Touch of the Angel (Demons of Infernum, #3)

by Rosalie Lario

  “Amara,” he breathed. Before she could say anything else, he crushed her to him, covering her lips with his. She growled deep in her throat and slid her tongue along his lips before thrusting it inside. Taking his mouth in a deep, passionate kiss that brought to mind the demanding way she’d ridden his body that night. On and on the kiss went, until it seemed as if nothing existed but the contact of their bodies. He moved his hands down her back, cupping the perfect ass that had been exposed when her dress rode up her body. Then he slid a finger along the seam, trailing downward.

  She tore her mouth from his. When she tried to jerk out of his grasp, he tightened his hold on her.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  Her eyes squeezed shut as if she was in pain. “We have to stop. I...don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t,” he whispered.

  “I almost killed you last time. What are the odds we’ll get lucky a second time around?”

  “I didn’t know what to expect the first time. I’m stronger than you. I’ll make sure we don’t go too far.”

  She appeared doubtful. “I don’t know.”

  “Amara, please. Let me do this for you. I want you.”

  The last of her resistance melted away. She brought her hands to his cheeks and tugged his head down for another kiss.

  Yes. He could do this. Bring her to ecstasy without taking anything in return. It wasn’t a permanent fix, or even anything that would last more than a few hours. But it was something he could give her. And he somehow thought he’d treasure these moments with her for the rest of his life. No matter the consequences.

  §

  She had to keep control. Ronin made Amara want to lose herself, but making a mistake like that could prove fatal the second time around. So she focused all her energy on this one kiss. This very moment. There didn’t have to be anything more. And if her body burned for his touch, if she ached to be filled by him, well, she didn’t have to give in to that base instinct. She was a person, not an animal.

  Not a monster.

  Ronin lifted her and headed for the bed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and focused on the feel of him. His hair—soft and silky where it made contact with her flesh. His skin—like satin over steel. Though his height lent him the appearance of lankiness, with his shirt off it was clear the man was two hundred-plus pounds of solid muscle.

  Half demon, half angel. Who would have thought the combination would be so incredibly appealing?

  He came to a standstill by the bed, sliding her down the length of his body. His heavy erection practically seared her body through the fabric of his bottoms and her dress. How she wished there were nothing to separate their bodies. But that couldn’t be. Too dangerous. As delectable as Ronin was, they were one hundred percent incompatible.

  “You’re so beautiful.”

  When his fingers grasped the hem of her dress and he started to drag it upward, she stopped him. While she still could. “No, we shouldn’t.”

  “Shush. I’ll keep control for both of us, remember?”

  If only she could trust that he would. Taking a gamble with his life seemed far too risky. But then a sliver of calm radiated from his body, easing her fears. He slid the small slip fabric up her torso and completely off her. When the cool night air hit her, she shivered. Then his mouth closed on hers at the same time his palm cupped one of her breasts, and she was gone. She arched into his touch and one of her hands brushed against his thick erection.

  He groaned into her mouth and pulled her hand away, guiding her back onto the bed. Oh, he felt so hot and heavy and amazing lying on top of her. Even the soft cotton of his pajama pants fed her arousal. She tangled her fingers in his hair and focused on kissing him, sucking his tongue into her mouth and then feeding him hers. She positively ached. Acting on pure instinct, she spread her legs along either side of him and wrapped them around his waist. Then she slid her foot up and down the leg of his bottoms, pressing into him all the while. He fit so snugly against her and, if she moved just right, she could almost imagine he was inside her, thrusting home.

  Oh hell, she was losing control. She could feel it slipping away, like an elusive butterfly riding on a soft summer breeze. Her body’s cravings were too strong to ignore.

  “Ronin...”

  He understood the plea she couldn’t even summon the strength to utter, because he dragged her arms over her head, closing one hand over both her wrists to trap them there. His lips traveled down from her mouth to close over one breast, then the other. While he gently nipped on them, his free hand moved between her thighs.

  This was more amazing than she could’ve imagined. She moved against his questing fingers, which grew slick from her desire. One of his thick, long fingers penetrated her. He must have sensed how ready she was, how rough she needed it, because he didn’t waste his time being gentle. Instead he withdrew, only to thrust back in with two. At the same time he sucked hard on her breast, closing his teeth around the nipple and biting down lightly.

  Her climax was swift and furious, bringing with it a burst of energy that temporarily soothed the ache in her stomach. She bit her lip to keep from crying out.

  With a soft exhalation, Ronin moved up to capture her lips in another kiss. His fingers continued their relentless pumping, and he used his thumb to stroke her clit. Soon enough she felt herself moving under him once again. Rising up to meet the hard thrusts of his fingers. When her legs started to shake with the force of another impending orgasm, he tightened his hold on her wrists, effectively imprisoning her. This time she came on a shocking burst of white that left her temporarily senseless and totally breathless.

  He groaned and slid his tongue between her lips, stroking her tongue with his. At the same time he pressed tight against her, his movements growing jerky. His whole body shook. Amara undulated against him while he rode out his climax and tried to catch her breath. It was harder than she would have imagined.

  That had been some of the most amazing sex she’d ever had, and it wasn’t even real sex.

  “You okay?” he finally whispered against her lips.

  “Yes.” She was better than okay, actually. Sated, for the moment. Serene. Though she knew it wouldn’t last. “I’m wonderful.”

  “Good.” He touched his lips to hers. “Be right back.”

  “Mm-kay.” The day’s events, compounded with the restless sleep she’d gotten all week, were starting to catch up with her. Amara’s eyelids began to grow heavy. She stifled a yawn.

  After a few minutes, Ronin walked back in from the adjoining bathroom. He crawled onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her. “Get some sleep.”

  “No, I...” Her eyelids closed, and an instant later, she was out.

  §

  Ronin stood on the spacious terrace of Keegan’s apartment and observed the tiny flecks of snow raining down. They had started no more than an hour ago and now, close to sunset, the snowfall had picked up speed. The chill of the flakes was refreshing against his lightweight sweater and blue jeans. He turned the tumbler of whiskey in his hand, his mind back on his apartment.

  And the woman who slumbered within.

  Earlier, when he’d awoken in bed next to her, he’d been struck once again by her beauty. She’d was both arousing and innocent in sleep, her long hair tumbling midway down her bare back. And the generous curve of her nude backside...

  He’d felt himself hardening once again, but then his eyes had fallen on the band around her wrist. A slave. She was a virtual slave to Asmodeus.

  After rising from the bed, he’d covered Amara with the sheet and dressed with the intent of seeking out Keegan. I’ll get your mother back, and I’ll find a way to free you. I promise. He didn’t know how, but he would.

  Dagan had been in the living room, in the same position as hours before, proving Ronin’s
theory that his brother could sleep through anything. So he’d woken him with instructions to guard Amara—without invading her privacy. Now he stood here waiting for Keegan to join him, as well as Taeg, who had slept over with Maya.

  What the hell was he doing? He’d gone his whole life without forming personal attachments to women. If they were interested in more than just good sex, he stayed far away. But now, with Amara, he seemed to be turning his back on his past resolutions. The woman couldn’t be more wrong for him. Not only could they not be together, but she was involved with a murderer—whether willing or not. There couldn’t be a truer recipe for heartache.

  Yet something about Amara made her completely irresistible.

  The glass door leading out to the terrace opened and Brynn waddled in, a wince on her face.

  “You okay?” he asked, moving to help her.

  “I’m fine.” She waved him off and placed a hand on her large belly. “This kid is going to kill me.”

  “It’s Keegan who’s gonna kill you if he finds you out here in nothing more than pajamas and slippers.”

  She grimaced and came to a stop in front of the railing. “In my condition, I think you could stick me in a deep freezer and I’d still feel overheated. Besides, my pajamas are flannel.”

  “Suit yourself.” He didn’t know why he worried. Despite her fragile appearance, her veins were made of thick steel. She could be pretty scary when she wanted to be.

  “So I hear the succubus you captured last night is the same one who almost got you killed last month.”

  Ronin had to hand it to Brynn. She could really pack a punch when she wanted to. “Yup.”

  “How do you feel about that?” When he took a deep swig of his whiskey, she cocked a brow. “That bad?”

  “That confusing,” he said.

  “Yeah, I sort of had a feeling that would be the case. So...what’s the prognosis? Evil, or misunderstood?”

  “A pawn.” He let out a deep breath. “Definitely a pawn.”

  “How so?”

  “He has her mo—”

  Ronin cut off when the door to the terrace opened. This time it was Keegan. He cast a disapproving glance their way.

  “Brynn,” he said.

  She growled at him in obvious displeasure, but then, with a sigh, moved toward the door. “You’d better spill inside,” she said to Ronin. “I want to hear this.”

  Taking his cue, he followed her into the living room, where Taeg and Maya lounged on the leather sectional. From Maya’s heavy yawn, she and Taeg had also recently awoken. What a testament to the events of the prior night and this morning that they’d slept the entire day away.

  “Good to see you’re still alive.” Taeg slung an arm over Maya’s shoulder and pulled her into his side.

  Ronin gave him the one-fingered salute, then let out an unwilling snort at the phrase on his T-shirt: I’ll try to be nicer if you’ll try to be smarter.

  “What’s up?” Keegan asked. “Have you learned anything new?”

  “Yes.” Ronin got right down to it. “He has Amara’s mother. That’s how he’s controlling her. I’m willing to bet he’s doing similar things with the other succubi he uses.”

  Brynn gasped and moved to sit on one end of the huge sectional. Keegan rushed to her side and helped her maneuver into the spot. “So she’s an unwilling accomplice?” she asked.

  “Yes. She fears what Asmodeus will do to her mother if she doesn’t return.”

  That earned a moment of silence. Since his brothers had been taken at a young age from their mothers by Mammon, you could say the subject of mothers was a sore spot. The thought that an evil demon was using Amara’s to manipulate her must have hit each of Ronin’s brothers as hard as it had hit him.

  “If that’s the case, I truly feel for her,” Keegan answered. “But what can we do about that? We can’t let Amara go back to Asmodeus, not when we know it will result in that many more murders.”

  Maya scooted forward, a scowl on her face. “We have to take that sick fuck down.”

  “Agreed, but the Council requires concrete evidence of what he’s up to before we can apprehend him,” Keegan said. “We don’t know how long that will take. There’s certainly no guarantee it will even be anytime within the next week.”

  Taeg grabbed hold of Maya’s hand. “At least we don’t have any other jobs to take care of right now.”

  Which created its own set of problems. No work meant possible deportation back to Infernum, or to another world with a greater need for Detainors. One more thing for them to worry about.

  Ronin rubbed his right shoulder, trying to alleviate the weariness that had settled there. “We have to find a way to get Amara’s mother out of there as soon as possible.”

  “That’s not our top priority,” Taeg said. “Trying to do that on top of anything else will be an unnecessary distraction.”

  Maya bristled and released Taeg’s hand, shooting him a glare. “Surely you’re not suggesting we do nothing?”

  Taeg sighed. “Surely not.”

  Keegan turned toward the wall of windows, staring out for several moments before he faced them and spoke. “Let’s go back to Asmodeus’s townhouse tonight. We’ll see if we can find a way to rescue Amara’s mother. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even get lucky and figure out what the hell Asmodeus is up to.”

  The heavy weight in Ronin’s chest eased a fraction. Mission accomplished. At least they would try to do something about Amara’s mother, and hopefully his brothers were beginning to see Amara in a new light. She wasn’t a psychopath with no regard for life, but rather a victim.

  “Who’s going to be stuck watching the succu-bitch while the rest of us stake out Asmodeus’s digs?” Taeg asked.

  Ronin bristled at his words. “Watch your mouth.”

  Taeg shot him a wry glance but didn’t bother responding.

  “Dagan can do it,” Keegan said.

  Taeg cocked a brow. “He’ll be pissed as hell about being left behind.”

  Brynn rubbed her stomach. “Maya and I can stay with her.”

  Keegan scowled. “Hell, no. I won’t have you in the same apartment as a dangerous demon, especially in your condition.”

  Brynn rolled her eyes. “It’s not as if she can use her witchy succubus powers on me.” She was quiet for a beat before adding, “Can she?”

  Ronin shook his head. “No. You’re the wrong sex for that.”

  “See? I’ll be fine.” Brynn looked at Keegan, who shook his head.

  “I don’t care. Still too dangerous.” Keegan sighed and flexed his hand. “How about I call up Bram and Reiver and see if one of them can keep an eye on her?”

  Bram and Reiver were panther-shifters who worked as bouncers for an Otherworldly nightclub. They also acted as bodyguards when the need arose, such as when Brynn’s life had been put in danger several months back.

  “Perfect,” Taeg said.

  Ronin couldn’t agree, at least not one hundred percent. Sure, the shifters were nice guys, but last night Amara had confessed how hungry she was. The last thing he wanted was two virile, handsome men in the same room as her. He had the sense that given enough hunger, she might forget everything other than the need to find sustenance.

  Ronin locked eyes with Keegan. “Make sure they stay far away from Amara.”

  Keegan’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Oh believe me, I will.”

  Chapter Nine

  Everyone else might be all kumbaya about the succubus and her sad captive-mommy story, but Taeg wasn’t buying. At least not without solid confirmation using his ability to charm. Amara had almost killed his brother. That wasn’t something to be taken lightly, or forgotten.

  On the other hand, he already knew what Ronin would think of his plan. His brother had the hots for the succubu
s. That in and of itself was nothing short of a miracle, considering Ronin’s lifelong stance on committed relationships: namely, how he should stay out of them. But nonetheless, Ronin had become emotionally involved with Amara, and he’d already demonstrated that all good sense flew to the wayside when it came to her.

  Taeg waited until they were all distracted and slipped out the front door. For like the billionth time in the last several months, he lamented the loss of his ability to flash. Things had been so much easier when he could use the fae paths to instantaneously travel from one spot in this dimension to another. He could have been there and back in the span of a few minutes, with no one the wiser.

  Except he’d given up that ability in exchange for three dark fae sisters giving him the location of the sword Excalibur. He’d needed the sword to defeat his nemesis, Leviathos, and destroy a supernatural books of spells that Brynn was bound to. It hadn’t been all bad, though. He’d also met, and fallen in love with, Maya. But now, since he’d given up his flashing power, he was stuck walking down to Ronin’s and Dagan’s apartment. Major bummer.

  When Taeg entered the apartment, Dagan sat on the couch watching something on the television. He looked up. “Hey Taeg, what’s up?”

  “We’re canvassing Asmodeus’s apartment again tonight.”

  “Sweet.” Dagan’s face momentarily brightened, then fell. “You guys aren’t going to stick me on succubus-sitting duty, are you?”

  “You’re in luck, Chuck. Keegan’s gonna call Bram or Reiver in to watch over her. Where is li’l ole Cinderella?”

  Dagan pulled a grimace. “In Ronin’s bedroom.”

  “Okay. I’m gonna go have a word with her. You hang out here.”

  Taeg left the living room and strolled down the hallway until he reached Ronin’s bedroom. There was now a hole where the doorknob used to be, along with the remains of the hardware for the knob. Keegan’s handiwork from yesterday. Stifling a smirk, he pushed the door open.

  Amara sat on the bed wearing a wrinkled dress, and a rumpled sheet covered her lower half. She stared out the wall of windows, wearing a pensive expression. When she heard him enter she smiled. But then she saw him, and the welcome slid off her face.