind of planned it that way.

Falcon’s father, Orion, invited the family to a group therapy session and to his surprise, everyone came. Stardust has agreed to lunch once a week, but nothing more. The cooking classes she was taking with Roderick Snow ended and she’s not spending as much time with him as before, but Rod hasn’t given up. He knows he’s the rich Prince Charming to Orion’s worn-out bad boy.

Tristan, a.k.a. the Angel of Death, loves that his black wings get him in with chicks, but his newest assignment, Miss Ghislaine Grisly, is unimpressed. Tristan is thankful Merlin is out of office; he has a feeling she’s the kind of ghoul who would inspire a dream where he’d have a conversation with his own cock and he’s fine with their non-talking relationship the way it is. It goes where he tells it to and that’s the end of it. Though the Zombie Master might have something else to say about it. Death is most definitely not “the boss” of her. She’s currently taking every opportunity to tell him so.

Ethelred found redemption in love, but he’s not sure what to do with it. He still gardens and thought it would make a nice birdbath. Falcon offered him a shot of Lethe to forget his pain, but Ethelred knows he needs to remember. He’s been assured that eventually, it won’t hurt anymore, but Ethelred thinks that’s probably everyone blowing smoke up his ass. He’ll believe it when he sees it. He goes antiquing with Uriel; he has a better eye anyway. He doesn’t spend much time with Emilian because it’s too painful for them both. Fate has a surprise in store for them, but the author can’t talk about it. Cryptic crap again, a pet peeve of Tally’s.

Hawk and his baby-mama drama won’t resolve itself for some time. See, his girl may have been a mortal, but she was a gypsy and she’s an Olympic grudge holder. It’s not all her fault, though; Hawk is just as stubborn. Cupid has been forbidden to interfere, but they forgot to demand that Lust mind her own business, too, and Tally is all about being helpful.

Falcon and Tally? We’re getting there. Don’t you want to know what happened with the Trifecta of Doom and their sexy calendar?

No?

Fine.

We already know Falcon and Tally lived Happily Ever After with the capitals. Stardust demanded a fancy wedding, and Middy was maid of honor. Falcon
did not
pass out between Tally’s thighs in a pergola. What else do we need? Okay, so you want to know about the succubus/lamia gig? It didn’t just magickally go away. Tally made her own choices and did what she had to do to save her loved ones and find redemption within herself.

Falcon loves her, all of her. He’s not afraid. Knowing that her power could drain him dry is only a physical manifestation of what most men have feared from the beginning; once a woman gets her teeth into you, it’s all over. Falcon may have pink wings, but he’s all man. He’s definitely earned his cupidity, or so they say in the gym when he’s hitting the showers after a good game of hoops and everyone can see he’s still all man.

And of course, they lived Happily Ever After.