But now it was time to face the music. Kalev turned to Grace. “Why don’t you go take a nice-”
“Make love to me,” she breathed, closing the distance between them.
He stilled. Had he heard her correctly? “What?”
“I said, make love to me,” she repeated, her voice stronger now.
He had heard her correctly. This had not been part of his plan; he’d had it all laid out. He wasn’t sure how to handle this curve ball. He wanted her; he wanted her more than he could possibly put words to. He was already hardening at the mere suggestion. Since the first time they’d kissed, the desire to make love to her had been nearly overwhelming, but he’d fought it. There were a million reasons why he should say no, but right now, the need to tell her the truth about himself was the only one that mattered. He wanted to be with her as himself, not as the man she thought he was.
“Listen, Grace, there are some things that I need to tell you before -”
She put a finger to his lips to silence him. “Not now, Caleb. I need you. Right. Now.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him passionately, her tongue pushing past his closed lips in forceful urgency. He couldn’t help but to respond to her, her lips warm and silken against his own. God, she was delicious. She tasted so invitingly sweet. His resistance was crumbling, his will dissolving. He needed to stop this now, or else he’d be lost. He gently pushed away from her, untangling himself from her embrace.
“Grace, I want to,” he ran a hand through his hair and breathed deeply, “Lord, you know I want to, but I need to explain -”
“Later. Whatever it is, it can wait until later,” she said with a tone that was clearly meant to indicate this argument was closed.
He couldn’t let this happen. How could he get her to pay attention? What could he say to get her to stop? He would just tell her and let the chips fall where they may. Surely a statement so bold, so outlandish, would halt her in her tracks.
“Grace I’m a -”
She took advantage of his open mouth to kiss him again, cutting off his words. When her hand boldly stroked the length of his erection through the taunt fabric of his athletic pants, he let out a groan. It was over. He would not deny her this, although heaven knew he didn’t deserve it himself. He’d broken nearly every rule when it came to Grace, he supposed, so what was one more?
Apparently encouraged by his reaction, her finger traced the elastic at his waist, teasing him. His desire for her was quickly whipping into a frenzy. He’d never felt anything like this before, at least not this immediate, this raw, this intense. Even with her, he’d always managed to regain his senses, but not this time. They’d been through too much today; they’d nearly lost each other. The mere notion had threatened to drive him mad.
When she curled her daring fingers around his steely flesh, he thought he might explode. With each movement of her hand, the pressure built in his groin; his heart beat faster than it had when he’d been using his war wings. The air was stifling. Sweat beaded on his brow.
It was so intense, he pulled away from her kiss, unable to endure the intensity of both sensations simultaneously. Instead, he put his face in her hair, trying to focus on controlling the savage need within him. It was a mistake. Her silken locks brushed his face, tickling the sensitive skin of his cheek. He inhaled to steady himself, only to be met by the delicious coconut scent of her shampoo, inviting him to imagine having sex with her on a tropical island somewhere.
He’d never imagined that these ‘basely carnal’ acts, as angels had considered them to be, could elicit such staggering sensations. Angels had witnessed sex between people since the dawn of time with mild disinterest at best and contemptuous disgust at worst. Until he’d experienced the sudden compulsion to kiss Grace, he’d never given much thought to the experience. But now? He was dying to know what all of it felt like. This had to be more intoxicating than a hit of any drug. And if this was only the beginning? What would it feel like to be inside her?
His thoughts and her hand rubbing up and down his shaft were bringing him to the brink of self-discipline. She’d found the bundle of nerves behind the sensitive head and she was massaging it with the pad of her thumb. His erection was becoming painfully hard. Something needed to change, or he was never going to last. He was determined to make sure it did.
He put a hand on her wrist to stop her. She looked up at him in confusion.
“If you keep at it, I’m not going to be able to fulfill your request,” he warned her. She smiled wickedly.
“Is that so,” she purred. Even restrained she managed to skim his throbbing shaft with her fingertips. He cursed, pulling her hand out of his pants and entwined her fingers with his own. They were so delicate. Although she was anything but. She had shown him as much over their time together. And now, she approached him with a confidence that he hadn’t known she possessed. What else about her had he yet to discover?
He lowered his head to recapture her lips, more gently this time. He would make love to her, but slowly, reverently. He would set the pace; a pace where he could maintain at least some semblance of control. He never wanted this to end, this exploration of her body, this venture into the very heart of the human experience. Why had angels not been gifted this?
No, that wasn’t it; he was an angel and he was feeling this. Had he always been capable? Were they all capable? He had so many questions he wanted answers to. But how could he get them? Who could he ask? He ran his fingers through her lustrous hair, trailing kisses down her throat. In this moment, he didn’t much care about the answers. He’d have plenty of time to figure it out later. For now, he would give himself over to the primal force driving him. With no other experience, he’d just have to let his instincts guide him.
He moved his head to bury his kisses in the well of her neck, swirling his tongue in the sensitive curve of her collarbone. He leaned her back against the wall, pressing himself into her, his hard muscles against her soft welcoming curves. She moaned in response, arching herself against him. He needed to be closer to her, to have his skin against hers.
Although she’d removed her sodden coat, shoes and socks when they’d entered the room, she was still otherwise fully clothed. He lifted both her fuzzy black sweater and her t-shirt up over her head, revealing her flawless, dewy skin. She was breathtaking.
“You are perfect,” he whispered in her ear. Unable to resist, he cupped a firm, full breast in one of his hands; she shuttered at the contact. He gently rolled the taunt rosy nipple in between his fingers. Her breath came in short pants. He moved to the other one, paying it the same careful attention.
What would she do if he licked them? He bent to flick one of the pink buds with his tongue; to his delight she gasped in response. He took the turgid peak into his mouth, swirling it around, sucking it deeper. Little mewls of pleasure escaped her as he lavished each breast, drawing out the experience. He was sure he’d never grow tired of those pleasant sounds.
But it wasn’t enough. He wanted to do to her what she’d done to him; make her just as aching and urgent with need as she’d made him. He slid a hand under both her leggings and panties to touch the soft, satiny skin at the juncture of her thighs. The smoothness both surprised and pleased him. The dampness of her arousal on his fingers only ignited his passion further.
When he slid his index finger along the most sensitive part of her and then deftly slipped it inside her body, she whimpered with desire. As he darted his finger in and out of her, she writhed against him, searching for the elusive satiation of her need. He couldn’t stop staring at her gorgeous face, eyes closed, mouth slightly parted, cheeks flushed with ecstasy. How could he be this lucky? He wasn’t sure of exactly all he’d done that had led him to this moment, but he wouldn’t change any of it. The Council be damned; he would face the consequences of this day later. Making love to Grace was worth whatever punishment they handed down.
✽✽✽
Grace could barely register how fast the tables had turned. One moment,
she’d been the one in control, demanding he make love to her, making him putty in her hands, and the next she was pushed against a wall, shaking with the strength of her longing. She had never been so brazenly forward with a man before, but, then again, there had never been a man like Caleb before. In the past, with Steve, these encounters had been … nice. She’d figured, like so many other women, that this was reality and the claims of books and magazines that mind-blowing sex existed were pure fiction.
She was happy to change her opinion. His finger alone was driving her towards the edge of oblivion; what would making love to him do to her? She was more than eager to find out. If today had taught her one thing, it was that you never knew when it could all end. She could’ve easily lost him today. For a terrifying, earth shattering moment, she’d thought she had. What if he’d died and she’d never expressed her love for him? What if she’d never told him with her body or her words that she hadn’t known what true love was until she’d met him?
When they had safety gotten back to the apartment, she hadn’t wanted to wait another second. She had found the courage within herself to express her physical desires, but the three little words that she’d planned on saying had still escaped her. She couldn’t believe it was easier to share her body with him than declare her love. But the words would come, she reassured herself. Perhaps, after they made love, would be the right time. At least she could infuse every touch she gave him with ardor within her.
“I want to see all of you,” he whispered in her ear.
She shuddered. She wanted his hot, taut skin against every inch of her own.
He scooped her up, one arm under her legs, one supporting her back, and carried her over to his bed. His hazel eyes burned with a hunger she’d never seen before. Her breath caught in her throat as he removed his clothing, displaying his sleek, powerful muscles. He was a statue come to life, every inch of him measured perfection. From his chiseled facial features, to his impressive eight-pack, all the way to the heart-pounding v-shaped line that inevitably drew her eye down to…
When she’d held him in her hand a few minutes ago, she’d been impressed by the size of him, but seeing it was a different thing entirely. Her throat went dry.
“Like what you see?”
She blushed. Had she just been caught staring? “Yes.” She swallowed.
As he wiggled her leggings down her body, followed by the agonizingly slow removal of her panties, her heart fluttered rapidly in anticipation. He was on the bed with her, moving toward her. She couldn’t wait to have him inside her.
But instead of continuing to move his body between her legs, he stopped to lavish kisses on the sensitive skin of her thighs. As his lips moved closure to the juncture between them, she hesitated. It was an intimacy she’d always shied away from with Steve; she could never bring herself to allow it and, after a few half-hearted attempts, he’d moved on. It had somehow seemed too intimate an act, even with a man she supposedly loved. But this was Caleb, this was different.
Perhaps he had sensed her reluctance because he looked up at her then, with a boyish grin on his face. “Would it be alright if I…tasted you?” He asked her. She could only nod. When he ran his tongue along the sensitive folds, she was glad she hadn’t refused. Reluctance was quickly replaced by insistence as he licked her, his tongue teasing the sensitive bud of her pleasure.
“You taste like honey,” he said, wonderment apparent on his face, as if she were an exotic dessert for him to feast upon.
It was that small pronouncement of genuine desire and appreciation that capitulated her over the edge. The tension that had wound so tightly in her core exploded in a rush of pleasure. Her fingers clutched the sheets; her toes curled. She cried out as the sensations washed over her, wave after wave of magnificent spasms. He groaned against her, riding it out with her until the convulsions ceased.
When she opened her eyes, she was looking directly into his. Instead of looking smug, or bored, or anxious to get on with ‘his turn’, as Steve often had when she reached climax first, Caleb looked spellbound. He was in no hurry although his thick shaft throbbed against her stomach.
In each of her past experiences, once she came, that was it for her; she was done for the evening. But now, instead of feeling spent and drowsy, she only craved more of him. His longing for her swiftly rekindled her own frantic need.
“You have never looked more beautiful,” he said, touching his forehead to hers. He planted a chaste kiss on her lips.
“I want you inside me, Caleb,” she pleaded. She didn’t want to wait any longer. His eyes flickered in hesitation for just a moment. Before she could wonder what it meant, the velvet tip of him nudged her sensitive flesh. And then, in a tantalizingly, maddeningly slow thrust, he entered her.
She gasped at the size of him; stretching her to the exquisite brink of pleasure. Every inch he moved deeper brought her to a new level of satisfaction. Even as her body struggled to accommodate his impressive girth, her mind soared with the joy of the increased connectedness that came with it. This was it. Her chest was going to burst. Her love for this powerful, thoughtful man was too strong for her to handle. The world exploded.
✽✽✽
As he’d watched Grace orgasm, he’d been sure he’d finally seen something more breathtaking than heaven itself. To witness the pure elation on her face and know that he had caused it had been humbling and exciting. He’d grown impossibly, painfully hard while he pleasured her, but he’d happily do it over and over again.
But, when she’d asked him to enter her, he’d wavered. Not because of the possible implications it would have with any council or laws; saints preserve him, but none of that mattered to him anymore. Instead, it was that nagging inner voice. Tell her. Tell her the truth before you make love. Before you can’t go back. But the roar of the fiery blood rushing through him had quickly deafened him to the final plea of his conscious and he’d given in to the demands of his body and her will.
Now he was inside of her, sheathed to the hilt in her tight, silken warmth. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected but the overwhelming sensation of ‘rightness’ wasn’t it. How could something considered by angels to be so primitive, be so awe-inspiring? How they could all have gotten it so wrong?
He wanted to spend the rest of eternity in her arms, worshiping her body, showing her with his own how much he cared about her. How much he loved her. The realization rocked him. He loved her. All these feelings that he struggled to put words to, weren’t a mix of different things. They were one, giant, all-encompassing emotion. One he had failed to understand until now. It was no wonder that people talked, wrote, and sang of it endlessly; why they would do any number of things in the name of it. He finally understood what the word he’d heard millions of times meant. This was love.
He kissed her with a new intensity, infusing each movement of his tongue, each thrust of his body with the strength of his new-found understanding. As he rocked against her, he could see the passion rising once again with her. Beads of sweat formed on his brow as he tried to control the coiling frenzy growing within him. He was reaching, just as she was, for the moment that would satiate their desires; he wanted to go there with her.
And there it was—that unguarded, radiant look of ecstasy of hers as she shattered. She spasmed around him, her body urging him to join her. With one last, powerful stroke, he drove himself into her, unleashing the tension that had been building within him since she’d first dared to ask him to make love to her. It was only now that he truly understood what that meant. He saw stars as he stiffened and shook with the force of his release. It was the most perfect, satisfying moment of his entire existence.
✽✽✽
Grace sighed contentedly as he rolled off her and onto his back, pulling her tight against him. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head and then rested his chin lightly on the spot. His strong arms were warm and inviting as she curled up next to him, her leg draped over his, her cheek resting on his chest. Despite hi
s now relaxed demeanor, his heart beat furiously, belaying the amount of effort he had exerted; it made her smile.
She had no words to describe what had passed between them, and it appeared that neither did he. Who would have known that, in so little time, she could come to love someone so completely? While he hadn’t said the words, she’d sensed at some point during their love making, he’d realized he loved her as well. His touch had changed; it had been subtle, but it had been there. It had become, somehow, more reverent, more earnest. It was what had ultimately brought about her own rapid and blinding climax the second time, a maelstrom of pleasure more powerful than the first.
While her mind was eager to experience the whole encounter all over again, her body was not. She was spent. Her limbs were weighed down with sleepy contentment, her eyes heavy. She blinked repeatedly, trying to stay awake. She wanted to soak up every second of lying with him, of listening to his heart beating, of feeling his chest rise and fall. Unfortunately, her body was winning out. She didn’t know if it had been hours or minutes that they lay there, quietly, too stunned to speak, but her exhaustion caught up with her. With one more, gentle nuzzle, she drifted off to sleep.
He screamed.
Chapter 18
Fire. His entire body felt consumed by it although there was not a flame in sight. His angelic power was draining out of him so quickly it was as if someone was ripping it out of his body. He stumbled from the bed into the living room, desperate for something to alleviate the all-encompassing agony. He tried to mentally call Gavriel but he had no control over the little power that remained. Any moment, it could run out and he would cease to exist.
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