Wow, was he really saying all of those words out loud? Was he supposed to? Seemed normal, felt natural to him but what was normal for him was sure to not be for her. One glance at her confirmed the scent of her astonishment.
He shook his head. “Every single emotion you have smells differently. And you have…many and they all make me crazy to…”
Her arousal kicked up in high gear and Toren’s phallus grew to the point of painful. He realized she thought he just meant she excited him physically and before he could consider if the words were okay to say to her, they blurted right out. “You make me crazy to love you. In every way.”
Her chemicals went nuts and he panicked until he realized what it was he was smelling and feeling. She loved him too. The idea staggered him in a near painful way. His mercury seemed…determined to dominate her in that second and the urgency in the way it raced made him nervous.
“You…okay?”
The ranch house came into view and Toren was ready to jump out the truck and walk the rest of the way. You’re the Mercury Warrior. Get a grip. She’s a human woman. “I’m good.”
“What other miracles?” Sam glanced at him several times as the ranch house finally came into view, wishing she had more time.
“Well there were those three dreams you had about the calico cat.”
Sam sucked in her breath. “I knew it! Oh my God I told daddy an angel told me and he never believed me.”
Toren gave her his sexy side grin that made her tummy tickle. “How couldn’t he believe a sweet baby girl like you?”
And there went her train of thought. Believe her about what? Oh yeah, the cat. “I cried so hard when he died. It meant I’d failed him, I knew.”
“You have to experience the miraculous before you can act on it usually.”
“Oh look, there’s your couple. Talk about falling out of the sky.” Sam pulled up next to the porch. “Make that your trio. Did you order three people?” Sam had her eye on the beautiful woman in freaking particular.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Great, a goddamn rodeo queen, just what I don’t need.” Sam threw the truck in park and Joe banged on the back glass. Sam craned her neck and met his you-maniac glare. He turned to Toren then promptly dissolved into a beaten mutt look. But Toren had his eyes forward and Sam’s stomach plummeted at the thought of him looking at another woman.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Toren suddenly leaned over, took Sam's face in one hand and turned it. Before she could wonder, he pressed his full lips softly to hers and moaned hungrily then pulled away. She watched with liquid limbs as he got out of the truck and walked toward the porch. She tried to figure out who he was aiming for but her eyes kept getting sidetracked by his super fine ass in those jeans. Lord thank you, thank you.
She climbed out, needing to see where his eyes roved, sure it’d be on the woman. Better not be. She wasn’t going to be treated like a nothing when a beautiful woman was around. Sam spied the first male on the porch…then the second in the shadows. The first one was quite appealing to the eye. Army cut hair, bright blue eyes. About all she could decipher from that distance. And the dynamite sized body—oh and camouflage pants? Okay, little GI Joe there. Not tall but no less a powerhouse of lean mean. Nothing gorgeous like her Toren. Oh good God, her Toren? She was so beyond hope now. All that was left was the ride and she could only hold on for dear life and pray her little love boat didn’t smash up against the rocks.
The third guy hung back in the shadows a bit. She could use all the help she could get, and she had no business being picky whatsoever.
“Looks like your little internet trick worked.” Sam turned in time to see Joe grab his head. “Aghhh.”
“Better go put some ice on that chin,” Toren muttered, continuing his walk toward their company with a lethal purpose in his step.
Sam remembered she lived there and needed to act like it. She hurried her own steps to introduce herself. “You guys are here to answer the ad?”
“I am.” The rodeo queen fluttered her fingers. Shit. She really was the damn rodeo queen from several years of state competition. What pot fucking luck.
“I believe I know you.” Sam stretched her hand for a shake.
The girl shook her hand and rattled off at the mouth. “Yeah, yeah, Skye Blue, that’s me, I’m trying to forget about it if you don’t mind.” Sam looked down at her the non-stop handshake. “I’m here for a job, and I’m praying you still have openings. I can cook, clean, train horses, care for animals, I can do diesel mechanics, I’m also proficient at working the land, I—”
“You were hired at cleaning.”
The woman let out a light gasp of relief and fluttered slender fingers through her long, just stepped out of the salon, brunette hair. If she didn’t like the reputation, then why the hell did the woman dress the part? “I'm actually Skylar Thomas. Sorry for being sarcastic but I've gotten sick of being thought of as a pretty airhead. I'm trying hard to live it down, but it’s been a rough few months.” Deep shadows in her eyes gave truth to her words. She nodded and eyed Toren with an appreciative gaze. “I was worried somebody would’ve filled the position.”
“Well, I’ve got a lot of sick men down. So, I can use all the help I can get.” Sam glanced at the guy just behind her, the army stud. “You here for the ad too, I assume?”
“Yes ma'am.”
He didn’t spout his resume like the woman had. “You good with anything?”
He cast his blue eyes down then bore them right into hers. “I’m good with anything.”
She nodded, not liking his vague attitude. But desperation said it was good confidence. “This is Toren and…” Sam looked around for Joe. “Guess he had to go. That was Joe, the guy just here. I’m Samantha, the owner of the ranch.” Sam looked at the third guy. “Excuse me sir? Are you here for the ad?”
He came forward in a strange scuttle kind of way, almost like he was nervous. “Yes'm. Here for the ad. I can work with horses n’ stuff. And cows n’whatnot.”
Okay, a dumb one but he seemed to pack plenty of horsepower. “Much appreciate you all answering my ad. You’ve come at a desperate time. Nearly every hand on the place is down with the flu and with the storm, there's plenty of extra work to do for a fit crew.”
“Maybe we can have a talk with them,” Toren cut in, looking at her. “Maybe we can talk back at the little shack I’m staying in?”
“Well, I was thinking we—”
“Good, we can all ride together, come up with a plan to save the ranch from…becoming run over with more catastrophe than it already has been.”
Oh yeah. Sam had forgotten about the whole angel coming to town down from heaven seeking out the human couple standing before her in order to save the world. Not her ranch. She struggled to shove twenty years of responsibility that had etched its way into her pores and psyche, telling herself that saving the world was just a tad more important.
“I’m ready when you are.” The determination in Skylar's voice seemed a little familiar, but Sam couldn't place it.
“And who are you?” Sam asked the army guy, realizing he hadn’t said.
“Ezekiel Beshara.”
Sam nodded and glanced at the dirty man off to the right with the greasy looking goldilocks. “Got a name?”
His dark eyes flitted all around and his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. You’d think she’d asked him to recite the constitution before a huge audience. “Rufard. Ruffard Lam-Lam-berg.”
Sam looked at Toren. “Guess that’s that.” She looked at the three people. “You can hop in the truck, I just need to touch base here.”
“I’ll come to help.”
“It’s not necessary, I can—”
“I’m coming.” Toren seemed to realize his harshness and softened his voice a touch. “If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” She flicked her gaze over him then tossed a look over her shoulder. “Climb on in my junk bucket, we’ll be back in
a moment.”
Sam went inside looking for her father with Toren on her heels. After not finding him in his office, she turned for the den and ran into Toren who caught her. “Sorry,” she muttered, trying to side step him.
“For what?”
He held on to her and she looked up at him. He stared down into her face and pulled her close to his hard body. She let out a light gasp when her belly came into contact with his arousal. His lips descended and that skilled tongue snaked its way into the deepest recesses of her mouth. Sam had to grab hold of his neck to remain standing when dizziness hit. He held her jaw and groaned deep and long. “I want you so bad,” he whispered into her mouth. “I can’t stand it.”
Sam whimpered with her own need. “But…”
By the time she managed to use her mouth for words, he’d managed to open a door and usher her inside it. The downstairs bathroom. Okay.
His easily undid her jeans and hunger erupted in her blood. Again he dropped to his knees and slid them down to her ankles and off her feet. He moaned, staring right at her sex, stroking it softly with his fingers before lifting one of her legs onto his shoulder. Instead of pressing his mouth to her like she expected, he slid his finger inside her then looked up at her. Sam’s mouth remained open in shocked pleasure as he meandered his finger all over inside her, stopping on that spot that made her lose strength in her legs and cry out.
“Yes,” he whispered, watching her face a few more seconds. “Undo your shirt for me. Hurry.”
While she complied with shaky fingers, he leaned in and slid his tongue between her folds to flick over her clit. Sam gasped watching his tongue, so perfectly nestled inside her folds.
“Oh God, Toren.”
He flicked his finger fast inside her and she grabbed his head with both hands and pressed him to her. She moved her hips so that he had better access to her clit then began rocking on his mouth.
It didn’t take her long to reach her point of orgasm and Toren moaned and grunted his approval as she grew more vocal from the amazing pleasure.
He reached up to her breasts and fingered her nipple sending bolts of heat straight to her clit and her body into orbit. Sam grabbed hold of the counter, gasping and shuddering on his mouth, shocked with how damn good he did that.
“Stand up,” she gasped.
He did and kissed her. Tasting herself on him was strange and yet exhilarating. She worked his jeans open and pushed him up against the far wall before dropping to her knees and sliding his jeans to his ankles. Not bothering to take them off, she took hold of his massive erection and began making slow love to the swollen head with her lips and tongue. Toren’s fingers gripped her head, moving her along him. It felt amazing to have him do that. The sounds of pleasure coming from his sexy mouth and body were just out of this world. His every groan sounded excruciating and shocking. Made her insane.
She began sucking him aggressively, wanting his release, stroking his balls. He flicked his hips, making his shaft hit the back of her throat until he gasped her name along with foreign words. Then he came all over her face and neck and she thought she’d die from the urge to devour him. She couldn’t stop licking him, the…oh God, angel-man tasted truly heavenly, like clean with a hint of flinty. Strangely delicious.
He pulled her up and kissed her, seeming hungrier than ever. “I need to be inside you so bad.”
“Do it,” she whispered between kisses. "Make love to me Toren.”
He embraced her tightly like those words meant the world to him in an almost painful way.
“Hey, you in there?”
“Oh my God Kassie!” She put her hand over his sexy snickers and he nibbled her fingers. “Coming.”
“Coming,” he whispered, nibbling at her neck. “My new and very favorite word.” Holding her close to his body, he slid his finger inside her again.
“Oh God.” She held onto his neck while he made passionate love to her with his finger, delivering deep and slow strokes that melted her core.
“Joe’s out there with his gun, asking for Toren, and he looks upset.”
Toren paused and let out a low metallic growl. He slid his finger out and locked eyes with her as he sucked her juices right off him like a kid with his very favorite lollypop. Geezus, Marty and Moe.
“What are you gonna do?” She swallowed and held his still hot gaze as he put his equipment back in his pants before retrieving hers, lowering to the floor. Her heart raced as she stepped into the jeans. “I’m scared.”
He looked up at her, slowly raising as she helped work her jeans up. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “You don’t need to be worried about Joe.”
She shook her head. “I’m not.”
He nibbled at her lips. “Then what?”
Running her hands over the expanse of his broad warm chest she whispered, “You. What if you’re not real?”
He pulled her into one of those amazing hugs and made her feel so cherished. “I am real. I promise you. I don’t lie.”
“Joe, you need to get on out of here with that gun,” Sam heard Kassie mutter.
Toren opened the door.
“Don’t…hurt him too bad, I need him around here.”
Toren glanced back at her with a look in his eyes that made her heart skip a beat. Anger? Maybe jealousy. The man was too sexy in every damn emotion, so not fair. “If you insist.”
She grabbed his arm and he turned and looked down at her with eyes that seemed nearly liquid silver. She didn’t miss the way his jaw worked and his mouth was tight. “I…” Crap, she what? As much as she hated Joe, he seemed like damn near a brother to her, she realized. But how would she not look like a pining lover in denial? “Don’t forget you’re an angel?”
He studied her mouth a second then met her gaze. “Don’t forget I’m a Warring Angel. Protecting what I believe in.”
“Hold on,” she whispered, yanking him back when he turned. He stopped but he didn’t look at her and she hated that he was obviously not happy with her. “I just…”
“Care, I know.”
“Well shouldn’t you? A little? You’re the angel here, warring or not.”
He snorted. “I care about one thing. Changing his evil ways. And I know how to help with that.”
“Toren, stop.” She yanked him again and he spun to her.
“Why should you of all people care so much about him?”
Uh-oh. He was jealous. And as flattering as that should be, she didn’t like it. “Mercy?”
He actually pffed, like he didn’t believe her.
“There you are. We got an issue to settle you son of a bitch.”
Joe entered the hall with his shotgun and Sam felt sorry for the jackass. Toren walked toward him and Sam held her breath as Joe sputtered threats that came out slurred like he was suddenly drunk. Toren paused before him and Sam’s heart hammered, waiting. Then he walked on by him.
Sam hurried past Joe who was sweating and clutching his gun to his chest like he’d seen an awful apparition. He kept his gaze down as she went by, his brows drawn like he was in pain.
She caught up to Toren at the front door. “What’d you do to him?”
“I didn’t kill him.”
“Well I see that smart ass.”
He opened the door and turned to her. “Maybe you should stay and doctor him. I’ll handle my business.”
Ohhh ho ho. “Hell no. What’s your goddamn problem? I show a little concern for—”
“That piece of shit doesn’t deserve your concern.”
She drew back a little with wide eyes. “Am I hearing straight? Aren’t you supposed to be talking to me about mercy and forgiveness maybe?”
He suddenly rolled his eyes shut. A few seconds later, he mumbled, “Please forgive me. I’m not myself right now.” He took her hand and pulled her with him.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
What was wrong with him? She was right, he wasn’t acting like an angel at all but a jealous boyfriend. He couldn’t seem to stop it, he d
idn’t want her loving anybody but him. Wow. This was far too human for him at this stage, what was going on? Maybe that one kiss was all his mercury needed to begin the bonding process. Still. The feelings he had were borderline childish to say the least.
He wanted to put the human in the ground, not just for hurting Samantha but for still having the nerve to want her. Yeah, that. That right there was more than he could stand. She was his. And the remote idea of them two being anything made his mercury race with a possessive fury he’d never known. He was blessed Toren merely turned the metals in his body up a few degrees and not melted them like he’d wanted. Or force them all into his dick until he wished he’d never been born with one.
The problem with behaving this way was that one of those beings was right in hands reach. The odd man on the porch hadn’t just smelled of a demon, he was one. In a human body. No, not quite human, this one was different than the one he’d killed in the field. That one seemed like a hijacked body, this one smelled more…synthetic. He was sure the thing was there to find answers, to find out why their two amigos didn’t phone home. Toren would keep him close until he knew what to do with him. There were only two options. Use the abomination somehow, or kill it.
Hopefully Kassern or Dorn would soon let him know what was going on outside the barrier so he had some idea of what his options were. Though part of him despised working in the dark, his mercurial parts thrived on it.
Toren insisted Skylar ride in the front with them, not wanting her around those other two for now. The only thing good he sensed about the Ezekiel guy was his name. The end. There was a brick ass wall around his heart he’d have to hammer through to get to the rational man he needed for this operation. And he didn’t have a lot of time to do it now. In addition, he somehow, more than ever, wanted to call a time out and make passionate love to Samantha before going a step further.
Summon Toren (Archangels Creed #3) Page 17