by Lori Aisling
“I would expect nothing less. I don’t want to choose a side. I choose you- the Counterbalance. I choose Death.”
I heard his breath leave him in a rush and he was instantly on his feet, barrelling into me. I found myself flat on my back, his large body covering mine. Grabbing the back of his head, I pulled him down onto me and our mouths met in a messy, violent kiss. His hands reached down and pulled at my shirt, fabric ripping before he leaned up enough to pull it over my head. I ran my hands over the hard planes of his chest before pulling my lips away from him to run my tongue down his neck and nibble along his collarbone. My blood was boiling in my veins, the need for him unlike anything I ever experienced. Then, a vision crashed into my brain. “Wait!” I cried out breathlessly.
Flipping off of me to roll onto his back, his breath leaving him in ragged gulps, he covered his face with his hand. “Goddammit, woman. You are going to be the death of me- and I am fucking Death. How is that supposed to work? What are we waiting for now?”
I wanted to know about the gorgeous female angel- Joe. The bitch I prayed would contract a raging case of acne and ass rash. Was she his ex? Did he care for her? She was beautiful, and obviously still carried a torch for him. The jealous beast inside me snarled at the thought of such viable competition.
Sitting up, I looked at the ripped body next to me, his erection pushing soundly at the flannel of the pajama bottoms he had just worn while easily tossing three powerful archangels out the front door, and I realized it didn’t matter. All the time in the world belonged to us- it was ours. Wrangling my green monster, I shoved her back into the corner of my mind. Callon wanted me, not her. He chose me for eternity, it didn’t get more committed than that. Instead, I focused on the hard bulge in the front of his pants. It was going to be way more fun, anyway.
Slipping my hand down the front of the soft flannel, I curled my fingers around his sizable girth. He tipped his hips and slid them down over his ass, a deep grumble in his chest as I stroked him. He was perfection. My salivary glands all jumped to attention, ready and willing to get to work. I leaned down, letting my lips float over the head of his cock, my tongue sneaking out to lick up a pearly drop of pre-cum from the tip. His hips bucked and the desire in his moan sent tingles through my soaked core. Sliding him past my lips, I teased the underside of his shaft with my tongue as I began a slow, deep rhythm, feeling him at the back of my throat.
I felt fingers thread through my hair, clenching tightly to the strands and he pushed me towards his pelvis then began a slow thrust of his hips, holding my head still. “Fuck, yes,” he hissed through his teeth. “If this is what you mean by ‘wait’, we can wait all damn night. But you still have entirely too many clothes on.”
Pulling my head away from the prize my mouth claimed, he tossed me to my back, his fingers making quick work of the button and zipper of my jeans. Jerking my pants and panties down and off my legs, he flung them to the floor. “I want you, Amara. If you still want me to wait, speak now and I will respect your wishes. But if you decide to proceed, know that I am going to own you. I am going to wreck this gorgeous body and that tight pussy of yours. Is that what you want?” he asked while holding himself over me, nestled between my quivering thighs.
There was no way I was changing my mind now: this man was mine. His dirty mouth was just an added fringe benefit to the total package. “How about a little less talk and a lot more proving that statement, eh?” I teased as I looked into his eyes.
I saw that ornery glint flare up in his silver orbs and his lips pulled back into the sexiest grin I ever had the luxury of seeing. “Don’t forget you asked for this, woman,” he replied, his voice husky with lust. The second the last word left his lips, he ratcheted his hips forward and I screamed as my internal muscles stretched to accommodate his size. He filled me completely, my nerve endings singing with the pressure. His fingers laced through my hair, palming my scalp and he paused momentarily before I wrapped my legs around his waist, wanting more. No, needing more. We were actually doing this- I was being fucked by Death and all I could think about was how incredible it was. The consequences of our actions were going to be an unbreakable, eternal bond and I never desired anything more in my life.
Callon moved in deep, unrelenting thrusts, working my body into a frenzy. Reaching his hand between us, he rubbed circles around my swollen, sensitive clit and I could feel the ripples of an orgasm building.
“Callon, please. Right there...that’s perfect. Don’t stop,” I begged, and for the first time in my entire sexual life, a man actually listened. The only thing he added was a sentence, spoken with a throaty rasp that saturated my already overwhelmed emotions.
“Yes, love, let me feel you come on my cock.”
That was all it took. The tone and depth of his voice, the dirty talk, the incredible deep dicking, combined with my really intense feelings for him pushed the ripples into a tidal wave that crashed down on me in an all-consuming climax. I cried out his name, my body racking in spasms, my nails threatening to carve trenches down his back.
“We aren’t done yet, my Queen,” he snarled, pulling out and flipping me to my stomach. I came up on my knees and he powered into me again, groaning his approval as my pussy clenched him tightly, the power of my release still surging through me. One of his hands wove through my hair, pulling my head back, my spine arching, creating new sensations with his strong strokes. The other reached around and palmed my breast, his fingers rolling my perk nipple between them.
It didn’t take long for the pressure to build again, and judging from the sounds coming from him, I could tell he was approaching his peak. My body was alive, pleasure coursing through me and when I felt him swell inside of me, the orgasm hit like a hammer, hard and fast. His cock began to pulse and he roared, pulling my body upright to hold me tightly against his chest.
That’s when everything went south, so to speak. The blissful “O” I was reveling in turned into fire. No, that’s not descriptive enough. Lava would be more like it. It was as if red-hot, liquid magma was just dumped over my head and injected into my veins. I screamed at the excruciating pain as Callon’s fingers dug into my flesh and he roared in his own agony.
It’s Official
My limbs were paralyzed, I can only describe it as overwhelming misery. Callon kept his arms wrapped tightly around me as we fell to our sides, muscles in spasm. I couldn’t help the screams that ripped from my throat. I kept my eyes tightly shut, I was sure if I looked I would see my skin bubbling into blisters. Callon was faring no better- I could feel him twitching and shaking behind me as he moaned and writhed in his own uncontrollable pain.
The unrelenting agony seemed to last forever. I am not ashamed to admit at one point, I wondered if maybe staying dead would’ve been better; I wanted relief. When I thought I couldn’t take any more, I became coherent enough to see Callon laying next to me, propped up on one arm, his fingers running down my cheek.
“Oh, sweet Lord, is it over?” I wheezed, willing my eyes to stay open.
“Yes, love. It is. I’m not going to ask you if you are ok, I know that’s a stupid question. But is there anything I can get for you?”
“Water. I need cold water.”
He reached to the nightstand and picked up a crystal glass with ice water. It was there long enough for condensation to start collecting on the exterior.
“How long have I been like this? When did it stop for you?”
“Only about 15 minutes, give or take, since the pain became bearable for me. It appears the entire ordeal lasted about double that.”
“What the hell just happened?”
“It was the searing of the bond.” His face lit up and he smiled at me. “Welcome to eternity, Amara.”
“You could have warned me, ya know. That was beyond awful.” I struggled to sit up, Callon putting his hand on my back to ease me into a sitting position. I took the cool glass and guzzled the water, nodding to him when he asked if I wanted more. As he walked across
the room to the mini bar, I surveyed my body, looking for signs of burns and was surprised to see none. My skin wasn’t even flushed.
“I didn’t know this would happen. There is no way I would have expected you to endure that pain without warning you. Remember, love, I have never bonded to another, either. I had no idea what the process was.”
“Can you tell any difference? I mean, with the bond?”
“Certain things. I can ‘feel’ you; like a presence,” he said as he returned to the bed and handed me another glass of water. “When the pain started to subside, I was worried about you, so I was focused on your well-being. I could feel your distress, but I knew somehow you were ok- or you were going to be ok,” he reiterated. “There is something, though. Something you can see.” He was sporting a big smile and pleasure bounced off him in waves.
Turning his back to me, and pulling up his t-shirt, I gasped. In the middle of his back was a large infinity symbol. It was primarily black and looked like a tattoo. Swirled into the pattern were stars, a sun, a tree of life- its trunk encircled with a horned serpent and when I looked closer, I could see the shroud he wore, Death’s cape, in the intricate design. It was exquisite. “Oh my God, Callon! Do I have one, too?”
“If you have the energy to stand, come and look,” he smiled and extended his hand. I was able to get up with less distress than I anticipated. We walked to the large, full-length mirror in the walk-in closet and he tipped the door so I could get a clear, full-body reflection. Encompassing about half of my back, was the exact same mark and I loved it. The buzz of excitement danced around in my stomach as the reality of our situation fully took hold. It was official.
“Yes, Amara. You are mine. And I am yours.” Callon was beaming ear to ear, there was no doubt about how he felt concerning our new situation. “How do you feel?” he asked.
“I feel...complete. Like whatever was absent before has been filled. Ya know, like a puzzle that has one little piece missing so even though the picture is obvious, it’s not quite right,” I explained. I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him soundly.
“I know how you feel, and that is the perfect explanation.” He kissed my head as he held me close to him.
“Callon?”
“Yes, love?”
“I’m starving.”
He chuckled before sweeping me up in his arms and striding across the room. “Then let’s go make some food.”
Jet-Setting
We whipped up some eggs and bacon, enjoying it with toast slathered with strawberry jam. It was the perfect midnight snack. Making our way back to the bedroom, I reminisced on my first day here. So much just happened.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“I realized something just now. I am sure these words are rarely spoken, but getting cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me. Had I been healthy in my mortal life, I would never have met you.” Looking at him, I smiled widely, my eyebrows dancing. “I mean, technically, this is our honeymoon, right?”
“You know, you’re right. And you know what happens on the first night of a honeymoon.” I squealed in laughter as he again swept me off my feet and strode across the threshold of the bedroom. “Don’t plan on getting any sleep,” he teased as he nuzzled my neck before tossing me on the bed.
He was right. We didn’t sleep much. It was a perfect honeymoon.
I woke up the next morning and reached across the bed to feel for Callon. He was gone and the bedding was cold where he slept. Sitting up, I saw a cream-colored stationery on his pillow. Opening it, I read his distinctive script: ‘Good morning, my love. I have to go, but I will return shortly. Don’t forget to pack, we will be leaving as soon as I return. Coffee is ready for you. Thank you for believing in us. C.’
I giggled like a teenager into my pillow, a ridiculous perma-grin plastered across my face. Today was the first day of the rest of my eternity with Death. I blushed thinking of everything we did together the night before and if that was anything to base our future on, we were well on our way to a happy future. I bailed out of bed and wandered into the closet, still nude. Pulling out a new Louis Vuitton tote, I began packing some basics, I wanted to be ready when he returned. Having the little task completed, I started the water in the shower, ran to the kitchen for some coffee and then hopped into the huge stall. Singing Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ at the top of my lungs as I shaved, soaped and conditioned, I realized I was still smiling. Life was good.
I shut off the water and flung the door open, still singing. Callon was leaning against the vanity, arms crossed, an amused smile on his face. I shrieked and slammed the door shut, blushing fiercely.
“Too late, love. I have front row seats to the concert and a VIP pass, too. Come on out, my shy little rock star,” he laughed.
“You think that’s good, you should hear me when I am alone in my car. Grammy award-winning performances, I tell ya,” I giggled from behind the glass. I opened the door and he wrapped me in a soft bath sheet before handing me a box wrapped with a ribbon. The tag read Saks Fifth Avenue in pretty embossed gold font. “It’s gorgeous! Thank you!”
“You haven’t even opened it yet. How do you know you will like it?”
“Because you thought of me. For no other reason than that, I am grateful. But the box is lovely,” I said as I untied the ribbon and took the top off the small garment box. It was a swimsuit. A bikini to be exact, and a really little one. Emerald green, like the color of the nightie he complimented me on the night before. The fabric was slightly puckered, and the stitching was gold. “It is so pretty! And...small!” I added with a giggle.
“I have discovered although I like that color on you, I also enjoy seeing as much of your flesh as possible. This was a gift to me just as much as it was for you- the best of both worlds, you might say.” His eyes narrowed and his lips tilted into a mischievous grin. “Now get dressed or my mind is going to run away with me pondering the possibilities and we will not get any further than the bed,” he added suggestively.
I placed my hands on his hips and pulled him close to me. He was so handsome in jeans that hugged him in all the right places, a white dress shirt, and a navy suit jacket. “I would be happy either way, you know.”
“I do know. And that makes me cherish you that much more. I’ll go finish the ledger while you wrap up your preparations for travel. We have much to see and I have a lot to teach you. Your lessons start today. Oh, and Amara?”
“Yes?”
“The shirt I would like for you to wear is on the bed.”
Normally, I would puff up and get snorty if a man were to tell me what to wear, but Callon just didn’t push those buttons in me. I figured if he liked me wearing a certain outfit or color, it wasn’t hard to make the man happy. Death or not, he was all male. Food and sex. Regardless of mortal or Timeless, it seemed they were all wired the same way, bless their hearts.
I slapped on some makeup and packed a small toiletry bag before blow drying my hair, going for the quick ‘windblown beach wave’ style I thought looked quite good on me. Stepping into the bedroom, I saw a blouse laid across the bottom of the bed. Hmm. Not green, that actually surprised me. It was red and looked soft and slouchy. Perfect for travel. Pulling it on, I discovered Callon’s reasoning behind his choice. The back of the shirt draped, leaving the majority of my back uncovered. My bonding mark would show completely. My heart warmed knowing how happy he was with our union. I couldn’t recall the last time a man did such sweet things and wanted to show me off. Oh wait, I remember! Never.
A black pencil skirt and a pair of classy heels completed the look and I would be comfortable, but still well dressed. I quickly made the bed, grabbed the outrageously overpriced tote and headed down the hall, my excitement escalating. I was going to Egypt!
I was almost skipping when I reached the door to his office. Entering the room, I extended my arms out to the side, clutching my bag, and twirled in a circle. “I’m ready!” I e
xclaimed, completely unable to reign in the grin plastered to my face.
Callon looked up from his chair and an appreciative smile crept across his lips. “Beautiful, love. You are simply radiant.” He stood, walked up to me and put his hands on my waist. Leaning down for a kiss, he picked me up and sat me on the edge of the desk. I flushed, thinking of the last time I was placed on this same piece of furniture. Seeming to read my thoughts, his grin turned wicked and he kissed me again, this time nipping my bottom lip.
“You distract me so easily, Amara. Would it be wrong to tie you to my bed and keep you naked and sated for the rest of eternity?”
“Umm...no?” I whispered, breathless and already wanting him.
Stepping back, he ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “Not helpful, love. But I am glad you’re willing. Subject change before I ruin our plans and the remainder of our honeymoon. Your first lesson. Now, I need you to focus and ask any questions you have. This is really important. Intent, Amara. Always remember: it’s what you intend to happen. That is how you will access your gifts, travel the realms, and sway the mortal minds around you.”
“Why would I need to sway mortal minds? I don’t understand.”
“It’s more like making yourself forgettable. Just the constant, underlying thought there is really nothing to remember. As we travel through the living, there is no reason for anyone to question anything about you. That is how fear and paranoia settles into a populace. For example, a worker at a restaurant waits on an attractive woman. He looks at her name on her credit card to perhaps look her up on social media. She mentions the motel she is staying at. He later decides to try and find her and there is no trace. No one remembers her, the other waiters at the restaurant don’t recall seeing her even though she was there for hours and he spoke of her to them at the time. The motel has never heard of her. Suddenly, this man thinks he saw a ghost or he is going crazy. It happens every day. Timeless who aren’t diligent in their sway over minds cause this stress. It’s a confusion the living do not need. You will be covered by my sway until you master your own.”