Two Books in One - Ominous Love and Paradox - The Angels Are Here (14 page)

“So, how’s your job at the pet shop?” he asks.

I look abruptly at him. “How do you know where I work?”

“Brooke told me.”

Frowning, I stare at him, trying to work him out.

He brushes my hair from my face with a finger. “I heard you and Tom broke up, so how are you getting home tonight?”

Before he has the chance to offer me a lift, I say, “Brooke’s driving me.”

He gazes into my eyes. “Have you ever been in love, Eloise?”

As I stare up at him, his pupils glitter in the moonlight. I’m not sure how to answer him, but I'm certainly not telling him I’m in love with a boy I dream about every night. He'll think I'm a desperate weirdo, or worse, he’ll think it’s him.

He pulls me even closer, squashing my head to his chest and forcing me to listen to the pounding of his heart
again. “It’s beating for you, honey,” he whispers, burying his face in my hair.

The scent of his cologne and the sound of his voice is
starting to give me a strange
déjà vu feeling, but I can’t think why. As
I move my arm across his back, something prickles my hand. Shoot, what was that. I run my fingers under his shirt to see what caused it. Friggin hell. He needs a good wax.

Arching his spine
, he gasps, then he lays me gently down on the sand and leans over me. “Are you trying to turn me on?”

I gulp. Holy shit. He thinks I was caressing him.

Moving closer, he presses his lips to mine and swirls his tongue into my mouth. As I’m about to gag, he pulls away and kisses my throat. “Mmm, you taste as sweet as honey.”

Though his kiss is soft and gentle, his perfume is spine-tingling and it’s
starting to make me dizzy. I try to move away, but he hugs me closer, his biceps bulging against my neck. As I try to figure an easy way to leave, he starts caressing my shoulders and nuzzling my ears. Then his hands move down my back and round to my belly. Although he’s fingers are on top of my clothes, my stomach tightens with fear. Crikey, what have I got myself into? He’s moving way too fast. I shouldn’t have risked being with a boy on my own again. What was I thinking?

Sitting up, I smile.
“I have to go to the bathroom, Devlin, but I won’t be long.” I stand up to leave. “Would you like me to bring you a drink or something?” I say, trying to trick him.

He grabs my hand. “The
only thing I need is you, Eloise. I’ll walk back with you.”

“There’s no need. Keep the sand warm and I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

“Okay.” He leans back against the cliff and grins. “Don’t be too long, or I’ll come looking for you. Now that I’ve found you, I’m never letting you go.”

Far out.
Not knowing what to say to him, I pick my shoes up and take off barefoot back up the sandy track. My heart is beating like a drum, but if I go back to the party, Devlin will find me and I don’t feel like talking to him. He scares the crap out of me. Plus I have to get up for work in the morning, unlike my friends who can sleep in late. I glance at my watch. If I go via the shortcut, I can be home in ten minutes and Devlin won't even notice until it's too late. I'm so glad he doesn’t know where I live.

Getting to the end of the beach track, I turn left and jog along the path that snakes over the cliff towards the next beach and near to my street. When I reach the steepest part, I hold onto the wooden railing and climb the sandstone steps between the bushes and trees. It's a good job there's a full moon or I'd have to walk home along the main road, and then Devlin would be able to see me if he followed.

At the top of the steps, I walk over to the wooden bench that looks out over the ocean. My feet are hurting, so I sit down for a moment and rub my sore toes. There's no point putting my high heels on until I get onto the street, the track up here is too stony. The fresh air and the smell of the ocean energise me again, but as I jump to my feet, a gigantic black bird swoops towards me.

“Freaking hell!”
I hold my head and duck.

Chapter Nineteen

The flapping of huge wings blows my hair about as a large creature lands next to me. My heart thumps. What in the world is that? I squeeze my eyes shut and tremble with terror. This is it. I'm about to be eaten by a prehistoric bird and I haven't even lived yet.

A deep voice booms out. “Look at me!”

My eyes pop wide open. Holly Hell! I'm so dead.

There’s a half-dressed man standing over me, a tall man with the physique of a body builder, and he's got … holy crap, he's got wings, huge black wings. I back up against a rock and cover my face with my hands. He can't be real. I must be having a nightmare.

“So, Eloise, you thought you could get away from me?”

He knows my name? I peep through my fingers. His face is in the shadows, but his voice sounds familiar. He moves closer and smiles, his pearly white teeth glinting in the moonlight.

Oh my god! It’s Devlin.

I blink twice. “Are you in a movie or something?”

He throws his head back and laughs. “Now,
why
would you say that?”

I bite my lip. “Um … ′cause you’re wearing motorised wings?”

His mouth curls into a smirk and he points over his shoulder. “I can assure you, these wings are real.” He walks towards me. “Would you like to feel them?”

I swallow hard, and though I’m af
raid, my curiosity takes over. I step forward and run my fingers along his back. He closes his eyes and inhales like he’s enjoying it. Holy shit. The feathers feel real and they’re growing out of his back. Just to be sure, I nip a quill between my fingers and yank it out. Whoa. It’s got blood on the end.

“Ouch.” He opens his eyes and rubs his shoulder. “You’re a right littl
e vixen, aren’t you? That hurt.”

I stare at the thick black feather in my hand. Far out. It’s real, so he really does have wings. I look up at him. “What the hell are you, an angel?”

“You could say that.” He takes the feather from my hand and sticks it in my hair. Then his face grows serious as he kneels on one knee in front of me. “I’m your angel, Eloise.”

My legs feel like jelly and I’m shivering with fear. Staring up at the sky, I hope this is just a dream and I pray to wake up.

Devlin unfastens a chain around his neck. “There’s no need to be afraid, honey. I'm going to make you richer than you could ever imagine.”

Oh, shit. There’s a ring on the chain. Please don’t let him give it to me. I look to my left, getting ready to bolt. This can't be. I’m hallucinating and I have to wake up. As adrenaline soaks into my blood, I drop my shoes on the ground and take off the way I came. I thunder down the steps and run across the grass to the beach. If I dive into the ocean, the icy water will wake me up and my world will come back to me. Please, God, tell me it will?

Devlin's laughter echoes from the cliff as I tear along the sand to the sea. The beach is deserted and there’s no one to help me, so I’m hoping it really is just a dream. Glancing over my shoulder, I see a man charging towards me. Oh, Lord, please don't let it be Devlin.

Determined to escape my nightmare, I run into the freezing ocean and gasp. It takes my breath away, but the man is still chasing me. I dive under the water and swim away, holding my breath and hoping he won't find me. As I surface for air, a huge wave thunders over me, smashing me onto the ocean floor, then tumbling me over and over and dumping me back on the shore. Kneeling on the wet sand, I cough and splutter as salty water pours from my nose. When someone pulls me to my feet, I jerk with fright and push the wet hair from my face.

Devlin is smiling at me, his huge wings folded behind his back. “Silly girl, now you’re all wet.” He lifts me into his strong arms and kisses my forehead. “You can’t escape me, Eloise. I’m your destiny and you’re mine.”

I shiver against his warm chest as he carries me towards the sand dunes. Oh, no. Why is he taking me there? I study his face. He may be a handsome hunk, but I’m not about to be some birdman’s destiny. I slap his cheek. “Put me down. I don’t know who you are or why you have wings, but you can’t just order me around.”

He grins. “Still as feisty as ever, aren’t you, my dear?” Holding me tighter, he climbs over a wire fence and into a nature strip. “You may have escaped me before, but you won’t this time.” He lays me down in-between two large sand dunes and rips off his shorts.

Oh shit. He’s stark naked and the full moon is so bright I can clearly see him, all of him. My pulse quickens and I scramble to get up, but he wrestles me to the sand and yanks my clothes off. As I try to scream, he covers my mouth with his hand. “Don’t fight it, Elo
ise. I’m guessing Nathaniel has erased your memory of me, but I’m warning you, if you scream, I’ll fly with you back to my castle in the mountains and you’ll never see your family or friends, ever again.”

Heart failure!

My blood runs cold as the memory of Devlin’s castle comes flooding back to me. And as his dark, ominous eyes lock onto mine, I realise there’s no hope for me. He’s much too powerful and he has Lucifer to help him.

Bile rises in my throat. How could I have for
gotten him and that awful fortress in the snow?  Then I suddenly remember Seal and tears fill my eyes. As I stare up at the heavens, I pray that he’ll come down and rescue me.

Devlin climbs on top of me, pinning me beneath him. Then
as he gazes into my eyes, he runs his fingers along my hips. “There’s no point praying, my love. I tried to do this the right way, but now you’ve given me no choice. I love you, but I can’t wait any longer. Plus I have to pay my debt to Lucifer and take my revenge upon Nathaniel.”

“Get off me!” I heave at his bare chest, but I can’t budge him. His naked thighs are on mine and I just want to die.

He grips my left wrist and forces the ring onto my finger.

“Take it off!” I scream.

“I warned you, Eloise.” He covers my mouth with his hand. “If you don’t be quiet, I’ll have to drug you. Is that what you want?”

My eyes wide, I shake my head.

“That’s good,” he whispers, releasing my mouth.  “I want you fully conscious.”

“Why
?” I murmur. “Are you going to torture me?”

He
laughs. “Of course not, honey. I want you awake so I can make passionate love to you.”

My blood cu
rdles and I tremble with fear. “Devlin, please don’t. Just let me go.”

“You’re shivering, but don’t worry, you’ll be warm again soon.”
Thrusting his fingers into my hair, he holds my head and makes me look at him. “I’ve given up everything for this moment, Eloise, and in a few seconds you’ll be connected to me forever.”

“
No, Devlin, please? Let me go home and I won’t tell a soul. I promise.”

He brushes my wet
curls from my face. “Not everyone has a soul, my love.”

I push at his chest.
“I’m not, ‘your love’, I’m Nathaniel’s.”

“Oh, honey, I can love you more tha
n he ever can. Does he come down and hold you in his arms? No, because he’ll never give Heaven up to be with you, but I did. I gave up eternal happiness for you, only for you. So don’t
ever
say I don’t love you because one day I’ll be condemned to Hell for eternity, but it will be worth it to have spent a lifetime of happiness with you.”

I blink my tears away. “You don’t get it, do you? I don’t want to spend my life with you. I’d rather
die. Then I can go to Heaven and be with Nathaniel.”

Devlin’s lips crease into a smile. “No, sweetness, it’s you who’s not getting it. Nathaniel may love you, but there can never be
a physical connection like you want, not in Heaven.”

“Why not?
”

He brushes my wet eye
lashes with his thumbs. “Because it’s not possible for an angel to have a physical relationship in Heaven, you already know that if Nathaniel tries to have sex with you, or if he kisses you in a passionate way, he’ll be banished to earth.”

“So what? If we’re sent to earth, at least we can be together.”

Devlin sighs. “If Nathan loses his wings,
he’ll
be sent to earth as a human, but you won’t, you’ll already be dead. You won’t
have
a body, just a soul.” He grips my chin. “And what do you think your precious Nathaniel will do then, huh? Well, I can assure you, Eloise, a young virile man like him won’t be able to resist beautiful girls.”

I squirm beneath him. “But you still have wings and look what you’re doing.”

He strokes my face. “Oh, don’t worry, baby. I don’t have heavenly wings. I only allowed them to grow back so I could capture you. I can lose them again. Anyway, they’re black wings and I’m limited with where I can fly with them. Nathaniel may have burned them off, but he didn’t do a proper job of it, and it was
your
fault they grew back.”

“Why’s that?”

He grins wickedly. “Because in the middle of burning them off, Nathaniel weakened and kissed you, then he lost his own wings, and his powers. He had to give you up to get them back, and
that
shows he loves his powers more than he loves you.”

I push at his shoulders. “He’ll come down and rescue me from you, you’ll see.”

“Oh, you think so, do you?” His eyes flash angrily, then he grips my jaw and kisses me feverishly.

I turn away. “I love Nathaniel, not you.”

Sadness creeps into his eyes and he grabs my face again. “Don’t say that, Eloise. I will love you more than he ever can. And in a few moments you’ll bear my child, and then we’ll be bound to each other forever. Please, just say you love me this one time, so our baby can be conceived with love.”

A pain shoots through my heart and I scratch at his chest. “No!
You can rack off! I hate you, and I don’t want to have your baby.”

“Okay, have it your way, Eloise, but know that I
’m in love with you.” Holding my gaze, he forces my legs apart with his knees, then he grabs my hips and yanks them to his.

I try to wriggle free, but I’m pinned beneath his weight and I can’t move. “Devlin, please stop. You’re hurting me.”

He kisses my cheek. “I’m trying not to, honey, but I love it when you say my name. Say it again.”

Ignoring him, I stare up at the stars and scream, “Nathaniel!”

“Be quiet,” he whispers, covering my mouth with his hand again.

My pulse is whooshing in my ears. This can't be happening. He’s making love to me and I can’t do a
thing about it. I bite his finger, but when he pulls it away, he holds my jaw and kisses me.

I pound on his head with my fists and turn my face away. “Get off me!” Then I remember he possessed Tom’s body to molest me, so I punch him again. “That one’s for Tom.”

As I squirm beneath him, his tears trickle onto my cheeks and down my neck. “I’m sorry, baby,” he murmurs. “But I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

“You’re not sorry,” I hiss. “And I’m not your baby, so get the hell off me.”

Without another thought, I dig my fingernails into the muscles on his arms and press down as hard as I can. As blood seeps from his skin, he laughs. “Now, it's written in blood, Eloise.”

“What is?”

He looks deep into my eyes. “We are, my love, and so is our child.” He holds my chin and forces his tongue into my mouth.

While I pray to the heavens, an almighty crack of lightning zigzags through the clouds, sending stars shooting in every direction and opening up the sky. Thunder rumbles and cracks above the full moon as the sea roars with anger, sending waves crashing to shore.

As Devlin heaves on top of me, I run my hand through the sand in search of a weapon. Finding a rock, I hold it above his head. Then as I smash it down on his skull, a lightning bolt cracks above me and a sharp pain shoots from my thighs to my belly, making me cry out in pain.

Devlin rears up on his arms and groans, “Eloise.” Then he collapses on top of me.

He's so heavy, I can hardly breathe, and as I try to push him off me, his blood dribbles onto my arm. Then I freeze with terror as a ghostly angel with huge black wings separates from his body and floats into the sea. My heart drumming in my ears, I stare at the limp figure on top of me and scream, “No! It can't be. What have I done?”

Tears pour from my eyes as I stare up at the lifeless body of Seal. As I hold his precious face in my hands, I pray that he’s alive. “Please, God, don’t let me have killed my beautiful angel?” I kiss his sweet mouth. “Seal, wake up, please.” I press my fingers to his neck to feel for a pulse, but I can't find one. My hands are covered in blood, and as I look at his back, I notice with dread that his wings have gone.

Uncontrollable sobs escape my mouth. Poor Seal. He sacrificed his wings to save me, to be with me. How can I bear it? I’ve killed the only boy I’ll ever love. Holding him in my arms, I pray to die. Then my heart thuds against my ribs as it suddenly dawns on me, not only have I been raped by Devlin, but I could now be carrying his child.